SSC CGL Graduate Level Exam 2026 Application Form

Staff Selection Commission will hold Combined Graduate Level Examination, 2026 for filling up of various Group ‘B’ and Group ‘C’ posts in different Ministries/ Departments/ Organizations of Government of India and various Constitutional Bodies/ Statutory Bodies/ Tribunal.

Name of the Post and Number of Vacancies Advertised: 12,256 Vacancies

Assistant Audit Officer
Assistant Section Officer
Inspector of Income Tax
Inspector (Preventive Officer)
Inspector (Examiner)
Assistant Enforcement Officer
Inspector & Sub Inspector
Executive Assistant
Research Assistant
Divisional Accountant
Junior Statistical Officer
Office Superintendent
Auditor
Accountant
Junior Accountant
Postal Assistant/ Sorting Assistant
Senior Administrative Assistant
Assistant

Important Dates:
Commencement of Online Application: 21-05-2026
Last Date of Online Application: 22-06-2026
Last Date for making Online Fee Payment: 23-06-2026
Tentative Schedule of Tier-I Exam: August – September, 2026
Tentative Schedule of Tier-II Exam: December, 2026

Eligibility Criteria:
Junior Statistical Officer: Bachelor’s degree in any subject from a recognized university or institute with at least 60% Marks in Mathematics at 12th standard level Or Bachelor’s Degree in any subject with statistics as one of the subjects at degree level.

Statistical Investigator Grade-II: Bachelor’s degree in any subject with statistics as one of the subjects from a recognized university or institute. The candidates must have studied statistics as a subject in all the three years or all the 6 semesters of the graduation course.

For All other Posts: Bachelor’s Degree from a recognized University or equivalent. The candidates who have appeared in the final year of their graduation can also apply, however, they must possess essential qualifications on or before the cut-off date, which is 01-08-2024.

Remuneration: Pay Level-7 (₹ 44900 to 142400), Pay Level-6 (₹ 35400 to 112400), Pay Level-5 (₹ 29200 to 92300), Pay Level-4 (₹ 25500 to 81100)

Age Limit As on 01-08-2026:

Group C Posts: Candidates must have attained the minimum age of 18 years and must not have crossed the maximum age of 27 years (30 years for Inspector of Income Tax, CBDT), Candidate must have been born not earlier than 02-08-1997 and not later than 01-08-2006.

Group B Posts: Candidates must have attained the minimum age of 18 years (20 years for Sub Inspector, and Assistant Section Officer) and must not have crossed the maximum age of 30 years (32 years for Junior Statistical Officer), Candidate must have been born not earlier than 02-08-1994 and not later than 01-08- 2004.

Application Fee: ₹ 100/
SC, ST, PwBD, Exservicemen, and Women candidates are exempted from payment of fee.
Candidates are suggested to pay the application fee online.

Selection Process: Candidates will be selected on the basis of computer based examination conducted in two tiers.

Scheme of Tier-I Exam:

General Intelligence and Reasoning is 50 marks, General Awareness is 50 marks, Quantitative Aptitude is 50 marks, English Comprehension is 50 marks and there will be negative marking of 0.50 for each wrong answer.

Scheme of Tier-II Exam:

Paper-1 contains Session-I of 2 hours and 15 minutes duration, and Session-II of 15 minutes duration. Paper-I is compulsory for all the posts.

Session-I of 2 hours and 15 minutes duration

Section-I:

Module-I: Mathematical Abilities
Module-II: Reasoning and General Intelligence

Section-II:

Module-I: English Language and Comprehension
Module-II: General Awareness

Section-III:

Module-I: Computer Knowledge
Module-II: Data Entry Speed Test [Session-II of 15 minutes duration]
Paper-II: Statistics of two hours duration. Paper-II will be for only those candidates who apply for the posts of Junior Statistical Officer (JSO) in the Ministry of statistics and Programme Implementation and statistical investigator Grade-II in the Office of registrar general of india (M/o Home Affairs) and who are shortlisted in Tier-I for these Posts.

Application Mode: Online

How to Apply: Candidates are suggested to apply online through the official website of the Staff Selection Commission (SSC), at https://ssc.gov.in

For complete details on this recruitment exam please go through the official recruitment page of Staff Selection Commission (SSC) at https://ssc.gov.in/Notice_of_adv_cgl_2026

 

 

SSC CGL 2026 Exam Preparation

Preparing for the SSC CGL 2026 exam? As per the SSC Calendar 2026, the SSC CGL exam 2026 is tentatively scheduled in July 2026. Therefore, it is important for candidates to start their preparation well in time. SSC Combined Graduate Level (CGL) Exam serves as a prime opportunity for graduates aspiring to land Group B and C government jobs in central government departments—such as Income Tax Inspectors, Assistants and CBI officers. With over 10,000+ vacancies expected in 2026, it’s a fiercely competitive exam.

However, cracking the SSC CGL exam is entirely achievable with the right preparation strategy, consistent effort and a focused mindset. Success in the first attempt becomes possible when aspirants follow a structured study plan, stay disciplined and approach the exam with confidence and clarity.

 

1. SSC CGL 2026 Exam Overview

The Staff Selection Commission Combined Graduate Level (SSC CGL) exam is conducted in two main tiers:

• Tier I: Objective-based screening test
• Tier II: Detailed paper for final selection

A well-structured plan for each tier is vital for success.

Let's understand the Exam Pattern and Syllabus:

Tier-1: Objective, 200 marks, 60 minutes

• General Intelligence & Reasoning
• General Awareness
• Quantitative Aptitude
• English Comprehension

Here is the breakdown of SSC CGL Tier 1 Exam Pattern 2026:

Sections	Number of Questions	Total Marks	Duration
General Intelligence and Reasoning	25	50
General Awareness	25	50
Quantitative Aptitude	25	50	60 minutes
English Comprehension	25	50
Total	100	200	1 Hour

Tier-2: Mains with 4 papers

• Paper I: Quantitative Abilities
• Paper II: Reasoning & General Intelligence
• Paper III: English Language & Comprehension
• Paper IV: General Awareness & Computer Knowledge

Please find the breakdown of SSC CGL Tier 2 Exam Pattern 2026:

Paper	Session	Section	Subject / Module	No. of Questions	Max. Marks	Time Allowed
Paper-I	Session-I (2 hrs 15 mins)	Section-I	Module-I: Mathematical Abilities	30	180 (60×3)	1 hour (2 hrs 20 mins for scribes)
			Module-II: Reasoning & General Intelligence	30
		Section-II	Module-I: English Language & Comprehension	45	210 (70×3)	1 hour (2 hrs 20 mins for scribes)
			Module-II: General Awareness	25
		Section-III	Module-I: Computer Knowledge Module	20	60 (20×3)	15 mins (20 mins for scribes)
	Session-II (15 mins)	Section-III	Module-II: Data Entry Speed Test Module	One Data Entry Task	–	15 mins (20 mins for scribes)
Paper-II	–	–	Statistics	100	200 (100×2)	2 hours (2 hrs 40 mins for scribes)

Action Step: Download the latest syllabus and make a topic-wise breakdown—starting with high-weightage areas in Tier-1.

 

2. Analyze Previous Year Papers

• Understanding the patterns of previous years' papers is important. It will help understand the commonly occurring topics such as Coding-Decoding, Data Interpretation and Static General Knowledge.
• Topper Tip: Solve at least 8 to 10 previous year papers to get familiar with the types of questions, topic-wise distribution and difficulty level.
• Maintain a spreadsheet to record question frequency by topic—this will keep you aware of strong and weak areas from the beginning.

3. Subject-Wise Preparation Strategy

General Intelligence & Reasoning

• Focus on puzzles, blood relations, syllogism, analogy, missing numbers, and coding-decoding.
• Practice non-verbal reasoning topics such as figure classification and pattern recognition.

 

Topic	Strategy
Classification	Understand types and practice pattern-based questions.
Analogy	Practice verbal and non-verbal analogies.
Series	Focus on number/alphabet series regularly.
Coding-Decoding	Learn common coding formats with examples.
Puzzles	Begin with easy puzzles; move to complex ones.
Seating Arrangement	Practice daily to build logical thinking.
Non-Verbal Reasoning	Work on figure-based problems and mirror images.

 

Quantitative Aptitude

• Key topics: Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, Mensuration, Trigonometry, and Data Interpretation.
• Learn shortcuts for calculations and practice daily to increase speed and accuracy.
• Recommended Book: R.S. Aggarwal or any updated SSC Quantitative book.
• Maths can boost scores with conceptual clarity and speed.

 

Topic	Strategy
Number System	Learn properties, LCM/HCF, and divisibility rules.
Simplification	Use Vedic math techniques for speed.
Algebra	Master identities and equation-solving methods.
Geometry	Focus on theorems, area, and volume formulas.
Data Interpretation	Practice pie charts, bar graphs, and tables.
Time & Distance	Memorize formulas and practice real-world problems.
Profit & Loss	Learn concepts with percentage linkage.
Percentage	Practice daily to improve calculation speed.

 

English Comprehension

• Focus areas: Reading Comprehension, Cloze Test, Sentence Correction, Fill in the Blanks, and Error Spotting.
• Read newspapers daily and create a personal word list.
• Practice grammar rules from books like Wren & Martin.
• English requires practice in grammar, vocabulary, and comprehension.

 

Topic	Strategy
Grammar Basics	Focus on tense, articles, and sentence structure.
Vocabulary	Learn synonyms, antonyms, idioms daily.
Reading Comprehension	Practice short and long passages regularly.
Sentence Improvement	Identify and correct grammatical errors.
Error Spotting	Focus on subject-verb agreement, articles, prepositions.
Cloze Test	Practice with contextual understanding.

 

General Awareness & Computer Knowledge

• Prioritize current affairs from the last 6 to 8 months.
• Read topics from Polity, History, Geography, Economy, and Science.
• For computer awareness, study MS Office basics, internet fundamentals, and common software tools.

 

Stay informed with a blend of current and static knowledge.

Topic	Strategy
Current Affairs	Read daily news, focus on government and economic events.
Static GK	Cover polity, geography, history, and basic economics.
Government Schemes	Track recent schemes and their objectives.
Sports	Know major events, winners, and sports terminology.
Famous Personalities	Learn about leaders, scientists, authors, and global figures.
Books and Authors	Memorize recent publications and notable writers.

4. SSC CGL 2026: Latest Exam Updates

Revised Question Quality

• SSC has improved the question quality with more focus on reasoning, mathematics and general knowledge.

Higher Weightage for General Awareness

• The General Awareness section now holds greater importance, especially with a stronger focus on current affairs.

5. Use High-Quality Study Materials

Stick to a reliable set of books and online platforms. Avoid jumping between too many resources.

Recommended Study Material

Section	Book/Resource
Quant/DI	R.S. Aggarwal, Fast Track Arithmetic
Reasoning	R.S. Aggarwal, MK Pandey
English	Wren & Martin, Word Power Made Easy
GK/Current Affairs	Lucent’s GK, Pratiyogita Darpan
Computer Awareness	Arihant’s Objective Computer Awareness

Combine these with online test series and video lectures to enhance understanding.

6. Focus on Revision

Consistent revision is what differentiates successful candidates.

• Create flashcards or revision notes.
• Revise formulas, key facts, and grammar rules weekly.
• Set Sunday as your revision day and revisit all major topics.
• Review your mistake log every week and work on improvement.

7. Start Tier-2 Preparation Early

Don’t wait until Tier-1 results to start preparing for Tier-2. The syllabus is more advanced, and you’ll need extra time for:

• Data Interpretation
• Advanced Math
• Essay and Letter Writing (if Descriptive Paper is reintroduced)
• English Grammar, Usage, and Reading Skills

Use at least 2 hours daily for Tier-2 preparation alongside Tier-1 topics.

8. Stay Updated with Notifications and Admit Cards

• Keep checking the official SSC website regularly.