SSC CGL 2026: Registration, Eligibility, Syllabus, and Exam Dates
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The Staff Selection Commission Combined Graduate Level (SSC CGL) examination remains India's most sought-after recruitment test for graduates. Conducted annually, the SSC CGL recruitment drive fills coveted Group 'B' and Group 'C' posts across various central government ministries, departments, and organizations.
With 12,256 tentative vacancies announced for the SSC CGL 2026 recruitment cycle, competition is high. Understanding the registration steps, age limits, educational qualifications, detailed exam syllabus, and schedule is essential for every serious aspirant.
SSC CGL 2026: Registration, Eligibility, Syllabus, and Exam Dates Overview
The Staff Selection Commission released the official SSC CGL 2026 notification on its portal. Below is an overview of the key recruitment highlights:
Event / Parameter | Details / Official Dates |
Exam Name | SSC Combined Graduate Level (CGL) 2026 |
Conducting Body | Staff Selection Commission (SSC) |
Total Vacancies | 12,256 Posts |
Notification Release Date | May 21, 2026 |
Online Application Window | May 21, 2026 – June 25, 2026 |
Correction Window | July 1, 2026 – July 3, 2026 |
Tier 1 Exam Date | August – September 2026 |
Tier 2 Exam Date | December 2026 |
Selection Process | Tier 1 (Qualifying) + Tier 2 (Merit) + DEST |
Official Website |
Step-by-Step SSC CGL 2026 Registration Process
SSC requires all applicants to complete their One-Time Registration (OTR) on the portal (ssc.gov.in) before submitting the online application form.
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ SSC CGL 2026 Registration Flow │
└───────────────────────────┬────────────────────────────┘
│
┌───────────────┴───────────────┐
│ │
┌───────────┴───────────┐ ┌───────────┴───────────┐
│ Step 1: OTR │ │ Step 2: Form │
├───────────────────────┤ ├───────────────────────┤
│ Complete OTR on new │ │ Login & fill personal │
│ ssc.gov.in portal or │ ──► │ & educational details,│
│ mySSC App using Aadhaar│ │ capture live photo & │
│ authentication │ │ submit signature │
└───────────────────────┘ └───────────┬───────────┘
│
┌───────────┴───────────┐
│ Step 3: Fee │
├───────────────────────┤
│ Pay ₹100 online fee │
│ (Exempted: Women, SC, │
│ ST, PwD & Ex-Servicemen)
└───────────────────────┘
How to Apply Online
Visit the Official Website: Go to ssc.gov.in or open the official mySSC mobile application.
Complete One-Time Registration (OTR): Fill in basic personal details, contact number, email address, and complete Aadhaar-based authentication.
Fill the Application Form: Log in with your registration credentials and select the SSC CGL 2026 recruitment link.
Upload Live Photograph & Signature: Capture a live photograph using your webcam or mobile app (without caps or spectacles) and upload a digital signature.
Pay Application Fee: Pay the ₹100 application fee online via BHIM UPI, Net Banking, or Debit/Credit card. Women candidates and candidates belonging to SC, ST, PwD, and ESM categories are exempted from fee payment.
Submit & Download: Submit the completed application and save a copy for future reference.
SSC CGL 2026 Eligibility Criteria
To qualify for various Group 'B' and Group 'C' posts, candidates must meet the prescribed eligibility parameters calculated as of August 1, 2026.
1. Nationality / Citizenship
A candidate must be either:
A citizen of India, or
A subject of Nepal, or a subject of Bhutan, or
A Tibetan refugee who came over to India before January 1, 1962, with the intention of permanently settling in India.
2. Age Limit (as on August 1, 2026)
The age requirement varies depending on the specific post applied for:
18 to 27 Years: Auditor, Accountant, Junior Accountant, Postal/Sorting Assistant, SSA/UDC, Tax Assistant.
20 to 30 Years: Assistant Section Officer (CSS, IB, MEA), SI in CBI.
18 to 30 Years: Inspector (Income Tax, Central Excise, Preventive Officer), Divisional Accountant, SI in NIA/NCB.
Up to 32 Years: Junior Statistical Officer (JSO).
Age Relaxation Rules
Upper age relaxations are granted to reserved categories as per government norms:
OBC: 3 years
SC / ST: 5 years
PwD (Unreserved): 10 years
PwD (OBC): 13 years
PwD (SC / ST): 15 years
Ex-Servicemen (ESM): 3 years after deduction of military service rendered.
3. Educational Qualification
General Posts (All Other Posts): Bachelor's Degree in any discipline from a recognized university or equivalent.
Junior Statistical Officer (JSO): Bachelor's Degree in any subject with at least 60% marks in Mathematics at the Class 12 level OR a Bachelor's Degree with Statistics as one of the graduation subjects.
Statistical Investigator Grade-II: Bachelor's Degree with Statistics, Mathematics, Economics, or Data Science as a major subject.
SSC CGL 2026 Exam Pattern & Marking Scheme
The SSC CGL selection process consists of two main computer-based examination stages: Tier 1 and Tier 2.
SSC CGL 2026 Selection Stages
─────────────────────────────
│
┌───────────────────┴───────────────────┐
│ │
┌───────┴───────┐ ┌───────┴───────┐
│ Tier 1 │ │ Tier 2 │
├───────────────┤ ├───────────────┤
│ Qualifying │ │ Merit Ranking │
│ 100 Questions │ ─── Qualifying ───► │ Paper 1 (All) │
│ 200 Marks │ Candidates │ + Paper 2 JSO │
│ 1 Hour │ │ + DEST Speed │
└───────────────┘ └───────────────┘
Tier 1 Examination Pattern (Qualifying Stage)
Tier 1 is an online computer-based screening test consisting of 100 multiple-choice questions:
Section | Subject | No. of Questions | Maximum Marks | Time Duration |
Section 1 | General Intelligence & Reasoning | 25 | 50 | 60 Minutes (Cumulative) |
Section 2 | General Awareness | 25 | 50 | |
Section 3 | Quantitative Aptitude | 25 | 50 | |
Section 4 | English Comprehension | 25 | 50 | |
Total | 100 | 200 |
Marking Scheme: +2 marks for every correct answer; -0.50 marks penalty for each wrong response.
Nature: Qualifying only (marks are not added to final merit list).
Tier 2 Examination Pattern (Merit Stage)
Tier 2 determines the final merit ranking and is divided into mandatory sessions:
Paper 1 (Compulsory for All Posts):
Session I (2 Hours 15 Minutes):
Module 1 (Mathematical Abilities): 30 Questions (90 Marks)
Module 2 (Reasoning & General Intelligence): 30 Questions (90 Marks)
Module 3 (English Language & Comprehension): 45 Questions (135 Marks)
Module 4 (General Awareness): 25 Questions (75 Marks)
Module 5 (Computer Knowledge Test): 20 Questions (60 Marks — Qualifying in nature)
Session II (15 Minutes):
Data Entry Speed Test (DEST): Qualifying typing speed test (2,000 key depressions in 15 minutes).
Paper 2 (Specific to JSO Post):
Statistics: 100 Questions (200 Marks) — 2 Hours duration.
Complete SSC CGL 2026 Syllabus
Tier 1 Syllabus Breakdown
General Intelligence & Reasoning: Analogies, Venn diagrams, classification, series, spatial orientation, coding-decoding, blood relations, non-verbal reasoning, and syllogisms.
General Awareness: Indian History, Geography, Polity & Constitution, Indian Economy, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Current Affairs, and Static GK.
Quantitative Aptitude: Number system, simplification, percentages, ratio & proportion, average, profit & loss, simple & compound interest, time & work, algebra, geometry, mensuration, trigonometry, and data interpretation.
English Comprehension: Reading comprehension passages, cloze test, spotting errors, fill in the blanks, synonyms & antonyms, idioms & phrases, and active/passive voice.
Tier 2 High-Weightage Topics
Mathematical Abilities: Advanced topics including probability, statistics, linear equations, coordinate geometry, height & distance, and mensuration 3D.
Computer Knowledge: Basics of CPU, memory organization, Windows OS, MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), internet protocols, networking security, and keyboard shortcuts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can candidates find the SSC CGL 2026: Registration, Eligibility, Syllabus, and Exam Dates notification?
The official notification containing the registration dates, age limits, syllabus, and exam schedule is available for download on the official Staff Selection Commission website at ssc.gov.in.
When will the SSC CGL Tier 1 exam be conducted in 2026?
The SSC CGL Tier 1 exam is scheduled to take place across multiple shifts between August and September 2026.
Is there negative marking in the SSC CGL 2026 examination?
Yes. In Tier 1, a negative marking of 0.50 marks applies to each wrong answer. In Tier 2, a negative marking of 1 mark applies per wrong answer in Paper 1 (Section I and II) and Paper 2.
Official SSC Portals and Resources
Access official notifications, log into your OTR portal, and monitor exam city updates directly from government portals:
Complete registration and submit applications on the Official SSC Website.
Download city intimation slips and admit cards through your respective SSC Regional Websites.
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