UPSC EPFO Exam Pattern 2025 for EO/AO, APFC, and PA

UPSC EPFO Exam Pattern 2025 evaluates candidates for posts like Enforcement Officer, Accounts Officer, and Assistant Provident Fund Commissioner through a written test followed by a 100-mark interview. The written exam has 120 MCQs for 300 marks, with negative marking for wrong answers. Understanding UPSC EPFO Exam Pattern 2025 will help prepare for each stage.

PWOnlyIAS

July 30, 2025

UPSC EPFO Exam Pattern 2025 for EO/AO, APFC, and PA

UPSC EPFO Exam Pattern 2025 is created to evaluate candidates on a wide range of topics that assess their general awareness, subject knowledge, and reasoning abilities. The exam is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to recruit for posts like Enforcement Officer (EO), Accounts Officer (AO), Assistant Provident Fund Commissioner (APFC), and now also for the newly added role of Personal Assistant.

The selection process is slightly different but includes a written test followed by an interview or skill test. It is important for candidates to understand the UPSC EPFO exam pattern 2025 to prepare well for the recruitment exam. The exam pattern will provide you with clarity on what to expect in each phase of the exam.

UPSC EPFO Exam Pattern 2025

UPSC EPFO Exam Pattern 2025 is structured to assess candidates across various posts, including Enforcement Officer (EO), Accounts Officer (AO), Assistant Provident Fund Commissioner (APFC), and Personal Assistant. Each role has a specific exam pattern and selection criteria. 

Also Read: UPSC EPFO Notification 2025

Most positions involve a written test followed by an interview, some, like the Personal Assistant, include a skill-based assessment. Get all the details regarding the exam pattern and begin your preparation accordingly. 

UPSC EPFO Exam Pattern for EO/AO Exam

The UPSC EPFO Exam Pattern for EO/AO Exam includes two stages:

UPSC EPFO Exam Pattern for EO/AO Exam

Stages Marks
Recruitment Test (RT) 300 marks
Interview 100 marks

Enroll now for UPSC Online Course

Here are the details about both stages: 

STAGE 1: The Recruitment Test is the first stage of the selection process for the UPSC EPFO EO/AO and APFC posts. It serves as a screening round to shortlist candidates for the interview stage. 

  • The exam is conducted in offline mode using a pen and paper-based OMR system.
  • The test includes objective-type questions (Multiple Choice Questions) only.
  • Candidates will be given 2 hours to complete the exam.
  • The Recruitment Test carries a total of 300 marks.
  • 1/3rd marks are deducted for every incorrect answer.
  • The question paper is bilingual – available in both English and Hindi, except for the English language section.

STAGE 2: Candidates who qualify the written test are called for an interview. Final selection is based on the combined performance in both stages. The Qualifying marks in the interview is 50 marks for the General category, 45 marks for OBC Category and 40 marks for SC/ST/PH category. 

Also Read: UPSC EPFO Application Form 2025

UPSC APFC EPFO Exam Pattern

UPSC EPFO APFC Exam Pattern assesses a candidate’s suitability for handling policy formulation, financial administration, and compliance tasks. It closely follows the EO/AO pattern with added focus on subjects like Labour Welfare, Insurance, Industrial Laws, and Management. The exam is conducted in two stages:

UPSC EPFO APFC Exam Pattern
Stages Marks
Recruitment Test (RT) 300 marks
Interview 100 marks

STAGE 1: Recruitment Test (RT)

  • Stage 1 is conducted in offline mode.
  • It includes objective type questions.
  • The recruitment test carries 300 marks in total.
  • The exam duration is 2 hours. 
  • There is negative marking in the recruitment test of UPSC APFC EPFO. 1/3rd mark is deducted for each incorrect answer.

STAGE 2: Interview

The interview round carries 100 marks. Shortlisted candidates from the written test appear for the interview round.

UPSC EPFO Personal Assistant Exam Pattern

The UPSC EPFO Personal Assistant Exam Pattern has two stages:

UPSC EPFO Personal Assistant Exam Pattern
Stages Marks
Written Test 300 marks
Skill Test

Stage 1: Written Test

  • The exam will be in multiple choice (objective) format.
  • It will be held for a total of 300 marks.
  • The duration of the exam is 2 hours.
  • All questions will carry equal marks.
  • 1/3rd marks will be deducted for each wrong answer.

Stage 2: Skill Test: This is qualifying in nature and tests the candidate’s shorthand proficiency in English or Hindi (as opted). Candidates who clear the written exam are eligible for this round. The skill test will consist of two parts:

  • A 10-minute dictation at a speed of 120 words per minute in stenography, either in English or Hindi (as opted).

A transcription of the dictated content to be completed on a computer within 50 minutes for English or 65 minutes for Hindi.

UPSC EPFO Selection Process

UPSC EPFO Selection Process is different for each post, EO/AO, APFC, and Personal Assistant but every role begins with a written examination. Depending on the post, the next stage can be either an interview or a skill test. Understanding the selection process helps candidates prepare accordingly for each stage.

UPSC EPFO Selection Process
Post Written Test Interview Skill Test
EO/AO Yes Yes No
APFC Yes Yes No
Personal Assistant Yes No Yes

Check Out UPSC CSE Books From PW Store

Key Points

  • For EO/AO and APFC posts, the final selection is based on the combined performance in the written test and interview.
  • For the Personal Assistant post, selection is based only on the written test. The skill test (shorthand) is qualifying in nature, meaning it must be cleared, but doesn’t contribute to the final score.
  • Candidates who fail to qualify in the skill test (for PA) or interview (for EO/AO or APFC) are not considered for final selection, even if they score well in the written test.

Also Read: UPSC EPFO Preparation Strategy

UPSC EPFO Syllabus 2025 for EO/AO, APFC, and PA

A combined UPSC EPFO Syllabus 2025 for EO/AO, APFC, and PA is given below. Candidates must refer to the detailed syllabus to prepare for the recruitment test: 

UPSC EPFO Syllabus 2025 for EO/AO, APFC, and PA
EO/AO Exam APFC Exam Personal Assistant Exam
  • General English
  • Current Events and Developmental Issues
  • Indian Polity
  • Economy
  • General Science
  • Indian Freedom Struggle
  • General Mental Ability
  • Quantitative Aptitude
  • Knowledge of Computer Applications
  • General Accounting Principles
  • Industrial Relations
  • Labour Laws
  • Social Security in India
  • General English
  • Indian Culture
  • Population
  • Globalization
  • Governance
  • Accounting
  • Basic Computer Knowledge
  • General Science
  • Elementary Mathematics
  • Statistics
  • General Mental Ability
  • English Language
  • Quantitative Ability
  • Reasoning
  • Computer Aptitude
  • General Awareness

Ready to boost your UPSC 2026 preparation? Join PW’s UPSC online courses today!

 

UPSC EPFO Exam Pattern 2025 FAQs

UPSC EPFO exam pattern consists of a written test followed by an interview for EO/AO and APFC posts. The written paper includes 120 multiple-choice questions carrying 300 marks.

There are generally two stages in the UPSC EPFO selection process for EO/AO and APFC. one is the Written Test and second is the Interview.

UPSC EPFO Personal Assistant exam pattern includes an objective-type written exam followed by a shorthand skill test. The written test covers General Awareness, Reasoning, English, and Computer Knowledge. The skill test is qualifying and does not affect the final selection.

APFC EPFO exam pattern consists of a written test with 120 MCQs and a personal interview. The paper includes topics like General English, Industrial Relations, Labor Laws, Governance, and General Studies. Final merit is based on the combined scores of the written test and the interview.

Yes, while the UPSC EPFO Exam Pattern for EO/AO Exam and APFC are structurally similar (written test followed by an interview), the APFC paper usually emphasizes more on administrative and labor law-related subjects, making it relatively more specialized.

Archive Calendar

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
 123456
78910111213
14151617181920
21222324252627
28293031  

by month

Need help preparing for UPSC or State PSCs?

Connect with our experts to get free counselling & start preparing

Aiming for UPSC?

Download Our App

      
Quick Revise Now !
AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD SOON
UDAAN PRELIMS WALLAH
Comprehensive coverage with a concise format
Integration of PYQ within the booklet
Designed as per recent trends of Prelims questions
हिंदी में भी उपलब्ध
Quick Revise Now !
UDAAN PRELIMS WALLAH
Comprehensive coverage with a concise format
Integration of PYQ within the booklet
Designed as per recent trends of Prelims questions
हिंदी में भी उपलब्ध

<div class="new-fform">






    </div>

    Subscribe our Newsletter
    Sign up now for our exclusive newsletter and be the first to know about our latest Initiatives, Quality Content, and much more.
    *Promise! We won't spam you.
    Yes! I want to Subscribe.