SSC CGL Exam Dates 2026: Tier 1 & Tier 2 Schedule

Summary

As of 20 July 2026, the SSC CGL 2026 notification and application process have already been completed. The official notification was released on 21 May 2026, and candidates could submit their applications from 21 May to 22 June 2026. The application window was reopened from 23 to 25 June 2026, while the fee-payment deadline was 23 June 2026. SSC also provided an application correction window from 1 to 3 July 2026, allowing candidates to fix errors in their submitted forms.
The next stage is the SSC CGL Tier 1 examination, which is expected to be conducted between August and September 2026. The exact exam date, shift timing and city details will be announced separately by SSC closer to the examination. Candidates who qualify in Tier 1 will proceed to the Tier 2 examination, expected in December 2026. Applicants should regularly check ssc.gov.in for the official exam schedule, admit card and other important updates.

If you are chasing a Group B or Group C government job, few things matter more right now than the SSC CGL exam dates 2026. The Staff Selection Commission has released the notification for 12,256 vacancies, and the exam schedule is what every candidate is planning around. This guide lays out the Tier 1 and Tier 2 dates, the full application timeline, the revised exam pattern, and the posts on offer, so you know exactly what you are working towards.

The Combined Graduate Level exam remains one of India’s most popular recruitment tests for a reason. It opens doors to roles in Income Tax, Customs, the CBI and more. Here is your timeline.

Start with the big picture. This table holds every date that shapes your year.

Start with the big picture. This table holds every date that shapes your year.

Tier 1 is the first computer-based stage, and it is scheduled to be conducted across August and September 2026. Because millions apply, the Commission spreads the exam over several days and multiple shifts.

Your individual date, shift and centre appear only on your admit card, released a few days before the exam. Until then, the August to September window is your planning horizon. Treat the whole period as live, because you could be assigned any day within it. Do not wait for a “confirmed” personal date to start your final revision.

Tier 2 is the deciding stage, and it is scheduled for December 2026. Only candidates who clear Tier 1 with the required cut-off qualify to sit for it.

Tier 2 carries the real weight in the final merit, so the gap between Tier 1 in September and Tier 2 in December is precious. That roughly three-month window is when serious candidates lock in their scores through targeted practice, especially in Quantitative Aptitude and English, which dominate the Tier 2 papers.

Here is how the whole cycle unfolds from start to finish:

• Notification released on 21 May 2026, opening the online application.
• Applications accepted until 25 June 2026, with fee payment closing on 26 June.
• A correction window from 1 to 3 July 2026 to fix form errors.
• Tier 1 conducted across August and September 2026.
• Tier 1 results, followed by Tier 2 in December 2026.
• Document verification and final result in the following months.

Missing any of these windows, especially the correction dates, can end your attempt before it begins, so diarise each one.

The SSC CGL admit card is released region by region, usually a few days to a couple of weeks before each phase of Tier 1. It is issued through the respective SSC regional websites and carries your exam date, shift, reporting time, and centre address.

Always carry a printed admit card and a valid photo ID to the centre. Check your name, photograph, and category on the card as soon as it is released, because corrections take time and the reporting rules are strict.

Knowing the SSC CGL exam dates 2026 is only half the job. You also need to know what each tier tests. Tier 1 is structured like this:

Tier 1 runs for 60 minutes, and there is negative marking of 0.50 marks for every wrong answer. A key change this cycle is fixed sectional timing, so you cannot linger endlessly on one section.

Tier 2 also introduces a new Paper 3, but only for candidates applying to Assistant Audit Officer and Assistant Accounts Officer posts.

This year, the Commission announced 12,256 vacancies across more than 40 Group B and Group C posts. Some of the most sought-after roles include:

• Income Tax Inspector
• Assistant Section Officer
• Inspector in Customs and Central Excise
• Assistant Audit Officer and Assistant Accounts Officer
• Sub Inspector in the CBI

These posts sit in departments like the Central Board of Direct Taxes, the Enforcement Directorate, and the Ministry of External Affairs. The mix of pay, stability, and growth is what keeps the SSC CGL among the top targets for graduates every single year.

The dates lead somewhere, and for most aspirants, that somewhere is a stable, well-paid government job. SSC CGL posts fall across Pay Levels 4 to 8 of the pay matrix, with starting basic pay ranging from 25,500 rupees at Level 4 to 47,600 rupees at Level 8, which can scale up to 1,51,100 rupees over a full career progression under the 7th Central Pay Commission (CPC) framework.

Higher-grade posts, such as Assistant Section Officer and Income Tax Inspector, sit at Levels 7 and 8 and offer stronger in-hand salaries once allowances like Dearness Allowance and House Rent Allowance are added. Beyond pay, the real draw is job security, structured promotions, and the prestige attached to central government service, which is why the competition is so fierce.

Since Tier 1 is held in multiple shifts across several days, the difficulty of each shift’s paper can differ. To keep scoring fair, the Commission applies a standard deviation normalisation formula that adjusts raw marks to a common scale. So, your final Tier 1 score may vary slightly from your raw total.

You have no say over your shift, so put your energy where it counts: accuracy and smart time management within the new sectional limits. The normalised score is what decides whether you clear the Tier 1 cut-off.

The exam dates give you a clear countdown, so use it deliberately:

• Work backwards from the Tier 1 window and finish your syllabus at least six weeks before August.
• Take a full-length mock every week, timed with sectional limits, to adapt to the new pattern.
• Once Tier 1 is done, pivot immediately to Tier 2 practice rather than resting on results.
• Keep General Awareness current with daily reading, since it can swing your Tier 1 score fast.

The candidates who convert are usually the ones who start early and stay consistent, not the ones who rely on a final month of panic study.

conclusion

The SSC CGL exam dates 2026 give you a firm timeline from the May notification right through to Tier 2 in December. Anchor your preparation to the August–September Tier 1 window, adjust to the new sectional timing, and confirm every personal date on your official admit card.

A clear schedule, worked backwards, is the surest way to turn one of the 12,256 vacancies into a position with your name on it.