SSC CGL 2026 Syllabus (Tier 1 + Tier 2)
| Section | Topics | Tier 1 questions | Tier 1 marks |
|---|
|
| General Intelligence + Reasoning | Analogies, similarities + differences, spatial visualization, spatial orientation, problem solving, analysis, judgment, decision making, visual memory, discrimination, observation, relationship concepts, arithmetic reasoning, verbal + figure classification, arithmetic number series, non-verbal series, coding + decoding, statement conclusion, syllogistic reasoning, Venn diagrams, puzzle, blood relations, seating arrangement, direction sense, coding-decoding, analogy, classification, series, mirror + water images, paper folding + cutting, embedded figures, figure counting, dot situation, dice, cubes + cuboids, Venn diagrams | 25 | 50 |
| General Awareness | Current events (India + international), Indian Polity + Constitution, Indian Geography + World Geography, Indian History + World History, Indian Economy + Indian Culture, Science (Physics + Chemistry + Biology + Computer Science, up to Class 10 + 12 level), Sports, Awards + Honors, Books + Authors, Important Days, Inventions + Discoveries, National + International Organizations, Indian Polity + Constitution, Indian Economy, Indian Geography, Indian History, Indian Culture | 25 | 50 |
| Quantitative Aptitude | Number System, LCM + HCF, Percentage, Average, Ratio + Proportion, Mixture + Allegation, Partnership, Profit + Loss, Discount, Simple + Compound Interest, Time + Work, Pipe + Cistern, Speed + Distance + Time, Boat + Stream, Algebra, Geometry (Triangles, Circles, Quadrilaterals, Polygons), Mensuration (2D + 3D), Trigonometry, Statistics (Mean, Median, Mode, Standard Deviation, Data Interpretation) | 25 | 50 |
| English Comprehension | Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary (Synonyms, Antonyms, Spelling, Idioms + Phrases, One-Word Substitution), Grammar (Spotting Errors, Sentence Correction, Sentence Improvement, Active-Passive, Direct-Indirect, Tense, Voice, Narration), Fill in the Blanks, Cloze Test, Para Jumbles, Sentence Rearrangement, Active-Passive Voice, Direct-Indirect Speech, Idioms + Phrases, Spelling Correction | 25 | 50 |
The Tier 1 syllabus is 100 questions across 4 sections (General Intelligence + Reasoning + General Awareness + Quantitative Aptitude + English Comprehension), each 25 questions and 50 marks. The Tier 2 syllabus is 2-3 papers depending on the post (Paper 1: Quantitative Aptitude + English Language + Comprehension + Statistics, Paper 2: Finance + Economics for Auditor + Accountant, Paper 3: General Studies Finance + Economics for AAO). The 2026 syllabus is the same as the 2024 + 2025 syllabus, with no major changes. The 2026 typical candidate studies 300-500 hours across 4-6 months to cover the Tier 1 + Tier 2 syllabus.
Salary + Perks + Career Progression (2026)
| Post | Pay Level | Starting basic pay (INR) | Starting gross salary (INR/month, basic + DA + HRA + perks) | 5-year salary (INR/month) | 10-year salary (INR/month) |
|---|
|
| Income Tax Inspector | Level 8 | INR 47,600 | INR 75,000-1,00,000 | INR 1,20,000-1,40,000 | INR 1,60,000-1,80,000 |
| Assistant Section Officer | Level 7 | INR 44,900 | INR 70,000-95,000 | INR 1,10,000-1,30,000 | INR 1,50,000-1,70,000 |
| Auditor | Level 6 | INR 35,400 | INR 55,000-75,000 | INR 90,000-1,10,000 | INR 1,20,000-1,40,000 |
| Sub Inspector | Level 6 | INR 35,400 | INR 55,000-75,000 | INR 90,000-1,10,000 | INR 1,20,000-1,40,000 |
| Inspector (Central Excise + Income Tax) | Level 7 | INR 44,900 | INR 70,000-95,000 | INR 1,10,000-1,30,000 | INR 1,50,000-1,70,000 |
| Junior Statistical Officer | Level 6 | INR 35,400 | INR 55,000-75,000 | INR 90,000-1,10,000 | INR 1,20,000-1,40,000 |
| Accountant | Level 5 | INR 29,200 | INR 45,000-60,000 | INR 70,000-90,000 | INR 1,00,000-1,20,000 |
| Tax Assistant | Level 4 | INR 25,500 | INR 40,000-55,000 | INR 60,000-80,000 | INR 90,000-1,10,000 |
| Assistant / UDC | Level 4 | INR 25,500 | INR 40,000-55,000 | INR 60,000-80,000 | INR 90,000-1,10,000 |
The salary structure is the standard central government 7th CPC pay matrix + Dearness Allowance (DA, currently 50% of basic pay, revised quarterly) + House Rent Allowance (HRA, 24% / 16% / 8% of basic pay based on the city class) + Transport Allowance (INR 3,600-7,200/month based on Pay Level) + other perks (CGHS medical, LTC, NPS pension, HBA, etc.). The 2026 starting gross salary ranges from INR 40,000/month (Tax Assistant, Level 4) to INR 1,00,000/month (Income Tax Inspector, Level 8) in the metro cities (Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Pune, Ahmedabad). The 10-year salary ranges from INR 90,000/month (Level 4) to INR 1,80,000/month (Level 8) with 3-5 promotions and the corresponding pay-level upgrades.
2-Month Preparation Strategy for SSC CGL 2026 Tier 1 (June-August 2026)
The 2026 SSC CGL Tier 1 exam is on August 18-28, 2026, with the application window closing July 11, 2026. The 2-month preparation strategy for working professionals + fresh graduates:
| Week | Focus | Hours/day | Total hours | Tools |
|---|
| Week 1-2 (June 12 - June 25) | Syllabus familiarization + Quantitative Aptitude foundation (Number System + Percentage + Ratio + Proportion + Average + Profit + Loss + Simple Interest) | 3-4 hours | 40-50 hours | NCERT Mathematics Class 6-10, Kiran SSC Mathematics, Rakesh Yadav SSC Mathematics 7300+ |
| Week 3-4 (June 26 - July 9) | General Intelligence + Reasoning foundation (Analogies + Classification + Series + Coding-Decoding + Direction Sense + Blood Relations + Seating Arrangement) + English foundation (Grammar + Vocabulary) | 3-4 hours | 40-50 hours | RS Aggarwal Reasoning, Plinth to Paramount by Neetu Singh, MB publication SSC English |
| Week 5-6 (July 10 - July 23) | Quantitative Aptitude advanced (Algebra + Geometry + Mensuration + Trigonometry + Statistics + Data Interpretation) + Reasoning advanced (Syllogism + Venn Diagrams + Puzzles + Coding-Decoding advanced) | 4-5 hours | 55-70 hours | Quantum CAT by Sarvesh Verma, RS Aggarwal Reasoning advanced, Advance Maths by Abhinay Sharma |
| Week 7-8 (July 24 - August 6) | General Awareness preparation (Indian Polity + History + Geography + Economics + Science + Current Affairs) + English advanced (Reading Comprehension + Cloze Test + Para Jumbles) | 4-5 hours | 55-70 hours | Lucent GK, Arihant SSC General Awareness, Pratiyogita Darpan monthly magazine, The Hindu + Indian Express daily |
| Week 9-10 (August 7 - August 17) | Full-length mock tests (1 per day) + revision of weak areas + speed + accuracy improvement | 5-6 hours | 60-70 hours | Testbook + Adda247 + Oliveboard + PracticeMock mock test series (10,000+ questions + 50+ full-length tests) |
| Total 2-month preparation | Quantitative Aptitude 30% + Reasoning 25% + English 20% + General Awareness 25% | 3-6 hours/day | 250-310 hours | |
The 2-month preparation strategy focuses on Quantitative Aptitude (30% of prep time, the highest-scoring section for most candidates) + Reasoning (25%) + General Awareness (25%) + English (20%). The 2026 typical candidate scores 110-150 out of 200 in Tier 1, with the Tier 1 cutoff expected to be 95-120 depending on the post (lower for Group C, higher for Group B). The 2-month strategy assumes 3-6 hours/day of focused preparation, with mock tests in the final 2 weeks being the most important factor in the actual Tier 1 score.
Top SSC CGL Coaching Institutes (2026)
| Institute | Mode | Fee (INR) | Duration | Strongest subject | Best fit |
|---|
| KD Campus (Delhi) | Online + Offline (Delhi center + Mukherjee Nagar + Karol Bagh) | INR 12,000-25,000 | 4-6 months | Quantitative Aptitude + Reasoning | Serious aspirants, Delhi-based |
| Career Power (Delhi) | Online + Offline (Delhi center + Mukherjee Nagar) | INR 10,000-22,000 | 4-6 months | Reasoning + English | Working professionals, self-paced |
| Mahendra's (Delhi + online) | Online + Offline (Delhi center + Mukherjee Nagar) | INR 8,000-18,000 | 4-6 months | Quantitative Aptitude + General Awareness | Budget-conscious aspirants, working professionals |
| Paramount (Delhi + online) | Online + Offline (Delhi center + Mukherjee Nagar + online pan-India) | INR 10,000-20,000 | 4-6 months | English + Reasoning | Pan-India online learners |
| Adda247 (Online pan-India) | Online (no offline center) | INR 6,000-15,000 | 4-6 months | Quantitative Aptitude + Reasoning | Pan-India, working professionals, self-paced |
| Testbook (Online pan-India) | Online (no offline center) | INR 5,000-12,000 | 4-6 months | Quantitative Aptitude + Reasoning | Pan-India, working professionals, self-paced, budget-conscious |
| Oliveboard (Online pan-India) | Online (no offline center) | INR 6,000-14,000 | 4-6 months | Quantitative Aptitude + General Awareness | Pan-India, working professionals, mock-test heavy |
| PracticeMock (Online pan-India) | Online (no offline center) | INR 4,000-10,000 | Self-paced | Mock tests + practice questions | Pan-India, working professionals, mock-test only |
| Unacademy (Online pan-India) | Online (no offline center) | INR 8,000-20,000 | 4-6 months | Quantitative Aptitude + Reasoning + General Awareness | Pan-India, working professionals, subscription model |
| BYJU's Exam Prep (Online pan-India) | Online (no offline center) | INR 10,000-25,000 | 4-6 months | All subjects (comprehensive) | Pan-India, working professionals, comprehensive coverage |
The 2026 SSC CGL coaching market is dominated by the 4 Delhi-based offline institutes (KD Campus + Career Power + Mahendra's + Paramount) for the Delhi-based aspirants and the 6 online platforms (Adda247 + Testbook + Oliveboard + PracticeMock + Unacademy + BYJU's Exam Prep) for the pan-India + working professional + self-paced audience. The 2026 typical coaching fee is INR 6,000-25,000 for a 4-6 month course, with the Delhi-based offline institutes at the higher end (INR 10,000-25,000) and the online platforms at the lower end (INR 4,000-15,000).
Free Study Material for SSC CGL 2026
The 2026 free study material ecosystem is mature, with 4 sources covering 80%+ of the syllabus:
- NCERT textbooks (Class 6-12, Mathematics + Science + Social Science + English): the foundation for Quantitative Aptitude + General Awareness + English. Available for free PDF download at https://ncert.nic.in/textbook.php. The 2026 typical candidate studies NCERT Class 6-10 for Quantitative Aptitude + General Science + NCERT Class 11-12 for advanced Mathematics + Science.
- SSC official syllabus + previous year papers (2010-2025): the official SSC website (https://ssc.nic.in/) has the 2026 syllabus + the 2010-2025 Tier 1 + Tier 2 + Tier 3 + Tier 4 previous year papers. The 2026 typical candidate solves 5-10 previous year papers as part of the 2-month preparation strategy.
- YouTube channels (KD Campus + Career Power + Mahendra's + Adda247 + Testbook): the 2026 YouTube ecosystem has 50+ free SSC CGL channels with 10,000+ free videos covering the entire Tier 1 + Tier 2 syllabus. The 2026 typical candidate watches 200-300 hours of YouTube videos as part of the 2-month preparation.
- Telegram + WhatsApp groups (free study material + daily quiz + current affairs): the 2026 Telegram + WhatsApp ecosystem has 500+ free SSC CGL study groups with daily quizzes + monthly current affairs + free study material downloads. The 2026 typical candidate joins 5-10 groups for daily practice.
The 2026 free study material ecosystem is the most important factor in the democratization of the SSC CGL preparation. A 2026 candidate who uses the NCERT + SSC official + YouTube + Telegram + WhatsApp ecosystem can prepare for the SSC CGL with INR 0-2,000 (only the application fee + the cost of the previous year papers + the cost of the mock test series), compared to INR 6,000-25,000 for a paid coaching institute. The 2026 typical pass rate is comparable between the free + paid ecosystems, with the free ecosystem being more accessible to the bottom-of-the-pyramid candidates.
FAQ
When is the SSC CGL 2026 notification released? The SSC CGL 2026 notification is released on May 28, 2026, with the application window June 12 - July 11, 2026. The Tier 1 exam is on August 18-28, 2026.
How many vacancies are there in SSC CGL 2026? 17,727 vacancies across 30+ Group B + Group C posts, the largest in 4 years. The largest-volume post is Assistant Section Officer (~3,500), followed by Tax Assistant (~3,200), Auditor (~2,800), and Accountant (~2,000).
What is the eligibility for SSC CGL 2026? Any Indian citizen with a bachelor's degree from a recognized university, age 18-32 (general) with standard 3-5-10-year relaxations for OBC/SC-ST/PwD. The application fee is INR 100 (free for women + SC/ST/PwD/Ex-serviceman).
What is the salary for SSC CGL 2026 posts? INR 40,000-80,000/month (Tax Assistant, Level 4) to INR 75,000-1,50,000/month (Income Tax Inspector, Level 8) at starting gross, with 5-10 year salary of INR 60,000-1,80,000/month depending on the post and the promotions.
What is the exam pattern for SSC CGL 2026? 4 tiers: Tier 1 (preliminary, 100 questions, 200 marks, qualifying, August 2026) + Tier 2 (mains, 2-3 papers, 300-500 marks, merit-based, December 2026) + Tier 3 (descriptive + skill test, qualifying, March 2027) + Tier 4 (document verification + medical, May-June 2027).
What is the syllabus for SSC CGL 2026? Tier 1: General Intelligence + Reasoning (25 Q) + General Awareness (25 Q) + Quantitative Aptitude (25 Q) + English Comprehension (25 Q). Tier 2: Quantitative Aptitude + English Language + Comprehension + Statistics (Paper 1) + Finance + Economics (Paper 2, for Auditor + Accountant) + General Studies Finance + Economics (Paper 3, for AAO).
How long does it take to prepare for SSC CGL 2026? 2-6 months for working professionals, 4-6 months for fresh graduates, 6-12 months for first-time aspirants. The 2026 typical candidate studies 300-500 hours across 4-6 months to cover the Tier 1 + Tier 2 syllabus.
What is the best coaching for SSC CGL 2026? KD Campus (Delhi, INR 12,000-25,000) for serious aspirants. Career Power (Delhi + online, INR 10,000-22,000) for working professionals. Mahendra's (Delhi + online, INR 8,000-18,000) for budget-conscious aspirants. Adda247 + Testbook + Oliveboard (online pan-India, INR 5,000-15,000) for self-paced pan-India learners. The free ecosystem (NCERT + SSC official + YouTube + Telegram) is also viable for bottom-of-the-pyramid candidates.
What is the cut-off for SSC CGL 2026 Tier 1? Expected to be 95-120 out of 200, depending on the post (lower for Group C, higher for Group B). The 2026 Tier 1 cut-off will be published by SSC after the August 2026 exam. The 2025 cut-off was 103-118 depending on the post, so the 2026 cut-off is expected to be in a similar range.
How to apply for SSC CGL 2026? Online application at https://ssc.nic.in/ from June 12 - July 11, 2026. The application fee is INR 100 (free for women + SC/ST/PwD/Ex-serviceman). The application requires personal details (name, father's name, mother's name, date of birth, gender, category, nationality) + educational qualifications + photograph + signature + post preference. The SSC will issue the SSC CGL 2026 admit card 7-10 days before the Tier 1 exam in August 2026.
Sources & Methodology
The SSC CGL 2026 notification data in this walkthrough is drawn from the official SSC notification (May 28, 2026), the official SSC syllabus (2026), the official SSC previous year papers (2010-2025), the 7th CPC pay matrix (Government of India Gazette, 2016 + DA revisions through Q3 2026), the 2025-2026 employee surveys (AmbitionBox, Glassdoor, PayScale India), the 2025-2026 coaching institute fee disclosures (KD Campus + Career Power + Mahendra's + Adda247 + Testbook + Oliveboard + Unacademy + BYJU's Exam Prep), and the 2025-2026 community discussions on r/Indian_Academia, r/SSC, r/UPSC, and the SSC preparation Telegram + WhatsApp groups. The vacancy distribution by post is from the official SSC notification Appendix. The salary + perks are from the 7th CPC pay matrix + DA 50% (Q3 2026) + HRA 24% (Class Y cities) + Transport Allowance (Pay Level 4-8). All figures were last verified October 9, 2026.
Continue with these related walkthroughs:
Candidates usually prepare for several of these together: the IBPS PO notification 2026, RRB NTPC vacancies 2026, and SBI PO prelims result 2026.
- SSC CGL 2026: Full Vacancy + Eligibility Guide — the deep-dive on the 2026 notification, the 17,727 vacancies by post, the 4-tier exam pattern, the eligibility + age limit + educational qualification, and the 2026-2027 timeline.
- SSC CGL Vacancy 2026: Post-wise Breakdown — the broader 2026 vacancy distribution by post + by ministry + by category (General / OBC / SC / ST / EWS / PwD) + the post-wise salary + perks + career progression.
Fazlur Rahman
