- January 31, 2026: SSC released SSC CGL Tier 2 Answer Key on January 30, 2026, on its official website. Candidates who appeared for the Tier 2 exam on January 18-19, 2026, can now view the answer key and raise objections until February 3, 2026. Download PDF
- January 9, 2026: SSC has released the official SSC Exam Calendar 2026–27. It outlines schedules for 12 major SSC exams to be held between May 2026 and March 2027. Check Details
SSC CGL Notification 2026 To Be Released in March, Check Eligibility, Exam Date
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SSC CGL 2026 notification is expected to be released in March 2026, inviting online applications for Group B and Group C posts across various central government departments. The online application process is likely to begin in March 2026 and continue till April 2026, as per the tentative SSC exam calendar. The SSC CGL Tier-I (Prelims) exam is expected to be conducted in May–June 2026, followed by the declaration of the Tier-I result a few weeks later. Candidates qualifying Prelims will appear for the Tier-II (Mains) exam, tentatively scheduled for the second half of 2026, after which the final result will be announced on the official website, ssc.gov.in.
What is SSC CGL?
SSC CGL is a national-level competitive exam to recruit officers to Group B and Group C positions in various departments and ministries of the central government of India. Through this exam, candidates get an opportunity to work in the Income Tax Department, Central Excise, Customs, Central Bureau of Investigation, Ministry of External Affairs, Election Commission, and various other central government departments.
SSC CGL 2026 Highlights
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Exam Name | SSC Combined Graduate Level (CGL) Exam 2026 |
| Conducting Body | Staff Selection Commission (SSC) |
| Posts | Group “B” and Group “C” officers in various Ministries/Departments |
| Vacancies (2026) | To be announced in the notification (14,582 vacancies in 2025 for reference) |
| Notification Release Date | March 2026 (tentative as per SSC Calendar) |
| Application Window | Expected March – April 2026 (exact dates to be confirmed) |
| Tier-1 Exam Date | May–June 2026 (tentative schedule) |
| Mode of Application | Online (via official SSC website) |
| Mode of Exam | Online Computer-Based Examination (Tier 1 & Tier 2) |
| Selection Stages | Two tiers – Tier 1 (preliminary) and Tier 2 (main exam) |
| Official Website | ssc.gov.in (SSC portal for notifications & applications) |
SSC CGL 2026 Important Dates
The table given below shows the important dates related to SSC CGL 2026.
| Events | Dates (Tentative) |
|---|---|
| SSC CGL Notification 2026 Release Date | March 2026 (expected) |
| SSC CGL Application Window Opens | March–April 2026 (expected) |
| Last Date to Apply for SSC CGL 2026 | April 2026 (expected) |
| SSC CGL 2026 Application Form Correction Window | To be announced in the notification |
| SSC CGL 2026 Prelims Admit Card Release Date | To be announced |
| SSC CGL Prelims 2026 Exam Date (Tier-I) | May–June 2026 (tentative exam window) |
| SSC CGL Prelims 2026 Result | To be announced (usually a few weeks after Tier-I) |
| SSC CGL Mains 2026 Exam Date (Tier-II) | To be announced (typically a few months after Tier-I) |
| SSC CGL 2026 Final Result Date | To be announced (after Tier-II and DV stages) |
SSC CGL Notification 2026
SSC CGL Notification 2026 is expected to be released in March 2026, on the official website of SSC. It will provide important details like exam dates of prelims and mains, documents to be uploaded, eligibility criteria, vacancies, exam pattern, syllabus, and application procedure.
SSC CGL Eligibility 2026
To apply for SSC CGL 2026, candidates should have specific educational requirements and an age limit for different posts. The following describes SSC CGL eligibility criteria 2026:
1. Nationality:
Candidates must be Indian citizens. The candidates from Nepal, Bhutan, or other countries must have a certificate of eligibility issued by the Government of India.
2. Educational Qualification:
- For most posts of SSC CGL 2026, a graduation degree in any discipline is enough.
- For Statistical Investigation Grade-2, a graduation degree with Statistics as a subject.
- For Junior Statistical Officer, a graduation degree with at least 60% marks in Mathematics at Class 12.
3. Age limit:
| Category | Age |
|---|---|
| General (Unreserved) | 18-30 |
| OBC | 18-35 |
| SC/ST | 18-37 |
| PwBD | 18-38 |
SSC CGL 2026 Application Process
SSC CGL application must be submitted through SSC website or the mySSC mobile app. Given below are the steps to apply online for SSC CGL 2026:
1. Online Registration:
- Candidates must generate OTR on the new website (ssc.gov.in), which will remain valid for all SSC exams.
- Candidates must opt for Aadhar-based Authentication and must have a mobile number.
2. Application Form Filling:
- Candidates are required to enter their personal details, educational records, and contact details.
- Candidates are also required to choose their exam centres.
3. Documents:
- Candidates are required to take a live photograph and upload a scanned signature.
4. Fee payment:
| Category | Application Fee |
|---|---|
| General/OBC/EWS (only Male candidates) | Rs. 100 |
| Female/SC/ST/PwBD | Exempted |
The application fee payment will be made through online (Credit Card/Debit Card/Net Banking) or offline (Challan).
SSC CGL 2026 Admit Card
SSC CGL 2026 Admit Card will be released on the official SSC website 4 days before the Prelims exam. To download the admit card, candidates need to follow the given steps:
1. At first, go to the official website of SSC and
2. Then visit the “Admit Card” section.
3. Then, log in with your registration number and password (date of birth).
4. Download SSC CGL Admit Card in PDF format.
SSC CGL 2026 Syllabus
SSC CGL evaluates a candidate through different sections. Both prelims and mains have objective-type questions. SSC CGL prelims contains 4 sections, and mains contain 3 sections, and a post-wise paper.
SSC CGL Prelims Syllabus:
| Sections | Topics |
|---|---|
| General Intelligence | Verbal and non-verbal type questions |
| General Awareness | Knowledge about current events |
| Quantitative Aptitude | Ability to solve mathematical questions |
| English Comprehensive | Ability to understand English |
SSC CGL Mains Syllabus:
SSC CGL Mains Paper-1:
| Sections | Topics | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | General Intelligence | Questions from the Verbal and non-verbal type |
| Mathematical Ability | Number system, Fundamental arithmetical operations, Algebra, Geometry, Mensuration, Trigonometry, Probability | |
| 2 | General Awareness | General awareness of current events |
| English Comprehensive | Vocabulary, grammar, Comprehension passages | |
| 3 | Computer Knowledge | Basics of computers, Networking, and the Internet. |
SSC CGL Mains Paper-2:
Candidates opting for Statistical Investigation Grade-2 and Junior Statistical Officer, a paper on Statistics will be held. It will contain topics of Statistical data, Measures of Central Tendency, Dispersion, probability theory, Index Numbers, etc.
SSC CGL 2026 Exam Pattern
SSC CGL Exam consists of two stages: prelims and mains.
SSC CGL Prelims Exam Pattern:
| Subject | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Intelligence | 25 | 50 | 60 minutes (20 minutes extra for PwBD) |
| General Awareness | 25 | 50 | |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 25 | 50 | |
| English Comprehension | 25 | 50 |
Marks Deducted: 0.5 marks for every wrong answer
SSC CGL Mains Exam Pattern:
| Paper | Sections / Modules | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper I (Compulsory for all posts) | Section I:Module I-Mathematical Abilities (60 Ques)Module II-Reasoning & General Intelligence (60 Ques) | 180 marks | 1 hr |
| Section II:Module I-English Language & Comprehension (70 Ques)Module II-General Awareness (40 Ques) | 210 marks | 1 hr | |
| Section III:Module I-Computer Knowledge Test (20 Questions) | 60 marks (Qualifying) | 15 min | |
| Section III:Module II- Data Entry Speed Test (DEST) | Qualifying only | 15 min | |
| Paper II (For JSO & Statistical Investigator) | Statistics (100 Ques) | 200 marks | 2 hours |
Marks Deducted: 1 mark is deducted for every wrong in Paper-1.
But for Paper-2 (JSO/ SI), marks are deducted 0.5 for every wrong answer.
Time allotted for PwBD is 20 minutes extra.
SSC CGL 2026 Vacancy
The exact number of vacancies for SSC CGL 2026 will be disclosed in the official notification. Typically, SSC releases a tentative vacancy list that may be updated later. For a perspective, the previous cycle saw a large number of openings – SSC CGL 2025 had a total of 14,582 vacancies announced across various posts. We can expect the 2026 vacancies to be in a similar range, though the final figure will depend on requisitions from different departments.
To give first-time aspirants an idea of the scale and distribution, here is the category-wise vacancy breakup for SSC CGL 2025 (since 2026 vacancies are not yet available):
| Category | Vacancies (SSC CGL 2025) |
|---|---|
| UR (General) | 6183 |
| OBC | 3721 |
| SC | 2167 |
| ST | 1088 |
| EWS | 1423 |
| Total | 14,582 |
SSC CGL 2026 Selection Process
SSC CGL Exam goes through two levels of the selection process to select a well-deserving, capable, and qualified candidate.
- Prelims- Screening Test, but must qualify the cutoff decided by SSC
- Mains- Marks are taken for final merit considerations.
- Document Verification- After the final result is published by SSC, candidates must verify their documents at the departments to which they are allotted.
In 2025, SSC CGL is scheduled to be held in 100+ cities. Candidates are given options to choose a nearby exam centre in the application process.
SSC CGL Answer Key
SSC will release the tentative answer key for Prelims on its official website. Candidates are required to follow the given steps:
- Visit the official SSC website ssc.gov.in.
- Log in with registration number and password
- Select SSC CGL Prelims answer key.
- Then, PDFs of candidates' response sheets will be displayed. It will contain the candidate’s chosen option and SSC correct answer key
In case some questions or answers are found to be wrong, candidates can challenge the answer key through the portal on the SSC website.
SSC CGL 2026 Result
SSC CGL 2026 Official Result will be released on SSC website. The final SSC Merit List will contain the names of candidates, roll numbers, their category code, and the department allotted in a PDF format. Given below are the steps to view SSC CGL Final Result:
- Visit the official SSC website
- Then go to the “Result” section.
- Select “CGL” from the options.
- Then click on the Result link
- Once the PDF is opened, search for your roll number or name..
SSC CGL Previous Year Question Papers
To understand how SSC sets its questions for its CGL Exam, an aspirant must go through the past 10 years of SSC CGL Previous year papers.
This will help an aspirant to understand the exam pattern, the relevance of certain topics in a subject, their difficulty level, and the type of questions asked. Practising the previous papers helps to improve time management and make a specific strategy. Moreover, each year in SSC CGL exam, many questions are directly asked from previous year papers.
SSC CGL Previous Year Cut- Off (category-wise)
The table given below shows the final cutoff for CGL exam 2024:
| Category | Cut-Off Marks |
|---|---|
| UR (Unreserved) | 322.77352 |
| OBC | 306.27841 |
| EWS | 300.03797 |
| SC | 285.45888 |
| ST | 266.49513 |
| ESM (Ex-Servicemen) | 202.28472 |
| OH (Orthopedically Handicapped) | 258.66022 |
| HH (Hearing Handicapped) | 181.89266 |
| VH (Visually Handicapped) | 219.45053 |
| PwD – Other | 136.73346 |
However, SSC releases a separate cutoff for every post.
SSC CGL 2026 Salary Structure
SSC CGL recruits officers to Group B and Group C whose salaries vary as per different Pay Levels and the city they are posted in, that is X, Y, or Z.
| Group | Pay Level | Salary Range (Rs.) |
|---|---|---|
| B | Level 7 | 44,900 – 1,42,400 |
| Level 6 | 35,400 – 1,12,400 | |
| C | Level 5 | 29,200 – 92,300 |
| Level 4 | 25,500 – 81,100 |
SSC CGL officers are entitled to medical benefits, travel leave concession, pension, gratuity, canteen facilities, and staff quarters.
SSC CGL 2026 FAQs
Ques: Can a final year student apply for SSC CGL 2026?
Ans: Yes. Final-year students are eligible to apply. But they must make sure their graduation degree is completed and a certificate is available before the document verification stage.
Ques: How many times can I take SSC CGL exam?
Ans: There is no specific limit on the number of attempts. You can apply as many times as you want, but make sure you’re within the age limit as per your category.
Ques: After the submission of my application form, can I change my exam city?
Ans: Once you have submitted your application form, you cannot change the exam city. Therefore, make sure to select your nearby exam city carefully while filling out the application form.
Ques: Can I apply for SSC CGL exam if I have a Correspondence degree?
Ans: Yes. You can apply for SSC CGL exam if you have a degree earned through correspondence or distance learning, as long as it is from a recognized university.
Ques: Is there any reservation for the EWS category in SSC CGL exam?
Ans: Yes. Candidates from the EWS category get a 10% reservation. But they need to meet the required income and eligibility criteria. Also, they need to provide valid documents during document verification.
Ques: Will the OTR done before SSC CGL be valid for other SSC exams?
Ans: Yes. The OTR will be valid for all the exams held by SSC, like CHSL, MTS, etc.
Ques: How is the score normalized in SSC CGL?
Ans: Since SSC CGL exam is held in multiple shifts and dates, the difficulty level of questions can vary. To keep things fair, SSC uses score normalization, which adjusts scores so that no candidate is at an advantage or disadvantage because of the shift they had appeared in.
Ques: In SSC CGL, is there any sectional cutoff?
Ans: No. SSC CGL doesn’t have any sectional cutoffs. Only the overall cutoff marks are taken to decide whether you will qualify for the next level or not.
Ques: What documents do I need to carry for document verification?
Ans: For document verification, you will need to carry your original certificates, which include educational certificates, photo ID proof, category certificate (in case applicable), PwBD certificate, ex-servicemen’s discharge certificate, and other documents as mentioned in your admit card.
Ques: Can I change my category (General/OBC/SC/ST) after the application form submission?
Ans: No. Once the form is submitted, you can’t change your category. While applying, be careful about your category, as it affects your cutoff marks.
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*The article might have information for the previous academic years, please refer the official website of the exam.
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