FCI Assistant Grade 3 Recruitment 2026: Notification Status, Exam Date, Eligibility & Syllabus

FCI Assistant Grade 3 2026: Food Corporation of India Recruitment Guide

Current official status — October 1, 2026: FCI has not announced a fresh Category III / Assistant Grade III 2026 recruitment notification, vacancy count, application date or exam date on the official recruitment pages reviewed.

Candidates searching for “FCI AG 3 notification 2026,” “FCI Assistant Grade 3 exam date 2026,” “FCI AG 3 recruitment 2026” or “FCI recruitment 2026 Sarkari Result” should therefore treat any late-2026 / early-2027 projection as unconfirmed. This guide preserves the detailed official structure of Advertisement No. 01/2022-FCI Category III for preparation while keeping 2026 status separate.

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About FCI and the AG-3 Post

The Food Corporation of India (FCI) is a premier statutory corporation and public sector enterprise operating under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution. FCI is responsible for:

• Procurement of food grains from farmers at Minimum Support Price (MSP)
• Storage of food grains in its depots across India
• Distribution through the Public Distribution System (PDS)
• Price Stabilisation of essential commodities

FCI Assistant Grade III (AG-III) is a Category III recruitment stream in FCI. In Advertisement No. 01/2022-FCI Category III, the relevant AG-III posts were:

Post Category	Code
AG-III (General)	Post Code D
AG-III (Accounts)	Post Code E
AG-III (Technical)	Post Code F
AG-III (Depot)	Post Code G
AG-III (Hindi)	Post Code H

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FCI AG-3 2026 Important Dates — Current Official Status

Event	Status as of October 1, 2026
Fresh FCI AG-III / Category III 2026 Notification	Not announced
Application Start	Not announced
Application Last Date	Not announced
2026 Vacancy Count	Not announced
Phase-I Exam Date	Not announced
Phase-II Exam Date	Not announced
Result	Not announced

FCI recruitment updates must be verified on fci.gov.in/recruitment or the relevant FCI zonal recruitment page. A tender, contract notice, old waitlist or document-verification notice is not a new Category III application.

Official-source rule: do not use SarkariResult or another aggregator as the authority for FCI notification dates. Use the FCI advertisement itself.

FCI AG-3 Vacancy Details — Previous Official Cycle

A fresh 2026 vacancy figure is not announced. Advertisement No. 01/2022-FCI Category III notified 5,043 total Category III vacancies across five zones:

Zone	Previous Official Total
North	2,388
South	989
East	768
West	713
North-East	185
Total	5,043

This is a historical official baseline. It is not evidence that FCI will announce 4,000–6,000 vacancies in 2026.

FCI later published results, waitlists and document-verification notices against Advertisement 01/2022. Those later documents belong to the same recruitment cycle and do not represent a new notification.

FCI AG-3 Eligibility — Previous Official 2022 Reference

A fresh 2026 eligibility date/rule is not announced.

Age

Post	Maximum Age in Advt. 01/2022
AG-III General	27
AG-III Accounts	27
AG-III Technical	27
AG-III Depot	27
AG-III Hindi	28

The previous cycle allowed up to +3 years for OBC-NCL and +5 for SC/ST, with separate PwBD/departmental/other relaxations.

Educational Qualification

Post	Previous Official Qualification
AG-III General	Graduate degree in any discipline + computer proficiency
AG-III Depot	Graduate degree in any discipline + computer proficiency
AG-III Accounts	B.Com + computer proficiency
AG-III Technical	B.Sc Agriculture; OR specified B.Sc subjects such as Botany/Zoology/Biotechnology/Biochemistry/Microbiology/Food Science; OR B.Tech/B.E. in Food Science/Food Science & Technology/Agricultural Engineering/Biotechnology + computer proficiency
AG-III Hindi	Degree with Hindi as main subject + English translation proficiency + one-year recognized translation certificate/diploma; previous notice also prescribed Hindi typing skill during probation

The old guide's “AG-III Typing 12th-pass” row was not an AG-III post in Advertisement 01/2022 and has been corrected.

FCI AG-3 Exam Pattern — Previous Official 2022 Scheme

Phase-I — Common Online Test

Section	Questions	Marks	Time
English Language	25	25	15 min
Reasoning Ability	25	25	15 min
Numerical Aptitude	25	25	15 min
General Studies + Current Affairs	25	25	15 min
Total	100	100	60 min

Official previous-cycle rules:

• 1 mark per question.
• 1/4 negative marking for a wrong answer.
• No negative marking for a blank question.
• Phase-I marks did not count in final merit.

Phase-II Paper-I

Paper-I was common for AG-III General, Accounts, Technical, Depot and Hindi.

Section	Questions	Marks
English	25	25
Reasoning	25	25
Numerical Aptitude	25	25
General Studies / Science / Current Affairs / Computer Awareness	45	45
Total	120	120

Duration: 90 minutes.

Phase-II Post-Specific Requirement

Post	Previous Official Phase-II
General	Paper-I only
Depot	Paper-I only
Accounts	Paper-I + Paper-II
Technical	Paper-I + Paper-II
Hindi	Paper-I + Paper-II

Post-specific Paper-II:

• 60 MCQs
• 120 marks
• 60 minutes
• 1/4 negative marking under the Phase-II rule.

Accounts Paper-II tested Commerce/General Accounting/Finance.

Technical Paper-II tested the subject group notified by FCI, including Agriculture/Botany/Zoology or Agriculture/Chemistry/Physics combinations.

Hindi Paper-II covered Hindi literature/general knowledge, translation and Official Language rules/policy.

There was no AG-III interview stage in this previous official scheme.

FCI AG-3 2026 Syllabus — Section-Wise

English Language (25 Questions)

• Reading Comprehension (2–3 passages)
• Cloze Test
• Para Jumbles
• Fill in the Blanks (Articles, Prepositions, Conjunctions)
• Error Detection / Sentence Correction
• Vocabulary: Synonyms, Antonyms, Idioms & Phrases

Reasoning Ability (25 Questions)

• Analogy, Classification, Coding-Decoding
• Blood Relations, Direction & Distance
• Syllogisms, Statement & Conclusions
• Puzzles and Seating Arrangement
• Alphanumeric Series
• Input-Output, Machine Input

Quantitative Aptitude (25 Questions)

• Number System, Simplification, Approximation
• Percentage, Profit & Loss, Simple & Compound Interest
• Ratio, Proportion, Mixture & Alligation
• Time & Work, Time, Speed & Distance
• Data Interpretation: Bar Graphs, Line Graphs, Pie Charts, Tables
• Mensuration, Geometry basics

General Awareness (25 Questions)

For AG-III (Depot/General):

• Current Affairs (last 6 months)
• National & International Events
• Geography, Economy, Polity
• FCI, Food Security, PDS, Government Schemes
• Computer Awareness (MS Office, Internet basics)

For AG-III (Technical) — Technical Awareness:

• Food Grain Storage (Hermetic storage, Fumigation, Pest control)
• Moisture content, Grain quality parameters
• Warehousing and Supply Chain Management
• Agriculture: Crop production, Post-harvest technology
• Food Technology basics
• FSSAI regulations

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How to Apply When a Fresh FCI AG-III Cycle Opens

There is no fresh 2026 AG-III application link today.

When FCI publishes a new Category III advertisement:

1. Start from fci.gov.in/recruitment.
2. Verify the exact advertisement number and publication date.
3. Open the application link provided by FCI.
4. Check zone/post restrictions in the new advertisement.
5. Fill personal and educational details.
6. Upload only the documents/formats specified by the active portal.
7. Pay the current-cycle fee.
8. Save the e-receipt and final application.

Previous Official Application Fee

Advertisement No. 01/2022 prescribed ₹500 for candidates required to pay the application fee.

Exemptions included:

• SC
• ST
• PwBD
• women
• eligible Serving Defence Personnel / Ex-Servicemen under the advertisement rules.

A fresh 2026 fee has not been announced.

Fake Portal Safety

FCI may use an application service/provider, but candidates should always enter it through the link supplied by the official FCI website.

Zone-Wise FCI AG-3 Recruitment — Previous Official Rule

In Advertisement 01/2022, candidates could apply in one zone only and for one post code only within that zone.

The five zones were:

• North
• South
• East
• West
• North-East

A new notification may change these rules. Do not reuse the old zone restriction automatically without checking the fresh advertisement.

Previous Zone Vacancy Totals

Zone	Category III Total
North	2,388
South	989
East	768
West	713
North-East	185

FCI AG-3 Salary & Benefits — Official Pay Reference

Advertisement No. 01/2022 placed all AG-III streams at:

₹28,200–₹79,200 (IDA pattern)

A fixed “₹45,000–₹55,000 gross” amount is not an official 2026 figure and is not presented as one.

Actual take-home varies with:

• current IDA,
• HRA/location,
• allowances/perks,
• deductions,
• posting,
• current FCI rules.

A fresh 2026 advertisement may update pay or benefits; its terms will control.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in FCI AG-3 2026

1. Zone preference errors: FCI recruits zone-wise. Many candidates fill in the wrong zone or skip zone preference entirely — resulting in disqualification or non-preferred posting.
2. Ignoring FCI-specific General Awareness: Questions on PDS (Public Distribution System), NFSA, MSP, food grain storage, and Food Security Act appear heavily. Generic GK is not enough.
3. Skipping Reasoning — especially Puzzles: FCI AG-3 heavily tests Puzzles and Seating Arrangement in Reasoning. Candidates who don't practice these lose 6–8 marks easily.
4. Underestimating negative marking (0.25): Unlike BRO, FCI has negative marking. Don't attempt questions you are unsure about.
5. Not registering on the correct official portal: FCI AG-3 notifications sometimes go through third-party managed portals. Always follow the link from fci.gov.in to avoid phishing fake sites.
6. Technical candidates ignoring Paper-II: AG-III Technical candidates should prepare the exact subject combination listed in the official notification rather than rely only on generic food-storage coaching material.
7. Starting Phase-II preparation too late: Accounts, Technical and Hindi candidates had a post-specific Paper-II in the previous scheme; begin domain preparation early.

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FCI AG-3 — Previous Official Recruitment Reference

Recruitment	Verified Official Context
Advt. 01/2022-FCI Category III	5,043 total Category III vacancies; online Phase-I + Phase-II; results/DV/waitlists followed
Later 2023–2025 documents	Result, document-verification and waitlist activity against the same 2022 advertisement — not a new 2023 recruitment cycle

The old guide's row claiming a separate “FCI AG-3 2023 — 3,990 vacancies” cycle was not supported by the official FCI source reviewed and has been removed.

Cut-Off Guidance

The previous article contained approximate Phase-I cut-off ranges without an official FCI cut-off source. Those estimates are not presented as official facts.

A valid numeric cut-off must be tied to:

• advertisement number,
• zone,
• post code,
• category,
• examination stage.

Fresh 2026 cut-off: not available because a fresh 2026 AG-III exam has not been announced.

Previous Result / Waitlist Context

Official FCI records show result/waitlist activity for AG-III General, Accounts, Technical, Depot and Hindi under Advertisement 01/2022. A waitlist published later does not create a fresh application cycle.

FCI AG-3 Preparation Strategy

For Phase I (CBT)

English (Focus: Vocabulary & RC)

• Spend 30 minutes daily on reading comprehension passages
• Build vocabulary: 15 new words per day via apps or word lists
• Practice cloze tests and para-jumbles from banking exam materials

Reasoning (Focus: Puzzles & Seating)

• Spend 45 minutes daily — puzzles and seating arrangement are high-scorers
• Practice input-output (machine input) and blood relation questions
• Speed matters: target 25 questions in 18–20 minutes

Quantitative Aptitude (Focus: DI & Arithmetic)

• Practice Data Interpretation sets daily — pie charts, bar graphs
• Brush up on percentage, ratio, profit/loss, and time-work
• Speed calculation techniques: Vedic math or approximation methods

General Awareness (Focus: Current Affairs + FCI-Specific)

• Study FCI's role in food security: PDS, NFSA, MSP
• Follow government schemes related to food and agriculture
• Last 6 months current affairs from reliable monthly magazines

Recommended Study Material

Subject	Resource
English	Arihant Objective English
Reasoning	R.S. Aggarwal Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning
Quantitative	R.S. Aggarwal Quantitative Aptitude
GK	Lucent GK + Monthly GK Capsule
FCI Previous Papers	Arihant FCI AG-3 Solved Papers
Technical (AG-III Tech)	ICAR Agricultural Textbooks

3-Month Preparation Plan for FCI AG-3 2026

Month 1 — Concept Building:

• English: Cover grammar basics, vocabulary building (15 words/day), RC passages
• Reasoning: Complete analogy, coding, blood relations, syllogisms
• Quant: Arithmetic topics — percentage, ratio, profit/loss, time-work (20 questions/day)
• GA: FCI, PDS, NFSA, MSP basics + last 3 months current affairs

Month 2 — Intensive Focus:

• Reasoning: Daily 2 complex puzzles + seating arrangement sets
• Quant: DI (data interpretation) — 1 full set (5 Qs) per day
• English: Para jumbles (10/day) + cloze tests (1 per day) + RC passages
• GA: Current affairs (last 6 months) + FCI zone-wise structure study

Month 3 — Mock Tests + Phase II Prep:

• 3 full-length Phase I mock tests per week
• Begin Phase-II domain prep: Accounts/Technical/Hindi candidates should practice the previous official post-specific Paper-II pattern.
• Current affairs revision: last 6 months GK capsule
• Solve previous year FCI papers (AG-3 2019 and 2022)

Daily Study Routine for FCI AG-3 2026

Time Slot	Activity
6:30 – 7:30 AM	English — RC passage + vocabulary (15 words)
8:00 – 9:15 AM	Reasoning — 2 puzzles + 20 miscellaneous questions
9:15 – 10:15 AM	Quantitative Aptitude — 1 DI set + 15 arithmetic questions
5:00 – 6:00 PM	General Awareness — current affairs + FCI-specific reading
7:00 – 8:00 PM	Mock test section or previous year paper practice
8:00 – 8:30 PM	Phase-II domain preparation (Accounts / Technical / Hindi)

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Frequently Asked Questions — FCI AG-3 2026

Q1. Has FCI released Assistant Grade III 2026 notification?
No fresh Category III / AG-III 2026 advertisement is shown on the official FCI recruitment pages reviewed as of October 1, 2026.

Q2. What is the FCI AG-3 exam date 2026?
Not announced.

Q3. How many vacancies are there in FCI AG-3 2026?
Not announced. The 5,043 total belongs to Advertisement 01/2022-FCI Category III and should not be turned into a 2026 forecast.

Q4. What was the previous AG-III age limit?
27 years for General/Accounts/Technical/Depot and 28 for Hindi, subject to the previous advertisement's relaxation rules.

Q5. What is AG-III Technical qualification?
The previous official cycle accepted the specified B.Sc Agriculture/science routes or B.Tech/B.E. routes in Food Science/Food Technology/Agricultural Engineering/Biotechnology, plus computer proficiency.

Q6. What was the previous exam pattern?
Phase-I: 100 questions / 100 marks / 60 minutes. Phase-II Paper-I: 120 questions / 120 marks / 90 minutes. Accounts, Technical and Hindi also took Paper-II: 60 questions / 120 marks / 60 minutes.

Q7. What is the FCI AG-III pay scale?
Previous official pay scale: ₹28,200–₹79,200. Fresh 2026 terms are not announced.

Q8. Can I apply for multiple zones?
The 2022 advertisement allowed one zone and one post code. Verify the rule again when a fresh notification is issued.

Official Links — FCI AG-3 2026

• FCI Recruitment Page: https://fci.gov.in/recruitment
• FCI Official Website: https://fci.gov.in
• ExamDetail FCI AG-3 Page: /exams/fci-assistant-grade-3-2026

Track the FCI AG-3 notification live on our FCI 2026 page.

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Last Updated: October 1, 2026 | Source: Food Corporation of India official recruitment pages and Advertisement No. 01/2022-FCI Category III.

Official Verification Checklist for the Next FCI Cycle

Before updating this guide for any future AG-III recruitment, verify:

1. exact FCI advertisement number and date;
2. current zone-wise and post-wise vacancies;
3. age cut-off date;
4. post-wise educational qualification;
5. pay scale;
6. current application fee and exemptions;
7. one-zone/one-post rule or any revised application rule;
8. Phase-I and Phase-II structure;
9. negative marking;
10. application portal linked by FCI;
11. official result/cut-off source before publishing numeric cut-offs.

Content-Depth Rule

The preparation syllabus, books, mock strategy, eligibility explanation and historical reference should remain detailed. When an old fact changes, replace it with the new official fact instead of deleting the useful section.

Books and preparation resources in this guide are editorial suggestions and are not FCI endorsements.