FCI Assistant Grade III 2026 — Current Official Status & Complete Guide

Current official status — October 1, 2026: A fresh FCI Category III / Assistant Grade III 2026 recruitment notification, application date, vacancy count and exam date have not been announced on the official FCI recruitment pages reviewed. This page therefore does not publish an “expected late-2026” notification or “early-2027” exam date as if it were official.

For Search Console queries such as “FCI Assistant Grade 3 notification 2026,” “FCI AG 3 exam date 2026,” “FCI recruitment 2026 apply date,” “FCI recruitment 2026 Sarkari Result” and “FCI vacancy 2026,” the current answer is simple: fresh Category III dates and vacancies are not announced yet.

The detailed sections below preserve the verified official structure from Advertisement No. 01/2022-FCI Category III so candidates can prepare without confusing a previous official cycle with an unannounced 2026 cycle.

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1. FCI AG-III 2026 — Official Status at a Glance

Item	Status as of October 1, 2026
Conducting Authority	Food Corporation of India (FCI)
Fresh Category III / AG-III 2026 Notification	Not announced
Fresh 2026 Application Start	Not announced
Fresh 2026 Last Date	Not announced
Fresh 2026 Vacancy Count	Not announced
Fresh 2026 Phase-I Exam Date	Not announced
Latest Verified Major AG-III Recruitment Reference	Advt. No. 01/2022-FCI Category III
Official Recruitment Page	fci.gov.in/recruitment

Important Search-Intent Note

A candidate searching “FCI Recruitment 2026” may find tender/career notices on FCI pages that are not a Category III Assistant Grade III recruitment. Always match the exact advertisement title before treating a notice as AG-III recruitment.

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2. Previous Official Category III Recruitment — 5,043 Vacancies

Advertisement No. 01/2022-FCI Category III notified zone-wise non-executive vacancies. The total across the five zones was 5,043.

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

These totals included AG-III posts and other Category III posts such as JE/Steno where notified. They are historical 2022-cycle totals and must not be presented as a 2026 vacancy projection.

AG-III Streams in the 2022 Advertisement

• AG-III (General)
• AG-III (Accounts)
• AG-III (Technical)
• AG-III (Depot)
• AG-III (Hindi)

The old page's “4,000–5,000+ expected 2026 vacancies” was not an FCI announcement and is intentionally not carried forward as a current fact.

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3. Eligibility — Previous Official 2022 Reference

A fresh 2026 eligibility cut-off has not been announced. The following is the verified previous-cycle reference from Advertisement No. 01/2022-FCI Category III.

AG-III General

• Graduate degree in any discipline from a recognized University.
• Proficiency in use of computers.

AG-III Depot

• Graduate degree in any discipline from a recognized University.
• Proficiency in use of computers.

AG-III Accounts

• Bachelor of Commerce from a recognized University.
• Proficiency in use of computers.

AG-III Technical

One of the following:

• B.Sc. Agriculture; or
• B.Sc. with Botany / Zoology / Biotechnology / Biochemistry / Microbiology / Food Science; or
• B.Tech / B.E. in Food Science / Food Science & Technology / Agricultural Engineering / Biotechnology from a recognized University or AICTE-approved institution.

Computer proficiency was also required.

AG-III Hindi

The previous advertisement required:

• Degree from a recognized University with Hindi as the main subject;
• proficiency in English for translation;
• a one-year Certificate/Diploma course in translation from English to Hindi and vice versa from a recognized institution.

The advertisement also prescribed a Hindi typing skill requirement during probation.

Age Limit — Previous Cycle

Post	Previous Official Maximum Age
AG-III General	27 years
AG-III Accounts	27 years
AG-III Technical	27 years
AG-III Depot	27 years
AG-III Hindi	28 years

For the 2022 cycle, SC/ST candidates received up to 5 years and OBC-NCL candidates up to 3 years of age relaxation, with separate PwBD/departmental/other provisions.

2026 rule: not announced. Do not apply the 2022 cut-off date to a future notification.

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4. Pay Scale & Salary Reference

Previous Official Pay Scale

All AG-III streams in Advertisement No. 01/2022-FCI Category III carried the IDA pay scale:

₹28,200–₹79,200

This corrects the old page's ₹28,200–₹74,500 / inconsistent salary references.

What About 2026 In-Hand Salary?

A fresh 2026 recruitment notice is not available, so this page does not publish a fixed “₹45K–₹65K gross” figure as an official 2026 salary.

Actual monthly earnings depend on:

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

The pay-scale section remains useful, but take-home estimates are clearly separated from official figures.

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5. Selection Process — Previous Official Category III Scheme

The verified 2022 recruitment used:

1. Phase-I Online Test
2. Phase-II Online Test
3. Post-specific skill requirements where applicable
4. Document Verification
5. Final appointment subject to eligibility and vacancy

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

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6. Phase-I Exam Pattern — Previous Official Cycle

Phase-I was common irrespective of post.

Test	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 Phase-I Rules

• Objective MCQ test.
• Each question carried 1 mark.
• 1/4 mark negative marking for a wrong answer.
• No negative mark for an unanswered question.
• Phase-I marks were not counted in final merit ranking.

The General Studies block contained History, Geography, Economy and General Science up to Class 8 level plus Current Affairs under the previous advertisement.

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7. Phase-II Exam Pattern — Previous Official Cycle

Paper-I

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

Component	Previous Official Rule
Questions	120 MCQs
Marks	120
Duration	90 minutes
Negative Marking	1/4 mark per wrong answer

Paper-I included:

• English Language — 25 questions
• Reasoning Ability — 25
• Numerical Aptitude — 25
• General Studies / General Science / Current Affairs / Computer Awareness — 45

Who Took Which Phase-II Paper?

AG-III Stream	Previous Official Phase-II Requirement
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

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

For Technical, Paper-II tested the subject group defined in the advertisement, including combinations of Agriculture, Botany, Zoology, Chemistry and Physics.

For Hindi, Paper-II covered Hindi literature/general knowledge, translation, Official Language Policy/Act/Rules and related topics.

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8. Detailed Preparation Syllabus

The following preparation section is retained to preserve content depth. It is aligned to the previous official FCI scheme, not advertised as a confirmed 2026 syllabus.

English

• Reading comprehension
• Cloze test
• Error detection
• Sentence improvement
• Fillers
• Synonyms / antonyms
• Idioms and phrases
• Para jumbles
• Vocabulary

Reasoning

• Analogy and classification
• Coding-decoding
• Blood relations
• Direction and distance
• Syllogism
• Puzzles
• Seating arrangement
• Series
• Inequalities
• Statement / conclusion

Numerical Aptitude

• Number system
• Simplification
• Percentage
• Ratio and proportion
• Profit/loss
• Average
• Time & work
• Time, speed & distance
• Simple/compound interest
• Data interpretation

General Studies / Awareness

Under the previous official scheme:

• History
• Geography
• Economy
• General Science
• Current Affairs
• Computer Awareness in Phase-II Paper-I

Technical Preparation

Candidates preparing for AG-III Technical should prioritize the subject areas explicitly listed in the previous FCI advertisement rather than relying only on generic “food storage” coaching notes.

Accounts Preparation

Focus on Commerce, General Accounting and Finance as prescribed for the previous post-specific Paper-II.

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8.1 Previous Phase-II Paper-I — Detailed Topic Map

The 2022 official advertisement defined Paper-I as the common Phase-II paper for AG-III General, Accounts, Technical, Depot and Hindi. The official breakup was:

Section	Questions	Marks	Previous Time Allocation
English Language	25	25	20 minutes
Reasoning Ability	25	25	20 minutes
Numerical Aptitude	25	25	20 minutes
General Studies / Science / Current Affairs / Computer Awareness	45	45	30 minutes
Total	120	120	90 minutes

The 45-question General block in the previous official Paper-I included:

• History, Geography and Economy;
• General Science up to Class 10 level;
• Current Affairs;
• Computer Awareness.

This structure is valuable for preparation, but it remains a 2022 official reference until a new Category III advertisement is issued.

English Practice Map

• Reading comprehension
• Error spotting
• Sentence correction
• Fill in the blanks
• Vocabulary
• Synonyms and antonyms
• Idioms and phrases
• Para-jumbles
• Cloze tests

Reasoning Practice Map

• Analogy
• Classification
• Coding-decoding
• Blood relations
• Directions
• Syllogism
• Seating arrangement
• Puzzles
• Series
• Statement-conclusion
• Logical data sufficiency

Numerical Aptitude Practice Map

• Number system
• Simplification
• Percentage
• Ratio and proportion
• Average
• Profit and loss
• Simple and compound interest
• Time and work
• Time, speed and distance
• Data interpretation
• Basic mensuration

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8.2 AG-III Accounts — Previous Paper-II Preparation Reference

The previous official Category III advertisement stated that AG-III Accounts candidates took Paper-I + Paper-II. Paper-II consisted of 60 questions carrying 2 marks each, for 120 marks in 60 minutes.

The advertisement described the post-specific domain as Commerce, particularly General Accounting and Finance.

A practical preparation structure is:

General Accounting

• accounting principles and concepts
• journal, ledger and trial balance
• rectification of errors
• depreciation
• bank reconciliation
• final accounts
• bills of exchange
• partnership basics

Finance & Commerce

• basic financial management concepts
• working capital
• ratios
• costing fundamentals
• business finance
• company-account concepts at graduation level

These topic labels are preparation guidance around the official Commerce/Accounting/Finance domain; candidates should replace them with the exact syllabus if FCI publishes a fresh cycle.

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8.3 AG-III Technical — Previous Paper-II Preparation Reference

The 2022 official Paper-II for AG-III Technical used 60 questions / 120 marks / 60 minutes and tested the subject group prescribed in the advertisement.

The official notice identifies combinations including:

• Agriculture;
• Botany;
• Zoology;
• Chemistry;
• Physics.

For preparation depth, candidates can organize the domain into:

Agriculture

• agronomy fundamentals
• crop production
• soil science
• seed science
• plant nutrition
• irrigation basics
• plant protection
• post-harvest handling

Botany / Zoology

• cell biology
• genetics
• plant physiology
• taxonomy
• ecology
• animal physiology
• basic microbiology where relevant

Food / Storage Context

FCI's operational role makes foodgrain storage concepts useful for broader understanding, but candidates should not assume every coaching “food-storage” topic is part of the official Paper-II unless listed in the active notification.

Chemistry / Physics

Revise graduation-level fundamentals relevant to the subject combination specified in the advertisement.

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8.4 AG-III Hindi — Previous Official Requirements & Paper-II

The 2022 advertisement treated AG-III Hindi separately.

Qualification Reference

• Hindi as main subject in the degree;
• proficiency in English for translation;
• one-year Certificate/Diploma in English-Hindi / Hindi-English translation from a recognized institution;
• Hindi typing skill, with the previous notice referring to 30 words per minute during probation.

Previous Paper-II

The official Paper-II included:

• General Knowledge related to Hindi Literature;
• Hindi-to-English translation;
• English-to-Hindi translation;
• Official Language Policy;
• Official Language Act;
• Official Language Rules;
• Annual Programme issued by the Department of Official Language.

This is more accurate than the old page's generic “AG-III Typing” description.

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11.1 Previous Zone-Wise Vacancy Context

The previous Category III cycle provides useful zone context without forecasting 2026 vacancies.

Zone	Total Category III Vacancies in Advt. 01/2022
North	2,388
South	989
East	768
West	713
North-East	185
Total	5,043

What the Zone Rule Meant in 2022

The advertisement stated that a candidate could:

• apply in one zone only; and
• apply for one post code only within that zone.

That application restriction must be rechecked in any fresh cycle instead of being assumed automatically.

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12.1 Document Verification Checklist

Previous FCI recruitment notices required candidates to prove the claims made in the online application at document verification. A useful preparation checklist includes:

• photo identity proof;
• date-of-birth proof;
• graduation / B.Com / technical degree mark sheets and certificate, as applicable;
• computer-proficiency evidence where the notice requires it;
• category certificate in the prescribed format;
• EWS certificate where applicable;
• PwBD certificate where applicable;
• Ex-Servicemen / service documents where applicable;
• NOC for candidates whose employment status requires it;
• equivalence certificate/order if claiming an equivalent qualification;
• CGPA/grade-to-percentage conversion proof where needed.

The exact list for a new 2026 recruitment must come from that recruitment's official instructions.

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12.2 Result, Waitlist & Joining Flow — Previous Cycle

The FCI 2022 Category III recruitment continued through:

1. online examination;
2. result declaration;
3. document verification;
4. selected-candidate lists;
5. waitlists;
6. offer of appointment by the relevant FCI office.

FCI continued publishing waitlist/document-verification notices after the main result. This is important for current-content accuracy: a late waitlist or DV notice belonging to Advertisement 01/2022 is not a new 2026 recruitment notification.

How to Read an FCI Result Notice

Before publishing an “FCI Result 2026” update, verify:

• advertisement number;
• zone;
• post name / post code;
• whether it is main result, waitlist or DV;
• publication date;
• whether it opens any new application window.

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13.1 Cut-Off Interpretation

FCI competition varies by:

• zone;
• post code;
• category;
• phase;
• number of vacancies;
• candidate performance.

A selected-candidate mark is not automatically the official category cut-off. For that reason, ExamDetail should only publish a numeric cut-off when FCI itself identifies it as such or when a result document clearly establishes the applicable threshold.

Fresh 2026 Cut-Off Status

• Prelims/Phase-I cut-off: Not available
• Phase-II cut-off: Not available
• Final selection cut-off: Not available

because a fresh 2026 AG-III recruitment has not been announced.

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14.1 90-Day Preparation Framework

Days 1–30 — Foundation

• English grammar and reading every day
• arithmetic fundamentals
• reasoning basics and short puzzles
• History/Geography/Economy/Science fundamentals
• daily current affairs
• basic computer awareness

Days 31–60 — Speed + Domain

• timed Phase-I section tests
• Paper-I 120-question practice
• Accounts/Technical/Hindi domain preparation for candidates targeting those streams
• weekly full mock

Days 61–90 — Exam Simulation

• Phase-I mocks at 100 questions / 60 minutes
• Phase-II Paper-I mocks at 120 questions / 90 minutes
• error log and revision
• targeted domain Paper-II tests where applicable
• previous-paper analysis

Accuracy Strategy

Under the previous official scheme, wrong answers attracted a 1/4-mark penalty. Candidates should therefore train accuracy alongside speed rather than attempting random guesses.

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14.2 Preparation by Candidate Profile

General / Depot Aspirant

Prioritize:

1. Phase-I common subjects
2. Phase-II Paper-I depth
3. General Studies + Computer Awareness
4. speed and accuracy

Accounts Aspirant

Add:

• B.Com-level accounting
• finance fundamentals
• Paper-II domain practice

Technical Aspirant

Add:

• Agriculture/Botany/Zoology or the relevant official subject combination
• graduation-level technical revision

Hindi Aspirant

Add:

• translation practice
• Official Language rules/policy
• Hindi literature/general knowledge
• Hindi typing practice

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9. Application Fee — Previous Official Reference

A fresh 2026 fee is not announced.

Under Advertisement No. 01/2022-FCI Category III:

Candidate Group	Previous Official Fee
Candidates required to pay fee	₹500
SC / ST	Exempt
PwBD	Exempt
Women	Exempt
Eligible Serving Defence Personnel / Ex-Servicemen	Exempt subject to advertisement conditions

The application fee was paid online through the methods available in the recruitment portal.

Never reuse ₹500 as a confirmed 2026 fee until FCI publishes a fresh advertisement.

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10. How to Apply When a Fresh FCI AG-III Notification Opens

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

When FCI opens a new Category III cycle:

1. Start from fci.gov.in/recruitment.
2. Open the exact Category III advertisement.
3. Confirm the advertisement number, zone, post code and dates.
4. Follow only the application link published by FCI.
5. Check whether the new cycle restricts candidates to one zone / one post.
6. Fill personal and qualification details exactly as required.
7. Upload files in the current portal specifications.
8. Pay the current-cycle fee, not an old fee copied from 2022.
9. Save the application and e-receipt.

Phishing / Fake Portal Safety

Do not treat a domain as official merely because it contains “FCI recruitment” in its name. Begin from the official FCI website and follow its recruitment link.

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11. Zone-Wise Recruitment — Previous Official Rule

The 2022 advertisement stated that a candidate could apply in one zone only and for one post code within that zone.

Previous zones:

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

A future 2026 notification may change application rules; verify the fresh advertisement before applying.

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12. Previous Official Result / Waitlist Context

FCI continued to publish result, waitlist and document-verification notices against Advertisement No. 01/2022-FCI Category III after the main examination cycle.

Official FCI records include selected/waitlisted AG-III General, Accounts, Technical, Depot and Hindi candidates for different zones.

This matters because a result/waitlist published later does not mean a new recruitment cycle has opened.

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13. Cut-Off Section — Official-Only Rule

This section is intentionally retained because candidates search heavily for FCI AG-III cut-offs.

However, the old page contained approximate ranges such as “62–70 / 100” without an official FCI cut-off document. Those ranges are not presented as official facts here.

How to Check a Valid FCI Cut-Off

Match all four:

1. exact advertisement number,
2. zone,
3. post code/stream,
4. category and stage.

If FCI publishes a fresh 2026 Category III cut-off/result, it should be added here with the exact official source.

Fresh 2026 cut-off: Not available because no fresh 2026 AG-III recruitment exam has been announced.

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14. Preparation Strategy

Stage 1 — Build the Common Base

• English: grammar + reading comprehension
• Reasoning: daily puzzle/logic practice
• Numerical Aptitude: arithmetic + DI
• General Studies: History, Geography, Economy, General Science, Current Affairs

Stage 2 — Prepare for Previous Phase-II Pattern

• General/Depot: Paper-I depth
• Accounts: Paper-I + Commerce/Accounting/Finance
• Technical: Paper-I + subject-specific Paper-II
• Hindi: Paper-I + translation / Official Language topics

Stage 3 — Mock-Test Practice

Use the previous verified time limits:

• Phase-I: 100 questions in 60 minutes
• Phase-II Paper-I: 120 questions in 90 minutes
• Phase-II Paper-II: 60 questions in 60 minutes

Remember the previous official 1/4 negative-marking rule.

Recommended Books / Study Resources

These are editorial recommendations, not FCI endorsements:

Area	Suggested Resource Type
English	Standard objective English / previous exam practice
Reasoning	Verbal & non-verbal reasoning practice
Quant	Quantitative aptitude + DI workbook
General Studies	NCERT basics + current-affairs source
Accounts	B.Com-level accounting / finance texts
Technical	University texts matching FCI's listed subject group
Previous Papers	FCI previous official/credible solved-paper practice

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15. Current FAQ — Search Intent Answers

Is FCI AG-III Recruitment 2026 active now?

No fresh Category III / AG-III 2026 advertisement is shown on the official FCI recruitment pages reviewed as of October 1, 2026.

What is the FCI AG-3 notification date 2026?

Not announced.

What is the FCI AG-3 exam date 2026?

Not announced.

What is the FCI AG-3 vacancy 2026?

Not announced. 5,043 belongs to the previous 2022 Category III recruitment and is not a 2026 forecast.

What is the FCI AG-III salary?

The previous official AG-III pay scale was ₹28,200–₹79,200. Fresh-cycle terms should be checked when the next advertisement is published.

Is there an FCI AG-III interview?

The previous Category III AG-III selection did not use an interview; it used online test stages and verification.

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16. Official Verification Map

Need	Official Source
Current recruitment status	FCI Recruitment
Previous Category III advertisement	Advt. No. 01/2022-FCI Category III on fci.gov.in
Previous result / waitlist / DV	FCI zonal recruitment pages
Future application link	Use only a link originating from fci.gov.in
Future notification/exam date	Add only after an official Category III notice

Update rule: Never convert a coaching estimate, operational vacancy discussion, tender notice or old result into a fresh FCI AG-III recruitment announcement.

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