Height and Chest Standards for Government Jobs
A physical standard test cannot be relaxed later. If you are short by a centimetre at the measurement stage, the application ends there regardless of the written score. What makes it worse is that the figure changes with the post and sometimes with your category, so a height that qualifies for one board can fail another.
This page lists the standards for the posts covered by our eligibility checker, taken from the notification for the current cycle. Where a notice publishes a lower figure for reserved-category candidates, both numbers are shown.
Height and chest are checked alongside age on our eligibility page, so you can see both in one pass.
Check eligibilityPost-wise standards
SSC GD (Constable, Rifleman, Sepoy)
Staff Selection Commission / CAPFs · Constable (GD) in CAPFs, SSF, Rifleman in Assam Rifles
| Category | Men (cm) | Women (cm) | Chest, unexp. / exp. |
|---|---|---|---|
| General | 170 cm | 157 cm | 80 / 85 cm |
| OBC — Non-Creamy Layer, SC, ST, PwBD | 162.5 cm | 157 cm | 80 / 85 cm |
Height relief for hill-region and North-Eastern candidates needs the Annexure IX certificate produced at the ground.
Staff Selection Commission / CAPFs official websiteRailway RRB Group D (Level 1)
Railway Recruitment Boards · Track Maintainer, Pointsman, Assistant, Technician, Group 3 and 4 posts
| Category | Men (cm) | Women (cm) | Chest, unexp. / exp. |
|---|---|---|---|
| General | 167 cm | 152 cm | 80 / 85 cm |
Railway RRB NTPC (Undergraduate)
Railway Recruitment Boards · Junior Accounts Assistant, Typist, Train Clerk, Station Master
| Category | Men (cm) | Women (cm) |
|---|---|---|
| General | 167 cm | 152 cm |
Indian Army Agniveer (General Duty, Other than Tradesman)
Indian Army · Agniveer General Duty across all corps
| Category | Men (cm) | Women (cm) |
|---|---|---|
| General | 170 cm | 152 cm |
RPF Constable (Railway Protection Force)
Railway Recruitment Boards / SSC · Constable in Railway Protection Force
| Category | Men (cm) | Women (cm) | Chest, unexp. / exp. |
|---|---|---|---|
| General | 170 cm | 157 cm | 80 / 85 cm |
The 2025 amendment raised the Executive Cadre height and moved recruitment to SSC. Female and reserved-category figures are stated as being at par with CAPF and were still to be published numerically.
Railway Recruitment Boards / SSC official websiteCommon questions
Why do some posts have a lower height requirement for reserved categories?
Several notifications publish two sets of figures in the same table, one for General and EWS candidates and a lower one for OBC, SC and ST. Where that is the case the relaxed figure is the one that applies, and it is not conditional on producing a certificate at the measurement stage, though the certificate is still required for appointment.
How is chest measured?
It is measured with a tape while the candidate stands relaxed, and it is recorded twice, once without expanding the chest and once after full expansion. Both readings have to reach the published figure. Chest measurement applies to men only; for women posts the standard is generally height alone.
Is the physical test before or after the written exam?
On most central and state recruitment the physical standard test comes before the written examination, and clearing it is compulsory to continue. Where it comes after the written stage, the candidates who clear the cut-off are called for the standard test and physical failure ends the candidature at that point.
Does the height figure get relaxed for people with a disability?
Many notifications that carry a physical standard also grant a height relaxation to benchmark disability candidates, usually stated as a fixed number of centimetres in the notice itself. The figure varies by post and cycle, so we do not assume one here — read it from the notification. The disability certificate has to name the relevant disability, and the claim has to be made during the application rather than at the measurement stage.
Why can two notifications for the same post show different heights?
Standards get revised, and a state board, a central board and a recruitment agency do not always move together. The figure applies only to the cycle named in the notification you are applying under. Anything written here is superseded by the notification on the conducting body's site for that specific cycle.
Measuring yourself correctly
Boards measure against a vertical wall or a stadiometer with shoes off, heels together and the head in a normal position, and they use a rigid reading rather than a flexible tape for height. A self-measurement taken with a cloth tape and shoes on can read two or three centimetres higher than the official figure, which is often the difference between clearing the standard and failing it.
Chest is measured over the fullest part of the chest, with the tape level and the arms hanging loose. Both the relaxed and the expanded reading matter, and neither one alone is enough. Where a post specifies running distance or a grip-strength test instead of a chest figure, the notification replaces these numbers entirely.