FSSAI CFSO official syllabus guide
FSSAI CFSO syllabus 2026
The CFSO paper is sat in two parts on one sitting: a general aptitude and computer literacy part common to every FSSAI post, and a functional knowledge part specific to food safety. The functional half is where a food technology degree pays off, and it is weighted roughly two to one against the general half.
Exam pattern and marking
- Part A — General Aptitude and Computer Literacy, 40 questions, 160 marks
- Part B — Functional Knowledge, 80 questions, 320 marks
- 120 questions, 480 marks, computer-based
- +4 for a correct answer, −1 for a wrong one
- Stage 1 and Stage 2 carry 50% weight each; there is no interview
FSSAI notifies the pattern per recruitment, and it has changed at every sitting we hold a paper for. Treat the figures above as the most recently notified shape, not as a fixed one — the papers below are what actually happened.
Central Food Safety Officer syllabus
Part A — General Aptitude and Computer Literacy
4 topics- General intelligence — analogies, similarities and differences, space visualisation, problem solving, analysis, judgement, decision making, visual memory, arithmetical reasoning, verbal and figure classification, number series
- General awareness — current affairs, Indian history and culture, geography, economy, Constitution and governance, sport, scientific developments
- English language — reading comprehension, grammar, synonyms and antonyms, error spotting, idioms
- Computer literacy — MS Office, email and internet, digital signatures, common platforms
Part B — Food law and the role of FSSAI
4 topics- Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 — structure, offences, penalties
- FSS Rules and Regulations 2011 — licensing and registration, packaging and labelling, contaminants, food additives
- FSSAI as regulator — organisation, functions, enforcement, surveillance initiatives
- International standards — Codex Alimentarius, WTO SPS and TBT agreements
Part B — Food science and technology
5 topics- Food chemistry and nutrition — macro- and micronutrients, additives, contaminants and adulterants
- Food microbiology — spoilage, pathogens, foodborne illness
- Food processing, preservation and packaging
- Food safety management — HACCP, GMP, GHP, GAP, GLP
- Sampling, analysis and testing methods; quality assurance
Source: FSSAI recruitment notifications ↗. Source: FSS Act 2006 and Rules ↗. Checked 2026-08-17.
Section weight by year
| Paper | General Aptitude And Computer Literacy | General Awareness | English Language Comprehension | Computer Literacy | Indian and International Food Laws (Overview) | FSSAI (General Understanding) | Domain Section | General Aptitude | Indian and International Food Laws (Overview) | Functional Knowledge | Total | Minutes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FSSAI CFSO 2022 (30 Mar) | 8 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 20 | 19 | 37 | — | — | — | 111 | 180 |
| FSSAI CFSO 2022 (01 Oct) | — | — | — | — | — | — | 80 | — | — | — | 80 | 180 |
| FSSAI Technical Officer 2022 (31 March, Shift 1) | 40 10 Q | — | 40 10 Q | 40 10 Q | — | 80 20 Q | 160 40 Q | 40 10 Q | 80 20 Q | — | 480 | 180 |
| FSSAI CFSO 2019 | 25 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 75 | 100 | 120 |
A dash means that paper had no such section — not that the figure is missing. The board has renamed and reorganised the sections between sittings, so the columns are the union of every taxonomy it has used. Candidates should therefore prepare the underlying subjects rather than relying on one year's section labels.
Changes in examination pattern
Compared across past papers. Not an official announcement.
| Change | Compared papers | Before | After | What changed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 New pattern | FSSAI CFSO 2022 (30 Mar) → FSSAI CFSO 2022 (01 Oct) | 111 q 111 marks 180 min 7 sections | 80 q 80 marks 180 min 1 section |
Questions
111 → 80
Marks
111 → 80
Dropped
General Aptitude, General Awareness, English Language Comprehension, Computer Literacy, Indian and International Food Laws (Overview), FSSAI(General understanding)
|
| 2022 | FSSAI Technical Officer 2022 (31 March, Shift 1) → FSSAI CFSO 2022 (30 Mar) | 120 q 480 marks 180 min 7 sections | 111 q 111 marks 180 min 7 sections |
Questions
120 → 111
Marks
480 → 111
Dropped
FSSAI (General Understanding)
Added
FSSAI(General understanding)
|
| 2022 | FSSAI CFSO 2019 → FSSAI Technical Officer 2022 (31 March, Shift 1) | 100 q 100 marks 120 min 2 sections | 120 q 480 marks 180 min 7 sections |
Questions
100 → 120
Duration
120 → 180 min
Marks
100 → 480
Dropped
General Aptitude And Computer Literacy, Functional Knowledge
Added
General Aptitude, General Awareness, English Language Comprehension, Computer Literacy, Indian and International Food Laws (Overview), FSSAI (General Understanding), Domain Section
|
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