SSC CGL 2026

Conducted by: Staff Selection Commission (SSC)

Mode: online

Duration: SSC CGL Exam Tier 1 - 60 min II SSC CGL Tier 2 - 150 min

Location: Pan-India

Salary: Gross: ₹70,000–₹95,000 per month & In-Hand: ₹60,000–₹85,000 per month (varies by post, pay level, and city)

Application Fee: ₹100 for General & OBC (Male) Candidates II ₹0 for everyone else

Official Website

Exam Details

The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) conducts the SSC Combined Graduate Level (SSC CGL) exam every year to recruit Group B and Group C officers for various ministries, departments, and organizations under the Government of India.

SSC CGL is among the most competitive government exams in India. Every year, 20+ lakh candidates apply for SSC CGL, but only around 0.5%–1% of aspirants ultimately secure a place in the final merit list—making SSC CGL one of the toughest government exams in India.

At Aptitude360, we strongly believe that cracking SSC CGL 2026 is not about shortcuts—it is about clearly understanding the SSC CGL 2026 exam pattern and syllabus, practicing quality questions, and regularly attempting mock tests.

SSC CGL 2026 - Exam Summary

Exam Conducting Authority	Staff Selection Commission (SSC)
Posts Offered	Group B & Group C (ASO, Inspector, Auditor, Accountant, etc.)
Application Mode	Online
Exam Mode	Computer-Based Test CBT
Selection Process	Tier-I → Tier-II → Tier-III (DEST/Skill Test)
Educational Qualification	Graduation in any discipline
Age Limit	18 to 32 years (post-wise variation)
Salary Range	₹25,500 – ₹1,51,100 (Pay Level 4 to Level 8)
Official Website	ssc.gov.in

Eligibility

SSC CGL 2026 Eligibility Criteria:

SSC CGL 2026 Nationality Eligibility:

If you are applying for SSC CGL 2026, you must be one of the following:

(a) An Indian citizen, or

(b) A subject of Nepal or Bhutan, or

SSC CGL 2026 Age Limit (Post-wise):

The age limit for SSC CGL varies depending on the post applied for. Generally, the age limits fall under the following ranges (as on the cut-off date mentioned in the official notification):

Age Limit (Years)	Posts
18–27	ASO (CSS/IB/Railways/MEA/AFHQ), AEO, Inspector (IT/CBIC), Assistant, AAO
18–30	SI (CBI, NIA), Inspector (CBN)
18–32	Assistant Audit Officer, Assistant Accounts Officer
18–25	Auditor, Accountant, Jr. Accountant, UDC, Tax Assistant
18–20	LDC / JSA

SSC CGL 2026 Age Relaxation (Category-wise):

In addition to the prescribed age limit, category-wise age relaxation is applicable as per Government of India rules.

Category	Age Relaxation
SC / ST	5 Years
OBC (Non-Creamy Layer)	3 Years
Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD)	10 Years
Ex-Servicemen	3 Years
Candidates affected by 1984 riots	5 Years

Educational Qualification for SSC CGL 2026:

To apply for SSC CGL 2026, you must have a Bachelor’s degree in any discipline from a university or institution recognized by the Government of India.

If you are in the final year or final semester of your graduation, you are eligible to apply provisionally. However, you must complete your graduation and meet the required qualification on or before the cut-off date mentioned in the official SSC CGL notification.

Some SSC CGL posts require post-specific educational qualifications, as explained below:

Junior Statistical Officer (JSO):

You must have studied Statistics at the graduation level, or Mathematics with Statistics at the Class 12 level.

Statistical Investigator Grade-II:

You must have Statistics as a compulsory subject at the graduation level.

Exam Pattern

SSC CGL 2026 Exam Pattern:

The SSC CGL exam is conducted in multiple stages, namely Tier I, Tier II, and Tier III (as applicable). You must qualify each stage to be considered for the final merit list of SSC CGL 2026.

SSC CGL 2026 Tier I Exam Pattern: The SSC CGL Tier I exam is a Computer-Based Test (CBT) and is qualifying in nature. All questions in SSC CGL Tier 1 are objective type (MCQs), with four options for each question.

Section	No. of Questions	Marks
General Intelligence & Reasoning	25	50
General Awareness	25	50
Quantitative Aptitude	25	50
English Comprehension	25	50
Total	100	200

**SSC CGL Tier 1 does not have a sectional time limit.

The exam has a total duration of 60 minutes, and you can freely switch between sections during this time.

SSC CGL Tier I Marking Scheme: For every correct answer, you get 2 marks, for each wrong answer, 0.50 marks are deducted as negative marking, and no marks are deducted for unattempted questions.

SSC CGL 2026 Tier II (Mains) Exam Pattern:

SSC CGL Tier II (Mains) is conducted in online mode. It consists of three papers:

Paper I (mandatory for all candidates)
Paper II for Junior Statistical Officer (JSO)
Paper III for Assistant Audit Officer (AAO)

SSC CGL Tier II – Sectional Time Limit For Paper I (Mandatory for All Candidates)

The SSC CGL Tier II (Mains) exam is a Computer-Based Test (CBT) and plays a decisive role in the final merit list. All questions in SSC CGL Tier II are objective type (MCQs), with four options for each question, except the Data Entry Speed Test (DEST), which is qualifying in nature. The details of the is given below:

Sections	Subjects Covered	Time Limit
Section I	Mathematical Abilities + Reasoning & General Intelligence	60 Minutes
Section II	English Language & Comprehension + General Awareness	60 Minutes
Section III	Computer Knowledge Test	15 Minutes
Buffer / System Transition Time	Auto-shift between sections	15 Minutes
Total	-------	150 Minutes

SSC CGL Tier II - Marking Scheme: For every correct answer, you get 3 marks, for every wrong answer, 1 mark is deducted, no marks are deducted for unattempted questions, and the Data Entry Speed Test (DEST) is only qualifying and does not add to your final score.

SSC CGL Tier III (Descriptive Paper): It is a pen-and-paper exam conducted to assess your writing skills in English or Hindi. It carries 100 marks, which are counted in the final SSC CGL merit list, making it a crucial part of the final selection process.

Selection Process

SSC CGL 2026 Selection Process – Explained by Aptitude360

Let Aptitude360 help you understand the entire SSC CGL selection process through the table below

Stage	Exam Name	Nature of Exam	Maximum Marks	Counted in Final Merit List
Tier I	Preliminary Exam	Qualifying (CBT)	200 marks	No
Tier II	Mains Exam (Paper I)	Merit-based (CBT)	450 marks	Yes
Tier III	Descriptive Paper	Merit-based	100 marks	Yes

**Total Marks Considered for Final Merit - 550 marks

Important Note for JSO & AAO Candidates:

Junior Statistical Officer (JSO) candidates must appear for Tier II Paper II (Statistics).
Assistant Audit Officer (AAO) candidates must appear for Tier II Paper III (Finance & Economics).
Marks of these papers are mandatory and counted for post-specific final selection.

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Frequently Asked Questions

The SSC CGL 2026 age limit ranges from 18 to 32 years, depending on the post. Category-wise age relaxation applies as per government rules.

Candidates must have a Bachelor’s degree from a recognized university. Some posts like JSO and Statistical Investigator require Statistics as a subject.

Yes, SSC CGL Tier 1 is qualifying in nature and its marks are not counted in the final merit list.

No, SSC CGL Tier 1 has no sectional time limit. The total exam duration is 60 minutes.

SSC CGL Tier II has three papers—Paper I (mandatory), Paper II for JSO, and Paper III for AAO.

Yes, SSC CGL Tier III carries 100 marks and is included in the final merit list.

Yes, JSO candidates must clear Tier II Paper II, and AAO candidates must clear Tier II Paper III for post-specific selection.

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