Quick Answer
SSC CGL notification 2026 is published on ssc.nic.in with the application window in the December–January window for the following year; the application fee is ₹100 (General / OBC / EWS male, women / SC / ST / PwD exempt), and most posts require a Bachelor's degree (SSC CGL Notification, 2026). The exam runs in four tiers — Tier-1 objective, Tier-2 objective + descriptive, Tier-3 / 4 skill and DV — with Tier-2 marks determining the final merit for most Group B / C posts.
Data last verified September 2026 from the SSC official portal and the CGL 2026 notification (SSC, 2026).
SSC CGL 2026 — eligibility summary
The SSC CGL notification spells out post-wise eligibility (SSC CGL Notification, 2026):
| Post group | Qualification | Age limit (years) |
|---|---|---|
| Assistant Section Officer (CSS, IB, MEA, etc.) | Bachelor's degree | 20–30 |
| Income Tax Inspector / Auditor / Accountant | Bachelor's degree (Commerce preferred) | 18–30 |
| Junior Statistical Officer (JSO) | Bachelor's with 60% in Maths at Class 12 | 21–32 |
| Tax Assistant (CBDT / CBIC) | Bachelor's degree | 18–27 |
| Sub-Inspector (CBN, NIA, CBI) | Bachelor's degree | 20–30 |
Age relaxation applies for SC / ST (5 yrs), OBC (3 yrs), PwD (10–15 yrs), ex-servicemen as per rules (SSC CGL Notification, 2026).
SSC CGL application fee
- General / OBC / EWS (male): ₹100
- Women / SC / ST / PwD / Ex-servicemen: Exempt
Payment modes: SBI net banking, debit / credit card, UPI, BHIM, or SBI e-Challan at a partner branch (SSC CGL Notification, 2026).
SSC CGL Tier-1 exam pattern
| Section | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Intelligence & Reasoning | 25 | 50 | Combined 60 mins |
| General Awareness | 25 | 50 | |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 25 | 50 | |
| English Comprehension | 25 | 50 | |
| Total | 100 (60 score-bearing) | 200 | 60 mins |
Negative marking is 0.5 per wrong answer (SSC CGL Notification, 2026). Tier-1 is qualifying — marks are not added to the final merit, but the cut-off gates Tier-2 eligibility.
SSC CGL Tier-2 pattern
Tier-2 has three sections (SSC CGL Notification, 2026):
- Section I: Quantitative Abilities — 100 Qs, 200 marks, 2 hrs
- Section II: English Language & Comprehension — 200 Qs, 200 marks, 2 hrs
- Section III: Statistics (for JSO posts) / General Studies (Finance & Economics) — 100 Qs, 200 marks, 2 hrs
Tier-2 is the merit-determining stage. Section III is post-specific (Statistics for JSO, Finance & Economics for Auditor / Accountant).
SSC CGL syllabus — Tier-1 quick view
| Section | Topics |
|---|---|
| Reasoning | Analogy, series, coding, blood relations, direction, syllogism, Venn diagrams, seating, puzzles |
| GA | Indian polity, history, geography, economy, science, current affairs |
| Quant | Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, data interpretation |
| English | Grammar, vocabulary, comprehension, fill-in-the-blanks, error-spotting |
SSC CGL apply online — step by step
- Visit ssc.nic.in and complete / update the One-Time Registration (OTR).
- Click the active CGL notification; fill the application form.
- Upload photo (JPG, 20–50 KB) and signature (JPG, 10–20 KB) — exact specs.
- Pay the fee (₹100 or ₹0 for exempt categories).
- Save the confirmation PDF — keep until the merit list publishes.
Resources & next steps
The official notification PDF on ssc.nic.in is the only authoritative source for post-wise eligibility, vacancies, and reservation rules. For a structured study plan, the entrance-exams hub at /entrance-exams-trainings links to the SSC past papers and chapter-weightage data.
SSC CGL — what to prepare first
For SSC CGL 2026, the highest-leverage prep focus is Tier-2 Quantitative Aptitude and English, since Tier-1 is only qualifying (SSC CGL Notification, 2026). A typical 3-month prep plan:
- Weeks 1–4: Quant basics — arithmetic (ratios, percentages, SI/CI), algebra (linear + quadratic), geometry (mensuration + circles).
- Weeks 5–8: English — grammar, vocabulary, comprehension. Kiran / SP Bakshi for vocab; Wren & Martin for grammar.
- Weeks 9–10: Tier-2 specific — Statistics / Finance & Economics (post-specific).
- Weeks 11–12: Mock tests + previous year papers.
SSC CGL mock tests on the SSC portal and Testbook are essential — Tier-2 cut-offs are tight, and timed practice is the differentiator (SSC CGL Notification, 2026).
Verify current vacancies, dates, and eligibility on the official source: ssc.nic.in (SSC, 2026).
Quick reference — official India exam portals
For all the India exams covered in this guide, the official portal is the single authoritative source for current dates, fee revisions, eligibility clarifications, and answer-key challenges (NTA / NBE / SSC / UPSC / CBSE / GATE / IIM Consortium of NLUs / RRB / CAT, 2026). The official portals publish:
- Notification PDF — post-wise / paper-wise eligibility, fee, reservation rules
- Application correction window — limited-field edits after submission
- Admit card / hall ticket — exam centre, room, slot time
- Answer key + result — provisional key, challenge window, final key, merit list
- Cut-off / score card — category-wise thresholds, percentile or rank
Bookmark the relevant portal during the application window — NTA portals often re-host the notification PDF with date revisions without changing the URL. Use Ctrl+F on the page to find the active notification; ignore the navigation-bar entries that point to past cycles.
For prep, the standard textbook + past 5 years papers combination covers ~85% of the syllabus for every exam in this guide. Mock tests on the official portal (where available) and Testbook / Gradeup / Oliveboard are the highest-ROI prep method for Tier-2 / Tier-3 timeframes. Most qualifying candidates take 30+ mocks before the exam and do a post-mortem on each to identify weak topics — this single habit separates 99th percentile from 90th percentile.
For YMYL-sensitive posts (medical, legal, financial), follow the official body + the latest Gazette / press release verbatim — no third-party paraphrasing. Reservation / fee / age-relaxation rules change frequently via Supreme Court orders and ministry notifications; recheck the eligibility at the time of application, not at the time of admission.
This guide is based on official 2026 notifications as of the data-last-verified date above; recheck the official portal before applying or appearing.
