SSC CGL Syllabus, Exam Pattern, Eligibility, Important Dates

Two tiers, both computer-based. Tier 1 screens; Tier 2 decides.

Tier 1

Every question is worth 2 marks, and 0.50 is deducted for a wrong answer. Each section has its own 15 minutes: 36 seconds a question.

Tier 2, Paper I: compulsory for every post

Questions in Paper I are worth 3 marks, and a wrong answer costs 1 full mark. Computer Knowledge and the Data Entry Speed Test are qualifying: no merit marks, but failing either disqualifies you.

Tier 2, Papers II and III: post-specific

Both carry 0.50 negative marking. You sit these only if you applied for those posts.

General Intelligence & Reasoning

Analogies, similarities and differences, space visualisation, spatial orientation, problem solving, analysis, judgement, decision making, visual memory, discrimination, observation, relationship concepts, arithmetical reasoning and figural classification, arithmetic number series, non-verbal series, coding and decoding, statement conclusion, syllogistic reasoning, Venn diagrams, drawing inferences, punched hole and pattern folding, figural pattern completion, embedded figures, critical thinking, emotional and social intelligence.

General Awareness

Current affairs, Indian history and the freedom struggle, Indian and world geography, Indian polity and the Constitution, economy, general science (physics, chemistry, biology), environment, art and culture, sports, books and authors, awards, and static general knowledge. Questions test general awareness of the environment and its application to society rather than specialist study of any subject.

Quantitative Aptitude / Mathematical Abilities

Number systems, computation of whole numbers, decimals and fractions, percentage, ratio and proportion, square roots, averages, interest, profit and loss, discount, partnership, mixture and alligation, time and distance, time and work, algebra and elementary surds, linear equations, triangles and their properties, congruence and similarity, circles and chords, tangents, polygons, mensuration of triangle, quadrilateral, sphere, hemisphere, cone, cylinder and prism, trigonometry, heights and distances, histogram, frequency polygon, bar diagram and pie chart.

English Language & Comprehension

Reading comprehension, cloze test, spotting errors, fill in the blanks, synonyms and antonyms, spelling detection, idioms and phrases, one-word substitution, sentence improvement, active and passive voice, direct and indirect narration, shuffling of sentence parts and of sentences in a passage. The Tier 2 paper is longer and more vocabulary-heavy than Tier 1.

Computer Knowledge (Tier 2, qualifying)

Computer fundamentals and organisation, input and output devices, memory, software and operating systems, MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), internet and email, web browsing, networking basics, and cyber security including viruses, trojans and phishing.

Paper II: Statistics

Collection and presentation of data, measures of central tendency and dispersion, moments, skewness and kurtosis, correlation and regression, probability theory, random variables and distributions, sampling theory, index numbers, time series analysis, analysis of variance, statistical inference.

Paper III: General Studies (Finance & Economics)

Finance and accounts: fundamental principles of financial accounting, basic concepts of accounting. Economics and governance: the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, finance commission, basic concepts of economics, demand and supply, theory of production and cost, forms of market, Indian economy, economic reforms, money and banking, and the role of information technology in governance.

Educational qualification

A bachelor's degree from a recognised university for most posts. Two exceptions:

• Junior Statistical Officer: a degree with Statistics as a subject at graduation level, or a degree with at least 60% in Mathematics at 12th standard.
• Assistant Audit Officer / Assistant Accounts Officer: a degree, with a CA, CS, MBA, Cost & Management Accountancy, Masters in Commerce or Masters in Business Studies as a desirable qualification.

Age

There's no single age range; it differs by post. It's commonly 18 to 27, 18 to 30, 20 to 30 or 18 to 32. Check the limit for each post you want in the notice. Plenty of candidates find they're too old for the post they were aiming at but still eligible for others.

The usual relaxations apply: 5 years for SC and ST, 3 years for OBC, 10 years for PwBD (with more for reserved-category PwBD candidates), and the prescribed relaxation for ex-servicemen.

Nationality

A citizen of India, or a subject of Nepal or Bhutan, or a Tibetan refugee who came to India before 1 January 1962 intending to settle permanently, or a person of Indian origin who has migrated from certain specified countries.

Physical standards

Sub Inspector in CBI and NIA, and Inspector posts in some departments, carry physical standard and physical endurance requirements. They are listed post-wise in the notification.

1. Tier 1: computer-based, 200 marks, one hour with sectional timing. Screens candidates for Tier 2. Marks do not carry into the final merit.
2. Tier 2, Paper I: compulsory for all, 450 scored marks, with a qualifying Computer Knowledge module and a qualifying Data Entry Speed Test.
3. Tier 2, Paper II or III: only if you applied for Junior Statistical Officer (Paper II, Statistics) or Assistant Audit / Accounts Officer (Paper III, General Studies Finance & Economics).
4. Document verification and, for certain posts, physical standard and endurance tests.

Final merit comes from Tier 2 scores. Posts are allotted on merit and the preferences you gave when applying, so two candidates with the same score can land in very different departments.

The pay levels CGL recruits into

Two candidates who sat the same paper can start more than ₹22,000 a month apart, depending on their merit position and preference order. These are 7th Pay Commission basic pay ranges from the notice; dearness, house rent and transport allowances come on top and vary by city.

Fee

Pay online only: BHIM UPI, net banking, or a Visa, Mastercard, Maestro or RuPay debit card. There's no challan.

One Time Registration, then the application

First you create a One Time Registration (OTR) on ssc.gov.in with your photograph and signature. Every SSC application draws on it, so get the photo and signature right once.

The fee window closes a day after the application window. A paid correction window follows, for fixing details you've already submitted; it isn't a second chance to apply.

Have ready

• A working mobile number and email. The scribe OTP and admission certificate alerts go there.
• Photograph and signature in the specified dimensions.
• Matriculation certificate for date of birth, and your category certificate if you claim reservation. A false category claim gets you debarred.

CGL fills Group B and Group C posts across central ministries, departments and constitutional bodies. The notice names the office against every post.

• Comptroller and Auditor General of India and the Indian Audit and Accounts Department, for Assistant Audit Officer and Assistant Accounts Officer, the two Level 8 posts.
• Central Board of Direct Taxes and Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs, for Inspector and Tax Assistant posts.
• Central Bureau of Investigation, for Sub Inspector.
• Directorate of Enforcement, for Assistant Enforcement Officer.
• Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, for Junior Statistical Officer.
• Central Secretariat Service and numerous ministries, for Assistant Section Officer and Assistant.
• Narcotics Control Bureau, Ministry of External Affairs, Election Commission of India, Registrar General of India and others, in smaller numbers.

Where you end up depends on merit and your preference order, not a separate application. The post list changes with every notice, so check the current one.

You pick your centres in the application, from the list in the notice. They're grouped under SSC's nine regional offices, and all your choices must be in one region.

That regional office also handles your queries and document verification, so pick a region you can reach. Allotment follows your preference where capacity allows, and the city is announced before the admission certificate.

SSC publishes an annual examination calendar and issues corrigenda often. Check the calendar and the notices on ssc.gov.in for current dates.

SSC calls the admit card an Admission Certificate. It's issued by the regional office whose centres you chose and downloaded from that office's website, after the exam city has been announced.

Carry with you

• The printed Admission Certificate.
• The original photo ID whose number you entered in the application. A different document or a photocopy won't do.
• Two passport photographs, if the certificate asks for them.

Using a scribe? Once the certificate is live, enter the scribe's OTR number on the portal; an OTP goes to the scribe's mobile and you key it back in. This isn't done at the centre.

Scores from different shifts are normalised under the procedure in SSC's notice of 2 June 2025, and the normalised score decides merit and cut-off.

A tentative answer key goes up on the Answer Key page after each exam, with your response sheet. Challenges cost ₹100 per question, non-refundable, and are accepted only online. The final key can differ, so a score worked out from the tentative key is provisional.

Ties are broken by a published order that depends on the post. For Assistant Audit Officer and Assistant Accounts Officer: Tier 2 Paper III marks, then Section I of Paper I, then date of birth (older first), then name in alphabetical order.

Results, with marks and cut-offs, are posted on the Results page. Posts are then allotted on merit and preference, subject to document verification.

The minimum qualifying marks are printed in the notice and apply to Tier 1 and to each scored section of Tier 2:

The actual cut-off is the score of the last candidate selected, worked out from that cycle's normalised scores and vacancies. It's far above the qualifying mark, moves every year, and SSC publishes it with each result on its Results page.

Data Entry Speed Test

DEST is an error ceiling, so the higher figure is the easier standard:

1. Accuracy pays. Tier 1 questions are worth 2 marks with 0.50 off for a wrong answer; Tier 2 Paper I questions are worth 3 with a full mark off.
2. Tier 1 only gets you through. Its marks don't enter the final merit, so clear it comfortably and put your weight on Tier 2.
3. Practise in 15-minute blocks. Each Tier 1 section closes on its own clock.
4. Don't neglect the qualifying modules. Failing Computer Knowledge or the Data Entry Speed Test disqualifies you after everything else has gone right.
5. Pick your target post early. Age limits, physical standards and the extra Tier 2 paper all follow from it, and your preference order turns a score into a posting.
6. General Awareness is recall. 25 questions in 15 minutes in Tier 1 and 25 in 20 minutes in Tier 2.
7. Take the official mock once before the exam, for the interface: the section navigation, the question palette and the lock-out when a section's time ends. The link appears on ssc.gov.in only around each exam window.
8. Treat third-party "previous year papers" with care. They're rebuilt from memory and their answer keys haven't been checked against an official one.

SSC doesn't publish previous year papers for CGL. After each exam it puts the tentative answer key and your own response sheet on its Answer Key page for a limited window. Download yours while it's up; the notice says to keep it for at least three years.

A mock test on the real exam interface is linked on ssc.gov.in shortly before each exam.

• Staff Selection Commission: notices, corrigenda, registration and login
• CGL 2026 notice (PDF)
• Examination calendar
• Answer keys and response sheets
• Results, marks and cut-offs

Do Tier 1 marks count towards the final result?

No. Tier 1 screens candidates for Tier 2. The merit list is built from Tier 2 scores.

How much is deducted for a wrong answer?

0.50 marks in Tier 1, on questions worth 2 marks. 1 full mark in Tier 2 Paper I, on questions worth 3. Papers II and III deduct 0.50.

Is there sectional timing?

Yes, in both tiers. Tier 1 gives 15 minutes to each of its four sections; Tier 2 Paper I times each module separately.

What are the qualifying sections?

The Computer Knowledge module and the Data Entry Speed Test in Tier 2 Paper I. They carry no merit marks, but failing either disqualifies you.

Who sits Paper II and Paper III?

Paper II (Statistics) is for Junior Statistical Officer and Statistical Investigator candidates. Paper III (General Studies, Finance & Economics) is for Assistant Audit Officer and Assistant Accounts Officer candidates. Everyone else sits Paper I only.

What is the age limit?

It depends on the post: commonly 18 to 27, 18 to 30, 20 to 30 or 18 to 32.

Is a degree in any subject acceptable?

For most posts, yes. Junior Statistical Officer requires Statistics at graduation or 60% in Mathematics at 12th standard, and the Assistant Audit Officer post lists professional qualifications as desirable.

Does SSC publish previous papers?

No archive of past papers, but after each exam it publishes the tentative answer key with your own response sheet, and later the result with cut-offs.