| Conducting body | Staff Selection Commission (SSC). Official website ↗ |
|---|---|
| Posts | Assistant Audit Officer and Assistant Accounts Officer (C&AG), Assistant Section Officer (CSS, MEA, Railways, AFHQ, IB and other ministries), Inspector of Income Tax and Inspector (Central Excise, Preventive Officer, Examiner) in CBIC, Sub-Inspector in CBI, NIA and NCB; Assistant Enforcement Officer in ED, Junior Statistical Officer and Statistical Investigator Grade-II, Auditor, Accountant, Tax Assistant, Postal/Sorting Assistant and Senior Secretariat Assistant/UDC |
| Qualification | Bachelor's degree from a recognised university by 1 August 2026. Junior Statistical Officer needs 60% in Class 12 Mathematics or Statistics as a degree subject. Statistical Investigator Grade-II needs a degree in Statistics, Mathematics, Economics, Computer Science or another subject listed in the notice. Final-year students can apply if they hold the degree by the cut-off date. |
| Age limit | 18–32 years on 1 August 2026 (general category) |
| Domicile | Not required |
| Selection stages | Tier-I computer based exam (screening for Tier-II) → Tier-II computer based exam: Paper-I for all posts, Paper-II (Statistics) for JSO and SI Grade-II, Paper-III (Finance and Economics) for AAO → Computer Knowledge Test and Data Entry Speed Test within Tier-II Paper-I (qualifying) → Post allotment on Tier-II merit and your post preferences, then document verification |
| Latest notification | Notice of Combined Graduate Level Examination, 2026 · 12,256 vacancies |
Last checked . Sources
About SSC CGL
SSC CGL fills Group B and Group C posts across central ministries, departments and constitutional bodies, from Assistant Audit Officer at Pay Level 8 down to Tax Assistant and Postal Assistant at Pay Level 4. One application covers all these posts, and SSC allots a post based on your Tier-II merit and the order of preference you give. The 2026 notice put tentative vacancies at about 12,256.
Eligibility
Age limit
General category: 18–32 years, counted on 1 August 2026.
Age relaxation
- OBC: 3 years
- SC: 5 years
- ST: 5 years
- PwBD: 10 years
- The age limit depends on the post: 18 to 27 years for Group C posts such as Auditor, Tax Assistant and Postal Assistant; 18 to 30 or 20 to 30 years for most Group B posts; 18 to 32 years for Junior Statistical Officer.
- PwBD candidates get 10 years (13 for OBC, 15 for SC/ST).
- Ex-servicemen get 3 years after deducting their military service from their actual age.
- For Group C posts, central government civilian employees with 3 years of regular service can apply up to 40 years (45 for SC/ST).
Qualification
Bachelor's degree from a recognised university by 1 August 2026. Junior Statistical Officer needs 60% in Class 12 Mathematics or Statistics as a degree subject. Statistical Investigator Grade-II needs a degree in Statistics, Mathematics, Economics, Computer Science or another subject listed in the notice. Final-year students can apply if they hold the degree by the cut-off date.
Other conditions
- Only men are eligible for any vacancies reported by the Border Roads Organisation.
- Posts such as Inspector in CBIC and Sub-Inspector in CBI, NIA and NCB have physical and medical standards, which the user department checks after selection.
- Fee is Rs 100. Women, SC, ST, PwBD and eligible ex-servicemen candidates do not pay.
Selection process
- Tier-I computer based exam (screening for Tier-II)
- Tier-II computer based exam: Paper-I for all posts, Paper-II (Statistics) for JSO and SI Grade-II, Paper-III (Finance and Economics) for AAO
- Computer Knowledge Test and Data Entry Speed Test within Tier-II Paper-I (qualifying)
- Post allotment on Tier-II merit and your post preferences, then document verification
Exam pattern
Tier-I
Mode: Computer based, objective multiple choice · Duration: 1 hour, with a 15-minute timer for each section · Negative marking: 0.50 mark per wrong answer
| SUBJECT | QUESTIONS | MARKS |
|---|---|---|
| General Intelligence and Reasoning | 25 | 50 |
| General Awareness | 25 | 50 |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 25 | 50 |
| English Comprehension | 25 | 50 |
Tier-II Paper-I (all posts)
Mode: Computer based; objective questions plus a typing task · Duration: Session-I 2 hours 15 minutes (1 hour each for Sections I and II, 15 minutes for Section III); Session-II 15 minutes · Negative marking: 1 mark per wrong answer in Sections I, II and III
| SUBJECT | QUESTIONS | MARKS |
|---|---|---|
| Section I-A: Mathematical Abilities | 30 | 90 |
| Section I-B: Reasoning and General Intelligence | 30 | 90 |
| Section II-A: English Language and Comprehension | 45 | 135 |
| Section II-B: General Awareness | 25 | 75 |
| Section III: Computer Knowledge Test (qualifying) | 20 | 60 |
| Section IV: Data Entry Speed Test, about 2,000 key depressions in 15 minutes (qualifying) |
Tier-II Paper-II and Paper-III (selected posts only)
Mode: Computer based, objective multiple choice · Duration: 2 hours each · Negative marking: 0.50 mark per wrong answer
| SUBJECT | QUESTIONS | MARKS |
|---|---|---|
| Paper-II: Statistics (JSO and Statistical Investigator Grade-II) | 100 | 200 |
| Paper-III: General Studies, Finance and Economics (Assistant Audit/Accounts Officer) | 100 | 200 |
SSC CGL syllabus
Reasoning (Tier-I and Tier-II)
- Semantic, symbolic and figural analogy and classification
- Number and figural series
- Coding and decoding
- Venn diagrams and drawing inferences
- Paper folding, punched hole and embedded figures
- Critical thinking, emotional and social intelligence
Quantitative Aptitude and Mathematical Abilities
- Number system, percentage, ratio and proportion, averages
- Interest, profit and loss, discount, partnership, mixture and alligation
- Time and distance, time and work
- School algebra, surds and graphs of linear equations
- Triangles and their centres, circles, tangents
- Mensuration of 2D and 3D figures
- Trigonometry, heights and distances
- Histogram, frequency polygon, bar and pie charts; mean, median, mode, standard deviation and simple probability (Tier-II)
English
- Spot the error, fill in the blanks
- Synonyms, antonyms, spellings
- Idioms and phrases, one-word substitution
- Sentence improvement, active and passive voice, direct and indirect speech
- Sentence and paragraph rearrangement, cloze passage
- Comprehension passages, including ones based on reports or editorials (Tier-II)
General Awareness
- Current events
- Everyday science
- History and culture of India and its neighbours
- Geography
- Economic scene and general policy
- Scientific research
Computer Knowledge (Tier-II Section III)
- Computer organisation, CPU, memory, input/output devices, ports
- Windows and MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint basics
- Internet, e-mail and e-banking
- Networking basics and cyber security threats such as viruses, worms and Trojans
Tier-II Paper-II and Paper-III
- Paper-II: Statistics at graduation level, starting with collection, classification and presentation of data
- Paper-III: General Studies (Finance and Economics) at graduation level
What they ask
Tier-I has 100 questions in one hour, split into four sections of 25 with a 15-minute timer each, and 0.50 mark is cut for every wrong answer. The Tier-I quant section is at Class 10 level, while the other three sections are at graduation level. Tier-II decides your rank. Its Paper-I gives 3 marks per question and cuts a full mark for each wrong answer, and the English section alone has 45 questions, with passages from a story and from current-affairs reports or editorials. The Computer Knowledge Test and the typing test only need to be cleared, but posts such as ASO in CSS and Inspector in CBIC set a higher bar for both.
How to prepare
- Practise Tier-I sections against a 15-minute clock each. The timer closes a section even if questions are left, so speed on reasoning and English matters.
- In Tier-II Paper-I a wrong answer costs 1 mark against 3 for a right one. Attempt only the questions you can solve with fair confidence.
- Cover geometry, mensuration, trigonometry and basic statistics along with arithmetic, since all of them are named in the Tier-II Mathematical Abilities syllabus.
- If you want CBIC, CBDT or CSS posts, practise typing about 2,000 key depressions in 15 minutes well before Tier-II, because these posts need higher typing and computer test standards.
- Revise general awareness and English vocabulary with daily topic-wise practice quizzes on the free Improvam app.
SSC CGL is one of the exams in the Improvam app. Open it to start a practice quiz.
Open in the Improvam appPhoto and signature
- Photo: Taken live through the camera during the online application, against a plain background, without cap, mask or spectacles.
- Signature: JPEG/JPG, 10 to 20 KB, about 6.0 cm wide and 2.0 cm high.
Source: official instructions ↗
Resize your photo and signature for SSC CGL
SSC CGL FAQs
It depends on the post. As on 1 August 2026, Group C posts such as Tax Assistant need 18 to 27 years, most Group B posts need 18 to 30 or 20 to 30 years, and Junior Statistical Officer allows up to 32. OBC candidates get 3 extra years and SC/ST candidates get 5.
Sources
- SSC notice: Combined Graduate Level Examination, 2026 ↗ (official, checked )
- Staff Selection Commission home page ↗ (official, checked )
Checked against official sources on . Rules change with each notification, so read the latest one before you apply.