Physical & Medical

PST and PET Standards

Physical Standards Test (height, chest) and Physical Efficiency Test events (100m, 800m, long jump, shot put) with indicative norms and category relaxations

CAPF wiki•4 min read•11 sections

The Physical Standards Test (PST) and the Physical Efficiency Test (PET) are the first post-written gates in CAPF (AC) selection. Both are qualifying, not scoring: see Index for what that means and selection process for where they sit in the flow. The PST measures the body (height and chest). The PET measures performance (running, jumping, throwing). A candidate must clear both to go forward to the Medical Standards Test, covered in medical standards.

Accuracy note (read first)

The two-part structure (PST measurements plus the PET events listed below) is durable and well established. The exact numbers, the centimetres of height and chest, the seconds for the runs, the metres for the jump and throw, vary by notification, by gender, and by reserved category, and the Commission revises relaxations from time to time. The figures in this note are the commonly published indicative values and are labelled as indicative. Verify the current cut-offs against the live UPSC CAPF (AC) notification on upsc.gov.in before relying on any number.

Part 1: Physical Standards Test (PST)

The PST is a measurement check. The two core parameters are height and chest (chest is measured for male candidates; for female candidates chest is not a criterion, only height and the medical weight check apply).

Height (indicative baseline values)

Candidate	Indicative minimum height
Male (general)	about 165 cm
Female (general)	about 157 cm

These baselines are relaxed for specified categories and regions. The notification carries the full relaxation table; the structure is as follows.

Height relaxations (structure, indicative)

Category / region	Direction of relaxation
Scheduled Tribes (ST)	Lower minimum height, often around 162.5 cm male and 150 cm female (indicative)
Candidates from hill regions (Garhwalis, Kumaonis, Gorkhas, Dogras, Marathas, and people of certain North-Eastern States, Sikkim, Ladakh, etc.)	Reduced minimum height as specified
Candidates from certain North-Eastern and tribal pockets	Further specified reductions

The exact list of relaxed groups and the precise relaxed centimetres are set out in the notification's appendix and change across years. Treat the figures above as indicative and confirm against the current notification.

Chest (male candidates, indicative)

Measurement	Indicative value
Unexpanded (normal)	about 81 cm
Minimum expansion	about 5 cm (so expanded about 86 cm)

Chest is measured fully expanded and unexpanded; the minimum expansion (the difference) is the operative test alongside the unexpanded minimum. ST and certain hill/region candidates receive a reduced unexpanded chest requirement, again per the notification table. For female candidates, chest is not measured.

Weight at the PST stage

Weight is checked against a weight-for-height standard and is generally treated under the medical examination rather than as a pass/fail PST measurement. The detail sits in medical standards. The principle is that weight should be proportionate to height and age within the prescribed band.

Part 2: Physical Efficiency Test (PET)

Candidates who clear the PST take the PET, a set of timed and measured field events. The PET is qualifying: a candidate must complete each event within the prescribed norm. The standard event list is the same across notifications; the qualifying norms differ by gender (and the Commission sets them in the notification).

The events and indicative qualifying norms

Event	Male (indicative norm)	Female (indicative norm)	What it tests
100 metres race	within about 16 seconds	within about 18 seconds	Speed, anaerobic burst
800 metres race	within about 3 minutes 45 seconds	within about 4 minutes 45 seconds	Cardiovascular endurance
Long jump	about 3.5 metres (3 chances)	about 3.0 metres (3 chances)	Explosive leg power
Shot put (7.26 kg)	about 4.5 metres	(shot put norm as specified, lighter implement or not applicable per notification)	Upper-body and core strength

The shot put for male candidates uses the standard 7.26 kg shot. The exact distances, timings and whether a particular event applies to female candidates are set by the current notification; the numbers above are indicative published values, not guaranteed cut-offs. Confirm each event's norm in the live notification.

How the PET is conducted

The PET is held at the centre allotted by the recruiting CAPFs, under UPSC oversight, usually on the same visit as the PST.
Each event has a fixed pass standard. The runs are timed; the long jump and shot put allow a small number of attempts (commonly three), with the best attempt counted.
It is pass or fail per event. Failing any one prescribed event means failing the PET.
No marks are awarded for a faster time or a longer throw; clearing the bar is all that counts toward selection.
Candidates who are pregnant at the time of testing are not put through the PET and are dealt with as per the notification (typically declared temporarily unfit / deferred).

Practical preparation pointers

Build the 800m endurance base first; it is the event most candidates underestimate.
Practise the 100m on the surface type used at the centre and in the kit you will wear.
For long jump and shot put, technique (run-up, take-off, the glide and release) adds more distance than raw strength for most candidates.
Train to clear each norm with a safety margin, since heat, nerves and an unfamiliar ground all cost a little on the day.

Index, how the physical and medical stages fit together and why they are qualifying.
medical standards, the Medical Standards Test that follows a successful PST and PET.
selection process, the full CAPF (AC) selection flow.
the five forces, the forces a qualified candidate may be allotted to.

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