The Coast Guard recruits Assistant Commandants, its entry-level officers, through five entries: General Duty for men, Women-SSA for women, Technical (Mechanical), Technical (Electrical or Electronics) and Law for men and women. All use the Coast Guard Common Admission Test, or CGCAT, a Preliminary Selection Board, a Final Selection Board and a medical, except Law, which skips the written test. Entry-level officers start at Pay Level 10 with basic pay of Rs 56,100.
This guide reads the Coast Guard’s CGCAT portal and the advertisement for the 2027 batch. GS India Defence Academy is a private coaching academy and has no link with the Coast Guard; the advertisement on the portal always overrides a guide.
Which Assistant Commandant notice is the latest?
On 12 October 2026 the latest officer advertisement on the CGCAT portal was for the 2027 batch, and it covered General Duty and Technical entries for men. Its online window ran from 8 to 27 July 2025, so it is closed. The portal’s own cycle chart says officer recruitment happens twice a year, with advertisements normally published in January or February and again in June or July, and induction at the Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala, at the end of June or December. Watch the portal in those months.
| Stage of the 2027 batch | Tentative timing in the advertisement |
|---|---|
| Stage I, CGCAT | September 2025 |
| Stage II, PSB | November 2025 |
| Stage III, FSB | January to October 2026 |
| Stage IV, medical | March to April 2026 |
| Stage V, induction at INA Ezhimala | December 2026; training from early January 2027 |
There is a practical lesson in the chart. Stage I of the 2027 batch was planned for September 2025 and induction for December 2026, so a candidate who applied in July 2025 was in the process for about seventeen months. Anyone planning for the next advertisement should assume a similar stretch between the form and the joining letter, and should plan graduation, internships and the medical check-up around it.
Which graduates are eligible for which entry?
| Entry | Age | Qualification | Minimum height |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Duty (men) | 21 to 25 years | Graduate degree, with Mathematics and Physics up to Class 12 | 157 cm |
| General Duty (Women-SSA) | 21 to 25 years | Degree with 60% aggregate (55% for SC/ST), and Mathematics and Physics at Class 12 with 55% aggregate | 152 cm |
| Technical, Mechanical (men) | 21 to 25 years | Engineering degree in naval architecture, mechanical, marine, automotive, mechatronics, industrial and production, metallurgy, design, aeronautical or aerospace, with Mathematics and Physics up to Class 12 | 157 cm |
| Technical, Electrical or Electronics (men) | 21 to 25 years | Engineering degree in electrical, electronics, telecommunication, instrumentation, instrumentation and control, electronics and communication, power engineering or power electronics, with Mathematics and Physics up to Class 12 | 157 cm |
| Law (men and women) | 21 to 30 years | Law degree with 60% aggregate (55% for SC/ST) | 157 cm men, 152 cm women |
In the 2027 advertisement the age for General Duty and Technical was counted on 1 July 2026, so candidates were born between 1 July 2001 and 30 June 2005, both dates included. Relaxation is 5 years for SC and ST and 3 years for OBC non-creamy-layer candidates, but only if posts are reserved for them. Serving Coast Guard personnel get 5 years. Candidates in the final year of a degree may apply if they submit proof of passing by the date in the advertisement, which was 31 October 2026 for the 2027 batch.
The Coast Guard’s own entry pages are not always consistent. The General Duty (men) page prints no aggregate percentage in its table, while the Women-SSA and Law pages do, and the Law page still carries dates from an earlier cycle. Treat the latest advertisement as the final word.
What are the stages of selection?
- Stage I, CGCAT. An online test of 100 multiple-choice questions in two hours: 25 each in English, Reasoning and Numerical Ability, General Science and Mathematical Aptitude, and General Knowledge. Each correct answer earns four marks and each wrong answer costs one. The test is in English and the fee in the 2027 advertisement was Rs 300, with SC and ST candidates exempt.
- Stage II, Preliminary Selection Board. A one-day board at Noida, Goa, Chennai, Kolkata, Shillong or Guwahati, or Gandhinagar, with a computerised cognitive battery test and a picture perception and discussion test. It is qualifying only, and the discussion may be in English, Hindi or both.
- Stage III, Final Selection Board. Four or five days at the Coast Guard Selection Board in Noida, with a psychological test, group tasks and an interview.
- Stage IV, medical. A special medical at Base Hospital, New Delhi. A candidate declared unfit may appeal within 42 days at a designated hospital, and a review is possible but not a right.
- Stage V, induction. Merit is built from the combined marks of Stage I and Stage III. Selected candidates report to the Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala, for the Naval Orientation Course.
The Law entry is exempt from Stage I and starts at the Preliminary Selection Board, according to the portal. For General Duty the Naval Orientation Course lasts 44 weeks and for Technical 22 weeks, followed by training at Navy and Coast Guard establishments and ships.
How close are the Coast Guard boards to an SSB?
Closer than most written-test candidates expect. The portal says the Coast Guard’s preliminary selection is similar to Stage I of a Service Selection Board and that its final board is the same as the boards of other services. The picture perception and group discussion, the psychological tests, group tasks and interview are the same family of tasks. That is why aspirants for officer entries usually prepare for the board and the written paper together. Our guide to the SSB interview process explains those tasks.
Families often ask whether an engineering or law graduate must also be physically strong. The medical standards matter more than any fitness test: height, chest expansion, weight in proportion to height and age, hearing and eyesight. The General Duty eyesight standard is 6/6 and 6/9 uncorrected, while Technical entries accept 6/36 uncorrected if vision corrects to 6/6. Permanent tattoos are not permitted except on the inner forearm and the back of the hand.
If you would like to match your degree stream to an entry before the next advertisement, call or WhatsApp +91 70170 31757 for free counselling. A candidate who knows the right branch by April can use the months before the June advertisement well.
What does an Assistant Commandant earn and how does the career grow?
| Rank | Pay level | Starting basic pay |
|---|---|---|
| Assistant Commandant | 10 | Rs 56,100 |
| Deputy Commandant | 11 | Rs 67,700 |
| Commandant (Junior Grade) | 12 | Rs 78,800 |
| Commandant | 13 | Rs 1,23,100 |
| Deputy Inspector General | 13A | Rs 1,31,100 |
| Inspector General | 14 | Rs 1,44,200 |
| Additional Director General | 15 | Rs 1,82,200 |
| Director General | 16 | Rs 2,05,400 |
The 2027 advertisement lists benefits that include medical cover for the officer and family including dependent parents, furnished government accommodation or house rent allowance, 45 days of earned leave and 8 days of casual leave, group insurance of Rs 1.25 crore at a premium of Rs 12,500 a month, and pension under the National Pension Scheme or Unified Pension Scheme. For General Duty officers the portal’s table of minimum time for promotion gives 2 years from Assistant Commandant (under probation) to Assistant Commandant, 6 years from Assistant Commandant to Deputy Commandant and 11 years from Deputy Commandant to Commandant (Junior Grade).
Frequently asked questions
FAQs
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Ask on WhatsAppWhat is the age limit for Coast Guard Assistant Commandant?
General Duty, Women-SSA and Technical entries are for candidates aged 21 to 25 years, and the Law entry is for 21 to 30 years. In the 2027 advertisement the age was counted on 1 July 2026. SC/ST candidates get 5 years and OBC non-creamy-layer candidates 3 years, if posts are reserved.
Who can apply for Coast Guard Assistant Commandant General Duty?
Men with a graduate degree and Mathematics and Physics up to Class 12. Women apply through the separate Women-SSA entry, which asks for 60% in the degree and 55% in Mathematics and Physics at Class 12.
Is there a written exam for Assistant Commandant?
Yes for General Duty, Women-SSA and Technical: the CGCAT, 100 questions in two hours with 4 marks for a right answer and 1 deducted for a wrong one. The Law entry is exempt from it, according to the portal.
When is the next Coast Guard Assistant Commandant notification?
The portal says officer advertisements are normally published in January or February and in June or July. The latest advertisement we found was for the 2027 batch, with applications from 8 to 27 July 2025. Check the portal for the next one.
What is the pay of an Assistant Commandant?
The starting basic pay is Rs 56,100 in Pay Level 10, according to the Coast Guard's pay page and the 2027 advertisement.
Is the Coast Guard selection like an SSB?
The portal describes its Preliminary Selection Board as similar to Stage I of a Service Selection Board and its Final Selection Board as the same as the boards of other services.
Sources
Graduates who aim at officer entries can prepare for the written paper and the boards together in our classroom CDS coaching in Dehradun, in the city that is home to the Indian Military Academy. It is held in person at Subharti Road, Nanda Ki Chowki. Separate hostels and a mess are available for boys and girls. Our guides to the Navik entries cover the sailor side.
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