Checked 29 September 2026. From the Departmental Examination Rules 2024, the Board letter of 13.02.2025 and the NACIN ZC Mumbai notices up to the August 2026 sitting. A later Board clarification would override the transition reading on this page.
Preventive Officers and Examiners of Customs who join by direct recruitment sit their own confirmation exam, run by NACIN Zonal Campus Mumbai, not the Inspector exam run from Lucknow. It also has six papers, but they are different ones. Two are sat without books, and one is about the orders of your own Custom House. The papers changed when the 2024 rules replaced the 2008 rules on 18 December 2024, and the change caught officers in the middle of the exam. The Board settled what they owe in a letter of 13 February 2025. This guide sets out the current papers, lines up the 2008 and 2024 papers for both Customs and Inspector officers, and ends with a checker of the papers you still owe.
Where other pages get this wrong
The old Customs Law paper, sat without books, has been deleted, and you do not have to pass it. What you must pass instead is the new Computer paper.
Commonly published instead: The 2008 list, in which Customs Law without books is Paper-I and there is no Computer paper. NACIN Mumbai's letter of 09.12.2024 printed that list for a sitting fixed for 19 to 21 February 2025, nine days before the new rules took effect, and it is the list older pages still copy.
NACIN Mumbai's letter of 21.01.2025 says the exam "shall now be conducted in accordance with the DER-2024, including the updated syllabus", and, citing Corrigendum 5 of 17.01.2025, moves the sitting to 5 to 7 March 2025. The Board letter F.No. A.34011/05/2017-Ad.IIIA of 13.02.2025, which NACIN Mumbai sent to every Cadre Controlling Authority with its letter of 14.02.2025, says the deleted paper "Customs Law (without books)" need not be passed and the new "Computer Application and use of Internet" paper "will be required to be passed".
DER 2024 Appendix B; Board letter of 13.02.2025; NACIN ZC Mumbai notices (official).
The six papers under the 2024 rules
| Paper | Title | Books | What Appendix B lists |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | Customs and Allied Law | With books | Customs Act 1962 and rules; Customs Tariff Act 1975 and other customs duty Acts; section 5 of the IGST Act; Provisional Collection of Taxes Act; COFEPOSA; NDPS and PITNDPS; cesses; the CBIC Customs Manual; the ICES handbook; WCO, WTO and international conventions; IPR; Indian Stamp Act (named articles); and import-export provisions of allied laws such as Legal Metrology, Food Safety, Drugs and Cosmetics, the Arms Act and the hazardous waste rules |
| II | Law Allied to Customs and Service Regulations | With books, except the Conduct Rules | Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act; Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam; CCS Conduct, Leave and CCA Rules; relevant parts of the BNSS and CPC; PMLA; FEMA and the export regulations under it; Foreign Trade Policy and its export promotion schemes; Handbook of Procedures; SEZ Act 2005 |
| III | Local Orders of the Custom House | Without books | Board circulars and instructions; public notices; the local supplement to the Customs Manual; standing orders and departmental orders of your Custom House |
| IV | Commercial Practice, Mercantile Law, Economic and Commercial Geography and General Knowledge | Without books | Mercantile law and commercial practice ("only general knowledge will be required"); elementary banking and accountancy; world geography with sea ports and trade routes, and India in detail; a precis and questions on English usage and current affairs |
| V | Hindi | Not stated | Translation both ways; sentence correction and word equivalents; answers from a passage; reading handwritten petitions; Official Languages Act 1963 and Rules 1976 |
| VI | Computer Application and Use of Internet (Theory and Practical) | Not stated | The same computer syllabus as the Inspector exam: hardware and software basics, Windows, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, webmail and browsing |
Paper-III is the one to start early. It is sat without books, and its content is local: the standing orders and public notices of the Custom House you serve in, not one national text. An officer in Mumbai and an officer in Chennai prepare from different papers for the same Paper-III. Paper-IV is the other without-books paper. It is broad rather than deep: Appendix B asks for "only general knowledge" of mercantile law and commercial practice, with a precis and English usage added on.
The August 2026 sitting, day by day
| Day | Morning | Afternoon |
|---|---|---|
| 19.08.2026 | Paper-I Customs and Allied Law | Paper-II Law Allied to Customs and Service Regulations |
| 20.08.2026 | Paper-III Local Orders of the Custom House | Paper-IV Commercial Practice and General Knowledge |
| 21.08.2026 | Paper-V Hindi | Paper-VI Computer Application and Use of Internet |
The process for the August 2026 sitting is set out in the NACIN Mumbai notice. Requisitions from each Commissionerate had to reach NACIN Mumbai by 7 August 2026. A test mail went to every nodal officer on 17 August. Each day's papers were emailed as password-protected PDFs the day before, and the password was sent by SMS to the nodal officer 40 minutes before the start. The notice also warns that a candidate who discloses a name or identity, or uses any sign, symbol or signature in the answer sheet that hints at who wrote it, will have the exam cancelled. The same notice covers the Appraiser (Expert) confirmation exam, which under the 2024 rules has its own seven papers including a viva voce, and is not covered in this guide.
2008 against 2024: both cadres side by side
| Cadre | Item | Under the 2008 rules | Under the 2024 rules |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inspector | Paper-I | Central Excise, without books | Central Excise and GST, with books |
| Inspector | Papers II to IV | Customs, Administration, Law (with books) | Customs, Administration (not the Conduct Rules), Law (with books). Law now covers the BNS, BNSS and BSA, plus the CPC |
| Inspector | Hindi | Paper-V, 10:00 to 12:00 (2 hours) in the February 2024 sitting | Paper-V, 3 hours |
| Inspector | Computer | No such paper | Paper-VI, theory and practical |
| PO and Examiner | Customs Law | Paper-I, without books | Deleted |
| PO and Examiner | Customs and Allied Law | Paper-II, with books | Paper-I, with books |
| PO and Examiner | Law Allied to Customs and Service Regulations | Paper-III, with books except the Conduct Rules; the February 2025 syllabus listed the Indian Evidence Act 1872 and CrPC 1973 | Paper-II, with books except the Conduct Rules; now the BSA and BNSS |
| PO and Examiner | Local Orders | Paper-IV, without books | Paper-III, without books |
| PO and Examiner | Commercial Practice and GK | Paper-V, without books | Paper-IV, without books |
| PO and Examiner | Hindi | Paper-VI | Paper-V |
| PO and Examiner | Computer | No such paper | Paper-VI |
Our count from Appendix B of the 2024 rules, the NACIN Mumbai letter of 09.12.2024 and GST Karnataka EGSO 04/2024 (official). A paper that allows books except the Conduct Rules is counted as with books.
Taken together, the changes have made the Inspector exam more open-book, with Central Excise and GST now sat with books, and made the Customs exam less of a memory test, with Customs Law without books gone. Both cadres pick up a Computer paper. Inspectors move to all three 2023 codes (BNS, BNSS and BSA); the PO and Examiner Paper-II lists the BSA and relevant parts of the BNSS, with the CPC, and does not list the BNS.
The Board letter of 13 February 2025
What the Board said, in its own words where it matters (official)
- An officer who had not passed under the 2008 rules is to pass "either all or the left over papers" under the 2024 rules.
- Papers already passed need not be repeated "simply because of changing in sequences". A paper that has moved from Paper-III to Paper-II is still the paper you passed.
- The deleted paper, "Customs Law (without books)", need not be passed.
- The new paper, "Computer Application and use of Internet", "will be required to be passed".
- The date of passing is governed by rule 7(6) of the 2024 rules. Note that rule 7(6) is written for promotion exams; the matching provision for a confirmation exam is rule 7(4), which also takes the first day of the written exam in which you pass. The Board letter cites 7(6), and we print what it says.
The letter is written for "any officer", not only Customs officers, so on our reading it covers Inspectors part-way through the old five-paper exam as well. It does not say so in terms.
Which papers do you still owe?
Papers-still-owed checker (2024 rules)
Pick your cadre and your history, then tick the papers you passed under the 2008 rules. The checker applies the Board letter of 13.02.2025 and rule 8, and lists the 2024 papers you still have to sit. It is our reading, not your Cadre Controlling Authority's record.
Our reading of the Board letter of 13.02.2025 and DER 2024 rules 3, 4 and 8.
For readers without JavaScript, this is how the checker decides.
| Old paper passed (2008 rules) | Counts as, under the 2024 rules |
|---|---|
| PO/Examiner Customs Law (without books) | Nothing: the paper was deleted and need not be passed |
| PO/Examiner Customs and Allied Law | P-I Customs and Allied Law |
| PO/Examiner Law Allied to Customs and Service Regulations | P-II |
| PO/Examiner Local Orders | P-III |
| PO/Examiner Commercial Practice and GK | P-IV |
| Hindi (either cadre) | P-V Hindi |
| Inspector Papers II to IV | The 2024 paper of the same number and subject |
| Inspector Paper-I Central Excise (without books) | Unclear: the new Paper-I adds GST and allows books, and the Board letter does not say. Listed as owed until your Cadre Controlling Authority confirms |
| Nothing, or first attempt | All six 2024 papers |
| Every old paper | You passed under the 2008 rules; the letter speaks of officers who had not passed |
| Always, if you had not passed | P-VI Computer is owed |
Three things the checker cannot settle. Rule 8(3) says an officer with a law degree "shall not be required to pass the test in that paper". For Inspectors we read that as Paper-IV (Law), but the Customs syllabus has no paper simply called Law, so the checker removes nothing for a Preventive Officer or Examiner. For an Inspector who passed the old Paper-I (Central Excise, without books), the new Paper-I adds GST and allows books; the Board letter does not say whether the old pass counts, so the checker lists the new paper as unclear rather than clearing it. And a pass under the 2008 rules is recorded by your Cadre Controlling Authority, not by NACIN, so the service book entry is what counts.
Conflicts in the documents
Where the documents disagree, both sides
- February or March 2025. The 2024-25 calendar put the PO and Examiner sitting on 19 to 21 February 2025. Corrigendum 5, dated 17.01.2025, moved it to 5 to 7 March. NACIN Mumbai's letter of 09.12.2024 had set 19 to 21 February under the 2008 papers; its letter of 21.01.2025 applied the corrigendum and the 2024 rules; its letter of 14.02.2025 circulated the Board letter. This was one sitting, rescheduled, not two.
- Hindi, three hours or two. The February 2025 schedules under the 2008 rules printed Hindi from 14:00 to 17:00 for Examiners and 14:00 to 16:00 for Preventive Officers, in two otherwise matching tables. Under the 2024 rules every paper is 3 hours.
- Computer paper, 100 marks or 50 and 50. The Gazette gives Paper-VI 3 hours and 100 marks. NACIN's schemes split it into 1.5 hours and 50 marks each for theory and practical, with 25 needed in each. The Inspector guide has the detail.
- Computer-based or PDF. Rule 2(2) says the exams "shall be Computer Based Examinations", introduced in a graded manner. The August 2026 notice still sends password-protected PDFs to nodal officers.
Your chances and the two-year limit work the same way as for Inspectors; see our chances and increments guide. If you are an Executive Assistant, a Stenographer Grade-I or a Women Searcher of Customs, the exam you need is the promotion exam to the grade of Preventive Officer or Examiner of Customs (for Women Searchers, to Preventive Officer; see the promotion exam to Inspector page), which uses this same Customs syllabus block; the comparison guide explains the difference. Dates are in our calendar guide.
How many papers are in the Preventive Officer and Examiner confirmation exam?
Six under the 2024 rules: Customs and Allied Law, Law Allied to Customs and Service Regulations, Local Orders of the Custom House, Commercial Practice and General Knowledge, Hindi, and Computer Application and Use of Internet. Each is out of 100, with 50 to pass; in the Computer paper NACIN also asks for 25 of 50 in theory and 25 of 50 in the practical.
Which papers are without books?
Paper-III Local Orders of the Custom House and Paper-IV Commercial Practice, Mercantile Law, Geography and General Knowledge. In Paper-II the Conduct Rules may not be brought.
I failed Customs Law (without books) under the old rules. Do I sit it again?
No. The Board letter of 13.02.2025 says the deleted paper need not be passed.
I had passed some papers under the 2008 rules. Do I start again?
No. You pass "either all or the left over papers" under the 2024 rules, and papers already passed are not repeated just because their numbers changed. You must also pass the new Computer paper.
Does the Board letter apply to Inspectors too?
It is addressed to "any officer" and is not limited to Customs, so on our reading it does. It does not say so in terms; ask your Cadre Controlling Authority.
Who runs the PO and Examiner exam?
NACIN Zonal Campus Mumbai. The papers are emailed to nodal officers in each Commissionerate, and the exam is held there.
Are PO and Examiner marks published?
We found no public statement of marks for any PO or Examiner sitting on the NACIN page or on CBIC's Departmental Examinations list (checked 29.09.2026), although both carry them for Inspectors. Marks go to the Cadre Controlling Authorities, which declare results.
Sources
- official — Gazette of India Extraordinary No. 711, G.S.R. 773(E) dated 18.12.2024: Departmental Examination (Central Tax, Central Excise, Customs and Narcotics) Rules, 2024, with Appendix A and Appendix B (copy hosted by NACIN)
- official — CBIC Board letter F.No. A.34011/05/2017-Ad.IIIA dated 13.02.2025: officers who had not passed under the 2008 rules (copy hosted by NACIN)
- official — NACIN ZC Mumbai letter dated 09.12.2024: PO and Examiner confirmation exam 19-21.02.2025 under the 2008-rules paper list (scan, linked from the NACIN page)
- official — NACIN ZC Mumbai letter dated 14.02.2025 to all Cadre Controlling Authorities: circulates the Board letter of 13.02.2025 for the 05-07.03.2025 sitting
- official — NACIN ZC Mumbai letter F.No. NACIN/TRNG/EXAM/DE/3/2023 dated 21.01.2025: PO and Examiner confirmation exam 05-07.03.2025 under DER 2024, citing Corrigendum 5, with the revised schedule and syllabus (linked from the NACIN page)
- official — NACIN ZC Mumbai: departmental exam notification, August 2025, for Preventive Officers and Examiners
- official — NACIN ZC Mumbai, NACIN/TRNG/EXAM/DE/3/2023 (e-file I/4316157/2026): confirmation exam of Appraiser (Expert), Examiners and Preventive Officers, 19-21.08.2026
- official — NACIN Annual Calendar of Departmental Examinations 2024-25, NACIN/II/12/4/2024 dated 20.05.2024 (with the latest corrigendum)
- official — NACIN Corrigendum 5 to the Annual Calendar 2024-25, dated 17.01.2025
- official — GST Karnataka, EGSO 04/2024: Inspector confirmation exam 26-28.02.2024 under the 2008 rules
- official — NACIN: statement of marks, Inspector confirmation exam 07.08.2024 to 09.08.2024 (used for its paper columns only)
- official — NACIN ZTI Lucknow, Annexure-I to the March 2025 notice: schedule and syllabus
- official — NACIN: Departmental Examination (Officers) page, listing notices, calendars and statements of marks (seen 29.09.2026)
official = a document published by the conducting body. reported = a news or coaching site we could not check against an original. Where sources disagree this page says so rather than picking one.
