SSC CGL exam date 2026: Tier 1 schedule, admit card, pattern, vacancies

Thousands of aspirants who have registered for the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) Combined Graduate Level (CGL) Examination 2026 are eagerly waiting for the official announcement of the SSC CGL Exam Date 2026. Candidates are keeping a close watch on Sarkari Result official platforms and the official SSC website, ssc.gov.in, for the latest updates. SSC CGL is a highly sought-after recruitment examination conducted for various Group B and Group C positions in the Central Government. This article provides all the important details, including the expected Tier 1 exam schedule, vacancies, eligibility, exam pattern, selection process, salary structure, and useful preparation tips.

Event	Date
Notification released	21 May 2026
Application started	21 May 2026
Application closed (first phase)	22 June 2026
Application window reopened	23–25 June 2026
Fee payment deadline	23 June 2026
Correction window	1–3 July 2026
Tier 1 Exam (expected)	August–September 2026
Tier 2 Exam (expected)	December 2026

The SSC CGL exam is conducted every year to fill Group B and Group C posts across various central government ministries, departments, and organisations — such as Assistant Section Officer, Income Tax Inspector, Excise Inspector, Assistant Audit Officer, CBI Sub-Inspector, and Statistical Investigator. Here's how this year's recruitment cycle has progressed:

• Notification released: 21 May 2026

• Total vacancies: 12,256 posts (across 40+ Group B and Group C posts; over 28 lakh candidates applied)

• Application window: 21 May to 22 June 2026, reopened 23–25 June 2026

• Correction window: 1–3 July 2026

With the application process now fully complete, candidates are focused on just one question — when will the Tier 1 Exam Date be announced on the official website of sarkari result 2026 .

SSC CGL is regarded as one of the most prestigious graduate-level government exams, since the posts it offers provide not just a good salary and stability, but also direct involvement in administrative work. That's why more than 25-28 lakh graduate candidates apply for this exam every year, making it one of India's most competitive graduate-level government exams.

SSC CGL 2026 Posts on Sarkari result

Some of the most popular posts under SSC CGL include Assistant Section Officer (CSS/MEA/AFHQ), Income Tax Inspector (CBDT), Preventive Officer/Examiner (CBIC), Sub-Inspector (CBI/NIA), Assistant Audit Officer, Assistant Accounts Officer, Statistical Investigator Grade-II, Auditor, Accountant, Tax Assistant, and Junior Statistical Officer. Each post has its own eligibility, age limit, and pay scale, detailed in the official notification.

SSC has not yet released the exact date-wise and shift-wise exam schedule. As per the official notification, the Tier 1 exam will be held between August and September 2026, with exact dates to be announced separately. Several sources suggest the exact schedule could be released by the third week of August 2026.

Past-year trends offer a useful reference:

• SSC CGL 2024: the Tier 1 exam date was announced on 8 August 2024, and the exam was held from 9 to 26 September 2024 — roughly a month's gap between announcement and exam

• SSC CGL 2025: Tier 1 was conducted from 13 to 30 August 2025

Based on this trend, the exact SSC CGL 2026 schedule is likely to be released roughly three to four weeks before the exam. Candidates should check ssc.gov.in and trusted Sarkari Result websites regularly for updates.

This year's recruitment cycle brings a few important changes every candidate should know about:

• Sectional timing introduced in Tier 1: previously, candidates got one composite time limit for the whole paper; now each section has its own 15-minute limit

• AAO/AAO posts are back: Assistant Audit Officer (Central & State Cadre) and Assistant Accounts Officer (State Cadre) posts, with a pay scale of ₹47,600–₹1,51,100, have been reintroduced this year

• Tier 2 now has 3 papers, including the additional AAO-related paper

These changes directly affect exam strategy — especially sectional timing, since candidates can no longer "borrow" extra time from one section for a weaker one, as was possible under the older pattern. Mock tests should now be practised strictly under the new sectional-timing format.

Detail	Information
Exam mode	Online (Computer Based Test)
Negative marking	0.5 marks deducted per wrong answer
Sectional timing	15 minutes per section (new change)
Language	Hindi, English, and 10+ other languages

Tier 1 core subjects:

• General Intelligence & Reasoning — pattern recognition, coding-decoding, analogies, series, directions

• General Awareness — Indian history, geography, polity, economics, current affairs, general science

• Quantitative Aptitude — number systems, percentages, profit and loss, geometry, trigonometry, statistics

• English Comprehension — grammar, error spotting, comprehension, synonyms-antonyms

Tier 1 is qualifying in nature — marks scored here don't count toward the final merit. The final merit is based entirely on Tier 2 marks. With sectional timing now in place, time-management strategy needs to change too — candidates can no longer overspend time on one section and make it up in another, so preparing each section independently is now more important than ever.

• Age limit: generally 18 to 32 years (varies by post, detailed in the notification); age is calculated as on 1 August 2026

• Educational qualification: a Bachelor's degree from a recognised university; for posts like Junior Statistical Officer (JSO), a minimum of 60% marks in Mathematics at Class 12, or a degree in Mathematics/Statistics, is required

• Final-year students: may also apply, provided they can furnish proof of their degree by the specified deadline (1 August 2026)

• Number of attempts: no fixed limit, as long as the candidate is within the age limit

Reserved categories (SC/ST/OBC/EWS/PwBD/Ex-Servicemen) get additional age relaxation as per government norms.

• Tier 1 (CBT) — qualifying in nature, shortlists candidates for Tier 2

• Tier 2 (CBT) — 3 papers this year (including the additional AAO-related paper); this determines the final merit

• Document Verification (DV) — verification of educational and other documents for shortlisted candidates

• Physical Test (for select posts) — posts like CBI Sub-Inspector and certain other field posts require physical standards to be checked

SSC CGL has no interview — the entire selection process is based on the written exam (mainly Tier 2) and document verification.

Pay for SSC CGL posts spans Pay Level 4 to 8 of the 7th Pay Commission, varying by post:

• Top posts (such as Assistant Audit Officer, Assistant Section Officer) can offer a gross salary of roughly ₹87,000 to ₹93,000 per month in metro cities (including DA)

• AAO posts carry a pay scale of ₹47,600 to ₹1,51,100

• Other posts' pay varies with DA, HRA, TA, and other allowances, depending on the posting city category

Post allocation depends on a candidate's merit rank, available vacancies, and the preferences submitted at the time of application.

Pay Level of Some Popular Posts

Post	Pay Level
Assistant Audit/Accounts Officer	Level 8
Income Tax Inspector	Level 7
Assistant Section Officer	Level 7
Sub-Inspector (CBI)	Level 7
Statistical Investigator Grade-II	Level 6
Auditor/Accountant	Level 5/6
Tax Assistant	Level 4

The above is for general reference only — always treat the exact pay level and salary figures in the official notification as final.

• The Tier 1 result only shows qualifying status — no marks carry forward to the final merit

• Cut off marks are released category-wise (General, OBC, SC, ST, EWS)

• Since the exam is held across multiple shifts, SSC applies normalisation here too, so scores can be compared fairly across shifts

• Final selection depends entirely on Tier 2 performance, so Tier 2 preparation should begin right after clearing Tier 1

Tier 1 cut off fluctuates every year based on paper difficulty, the number of candidates, and available vacancies. Since this year's vacancies are lower than last year, competition is expected to be tougher — though that doesn't automatically mean a higher cut off, since overall paper difficulty matters just as much. Don't underprepare based on any "expected" cut off — keep preparing seriously right through to Tier 2.

 

Recruitment Cycle	Total Vacancies
SSC CGL 2024	17,727
SSC CGL 2026	12,256

 

• A City Intimation Slip will be released a few days before the exam, showing only your city and approximate date — this is not the admit card

• The actual admit card will be released roughly 7 to 10 days before the exam, on ssc.gov.in

• Log in to your dashboard with your registration number and password to download it

• Carefully check the exam date, city, centre, and shift timing on the admit card, and remember to carry a printed copy on exam day

Q1. When will SSC CGL Tier 1 Exam Date 2026 be released?

SSC hasn't announced an exact date yet. Tier 1 is expected between August and September 2026 on official website of sarkari result which is sarkariresult.com.com

Q2. How many total vacancies are there in SSC CGL 2026?

There are 12,256 vacancies in total, across 40+ Group B and Group C posts.

Q3. Is there an interview in SSC CGL?

No, there is no interview in SSC CGL. Selection is based entirely on the written exam (mainly Tier 2).

Pay ranges from Level 4 to 8 depending on the post. Top posts can offer a total salary of ₹87,000 to ₹93,000 per month in metro cities.