An old CPO mock can train you for the wrong paper. The 2026 notification needs a fresh reading, especially Paper-II.
The official scheme specifies the following ordinary timings and marks. CPO 2026 notice, paragraph 12.
| Paper | Questions and marks | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Paper-I | 100 questions, 100 marks; 25 each in Reasoning, GA, Quant and English | 60 minutes; 15 per part |
| Paper-II | Reasoning, GA and Quant: 20 questions/40 marks each; English: 100 questions/200 marks | 120 minutes: 20 each for the first three parts, then 60 for English |
Wrong answers deduct 0.25 in Paper-I and 0.50 in Paper-II. The pathway includes Paper-I, PST/PET, Paper-II and medical examination. Official scheme and selection provisions.
Audit your preparation material today
Open the settings of your mock series and compare them with this cycle's notice. A Paper-II practice set containing only English is not a complete simulation of the 2026 scheme.
You can still use older questions for topic practice. Label them correctly. A previous-year English set is an English exercise; it becomes misleading only when you treat it as the entire current paper.
Take one diagnostic in every written subject. Let the result decide what needs more time. Keep the non-English subjects in the plan after Paper-I. When reviewing a question, write down whether the issue was knowledge, method, reading or timing.
Keep physical requirements on the same calendar
Make a separate checklist for the post and category you selected. Read the physical-standard and physical-endurance tables in full, including any post-specific rows. A standard quoted without the applicable post or category is not enough to decide eligibility.
Plan preparation around your present condition and seek qualified guidance where needed. Do not wait for a shortlist to investigate a relevant medical or physical requirement. Equally, do not self-declare recruitment fitness from a generic online chart.
Keep application evidence ready. Qualifications and other requirements can differ across the advertised posts, so a broad “graduate eligible” headline is not an adequate check for every option.
Dates: use the current notice
The reviewed 2026 notification closes applications on 30 September 2026 at 11 pm and leaves the CBE schedule to be announced later. Official notice, first page. Do not turn a tentative calendar window into an individual exam date.
When results appear, read the named stage and next action. Passing one paper or physical stage is not the same as final selection.
For practice analysis, use how to review free mocks. If you also prepare for CGL, check its separate sectional-timing guide rather than copying the CPO settings. More routes are in exam guides.
Source checked: 20 September 2026. Evidence cycle: CPO 2026, notice dated 10 September 2026. Recheck subsequent SSC amendments before relying on any format or date.