Introduction
The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) will conduct the Combined Graduate Level (CGL) Examination 2026 to recruit candidates for approximately 12,256 vacancies spread across various ministries, departments and statutory bodies of the Government of India. The examination will be held in two tiers (Tier‑I and Tier‑II) and will be followed by document verification and final merit based selection.
Important Dates
| SSC CGL Recruitment Events | Date |
|---|---|
| SSC CGL 2026 Notification Release Date | 21st May 2026 |
| Online Application Window | 21st May 2026 to 22nd June 2026 |
| Fee Payment Last Date | 22nd June 2026 (23:00 hours) |
| Application Form Correction Window | 29th June to 1st July 2026 |
| SSC CGL City Intimation Slip 2026 | July 2026 |
| SSC CGL Tier 1 Admit Card | July 2026 |
| Tier 1 Exam Date | August - September 2026 |
| Tier 2 Exam Date | December 2026 |
Recruitment Overview
| Particular | Details |
|---|---|
| Conducted By | Staff Selection Commission (SSC) |
| Post Name | Various posts (Assistant Audit Officer, Assistant Section Officer, Inspector, Sub‑Inspector, Junior Statistical Officer, etc.) |
| Total Vacancies | 12,256 (tentative) |
| Job Location | All India |
| Application Mode | Online |
| Official Website | https://ssc.gov.in |
| Notification No. | HQ-C11018/1/2026-C-1 |
Vacancy Details
| S.No | Post Name / State | No. of Vacancies |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | All Posts (All India) | 12,256 |
| Total | 12,256 |
Eligibility Criteria
| Criteria | Details |
|---|---|
| Educational Qualification | Degree from a recognized university/institute (as per post). Specific language proficiency required for State Cadre posts. |
| Experience | None required (except where mentioned in post‑wise notification). |
| Other Requirement | Proficiency in the regional/official language of the State for State Cadre posts; Physical standards as per Annexure‑XV/XVI for certain posts. |
| Nationality | Indian citizen or subjects of Nepal, Bhutan, or persons of Indian origin from specified countries with eligibility certificate. |
Age Limit (As on 01‑08‑2026)
| Age Criteria | Details |
|---|---|
| Minimum Age | 18 years |
| Maximum Age | 27, 30 or 32 years (as per post) |
| Date of Birth Range | For 18‑27 yr posts: 02‑08‑1999 to 01‑08‑2008 For 20‑30 yr posts: 02‑08‑1996 to 01‑08‑2006 For 18‑30 yr posts: 02‑08‑1996 to 01‑08‑2008 For 18‑32 yr posts: 02‑08‑1994 to 01‑08‑2008 |
Age Relaxation
| Category | Age Relaxation |
|---|---|
| SC/ST | 5 years |
| OBC | 3 years |
| PwBD | 10 years (general), 13 years for PwBD‑OBC, 15 years for PwBD‑SC/ST |
| Ex‑Servicemen (ESM) | 3 years (after deduction of military service) |
Application Fee
| Category | Application Fee |
|---|---|
| General | Rs. 100 |
| Women, SC, ST, PwBD, Ex‑Servicemen | Nil (exempt) |
Payment can be made online through BHIM UPI, Net Banking, Visa, Mastercard, Maestro or RuPay debit cards.
Selection Process
| Step | Stage | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tier‑I Computer Based Examination | Objective type, 4 sections (General Intelligence & Reasoning, General Awareness, Quantitative Aptitude, English Comprehension) |
| 2 | Tier‑II Computer Based Examination | Paper‑I (mandatory), Paper‑II (for JSO & Statistical Investigator), Paper‑III (for Assistant Audit/Accounts Officers) |
| 3 | Document Verification | Verification of educational, age, category and other certificates |
| 4 | Final Merit List | Based on normalized scores of Tier‑I and Tier‑II |
| 5 | Appointment | Offer of appointment by the respective Indenting Department |
Documents Required
- Educational qualification certificates (degree, mark sheets, provisional certificate)
- Proof of date of birth (birth certificate, school certificate)
- Category certificate (SC/ST/OBC/EWS/PwBD/Ex‑Servicemen) where applicable
- Photograph (captured online as per instructions) or Aadhaar‑based authentication
- Scanned signature (JPEG/JPG, 10‑20 KB, 6 cm × 2 cm)
- Disability certificate (for PwBD candidates)
- One‑Time Registration (OTR) number
Syllabus
General Intelligence & Reasoning
- Analogies, classifications, series (numeric, figural)
- Problem solving, decision making, judgment
- Spatial orientation, visualization, coding & decoding
- Venn diagrams, puzzles, critical thinking, emotional & social intelligence
General Awareness
- Current events, Indian polity, economy, geography, history, science & technology
- Static GK (important days, awards, sports, etc.)
Quantitative Aptitude
- Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, data interpretation, statistics
- Number systems, percentages, profit & loss, time & work, speed, ratio & proportion
English Comprehension
- Reading comprehension, grammar, vocabulary, synonyms, antonyms, sentence correction
- Spot the error, fill in the blanks, para jumbles
Photo, Signature & Document Specifications
| Document | Format | Size | Dimension |
|---|---|---|---|
| Photograph | Captured online (no upload required unless Aadhaar authentication is not used) | Not applicable | Face fully inside prescribed area, plain background, no cap, glasses or mask |
| Signature | JPEG/JPG | 10‑20 KB | 6 cm × 2 cm |
| Disability Certificate (if applicable) | PDF (as per Annexure‑I/IA/XII/XIII) | Not specified | Not specified |
Centres of Examination
| State / Region | Exam Centre / City |
|---|---|
| Central Region (Bihar & Uttar Pradesh) | Bhagalpur, Muzaffarpur, Patna, Gaya, Agra, Bareilly, Gorakhpur, Jhansi, Kanpur, Lucknow, Meerut, Prayagraj, Varanasi, Chapra, Saharsa, Dharbhanga, Purnea, Munger |
| Eastern Region (Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Jharkhand, Odisha, Sikkim, West Bengal) | Dhanbad, Jamshedpur, Ranchi, Balasore, Berhampore, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Rourkela, Sambalpur, Gangtok, Asansol, Burdwan, Durgapur, Kolkata, Siliguri, Sri Vijaya Puram, Suri, Dhenkanal, Bokaro, Malda, Kalyani, Nicobar Islands |
| Karnataka & Kerala (Lakshadweep) | Belagavi, Bengaluru, Hubballi, Gulbarga, Mangaluru, Mysuru, Shivamogga, Udupi, Ernakulam, Kollam, Kottayam, Kozhikode, Thrissur, Thiruvananthapuram, Kannur, Kavaratti |
| Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh | Bhopal, Gwalior, Indore, Jabalpur, Satna, Sagar, Ujjain, Bilaspur, Raipur, Durg‑Bhilai |
| North Eastern Region (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura) | Itanagar, Dibrugarh, Guwahati (Dispur), Jorhat, Silchar, Tezpur, Imphal, Churachandpur, Ukhrul, Shillong, Aizwal, Dimapur, Kohima, Agartala |
| Northern Region (Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand) | Dehradun, Haldwani, Roorkee, Delhi, Bikaner, Jaipur, Sikar, Udaipur |
| North Western Sub‑Region (Chandigarh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Punjab) | Chandigarh/Mohali, Hamirpur, Shimla, Jammu, Samba, Srinagar, Leh, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Patiala, Bathinda |
| Southern Region (Andhra Pradesh, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, Telangana) | Chirala, Guntur, Kakinada, Kurnool, Nellore, Rajahmundry, Tirupati, Vizianagaram, Vijayawada, Vishakhapatnam, Puducherry, Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Salem, Tiruchirapalli, Tirunelveli, Vellore, Hyderabad, Karimnagar, Warangal, Srikakulam, Eluru, Krishnagiri, Ongole, Theni, Siddipet |
| Western Region (Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu, Goa, Gujarat, Maharashtra) | Panaji, Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Mehsana, Rajkot, Surat, Vadodara, Amravati, Sambhaji Nagar, Jalgaon, Kolhapur, Mumbai, Nagpur, Nanded, Nashik, Pune |
Answer Key & Result
Tentative answer keys for Tier‑I and Tier‑II will be posted on the SSC website after the respective examinations. Candidates may raise online representations within the stipulated time. Final answer keys will be used for result declaration.
Exam Pattern
| Subject | No. of Questions | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Intelligence & Reasoning (Tier‑I) | 25 | 50 | 1 hour |
| General Awareness (Tier‑I) | 25 | 50 | 1 hour |
| Quantitative Aptitude (Tier‑I) | 25 | 50 | 1 hour |
| English Comprehension (Tier‑I) | 25 | 50 | 1 hour |
| Paper‑I (Tier‑II) – Section‑I (Mathematical Abilities) | 30 | 30 | 1 hour |
| Paper‑I (Tier‑II) – Section‑I (Reasoning & General Intelligence) | 30 | 30 | 1 hour |
| Paper‑I (Tier‑II) – Section‑II (English Language & Comprehension) | 45 | 45 | 1 hour |
| Paper‑I (Tier‑II) – Section‑II (General Awareness) | 25 | 25 | 1 hour |
| Paper‑II (Tier‑II) – Statistics | 100 | 100 | 2 hours |
| Paper‑III (Tier‑II) – General Studies (Finance & Economics) | 100 | 100 | 2 hours |
Negative Marking & Qualifying Marks
| Particular | Details |
|---|---|
| Negative Marking (Tier‑I) | 0.50 marks for each wrong answer |
| Negative Marking (Tier‑II – Paper‑I Sections I‑III) | 1 mark for each wrong answer in Sections I, II, III; 0.50 mark for each wrong answer in Paper‑II and Paper‑III |
| Qualifying Marks | Not specified in the notification (subject to cut‑off determined after normalization) |
How to Apply Online
- Generate One‑Time Registration (OTR) on the new SSC website (https://ssc.gov.in).
- Complete Aadhaar‑based authentication (optional but recommended).
- Fill in personal, educational, category and preference details as per the online application form.
- Capture photograph as per the guidelines (no cap, glasses, plain background).
- Upload scanned signature in JPEG/JPG format (10‑20 KB, 6 cm × 2 cm).
- Upload disability certificate if applying under PwBD category.
- Pay the application fee (Rs. 100 for General category) through BHIM UPI, Net Banking or debit/credit cards before 23‑06‑2026 23:00 hrs.
- Review the application using the Preview/Print option and submit.
- After submission, note down the Application Number for future reference.
Important Instructions
- Only candidates with a valid OTR generated on the new SSC website will be able to apply.
- For State Cadre posts, candidates must possess a certificate of proficiency in the regional language at the level of Secondary School Examination.
- Photographs captured via the online module must be clear, frontal, without cap, mask or spectacles.
- Signature must be uploaded in the specified format; non‑compliant signatures will lead to rejection.
- PwBD candidates must upload the disability certificate in the prescribed format; exemption from DEST is available only for Tax Assistant (CBDT) post.
- Age and category relaxations are applicable only on the cut‑off date (01‑08‑2026). Candidates must belong to the respective category on that date.
- Application fee once paid is non‑refundable and will not be adjusted against any other examination.
- After the last date of application, a 3‑day window (29‑06‑2026 to 01‑07‑2026) is provided for correction of the application with a charge of Rs. 500 for the first correction and Rs. 500 for the second.
- Only three preferred examination centres can be selected; no change will be allowed later.
Important Web-Links
| Resource | Link |
|---|---|
| Apply Online | Click Here |
| Download Notification | Download PDF |
| Download Admit Card | Upcoming |
| Check Result | Upcoming |
| Official Website | Visit |
Helpdesk / Contact
| Particular | Details |
|---|---|
| Helpline Number | 1800 309 3063 (Toll Free) |
| Not specified | |
| Address | Staff Selection Commission, Block No. 12, CGO Complex, Lodhi Road, New Delhi – 110003 |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q. When does the online application for SSC CGL 2026 start and end?
A. The online application window opens on 21‑05‑2026 and closes on 22‑06‑2026 (23:00 hrs).
Q. What is the application fee and who is exempted?
A. The fee is Rs. 100 for General category candidates. Women, SC, ST, PwBD and Ex‑Servicemen candidates are exempted.
Q. How many vacancies are there in total?
A. Approximately 12,256 vacancies are advertised across various posts and ministries.
Q. What are the age limits for the posts?
A. Age limits vary: 18‑27, 18‑30, 20‑30 or 18‑32 years depending on the post. Detailed DOB ranges are provided in the notification.
Q. What educational qualification is required?
A. A degree from a recognized university/institute is required for all posts. Specific language proficiency is mandatory for State Cadre posts.
Q. When will the Tier‑I and Tier‑II examinations be held?
A. Tier‑I is tentatively scheduled for August‑September 2026, and Tier‑II for December 2026.
Q. How can I correct my application after submission?
A. A correction window from 29‑06‑2026 to 01‑07‑2026 (23:00 hrs) allows one or two corrections with a fee of Rs. 500 per correction.