SSC CGL 2026 Notification Out @ssc.gov.in, Online, Exam Date, 12256 vacancies
The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) has officially released the SSC CGL Notification 2026 on its official website, ssc.gov.in, aiming to fill a total of 12,256 vacancies for various Group B and Group C posts. Interested and eligible candidates can apply till 22nd June 2026.
Also, SSC has introduced some changes for this year's examination. This year, there will be 3 papers in Tier 2, including AAO, and the most significant change is the introduction of sectional timing in both Tier 1 and Tier 2. In this article, we provide the complete details on the SSC CGL Notification, including vacancy distribution, eligiblity criteria, direct link to apply online, exam pattern, syllabus, salary, and much more.
SSC CGL Notification 2026 Out
The SSC CGL Recruitment 2026 is open to all Graduates within the age limit of 18 to 32 years. The selection process consists of Tier 1 and Tier 2 (Tier 1 is scheduled for August-September 2026). SSC has released the detailed SSC CGL 2026 Notification PDF, which contains complete information on vacancies, eligibility criteria, examination scheme, syllabus, reservation policy, application process, and post-wise details. Candidates should carefully review the official notification, which is provided below.
SSC CGL 2026 Official Notification PDF
SSC CGL 2026- Highlights
The Staff Selection Commission has announced the complete schedule for SSC CGL Recruitment 2026. Candidates must complete their applications before the deadline to avoid last-minute server issues. The last date to apply is 22nd June 2026. Candidates can check SSC CGL Notification 2026 highlights below:
Highlight | Details |
Recruitment Details | Exam Name: Combined Graduate Level Examination, 2026 Post Name: Various (Group B and C) Vacancy: 12,256 Exam Level: Pan India |
Application Process | Application Mode: Online Application Dates: 21st May to 22nd June 2026 Apply at: www.ssc.gov.in Application Fee: Rs. 100/- One-Time Registration (OTR) Required? Yes |
Eligibility Criteria | Age Limit: 18 to 32 years (as per post) Age Relaxation: Applicable Qualification: Graduation (Minimum) (Stream as per post) Nationality: Indian |
Selection Process | Tier 1 (Qualifying) (Computer-Based Test) Tier 2 (Merit-making) (Computer-Based Test) Document Verification |
Salary | Rs. 25,500 - 1,51,100/- (As per post) |
SSC CGL Exam Date 2026
The Commission has announced that the SSC CGL Tier 1 Exam 2026 will be conducted in August–September 2026, while the Tier 2 Exam is scheduled for December 2026. The exact exam dates, shift timings, exam city details, and admit card release schedule will be notified separately on the official SSC website.
Events | Dates |
Notification Date | 21st May 2026 |
Online Application Started | 21st May 2026 |
Last Date to Submit the form | 22nd June 2026 |
Last Date for Receipt of Online Applications | 22nd June 2026 (11:00 PM) |
Last Date for Online Fee Payment | 23rd June 2026 (11:00 PM) |
Application Form Correction Window (Including Online Payment) | 29th June 2026 to 1st July 2026 (11:00 PM) |
Tier 1 Exam Date | August to September 2026 |
Tier 2 Exam Date | December 2026 |
Answer Key | 7-10 days after exam |
SSC CGL Vacancy 2026 Details
Total vacancy for Graduate level posts is 12,256 across various Central Govt Ministries/Departments/Institutions. This year, SSC has also included the Assistant Audit Officer/Assistant Account Officer post in the list.
Sr. No. | Post Name | Ministry/Department | Classification |
1 | Assistant Audit Officer (Central Cadre) | Indian Audit & Accounts Department under C&AG | Group “B” Gazetted (Non-Ministerial) |
2 | Assistant Audit Officer (State Cadre) | Indian Audit & Accounts Department under C&AG | |
3 | Assistant Accounts Officer (State Cadre) | Indian Audit & Accounts Department under C&AG | |
4 | Assistant Section Officer | Central Secretariat Service | Group “B” |
5 | Assistant Section Officer | Intelligence Bureau | |
6 | Assistant Section Officer | Ministry of Railways | |
7 | Assistant Section Officer | Ministry of External Affairs | |
8 | Assistant Section Officer | AFHQ | |
9 | Assistant Section Officer | Ministry of Electronics & IT | |
10 | Assistant/Assistant Section Officer | Other Ministries/Departments | |
11 | Inspector of Income Tax | CBDT | |
12 | Inspector (Central Excise) | CBIC | |
13 | Inspector (Preventive Officer) | CBIC | |
14 | Inspector (Examiner) | CBIC | |
15 | Assistant Enforcement Officer | Directorate of Enforcement | |
16 | Sub Inspector | CBI | |
17 | Inspector Posts | Department of Posts | |
18 | Inspector | Central Bureau of Narcotics | |
19 | Assistant/Assistant Section Officer | Other Ministries/Departments | |
20 | Executive Assistant | CBIC | |
21 | Research Assistant | NHRC | |
22 | Divisional Accountant | Offices under C&AG | |
23 | Sub Inspector | NIA | |
24 | Sub-Inspector/Junior Intelligence Officer | Narcotics Control Bureau | |
25 | Junior Statistical Officer | Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation | |
26 | Statistical Investigator Grade-II | Ministry of Home Affairs | |
27 | Office Superintendent | CBDT | |
28 | Section Head | DGFT | |
29 | Auditor | Offices under C&AG | Group “C” |
30 | Auditor | Offices under CGDA | |
31 | Auditor | Other Ministries/Departments | |
32 | Accountant | Offices under C&AG | |
33 | Accountant | Controller General of Accounts | |
34 | Accountant/Junior Accountant | Other Ministries/Departments | |
35 | Postal Assistant/Sorting Assistant | Department of Posts | |
36 | Senior Secretariat Assistant/UDC | Central Govt. Offices/Ministries | |
37 | Senior Administrative Assistant | Military Engineering Services | |
38 | Tax Assistant | CBDT | |
39 | Tax Assistant | CBIC | |
40 | Sub-Inspector | Central Bureau of Narcotics |
Last 9 Years Vacancy Trends
This year (2026), the vacancy is slightly lower compared to 2025 and 2024. The table below mentions the year-wise data, so you can analyse for yourself.
CGL Year | Vacancies |
2026 | 12,256 |
2025 | 14,582 |
2024 | 17,727 |
2023 | 8,415 |
2022 | 37,409 |
2021 | 7,621 |
2020 | 7,035 |
2019 | 8,428 |
2018 | 11,271 |
2017 | 9,276 |
SSC CGL Eligibility Criteria
Candidates applying for SSC CGL 2026 must meet the required age limit, educational qualification, and nationality criteria. The table below shows the complete eligibility details, including age limits, qualifications, and nationality requirements for the exam.
Post-Wise Age Limit (As on 1/8/2026)
The age limit is different for different posts, and relaxations are provided to reserved category candidates.
Post Group | Age Limit |
Group B | 18 To 32 years (For some posts minimum age is 20 years and the maximum age is 30 years. Refer to official notification for post-wise age limit) |
Group C | 18 To 27 years |
Post-wise Qualification
Post Name | Essential Qualification |
Assistant Audit Officer (Central Cadre) | Bachelor’s Degree from a recognised University/Institute Desirable: CA/CMA/Company Secretary/Master’s in Commerce/Business Studies/MBA (Finance)/Business Economics |
Assistant Audit Officer (State Cadre) | Bachelor’s Degree in any discipline from a recognised University Desirable: CA/CMA/Company Secretary/Master’s in Commerce/Business Studies/MBA (Finance)/Business Economics Proficiency in the Regional/Official Language of the State at the matriculation level |
Assistant Accounts Officer (State Cadre) | Bachelor’s Degree + Proficiency in the Regional/Official Language of the State at the matriculation level |
Junior Statistical Officer (JSO) | Bachelor’s Degree with 60% marks in Mathematics in Class 12 OR Statistics as a subject at the degree level |
Statistical Investigator Grade-II | Bachelor’s Degree: in Statistics/Mathematics/Economics/Demography/Population Studies/ Operation Research/IT/Computer Science/Computer Engineering/Computer Technology/Computer Application/Data Science/Artificial Intelligence |
All Other Posts | Bachelor’s Degree from a recognised University or equivalent |
Age Relaxation
Category | Age Relaxation |
SC/ST | 5 years |
OBC | 3 years |
PwBD | 10 years |
PwBD (OBC) | 13 years |
PwBD (SC/ST) | 15 years |
Ex-Servicemen (ESM) | 3 years after deduction of military service |
Defence Personnel disabled in operation | 3 years |
Defence Personnel disabled in operation (SC/ST) | 8 years |
Central Govt. Civilian Employees | Up to 40 years |
Central Govt. Civilian Employees (SC/ST) | Up to 45 years |
Widows/Divorced Women/Women judicially separated | Up to 35 years |
Widows/Divorced Women/Women judicially separated (SC/ST) | Up to 40 years |
Nationality
A candidate must be either:
- a citizen of India, or
- a subject of Nepal, or
- a subject of Bhutan, or
- a person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, East African Countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania (Formerly Tanganyika and Zanzibar), Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia and Vietnam with the intention of permanently settling in India.
How many attempts are allowed in SSC CGL?
There is no fixed number of attempts in SSC CGL. Candidates can appear till they meet the age limit and eligibility criteria.
SSC CGL 2026 Online Form
The SSC CGL 2026 online application process has begun on the official SSC website. Before submitting their applications, candidates should carefully review the instructions provided in the notification. The official guidelines include detailed information regarding document uploads, form completion, fee payment, and other important requirements to ensure successful registration.
SSC CGL Apply Online 2026 Link - Active
Application Fee
The application fee for SSC CGL 2026 is Rs. 100/- for General and OBC candidates. Women candidates, SC, ST, PwBD, and eligible Ex-Servicemen are exempted from fee payment.
SSC CGL Selection Process
The Selection Process consists of two examination stages: Tier 1 and Tier 2. There is no Interview in the process.
Stage | Process |
Stage 1 | Tier 1 (Prelims Exam) |
Stage 2 | Tier 2 (Mains Exam) |
Stage 3 | Answer Key & Objection Process |
Stage 4 | Document Verification (DV) |
SSC CGL 2026 Exam Pattern (New)
SSC has introduced sectional timing in both Tier 1 and Tier 2 stages this year. Check the tier-wise exam pattern below.
Tier 1 Exam Pattern
- Exam Mode: Online
- Question Type: Objective (MCQs)
- Total Questions: 100 (25 per section)
- Total Marks: 200
- Duration: 1 hour (15 mins per section)
- Negative Marking: 0.50 marks for each wrong answer
Sections | No. of Questions | Marks | Duration |
English Comprehension | 25 | 50 | 15 Mins |
General Awareness | 25 | 50 | 15 Mins |
General Intelligence and Reasoning | 25 | 50 | 15 Mins |
Quantitative Aptitude | 25 | 50 | 15 Mins |
Total | 100 | 200 | 60 Mins |
Tier 2 Exam Pattern
This year, there will be 3 papers in total: Paper 1 is compulsory for all and Paper 2 and 3 are for JSO and AAO post only, respectively.
- The exam mode is completely online
- Questions in Tier 2 are asked in MCQ format only
- There is no descriptive paper in CGL Tier 2 Exam.
- There is a negative marking of 1 mark for each incorrect answer.
- There is sectional timing in Sections 1 and 2 of Paper I as shown below.
Paper | Session | Section | Subject | No. of Questions | Maximum Marks | Duration | Weightage |
Paper I | Session I | Section I | Mathematical Abilities | 30 | 90 | 30 minutes | 23% |
Reasoning and General Intelligence | 30 | 90 | 30 minutes | 23% | |||
Section II | English Language and Comprehension | 45 | 135 | 40 minutes | 35% | ||
General Awareness | 25 | 75 | 20 minutes | 19% | |||
Section III | Computer Knowledge Test | 20 | 60 | 15 minutes | - | ||
Session II | Data Entry Speed Test | One Data Entry Task | Qualifying | 15 minutes | - | ||
Paper II | For JSO only | Statistics | Statistics | 100 | 200 | 2 hours | - |
Paper III | for AAO only | General Studies | General Studies (Finance and Economics) | 100 | 200 | 2 hours | - |
SSC CGL 2026 Syllabus
The Commission has officially released the SSC CGL Syllabus 2026 for Tier 1 and Tier 2 in the official notification which means the candidates doesnt have to refer to anything else. Both Tier 1 and Tier 2 consists of General Intelligence & Reasoning, General Awareness, Quantitative Aptitude, and General English. Other than this Tier 2 also consists of Computer Knowledge and Data Speed Entry Test.
How Sectional Timing Changes SSC CGL Preparation in 2026?
SSC has introduced sectional timing in both Tier 1 and Tier 2 exams. Candidates will now get a fixed time for each section and will not be able to switch between sections during the allotted time. As a result, aspirants must prepare all subjects equally well and focus on improving both speed and accuracy within the allotted time.
SSC CGL Pay Level and Salary
The SSC CGL Pay Level ranges from 4 to 8 and the post that has the highest salary are Assistant Audit Officer (AAO) and Assistant Accounts Officer (AAO) i.e., Rs. 47,600 - 1,51,100. Check salary range for other posts as well.
Pay Level | Salary Range |
Level 8 | Rs. 47,600 - 1,51,100 |
Level-7 | Rs. 44,900 – 1,42,400 |
Level-6 | Rs. 35,400 – 1,12,400 |
Level-5 | Rs. 29,200 – 92,300 |
Level-4 | Rs. 25,500 – 81,100 |
Is SSC CGL a good career option after graduation?
Yes, SSC CGL offers stable government jobs, attractive salary, promotions, allowances, and job security in Central Government departments.
SSC CGL 2026 Post Preference Guide
While making a choice regarding post, candidates must consider job profile, promotion opportunities, posting location, work-life balance, and career growth and not just salary. Mostly candidates prefer Group B posts as it offers high pay and better career growth prospects. Some of the most sought-after SSC CGL posts are:
- Assistant Section Officer (ASO) in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and CSS
- Income Tax Inspector
- Examiner
- Assistant Audit Officer (AAO)
- Assistant Enforcement Officer (AEO).
How to Choose SSC CGL Post Preference?
Here are some factors to consider while deciding post preferences:
Work Profile: It depends on whether you prefer office-based administrative work or field duties. Based on job profile and location you can choose as per your suitability.
Promotion Opportunities: Must review the promotion hierarchy for each before making a choice.
Posting Location: If you prefer fixed working hours and fixed job location, then prefer Ministry jobs
Work-Life Balance: Administrative posts usually offer fixed working hours and a better work-life balance compared to field-oriented jobs.
Salary and Allowances: Although most SSC CGL posts provide attractive salaries, allowances and benefits may vary depending on the department and posting location.
SSC CGL Mock test 2026- Attempt Now!
SSC CGL Online Coaching 2026 - Click to Check
SSC CGL Examination Centre List
While filling out the application form, candidates are advised to choose the Tier 1 and Tier 2 exam centres carefully, as no requests for centre changes will be entertained later. Candidates can pick and choose the city of their convenience and carefully fill it in the application form along with centre code. If you want to know the names of all available cities, then check here: