Is the APFC syllabus the same as EO/AO?

The subjects are quite similar, but the difficulty level of APFC is higher and includes additional topcis like Insurance, Auditing, and Social Security in greater depth.

What is the UPSC EPFO APFC Exam Pattern 2026?

The Recruitment Test consists of 120 objective questions for 300 marks with a duration of 2 hours. There is a negative marking of one-third marks for every incorrect answer.

Is there negative marking in UPSC EPFO APFC?

Yes. One-third of the marks assigned to a question are deducted for every wrong answer

What is the selection process for UPSC EPFO APFC?

The selection process consists of a Recruitment Test followed by an Interview/Personality Test.

UPSC APFC Syllabus 2026 and Exam Pattern, Official PDF

The UPSC EPFO APFC Syllabus 2026 is an essential resource for candidates preparing for the Assistant Provident Fund Commissioner (APFC) examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). The syllabus covers a wide range of subjects including General English, Indian Polity, Economy, Labour Laws, Social Security, General Science, Current Affairs, Accounting, Statistics, Auditing, and Insurance.

In this article, we have provided the complete UPSC APFC Syllabus 2026, including the exam pattern, section-wise important topics to cover, interview details, preparation tips, and much more.

UPSC APFC Syllabus 2026

Candidates aiming for the UPSC APFC 2026 exam must have a comprehensive understanding of the latest syllabus and exam pattern to create an effective preparation strategy. The recruitment drive is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission to select eligible candidates for the post of Assistant Provident Fund Commissioner in the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFC). The written exam is followed by an interview round.

UPSC APFC Syllabus: Overview

As the competition is expected to be intense, knowing the updated UPSC APFC syllabus and exam pattern is the first step toward a strategic preparation plan. Check the key highlights below:

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 APFC Exam Pattern 2026

The UPSC APFC exam is conducted in an objective format, where each question is multiple choice. The paper is designed to test not just knowledge but also conceptual clarity and mental ability. Here’s what aspirants need to know:

The exam will be of 2 hours duration
It will be conducted in Bilingual mode – English & Hindi
There will be negative marking of 1/3rd marks for each wrong answer.

Detailed APFO Syllabus Overview

Sections	Subject Name	Marks	Duration of Test
Section A	General English	300 Marks	2 Hours
Section B	Indian Culture, Heritage and Freedom Movement
	Population, Development, and Globalization
	Governance and Constitution of India
	Present Trends in Indian Economy
	Accounting and Auditing, Industrial Relations, Labour Laws, Insurance
	Basic knowledge of computer applications, General Science
	Elementary Mathematics, Statistics, and General Mental Ability
	Social Security in India

UPSC APFC Syllabus 2026

To crack the UPSC APFC exam, knowing the syllabus is the first step. The exam tests your understanding of English, General Studies, Indian Economy, Labour Laws, Auditing, and more. Here’s a subject-wise breakdown to help you plan your preparation effectively.

General English
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
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
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 Relation and Labour Laws and Insurance
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
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
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
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
Alphabetical and alphanumeric series Coding and decoding Syllogism Direction sense Ranking and order Blood relation Letter series Analogy	Clock Calendar Dice Venn diagram Counting figure Cube and cuboid
Indian Culture, Heritage and Freedom Movement
Ancient and Medieval History: Indus valley civilization, Vedic age, Rise of mahajanapadas, Mauryan dynasty, Post Mauryan, Gupta age, Harsha empire, Delhi Sultanate, Mughal rule in India. Religious & Philosophy in India Sculpture & Architecture in India India Music, Dance forms, Paintings, Language & literature.	Modern History: Decline of mughal, Rise of regional powers, Later Mughals after Aurangzeb, Advents of Europeans, Revolt of 1857 Rise of Nationalism in India & formation of INC, Reasons of 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
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
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 Openings up of the Indian Economy, Balance of Payment Inflation, Fiscal Policy Finance Commission Social Security in India: Social Security schemes and Legislation
Current Events and Population, development and Globalisation
Current Affairs: Government schemes, Reports of national & International organizations, First in News, Defense exercise, Sports, Awards and milestones, etc. Population: Population in India, distribution of the global human population Environment: Basics about pollution and climate change.	Development: Concept of development, human development Globalisation: Meaning, Triggers and barriers, Impact of globalisation

UPSC EPFO Interview Syllabus (EO/AO & APFC)

Based on trends from previous years and expert inputs, the interview generally tests candidates in the following four key areas:

Personality & Communication Skills
Understanding of Job Role (EPFO-related Topics)
Current Affairs & Social–Economic Issues
Background-Based Questions (Education/Work Experience)

UPSC EPFO APFC Interview 2026

The interview is the second stage of the selection process and carries a total of 100 marks. To qualify, candidates must score more than the official UPSC APFC interview cut-off. As per the notification, the interview holds 25% weightage in the final selection. The final merit list is prepared by combining both the written exam marks and the interview scores.

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.

Best Books for UPSC EPFO APFC 2026

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

Check UPSC EPFO Related Links
UPSC EPFO Notification	UPSC EPFO Previous Year Papers
UPSC EPFO 2025 Syllabus and New Exam Pattern, Download Official PDF