Delhi Police Constable Exam Pattern 2026: CBE and PE&MT

The Delhi Police Constable exam pattern is simple on paper: one 100 mark computer-based examination (CBE), followed by physical, document and medical stages run by Delhi Police. The simplicity is misleading, because a short paper with negative marking rewards candidates who manage time and accuracy well.

This page explains the pattern used in the Delhi Police Examination 2025, which is the latest completed cycle. The notification for the next cycle had not been released on 22 October 2026. Items taken from SSC notices are marked as official, and anything that comes from reported sources is marked so you can verify it when the new notice appears.

Table of Contents

• Delhi Police Constable exam pattern at a glance

• Key changes and points to know

• Stage 1: CBE pattern

• Marking scheme and negative marking

• Qualifying marks in the CBE

• What the pattern means for you

• Stage 2: PE&MT pattern

• Document verification and medical examination

• Final merit and bonus marks

• Time management and exam-day strategy

Delhi Police Constable exam pattern at a glance

Key changes and points to know

• Only one written paper: There is no descriptive paper or second tier for this post.

• Computer is a full section: Ten marks are reserved for computer fundamentals.

• Shifts are normalised: The exam runs over many days and shifts, and SSC normalises marks using the method in its notice dated 2 June 2025.

• The PE&MT date moved: The physical test was rescheduled in 2026 after bad weather. Always check the Delhi Police website for the latest schedule.

• Older pages may differ: Some pages still show earlier dates or an earlier number of vacancies, so follow the official notification.

Stage 1: CBE pattern

The paper has four-option multiple-choice questions and runs for 90 minutes. It is available in English and Hindi. Reports of earlier papers describe the difficulty as matriculation to 10+2 level, with most questions easy to moderate. There is no sectional time limit, so you can move between sections freely.

Date and duration

In the 2025 cycle, SSC held the CBE from 18 December 2025 to 6 January 2026 in multiple shifts across the country. The dates for the next cycle will be in the notice, and you should treat any date you see before that as tentative.

Marking scheme and negative marking

Each correct answer earns 1 mark. Each wrong answer deducts 0.25 marks, which means four wrong answers cancel one correct answer. Questions you leave unanswered carry no penalty.

For example, if you attempt 90 questions with 78 correct and 12 wrong, your score is 78 minus 3, which is 75 marks. If you had attempted only 80 questions with 76 correct and 4 wrong, your score would be 75 as well. The extra ten risky attempts gave no gain.

Qualifying marks in the CBE

SSC fixes minimum qualifying marks by category. These were the figures in the 2025 result notice dated 19 June 2026.

These are only the minimum to be considered. Candidates are shortlisted for the next stage in order of normalised marks against the number of vacancies, which is why actual cut-offs were far higher.

What the pattern means for you

• General Knowledge is half the paper: Keep at least half of your study hours for it, including current affairs.

• Reasoning and Maths give 40 marks: These are skill-based sections, so daily practice improves speed.

• Computer is cheap marks: A few days of focused study can secure most of the 10 marks.

• Cost of a guess: A wrong answer costs you 0.25 marks, while a correct one earns 1. A guess pays off on average only when your chance of being right is better than one in five, so guess only when you can eliminate two options.

• Cut-off risk: In the last cycle the male UR and OBC cut-offs were about 70 and the female UR cut-off was about 63.5, so the qualifying marks alone will not get you through.

Stage 2: PE&MT pattern

Candidates shortlisted from the CBE are called by Delhi Police for the Physical Endurance and Measurement Test. The figures below are as reported for the 2025 cycle. Confirm them in the new notice.

Physical measurement

Physical endurance

Older age groups get longer race times and shorter jumps. The race is usually held first, and only those who clear it move on to the jumps. Male candidates must also hold a valid LMV licence on the PE&MT date, and a learner's licence is not accepted.

Document verification and medical examination

At document verification you present original certificates for age, education, category and any bonus marks. Missing or mismatched documents can end a candidature even after you clear the CBE, so keep them ready from the day you apply. The medical examination checks general fitness, eyesight and other standards set by Delhi Police for police service.

Final merit and bonus marks

The merit list is based on the normalised CBE marks. SSC has said that bonus marks for NCC and for RRU degree or diploma holders are added in the final result only if the candidate produces supporting documents at the PE&MT or document verification stage. NCC certificate bonus is reported as a percentage of maximum marks, so check the exact rule in the new notice.

Time management and exam-day strategy

Ninety minutes for 100 questions is less than one minute a question. A sensible plan looks like this:

This split is a suggestion to test in mocks, not an official rule. Adjust it after a few full tests.

1. Read the instructions: Check the language and the section order before you start.

2. Take two passes: Answer what you know in the first pass and return to the rest.

3. Avoid blind guesses: Negative marking punishes random attempts.

4. Keep the last minutes for review: Check the questions you marked before you submit.

For official notices, visit the Official SSC website: https://ssc.gov.in/.