SSB Constable Exam Pattern 2026: Stages, Marks and Timing

The SSB Constable exam pattern for trade posts has more stages than a typical written exam. Before you reach the computer-based paper of 100 questions, you must clear a Physical Efficiency Test and a Physical Standard Test. After it come a trade or skill test, document verification and a medical examination. Understanding all of these stages helps you plan your preparation instead of focusing on only one of them.

This page follows the Constable (Non-GD) trade posts of the 2026 cycle, which include Driver, Tailor, Barber, Washerman, Veterinary and other trades. The official portal lists notices by title and does not show the pattern in full, so several figures below are reported by education portals from the notification and are marked as such. Constable GD and Head Constable use different patterns and have their own pages.

Table of Contents

SSB Constable Exam Pattern

The sequence above matches the stage notices on the SSB recruitment portal, where PET and PST notices and e-admit cards were issued first in the 2026 cycle. The order of the later stages can change, so follow the notices for your advertisement.

Key Points to Know Before You Study

• Physical tests come first: A candidate who does not clear PET or PST is out, whatever the written ability.

• One written paper for all trades: Driver, Tailor and Barber candidates attempt the same four sections, as reported.

• Merit comes from the written marks: Reports say final merit is based on the written exam, with the trade test being qualifying.

• Some details are unconfirmed: Negative marking, trade test weightage and call-up ratios are not displayed on the portal, so check the advertisement.

Physical Efficiency Test (PET)

The PET is a timed run. It carries no marks, and you must finish within the limit.

Ex-servicemen are reported to be exempt from the run but must appear for the other stages. The male limit works out to a steady pace of 5 minutes per kilometre. Practise at that pace on a measured track, and avoid starting too fast.

Physical Standard Test (PST)

The PST checks height, chest for men, and weight in proportion to height and age. Standards vary by post and by region or community. The values below are as reported from the 2026 notification, and you should verify them in the advertisement for your post.

Constable (Driver), male

Constable (Veterinary)

Other trade posts such as Tailor, Barber, Washerman and Cobbler have their own standards. One source quotes about 167.5 cm height for men and 157 cm for women for such trades in an earlier pattern, so treat that as indicative only. If you fall short of the minimum height or chest, you will be rejected even if you are an ex-serviceman, as reported.

Written Exam Pattern (CBT)

The written exam is a computer-based test with objective questions. It is the only stage that decides your merit rank, as reported.

The duration is 2 hours, which gives you 72 seconds per question on average. There are no separate time limits per section in the reports reviewed, so you can move between sections as the exam interface allows.

Qualifying marks

Education portals report minimum qualifying marks of 50 percent for UR, EWS, OBC and ex-servicemen, and 45 percent for SC and ST. SSB's own FAQ page quotes different passing percentages for Constable (GD), so confirm the figure for trade posts in your advertisement.

Marking Scheme and Negative Marking

Each question is reported to carry 1 mark. Sources disagree on negative marking: some report a deduction of 0.25 marks for each wrong answer, while others do not mention it. Treat negative marking as tentative until you read the advertisement and the instructions screen of your exam.

Plan your practice for the stricter case. If you practise with negative marking and the real paper has none, you lose nothing. The reverse can cost you marks. Result reports from timed tests on Testkart show attempts, accuracy and marks lost per section, which makes this comparison easy.

What the Pattern Means for You

• Every section is worth the same: Twenty-five marks each means a weak section cannot be ignored. Raise your lowest score first.

• A wrong guess may cost a quarter mark: Guess only when you can remove at least two options.

• Two hours is generous: Mathematics and Reasoning questions are short. The real risk is spending too long on a few calculation questions.

• Physical readiness is a pass-or-fail gate: Train for the run from the start, not after the written exam.

• Driver competition is higher: With most posts in this trade, expect more candidates, so the written score matters more for Driver.

Trade or Skill Test

After the written exam, candidates are tested in their trade. Reports describe it as a 50-mark test with a 60 percent qualifying requirement, with marks not added to final merit. One source says the opposite, so confirm in the advertisement.

The focus column is a general description of the work involved and not an official test plan.

Documentation and Medical Examination

Documents are checked in original. Expect to carry your matriculation certificate, trade or ITI certificates, experience letters, caste or category certificate if applicable, a valid heavy vehicle driving licence for Driver, and identity and address proof. SSB's FAQ page states that weight must be proportionate to height and age and that a detailed medical examination and a review medical are part of the process.

One education portal reports that candidates up to 20 times the vacancies are called for documentation and up to 3 times for the detailed medical examination, ranked by written marks. This ratio is not confirmed on the portal, so use it only as a rough idea of competition.

How Final Merit Is Decided

As reported, final selection is by written exam merit within each post and category, after the candidate clears the physical, trade, document and medical stages. Marks from the trade test are said to be qualifying only.

Take a sample candidate for a Driver post who attempts 85 questions and gets 72 correct and 13 wrong. With 0.25 negative marking, the score is 72 minus 3.25, which equals 68.75. Without negative marking, the score is 72. This is only an example of how the arithmetic works, and it is not a predicted cut-off.

Time Management in the Written Exam

Use a simple three-round approach in the two hours.

1. Round one, about 60 minutes: Attempt every question you can solve in under a minute. Skip anything that needs a long calculation.

2. Round two, about 40 minutes: Return to the skipped questions in Mathematics and Reasoning.

3. Round three, last 15 to 20 minutes: Review marked questions and make careful guesses only where you can remove options.

To build this habit, take timed practice sets in the same 100-question format. You can attempt SSB Constable-style tests on Testkart when they are available for this exam, compare your section-wise scores, and work out how your accuracy changes when you attempt more questions.

Stages by Post: What Applies to You

Most stages are common, but the special requirements differ by post. Use this table to see what you must carry or prepare for beyond the written paper.

Common Mistakes with the Pattern

• Treating the run as a formality: Candidates who prepare only for the paper often fail the 24-minute limit on the day. Test your pace every week.

• Assuming the paper has trade questions: The reported pattern has none, so time spent on trade theory for the paper is better used on Mathematics and Reasoning.

• Ignoring document readiness: A missing experience letter or an expired licence can end the process after you have cleared every test.

• Following the wrong exam's pattern: The Constable GD pattern from SSC and the Head Constable pattern are different from this one. Match your post before you start a test series.

Official Source and Older Pages

Older pages may still show the pattern of earlier SSB recruitments or the pattern of Constable (GD) and Head Constable, so follow the official notification for your cycle. SSB publishes advertisements and stage notices on its recruitment portal.

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

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