Agniveer

Overview

Agniveer is the entry rank created under the Agnipath scheme for enrolling soldiers into the Indian Army (and, under the same scheme, into the Navy and Air Force) for a fixed engagement period. For the Army, recruitment is organised regionally: each Army Recruiting Office (ARO) issues its own notification inviting unmarried candidates domiciled in its assigned districts to apply for the recruiting year, and conducts a Recruitment Rally for that region after the online exam. This page describes the Army's General Duty and related Agniveer categories for the 2025-26 recruiting year.

Who can apply

Candidates must be unmarried. For the 2025-26 recruiting year, the age band was 17½ to 21 years. Educational qualifications vary by category: Agniveer (General Duty) requires Class 10th/Matric pass with 45% marks in aggregate across five subjects and a minimum 33% in each; Agniveer (Technical) requires 10+2 with Physics, Chemistry, Maths and English with a minimum 50% aggregate and 40% in each subject (with alternative routes via NIOS or a relevant ITI course of at least one year at NSQF level 4 or above, or a lower qualification with additional technical training). Candidates with a valid Light Motor Vehicle driving licence are given preference for driver-related requirements. Candidates awaiting Class 10th or 12th board results may also apply, provided they produce the original marksheet during the second phase of recruitment if selected.

Selection process

Recruitment runs in two phases: Phase-I is an online Common Entrance Examination (CEE) at a computer-based test centre, and Phase-II is a Recruitment Rally conducted by the Army Recruiting Office, covering a Physical Fitness Test, Physical Measurement Test, an Adaptability Test, and a medical examination.

Exam pattern

The CEE is an objective, multiple-choice test conducted online in 13 languages (English, Hindi and 11 regional languages). Depending on the category applied for, candidates answer either 50 questions in 1 hour or 100 questions in 2 hours. Marking gives full marks for a correct answer and nil marks for an unattempted question; every attempted question, including ones marked for review, is evaluated. Scores are normalised across sessions to adjust for variation in question-paper difficulty. Candidates applying for Agniveer Clerk/Store Keeper Technical also take a typing test during the CEE, where 30 words per minute in English is desirable; only those who clear it are called for Phase-II.

Physical Fitness Test (Phase-II)

At the Rally, candidates are tested on a 1.6 km run (timed, in groups that carry different marks), pull-ups on a beam, a 9-foot ditch jump, and a zig-zag balance test; timings and marks can be revised by the Army before a rally, so candidates are advised to check the current standards on the Join Indian Army portal.

Important dates

For the ARO Jorhat (Upper Assam) notification for recruiting year 2025-26, online registration ran from 12 March 2025 to 10 April 2025, with the online exam tentatively from June 2025 onwards. Since each ARO issues its own notification and dates for its assigned districts, candidates should check the specific notification for their region on joinindianarmy.nic.in.

Pay and benefits

Agniveers are paid a customised package with a fixed yearly increment (approximately Rs 30,000/month in Year 1, rising to Rs 40,000/month by Year 4, per the Army's published table), along with Risk and Hardship, Dress and Travel Allowances. Agniveers are not required to contribute to any Provident Fund. On completion of the engagement period, they receive a one-time 'Seva Nidhi' package combining their own monthly contribution (30% of the customised package) with a matching Government contribution, totalling approximately Rs 5.02 lakh in the corpus fund plus Government contribution — around Rs 10.04 lakh as the exit package after four years (excluding interest), as per the Army's illustrative table.

How to apply

Applications are submitted online through joinindianarmy.nic.in, against the specific ARO notification covering the candidate's home district, following the registration dates given in that notification.

Preparation tips

Since the CEE format (number of questions and duration) depends on the category applied for, confirm the exact pattern for your chosen category (General Duty, Technical, Clerk/Store Keeper, or Tradesman) before starting preparation. Because Phase-II physical standards are fixed in advance and marks vary by how fast the 1.6 km run is completed, building running time steadily in the months before the exam matters as much as the written preparation.