What SSC CGL is
The Combined Graduate Level Examination, run by the Staff Selection Commission, recruits graduates into Group B and Group C posts across ministries and departments of the Government of India. It is one of the most sought-after exams in the country and one of the most competitive: a handful of vacancies attract lakhs of applicants each cycle.
The recruitment sends candidates into a wide range of roles, from Inspector of Income Tax and Assistant Section Officer in a central ministry, through Auditor and Accountant posts under the Comptroller and Auditor General, to Junior Statistical Officer with the Ministry of Statistics. The post you end up in is decided by your overall rank across all stages and the preference order you submit inside the application.
Who can apply
The core eligibility is a bachelor’s degree in any discipline from a recognised university. A few posts, notably Junior Statistical Officer and Statistical Investigator Grade II, ask for particular subjects at the graduation or intermediate level, so read the notification carefully before locking a preference.
The general age band is 18 to 32 years as on the 1st of August of the examination year, with the usual relaxations for reserved categories, persons with disability and ex-servicemen. The exact cutoff date and the post-wise upper limits are always confirmed against the notification, because both change from cycle to cycle.
How the exam runs
SSC CGL is a two tier computer based exam, followed by document verification and, for the Junior Statistical Officer and Statistical Investigator posts, a skill-related test.
Tier 1 is a screening round: one hour, one hundred questions, evenly split across General Intelligence and Reasoning, General Awareness, Quantitative Aptitude and English Comprehension. There is a negative penalty of half a mark for every wrong answer. Only Tier 1 marks decide whether you make it into Tier 2, but Tier 1 marks themselves do not count towards the final rank.
Tier 2 is where the ranking is actually decided. It is longer and more substantive: sessions on Mathematical Abilities, Reasoning, English Language and Comprehension, General Awareness and Computer Knowledge, plus a paper on either Statistics or General Studies (Finance and Economics), depending on the post you are being considered for.
There is no interview. Selection is entirely on the basis of the written stages, which is one of the reasons SSC CGL is preferred by candidates who would rather be judged on measurable performance than on a panel’s impressions.
Preparing the application
The photograph and signature specifications are the parts most applications get wrong on the first try. The photograph must be a recent JPEG between 20 and 50 kilobytes, taken against a light background, with the face taking up most of the frame. The signature must be a scanned JPEG between 10 and 20 kilobytes, on white paper, signed in black or blue ballpoint pen. Neither can be blurry, and both are checked at the exam centre against the person turning up.
If the file the fixed-price photo studio hands you is not in the size band SSC asks for, the browser tools on this site resize it in place. Nothing is uploaded anywhere.
The application fee for general and OBC male candidates is one hundred rupees. Women, SC, ST, persons with disability and ex-servicemen apply without paying a fee.
On exam day
Reach the centre at least an hour before the reporting time on your admit card, or earlier if the centre is unfamiliar or the city is prone to jams. Gates typically close half an hour before the exam starts, and latecomers are not admitted.
Carry the printed e-admit card, an original government photo identification, two passport size photographs that match the one on the admit card, and a black or blue ballpoint pen. Do not carry a mobile phone, smartwatch, calculator, earphones, wallet, handbag or any electronic device: they are prohibited inside the examination hall and cannot be stored at most centres.
Biometric verification is mandatory. Full face visibility is required, so face masks and coverings must be lowered on request. Rough sheets are provided inside; do not bring your own.
After the result
Successful candidates are called for document verification and, where the post requires it, a skill or typing test. The final allotment is made through the Post Preference module, which opens after Tier 2 is scored. Your preferences here are binding: study each post’s job profile carefully before submitting.
For anything that a page on this site cannot answer, treat the official SSC notification and the official website as the last word. Both are linked at the top of this page.