The Staff Selection Commission has released the SSC CGL exam pattern 2026 at the official website. Applicants appearing in the exam can refer to the exam pattern for their preparation. Referring to the SSC CGL exam pattern and syllabus helps candidates to understand the scheme of the exam. The exam authority has released the exam pattern separately for tier 1 and tier 2 exams. As per the SSC CGL 2026 exam pattern, there will be one paper in the tier 1 exam, while the tier 2 exam will have three papers. The exam pattern comprises a number of questions, a marking scheme, the duration of the exam and others. The SSC CGL 2026 exam is conducted in an online computer-based mode. Along with the exam pattern, applicants can also refer to the SSC CGL syllabus 2026 to check important topics and chapters asked in the exam. Applicants can also go through the SSC CGL Previous Year Question Papers to ace the exam with a good score. For more information, candidates can refer to the article provided below.
| Particulars | Details |
| Name of the Board | Staff Selection Commission (SSC) |
| Exam Name | SSC Combined Graduate Level (CGL) 2026 |
| Total Vacancies | 12,256 (tentative) |
| Mode of Exam | Online Computer-Based Test (CBT) |
| Number of Tiers | Tier 1 (Qualifying) and Tier 2 (Merit-Based) |
| Total Questions | Tier 1: 100 | Tier 2 Paper I: 150 | Paper II: 100 |
| Total Marks | Tier 1: 200 | Tier 2 Paper I: 450 | Paper II: 200 |
| Exam Language | Hindi & English (English section in English only) |
| Tier 1 Exam Date | September-October 2026 (tentative) |
| Tier 2 Exam Date | December 2026 (tentative) |
| Official Website | www.ssc.gov.in |
SSC CGL Tier 1 Exam Pattern 2026
SSC CGL Tier 1 is only for qualifying, so its marks are not added to the final merit list. Students must pass Tier 1 to give Tier 2. In SSC CGL 2026, each section has 15 minutes and once time ends, that section closes automatically. The exam authority has mentioned the tier 1 exam pattern on the official website. There will be four sections in the SSC CGL 2026 exam: General Intelligence & Reasoning, English Language & Comprehension, Quantitative Aptitude and General Awareness. There will be a total of 100 questions for 200 marks in the SSC CGL tier 1 exam. The paper will be conducted for a duration of 60 minutes. Candidates can practice bilingual mock tests on PrepMe247 with zero paywall restrictions.
| Section | No. of Questions | Total Marks | Time Allotted | Each Question |
| General Intelligence & Reasoning | 25 | 50 | 15 min | 2 marks |
| General Awareness | 25 | 50 | 15 min | 2 marks |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 25 | 50 | 15 min | 2 marks |
| English Comprehension | 25 | 50 | 15 min | 2 marks |
| TOTAL | 100 | 200 | 60 min | — |
SSC CGL Tier 2 Exam Pattern 2026
Staff Selection Commission has released the SSC CGL exam pattern in the official notification. SSC CGL Tier 2 decides the final selection because only Tier 2 marks are counted in merit. CGL Tier 2 has 3 papers. In 2026, sectional timing is added in Paper I and students must pass every section separately. Paper III is for AAO posts. According to the SSC CGL Pattern 2026, the Tier 2 exam is conducted in multiple stages. Paper I will be conducted in 2 sessions – Session I and Session II on the same day in two shifts. The detailed SSC CGL Exam Pattern tier 2 has been provided here.
| Paper | Applicable To | Duration |
| Paper I | All candidates (Compulsory) | 2 hours 30 minutes |
| Paper II | JSO (Junior Statistical Officer) & Statistical Investigator Grade-II only | 2 hours |
| Paper III | AAO (Assistant Audit Officer / Assistant Accounts Officer) only [NEW 2026] | 2 hours |
SSC CGL Tier 2 Paper 1 Exam Pattern 2026
Paper I is the core examination of Tier 2 and is mandatory for all SSC CGL 2026 applicants regardless of the post applied for. It is conducted in two sessions on the same day. Candidates must clear each section individually; poor performance in any single section can result in disqualification from the final merit list even if overall marks are high. Experience the real TCS iON CBT format through PrepMe247's 100% free practice portal.
| Session | Section | Subject / Module | Questions | Marks | Timing | Nature |
| Session I | Section I | Mathematical Abilities | 30 | 180 | 30 min | Scored |
| Reasoning & General Intelligence | 30 | 30 min | Scored | |||
| Section II | English Language & Comprehension | 45 | 210 | 40 min | Scored | |
| General Awareness | 25 | 20 min | Scored | |||
| Section III | Computer Knowledge Test | 20 | 60 | 15 min | Qualifying | |
| Session II | Section IV | Data Entry Speed Test (DEST) | 1 Task | 15 min | Qualifying | |
| TOTAL | Paper I (Scored Sections) | 150 | 450 | 2h 30m | Merit | |
SSC CGL Tier 2 Paper II Statistics (JSO Posts Only)
Paper II is only for students who apply for JSO or Statistical Investigator Grade-II posts. This paper checks how well candidates understand statistics and maths concepts. If a student gives a wrong answer, 0.50 marks are cut as negative marking in the exam.
| Subject | Questions | Max Marks | Duration |
| Statistics | 100 | 200 | 2 hours |
Negative marking: -0.50 marks per wrong answer in Paper II.
SSC CGL Tier 2 Paper III: Finance & Economics (AAO Posts Only)
Paper III is in SSC CGL 2026 for students applying for Assistant Audit Officer and Assistant Accounts Officer posts. This paper checks knowledge of finance, accounts, and economics. Its marks are important because they are counted in the final merit list for AAO jobs.
| Subject | Questions | Max Marks | Duration |
| General Studies (Finance & Economics) | 100 | 200 | 2 hours |
Paper III is newly introduced in 2026 for AAO posts (Assistant Audit Officer / Assistant Accounts Officer).
SSC CGL Negative Marking Scheme 2026
Candidates preparing for SSC CGL 2026 should know that there is negative marking for different tiers. The SSC CGL exam format penalizes incorrect answers differently in Tier‑1 and Tier‑2, so understanding this is important to avoid losing scores. Here’s an easy reference to help you plan your attempt wisely:
| Exam Stage | Penalty per Wrong Answer |
| Tier 1 | -0.50 marks for each incorrect response |
| Tier 2 — Paper I (Section I, II, III) | -1 mark for wrong answers in Sections I, II & Section III (Computer Knowledge) |
| Tier 2 — Paper II (Statistics/JSO) | -0.50 marks for each wrong answer |
| Tier 2 — Paper III (Finance & Economics/AAO) | -0.50 marks for each wrong answer |
| DEST & Computer Knowledge (Qualifying) | −1 for MCQs; no penalty for DEST only |
SSC CGL Syllabus 2026
Staff Selection Commission has released the SSC CGL 2026 syllabus on the official website. Candidates appearing in the exam are advised to refer to the syllabus PDF for their preparation. It is crucial to know the subject-wise important topics in the SSC CGL Syllabus. Knowing the syllabus not only ensures that the candidates are familiar with the important topics and concepts which applicants need to cover, but will also help them to devise a systematic preparation plan that will allow them to divide their time in order to cover all these topics. Candidates must refer to the revised syllabus for the SSC CGL exam and the updated exam pattern in order to prepare effectively.
We hope that this article could provide you with the detailed information on the official SSC CGL Exam Pattern 2026. We have provided the detailed SSC CGL paper pattern for Tier 1 and Tier 2 for your easy reference. Now download the PrepMe247 App to access similar exam resources for SSC CGL and other competitive government exams with 100% free practice and no paywall.