CAPF ASI Stenographer exam-day guide
CAPF ASI Stenographer · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Admit card / hall ticket
Carry the admit card issued for this exam. Confirm with the provider whether a printed hard copy is mandatory and whether a self-attested photograph must be pasted on it; rules differ between recruitment cycles, so verify on the official notice rather than assuming.
Valid photo ID in original
Bring the original ID whose number was entered in the application (Aadhaar, PAN, passport, driving licence, or similar). Confirm with the provider which ID types are accepted and whether photocopies are allowed as backup.
Passport-size photographs
Carry a few recent photographs matching the one uploaded with the application, in case the invigilator requires pasting or verification. The exact number and size specification should be confirmed with the provider.
Black or blue ballpoint pens
Bring two working pens of the colour the instructions specify for OMR marking. Confirm the permitted ink colour on the admit card or instruction sheet, since some centres restrict certain colours.
Transparent water bottle
Many centres allow only clear, label-free bottles. Confirm with the provider whether water is permitted inside the hall at all.
Know the reporting time and gate-closing time
Reporting time is printed on the admit card. Arrive well before it; late entry is commonly refused. Verify the exact cut-off with the provider and plan travel so you are at the gate, not the railway station, at that time.
Rehearse the route to the centre
Do a dry run or map the route the day before, including any security checks at the gate. Centres in unfamiliar cities can be hard to find early in the morning.
Practise the shorthand dictation speed and transcription
For a stenographer post, the skill test typically involves shorthand dictation followed by typing or transcription within a fixed time. Practise at the notified speed with a stopwatch and confirm the exact dictation speed, duration, and transcription time with the provider.
Practise typing on the permitted keyboard layout
Confirm whether the typing test is on a computer or typewriter, and which layout (for example QWERTY) is provided. Practise on that layout so muscle memory does not fail you on the day.
Leave prohibited items at home
Mobile phones, smart watches, Bluetooth devices, study material, and often wallets are barred from the hall. Confirm the provider's list of banned items and whether a secure drop-off exists at the centre.
Plan the day
Re-read the admit card and official instructions line by line. Note reporting time, centre address, ID requirement, and permitted items. Print a spare copy of the admit card if the provider allows it.
Do one full timed mock of the written objective paper and one timed shorthand dictation plus transcription session. Note where you lose time: reading the passage, outlining, or revising. Fix only the biggest time sink; do not start new topics.
Confirm travel and stay arrangements if the centre is out of town. Check the route and expected travel time for the reporting hour, not for midday.
Pack the admit card, original ID, photographs, pens, and transparent water bottle in one bag. Keep the bag by the door. Do not leave ID collection for the morning.
Do a light revision of shorthand outlines and high-frequency words, and skim your error log from mocks. Stop studying by early evening.
Sleep at your normal time. Avoid last-minute cramming that pushes sleep past midnight; alertness matters more than one extra chapter for a speed-based skill test.
Eat a normal meal, carry water, and leave with a buffer of at least 30 to 45 minutes over the estimated travel time. Recheck that ID and admit card are in the bag before locking the door.
Locate your room and the notice board showing seat allocation. Switch off and surrender the mobile phone if the centre provides storage; otherwise it should not have travelled with you. Complete any biometric or photograph verification as directed.
Fill the OMR particulars carefully first. Read the full instruction block on the sheet. Attempt easy questions in the first pass, mark doubtful ones, and reserve the final minutes for transferring answers and checking that no bubble is double-marked.
For dictation, settle your posture and pen grip before the passage starts, keep pace with the reader rather than trying to write perfectly, and leave a clear gap if you miss a phrase so you can rejoin quickly. For transcription, type steadily and proofread for obvious errors in the last minute rather than rewriting whole sentences.
Hand over the sheet or complete the submission exactly as instructed, collect your belongings, and note down the question types and your rough performance while memory is fresh. Keep the admit card for future stages.
Rules to check
Carry the original photo ID that matches your application details. Entry is normally refused without it, and photocopies or digital copies are usually not accepted. Confirm with the provider which documents are treated as valid ID.
Reach the centre before the reporting time printed on the admit card. Gates typically close at a fixed time and late candidates are not admitted; confirm the exact cut-off with the provider and treat it as non-negotiable.
Do not carry mobile phones, smart watches, or any communication or storage device into the hall. Even a switched-off device found in the hall can lead to disqualification; confirm the provider's banned-item list and storage arrangements.
Follow invigilator instructions on seating, biometric verification, and handling of the question booklet and answer sheet. Do not open the booklet before the start signal and stop writing immediately when the stop signal is given.
Do not communicate with other candidates, exchange material, or look at another candidate's screen or sheet during the test. Any suspicion of unfair means is usually handled under the provider's unfair-means rules, which can include debarment.
Breaks are generally not permitted during the objective paper or the timed skill test. Confirm with the provider whether any toilet break is allowed and how it is supervised; plan fluid intake accordingly.
Scoring and qualifying criteria, including negative marking in the objective paper and the minimum shorthand and typing speeds for the skill test, are set by the provider. Read the official notice for the current cycle rather than relying on past-year assumptions.
Preserve your admit card and any candidate copy after the exam. It is commonly required for later stages such as the skill test, document verification, and medical examination; confirm with the provider what to retain.