The Ministry of Home Affairs has officially amended the Border Security Force, General Duty Cadre (Non-Gazetted) Recruitment Rules, 2015. The most significant change is the 5-fold increase in the reservation for Ex-Agniveers.
1. New Reservation Structure
The recruitment for Constable (General Duty) will now follow a revised quota system:
Ex-Agniveers: 50% reservation (Increased from the earlier 10%).
Ex-Servicemen: 10% reservation.
Combatised Constable (Tradesmen): Up to 3% reservation for annual absorption.
General Candidates: The remaining 47% (which includes the 10% for Ex-Servicemen) will be open for general applicants.
2. Physical Test Exemptions
In a massive relief for former Agniveers, they are now completely exempt from:
Physical Efficiency Test (PET): Running, long jump, etc.
Physical Standard Test (PST): Measurement of height, chest, and weight.
Note: Ex-Agniveers are already trained by the Armed Forces, so they only need to clear the written examination to qualify.
3. Age Relaxation for Ex-Agniveers
The standard age for SSC GD recruitment is 18–23 years. However, Ex-Agniveers will get the following benefits:
First Batch of Ex-Agniveers: Upper age limit relaxation of 5 years.
Subsequent Batches: Upper age limit relaxation of 3 years.
4. Selection Process & Phases
The recruitment will now be conducted in two distinct phases to manage the new quota:
Phase | Responsibility | Details |
Phase 1 | Nodal Force (BSF) | Recruitment for the 50% vacancies exclusively reserved for Ex-Agniveers. |
Phase 2 | Staff Selection Commission (SSC) | Recruitment for the remaining 47% vacancies for general candidates and Ex-Servicemen. |
Important Note: If the 50% seats for Ex-Agniveers are not filled in Phase 1, those remaining vacancies will be added to the Phase 2 recruitment conducted by the SSC for other candidates.
Impact on SSC GD 2027
For students preparing for SSC GD 2027, this means the competition for the non-reserved seats will be higher, as a significant portion of BSF vacancies is now earmarked for trained ex-military personnel. It is advised to focus heavily on the written examination as the number of "General" seats in the BSF category may see a reduction due to this 50% reservation.
Below is the comparison table for eligibility and a strategic study plan to help you navigate these changes for the 2027 recruitment cycle.
Eligibility Comparison: General vs. Ex-Agniveers
This table highlights the significant advantages given to Ex-Agniveers compared to General candidates in the BSF recruitment process.
Feature | General Candidates | Ex-Agniveers (Revised Policy) |
Quota in BSF | ~47% (Open Competition) | 50% Reservation |
Upper Age Limit | 23 Years | 26 Years (3-year relaxation) |
Age (1st Batch) | 23 Years | 28 Years (5-year relaxation) |
Physical Test (PET) | Mandatory (Running, etc.) | Exempted (Not required) |
Physical Standards (PST) | Mandatory (Height/Chest/Weight) | Exempted (Not required) |
Educational Qualification | 10th Pass / Matriculation | 10th Pass / Matriculation |
Medical Examination | Mandatory | Mandatory |
Recruitment Body | Staff Selection Commission (SSC) | BSF (Nodal Force) in Phase 1 |
2027 Strategic Study Plan (CBT Focused)
Since Ex-Agniveers are exempted from physical tests, the Computer-Based Test (CBT) is the only major hurdle for them. For General candidates, the competition for the remaining seats will be fierce, making the CBT score even more critical.
Phase 1: Foundation (Months 1-2)
Mathematics: Focus on Number Systems, Percentages, and Ratios. These are the building blocks of most questions.
Reasoning: Master Analogies and Series. These are "quick-win" marks.
General Awareness: Read NCERT (Class 6-10) for History and Geography. Start a habit of reading daily Current Affairs.
Phase 2: Speed & Accuracy (Months 3-4)
Maths/Reasoning: Move to Profit & Loss, Time & Work, and Coding-Decoding. Practice 20 questions of each daily.
Language (Hindi/English): Focus on Grammar, Synonyms, and Cloze tests. This section is often the highest-scoring for prepared candidates.
Weekly Mock: Take 1 full-length mock test every Sunday to assess your time management (80 questions in 60 minutes).
Phase 3: Revision & Mocks (Final 2 Months)
Daily Mocks: Switch to daily mock tests. Analyze your mistakes—don't just check the score.
Current Affairs: Revise the last 12 months of news, specifically focusing on "Sports," "Appointments," and "Defense news."
Formula Sheet: Keep a "cheat sheet" of Math formulas and Reasoning tricks for quick revision.
Exam Pattern Overview (SSC GD 2027)
Total Questions: 80 (20 per section)
Total Marks: 160 (2 marks each)
Negative Marking: 0.25 or 0.50 (As per the latest SSC notification)
Duration: 60 Minutes
Pro-Tip: For General candidates, aim for a score of 135+ out of 160 to stay safe, as the BSF seats for the open category have effectively decreased due to the new 50% quota.
1. Detailed Syllabus & Exam Pattern (CBT)
The exam is a Computer-Based Test (CBT) consisting of 80 questions for a total of 160 marks. You have 60 minutes to complete it.
Section | No. of Questions | Marks | Key Topics to Focus On |
Reasoning | 20 | 40 | Analogies, Coding-Decoding, Number Series, Blood Relations, Seating Arrangement. |
General Knowledge | 20 | 40 | History, Geography, Polity (Constitution), Current Affairs, Static GK, Sports. |
Elementary Maths | 20 | 40 | Number Systems, Percentages, Ratio & Proportion, Profit & Loss, Time & Work, Mensuration. |
English / Hindi | 20 | 40 | Grammar, Synonyms, Antonyms, Cloze Test, Idioms, Sentence Improvement. |
2. Recommended Booklist
Choosing the right books is crucial because the competition for "General" seats will be much higher due to the 50% reservation for Ex-Agniveers.
Subject | Recommended Book (English) | Recommended Book (Hindi) |
Reasoning | Verbal & Non-Verbal by R.S. Aggarwal | Reasoning by Ankit Bhati (RWA) |
Maths | SSC Mathematics by Rakesh Yadav | Maths by Ankit Bhati (RWA) |
GK / GS | Lucent's General Knowledge | Lucent's Samanya Gyan / Yellow Book |
English | Objective General English by S.P. Bakshi | — |
Hindi | — | Adhunik Hindi Vyakaran (Vasudevnandan Prasad) |
Practice | Kiran Publication (Previous Years) | Ghatna Chakra (Previous Years) |
3. Pro-Tips for 2027 Aspirants
Written Score is King: For general candidates, the "safe score" will likely rise to 140+/160 because the number of available seats in BSF has halved.
Mocks are Mandatory: Start taking full-length mocks at least 6 months before the exam.
Physical for General: While Ex-Agniveers skip the physicals, General candidates must stay fit for the 5km race (24 mins for males) and 1.6km race (8.5 mins for females).