SSC GD Constable 2026: 25,487 Posts, PET, Force Guide

SSC GD Constable 2026: where this recruitment stands

SSC GD Constable 2026 is a recruitment of 25,487 posts across the Central Armed Police Forces and allied organisations, and the written stage is complete. The Staff Selection Commission notified the examination on 1 December 2025, applications closed on 31 December 2025, and the Computer Based Test was conducted in four phases between 27 April and 30 May 2026. The answer key has been released and the result is awaited.

If you sat the CBT, the useful thing to do now is not refresh the result page. It is to train for the Physical Efficiency Test, because that is the next stage, it is pass or fail, and the male standard of 5 kilometres in 24 minutes is not something you can produce on a few weeks' notice from an untrained base.

This page covers the current stage, the physical standards in detail, and the part almost no other page explains properly: which force you actually end up in, and how much say you have in it.

Timeline of the 2026 cycle

Because the CBT ran across four phases over five weeks, SSC applies normalisation across shifts, so your final score is adjusted for the relative difficulty of the paper you sat rather than taken as a raw total.

Which forces you could be posted to

This is the question candidates ask least before applying and most after selection. SSC GD is a single examination feeding several very different organisations.

The difference between these is enormous in practice. A CISF constable at a metro station in a large city and a BSF constable on the Rann of Kutch hold the same rank, drew the same pay scale, and live entirely different lives.

You submit a force preference order in the application. Allocation then follows merit, category, vacancy position in each force, and your medical category. High rank means your preference is more likely to be honoured; lower in the merit list, the allocation is driven by where vacancies remain. Nobody is guaranteed their first preference.

The practical implication for the next cycle: think about the preference order seriously when you apply, rather than treating it as a formality. Consider climate tolerance, family situation, willingness to serve at altitude or in remote border areas, and whether urban posting matters to you.

Vacancy position

The recruitment covers 25,487 posts for Constable (General Duty) in the CAPFs and SSF, Rifleman (General Duty) in Assam Rifles, and Sepoy in the Narcotics Control Bureau. The force-wise and category-wise split is set out in the notification, and vacancies are further divided by state and by gender, since female vacancies are notified separately and are a smaller share of the total.

Because vacancies are distributed state-wise, the cutoff varies significantly between states. A score that secures selection from one state may fall short from another, which is why comparing your marks against a friend from a different state tells you little.

Exam pattern

The Computer Based Test is a single objective paper.

Duration is 60 minutes. Each correct answer carries 2 marks and 0.25 marks are deducted for each wrong answer.

Run the arithmetic on that marking scheme, because it is more forgiving than it looks. A correct answer gains 2 while a wrong one costs 0.25, a ratio of 8 to 1. Guessing blindly among four options gives, on average, one correct and three wrong: plus 2 against minus 0.75, a net gain of 1.25. That means blind guessing is mathematically profitable here, which is unusual and the opposite of exams with a 1 in 3 penalty.

The practical rule for this paper: attempt everything. Leaving questions blank costs you marks in expectation. Candidates who carry cautious habits from exams with heavier penalties give away several marks in a paper where the cutoff is tight.

The other constraint is time. 80 questions in 60 minutes is 45 seconds each, so speed matters as much as accuracy.

Syllabus

The paper sits at Class 10 level across all four sections.

General Intelligence and Reasoning covers analogies, similarities and differences, spatial visualisation, problem solving, analysis, judgement, visual memory, discrimination, observation, relationship concepts, arithmetical reasoning, coding and decoding, and non-verbal series.

General Knowledge and General Awareness covers current affairs, sports, history, culture, geography, economic scene, general polity, the Indian Constitution, and scientific research, with an emphasis on everyday observation and experience rather than specialised study.

Elementary Mathematics covers number systems, 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, ratio and time, and time and work.

English or Hindi tests basic comprehension and writing ability at a level appropriate to the post. You choose one at the application stage.

Physical Efficiency Test

The PET is qualifying. It adds no marks to your merit position, and failing it removes you regardless of your CBT score.

Different standards apply to candidates from Ladakh, where the distance and timing are relaxed to account for altitude.

The male standard deserves respect. 5 kilometres in 24 minutes is a pace of 4 minutes 48 seconds per kilometre, sustained for nearly half an hour. That is a genuine distance-running standard, well beyond general fitness, and it is the single most common reason CBT-qualified candidates are eliminated.

Training for it needs months rather than weeks. Build a weekly base of 25 to 40 kilometres of running, add one interval session at faster than target pace, and one longer run at an easy effort. Run a timed 5 kilometre trial every two or three weeks so you know your real number rather than an estimate. A candidate who can currently run 5 kilometres in 30 minutes needs roughly three to four months of structured work to reach 24, and that is exactly the window between now and the likely PET date.

The female standard of 1.6 kilometres in 8 minutes 30 seconds works out to about 5 minutes 19 seconds per kilometre over a shorter distance, which is demanding but more achievable from a moderate base.

Physical Standard Test

The PST measures height and, for male candidates, chest.

Male candidates need a chest measurement of 80 cm unexpanded expanding to 85 cm, with a minimum expansion of 5 cm. Relaxed standards apply to candidates from hill areas and to Scheduled Tribe candidates, and to candidates from specified regions including Garhwal, Kumaon, Himachal Pradesh, Gorkhas, Dogras, Marathas, and the North Eastern states.

Measure yourself against these before investing further. A candidate who falls a centimetre short of the height standard is not selected regardless of anything else, and there is no appeal beyond the on-spot re-measurement provision.

Medical examination

Candidates clearing the PET and PST go to a Detailed Medical Examination, with a Review Medical Examination available to those declared unfit.

CAPF medical standards cover vision, hearing, general fitness and freedom from conditions that impair field duty. The common grounds for rejection are vision below the prescribed standard, colour blindness, knock knee, flat foot, varicose veins, and defective hearing. These are worth checking with a doctor before the PET rather than discovering at the medical stage.

Vision requirements vary slightly by force and by post, and the medical category assigned can affect which force you are allocated to.

Selection process

Merit rests on the normalised CBT score alone. The physical stages, medical and document verification are gates rather than scoring events.

Salary of an SSC GD Constable

The post sits at Pay Level 3 of the 7th Pay Commission matrix, with a range of Rs 21,700 to Rs 69,100.

Entry basic pay is Rs 21,700 a month. On top of that come dearness allowance at the prevailing rate, house rent allowance depending on posting city classification, transport allowance, ration money allowance, and the risk and hardship allowance that applies to CAPF personnel serving in operational areas. Those force-specific allowances are substantial and are why reported in-hand figures for CAPF constables, commonly quoted in the region of Rs 43,000 to Rs 51,000 a month, run well above what the basic pay alone would suggest.

The exact figure depends heavily on the force, the posting and whether the location attracts hardship or high-altitude allowances. A constable in a field posting on the border generally earns more in allowances than one in a metropolitan installation, which partly offsets the difference in living conditions.

Beyond pay, the post carries free accommodation or housing at most postings, medical facilities for the employee and family through CAPF hospitals and the Central Government Health Scheme, canteen facilities, leave travel concession, group insurance and pension benefits under the applicable rules.

Career progression

A serving constable who holds a graduate degree and remains within the age band can appear for the SSC CPO examination for direct entry as Sub-Inspector, which advances several rungs at once compared with departmental promotion. Constables planning a long career often work towards that examination in their early years.

Eligibility

On age, the band is 18 to 23 years, with relaxation of 3 years for OBC candidates, 5 years for SC and ST candidates, and further relaxation for other specified categories. The reckoning date is set in the notification.

On education, Class 10 pass from a recognised board is the requirement, which makes this one of the most accessible central recruitments by qualification.

On nationality, candidates must be Indian citizens, with the provisions in the notification covering Nepalese and Bhutanese subjects and specified categories of Tibetan refugees.

What to do while the result is awaited

Train for the PET. It is the stage that eliminates most CBT-qualified candidates, and the 5 kilometre standard takes months to build. This is the highest-return use of the current period by a wide margin.

Check your height and chest against the PST standards honestly, and get a basic medical check covering vision and the common rejection grounds.

Get your documents ready: Class 10 certificate as date of birth proof, category certificate in the central government format with a current non-creamy layer certificate for OBC candidates, domicile documents, and identity documents matching your application.

Keep applying elsewhere. Preparation for SSC GD transfers almost completely to other Class 10 level recruitments, including RRB Group D, state police constable recruitments such as MP Police and Bihar Police, and India Post GDS. Only the state-specific general knowledge changes.

Frequently asked questions

When will the SSC GD 2026 result be declared? The result is awaited. The Computer Based Test was held in four phases between 27 April and 30 May 2026 and the answer key has been released. Because the exam ran across multiple shifts over five weeks, SSC normalises scores before publishing the result, which is why it takes time after the answer key. Check ssc.gov.in for the announcement.

How many vacancies are in SSC GD 2026? There are 25,487 posts for Constable (General Duty) in the Central Armed Police Forces and Secretariat Security Force, Rifleman (General Duty) in Assam Rifles, and Sepoy in the Narcotics Control Bureau. Vacancies are split force-wise, category-wise, state-wise and by gender, with female vacancies notified separately as a smaller share.

What is the SSC GD PET running standard? Male candidates must run 5 kilometres in 24 minutes and female candidates 1.6 kilometres in 8 minutes 30 seconds. Relaxed standards apply for candidates from Ladakh. The male standard works out to a pace of 4 minutes 48 seconds per kilometre sustained for nearly half an hour, which needs months of structured running rather than general fitness. The PET is qualifying and adds no marks to merit.

Is there negative marking in SSC GD? Yes, 0.25 marks are deducted per wrong answer against 2 marks for a correct one. That 8 to 1 ratio makes guessing mathematically profitable: blind guessing across four options nets a positive expected value, so every question should be attempted. Leaving answers blank costs you marks in expectation, unlike exams with heavier penalties.

What is the height requirement for SSC GD Constable? The general standard is 170 cm for male candidates and 157 cm for female candidates, with 150 cm for Scheduled Tribe female candidates and relaxations for Scheduled Tribe male candidates and candidates from hill areas and specified regions including Garhwal, Kumaon, Himachal Pradesh, Gorkhas, Dogras, Marathas and the North East. Male candidates also need a chest of 80 cm expanding to 85 cm, a minimum expansion of 5 cm.

Which force will I be posted to after SSC GD selection? It depends on your merit position, your preference order submitted in the application, category, vacancy position in each force and your medical category. The forces are BSF, CISF, CRPF, ITBP, SSB, SSF, Assam Rifles and the Narcotics Control Bureau. A high rank makes your stated preference more likely to be honoured; further down the list, allocation follows wherever vacancies remain. Nobody is guaranteed their first preference.

What is the salary of an SSC GD Constable? Pay Level 3 of the 7th CPC matrix, Rs 21,700 to Rs 69,100, with entry basic pay of Rs 21,700. With dearness allowance, house rent allowance, transport allowance, ration money and the risk and hardship allowance that applies in operational areas, reported in-hand pay commonly runs about Rs 43,000 to Rs 51,000 a month. The exact figure depends heavily on force, posting and whether hardship or high-altitude allowances apply.

What is the SSC GD exam pattern? A single Computer Based Test of 80 questions for 160 marks in 60 minutes, with four sections of 20 questions each at 2 marks per question: General Intelligence and Reasoning, General Knowledge and General Awareness, Elementary Mathematics, and English or Hindi. Negative marking is 0.25 per wrong answer, and scores are normalised across shifts.

What is the educational qualification for SSC GD Constable? Class 10 pass from a recognised board, which makes this one of the most accessible central government recruitments by qualification. The age band is 18 to 23 years with relaxation of 3 years for OBC and 5 years for SC and ST candidates, plus further relaxation for other specified categories.

Which is harder, SSC GD or RRB Group D? They differ in where the difficulty sits. SSC GD has a much harder physical standard, 5 kilometres in 24 minutes against RRB Group D's 1000 metres in 4 minutes 15 seconds plus a lifting event, and it carries CAPF medical standards with field posting. RRB Group D has a more forgiving physical test and no border posting, but a heavier negative marking of one third and a lower pay level at Level 1 against SSC GD's Level 3.

Can female candidates apply for SSC GD Constable? Yes. Female vacancies are notified separately and form a smaller share of the 25,487 total. Female candidates need a minimum height of 157 cm, or 150 cm for Scheduled Tribe candidates, with no chest measurement, and must run 1.6 kilometres in 8 minutes 30 seconds in the PET. The written examination, medical standards framework and selection process are otherwise the same.

What are the common medical rejection reasons in SSC GD? Vision below the prescribed standard, colour blindness, knock knee, flat foot, varicose veins and defective hearing are the most frequent grounds. A Review Medical Examination is available to candidates declared unfit at the Detailed Medical Examination. These conditions are worth checking with a doctor before the PET rather than discovering them at the medical stage after months of training.