SSC CGL Exam

What is SSC CGL?

Staff Selection Commission Combined Graduate Level Examination is popularly called SSC CGL; is a national and graduate level exam which is conducted by the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) every year for non-technical Group 'B' and Group 'C' non Gazetted Officer Posts in the various Ministries and Departments of the Government of India and in its Subordinate Offices. SSC CGL is considered as one of the biggest examinations; conducted for graduate students in India. The exam is conducted in 2 stages & each stage is called tier. These stages of examinations are conducted online. SSC CGL Syllabus covers various sections / subjects like - Maths, Reasoning, English, GK & Computer Knowledge.

SSC CGL is one of the great opportunities for students looking forward for a reputed position / govt. job under the central government. In this article, we are providing all relevant information regarding ssc cgl such as ssc cgl notification date, ssc cgl exam date, ssc cgl application fees, ssc cgl eligibility criteria, ssc cgl syllabus, ssc cgl exam pattern, ssc cgl posts & ssc cgl selection procedure.

SSC CGL Exam Highlights

SSC CGL 2026 Important Dates

When will the SSC CGL 2026 Notification be released? - SSC has mentioned on its website that they will release ssc cgl 2026 application in March 2026 but till now they haven't mentioned any update related to ssc cgl 2026 notification. Meanwhile, please find below the expected dates for SSC CGL 2026, which have been projected based on the 2025 schedule. Keep visiting for latest updates for ssc cgl 2026.

SSC CGL Application Fee

• The required application fee is Rs. 100/-
• Exemption: No fee is required to be paid by female, SC, ST, Physically Handicapped, and Ex-Servicemen candidates
• Fee can be paid online through BHIM UPI, Net Banking or by using Visa, Mastercard, Maestro, or RuPay Debit cards.

SSC CGL Eligibility Criteria

Educational Qualification

Age Limit

Candidates can claim age relaxation if he/she falls under and considered category. The age limits mentioned here are applicable to general category candidates.

• Assistant, Inspector in Central Excise, Preventive Officer, Examiner in CBEC & Department of Post, Central Bureau of Narcotics: 18-27 years
• Assistant Audit Officer, Assistant Accounts Officer, Inspector of Income Tax in CBDT, Divisional Accountant under CAG: Not exceeding 30 years
• Assistant Section Officer in CSS, IB, Railway, External Affairs, AFHQ : 20-30 years
• Statistical Investigator Gr.II : Upto 32 years
• Assistant/Sub Inspector in CBI : 20-30 years
• ASI/SI in CPOs: 20-25 years

Note: As per the SSC, from this year the age criteria has been modified from 20 to 27 years to 20 to 30 years for some of posts & positions in different departments. For age of the individual ssc posts

Nationality

• a citizen of India, or
• a subject of Nepal, or
• a subject of Bhutan, or
• a Tibetan refugee who came over to India, before the 1st January, 1962 with the intention of permanently settling in India, or
• a person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, East African Countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania ( Formerly Tanganyika and Zanzibar ), Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia and Vietnam with the intention of permanently settling in India.

Physical Standard

The physical requirements vary from post to post and are also different for male and female candidates. Candidates are advised to go through the notification thoroughly before opting the post category as the onus of fulfilling the physical standard criterion will be exclusively be on the candidate opting for such posts.There are certain requisite Physical Standards for Inspector (Central Excise/ Examiner/Preventive Officer), Sub-Inspector in CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) and Sub-Inspector in NIA (National Investigation Agency).

Pay Scale

• Group-B Posts
  • Pay Level 7- Rs.44,900 to Rs.1,42,400
  • Pay Level 6- Rs.35,400 to Rs.1,12,400
• Group-C Posts
  • Pay Level 5- Rs.29,200 to Rs.92,300
  • Pay Level 4- Rs.25,500 to Rs.81,100

SSC CGL Syllabus

Syllabus for SSC CGL Tier-1 & SSC CGL Tier-2 - The major sections asked in ssc cgl preliminary exam i.e. tier 1 are general awareness, reasoning, quantitative aptitude and english language. And in similar way these 4 subjects along with computer knowledge are asked in main exam i.e. in tier 2. You can download detailed ssc cgl syllabus here.

SSC CGL Exam Pattern

SSC CGL Tier 1 Exam Pattern

Main highlights of the ssc cgl tier 1 exam

1. Tier-I will consist of Objective Type, Multiple choice questions. The questions will be set both in English & Hindi except for English Comprehension.
2. There will be negative marking of 0.50 for each wrong answer.
3. There is no sectional cut off.
4. No point will be deducted if the question is left blank or un-attempted by a candidate.

SSC CGL Tier 2 Exam Pattern

Main highlights of the ssc cgl tier 2 exam

1. Tier-II will include conducting of Paper-I & Paper-II in separate shift(s) / day(s).
2. Paper-I is compulsory for all the posts.
3. Paper-I will be conducted in two sessions - Session-I & Session-II, on same day.
4. It will be mandatory for the candidates to qualify all the sections of Paper-I.
5. Tier-II (Paper-I & Paper-II) will consist of Objective Type, Multiple choice questions, except for Section-IV of Paper-I. The questions will be set both in English & Hindi except for English Language and Comprehension given in Section-II of Paper-I.
6. There will be negative marking of 1 mark for each wrong answer in Section-I, Section-II and Section-III of Paper-I and of 0.50 marks for each wrong answer in Paper-II.
7. Session-I will include conducting of Section-I, Section-II and Section-III. Therefore, duration of Session-I will be 2 hours and 15 minutes.
8. Section-I has two subjects (Mathematical Abilities) and (Reasoning and General Intelligence). The candidates will get one hour to complete this section. On completion of one hour, this section will get automatically closed.
9. Immediately after completion of Section-I, the two subjects of Section-II (English Language and Comprehension) and (General Awareness), will start. Section-II will also be for one hour and immediately on completion of one hour, this section will get automatically closed.
10. Section-III will have one subject (Computer Knowledge Test) will commence immediately after completion of Section-II and will be for a duration of 15 minutes. On completion of Section-III, Session-I will come to an end.
11. After the completion of Session-I, the candidates will get a break for re-registration for Session-II.
12. Session-II will include conducting of Section IV i.e. Data Entry Speed Test. Therefore, duration of Session-II will be 15 minutes only.
13. Paper-II will be for only those candidates who apply for the posts of Junior Statistical Officer (JSO) in the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation and Statistical Investigator Grade-II in the office of Registrar General of India (M/o Home Affairs) and who are shortlisted in Tier-I for these Posts.

Data Entry Speed Test (DEST) Details

Computer Knowledge Test is mandatory but qualifying in nature. However, while shortlisting the candidates for the posts where Computer Proficiency is prescribed viz.

• Assistant Section Officer in CSS, MEA & AFHQ,
• Assistant in Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs,
• Assistant (GSI) in the Ministry of Mines,
• Assistant in Indian Meteorological Department (Ministry of Earth Sciences),
• Inspector (CGST &Central Excise),
• Inspector (Preventive Officer),
• Inspector (Examiner) &
• Executive Assistant in CBIC and Postal Assistant/ Sorting Assistant in Department of Post etc.

higher qualifying standards will be set in comparison to other posts.

The “Data Entry Speed Test” (DEST) Skill Test will be conducted for a passage of about 2000 (two thousand) key depressions for a duration of 15 (fifteen) minutes. Detailed instructions regarding Skill Test will be provided by the Regional Offices of the Commission. Information about evaluation of Typing Test/DEST are available on the Commission’s new website https://ssc.gov.in (‘For Candidates’).

No Data Entry Speed Test for PwBD-OH candidates

PwBD-OH candidates are eligible for exemption from attempting DEST, provided such candidates submit a Certificate in the prescribed format (Annexure-XV) to the Commission from the competent Medical Authority, i.e., the Civil Surgeon of a Government Health Care Institution declaring him to be permanently unfit for the Typing Test because of a physical disability

No Interview

Kindly note that there is no interview conducted for ssc cgl exam. It has an objective and skill test based exam pattern. On the basis of the performance in tier 1 & tier 2 exams, merit list is generated and the candidates who successfully clear all the phases are appointed for the post in the requisite government department or ministry.

SSC CGL Selection Procedure

Minimum scoring conditions

Candidates have to score a minimum qualifying mark in

1. Tier-I
2. Section-I, Section-II & Section-III of Paper-I of Tier-II and
3. Paper-II of Tier-II Examination

The minimum qualifying marks are

1. UR : 30%
2. OBC / EWS : 25%
3. All other categories : 20%

Maximum percentage of errors allowed (i.e. minimum qualifying standards) in Section-IV of Paper-I of Tier-II Examination i.e. DEST are

1. UR : 20%
2. OBC / EWS : 25%
3. All other categories : 30%

Merit criteria

• Based on the marks scored in Tier-I, candidates will be shortlisted, category-wise, to appear in Tier-II Examination. A Separate cut-offs will be fixed for all posts for appearing in Paper-I & Paper-II of Tier-II.
• Based on the aggregate performance in Section-I and Section-II of Paper-I of Tier-II Examination, candidates will be shortlisted for evaluation of Section-III and Section-IV of Paper-I of Tier-II Examination. The candidates who are not qualified in ‘Section-I + Section-II’ will not be eligible for evaluation of Section-III & Section-IV and they will not be considered for further selection process.
• Section-III and Section IV of Paper-I of Tier-II i.e. Computer Knowledge Test and DEST respectively are qualifying in nature. However, in Section-III & Section-IV, a separate higher cut-off, as decided by the Commission, will be fixed for the posts where Computer Proficiency or DEST is prescribed.
• Posts which have mandatory requirements of physical and medical standards including Physical Efficiency Test; Examination of such physical and medical standards will be conducted after the final selection of candidates by the User Department concerned. If a candidate fails in such tests, his candidature may not be subsequently considered for any other post/ department. Candidates are therefore required to carefully go through these requirements and give their considered preference of posts.

Final merit list will be prepared on the basis of overall performance of candidates in Tier-II Examination only. Merit List for all other posts will be prepared on the basis of aggregate marks scored in Section-I & Section-II of Paper-I of Tier-II examination only subject to qualifying Section-III & Section-IV of Paper-I of Tier-II. Final selection of candidates, in each category, will be made on the basis of overall performance in Tier-II Examination and preference of posts exercised by them.

Various Posts in SSC CGL

1. Assistant (Central vigilance commission)
2. Assistant (Ministry of Railway)
3. Assistant (Ministry of External Affairs)
4. Inspector of income tax(CBDT)
5. Assistant (Intelligence Bureau)
6. Inspector (Preventive Officer)
7. Inspector (Examiner)
8. Inspector (Central excise)
9. Assistant (AFHQ)
10. Assistant Enforcement Officer (Directorate of enforcement, department of revenue)
11. Sub-Inspector CBI - (Central Bureau of Investigation)
12. Statistical Investigator Gr. II (M/O statistics & prog. Implementation)
13. Assistant (Other Ministries/Departments/Organizations)
14. Sub-Inspector NIA - (National Investigation Agency)
15. Assistant section officer (Central Secretariat Service)
16. Inspector (Central Bureau of Narcotics)
17. Divisional Accountant (Offices under CAG)
18. Inspector of Posts (Department of Post)