SSC CGL 2026 — Eligibility, Exam Pattern, Syllabus & Salary Guide

SSC CGL 2026 — Overview

The Staff Selection Commission Combined Graduate Level Examination, popularly called SSC CGL, is the most attempted graduate-level government exam in India. It fills Group B and Group C posts in ministries, departments and subordinate offices of the Government of India — from Inspectors in CBIC and CBDT to Assistants in the Ministry of External Affairs.

Every cycle attracts tens of lakhs of applicants because the posts offer central government pay, job security, and postings across the country. This guide covers the complete notification structure: who can apply, how the two-tier exam works, what each post pays, and how to submit the online form without errors. Always confirm final dates and vacancy counts against the official notice on the SSC website.

Notification Highlights at a Glance

Vacancy numbers are finalised in the official notice. Treat vacancy figures circulating on social media with caution.

Eligibility Criteria — Education, Age and Post-wise Requirements

The base eligibility is simple: a bachelor's degree from a recognised university and age within the prescribed band for the post. Two posts carry additional conditions you must check before setting preferences.

• Education: a bachelor's degree in any discipline from a recognised university. Final-year students can apply only if they obtain the degree before the cut-off date in the notice.
• Junior Statistical Officer (JSO): requires graduation with at least 60% in Mathematics at Class 12, or graduation with Statistics as one of the subjects.
• Assistant Audit Officer / Assistant Accounts Officer (AAO): any graduation is eligible, but a CA/CS/CMA/MBA or similar qualification is desirable and noted in the notice.
• Age: most posts require 18–27 or 20–30 years, while a few go up to 32 years. The crucial date for age is printed in the notification, not the application date.
• Age relaxation: 5 years for SC/ST, 3 years for OBC, 10–15 years for PwBD depending on category, plus clauses for ex-servicemen and central government employees.
• Nationality: Indian citizens, with limited provisions for subjects of Nepal and Bhutan as per government rules.

Check your exact eligibility in seconds with the free Age Calculator and Eligibility Checker on Sarkari Rezult before you apply.

Exam Pattern — Tier 1 and Tier 2 Explained

SSC CGL is now a two-stage computer based examination. Tier 1 is qualifying in nature and only shortlists candidates; the final merit list is prepared from Tier 2 marks alone.

• Tier 1: 100 questions in 60 minutes, with a negative marking of 0.50 marks per wrong answer. It only decides who sits for Tier 2.
• Tier 2 Paper 1 (compulsory for all posts): Session 1 covers Mathematical Abilities, Reasoning, English and General Awareness; Session 2 covers Computer Knowledge and a Data Entry Speed Test (DEST), both qualifying in nature.
• Tier 2 Paper 2: only for JSO aspirants, covering Statistics. Paper 3 for AAO covers General Studies (Finance and Economics) where notified.
• Negative marking in Tier 2 Paper 1: 1 mark per wrong answer in the maths, reasoning, English and GK sections, and 0.50 in the computer section.
• Scores are normalised across shifts, and the final merit list is drawn from Tier 2 Paper 1 marks (plus Paper 2 for JSO).

Post-wise Salary and Career Growth

SSC CGL posts span Pay Level 4 to Level 8 of the 7th CPC. Basic pay ranges from ₹25,500 for posts like Tax Assistant and UDC up to ₹47,600 for Assistant Section Officer in CSS and MEA. With DA, HRA and TA, gross monthly pay for a Level 7 Inspector in an X-class city comfortably crosses ₹70,000.

Career progression is time-bound and exam-based. An Inspector in CBIC can rise to Superintendent, Assistant Commissioner and beyond; an ASO in CSS moves through Section Officer, Under Secretary and higher grades with regular promotions. Estimate your city-wise in-hand pay with the Sarkari Rezult Salary Calculator, which applies current DA and HRA rates.

How to Apply Online for SSC CGL 2026

1. 1Complete the one-time registration on the SSC portal with your mobile number, email ID and Aadhaar details. This registration stays valid for all future SSC exams.
2. 2Log in and open the CGL application form; fill personal details exactly as on your Class 10 certificate.
3. 3Enter your educational qualifications and, if applicable, the additional details for JSO or AAO.
4. 4Choose your examination centres in order of preference — pick three cities you can actually travel to.
5. 5Upload a live photograph through the SSC app or a recent photo, plus your signature, within the prescribed size limits. Use the Sarkari Rezult Photo Resize and Signature Resize tools to match the specification exactly.
6. 6Pay the fee online — ₹100 for UR/OBC/EWS male candidates; women, SC, ST, PwBD and ex-servicemen are exempt.
7. 7Submit the form, download the final PDF and save your registration number for the admit card stage.

Complete the application well before the closing date; the SSC portal is notoriously slow in the final days.

Preparation Strategy for a Two-Tier Exam

Because merit comes from Tier 2 alone, your preparation should treat Tier 1 as a qualifying hurdle and Tier 2 as the real competition. Aim to consistently clear the Tier 1 cut-off with margin, and build depth in maths and English, which dominate Tier 2 marks.

• Quantitative Aptitude: master arithmetic (percentage, ratio, profit-loss, time-work, speed-distance) and advanced maths (algebra, geometry, trigonometry, mensuration) up to Class 10 level.
• English: daily reading plus targeted practice of error spotting, cloze tests and vocabulary builds the highest-scoring Tier 2 section.
• Reasoning: SSC reasoning is pattern-based; solve topic-wise sets until the common question types are automatic.
• General Awareness: Lucent GK plus 8–12 months of current affairs covers most of the paper; revise weekly rather than reading fresh material.
• Computer section: do not ignore it — it is qualifying but failure here ends the attempt. Basic MS Office, hardware and internet concepts suffice.
• Mocks: one full Tier 1 and one Tier 2 mock every week under real timing, with equal time spent on analysis.

Common Mistakes SSC CGL Aspirants Make

• Preparing only for Tier 1 and discovering the Tier 2 syllabus is deeper after the result.
• Skipping the computer section until the last week, then failing a qualifying module.
• Entering a name or date of birth that differs from the Class 10 certificate — caught at document verification and not correctable.
• Ignoring post preferences: filling them randomly can land you a posting you never wanted.
• Uploading a photo or signature outside the size specification and getting the form rejected.