Overview
Agniveer Army recruits soldiers into the Indian Army for a four-year tour of duty under the Agnipath scheme, with up to 25% of each batch eligible for retention as regular soldiers based on performance and organisational requirements. The 2026 notification (released 13 February 2026) advertised 25,000+ vacancies across General Duty (GD), Technical, Clerk/Store Keeper and Tradesman categories, each with its own subject combination and difficulty level roughly spanning Class 8 to Class 12 NCERT standards. Selection runs through Physical Fitness Test (PFT) and Physical Measurement Test (PMT), a Medical Examination, and the Common Entrance Examination (CEE) — with the exact ordering of physical tests and CEE varying by recruitment rally and category.
What's New in the 2026 Cycle
What changed in the 2026 cycle
- 2026 notification released 13 February 2026 for 25,000+ vacancies; applications closed 1 April 2026; CEE conducted 1–16 June 2026.
- Syllabus and difficulty level vary meaningfully by category — GD is Class 10-level, Technical leans toward Class 12 Science, and each category has its own subject weightage.
- Negative marking policy differs by category as per the current notification — always confirm the specific deduction for your applied category before the exam.
- Minimum qualifying marks and subject combinations are category-specific — GD, Technical, Clerk/Store Keeper and Tradesman each have distinct CEE structures.
Eligibility Criteria
| Criterion | Details |
|---|---|
| Age Limit | 17.5–21 years (as per the specific notification; some categories allow relaxation for serving/Territorial Army-linked candidates) |
| Educational Qualification | GD: Class 10 pass with 45% aggregate marks and 33% in each subject (or equivalent); other categories (Technical, Clerk, Tradesman) have their own qualification and subject-percentage requirements |
| Nationality | Indian citizen, domicile as per recruitment rally zone |
| Application Fee | ₹250 (deducted at the time of registration, common across categories) |
Agniveer Army (GD) Exam Pattern
The Agniveer Army (GD) selection process runs through pft/pmt + medical + cee. Each stage has its own timing, marking scheme and qualifying rules, detailed below.
Physical Fitness Test (PFT) & Physical Measurement Test (PMT)
| Section | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Race, Height/Chest/Weight measurement | — | Qualifying |
Medical Examination
| Section | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Medical fitness assessment | — | Qualifying |
Common Entrance Examination (CEE) — General Duty (GD)
| Section | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| General Knowledge | — | Qualifying |
| Mathematics | — | Qualifying |
| General Science | — | Qualifying |
| Logical Reasoning | — | Qualifying |
Agniveer Army (GD) Detailed Subject-Wise Syllabus
Below is the complete topic-wise Agniveer Army (GD) syllabus for every subject tested across all stages, with a short note on what each section actually rewards — use this to build a section-wise study plan rather than relying on generic topic summaries.
General Knowledge
Consistently rated one of the most scoring sections — a steady current-affairs habit pays off more than last-minute cramming.
- Current events — national & international, defence-related news
- Indian history & culture
- Indian geography — physical & political
- Indian polity & constitution basics
- Sports & general awareness
- Government schemes relevant to defence & rural development
Mathematics
Set at a Class 10 level for most categories — mastering fundamentals fully is achievable with consistent practice.
- Number system & simplification
- Percentage, ratio & proportion, average
- Profit, loss & discount, simple interest
- Time, speed & distance, time & work
- Basic algebra & mensuration
- Data interpretation basics
General Science
Weighted toward Class 8–10 basics — broad coverage matters more than depth on any one topic.
- Physics — basic mechanics, electricity, motion (Class 8–10 level)
- Chemistry — elements, compounds, basic reactions (Class 8–10 level)
- Biology — human body, health & hygiene basics
- Environmental science fundamentals
Logical Reasoning
Standard pattern-based questions — quick to improve with regular timed practice.
- Analogies, classification
- Series completion
- Coding-decoding
- Direction sense & blood relations
- Non-verbal reasoning & pattern recognition
Selection Process
- Physical Fitness Test (PFT) and Physical Measurement Test (PMT) at the recruitment rally.
- Medical Examination at a designated Military Hospital.
- Common Entrance Examination (CEE) — category-specific subject combination.
- Final merit and enrolment based on combined performance across all stages, as per the current scheme.
Salary & Job Profile
Agniveers receive a starting monthly package of approximately ₹30,000, rising to around ₹40,000 by the fourth year, with a portion contributed to the Agniveer Corpus Fund (matched by the government) and paid out as a lump sum — including a Seva Nidhi package — on completion of the four-year tenure, along with a one-time Agniveer Skill Certificate.
Best Books for Agniveer Army (GD) Preparation
- NCERT textbooks (Class 8–12) — Mathematics & Science, category-dependent
- Lucent's General Knowledge
- Agniveer GD/Technical/Clerk Guide — Arihant/Kiran Publications (category-specific)
- A Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning — R.S. Aggarwal
Previous Cut-off Trends
Approximate — always verify officially
Agniveer CEE cut-offs vary sharply by category, recruitment rally zone and the number of PFT/PMT-qualified candidates in that region, since Army recruitment is organised zone-wise rather than as a single national cut-off. Always check the rally-specific and category-specific official cut-off/result release.
Preparation Tips
- Balance physical training and academic study from the start — neglecting either one can eliminate an otherwise strong candidate.
- Focus revision on your specific category's subject combination and difficulty level rather than a generic 'Agniveer syllabus' — GD, Technical, Clerk and Tradesman differ meaningfully.
- General Knowledge is consistently rated one of the most scoring sections — build a steady current-affairs habit well before the CEE.
- Practise previous years' category-specific papers to understand the real difficulty level and question style.
Exam Day Guidelines
- Carry the Document Checker/call letter and original identity/education documents as specified for the rally.
- Begin physical training (running, push-ups) months in advance — PFT is a hard elimination gate before the CEE for most rally formats.
- Report to the Military Hospital within the specified window if referred for the medical exam — delays can affect your candidature.
- No electronic devices are allowed during the CEE.
Frequently Asked Questions
The February 2026 notification advertised 25,000+ vacancies across General Duty, Technical, Clerk/Store Keeper and Tradesman categories.
Generally 17.5 to 21 years as per the specific notification, though this can vary slightly by category and recruitment cycle.
Yes — GD, Technical, Clerk/Store Keeper and Tradesman each have their own subject combination and difficulty level, roughly spanning Class 8 to Class 12 NCERT standards.
This varies by category and has differed across recent notifications — some sources indicate no negative marking for GD while Technical posts have carried a per-question deduction, so always verify against your specific category's current official notification.
Up to 25% of each batch may be offered retention as regular soldiers based on performance and organisational requirements; others exit with the Seva Nidhi package and an Agniveer Skill Certificate.
Related Exams
Back to Syllabus Hub — browse all government exam syllabus pagesSyllabus content on this page is compiled and reviewed against the official Indian Army notification as of 16 Jul 2026. Exam patterns, vacancies, salary figures and cut-offs are subject to change — always cross-check with the official notification at joinindianarmy.nic.in before applying.