SSC CGL EXAM 2026: Eligibility, Application Form, Exam Pattern, Syllabus, Admit Card & Result
Updated On Jul 06, 2026
The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) conducts the SSC CGL Exam for the recruitment of Grade โBโ and โCโ category posts in various Government Ministries, Departments and Offices. The SSC CGL exam is held in 4 stages called Tiers.
Latest Updates
- 21 May, 2026: SSC CGL 2026 (Junior & Senior Secretariat Assistant) โ Application Start Date (Tentative)
- March 23, 2026:
The exam dates for CHSL 10+2 (4726 Post) Recruitment 2026-2027 are not out.
SSC has released the SSC result 2026 dates for the various exams.
Table of Contents
Highlights
| CGL Full Form | Staff Selection Commission Combined Graduate Level |
| Conducting Body | Staff Selection Commission |
| Exam Duration | Tier 1 โ 60 minutes Tier 2 โ 120 minutes Tier 3 โ 60 minutes Tier 4 โ 45 minutes |
| Exam Type | National Level Exam |
| Official Website | ssc.gov.in |
Dates
- Tier I: May โ June 2026
- Tier II: To be announced (likely later in 2026)
- Tier III: To be announced (likely later in 2026)
Vacancy
SSC CGL Vacancy Trends from 2017 to 2026 show how the number of posts changed between these years. By checking these trends, candidates can understand their level of preparation and plan their preparation strategy accordingly.
| Year | Vacancies |
| 2026 | 12256 |
| 2025 | 15118 |
| 2024 | 17727 |
| 2023 | 8415 |
| 2022 | 37409 |
| 2021 | 7621 |
| 2020 | 7035 |
| 2019 | 8428 |
| 2018 | 11271 |
| 2017 | 9276 |
Eligibility Criteria 2026
Age limit official notification
The SSC CGL Age Limit varies from post to post. Typically, candidates who fall in the age group of 18 to 30 years can apply. Note that the upper age limit will be calculated as of 01.08.2026. Check the post-wise age criteria below.
| Name of Post | Ministry / Department / Office / Cadre | Classification | Age Limit |
| Assistant Section Officer | Central Secretariat Service | Group โBโ | 20โ30 years |
| Assistant Section Officer | Intelligence Bureau | Group โBโ | 18โ30 years |
| Assistant Section Officer | Ministry of Railways | Group โBโ | 20โ30 years |
| Assistant Section Officer | Ministry of External Affairs | Group โBโ | 20โ30 years |
| Assistant Section Officer | AFHQ | Group โBโ | 20โ30 years |
| Assistant Section Officer | Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology | Group โBโ | 18โ30 years |
| Assistant / Assistant Section Officer | Other Ministries / Departments / Organizations | Group โBโ | 18โ30 years |
| Inspector of Income Tax | CBDT | Group โCโ | 18โ30 years |
| Inspector (Central Excise) | CBIC | Group โBโ | 18โ30 years |
| Inspector (Preventive Officer) | CBIC | Group โBโ | 18โ30 years |
| Inspector (Examiner) | CBIC | Group โBโ | 18โ30 years |
| Assistant Enforcement Officer | Directorate of Enforcement, Department of Revenue | Group โBโ | 18โ30 years |
| Sub Inspector | Central Bureau of Investigation | Group โBโ | 20โ30 years |
| Inspector Posts | Department of Posts, Ministry of Communications | Group โBโ | 18โ30 years |
| Inspector | Central Bureau of Narcotics, Ministry of Finance | Group โBโ | 18โ30 years |
| Section Head | Director General of Foreign Trade | Group โBโ | 18โ30 years |
| Assistant / Assistant Section Officer | Other Ministries / Departments / Organizations | Group โBโ | 18โ30 years |
| Executive Assistant | CBIC | Group โBโ | 18โ30 years |
| Research Assistant | National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) | Group โBโ | 18โ30 years |
| Divisional Accountant | Offices under C&AG | Group โBโ | 18โ30 years |
| Sub Inspector | National Investigation Agency (NIA) | Group โBโ | 18โ30 years |
| Sub-Inspector / Junior Intelligence | Narcotics Control Bureau (MHA) | Group โBโ | 18โ30 years |
| Junior Statistical Officer | Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation | Group โBโ | 18โ32 years |
| Statistical Investigator Grade-II | Ministry of Home Affairs | Group โBโ | 18โ30 years |
| Office Superintendent | CBDT | Group โBโ | 18โ30 years |
| Auditor | Offices under C&AG | Group โCโ | 18โ27 years |
| Auditor | Offices under CGDA | Group โCโ | 18โ27 years |
| Auditor | Other Ministry / Departments | Group โCโ | 18โ27 years |
| Accountant | Offices under C&AG | Group โCโ | 18โ27 years |
| Accountant | Controller General of Accounts | Group โCโ | 18โ27 years |
| Accountant / Junior Accountant | Other Ministry / Departments | Group โCโ | 18โ27 years |
| Postal Assistant / Sorting Assistant | Department of Posts, Ministry of Communications | Group โCโ | 18โ27 years |
| Senior Secretariat Assistant / Upper Division Clerks | Central Govt. Offices / Ministries other than CSCS cadres | Group โCโ | 18โ27 years |
| Senior Administrative Assistant | Military Engineering Services, Ministry of Defence | Group โCโ | 18โ27 years |
| Tax Assistant | CBDT | Group โCโ | 18โ27 years |
| Tax Assistant | CBIC | Group โCโ | 18โ27 years |
| Sub-Inspector | Central Bureau of Narcotics, Ministry of Finance | Group โCโ | 18โ27 years |
Given below in the table are the upper-age relaxations provided to different categories in the SSC CGL 2026 Exam.
|
Category |
Age Relaxation |
|
OBC |
3 years |
|
SC/ST |
5 years |
|
Physically Handicapped (General) |
10 years |
|
Physically Handicapped (OBC) |
13 years |
|
Physically Handicapped (SC/ST) |
15 years |
|
Ex-Servicemen (General) |
3 years |
|
Ex-Servicemen (OBC) |
6 years |
|
Ex-Servicemen (SC/ST) |
8 years |
|
Central Govt. Civilian Employees (General-Group B) |
5 years |
|
Central Govt. Civilian Employees (OBC-Group B) |
8 years |
|
Central Govt. Civilian Employees (SC/ST-Group B) |
10 years |
|
Central Govt. Civilian Employees (General Group C) |
Up to 40 years of age |
|
Central Govt. Civilian Employees (OBC-Group C) |
Up to 43 years of age |
|
Central Govt. Civilian Employees (St/SC-Group C) |
Up to 45 years of age |
|
Candidates domiciled in the State of Jammu & Kashmir (General/UR) |
5 years |
|
Candidates domiciled in the State of Jammu & Kashmir (OBC) |
8 years |
|
Candidates domiciled in the State of Jammu & Kashmir (SC/ST) |
10 years |
|
Widows/Divorced Women/Women Judicially separated and who are not remarried-Group C/General |
Up to 35 years of age |
|
Widows/Divorced Women/Women Judicially separated and who are not remarried-Group C/OBC |
Up to 38 years of age |
|
Widows/Divorced Women/Women Judicially separated and who are not remarried-Group C/SC&ST |
Up to 40 years of age |
|
Defence Personnel Disabled in hostilities-General |
5 years |
|
Defence Personnel Disabled in hostilities-OBC |
8 years |
|
Defence Personnel Disabled in hostilities-SC/ST |
10 years |
Nationality
- A candidate must be a citizen of India, or
- A subject of Nepal or Bhutan, or
- A Tibetan refugee who came over to India before January 1, 1962, with the intention of permanently settling in India, or
- A Person of Indian Origin (PIO) who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia, or Vietnam with the intention of permanently settling in India.
Educational Qualification
| Post | Educational Qualification |
| Junior Statistical Officer (JSO) | Bachelorโs Degree in any subject from a recognized University or Institute with at least 60% marks in Mathematics at 12th standard level OR Bachelorโs Degree in any subject with Statistics as one of the subjects at degree level. |
| Statistical Investigator Grade-II | Bachelorโs Degree in any subject with Statistics as one of the subjects from a recognized University or Institute. The candidate should have studied Statistics at the degree level in Part-I, Part-II, and Part-III or in all six semesters of a three-year degree course, not just a single paper. |
| Research Assistant in NHRC | Bachelorโs Degree from a recognized university/institute and at least one year of research experience in a recognized university or research institution. |
| All Other Posts | Bachelorโs Degree in any discipline from a recognized university. |
Most Popular Internships
2026 Online Application
Candidates are required to apply online to register themself for SSC CGL 2026 exam.
Exam Pattern
| Tiers | Time Duration | Mode of Exam | Total Marks | Total number of questions |
| Tier 1 | 60 minutes | Online | 200 | 100 |
| Tier 2 | 2 hours | Online | 800 | 4 papers |
| Tier 3 | 1 hour | Offline | 100 | 1 Paper |
| Tier 4 | 15 minutes (each module) | Online | Qualifying in nature | Data entry skill test (DEST)/ Computer Proficiency Test (CPT) |
Syllabus
Tier 1
| General Intelligence and Reasoning | General Awareness/ GK | Quantitative Aptitude | English Comprehension |
| Coding-Decoding | Current Affairs | Averages | Spellings |
| Classification | Static General Knowledge (Indian History, Culture etc.) |
Simplification | Reading Comprehension |
| Analogy | Science | Interest | Fill in the Blanks |
| Word Formation | Sports | Percentage | Idioms and Phrases |
| Series | Indian Geography | Mensuration | Cloze Test |
| Matrix | Books and Authors | Ratio and Proportion | One word Substitution |
| Important Schemes | Problem on Ages | Sentence Correction | |
| Non-Verbal | Current CM & Governors | DI | Synonyms & Antonyms |
Job profile
SSC CGL posts are categorized into Group B and Group C based on their pay levels and job profiles. Group B positions are higher in rank, while the Group C roles are often clerical or technical in nature. The posts are distributed across various central government ministries and departments. The list of SSC CGL posts includes.
| S. No. | Name of Post | Ministry / Department / Office / Cadre | Classification |
| 1 | Assistant Section Officer | Central Secretariat Service | Group "B" |
| 2 | Assistant Section Officer | Intelligence Bureau | Group "B" |
| 3 | Assistant Section Officer | Ministry of Railways | Group "B" |
| 4 | Assistant Section Officer | Ministry of External Affairs | Group "B" |
| 5 | Assistant Section Officer | AFHQ | Group "B" |
| 6 | Assistant Section Officer | Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology | Group "B" |
| 7 | Assistant / Assistant Section Officer | Other Ministries / Departments / Organizations | Group "B" |
| 8 | Inspector of Income Tax | CBDT | Group "C" |
| 9 | Inspector (Central Excise) | CBIC | Group "B" |
| 10 | Inspector (Preventive Officer) | CBIC | Group "B" |
| 11 | Inspector (Examiner) | CBIC | Group "B" |
| 12 | Assistant Enforcement Officer | Directorate of Enforcement, Department of Revenue | Group "B" |
| 13 | Sub Inspector | Central Bureau of Investigation | Group "B" |
| 14 | Inspector Posts | Department of Posts, Ministry of Communications | Group "B" |
| 15 | Inspector | Central Bureau of Narcotics, Ministry of Finance | Group "B" |
| 16 | Section Head | Director General of Foreign Trade | Group "B" |
| 17 | Assistant / Assistant Section Officer | Other Ministries / Departments / Organizations | Group "B" |
| 18 | Executive Assistant | CBIC | Group "B" |
| 19 | Research Assistant | National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) | Group "B" |
| 20 | Divisional Accountant | Offices under C&AG | Group "B" |
| 21 | Sub Inspector | National Investigation Agency (NIA) | Group "B" |
| 22 | Sub-Inspector / Junior Intelligence | Narcotics Control Bureau (MHA) | Group "B" |
| 23 | Junior Statistical Officer | Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation | Group "B" |
| 24 | Statistical Investigator Grade-II | Ministry of Home Affairs | Group "B" |
| 25 | Office Superintendent | CBDT | Group "B" |
| 26 | Auditor | Offices under C&AG | Group "C" |
| 27 | Auditor | Offices under CGDA | Group "C" |
| 28 | Auditor | Other Ministry / Departments | Group "C" |
| 29 | Accountant | Offices under C&AG | Group "C" |
| 30 | Accountant | Controller General of Accounts | Group "C" |
| 31 | Accountant / Junior Accountant | Other Ministry / Departments | Group "C" |
| 32 | Postal Assistant / Sorting Assistant | Department of Posts, Ministry of Communications | Group "C" |
| 33 | Senior Secretariat Assistant / Upper Division Clerks | Central Govt. Offices / Ministries other than CSCS cadres | Group "C" |
| 34 | Senior Administrative Assistant | Military Engineering Services, Ministry of Defence | Group "C" |
| 35 | Tax Assistant | CBDT | Group "C" |
| 36 | Tax Assistant | CBIC | Group "C" |
| 37 | Sub-Inspector | Central Bureau of Narcotics, Ministry of Finance | Group "C" |
Salary
| SSC CGL Pay Levels | SSC CGL Pay Scales (in Rs) |
| 4 | 25,500-81,100 |
| 5 | 29,200-92,300 |
| 6 | 35400-1,12,400 |
| 7 | 44,900-1,42,400 |
| 8 | 47,600-1,51,100 |
Cutoff
Tier 1 Cut off
| Category | Cut off marks |
| UR | 180.12 |
| OBC | 172.76 |
| SC | 156.73 |
| ST | 151.46 |
| OH | 147.08 |
| HH | 117.49 |
| Other Pwd | 83.70 |
Admit card
The exam conducting authority releases SSC CGL 2026 admit card in online mode on the official website - ssc.nic.in.
Preparation
Revision is the key
Candidates must ensure that there is ample time left for revision after they have finished preparing for the exam based on the syllabus. Revision help candidates recollect the topics required from each section for the exam.
Knowing the Basics
Having a basic understanding of each topic is imperative to score good marks in the exam. This will help candidates solve questions more efficiently and as a result, save precious time during the exam.
Solve Previous Yearsโ Question Papers
Candidates need to solve previous yearsโ SSC CGL question papers to identify recurring concepts. Solving the previous year's question papers will make candidates efficient in solving answers and time management
.Practice Mock Tests
Candidates must take mock tests regularly to understand the exam pattern and questions asked in the exam. This will help them score better in the exam. Analysing their performance in the exam will help candidates to figure out their mistakes and improve themselves on that part.
Results
(SSC) will release the results in four stages after completion of each Tier Exam. The candidates selected in the rounds progress to the next one.
FAQ's
Q. What is SSC CGL 2026 Tier-2 Exam Date?
A. SSC CGL 2026 Tier-2 exam is scheduled to be conducted on 28th and 29th January 2026.
Q. How many vacancies are released for SSC CGL 2026 exam?
A. A total of 7035 vacancies has been notified for SSC CGL 2026 exam by SSC.
Q. Will the exam be conducted online or offline?
A. Written Exam for SSC CGL will be conducted in online mode. Only Tier-III, the descriptive paper will be conducted offline - pen and paper mode.
Q. What is the age criteria to apply for SSC CGL?
A. the minimum age to apply for the SSC CGL written exam is 18 years and the maximum age limit is 32 years.
Q. Are students in the final year of graduation also eligible for SSC CGL?
A. No. One cannot apply for the SSC CGL Exam if he/she hasnโt cleared the final year exam . For all the posts offered through SSC CGL exam, it is mandatory to be a graduate.
Q. May I know for which post interviews are conducted as a part of the selection procedure?
A. There are no interviews for any of the posts under SSC CGL Recruitment. The para 9.2 of the official notification for SSC CGL Recruitment 2026 clearly states that โ โ9.2 Interview component has been dispensed with. There will, therefore, be no interview.โ
Q. Is negative marking applicable in SSC CGL?
A. There will be a negative marking of 0.5 for each wrong answer in Tier-I. In Tier-II, there is a negative marking system of 0.25 for each wrong answer in paper II - English Language & Comprehension And 0.50 for each wrong answer in Paper-I, Paper III and Paper IV of Tier II.
Upcoming Exams
BSNL SET
5 July 2026SSB Head Constable
7 July 2026RPSC 2nd Grade
12 - 18 July 2026Notification
UPSC CSE Prelims 2026 Admit Card
The UPSC Civil Services Prelims Admit Card 2026 will be released online in May 2026. Candidates can download it from the official UPSC website using their registration ID or roll number. It is mandatory to carry the admit card along with a valid ID proof to the examination center.
IDBI Executive Exam 2026 Conducted Successfully; Check Details
IDBI Bank has successfully conducted the IDBI Executive (JAM) 2026 exam on April 12, 2026. The exam was held in multiple shifts across various centers in India. The question paper consisted of sections including Reasoning, Quantitative Aptitude, English Language, and General Awareness.
ALSO CHECK
