The Food Corporation of India (FCI) is a government organization that is responsible for the supply of food grains all over the country. The Staff Selection Commission conducts a national level recruitment exam to recruit aspiring candidates into various posts of various departments under the Government of India.
The candidates who got selected through the FCI Recruitment 2021 will not have the status of Central Government Civilian Employee but they will be a full-time employee of FCI and governed by rules, conditions of FCI. The exam is conducted at two phases followed by document verification. There is no interview round involved in the selection procedure.
FCI Exam Overview
| Exam Full Form | Food Corporation of India |
| Acronym | FCI |
| Level of Exam | National |
| Mode of Exam | Online |
| Eligibility | Undergraduate Degree from a recognized University |
| Website | http://fci.gov.in |
Page Contents
The notification for various posts in FCI was released in February. The exam is conducted in rounds that usually start in May and go on till mid-June. However, the schedule was different this year due to the prevailing situation of the pandemic. The result is expected to be declared in October. The other FCI Recruitment Important dates are:
| S. No. | Important Events | Dates |
| 1. | Commencement of Application Filling | February 5, 2020 |
| 2. | Last Date to Apply | March 5, 2020 |
| 3. | Admit Card release date | September 3, 2020 |
| 4. | FCI Recruitment Date of Exam | October 1, 2020 to October 8, 2020 |
| 5. | Declaration of Result | October 26, 2020 |
The application process is as follows:
The application process is completely online. The FCI Recruitment application form consists of two parts. Part I includes the personal and academic details whereas Part II involves the payment portion.
The payment procedure is also completely online. The candidate can pay through Debit/Credit cards, Internet Banking, and Mobile Wallets/UPI.
Examine the below-written application fee for different categories to be submitted from the aspirants while applying for the FCI Recruitment 2021:
| Category | Application Fees |
| Males of General Category | Rs. 500/- |
| SC/ST/PwBD/Serving Defense Personnel / Ex-Serviceman/women’s | No fee |
The candidates are required to upload scanned copies of the following documents:
Through FCI Recruitment, FCI will recruit candidates for a total of 4000+ vacancies. A total of 4103 vacancies are there across the country. The five zones i.e east, west, north, south, and north-eastern zones have different numbers of vacancies for different posts. The vacancy in each region is given in the table below:
| List of vacancies region-wise for FCI Jobs 2020 | |
| Northern Region | 2000+ |
| Southern Region | 600+ |
| Eastern Zone | 550+ |
| Western Zone | 800+ |
| North Eastern Zone | 300+ |
| Total | 5000+ |
The recruitment process covers several posts. The eligibility criteria for each of the posts is given below:
FCI Exam EligibilityPost Post Code Qualifications / Experience (as on January 01, 2020)
| Essential Qualification for FCI | Depends on Posts |
| Maximum Age Limit for FCI Jobs 2020 | |
| Age Limits for the Posts | Depends on Posts |
| Essential Experience for FCI Recruitment 2021 | |
| The experience required for FCI | Both Fresher and Experienced Person can apply |
| Post Name | Maximum Age Limit on 1st January 2020 |
| J.E. (Civil Engineering) | 28 |
| J.E. (Electrical Mechanical Engineering) | 28 |
| Steno Grade-II | 25 |
| AG-II (Hindi) | 28 |
| Typist (Hindi) | 25 |
| AG-III (General) | 27 |
| AG-III (Accounts) | 27 |
| AG-III (Technical) | 27 |
| AG-III (Depot) | 27 |
Note: Crucial date for determining the age limit will be 1st January 2020.
| Post | Post Code | Qualifications / Experience (as on January 01, 2020) |
| J.E. (Civil Engineering) | A | Degree in Civil Engineering or Diploma in Civil Engineering with one year experience. |
| J.E. (Electrical Mechanical) | B | Degree in Electrical Engineering Or Mechanical Engineering or Diploma in Electrical Engineering Or Mechanical Engineering with one year experience in the case of Diploma holders only. |
| Steno. Grade- II | C | Graduate along with O‘ level qualification of DOEACC and speed of 40 w.p.m. and 80 w.p.m. in typing and shorthand respectively or Degree in Computer Science/ Computer Application with speed of 40 w.p.m. and 80 w.p.m. in typing and shorthand respectively. |
| AG-II (Hindi) | D | Essential: 1. Degree of a recognized University with Hindi as the main subject. 2. Proficiency in English. 3. One year experience of translation from English to Hindi and vice-versa. Desirable:- Post Graduate qualification in Hindi. |
| Typist (Hindi) | E | (1) Graduation or equivalent. (2) 30 W.P.M speed in Hindi Typing. (3) Preference will be given to the candidates knowing bilingual typing (English and Hindi) and Computer knowledge. |
| AG-III (General) | F | Graduate Degree in any discipline from a recognized University with proficiency in use of computers. |
| AG-III (Accounts) | G | Bachelor of Commerce from a recognized University with proficiency in use of computers. |
| AG-III (Technical) | H | 1. B.Sc. in Agriculture from a recognized University. Or B.Sc. with any of the following subjects from a recognized University: Botany/ Zoology/ Bio-Technology/ Bio-Chemistry/ Microbiology/ Food Science. Or B. Tech/ BE in Food Science/ Food Science and Technology/ Agricultural Engineering/ Bio-Technology from a recognized University/ an institution approved by AICTE. 2. Proficiency in use of computers. |
| AG-III (Depot) | I | Graduate Degree in any discipline from a recognized University with proficiency in use of computers. |
The candidates must have scored at least 60% aggregate in the Bachelors’s or Masters’s degree.
The age limit for the position of Assistant Grade is 27 years except for AG II(Hindi). The maximum age to apply for AG II(Hindi) is 28 years. For the post of the typist and stenographer, the age limit is 25 years. The Junior Engineer can apply until the age of 28 years.
The age relaxation given to OBC Category is 3 years and for the candidates belonging to SC/ST Category, it is 5 years.
The whole selection procedure is divided into stages or phases. There can be two or three phases depending upon the post. The details for various phases are:
Phase I: This phase involves a written test that is common for all the applicants. This exam would test the applicant’s general aptitude, reasoning skills, and knowledge of the English language.
Phase II: Candidates who qualify the Phase I of the FCI exam proceed to phase II. In phase II, post specific tests are there. The candidate has to give one or two papers depending upon the post.
Phase III: This phase is also known as a Skill test. The candidates applying for the post of Typist and Stenographer only need to give this test, which will test their suitability for the post.
After all these, document verification is there and lastly, the merit list will be formed and candidates whose name is there in the merit list will be offered Job letters.
The exam will be conducted in two phases: Phase 1 and 2. Phase I is common for all and it consists of the following sections:
| Paper | Subject | No. of Questions | Marks |
| Paper 1 | Reasoning Ability | 35 | 100 |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 35 | ||
| English Language | 30 |
The time allotted for Phase I is 60 minutes. After Paper I, the papers that people have to give vary with the post they are applying for. The information regarding which post’s applicant has to give which paper is as follows:
| Number of Papers in II Phase | Aspiring post | |
| One Paper Exam | Paper I Only | AG-III (General) |
| AG-III (Depot) | ||
| Paper III only | Typist (Hindi) | |
| Paper V only | Steno Grade-II | |
| Two Paper Exam | Paper I and Paper II | JE (Civil Engg) |
| JE (Electrical/ Mechanical) | ||
| AG-III (Accounts) | ||
| AG-III (Technical) | ||
| Paper III and IV | AG II (Hindi) | |
The SSC FCI exam consists of two papers, where paper 1 is common for all but paper 2 requires knowledge related to candidate’s respective specialization. Paper I consist of reasoning, numerical aptitude, and the English language.
Given below is the table that contains the information of Reasoning Ability, Quantitative Aptitude, English Language Section’s topic which are important for FCI exam preparation Phase 1.
| English Language | Numerical Aptitude | Reasoning |
| Cloze Test | Data Interpretation | Alphanumeric Series |
| Fill in the blanks | Mensuration – Cylinder, Cone, Sphere | Blood Relations |
| Miscellaneous | Mixtures & Allegations | Coded Inequalities |
| Multiple Meaning/Error Spotting | Number Systems | Coding-Decoding |
| Para jumbles | Permutation, Combination &Probability | Data Sufficiency |
| Paragraph Completion | Profit & Loss | Input-Output |
| Reading Comprehension | Ratio & Proportion, Percentage | Logical Reasoning |
| Sequence & Series | Puzzle | |
| Simple Interest & Compound Interest & Surds & Indices | Ranking/Direction/Alphabet Test | |
| Simplification | Seating Arrangement | |
| Time & Distance | Syllogism | |
| Work & Time | Tabulation |
For Paper II, the candidate has to prepare various topics that he/she studied in Diploma/Degree courses.
The candidate should check out the syllabus, and according to that, he/she should select the best-suited book for him/her. The highly recommended books for this exam are given below:
| Name of the Book | Author | Publisher |
| Food Corporation of India Assistant Grade – 3 Practice Work Book (Paper – 2) | Kiran Prakashan | Kiran Publications |
| FCI Food Corporation Of India Assistant Grade-III Paper-II (General, Depot, Accounts) Practice Work Book | Kiran Prakashan | Kiran Publications |
| FCI Technical Paper-III: Biological Science PWB | Kiran Prakashan | Kiran Publications |
| FCI-Management Trainee (Paper-I) Recruitment Exam Guide | R. Gupta | Ramesh Publishing House |
| FCI Food Corporation of India: Combined Recruitment Exam for Assistant Grade 3(Paper – 1) (Paperback) | GKP | GK Publications |
| FCI Bhartiya Khadya Nigam Master Examination Guide (Paperback) | R. Gupta | Ramesh Publishing House |
The Phase I paper consists of 100 questions that are to be completed in 60 minutes. Thus, the time factor is very crucial in this exam. The candidate should practice regularly the Aptitude and reasoning questions which will increase his/her speed of doing questions. Moreover, the candidate should prioritize various sections according to their capabilities and strategy to manage the time effectively during exams.
The cut off of FCI depends mainly upon three factors: the number of candidates appearing for the exam, the difficulty level of the exam, and the number of seats available for a given post. The cut-off for the Tier 1 exam for FCI is as follows:
| FCI Recruitment Phase I Cutoff 2018 | |||
| SC | ST | OBC | GENERAL |
| 65 | 62 | 72 | 75 |
After the analysis of the paper this year, the tentative cut off of For FCI 2019 is:
| FCI Phase I Recruitment Cutoff 2019 (Expected) | |||
| SC | ST | OBC | GENERAL |
| 55-65 | 50-60 | 65-75 | 70-80 |
The FCI Recruitment admit card will be made available by the SSC on September 3, 2020. It contains the details about the candidate’s roll number, particulars, and the location of the exam center. The FCI Recruitment 2021 admit card should be compulsorily brought to the center to appear for the exam. The FCI Recruitment 2021 admit card will only be available online and no hard-copies will be sent to any candidates through the post.
The following steps are required to download the admit card:
The FCI Recruitment results of the Phase-I exam will be probably declared in the month of August or September. The result will be there on the official website of SSC. The result will be declared zone wise. After Tier 1 result, qualified candidates will have to proceed to Phase-II. Its admit card will be released then, just before 15 days before the Phase-II exam.
To download the result, the candidates have to follow the given procedure:
Check FCI Manager Phase 1 result and Phase 2 result 2020 in the linked article.
There are 102 centers for the FCI recruitment exam in India. The center once allotted, cannot be changed in any circumstances. All the candidates are requested to be present at the exam center half an hour before the Exam starts.
The candidate must carry the following documents to the center:
The candidates can get a fair amount of idea about the syllabus after solving the previous year papers. Moreover, the candidate can analyze his/her weak spots in the syllabus and time required to solve the entire paper. Thus SSC FCI exam previous year papers will help him/her in planning his/her preparation.
Regularly practising the FCI mock test will help the candidate to gain speed and finally help him/her finishing the actual exam on time.
Q1. What is the status and responsibilities of Junior Engineer (Civil Engineering), (Electrical Engineering), (Mechanical Engineering)?
Ans1 – Under the supervision of higher officers and superiors, these engineers have to supervise construction and maintenance work as well as prepare preliminary drawings and estimates and perform work related to them.
Q2. What is the status and responsibilities of AG.II (Hindi)?
Ans2. The status and responsibilities of A.G. II (Hindi) is to translate correctly from Hindi into English and vice-versa and/or perform other duties listed.
Q3. What is the status and responsibilities of Typist (Hindi)?
Ans3. In FCI, the status of Typist (Hindi) is the beginning level of the clerical grade. The Typist (Hindi) is required to have knowledge and ability to type correctly in Hindi at the speed of 30 w.p.m. and above. In addition, they are also supposed to perform other duties listed for A.G-III.
Q4. What is the status and responsibilities of AG.III (General), (Depot)?
Ans4. In FCI, the status of A.G.III (General) is the beginner level of clerical grade and his responsibilities involves the performance, under close supervision of the Manager/higher officers, of duties of a routine and repetitive nature like making simple entries in registers, dispatch of mail, drafting simple letters, maintaining casual leave record, recording movements of incoming and outgoing files, maintaining files of routine nature and other related work that can be easily understood after a little or no job experience.
Q5. What is the status and responsibilities of AG.III (Accounts)?
Ans5. In FCI, the status of A.G.III (Accounts) is the beginning level of Accounts Assistant and his responsibilities include the maintenance of accounts on daily basis in the various offices of the Food Corporation of India which also includes Pay Offices.
Q6. What is the status and responsibilities of AG.III (Technical)?
Ans6. In FCI, the status of A.G. III (Technical) is the beginning level grade of Technical Assistants and his responsibilities include preparation of analysis report and the close supervision of Manager (QC)/higher officers and under the lead of TA Grade-I or TA Grade-II, simple tests relating to analysis of samples of food grains.
Q7. What will be the Gross Emoluments of AG.III/Typist, Assistant Grade-II (Hindi) Junior Engineer?
Ans7.
(i) The gross emoluments of Assistant. Grade-III/Typist (Hindi) is 22213
(ii) The gross emoluments of Assistant. Grade-II (Hindi) is 23595
(iii) The gross emoluments of Junior Engineer gross emoluments is 26673
Q8. What will be the mode of written examination?
Ans8. It will be Offline Mode.
Q9. Is there any Sectional cutoff of in written Exam?
Ans9. There will be no sectional cutoff in the written exam.
Q10. What will be the process of final selection?
Ans10. The final selection will be based on the merits of the written exam and for some post skill test.
Q11. Will there be any type of negative marking in the written exam?
Ans11. There will be no negative marking in the written exam.
Q12. Where would we get posting after selection? After selection, where the selected candidates will get the posting?
Ans12. After selection, the selected candidates will get posting in the Applied Zone only.
Q13. Can I apply for more than one post?
Ans13. No, a candidate can apply for any one of the posts and for any one zone only.
Q14. What is the degree of disability above which people are eligible?
Ans14. Persons with the Degree of Disability of 40% and above are eligible for applying for the posts earmarked for persons with benchmark disabilities.
Q15. Will the cutoff be zone wise?
Ans15. Yes, the candidate will be considered for the post applied for, on the basis of his/ her merit for the post within the Zone.