SSC CGL Eligibility Criteria 2026: SSC CGL Age limit, Education Qualification, Nationality and Physical Standards
The Staff Selection Commission conducts the SSC CGL exam every year. Also, it establishes the official SSC CGL Eligibility for various Group B and Group C posts, such as Junior Statistical Officer (JSO), Statistical Investigator Grade-II, etc. Aspiring candidates must meet all the criteria to appear for the examination. In this article, we have covered all the necessary details, such as SSC CGL Eligibility Criteria, SSC CGL Age limit, nationality, age relaxation, and important FAQs related to SSC CGL Exam, so serious aspirants are advised to go through the entire article to gain detailed knowledge about SSC CGL Eligibility 2026.
SSC CGL Eligibility Criteria 2026
The Staff Selection Commission will release the SSC CGL Eligibility 2026 along with the official SSC CGL notification pdf. The SSC CGL Eligibility criteria consists of various key details, such as:
- Educational qualifications
- Age limit,
- Nationality
- Physical Standard etc.
SSC CGL Eligibility Criteria 2026: Overview
Let’s take a look at the overview of SSC CGL Eligibility criteria:
|
SSC CGL Eligibility Criteria 2026 Overview |
|
|
Exam Name |
SSC CGL 2026 |
|
Organization |
Staff Selection Commission |
|
SSC CGL Age Limit |
18-32 years |
|
SSC CGL Qualification |
Bachelor’s Degree and special requirements for posts like JSO, Statistical Investigator Grade-II Post |
|
SSC CGL Nationality |
Indian |
|
SSC Official Website |
|
SSC CGL Educational Qualification
The details of SSC CGL Eligibility for educational qualification will be released in the official notification. The Staff Selection Commission determines the educational criteria for the SSC CGL exam. Candidates are advised to carefully review this section to understand the specific post they opted for.
Post-wise education qualification 2026
The qualifications required for each post are outlined below:
|
SSC CGL Education Qualification |
|
|
Junior Statistical Officer (JSO) |
A Bachelor's degree in any field from an accredited university or institute with a minimum of 60% in mathematics at the 12th-grade level or A bachelor's degree in statistics is one of the degree-level studies in any field. |
|
Assistant Audit Officer/ Assistant Accounts Officer (AAO) |
Essential Qualifications: A bachelor's degree in any field from a recognized university.
|
|
Statistical Investigator Grade-II |
A bachelor's degree from an approved institution or institute in any field, including statistics. Statistics must have been a subject for the candidates during the three years of their graduate course. |
|
Assistant in National Company Law Appellate Tribunal |
requires a bachelor's degree from a reputed university or institute. A law degree from an accredited university is desired. |
|
Research Assistant in the National Human Rights Commission |
Essential qualification: Bachelor's degree from authorized universities or institutes Desirable qualifications: At least one year of research experience at a reputable university or research institution. A legal or human rights degree from an approved university. |
|
Other Post |
Bachelor's degree in any field from an accredited university, or an equivalent qualification |
SSC CGL Age limit 2026
The Staff Selection Commission prescribes an age limit for each post for the SSC CGL exam, and candidates must carefully check the age limit for SSC CGL before applying. We have provided detailed age limit criteria for the SSC CGL exam.
Post-wise age limit for SSC CGL
|
SSC CGL Age Limit- Post-wise |
||
|
Name of Posts |
Ministry/ Department/Office/ Cadre |
Age Limit |
|
Junior Statistical Officer |
M/o Statistics & Programme Implementation |
Up to 32 years |
|
Inspector of Income Tax |
CBDT |
Not exceeding 30 years |
|
Inspector, (Central Excise) |
CBIC |
Not exceeding 30 years |
|
Inspector (Preventive Officer) |
||
|
Inspector (Examiner) |
||
|
Inspector |
Central Bureau of Narcotics |
Not exceeding 30 years |
|
Assistant |
Other Ministries/Departments/Organizations |
Not exceeding 30 years |
|
Assistant/ Superintendent |
Other Ministries/Departments/Organizations |
Not exceeding 30 years |
|
Divisional Accountant |
Offices under C&AG |
Not exceeding 30 years |
|
Sub-Inspector/ Junior Intelligence Officer |
Narcotics Control Bureau (MHA) |
Not exceeding 30 years |
|
Assistant Enforcement Officer |
Directorate of Enforcement, Department of Revenue |
Up to 30 years |
|
Sub Inspector |
National Investigation Agency (NIA) |
Up to 30 years |
|
Office Superintendent |
CBDT |
Not exceeding 30 years |
|
Section Head |
Director General of Foreign Trade |
Not exceeding 30 years |
|
Assistant Section Officer |
Central Secretariat Service Intelligence Bureau Ministry of Railway Ministry of External Affairs AFHQ |
20-30 years |
|
Sub Inspector |
Central Bureau of Investigation |
20-30 years |
|
Auditor |
Offices under C&AG Other Ministries/ Departments Offices under CGDA |
18-27 years |
|
Accountant |
Offices under C&AG |
18-27 years |
|
Accountant/ Junior Accountant |
Other Ministries/ Departments |
18-27 years |
|
Postal Assistant/ Sorting Assistant |
Department of Post, Ministry of Communication |
18-27 years |
|
Senior Secretariat Assistant/ Upper Division Clerks |
Central Govt. |
18-27 years |
|
Senior Administrative Assistant |
Military Engineering Services, Ministry of Defence |
18-27 years |
|
Tax Assistant |
CBDT CBIC |
18-27 years |
|
Sub-Inspector |
Central Bureau of Narcotics |
18-27 years |
|
Upper Division Clerks |
Dte. Gen Border Road Organisation (MoD) |
18-27 years |
|
Assistant Audit Officer |
Indian Audit & Accounts Department under C&AG |
Not exceeding 30 years |
|
Assistant Accounts Officer |
Indian Audit & Accounts Department under C&AG |
Not exceeding 30 years |
SSC CGL Age relaxation
Certain relaxations are granted by the Staff Selection Commission for candidates belonging to reserved categories, persons with disabilities, etc., which directly impact the age limit for SSC CGL. Below, we have provided a detailed table regarding the age relaxation.
|
SSC CGL Age Relaxation |
|
|
Categories |
Age relaxation |
|
SC/ ST |
5 years |
|
OBC |
3 years |
|
PwD + General |
10 years |
|
PwD + OBC |
13 years |
|
PwD + SC/ ST |
15 years |
|
Candidates domiciled in the State of Jammu & Kashmir between 1st January, 1980, to 31st December, 1989 |
5 years |
|
Ex-Servicemen |
3 years |
|
Defense Personnel who are disabled in any hostile military activity |
3 years |
|
SC/ST Defence Personnel who are disabled during any hostile military activity |
8 years |
SSC CGL 2026 Age Relaxation For Posts of Group ‘C’
The Staff Selection Commission grants age relaxation to candidates belonging to reserved categories who are applying for various Group ‘C’ posts. The details of the applicable age relaxations for Group ‘C’ posts are provided in the table below.
|
Age Relaxation For Posts of Group ‘C’ |
|||
|
Employee |
Category |
Service Duration |
Maximum age limit |
|
Central Govt. Civilian Employees |
- |
Less than three years of regular, continuous service |
40 years |
|
SC/ST |
45 years |
||
|
Widows, divorced women, and women who have been legally separated but have not remarried. |
- |
- |
35 years |
|
SC/ST |
- |
40 years |
|
SSC CGL 2026 Age Relaxation For Posts of Group ‘B’
The details of the applicable age relaxations for Group ‘B’ posts are provided in the table below.
|
SSC CGL 2026 Age Relaxation For Posts of Group ‘B’ |
|
|
Category |
Age Relaxation |
|
Ex-servicemen, including commissioned Officers and ECOs/SSCOs, must have at least 5 years of Military Service as on the latest date of receipt of the SSC CGL application and must have been released on the following grounds: completion of the assignment, physical impairment related to Military Service, invalided. |
5 years |
|
ECOs and SSCOs whose assignments have been extended beyond five years. In this scenario, the Ministry of Defence issues a certificate stating they can seek for civil employment and that they will be discharged on three months notice from the date you received the appointment offer. |
5 years |
SSC CGL Nationality Criteria
As per the SSC CGL Eligibility criteria for nationality, aspiring candidates must meet the eligibility criteria set by the Staff Selection Commission in order to appear in the exam.
To be eligible for recruitment, candidates must be from one of the nationalities listed below.
A citizen of India
A subject of Nepal
A subject of Bhutan
A Tibetan refugee
Migrants from Pakistan, the United Republic of Tanzania (formerly Tanganyika and Zanzibar), Burma, Sri Lanka, Malawi, East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, Zaire, Vietnam, and Ethiopia, who have permanently settled in India.
SSC CGL Attempt Limit in 2026
If the candidates meet the educational and age criteria prescribed by the Staff Selection Commission, they can appear in the exam as many times as they want. There is no fixed limit on the number of attempts in the SSC CGL exam.
How Many Maximum Number of Attempts For SSC CGL?
The maximum number of attempts varies based on the candidate's post and category. We have provided the following tables detailing the attempt limits by category.
|
Unreserved Category Attempt Limits |
||
|
Age Limit |
Post Type |
Number of Attempts
|
|
18-27 |
Auditor and Various |
9 |
|
18-30 |
Inspector (IT) |
12 |
|
18-30 |
Assistant Section Officer and Various |
12 |
|
18-32 |
Junior Statistical Officer (JSO) |
14 |
|
20-30 |
Sub Inspector and Various |
10 |
Other Backward Classes (OBC) Attempt Limits
Candidates belonging to the OBC category are granted an age relaxation of 3 years, allowing them more opportunities to appear for the exam than candidates from the Unreserved category.
|
Other Backward Classes (OBC) Attempt Limits |
||
|
Age Limit |
Post Type |
Number of Attempts
|
|
18-30 |
Auditor and Various |
12 |
|
18-33 |
Inspector (IT) |
15 |
|
18-33 |
Assistant Section Officer and Various |
15 |
|
18-35 |
Junior Statistical Officer (JSO) |
17 |
|
20-35 |
Sub Inspector and Various |
13 |
Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) Attempt Limits
As per the Staff Selection Commission, candidates belonging to the SC and ST categories are provided with a 5-year age relaxation, allowing them more opportunities to appear for the examination.
|
Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) Attempt Limits |
||
|
Age Limit |
Post Type |
Number of Attempts
|
|
18-32 |
Auditor and Various |
14 |
|
18-35 |
Inspector (IT) |
17 |
|
18-35 |
Assistant Section Officer and Various |
17 |
|
18-37 |
Junior Statistical Officer (JSO) |
19 |
|
20-35 |
Sub Inspector and Various |
15 |
SSC CGL Physical Eligibility
The commission's physical eligibility criteria are valid for some posts; candidates must meet the specific criteria to be eligible.
Physical requirements for the SSC CGL vary by gender, with specific benchmarks set for height, weight, and chest measurements. Additionally, candidates from certain geographic regions may qualify for relaxed standards or exemptions.
The table below outlines the specific physical criteria required for these positions:
|
SSC CGL Physical Standards |
||
|
Criteria |
Male Candidates |
Female Candidates |
|
Height |
157.5 cms |
152 cms |
|
Chest |
81 cm (completely expanded, with a minimum expansion of 5 cm) |
– |
|
Weight |
– |
48 Kgs |
|
Exemptions |
Garwalis, Assamese, Gorkhas, and Scheduled Tribe members might have their height relaxed by 5 cm |
Height relaxable by 2.5 cm Weight relaxable by 2 Kg. for Gorkhas, Garwalis, Assamese and members of Scheduled Tribes |
SSC CGL Physical Fitness Test
For certain posts, candidates must pass the physical test to qualify. The staff selection mostly conducts walking and cycling tests to test the physical capability. Check out the table below for the full breakdown of how the physical test works:
|
SSC CGL Physical Test |
||
|
Parameters |
Duration for Male Candidates |
Duration for Female Candidates |
|
Walking |
1600 metres in 15 minutes |
1 km in 20 minutes |
|
Cycling |
8 kms. in 30 minutes |
3 km in 25 minutes |
SSC CGL Eligibility Criteria for PwBD Candidates
The SSC CGL examination provides special relaxations and support for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD), ensuring they get fair opportunities to compete for respected government posts.
For candidates applying under this category, the important eligibility details and available benefits are shared below so aspirants can better understand the concessions and advantages provided.
|
Feature |
Requirement / Benefit Details |
|
Minimum Disability |
40% or more (verified by an authorized medical board). |
|
Education |
Bachelor’s Degree in any discipline (Special criteria apply for JSO/AAO). |
|
Age Relaxation (UR/EWS) |
10 Years |
|
Age Relaxation (OBC) |
13 Years |
|
Age Relaxation (SC/ST) |
15 Years |
|
Extra Exam Time |
20 minutes per hour. |
|
Scribe Facility |
Available for VH candidates or those with physical writing limitations. |
|
Walking Test Exemption |
Typically waived for OL (One Leg) and OAL (One Arm & One Leg). |
|
Cycling Test Exemption |
Typically waived for OA (One Arm), OL, and OAL categories. |
