SSC CGL 2026 – Posts, Vacancies, Exam Dates, Age Limit, Exam Pattern, Syllabus
Updated: 03-11-2026 · Shanmugam IAS Academy
SSC CGL (Combined Graduate Level Examination) 2026 is conducted by the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) to fill Group B and Group C posts in Government of India Ministries, Departments and Constitutional / Statutory bodies – Assistant Audit Officer, Assistant Section Officer (ASO), Inspector of Income Tax, Inspector (Central Excise), Sub Inspector in CBI, Junior Statistical Officer (JSO), Auditor, Accountant, Tax Assistant, UDC and more, in Pay Levels 4 to 8 (₹25,500 – ₹1,51,100). The exam has two stages, Tier-I and Tier-II, both computer-based (CBE). The notice was published on 21-05-2026 (F. No. HQ-C11018/1/2026-C-1).
Current status (03-11-2026): applications are closed (SSC says more than 28 lakh candidates applied by 22-06-2026). As per SSC's notice of 12-09-2026, the Tier-I CBE was scheduled from 30-09-2026 to 30-10-2026, and that window is now over. As on 03-11-2026, the Tier-I tentative answer key, the Tier-I result and the Tier-II date have not been released. The notice gives December 2026 as the tentative Tier-II schedule; SSC will announce the exact date separately. If you wrote Tier-I, start Tier-II preparation now – the final merit list is based on Tier-II marks only.
This page is compiled from the official SSC notice (21-05-2026), the application re-opening notice (23-06-2026), the exam schedule notice (12-09-2026) and the tentative vacancy list (24-09-2026), and is updated whenever SSC issues a new notice. For final details see ssc.gov.in.
Important Dates
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Notice published | 21-05-2026 |
| Online applications | 21-05-2026 – 22-06-2026 (11.00 PM) |
| Application window re-opened (SSC notice of 23-06-2026) | 23-06-2026 (11.00 PM) – 25-06-2026 (11.00 PM); last date for fee payment 26-06-2026 (11.00 PM) |
| Application Form Correction Window | Originally 29-06-2026 – 01-07-2026; revised by the re-opening notice to 01-07-2026 – 03-07-2026 (11.00 PM) |
| Tier-I exam city intimation | Notice of 21-09-2026 – via login on the SSC website; Admission Certificate 2–3 days before the exam date |
| Tentative vacancy list | 24-09-2026 (10,731 vacancies) |
| Tier-I CBE | Notice tentatively said August–September 2026; as per SSC notice of 12-09-2026, 30-09-2026 – 30-10-2026 |
| Tier-I tentative answer key | Not yet released (as on 03-11-2026) |
| Tier-I result | Not yet released (as on 03-11-2026) |
| Tier-II CBE | Tentatively December 2026 as per the notice; exact date not announced yet |
Previous cycle (CGL 2025) – for a sense of timing: Tier-I exam 12-09-2025 – 26-09-2025 (re-exam 14-10-2025); Tier-I result 18-12-2025; First Round of Tentative Allocation (FRTA) 08-04-2026; final result 14-05-2026 (15,118 vacancies). That is, about 8 months from the Tier-I exam to the final result.
Vacancies
The notice mentioned approximately 12,256 vacancies. As per the tentative vacancy list released by SSC on 24-09-2026, the total is 10,731 (59 post / department rows). Pay-level-wise:
| Pay Level (pay range) | Main posts (vacancies) | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Level 8 (₹47,600 – ₹1,51,100) – Group B (Gazetted) | Assistant Audit Officer – Central Cadre (513), Assistant Audit Officer – State Cadre (504), Assistant Accounts Officer – State Cadre (504) | 1,521 |
| Level 7 (₹44,900 – ₹1,42,400) – Group B | Inspector (Central Excise) – CBIC (2,366), ASO – CSS (668), Inspector of Income Tax – CBDT (595), Inspector (Preventive Officer) (98), ASO – EPFO (93), ASO – IB (78), ASO – AFHQ (59), Inspector (Examiner) (42), others | 4,149 |
| Level 6 (₹35,400 – ₹1,12,400) – Group B | Office Superintendent – CBDT (426), Executive Assistant – CBIC (340), Junior Statistical Officer (158), Statistical Investigator Grade-II (48), others | 1,005 |
| Level 5 (₹29,200 – ₹92,300) – Group C | Auditor – CGDA (875), Accountant – C&AG (396), Accountant – CGA (203), others | 1,547 |
| Level 4 (₹25,500 – ₹81,100) – Group C | Tax Assistant – CBDT (1,400), Tax Assistant – CBIC (841), UDC / SSA (several departments), others | 2,509 |
| Total | UR 4,412 · SC 1,715 · ST 804 · OBC 2,772 · EWS 1,028 (of which Ex-Servicemen 373) | 10,731 |
These numbers are tentative; SSC's list itself says final vacancies may vary. SSC does not collect state-wise / zone-wise vacancies – contact the user departments for those. Full list: Tentative vacancy list (PDF, 24-09-2026).
Eligibility
Educational qualification (as on 01-08-2026)
- Most posts: a Bachelor's degree from a recognised university.
- Junior Statistical Officer (JSO): any degree with at least 60% marks in Mathematics at Class 12; or a degree with Statistics as one of the subjects.
- Statistical Investigator Grade-II: a Bachelor's degree in Statistics, Mathematics, Economics, Demography, Population Studies, Operation Research, Information Technology, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Computer Technology, Computer Application, Data Science or Artificial Intelligence.
- Assistant Audit / Accounts Officer (State Cadre): a degree plus proficiency in the regional / official language of the State at matriculation level (with a certificate). CA, CMA, CS, M.Com, MBA (Finance) etc. are only desirable.
- Final-year students can apply, but must hold the degree by 01-08-2026.
- Citizens of India (and subjects of Nepal / Bhutan and certain persons of Indian origin listed in the notice, with an eligibility certificate). The notice sets no limit on the number of attempts; you only need to be within the age limit.
Age limit – post-wise (as on 01-08-2026)
| Age limit | Born between | Posts |
|---|---|---|
| 18 – 27 | 02-08-1999 and 01-08-2008 | Level 4 and 5 posts: Auditor, Accountant / Junior Accountant, Tax Assistant (CBDT, CBIC), UDC / SSA, Senior Administrative Assistant (MES), Postal / Sorting Assistant, Sub-Inspector (CBN) |
| 18 – 30 | 02-08-1996 and 01-08-2008 | Assistant Audit / Accounts Officer, ASO in IB, MeitY and other departments, Inspector of Income Tax, Inspector (Central Excise / Preventive Officer / Examiner), Inspector Posts, Inspector (CBN), Assistant Enforcement Officer, Executive Assistant, Office Superintendent, Sub Inspector (NIA), SI / JIO (NCB), Statistical Investigator Gr-II, Divisional Accountant, Research Assistant (NHRC), Section Head (DGFT) |
| 20 – 30 | 02-08-1996 and 01-08-2006 | ASO in CSS, Ministry of Railways, MEA and AFHQ; Sub Inspector (CBI) |
| 18 – 32 | 02-08-1994 and 01-08-2008 | Junior Statistical Officer (JSO) |
- Upper age relaxation: SC/ST – 5 years; OBC – 3 years; PwBD – 10 years (PwBD-OBC 13, PwBD-SC/ST 15); Ex-Servicemen – 3 years after deducting military service.
- Additional relaxation for Group C posts only: Central Government civilian employees with 3 years' regular continuous service – up to 40 years (SC/ST 45); widows / divorced women / judicially separated women not remarried – up to 35 years (SC/ST 40).
- The date of birth in the Matriculation / Secondary certificate is final; no later change is allowed.
- Some posts – Inspector (Central Excise / Preventive Officer / Examiner), Inspector and SI in CBN, SI / JIO in NCB, SI in CBI and NIA, UDC / SSA in BRO etc. – have physical and medical standards (Annexures XV and XVI of the notice); check them before giving post preferences. BRO vacancies are for male candidates only.
Exam Pattern
1. Tier-I – qualifying (not counted in the final merit)
| Part | Subject | Questions | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | General Intelligence and Reasoning | 25 | 50 | 1 hour in all – sectional timer of 15 minutes per subject |
| B | General Awareness | 25 | 50 | |
| C | Quantitative Aptitude | 25 | 50 | |
| D | English Comprehension | 25 | 50 | |
| Total | 100 | 200 |
- Objective MCQs; 0.50 mark deducted for each wrong answer.
- Questions are in English and Hindi only (English Comprehension in English only) – there is no Tamil version.
- Parts A, B and D are of graduation level; Part C (Quantitative Aptitude) is of Class 10 level.
- Minimum qualifying marks: UR – 30%; OBC / EWS – 25%; all other categories – 20%. Candidates are shortlisted category-wise for Tier-II on Tier-I marks, with separate cut-offs for JSO / SI Gr-II, AAO / AAO (Accounts) and all other posts.
- Scores from multiple shifts are normalised.
2. Tier-II – the final merit list is based on this stage only
| Paper / Section | Subject | Questions | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper I – Section I (Session I) | Module A: Mathematical Abilities (30) + Module B: Reasoning and General Intelligence (30) | 60 | 180 (3 per question) | 1 hour |
| Paper I – Section II (Session I) | Module A: English Language and Comprehension (45) + Module B: General Awareness (25) | 70 | 210 | 1 hour |
| Paper I – Section III (Session I) | Computer Knowledge Test – qualifying | 20 | 60 | 15 minutes |
| Paper I – Section IV (Session II) | Data Entry Speed Test (DEST) – about 2,000 key depressions; qualifying | – | – | 15 minutes |
| Paper II | Statistics – only for candidates shortlisted for JSO and Statistical Investigator Gr-II | 100 | 200 | 2 hours |
| Paper III | General Studies (Finance and Economics) – only for candidates shortlisted for AAO / AAO (Accounts) | 100 | 200 | 2 hours |
- Paper I is compulsory for all posts; Session I (Sections I, II, III) lasts 2 hours 15 minutes, and Session II (DEST) is on the same day. Each section of Paper I must be qualified separately.
- Negative marking: Paper I Sections I, II, III – 1 mark per wrong answer; Papers II and III – 0.50 mark.
- Final merit: for most posts, Paper I Sections I + II (390 marks); for JSO / SI Gr-II, plus Paper II; for AAO / AAO (Accounts), plus Paper III. The Computer Knowledge Test and DEST are qualifying only.
- Higher qualifying standards in the Computer Test and DEST apply to posts needing computer proficiency – ASO (CSS, MEA, AFHQ), CBIC Inspectors, Executive Assistant, Postal / Sorting Assistant etc.; a higher DEST standard applies to Tax Assistant and similar posts.
- Maximum errors allowed in DEST: UR – 20%; OBC / EWS – 25%; others – 30%. Minimum qualifying marks for Sections I, II and III are the same as Tier-I (30% / 25% / 20%).
- Post and department preferences (Option-cum-Preference) must be given on the SSC website before the result; candidates who do not submit them are not considered for any post.
Syllabus Overview
The full syllabus is in paras 13.10 (Tier-I) and 13.11 (Tier-II) of the official notice: SSC CGL 2026 notice (PDF).
| Subject | Main topics |
|---|---|
| Quantitative / Mathematical Abilities | Number system, percentage, ratio, averages, interest, profit and loss, discount, partnership, mixture and alligation, time and distance, time and work, algebra, geometry, mensuration, trigonometry, heights and distances, data graphs (histogram, bar, pie); in Tier-II also mean, median, mode, standard deviation and simple probability |
| Reasoning | Analogy, classification, series, coding-decoding, Venn diagrams, space visualisation, paper folding / punched hole, embedded figures, drawing inferences, critical thinking, emotional and social intelligence |
| English | Vocabulary, grammar, spot the error, fill in the blanks, synonyms / antonyms, idioms, one-word substitution, active / passive, direct / indirect, sentence rearrangement, cloze test, comprehension passages |
| General Awareness | Current events, everyday science, and the history, culture, geography, economy, general policy and scientific research of India and its neighbouring countries |
| Computer Knowledge (Tier-II) | Computer organisation, CPU, memory, input / output devices, Windows, MS Word / Excel / PowerPoint, internet, e-mail, e-banking, networking and cyber security |
| Statistics (Tier-II Paper II) | Data collection, central tendency, dispersion, moments / skewness / kurtosis, correlation and regression, probability, distributions, sampling, statistical inference and more |
| Finance and Economics (Tier-II Paper III) | Part A: Finance and Accounts (80 marks); Part B: Economics and Governance (120 marks) – CAG, Finance Commission etc. |
Fee
- Application fee: ₹100, paid online (BHIM UPI, net banking, debit card).
- Exempted: women, SC, ST, PwBD and Ex-Servicemen eligible for reservation.
- Challenging the answer key costs ₹100 per question (non-refundable).
How to Apply
The CGL 2026 application window is closed. For the next notice the steps are the same:
- Apply online only at ssc.gov.in.
- First complete One Time Registration (OTR); SSC advises choosing Aadhaar-based authentication.
- Log in with your OTR, fill the CGL form and choose three exam centres within the same region in order of preference – these cannot be changed later.
- Pay the fee and submit; corrections are allowed only in the correction window given in the notice.
Help: SSC toll-free 1800 309 3063.
For Tamil Nadu candidates – SSC Southern Region, Chennai
Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana come under SSC's Southern Region. Office: Regional Director (SR), Staff Selection Commission, 2nd Floor, EVK Sampath Building, DPI Campus, College Road, Chennai – 600006 (sscsr.gov.in); helpline 09445195946, 044-28251139. Exam centres in Tamil Nadu listed in the CGL 2026 notice: Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Salem, Tiruchirappalli, Tirunelveli, Vellore, Krishnagiri and Theni; plus Puducherry.
When is the next CGL (2027)?
CGL 2027 dates were not in SSC's Calendar of Examinations as on 03-11-2026; we will add them here once they are out. The 2026 calendar showed CGL Tier-I in May–June 2026, but it was actually scheduled for 30-09-2026 – 30-10-2026, so always go by SSC's own notices. See also our exam calendar and job notifications pages.
How we help you prepare
- Free SSC CGL quiz – 13 subjects: Quant, Reasoning, English, Computer, Statistics, Finance & Economics, Full mock tests
- SSC CGL 2026 books (13 books, English) – Statistics · Finance & Economics · Full Mock Test Papers
- Daily current affairs (English) · Tamil – for General Awareness
- Central / State government job notifications · Exam calendar
- Classroom coaching: All courses · Madurai branch · Fees (SSC coaching: Coimbatore ₹24,000, Madurai ₹18,000 – GST-inclusive, with study material and test series)
- Talk to us: +91 99941 46662 · WhatsApp
Frequently asked questions
What is SSC CGL and which posts does it cover?
It is the Combined Graduate Level Examination conducted by the Staff Selection Commission for Group B and Group C posts of the Government of India – Assistant Audit Officer, ASO, Inspector of Income Tax, Inspector (Central Excise), Sub Inspector in CBI, JSO, Auditor, Accountant, Tax Assistant, UDC and others, in Pay Levels 4 to 8.
How many vacancies are there in SSC CGL 2026?
The notice said approximately 12,256. As per SSC's tentative list of 24-09-2026, there are 10,731 vacancies (UR 4,412, SC 1,715, ST 804, OBC 2,772, EWS 1,028). Final numbers may vary.
When will the CGL 2026 Tier-I answer key and result come?
Tier-I was scheduled from 30-09-2026 to 30-10-2026. As on 03-11-2026, neither the tentative answer key nor the result has been released, and SSC has not announced a date. We will update this page as soon as they are out.
When is CGL 2026 Tier-II?
Tentatively December 2026 as per the notice. The exact date had not been announced as on 03-11-2026. Only candidates who qualify in Tier-I can take Tier-II.
What is the age limit for SSC CGL?
Depending on the post, as on 01-08-2026: 18–27 (Level 4 and 5 posts), 18–30 (most Level 6, 7 and 8 posts), 20–30 (ASO in CSS, Railways, MEA, AFHQ and Sub Inspector in CBI), 18–32 (JSO). Relaxation: SC/ST 5 years, OBC 3 years, PwBD 10 years.
Are Tier-I marks counted in the final selection?
No. Tier-I (100 questions, 200 marks, 1 hour) is only for shortlisting for Tier-II. The final merit list is based on Tier-II marks only – for most posts, Paper I Sections I + II (390 marks).
Can I write SSC CGL in Tamil?
No. As per the CGL 2026 notice, questions are set in English and Hindi only (English Comprehension in English only). Tamil Nadu candidates should prepare in English.
Which are the SSC CGL exam centres in Tamil Nadu?
The CGL 2026 notice lists Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Salem, Tiruchirappalli, Tirunelveli, Vellore, Krishnagiri and Theni, plus Puducherry, under the Southern Region. You choose three centres within the same region in order of preference. The Southern Region office is in Chennai (sscsr.gov.in).
