SSC CGL 2026 — Complete Data Reference
Staff Selection Commission · Combined Graduate Level Examination
1
Important dates
| # | Event | Date / Deadline | Day |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Notification released | 21 May 2026 | Thursday |
| 2 | Online application opens | 21 May 2026 | Thursday |
| 3 | Last date to apply (23:00 hrs) | 22 Jun 2026 | Monday |
| 4 | Last date for fee payment (23:00 hrs) | 23 Jun 2026 | Tuesday |
| 5 | Application correction window opens | 29 Jun 2026 | Monday |
| 6 | Application correction window closes (23:00 hrs) | 01 Jul 2026 | Wednesday |
| 7 | Tier-I Computer Based Exam (tentative) | August – September 2026 | — |
| 8 | Tier-II Computer Based Exam (tentative) | December 2026 | — |
2
Vacancies & pay levels
| Pay level | Pay scale (₹) | Group | Age limit | Example posts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 8 | 47,600 – 1,51,100 | Group B (Gazetted) | 18–30 yrs | Asst Audit Officer, Asst Accounts Officer |
| Level 7 | 44,900 – 1,42,400 | Group B | 18–30 / 20–30 yrs | ASO (CSS, IB, MEA, Railways), Inspector IT/Excise, SI CBI |
| Level 6 | 35,400 – 1,12,400 | Group B | 18–30 / 18–32 yrs | JSO, SI NIA/NCB, Divisional Accountant, Research Asst |
| Level 5 | 29,200 – 92,300 | Group C | 18–27 yrs | Auditor (C&AG, CGDA), Accountant (C&AG, CGA) |
| Level 4 | 25,500 – 81,100 | Group C | 18–27 yrs | Postal Asst, SSA/UDC, Tax Asst (CBDT/CBIC), SI CBN |
Total vacancies: Approx. 12,256 (tentative). Updated post-wise vacancies will be published at ssc.gov.in > For Candidates > Tentative Vacancy.
3
Post-wise details
| # | Post name | Ministry / Department | Pay level | Age limit | EQ required |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Asst Audit Officer (Central Cadre) | C&AG (IA&AD) | L-8 | 18–30 | Graduation |
| 2 | Asst Audit Officer (State Cadre) | C&AG (IA&AD) | L-8 | 18–30 | Graduation + regional language proficiency |
| 3 | Asst Accounts Officer (State Cadre) | C&AG (IA&AD) | L-8 | 18–30 | Graduation + regional language proficiency |
| 4 | Asst Section Officer | Central Secretariat Service (CSS) | L-7 | 20–30 | Graduation |
| 5 | Asst Section Officer | Intelligence Bureau | L-7 | 18–30 | Graduation |
| 6 | Asst Section Officer | Ministry of Railways | L-7 | 20–30 | Graduation |
| 7 | Asst Section Officer | Ministry of External Affairs | L-7 | 20–30 | Graduation |
| 8 | Asst Section Officer | AFHQ | L-7 | 20–30 | Graduation |
| 9 | Asst Section Officer | MeitY | L-7 | 18–30 | Graduation |
| 10 | Inspector of Income Tax | CBDT | L-7 | 18–30 | Graduation |
| 11 | Inspector (Central Excise) | CBIC | L-7 | 18–30 | Graduation + Physical* |
| 12 | Inspector (Preventive Officer) | CBIC | L-7 | 18–30 | Graduation + Physical* |
| 13 | Inspector (Examiner) | CBIC | L-7 | 18–30 | Graduation + Physical* |
| 14 | Asst Enforcement Officer | Directorate of Enforcement | L-7 | 18–30 | Graduation |
| 15 | Sub Inspector | CBI | L-7 | 20–30 | Graduation + Physical* |
| 16 | Inspector Posts | Department of Posts | L-7 | 18–30 | Graduation |
| 17 | Inspector | Central Bureau of Narcotics | L-7 | 18–30 | Graduation + Physical* |
| 18 | Junior Statistical Officer | MoSPI | L-6 | 18–32 | 60% in Maths (12th) OR Statistics at degree |
| 19 | Statistical Investigator Gr-II | RGI, MHA | L-6 | 18–30 | Graduation in Stats/Maths/Economics/CS etc. |
| 20 | Sub Inspector | NIA | L-6 | 18–30 | Graduation + Physical* |
| 21 | Sub Inspector / JIO | NCB (MHA) | L-6 | 18–30 | Graduation + Physical* |
| 22 | Divisional Accountant | Offices under C&AG | L-6 | 18–30 | Graduation |
| 23 | Research Assistant | NHRC | L-6 | 18–30 | Graduation |
| 24 | Executive Assistant | CBIC | L-6 | 18–30 | Graduation |
| 25 | Section Head | DGFT | L-6 | 18–30 | Graduation |
| 26 | Office Superintendent | CBDT | L-6 | 18–30 | Graduation |
| 27 | Auditor | C&AG / CGDA / Other Ministries | L-5 | 18–27 | Graduation |
| 28 | Accountant / Junior Accountant | C&AG / CGA / Other Ministries | L-5 | 18–27 | Graduation |
| 29 | Postal Asst / Sorting Asst | Department of Posts | L-4 | 18–27 | Graduation |
| 30 | Senior Secretariat Asst / UDC | Central Govt Offices/Ministries | L-4 | 18–27 | Graduation |
| 31 | Senior Administrative Asst | MES, Ministry of Defence | L-4 | 18–27 | Graduation |
| 32 | Tax Assistant | CBDT | L-4 | 18–27 | Graduation |
| 33 | Tax Assistant | CBIC | L-4 | 18–27 | Graduation |
| 34 | Sub Inspector | Central Bureau of Narcotics | L-4 | 18–27 | Graduation + Physical* |
* Physical standards: Posts marked with Physical* require physical fitness tests (height, weight, chest, walking/cycling) conducted by the user department after SSC selection.
4
Age limits & relaxations
| Category | Age relaxation (upper limit) | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Caste (SC) | +5 years | 01 |
| Scheduled Tribe (ST) | +5 years | 01 |
| Other Backward Class (OBC) | +3 years | 02 |
| PwBD (General) | +10 years | 03 |
| PwBD (OBC) | +13 years | 04 |
| PwBD (SC/ST) | +15 years | 05 |
| Ex-Servicemen (ESM) | +3 years (after deduction of military service) | 06 |
| Defence Personnel disabled in operation | +3 years | 08 |
| Defence Personnel disabled – SC/ST | +8 years | 09 |
| Central Govt Civilian Employee (≥3 yrs service) — Group C | Up to 40 years of age | 10 |
| Central Govt Civilian Employee SC/ST (≥3 yrs) — Group C | Up to 45 years of age | 11 |
| Widows / Divorced women (not remarried) | Up to 35 years of age | 12 |
| Widows / Divorced women SC/ST | Up to 40 years of age | 13 |
Age reference date: 01 August 2026. Date of birth is taken from Matriculation certificate only — no changes accepted later.
5
Application fee
| Category | Application fee | Correction fee (1st time) | Correction fee (2nd time) |
|---|---|---|---|
| General / OBC / EWS | ₹100 | ₹200 | ₹500 |
| Women (all categories) | Exempt (₹0) | ₹200 | ₹500 |
| Scheduled Caste (SC) | Exempt (₹0) | ₹200 | ₹500 |
| Scheduled Tribe (ST) | Exempt (₹0) | ₹200 | ₹500 |
| PwBD (Benchmark Disability) | Exempt (₹0) | ₹200 | ₹500 |
| Ex-Servicemen (ESM, eligible for reservation) | Exempt (₹0) | ₹200 | ₹500 |
Payment modes: BHIM UPI, Net Banking, Visa / Mastercard / Maestro / RuPay Debit cards. Fee once paid is non-refundable.
6
Exam pattern — Tier-I
| # | Subject | Questions | Max marks | Time | Negative marking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | General Intelligence & Reasoning | 25 | 50 | 15 min (sectional) | −0.5/wrong |
| B | General Awareness | 25 | 50 | 15 min (sectional) | −0.5/wrong |
| C | Quantitative Aptitude | 25 | 50 | 15 min (sectional) | −0.5/wrong |
| D | English Comprehension | 25 | 50 | 15 min (sectional) | −0.5/wrong |
| Total | 100 | 200 | 1 hour | — | |
PwBD/Scribe candidates: Total time = 1 hour 20 minutes (20 min/hr extra). All questions are MCQ (objective type). Paper is bilingual (English + Hindi) except English Comprehension.
7
Exam pattern — Tier-II
| Paper | Session | Section | Subject | Questions | Max marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper-I (All posts) | Session-I (2 hr 15 min) | Section-I | Mathematical Abilities + Reasoning & Gen. Intelligence | 30+30 = 60 | 180 | 1 hr |
| Section-II | English Language & Comprehension + General Awareness | 45+25 = 70 | 210 | 1 hr | ||
| Section-III | Computer Knowledge Test (CKT) | 20 | 60 (qualifying) | 15 min | ||
| Session-II (15 min) | Section-IV | Data Entry Speed Test (DEST) ~2000 key depressions | — | — (qualifying) | 15 min | |
| Paper-II (JSO / Stat Inv Gr-II only) | — | — | Statistics | 100 | 200 | 2 hrs |
| Paper-III (AAO / AAO only) | — | — | General Studies: Finance & Economics | 100 | 200 | 2 hrs |
Negative marking (Tier-II): −1 mark per wrong answer in Section-I, II & III of Paper-I; −0.5 per wrong in Paper-II and Paper-III. Section-III (CKT) and Section-IV (DEST) are qualifying in nature. Higher standards apply for Computer Proficiency posts.
8
Qualifying cutoffs
| Category | Min. marks (Tier-I & Tier-II written) | Max. DEST errors allowed |
|---|---|---|
| Unreserved (UR) | 30% | 20% |
| OBC / EWS | 25% | 25% |
| All other categories (SC, ST, PwBD, ESM) | 20% | 30% |
9
Exam centres by region
| Region code | Region name | States / UTs covered | Regional HQ |
|---|---|---|---|
| CR | Central Region | Bihar, Uttar Pradesh | Prayagraj |
| ER | Eastern Region | A&N Islands, Jharkhand, Odisha, Sikkim, West Bengal | Kolkata |
| KKR | Karnataka Kerala Region | Karnataka, Kerala, Lakshadweep | Bengaluru |
| MPR | MP Sub-Region | Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh | Raipur |
| NER | North Eastern Region | Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura | Guwahati |
| NR | Northern Region | Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand | New Delhi |
| NWR | North Western Sub-Region | Chandigarh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, J&K, Ladakh, Punjab | Chandigarh |
| SR | Southern Region | Andhra Pradesh, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, Telangana | Chennai |
| WR | Western Region | D&NH, Daman & Diu, Goa, Gujarat, Maharashtra | Mumbai |
Note: Candidates must choose 3 exam centres within the same region in order of preference. No centre change will be entertained after submission.
10
Helpline numbers
| Office | Location | Contact number(s) |
|---|---|---|
| SSC Headquarters (Toll Free) | New Delhi | 1800 309 3063 |
| SSC CR | Prayagraj | 0532-2460511 / 0532-6541021 |
| SSC ER | Kolkata | 09477461228 / 033-22902230 |
| SSC KKR | Bengaluru | 080-25502520 / 09483862020 |
| SSC MPR | Raipur | 0771-2282507 / 0771-2282678 |
| SSC NER | Guwahati | 09085073593 / 09085015252 |
| SSC NR | New Delhi | 011-24363343 |
| SSC NWR | Chandigarh | 0172-2749378 / 0172-2744366 |
| SSC SR | Chennai | 09445195946 / 044-28251139 |
| SSC WR | Mumbai | 09869730700 / 07738422705 |
