SSB Head Constable Eligibility 2026: Age, Qualification and PST

SSB Head Constable eligibility depends on the trade. For the Sashastra Seema Bal Head Constable (Non-GD) 2025 recruitment, Communication, Veterinary and Steward need Class 12 with a specified subject or diploma, while Electrician needs Class 10 with ITI training or trade experience. The age limit is 18 to 27 years for most trades and 18 to 25 years for Electrician, with the usual category relaxations.

This page sets out each rule in one place: qualification by trade, age limit and relaxation, physical standards, nationality, medical standards and the common reasons candidates are found ineligible. The 2025 cycle application window closed on 4 May 2026, so use this page to check your standing for the current written stage or to plan for the next cycle. The figures are as reported from the advertisement; confirm the fine print on the official portal.

Table of Contents

• SSB Head Constable Eligibility at a Glance

• Educational Qualification by Trade

• Age Limit and Age Relaxation

• Physical Standards (PST)

• Physical Efficiency Test (PET)

• Nationality and Other Conditions

• Medical Standards

• Check Your Eligibility in Five Steps

• Who Is Not Eligible

• Head Constable (Ministerial) Eligibility

• Application Fee and Documents

SSB Head Constable Eligibility at a Glance

Educational Qualification by Trade

The qualification must come from a recognised board, university or institute, and you must hold it by the closing date of the application. A result declared after that date does not count, even if you passed the exam earlier.

Electrician: Three Routes

Electrician candidates need Class 10 plus any one of the following. All of them must also pass the trade test after the written examination.

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

• Short course route: A one-year certificate course from a recognised ITI or vocational institute, plus one year of trade experience.

• Diploma route: A two-year ITI diploma in the electrician or a similar trade.

Points to Note on Qualification

• PCM is compulsory for the Class 12 route to Communication: Class 12 with Biology instead of Mathematics does not qualify, but a three-year diploma in a listed branch does.

• Diploma length matters: Veterinary and Steward require a two-year diploma and Communication a three-year diploma. A shorter certificate course is not accepted for these routes.

• Experience must be documented: Steward and Electrician experience needs a certificate from the employer with dates and duties, checked at document verification.

Age Limit and Age Relaxation

Age is counted on the closing date of the online application. Reports for the 2025 cycle used 20 April 2026, the original closing date, as the reference; the last date was later extended to 4 May 2026. Check the advertisement or the extension notice to confirm which date applies to you. There is no relaxation in the minimum age.

Upper Age Relaxation

Relaxations do not usually stack beyond what the advertisement allows, and sons, daughters and dependants of Ex-Servicemen do not get the ESM relaxation. Keep the category certificate in the exact format the advertisement asks for.

Worked Example

An OBC candidate applying for HC (Communication) can be up to 27 plus 3, that is 30 years, on the reference date. An SC candidate applying for HC (Electrician) can be up to 25 plus 5, that is 30 years. A UR candidate for Electrician who turned 26 before the reference date is not eligible, even if the birthday was only a few days earlier.

Physical Standards (PST)

The PST checks height for all candidates and chest for male candidates. Standards differ slightly by trade. The table below shows the reported minimums; treat them as indicative and check the advertisement for your trade and region.

Chest measurement does not apply to women. Weight should be proportionate to height and age as per medical standards. Steward has further regional relaxations for North-Eastern, LWE-affected and Gorkha Territorial Administration areas; see the advertisement for those rows.

Physical Efficiency Test (PET)

The PET is qualifying. Ex-Servicemen are reported to be exempt from the race but must meet the PST and clear all later stages. Train to finish well inside the limit, because the race is pass or fail.

Nationality and Other Conditions

• Citizenship: Indian citizens can apply. Subjects of Nepal or Bhutan may be eligible in line with government rules, which can require a certificate of eligibility.

• One post only: The combined advertisement allows one application for one post. Multiple applications can lead to rejection.

• Character and antecedents: Selection is subject to police verification of character and antecedents.

• Posting: Selected candidates can be posted anywhere in India, including border areas, and must accept field and hardship postings.

Medical Standards

Medical fitness follows the uniform guidelines for CAPF recruitment. The points below are the commonly checked standards; the advertisement and medical board decide the final position.

• Eyesight: Good distant and near vision within the prescribed limits, with no colour blindness.

• Physical conditions: No knock knees, flat feet, varicose veins or squint.

• General health: Free from any disease or disability that could affect duties, with sound hearing and teeth.

• Tattoos: Permitted only in the places and sizes allowed under CAPF guidelines.

A candidate declared unfit in the Detailed Medical Examination can appeal for a Review Medical Examination, whose decision is final.

Check Your Eligibility in Five Steps

1. Pick the trade that matches your certificate: PCM or an electronics, computer or IT diploma points to Communication; ITI electrician to Electrician; Biology with a veterinary diploma to Veterinary; a catering diploma with steward experience to Steward.

2. Calculate your age on the reference date: Use the date on your Class 10 certificate and the crucial date in the advertisement, then add any relaxation your category allows.

3. Measure your height and chest honestly: Compare with the PST table for your trade, category and region. If you are within a centimetre of the minimum, get measured properly before you spend months preparing.

4. Time your run: If you cannot yet finish 1.6 km in 6 minutes 30 seconds (or 800 m in 4 minutes), start training at once, because the PET comes first.

5. Check your documents: Make sure the name and date of birth match across your certificates, and that category certificates are valid and in the central format.

Planning for the Next Cycle

SSB does not run Head Constable trade recruitment on a fixed annual calendar; the last two trade cycles were advertised in 2023 and 2026. If you are just short of the qualification or age, note the date your diploma result or ITI certificate will be issued and watch the SSB portal for the next advertisement. Trades and vacancy numbers also change between cycles, as Mechanic did between 2023 and 2026.

Who Is Not Eligible

• Wrong subject combination: For example, Class 12 with Biology but no Mathematics for Communication.

• Result after the closing date: A diploma or Class 12 result declared after the last date of application.

• Over age by the reference date: Even by a single day, after counting any relaxation you are entitled to.

• Missing experience proof: Steward or Electrician experience that cannot be backed by a valid certificate.

• Below PST standards: Height or chest below the minimum for your category and region.

• Category certificate issues: OBC or EWS certificates that are out of date or not in the central format.

Head Constable (Ministerial) Eligibility

Head Constable (Ministerial) is a clerical post under a separate advertisement, 338/RC/SSB/HC(Min)/2020, for 115 posts. That cycle has reached the post-CBT stage, with CBT marks released on 14 October 2026.

Application Fee and Documents

Keep these documents ready for verification: Class 10 certificate for date of birth, Class 12 or diploma marksheets and certificates, ITI or experience certificates where required, category, domicile and ESM certificates, a valid photo ID, and recent photographs matching the one uploaded in the application.

Once you know you are eligible, the next step is preparing for the written test, where merit is decided.

Official website: https://recruitment.ssb.gov.in/