- Paper 1 — General Mental Ability
- Logical reasoning, quantitative aptitude including numerical ability, and data interpretation through graphs, charts and tables. A substantial component, and one that rewards ordinary competitive-exam practice.
- Paper 1 — General Science
- General awareness and scientific temper, comprehension and appreciation of scientific phenomena in everyday life, and contemporary developments in information technology, biotechnology, environmental science and space.
- Paper 1 — Current Events
- National and international developments across culture, music, arts, literature, sports, governance, societal and developmental issues, industry, business, globalisation, and the interplay between nations.
- Paper 1 — Indian Polity and Economy
- The Constitution and political system, panchayati raj, social systems and public administration, economic development in India, regional and international security issues, human rights and their indicators.
- Paper 1 — History and Geography
- History of India with an emphasis on culture, freedom movement and the post-independence period; and Indian and world geography covering physical, social and economic aspects.
- Paper 2 — Part A: Essay
- Essays in English or Hindi on topics drawn from modern Indian history and the freedom struggle, geography, polity and economy, knowledge of security and human rights issues, and analytical ability. Tests whether you can construct and sustain an argument.
- Paper 2 — Part B: Comprehension and Communication
- Comprehension passages, precis writing, developing counter-arguments, simple grammar and other aspects of language testing, and communication and language skills. Answered in English only, regardless of the language chosen for Part A.
The security and human rights strand running through both papers is worth noting. CAPF asks about internal security, border management, insurgency, policing and rights questions more directly than most general competitive examinations, and a candidate who follows those debates specifically will find both the essay paper and the interview considerably easier.
Read the Paper 2 syllabus as a description of a skill rather than a body of content. Essay, precis, comprehension, counter-argument, grammar and usage — none of those is something you can study in the way you can study polity. They are practised. That distinction explains why candidates who prepare CAPF entirely from general studies material arrive with a well-stocked Paper 1 and no Paper 2 preparation at all, having read a syllabus that did not look like it was asking for anything.
