SSC CGL

Overview

The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) conducts the Combined Graduate Level (CGL) Examination each year to fill Group B and Group C posts across central government ministries, departments and organisations. For the 2026 cycle, SSC notified approximately 12,256 tentative vacancies, spanning posts such as Assistant Audit Officer, Assistant Section Officer, Inspector (Income Tax, Central Excise, Preventive Officer, Examiner), Assistant Enforcement Officer, Sub-Inspector and Junior Statistical Officer, among others.

Who can apply

Age limits vary by post: most Group B posts require candidates to be 18–30 years old, while some (such as Assistant Audit Officer and a few Assistant Section Officer posts) require 20–30 years, all reckoned as on 1 August 2026. The usual category-wise age relaxations apply. Educational qualification also varies by post but is generally a bachelor's degree from a recognised university, to be held as on 1 August 2026; some posts (for example Statistics-linked posts) ask for a degree with specific subjects.

Selection process

CGL selection runs through two written stages plus document verification: Tier-I (a single computer-based screening paper) and Tier-II (Paper-I, compulsory for all posts, plus Paper-II and Paper-III for specific posts). Candidates who qualify Tier-I are shortlisted for Tier-II; Tier-I marks are not used for final merit.

Exam pattern

Tier-I

Tier-I is a single objective, multiple-choice paper of 100 questions for 200 marks, to be completed in 60 minutes.

Tier-II, Paper-I (compulsory for all posts)

Tier-II, Paper-II (Junior Statistical Officer and Statistical Investigator Grade-II only)

Tier-II, Paper-III (Assistant Audit Officer / Assistant Accounts Officer only)

Paper-I's four sections are held as two sessions on the same day: Session-I covers Sections I–III, and Session-II is the 15-minute Data Entry Speed Test. Questions are set in English and Hindi, except the English Language sections.

Syllabus

Tier-I covers general intelligence and reasoning, general awareness (current affairs, static GK), quantitative aptitude (arithmetic, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, statistics), and English comprehension. Tier-II Paper-I adds mathematical abilities, reasoning, English language and comprehension, general awareness and computer knowledge; Paper-II is a dedicated Statistics paper for Statistical posts, and Paper-III covers Finance and Economics for Audit/Accounts posts.

Marking

Tier-I carries a negative marking of 0.50 marks per wrong answer. In Tier-II Paper-I, wrong answers in Sections I, II and III are penalised 1 mark each; Papers II and III carry a 0.50-mark penalty per wrong answer.

Important dates

For the 2026 cycle, online applications were open from 21 May 2026 to 22 June 2026, with online fee payment permitted until 23 June 2026, and a correction window from 29 June to 1 July 2026. Tier-I was tentatively scheduled for August–September 2026 and Tier-II for December 2026, as per the notice.

Fees

The fee is Rs 100. Women candidates, and candidates from SC, ST, PwBD and Ex-servicemen categories eligible for reservation, are exempt.

How to apply

Applications are submitted online at ssc.gov.in within the notified window, followed by fee payment (where applicable) through BHIM UPI, net banking, or debit/credit card.

After selection

Candidates who qualify Tier-II proceed to document verification, where the Commission checks proof of age, educational qualification and category claims before finalising post allocation and category-wise merit.

Preparation tips

Since Tier-I is only a qualifying stage, allocate more practice time to Tier-II Paper-I, particularly Sections I and II, which carry the bulk of the marks (180 and 210 respectively) and use a 1-mark negative-marking penalty. Candidates targeting Statistical or Audit/Accounts posts should start Paper-II or Paper-III preparation early, since these are separate full-length papers held on their own day.