SSC CGL 2026: Tier 1 dates, 10,731 vacancies, Tier 2, salary, eligibility and result

SSC CGL 2026 exam date and notification: what happened so far

The notice was uploaded on 21 May 2026. Here is the sequence as SSC published it:

SSC reopened the form after it received "a number of representations" from candidates who could not apply in time. The notice of 23 June 2026 says that more than 28 lakh candidates had already applied by then, and that the closing date for working out eligibility moved to 25 June 2026.

The schedule has slipped. The notice of 21 May 2026 said Tier-I would be held in "August-September, 2026". The SSC calendar on the same site, loaded in January 2026, had pencilled Tier-I for May to June 2026. The actual window, fixed by the Important Notice of 12 September 2026, is 30 September to 30 October 2026. See also our report on SSC's November and December exam dates and the Tier-I admit card report.

SSC CGL 2026 admit card and exam city

SSC's notice of 21 September 2026 says candidates can see their exam city by logging in on ssc.gov.in. The admit card (Admission Certificate) becomes available "prior to two/three (02/03) days of respective date of examination", through the same login. Candidates who use their own scribe had to map the scribe's registration number by 11 pm on 24 September 2026.

Candidates choose three centres in one region. In the Western Region, which covers Gujarat, the notice lists Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Mehsana, Rajkot, Surat and Vadodara among its centres. SSC does not accept requests to change a centre later.

SSC CGL 2026 vacancy: how many posts and which ones

The notice says "approx. 12,256 vacancies" and adds that updated post-wise numbers will go on the website. The tentative list as on 24 September 2026 totals 10,731 vacancies across 59 post lines. The list itself warns that "final vacancies may vary from the tentative vacancies". SSC also notes that it does not collect state-wise or zone-wise vacancies; ask the user department for those.

The biggest lines in that list:

• Inspector (Central Excise), CBIC: 2,366
• Tax Assistant, CBDT: 1,400
• Auditor, Defence Accounts (CGDA): 875
• Tax Assistant, CBIC: 841
• Assistant Section Officer, Central Secretariat Service: 668
• Inspector of Income Tax, CBDT: 595
• Assistant Audit Officer / Assistant Accounts Officer, C&AG: 504, 504 and 513 across three lines

Group B (Level 6 to 8) lines add up to 6,675 vacancies, and Group C (Level 4 and 5) lines to 4,056.

SSC CGL salary: pay levels in the notice

The notice groups posts by 7th Pay Commission level and prints the basic pay band for each:

These are basic pay bands only. SSC does not publish the in-hand salary, which depends on allowances and the city of posting.

SSC CGL eligibility 2026: degree and age

Education: a bachelor's degree from a recognised university or institute is enough for most posts. Final-year students could apply, but they must hold the degree on 1 August 2026. Exceptions:

• Junior Statistical Officer: a degree with at least 60% marks in Mathematics at Class 12, or a degree with Statistics as a subject.
• Statistical Investigator Grade II: a degree in Statistics, Mathematics, Economics, Computer Science, Data Science or a few related fields.
• Assistant Audit Officer (State Cadre) and Assistant Accounts Officer (State Cadre): a degree plus proficiency in the state's regional language at matriculation level.

Age on 1 August 2026:

Relaxation above the upper limit is 5 years for SC and ST, 3 years for OBC and 10 years for persons with benchmark disabilities (13 for OBC and 15 for SC and ST). The fee was ₹100, free for women, SC, ST, PwBD and eligible ex-servicemen.

SSC CGL 2026 exam pattern

Tier-I: four subjects, all objective, 25 questions each.

That is 100 questions for 200 marks in one hour, with a 15-minute timer for each subject. Each wrong answer costs 0.50 marks. Scores from different shifts are normalised.

Tier-II:

• Paper-I (everyone): Section I (Mathematical Abilities and Reasoning, 60 questions, 180 marks), Section II (English and General Awareness, 70 questions, 210 marks) and Section III (Computer Knowledge Test, 20 questions, 60 marks). Wrong answers cost 1 mark. Section IV is a 15-minute Data Entry Speed Test of about 2,000 key depressions.
• Paper-II (Statistics): 100 questions, 200 marks, only for Junior Statistical Officer and Statistical Investigator Grade II shortlists.
• Paper-III (Finance and Economics): 100 questions, 200 marks, only for Assistant Audit Officer and Assistant Accounts Officer shortlists.

Papers II and III carry 0.50 negative marking. The Computer Knowledge Test and the typing test are qualifying, but SSC sets higher standards for posts that need computer skills, such as Tax Assistant and the CBIC Inspector posts.

SSC CGL 2026 syllabus

The notice gives an indicative Tier-I syllabus. Questions in the Reasoning, General Awareness and English parts are set at graduation level, and the notice says the Quantitative Aptitude part is of Class 10 level.

• Reasoning: analogies, classification, series, coding and decoding, Venn diagrams, syllogism, figure folding and counting.
• General Awareness: current events, India and its neighbours, history, culture, geography, economy, policy and scientific research.
• Quantitative Aptitude: percentage, ratio, averages, interest, profit and loss, time and work, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, mensuration and data charts.
• English: comprehension and correct English.

Tier-II Paper-I tests mathematical abilities, reasoning, English, general awareness and computer knowledge. Read paras 13.10 and 13.11 of the notice for the full topic list.

SSC CGL result and answer key: what is out and what is not

CGL 2026: on 22 October 2026 ssc.gov.in shows no Tier-I tentative answer key, no Tier-I result and no Tier-II notice. SSC's notice says that answer keys go up after the exam and candidates can challenge them online at ₹100 per question, non-refundable. Re-evaluation of scores is not offered. The Tier-I result will shortlist candidates category-wise for Tier-II, using cut-offs. Minimum qualifying marks are 30% for UR, 25% for OBC and EWS, and 20% for others.

CGL 2025 (the last cycle), for a sense of the pace: Tier-I result on 18 December 2025, Tier-II tentative answer key on 30 January 2026, first allocation on 8 April 2026 and the final result on 14 May 2026. SSC provisionally recommended 15,118 candidates against 15,118 vacancies. The same write-up lists the marks and date of birth of the last selected candidate for each post and category. The earlier Tier-I result write-up is also on the site.

SSC CGL 2026 selection process

1. Tier-I: qualifying and shortlisting round.
2. Tier-II: Paper-I for all, with Paper-II or III for statistics and audit posts. Merit comes from Tier-II marks only.
3. Post preference: an online option form. SSC treats it as final and irreversible, and you are allotted the first post you ranked high enough for.
4. Document verification and, for some posts, physical or medical tests by the user department. Inspector (Central Excise), Preventive Officer, Examiner and some Sub-Inspector posts have physical standards.

What to do next

• If you are writing Tier-I: keep checking your login for the admit card two to three days before your date. Carry a valid photo ID and follow the instructions on the admit card.
• After your paper: the tentative answer key comes with your response sheet. Check it, and challenge only answers you can prove. Each challenge costs ₹100.
• Prepare for Tier-II early. It is a longer paper with 1-mark negatives, so practise accuracy. Add typing practice for the 15-minute data entry test.
• Decide your post order now. Read the physical and medical rules for Inspector and Sub-Inspector posts before you rank them.
• Keep documents ready: degree proof, category certificate in SSC's format and, for EWS, an income and asset certificate valid for 2026-27.
• Other exams in the same season: our SSC CHSL 2026 guide covers the Class 12 level exam, whose Tier-I is proposed from 30 November 2026. Banking aspirants can read the SBI PO 2026 guide, railway aspirants the RRB NTPC 2026 guide, and Gujarat candidates the Gujarat Police Bharti guide.