UPSC EPFO APFC 2026: 80 Vacancies, Eligibility, Test on 20 December and Exam Pattern
UPSC is recruiting 80 Assistant Provident Fund Commissioners for EPFO, with the recruitment test on Sunday, 20 December 2026. Here are the vacancy split, age and degree rules, the test pattern and the new Labour Codes syllabus.
On this page
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has advertised 80 posts of Assistant Provident Fund Commissioner (APFC) in the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), which works under the Ministry of Labour and Employment. The detailed notification came out on 21 August 2026, online applications ran from 22 August to 11 September 2026, and the recruitment test is on Sunday, 20 December 2026.
APFC 2026 at a glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Recruiting body | Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) |
| Post | Assistant Provident Fund Commissioner, EPFO |
| Vacancies | 80 |
| Online application | 22 August to 11 September 2026 |
| Fee | ₹25, with no fee for women, SC, ST and PwBD candidates |
| Recruitment test | Sunday, 20 December 2026 |
| Selection | Recruitment test, then interview |
| Pay | Level 10 of the pay matrix |
| Official website | upsc.gov.in |
Vacancies by category
| Category | Posts |
|---|---|
| Unreserved | 29 |
| EWS | 8 |
| OBC | 18 |
| SC | 15 |
| ST | 10 |
| Total | 80 |
Three of these posts are reserved for persons with benchmark disabilities, within the categories above.
Eligibility
Education: a bachelor’s degree from a recognised university is essential. A diploma in company law, labour laws or public administration is listed as desirable, so it is not required to apply.
Age: the upper limit is 35 years for unreserved and EWS candidates, counted on the closing date of the application. It is relaxed by 3 years for OBC, 5 years for SC and ST and 10 years for persons with benchmark disabilities, with further relaxations for some government employees under the rules.
Recruitment test pattern
| Feature | APFC recruitment test |
|---|---|
| Type | Objective, multiple choice |
| Questions | 120 |
| Time | 2 hours |
| Marks | Equal marks for every question |
| Negative marking | One-third of the marks for a question, for each wrong answer |
| Language | English and Hindi |
| Weight in final merit | Test 75%, interview 25% |
Candidates are called for interview on the basis of their test scores, and the final merit combines both stages in the ratio 75:25. The test carries three quarters of the final result, so it deserves most of your preparation time.
Syllabus: what changed in 2026
The APFC syllabus has nine areas:
- General English
- Indian culture, heritage and freedom movement
- Developmental issues and trends in the Indian economy
- Governance and the Constitution of India
- General science and computer applications
- Elementary mathematics, statistics and mental ability
- Industrial relations, Labour Codes and social security in India
- Principles of accountancy, auditing and insurance
- Current national and international events
The important change is in area 7. Earlier notifications asked for labour laws; the 2026 syllabus asks for the Labour Codes. The four codes, the Code on Wages, 2019, the Industrial Relations Code, 2020, the Code on Social Security, 2020 and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020, came into force on 21 November 2025. Together they replace 29 older central labour laws, so study the codes as the main framework and the old Acts as background.
How to use the next 100 days
From 11 September there are 100 days to the test. That is enough for a structured plan divided into learning, practice and revision. We have written a 100-day subject-wise strategy for APFC 2026.
Frequently asked questions
When is the UPSC EPFO APFC 2026 test?
Sunday, 20 December 2026.
How many APFC vacancies are there in 2026?
80: 29 unreserved, 8 EWS, 18 OBC, 15 SC and 10 ST.
Is a diploma in labour laws necessary for APFC?
No. It is listed as desirable. A bachelor’s degree is the essential qualification.
Is there negative marking in the APFC test?
Yes. One-third of the marks for a question is deducted for each wrong answer.
Should I study the old labour laws or the new Labour Codes?
The 2026 syllabus names the Labour Codes, so make them your main material. Knowing which older Acts each code replaced helps with questions that link the two.
Facts in this article are from UPSC’s APFC 2026 notification as reported on 11 September 2026. Confirm details on upsc.gov.in.
