SSC CGL 2026 Tier-I: Exam Window to 30 October

The schedule, plainly

The Staff Selection Commission is conducting Tier-I of the Combined Graduate Level (CGL) Examination 2026 as a computer-based examination from 30 September to 30 October 2026. The dates were fixed by SSC's schedule notice dated 12 September 2026 on ssc.gov.in. This is a month-long window across multiple shifts, not a single exam day: your individual date and shift are assigned by the Commission and are printed on your admission certificate. The examination is in progress as of this update and runs to the end of October.

Two documents lead up to your exam day, and confusing them is the most common candidate error this cycle. The exam city intimation, released from 21 September 2026 under an SSC notice of the same date, tells you only the city of your exam. The admission certificate (admit card), available two to three days before your specific exam date, carries the actual centre address, reporting time and shift. Knowing your city does not mean you have your admit card — you must log in again to download it.

What CGL is and who sat it

CGL is the SSC's flagship recruitment for Group B and Group C graduate posts — Assistant Section Officers, Inspectors, Sub-Inspectors, Auditors, Accountants, Tax Assistants, Upper Division Clerks and similar posts across central ministries and departments, at Pay Levels 4 to 7. The 2026 notification was issued on 21 May 2026, announcing 12,256 tentative vacancies, and applications ran from 21 May to 25 June 2026, with corrections in early July. The application fee was ₹100, with women candidates and SC, ST and PwBD candidates exempt.

Eligibility required a bachelor's degree in any discipline from a recognised university. Two posts carried extra conditions: Junior Statistical Officer applicants needed either 60% in Mathematics at Class 12 level or Statistics as a degree subject, and Statistical Investigator Grade-II required Statistics as one of the degree subjects. Age limits were post-specific — a minimum of 18 years and maximums between 27 and 32 years, calculated as on 1 August 2026, with the usual relaxations.

Tier-I pattern — and what changed this year

Tier-I is a screening test: 100 objective questions, 200 marks, 60 minutes, in four sections of 25 questions and 50 marks each — General Intelligence and Reasoning, General Awareness, Quantitative Aptitude and English Comprehension. Each correct answer earns 2 marks and each wrong answer loses 0.50 marks. Tier-I marks do not decide the final merit; they decide who reaches Tier-II.

The change to know: this cycle, each section carries its own 15-minute time limit. When a section's 15 minutes end, that section closes and the next one opens, and unused minutes do not transfer. You cannot roam the paper the way candidates did in earlier CGL cycles — your preparation has to be paced section by section, and scribe/compensatory-time candidates get their extra time under the Commission's rules. Candidates who opted for their own scribe had to complete the scribe OTR mapping by 24 September 2026.

How to check your city and download your admission certificate

• Go to ssc.gov.in and open the candidate login with your registration number and password.
• Open the Combined Graduate Level Examination 2026 (Tier-I) section — your allotted exam city is shown there.
• Two to three days before your exam date, log in again and download the admission certificate; admission certificates are also issued through the SSC regional websites.
• Print the certificate and check the centre address, date, shift and reporting time the day before you travel — not on the morning of the exam.

Carry a printed admission certificate, an original photo identity proof (the one whose details match your application) and passport-size photographs on the day.

What happens after Tier-I

SSC uploads the tentative answer key along with candidates' response sheets after the examination window closes — expect that in the first week of November, based on the current schedule of notices — and candidates can challenge answers within the given window. Candidates who clear the Tier-I cut-off are shortlisted for Tier-II, which is expected in December 2026 on a tentative schedule; SSC will notify the exact dates separately. Final merit is built on Tier-II performance, followed by document verification.

If your shift is still ahead: stop adding new topics, revise within 15-minute section drills, and download your admission certificate the moment it appears rather than the night before. If your shift is done, preserve your registration credentials — the answer key challenge, Tier-I result and Tier-II process all run on the same login.

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