SSC CGL
Recruits graduates to Group B and Group C posts in central ministries and departments, such as Assistant Section Officer, Inspector (Income Tax, GST, Customs), Assistant Audit/Accounts Officer, Sub-Inspector (CBI/NIA) and Junior Statistical Officer.
Eligibility
Bachelor's degree from a recognised university. Final-year students may apply if they will graduate by the cut-off date. Junior Statistical Officer needs Mathematics at Class 12 or Statistics in the degree, and Assistant Audit/Accounts Officer requires a degree with specified subjects or qualifications. The age limit depends on the post: 18-27, 20-30 or 18-32 years, with the usual SC/ST (5 years), OBC (3 years) and PwBD relaxations. There is no cap on attempts.
Age limit: 18-32 years depending on post (relaxations as per rules)
Exam pattern
Two-tier computer-based exam. Tier 1 is qualifying and screens candidates for Tier 2. It has 100 MCQs worth 200 marks across Reasoning, General Awareness, Quantitative Aptitude and English (25 questions each). From the 2026 cycle each section has a fixed 15-minute timer, making 60 minutes in total, and wrong answers cost 0.50 marks. Tier 2 decides merit. Paper I is common to all candidates and covers Mathematics, Reasoning, English, General Awareness and Computer Knowledge, plus a qualifying Data Entry Speed Test. Wrong answers in Paper I cost 1 mark. Junior Statistical Officer candidates also take Paper II (Statistics). Some posts then need document verification or physical, medical or skill tests.
Syllabus at a glance
Quantitative Aptitude: arithmetic, algebra, geometry, mensuration, trigonometry and data interpretation. Reasoning: verbal and non-verbal reasoning, including coding-decoding, series, syllogism and puzzles. English: grammar, vocabulary, cloze tests and comprehension. General Awareness: history, polity, geography, economy, static GK, general science and current affairs. Computer Knowledge is tested in Tier 2, and Statistics is tested only for Junior Statistical Officer.
Upcoming dates
| Event | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| CGL 2026 Tier 1 provisional answer key (Tier 1 was held 30 Sep - 30 Oct 2026) | Nov 2026 | expected |
| CGL 2026 Tier 1 result | Dec 2026 | expected |
| CGL 2026 Tier 2 exam | Dec 2026 - Jan 2027 (tentative) | expected |
| CGL 2027 notification | Apr-May 2027 | expected |
Expected dates follow the usual calendar; confirm on the official notification before planning.
Free prep material
Standard books
- Fast Track Objective Arithmetic – Rajesh Verma (Arihant)
- Advance Maths – Rakesh Yadav
- A Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning – R.S. Aggarwal
- Plinth to Paramount – Neetu Singh
- Objective General English – S.P. Bakshi (Arihant)
- Lucent's General Knowledge – Lucent Publications
How toppers play it
- Each Tier 1 section now has its own 15-minute timer and locks once you move on, so practise 25 questions in 15 minutes per section. You cannot save time in one section to use in another.
- Tier 1 is only qualifying; Tier 2 Paper I (1 mark per wrong answer) decides your rank. Once you are safely clearing Tier 1 cut-offs, put most of your time into Tier 2 maths and English.
- Solve previous CGL and CHSL shift papers from SSC answer keys. General Awareness questions often repeat facts, and the maths question types are standard.
- In Tier 2, attempt Computer Knowledge and the Data Entry Speed Test seriously. They are qualifying, and failing either eliminates you regardless of your score.
- Accuracy matters more than the number of attempts: at 0.50 marks lost per wrong answer in Tier 1 and 1 mark in Tier 2, guessing between two options rarely pays off.