Aspirants aiming for a prestigious career as an Assistant Provident Fund Commissioner (APFC) must understand the roadmap outlined by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). The UPSC EPFO APFC Notification 2026 Out serves as the official confirmation for candidates. Conducted by the Union Public Service Commission on behalf of the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), this exam requires rigorous preparation across multiple domains.
To clear this competitive selection process, candidates must analyze the comprehensive syllabus, exam pattern, subject breakdowns, and efficient study approaches. You can also explore UPSC EPFO APFC Previous Year Papers to gauge the exam trends.
UPSC EPFO APFC 2026 Overview
The selection process comprises a Recruitment Test (written exam) followed by an Interview. The exam is conducted in a bilingual mode: English and Hindi via offline mode using objective multiple-choice questions (MCQs).
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Conducting Authority | UPSC |
| Organization | Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) |
| Post | Assistant Provident Fund Commissioner (APFC) |
| Selection Process | Recruitment Test + Interview |
| Exam Mode | Offline |
| Question Type | Objective MCQs |
| Total Questions | 120 |
| Total Marks | 300 |
| Duration | 2 Hours |
| Negative Marking | 1/3rd Mark Deduction |
| Official Website | upsc.gov.in |
UPSC EPFO APFC Exam Pattern 2026
The written recruitment test consists of 120 total questions carrying a weight of 300 marks. The test duration is 2 hours. Candidates must note that there is negative marking of 1/3rd mark deduction for each wrong answer.
| Sections | Subject Name | Questions | Marks | Duration of Test |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Section A | General English | 120 | 300 Marks | 2 Hours |
| Section B | Indian Culture, Heritage and Freedom Movement | 120 | 300 Marks | 2 Hours |
| Section B | Population, Development, and Globalization | 120 | 300 Marks | 2 Hours |
| Section B | Governance and Constitution of India | 120 | 300 Marks | 2 Hours |
| Section B | Present Trends in Indian Economy | 120 | 300 Marks | 2 Hours |
| Section B | Accounting and Auditing, Industrial Relations, Labour Laws, Insurance | 120 | 300 Marks | 2 Hours |
| Section B | Basic knowledge of computer applications, General Science | 120 | 300 Marks | 2 Hours |
| Section B | Elementary Mathematics, Statistics, and General Mental Ability | 120 | 300 Marks | 2 Hours |
| Section B | Social Security in India | 120 | 300 Marks | 2 Hours |
Subject-Wise UPSC EPFO APFC Syllabus Checklists
Review the detailed topic lists for each section to ensure thorough preparation:
General English Syllabus
- Parts of speech
- Structure of sentence
- Subject – verb agreement
- Verbs, tenses and modals
- Preposition, conjunction, articles
- Adjectives, adverbs, determiners
- Reading Comprehension
- Synonyms and antonyms
- Idioms and phrases
- One word substitution
- Rearrangement para jumbles
- Active-passive
General Science Syllabus
- Physics: Units and measurements, Kinematics including distance, displacement, speed, velocity and acceleration, Dynamics and Newton’s laws of motion, Electricity, Pressure and its applications, Light, Uniform circular motion and simple harmonic motion
- Space Technology: Satellities & orbits, Indian space program, Important space agencies of the world, Application of space technology
- Chemistry: Physical and chemical changes, Elements, Compounds, Mixtures, Atoms and molecules, Chemistry in daily life, Acids and bases, Energy – renewable and non-renewable, Metals and non-metal.
- Biology: Food components, Health and diseases, Cells and tissues, Organ systems – digestive systems, skeletal system, muscular system, reproductive system
- Important Technologies: Nuclear technology, Biotechnology, Information and communication technology, Nanotechnology
Social Security Syllabus
- Social Security Schemes: types of retirements schemes, types of pension schemes
- Social Security schemes for: women, LGBTQ+, children, elderly, PWD, Tribals, Labour
- Social Security Legislations: Employee compensation act, 1923 Employees’ state insurance act, 1948, Maternity benefit act, 1961, Payment of gratuity act, 1972, Unorganised workers social security act, 2008
Industrial Relations and Labour Laws and Insurance Syllabus
- Industrial Relations: Overview, Indian labour force, Evolution & theories, Trade union, Industrial conflict, labour welfare, Wages, Workers participation management, Industrial health & safety, Collective bargaining, Miscellaneous
- Code on wages: Payment of wages act, 1936, Minimum Wages act, 1948, Payment of Bonus Act, 1965, Equal Renuneration Act, 1976.
- Insurance: Introduction, Principles, Types and Insurance as a Part of Social Security.
- Occupational safety, health and working conditions code: Factories Act, 1948, Mines Act, 1952, Plantation labour Act, 1951, Contract Labour Act, 1970, Inter-State Migrants workmen Act, 1979, Miscellaneous provisions Act, 1955, etc.,
- Industrial Relations code: Trade Union Act, 1926, Industrial Employment Act, 1946, Industrial Disputes Act, 1947.
- Social Security code: Employees’ provident fund Act, 1952, Employees’ state insurance Act, 1948, Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972, Unorganised Workers’ Social Security Act, 2008, etc.,
Accountancy and Auditing Syllabus
- Introduction to the Accounting: Meaning, branches, process and objectives
- Theory Base of Accounting: Principles and conventions, terminology
- Recording of Transaction: Journal, ledger, cash book, accounting equation, trial balance, types of accounting errors, etc.,
- Ratio Analysis: Concept and types of ratios, Cash flow statement.
- Bills of Exchange: Concept and Introduction, Parties of bill of exchange, Promissory notes, Discounting of bills.
- Accounting Standards: Accounting of share capital, inventory and investment, bonus shares and buyback of shares.
- Preparation of the final Accounts: Understanding of trading account, profit and loss account and balance sheet.
- Concepts of Auditing
Basic Knowledge of Computer Applications Syllabus
- Introduction to Computer: Definition and major parts of computer, Uses of computer, History of computer, Generation of computer, Types of computer.
- Memory
- Operating System
- Computer Network
- Hardware and Software
- Computer Organisation and data processing cycle
Quantitative Aptitude and Statistics Syllabus
- Simplification
- LCM and HCF
- Percentage
- Ratio and Proportion
- Mixture and Allegation
- Profit and Loss
- Simple and Compound Interest
- Average
- Time and Work
- Pipe and Cistern
- Time and Distance
- Boats and Streams
- Mensuration (2D and 3D)
- Data Interpretation
- Probability
- Statistical Concepts: Mean, Median, Mode, Standard Deviation, Dispersion, etc.
General Mental Ability Syllabus
- Alphabetical and Alphanumeric Series
- Coding and Decoding
- Syllogism
- Direction Sense
- Ranking and Order
- Blood Relations
- Letter Series
- Analogy
- Clock
- Calendar
- Dice
- Venn Diagram
- Counting Figures
- Cube and Cuboid
Indian Culture, Heritage and Freedom Movement Syllabus
- Ancient and Medieval History: Indus Valley Civilization, Vedic Age, Rise of Mahajanapadas, Mauryan Dynasty, Post-Mauryan Period, Gupta Age, Harsha Empire, Delhi Sultanate and Mughal Rule
- Religious and Philosophical Traditions in India
- Sculpture and Architecture in India
- Indian Music and Dance Forms
- Indian Paintings
- Indian Languages and Literature
- Modern History: Decline of the Mughals, Rise of Regional Powers, Later Mughals after Aurangzeb and Advent of Europeans
- Revolt of 1857
- Rise of Nationalism in India and Formation of INC
- Reasons for the Rise of Indian Nationalism
- Important Events from 1908–1918
- Important Events from 1919–1929
- Important Events from 1929–1939
- Important Events from 1940–1947
- Socio-Religious Reform Movements
Governance and Constitution of India Syllabus
- Constitutional Framework of India
- Indian Union and Its Citizens
- Rights and Duties of Indian Citizens
- Centre-State Relations
- Union Executive
- Parliament of India
- State Legislature
- Judiciary in India
- Constitutional and Non-Constitutional Bodies in India
- Local Governments in India
- Miscellaneous Topics
Indian Economy Syllabus
- Introduction to Demand and Supply
- Elasticity of Demand
- Measurement of Growth
- Poverty Alleviation and Employment Generation in India
- Economic History of India
- Monetary Policy
- Inflation
- Fiscal Policy
- Regional Economic Cooperation
- International Economic Institutions
- Opening Up of the Indian Economy
- Balance of Payments
- Finance Commission
- Social Security in India: Schemes and Legislation
Current Events, Population, Development and Globalisation Syllabus
- Current Affairs: Government Schemes, Reports of National and International Organisations, First in News, Defence Exercises, Sports, Awards and Milestones, etc.
- Population in India
- Distribution of the Global Human Population
- Environment: Basics of Pollution and Climate Change
- Development: Concept of Development and Human Development
- Globalisation: Meaning, Triggers, Barriers and Impact of Globalisation
Recommended Books for Preparation
| Subject | Recommended Books |
|---|---|
| Polity | Indian Polity by M. Laxmikanth |
| Economy | Indian Economy by Ramesh Singh |
| Labour Laws | Bare Acts and EPFO Manuals |
| Social Security | EPFO Annual Reports |
| History | Spectrum Modern History |
| English | Objective General English by S.P. Bakshi |
| Quantitative Aptitude | R.S. Aggarwal |
| Reasoning | R.S. Aggarwal |
| Accounting | NCERT Accountancy XI & XII |
| Statistics | Fundamentals of Statistics |
UPSC EPFO Interview Details
The interview stage carries a total of 100 marks and holds 25% weightage in the final selection. The final merit list combines both written exam marks and interview scores.
Interview Key Areas
- Personality & Communication Skills
- Understanding of Job Role (EPFO-related Topics)
- Current Affairs & Social–Economic Issues
- Background-Based Questions (Education/Work Experience)
Preparation Tips for UPSC APFC 2026
- Go through the complete syllabus carefully and create short, easy-to-revise notes.
- Build strong conceptual understanding, especially in Economy, Governance, and Labour Laws.
- Read newspapers daily and refer to Drishti IAS Current Affairs for regular updates.
- Practice online mock tests and solve previous year papers to improve speed and accuracy.
- Revise regularly and follow a steady, disciplined study routine.