SSB Constable Eligibility 2026: Age Limit, Qualification and Standards

SSB Constable eligibility for trade posts depends on the post you choose. A Driver needs a heavy vehicle driving licence, a Tailor needs trade experience or an ITI certificate, and a Veterinary constable needs a Science background with animal-treatment experience. Age limits also differ by post, so reading only the headline "Class 10 pass" is not enough to know whether you can apply.

This page explains the eligibility rules for the Constable (Non-GD) trade posts of the 2026 cycle. The SSB recruitment portal shows advertisements as titles, so the post-wise details below are reported from the notification by education portals and are marked where sources differ. Constable GD and Head Constable have separate eligibility rules and separate pages on Testkart.

Table of Contents

SSB Constable Eligibility at a Glance

Official SSB advertisements: https://recruitment.ssb.gov.in/advertisementsUrl

Educational Qualification and Experience

Every trade post requires at least Class 10 (matriculation) from a recognised board. What changes is the additional proof of skill. All qualifications and certificates must come from recognised boards, ITIs or government-approved institutions.

Driver

You need a Class 10 pass and a valid Heavy Vehicle Driving Licence. This post is open to male candidates only. Keep the licence issue date and validity ready, because it will be checked at the document stage and tested again in the driving test.

Veterinary

You need a Class 10 pass with Science as a main subject and one year of experience in treating animals at a recognised veterinary hospital. Experience letters should be on the hospital's letterhead and mention your role and dates clearly.

Gardener, Water Carrier, Cobbler, Tailor, Washerman, Barber, Waiter and Carpenter

For these trades, the reported requirement is a Class 10 pass plus one of the following:

• Experience route: Two years of experience in the trade.

• Certificate plus experience: A one-year ITI or vocational certificate in the trade and one year of experience.

• Diploma route: A two-year ITI diploma in the trade.

Candidates must also qualify the trade test. Not every source lists the diploma route, so check the exact wording in the advertisement for your trade.

Nursing Orderly

You need a Class 10 pass, a First Aid certificate from St. John Ambulance or the Indian Red Cross Society, and at least one year of experience as a nursing orderly in a recognised hospital or institution with 50 beds or more.

Age Limit

The minimum age is 18 years for all posts. The upper limit depends on the post, as reported from the 2026 notification.

Because sources differ for Veterinary and for the Driver minimum, confirm both in the advertisement. Age is counted as on the closing date of online applications. For the 2026 cycle the closing date was extended and ended on 4 May 2026, and one source quotes the earlier closing date of 20 April 2026, so check which date the advertisement uses for age calculation.

How to check your age

1. Take your date of birth from the Class 10 certificate, since SSB goes by the matriculation record.

2. Count your age in years, months and days as on the cut-off date in the advertisement.

3. Add your category relaxation to the upper limit, and check you are not below the minimum age.

Age Relaxation

Relaxations are not cumulative across categories in most central recruitments, so use the single highest relaxation you are entitled to unless the advertisement says otherwise. Carry the right certificate, such as the OBC non-creamy layer certificate in the prescribed format and date range, because a wrong format can cancel the benefit.

Physical and Medical Standards

Physical standards are part of eligibility, even though they are tested later. You must meet the height and chest standard for your post, and weight must be proportionate to height and age. Reported general standards for male Driver and Veterinary candidates are 170 cm height and 80 cm chest with 5 cm expansion, and standards are relaxed for listed regions, communities and Scheduled Tribes. Women applying for eligible posts have a separate height standard.

The race is 4.8 km in 24 minutes for men and 2.4 km in 18 minutes for women. Ex-servicemen are reported to be exempt from the run.

Nationality, Gender and Other Conditions

• Nationality: Candidates must be Indian citizens, as is standard for central armed police forces. Confirm other categories in the advertisement.

• Gender: Driver is open to male candidates only. For other posts, the notification prescribes separate standards for women where the post is open to them, so check your trade.

• Domicile and region: Some physical relaxations depend on the area you belong to, so keep your domicile or tribe certificate ready.

• Ex-servicemen: About 10 percent of posts are reported to be reserved for ex-servicemen, who also receive an age concession.

• Service in the force: Candidates must be willing to serve anywhere in India, including border and remote areas.

• Number of attempts: No attempt limit is mentioned in the sources reviewed. Age is the practical limit.

Reservation and Category Rules

Vacancies are spread across categories, and your category decides your age relaxation, fee and the competition you face. The 2026 advertisement is reported to carry the following category split for the 827 posts. These totals are indicative, because the portal does not display them, so check the advertisement.

Small trades such as Water Carrier, Waiter and Nursing Orderly have only a handful of posts, and some of them are reported as unreserved only. If you claim a category benefit, your certificate must be valid for the cycle, in the prescribed format, and issued by the competent authority.

What Counts as Valid Trade Experience

Experience is where many applications fail. Keep these points in mind while collecting your proof.

• Dates and duration: The letter should show the start and end date, and the total period must meet the post requirement.

• Employer details: Use a letter from a registered workshop, hospital or institution, signed by an authorised person.

• Matching trade: The work described must match the trade you are applying for. Tailoring experience does not count for a Cobbler post.

• Timing: Experience should be completed by the cut-off date in the advertisement, not after it.

Example Eligibility Checks

These short examples show how the rules work together. They are illustrations and not official rulings.

• Example 1, Driver: A male candidate passed Class 10, holds a heavy vehicle licence and is 26 years and 5 months old on the cut-off date. He meets the age limit of 27 years without any relaxation and still needs to meet the height and chest standard.

• Example 2, Tailor: A candidate who passed Class 10 has a one-year ITI tailoring certificate and one year of experience in a workshop. This meets the certificate-plus-experience route, but the candidate must be within 23 years of age, or 28 years in the SC category with the 5-year relaxation.

• Example 3, Veterinary: A candidate with Class 10 Arts and animal-care experience does not meet the Science requirement and cannot apply for this post, even with experience.

Who Is Not Eligible

These are common reasons candidates are rejected, even after applying:

• Missing trade proof: An experience letter without dates, or a certificate from an unrecognised institute.

• Expired or wrong licence: For Driver, a light motor vehicle licence does not meet the heavy vehicle requirement.

• Age mismatch: A date of birth that differs between the application and the matriculation certificate.

• Below the physical standard: Candidates short of the minimum height or chest are rejected, as reported, even if they are ex-servicemen.

• Female candidates for Driver: The post is for male candidates only.

Application Fee and Documents

Education portals report an application fee of Rs. 100 for male candidates in UR, EWS and OBC categories, with no fee for SC, ST, ex-servicemen and women. This is tentative, as the portal's notice list does not show the fee. Keep scanned copies of the following ready:

• Identity and age: Class 10 certificate and photo identity proof.

• Trade proof: ITI or vocational certificate, experience letter, driving licence or First Aid certificate, depending on the post.

• Category proof: Caste, EWS or ex-serviceman certificate if you claim a benefit.

• Photograph and signature: Recent and in the format requested in the form.

Check Your Eligibility Before You Apply

Run through this list once before filling the form.

1. Match your Class 10 certificate and trade proof to the post requirement.

2. Calculate your age on the cut-off date, with the right relaxation.

3. Measure your height and chest and compare them with the standard for your post and region.

4. Check that every certificate is from a recognised body and is legible.

5. Read the advertisement once on the official portal to catch any change or corrigendum.

Eligibility is only the first gate. Once you are sure you can apply, begin preparing for the physical and written stages. Practise running, revise Class 10 level topics, and attempt timed SSB Constable tests on Testkart when they are available.

Official notices and corrigenda: https://recruitment.ssb.gov.in/notificationUrl