SSC GD 2026: exam pattern, marks, negative marking, age limit

Every figure on this page is copied from an official document linked next to it, with the date we last checked it. Pattern, age limit and dates are from the Constable (GD) 2026 notification. Last verified: 15 October 2026.

At a glance

Selection stages: Computer Based Examination (CBE) → Physical Efficiency Test (PET) and Physical Standard Test (PST) → Medical Examination and Document Verification
First stage: Questions / Marks / Time: 80 / 160 / 60 min
Negative marking: 0.25 mark is deducted for each wrong answer.
First stage dates: 27 April 2026 to 30 May 2026
Tentative vacancies: 25,487 (as on 8 December 2025)

Weekly live mock: Sunday, 8 November 2026, 10:00–12:00 IST · 50 questions in 60 minutes, one paper for everyone · Sit it in the Android app →

Exam pattern

Computer Based Examination (CBE)

Applies to: All posts

Computer Based Examination

Section	Questions	Marks each	Marks	Time (min)
General Intelligence and Reasoning (Part-A)	20	2	40	—
General Knowledge and General Awareness (Part-B)	20	2	40	—
Elementary Mathematics (Part-C)	20	2	40	—
English / Hindi (Part-D)	20	2	40	—
Total	80		160	60

Time allowed: 60 minutes. Negative marking: 0.25 mark is deducted for each wrong answer.

One objective multiple-choice paper of 80 questions in 60 minutes, with no sectional timers. Questions are of Matriculation level.
The paper is set in English, Hindi and 13 regional languages (Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Konkani, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu).
CBE marks are normalised, and NCC bonus marks (NCC 'C' 5%, 'B' 3%, 'A' 2% of the maximum marks; not for ex-servicemen) are added to the normalised score. Merit and cut-offs use this score.
Ties in the CBE score are broken by Part-A marks, then Part-B, then Part-C, then date of birth (older first), then alphabetical order of names.
About 8 times the number of vacancies are shortlisted from the CBE for the PET/PST, state-wise, area-wise and category-wise, separately for men and women.

Physical Efficiency Test (PET) and Physical Standard Test (PST)

Applies to: Candidates shortlisted from the CBE. Held by the CAPFs. Ex-servicemen are exempt from the PET but are measured for the PST record.

Physical Efficiency Test (PET): race

This part is qualifying only: it does not add to the merit score.

Men: 5 km in 24 minutes. Women: 1.6 km in 8 and a half minutes.
Candidates of the Ladakh region: men 1.6 km in 7 minutes, women 800 metres in 5 minutes.

Physical Standard Test (PST)

This part is qualifying only: it does not add to the merit score.

Height: 170 cm for men and 157 cm for women. Chest (men only): 80 cm un-expanded with at least 5 cm expansion. Weight: proportionate to height and age as per medical standards.
Relaxed height and chest standards apply to Scheduled Tribe candidates and to candidates from specified regions and communities; the notice lists them.
About 2 times the number of vacancies are shortlisted, in CBE merit order, from those who qualify the PET/PST for the medical examination and document verification.

Medical Examination and Document Verification

Applies to: Candidates who qualify the PET/PST. Held by the CAPFs.

Detailed Medical Examination (DME) / Review Medical Examination (RME) and Document Verification (DV)

This part is qualifying only: it does not add to the merit score.

Medical boards of the CAPFs examine candidates under the MHA Uniform Guidelines for recruitment medical examination, as revised by the MHA office memorandum of 9 March 2026 (applied through the SSC corrigendum of 29 April 2026).
Under the revised guidelines the normal BMI range is 18 to 25, and candidates with BMI below 18 or above 25 are rejected. The PST board does not reject anyone on weight alone.
Matriculation certificate, domicile or permanent residence certificate, caste and other category or relaxation certificates and (if claimed) the NCC certificate are verified in original at this stage.
Final merit is the CBE score (with NCC bonus). Forces are allotted by merit and the preferences filled in the application form, subject to qualifying the PET/PST, medical examination and document verification.

Source: Notice: Constable (GD) in Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and SSF, and Rifleman (GD) in Assam Rifles Examination, 2026 (published 1 December 2025) ↗ · Last verified: 15 October 2026 · Report an error

Free SSC GD mock tests in this official pattern →

Syllabus: subjects tested

The subjects in short, as the official syllabus lists them. The exam body's own notification is final.

General Intelligence and Reasoning: Mainly non-verbal questions: analogies, similarities and differences, spatial visualisation and orientation, visual memory, discrimination, observation, relationship concepts, arithmetical reasoning, figural classification, number series, non-verbal series, and coding-decoding.
General Knowledge and General Awareness: Awareness of the environment around you, current events and everyday observation in their scientific aspect, plus India and its neighbouring countries: sports, history, culture, geography, the economic scene, general polity, the Indian Constitution and scientific research. No special study of any one discipline is needed.
Elementary Mathematics: Number systems, computation with whole numbers, decimals and fractions, relationships between numbers, fundamental arithmetical operations, percentages, ratio and proportion, averages, interest, profit and loss, discount, mensuration, time and distance, and time and work.
English / Hindi: Basic understanding of English or Hindi and basic comprehension.

Full syllabus, stage by stage → · Official website ↗

Age limit and qualification

18 to 23 years as on 1 January 2026 (born not before 2 January 2003 and not later than 1 January 2008). The notice gives this single age band for all posts, with no separate limit by force or gender. Upper-age relaxation: 5 years for SC/ST, 3 years for OBC, 3 years for ex-servicemen after deducting military service, and 5, 8 or 10 years for children and dependents of 1984 riot victims (UR/EWS, OBC, SC/ST respectively). Age is counted as on 1 January 2026.

Posts	Requirement
All posts: Constable (GD) in BSF, CISF, CRPF, SSB, ITBP and SSF, and Rifleman (GD) in Assam Rifles	Pass in Matriculation (Class 10) from a recognised board or university on or before 1 January 2026; the result must have been declared by that date.
All posts: other conditions	Must be a citizen of India and hold a domicile or permanent residence certificate of the state or UT chosen in the application (vacancies are state-wise, except SSF which is all-India). Persons with disabilities are not eligible to apply.

Minimum qualifying marks in the CBE, before adding NCC bonus marks: 30% for UR, 25% for OBC and EWS, 20% for all other categories.

Important dates

Event	Date	Source
Online applications	1 December 2025 to 31 December 2025	official notice ↗
Last date for online fee payment	1 January 2026	official notice ↗
Application form correction window (rescheduled from 8 to 10 January)	10 January 2026 to 13 January 2026	official notice ↗
Computer Based Examination	27 April 2026 to 30 May 2026	official notice ↗
CBE result: candidates shortlisted for PET/PST (provisional)	12 October 2026	official notice ↗
PET/PST	Dates not announced yet. The CAPFs will hold it and call letters will be issued by CRPF (the nodal force), as the 12 October 2026 write-up states.	official notice ↗

Source: Tentative vacancies ↗ · Last verified: 15 October 2026 · Report an error

Practice questions by section

Free questions, each with its answer, in the subjects this exam tests. Every topic opens a list of question pages.

Reasoning

General Studies

Quantitative Aptitude

English

All practice questions by topic →

Free notes (PDF)

Notes for every topic in this exam’s syllabus, one PDF per subject: each lesson ends with a quick-revision box, and each PDF ends with a revision sheet. Written by an AI assistant and not reviewed by a subject-matter expert.

Quantitative Aptitude (89 pages, 1.1 MB)
Reasoning (74 pages, 954 KB)
English (65 pages, 819 KB)
Hindi language (in Hindi, 67 pages, 1.5 MB)
General Awareness (208 pages, 2.3 MB)

Notes for every subject →

Latest notices

SSC GD Constable 2026: PET/PST shortlists re-issued showing both the category applied under and the category considered againstresult · 23 October 2026
SSC GD Constable 2026: PET/PST Shortlisting Result Declared for CAPFs, SSF and Assam Rifles Postsresult · 15 October 2026

All exam notices →

SSC GD admit card, result and answer key: every notice →

Recent current affairs for this exam

All current affairs →

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Frequently asked questions

What are the selection stages of SSC GD?

Computer Based Examination (CBE) → Physical Efficiency Test (PET) and Physical Standard Test (PST) → Medical Examination and Document Verification, as per the Constable (GD) 2026 notification.

How many questions are in the SSC GD first stage?

Computer Based Examination (CBE): 80 questions for 160 marks in 60 minutes, as per the Constable (GD) 2026 notification.

Is there negative marking in SSC GD?

Computer Based Examination (CBE), as per the Constable (GD) 2026 notification: 0.25 mark is deducted for each wrong answer.

Which parts of the SSC GD exam are qualifying?

As per the Constable (GD) 2026 notification, these are qualifying: Physical Efficiency Test (PET) and Physical Standard Test (PST): Physical Efficiency Test (PET): race; Physical Efficiency Test (PET) and Physical Standard Test (PST): Physical Standard Test (PST); Medical Examination and Document Verification: Detailed Medical Examination (DME) / Review Medical Examination (RME) and Document Verification (DV).

What is the age limit for SSC GD?

Can students awaiting their result apply for SSC GD?

As per the Constable (GD) 2026 notification: All posts: Constable (GD) in BSF, CISF, CRPF, SSB, ITBP and SSF, and Rifleman (GD) in Assam Rifles: Pass in Matriculation (Class 10) from a recognised board or university on or before 1 January 2026; the result must have been declared by that date.

What are the minimum qualifying marks in SSC GD?

Minimum qualifying marks in the CBE, before adding NCC bonus marks: 30% for UR, 25% for OBC and EWS, 20% for all other categories.

How many vacancies are there in SSC GD?

25,487 tentative vacancies for Constable (GD) 2026, as officially published on 8 December 2025.

When is the last date to apply for SSC GD?

Online applications: 1 December 2025 to 31 December 2025 (now closed). As per the Constable (GD) 2026 notification.

What are the SSC GD first-stage exam dates?

Computer Based Examination (CBE): 27 April 2026 to 30 May 2026, as per the Constable (GD) 2026 notification.

Which subjects does the SSC GD exam test?

The official syllabus lists: General Intelligence and Reasoning; General Knowledge and General Awareness; Elementary Mathematics; English / Hindi.

How this page is made

These facts are transcribed from the official documents linked above and checked against them on the date shown. If anything here differs from the official notification, the official notification is right. Please tell us through the Contact page. See also our editorial standards. Contact · Editorial standards