The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) has issued an Important Notice dated 12.09.2026 announcing the examination schedule for the Combined Graduate Level Examination, 2026. The Tier-I Computer Based Examination will be held from 30.09.2026 to 30.10.2026. The original notice of the examination had listed Tier-I only as tentatively August-September 2026, so this is the first firm window candidates have. The individual exam date, shift and centre will be printed on each candidate’s admission certificate, which SSC will release separately closer to the exam.
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Update Overview
| Examination | Combined Graduate Level Examination, 2026 (SSC CGL 2026) |
| Organization | Staff Selection Commission (SSC), Department of Personnel and Training, Government of India |
| Notification / Advertisement No. | Important Notice F.No. HQ-EC033/7/2025-EC dated 12.09.2026 (examination notice: F. No. HQ-C11018/1/2026-C-1) |
| Location | All India / Central Govt |
| Update Type | Exam Date Announced – Tier-I schedule |
| What Changed | Tier-I was earlier shown only as tentatively August-September 2026. It is now fixed as 30.09.2026 to 30.10.2026. |
| Tier-I Exam Date | 30.09.2026 to 30.10.2026 (Computer Based Examination) |
| Tier-II Exam Date | December 2026 (tentative, as stated in the examination notice) |
| Admit Card | Not yet released. SSC will publish the Admission Certificate on the concerned Regional Office website shortly before the exam. |
| Action Needed | No action is required from candidates right now – only watch the SSC website for the admission certificate |
| Official Notification | Download Exam Date Notice PDF |
| Official Website | ssc.gov.in |
Important Dates
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Date of this Important Notice | 12.09.2026 |
| Tier-I Computer Based Examination | 30.09.2026 to 30.10.2026 |
| Tier-II Computer Based Examination | December 2026 (tentative) |
| Admission Certificate (admit card) release | Not announced – expected shortly before each exam date |
| Application window (already closed) | 21.05.2026 to 22.06.2026 |
SSC CGL 2026 at a Glance
A quick recap of the recruitment this exam date belongs to, taken from the original examination notice. Applications for SSC CGL 2026 are already closed, so this section is for reference only.
| Total Vacancies | Approximately 12,256 (tentative). Post-wise and category-wise vacancies are published later on the SSC website under For Candidates, Tentative Vacancy. |
| Posts Covered | Group B and Group C posts in Ministries, Departments and Organizations of the Government of India – including Assistant Audit Officer, Assistant Section Officer, Inspector (Income Tax / Central Excise / Preventive Officer / Examiner), Assistant Enforcement Officer, Sub Inspector in CBI and NIA, Inspector Posts, Auditor, Accountant, Tax Assistant, Senior Secretariat Assistant and others |
| Pay Levels | Level 4 (Rs. 25,500 to 81,100) up to Level 8 (Rs. 47,600 to 1,51,100), depending on the post |
| Qualification | Bachelor’s Degree from a recognised University for most posts, as on 01.08.2026. A few posts have extra requirements – for example Junior Statistical Officer needs Mathematics in Class 12 or Statistics at graduation, and Assistant Audit Officer lists Chartered Accountant, Cost Accountant, MBA or similar as desirable. |
| Age Limit | 18 to 27, 18 to 30, 20 to 30 or 18 to 32 years as on 01.08.2026, depending on the post. Relaxation: SC and ST 5 years, OBC 3 years, PwBD 10 years, PwBD (OBC) 13 years, PwBD (SC and ST) 15 years, Ex-Servicemen 3 years after deducting military service. Check your age eligibility → |
| Application Fee | Rs. 100. Women, SC, ST, PwBD and eligible Ex-Servicemen candidates were exempt. |
| Selection Process | Tier-I (Computer Based) → Tier-II (Computer Based, Papers I, II and III) → Document Verification by the User Department |
| Nationality | Citizen of India, or a subject of Nepal or Bhutan, or a person of Indian origin as defined in the notice |
Tier-I Exam Pattern
| Subject | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Intelligence and Reasoning | 25 | 50 | 1 hour in total, with a sectional timer of 15 minutes for each subject. Candidates eligible for a scribe get 1 hour 20 minutes, with 20 minutes per section. |
| General Awareness | 25 | 50 | |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 25 | 50 | |
| English Comprehension | 25 | 50 | |
| Total | 100 | 200 |
- All questions are objective type, multiple choice.
- Questions are set in both English and Hindi, except the English Comprehension section.
- Negative marking: 0.50 marks are deducted for every wrong answer.
- If the exam is held in multiple shifts, marks are normalised using the procedure SSC published in its notice dated 02.06.2025.
- Tier-II (Papers I, II and III) follows in December 2026 (tentative) and carries negative marking of 1 mark per wrong answer.
What This Means for You
- Your own exam date is not 30.09.2026. That is only the first day of a month-long window. Your personal date, shift and centre will be printed on your Admission Certificate.
- Wait for the Admission Certificate. SSC releases it on the website of your concerned Regional Office, usually a few days before the exam. Log in with your Registration Number and password or date of birth to download it.
- Check the SSC website yourself. The notice states that the Commission is not bound to inform candidates individually by SMS, email or post – the website is the only official source.
- Plan your revision around roughly two to seven weeks. Sectional timing of 15 minutes per subject means speed practice matters as much as accuracy.
- Keep your documents ready now. An original photo ID, two passport size photographs and a date of birth proof if your ID does not carry one – arranging these late is a common reason candidates are turned away at the gate.
Documents to Carry to the Exam Centre
| Document | Format / Notes |
|---|---|
| Admission Certificate (admit card) | Printed copy downloaded from the concerned SSC Regional Office website |
| Passport size colour photographs | Two recent copies, matching the photograph captured in the application form |
| Original photo identity proof | Aadhaar Card or printout of e-Aadhaar, Driving Licence, Voter Card, PAN Card, University or College or Government identity card, Employer ID card, or ESM Discharge Book issued by the Ministry of Defence |
| Date of birth proof | Required as an extra original document only if your photo ID does not print the date of birth. A mismatch between the admission certificate and this proof means you will not be allowed to sit the exam. |
| Scribe documents (PwBD and PwD candidates only) | Medical certificate or undertaking as per Annexure-I or Annexure-IA, plus a photocopy of the scribe’s photo ID proof |
Candidates who completed Aadhaar based authentication during registration are exempt from some of the above photo identity requirements, as stated in the examination notice.
Important Links
| Exam Date Notice (PDF) | Download Official Notice |
| SSC Official Website | Visit ssc.gov.in |
| Telegram Channel | Join Telegram Channel |
| WhatsApp Channel | Join WhatsApp Channel |
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Treating 30.09.2026 as your own exam date – the window runs for a month and only the admission certificate names your date, shift and centre.
- Waiting for an SMS or email from SSC, which the Commission clearly says it is not bound to send.
- Ignoring the 15 minute sectional timer while practising – unused time from one section cannot be carried into the next.
- Guessing answers freely, when 0.50 marks are deducted for each wrong answer in Tier-I.
- Arriving with a photo ID that does not show your date of birth and no separate original date of birth proof.
- Turning up looking very different from the photograph in your application form – venue staff are authorised to stop suspicious candidates.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. When will the SSC CGL 2026 Tier-I exam be held?
The Tier-I Computer Based Examination will be conducted from 30.09.2026 to 30.10.2026, as announced in the Important Notice dated 12.09.2026.
2. Has SSC given a separate date for each candidate?
No, the notice gives only the overall window – your individual date, shift and examination centre will appear on your Admission Certificate.
3. When will the SSC CGL 2026 admit card be released?
No admit card date has been announced yet; SSC publishes the Admission Certificate on the website of the concerned Regional Office shortly before the exam.
4. Is this different from the date given earlier?
Yes – the examination notice had listed Tier-I only as tentatively August-September 2026, and this notice fixes it as 30.09.2026 to 30.10.2026.
5. What is the Tier-I exam pattern?
Four sections – General Intelligence and Reasoning, General Awareness, Quantitative Aptitude and English Comprehension – with 25 questions and 50 marks each, making 100 questions and 200 marks in 1 hour.
6. Is there negative marking in Tier-I?
Yes, 0.50 marks are deducted for every wrong answer in Tier-I, and 1 mark per wrong answer in Tier-II.
7. When is the SSC CGL 2026 Tier-II exam?
The examination notice lists Tier-II tentatively in December 2026, and SSC will confirm the exact schedule in a later notice.
8. Can I still apply for SSC CGL 2026?
No, the application window closed on 22.06.2026, with fee payment until 23.06.2026 and the correction window from 29.06.2026 to 01.07.2026.
Disclaimer: The information above has been compiled from the official notification for the convenience of job seekers. Candidates are advised to verify all details from the official website before applying.
