Staff Selection Commission Central Police Organization

The SSC CPO exam is the most direct route into a Sub-Inspector's uniform in Delhi Police or the Central Armed Police Forces. The Staff Selection Commission published the SSC CPO 2026 notification on 10 September 2026 on ssc.gov.in, announcing 1,871 tentative vacancies. This cycle also adds a new post, Sub-Inspector (Fire) in CISF.

This year is not a routine repeat. SSC has rebuilt both papers with sectional timers, doubled the negative marking in Paper II, and made Paper II the only basis for final merit. Every date and rule in this guide has been checked against the official SSC notice, so you can plan your application and preparation with confidence.

Latest SSC CPO updates (as of 24 September 2026):

• The official notice for the Sub-Inspector in Delhi Police and CAPFs Examination, 2026 was released on 10 September 2026.

• Online applications close on 30 September 2026 at 11:00 PM. No extension has been announced so far.

• The correction window will open from 8 to 10 October 2026.

• SSC has not yet announced the Paper I date. The notice says the computer-based exam schedule will be notified later.

SSC CPO Notification 2026 Out

The notice, reference E/37/2026-C-2, covers recruitment to Sub-Inspector (Executive) in Delhi Police, Sub-Inspector (GD) in the CAPFs, and Sub-Inspector (Fire) in CISF. It sets out vacancies, eligibility, the new exam scheme, physical and medical standards, and the selection process. You can read the full official SSC CPO 2026 notice PDF on the SSC website.

SSC CPO Recruitment 2026: Overview

SSC CPO 2026 Important Dates

These dates are taken directly from page 1 of the official notice.

Some websites list December 2026 or early 2027 as the Paper I date. These are estimates, not official dates. Rely only on notices published at ssc.gov.in.

What Is the SSC CPO Exam?

SSC CPO stands for Staff Selection Commission Central Police Organisation. It is a national-level exam that recruits Sub-Inspectors, a supervisory rank placed at Pay Level-6. Delhi Police SIs handle investigation, law and order and police station duties within Delhi. CAPF SIs lead teams in border guarding, internal security or industrial security, and they can be posted anywhere in India.

SSC CPO Vacancy 2026

SSC has announced 1,871 tentative vacancies. The Commission itself does not decide these numbers. Delhi Police and the Ministry of Home Affairs report them, so the final count may change.

SI (Executive) in Delhi Police: Male

SI (Executive) in Delhi Police: Female

SI (GD) in CAPFs

Ten percent of CAPF vacancies are reserved for Ex-Servicemen (132 posts in total).

SI (Fire) in CISF: Male

For a closer look at force-wise seats, see our SSC CPO vacancy guide.

SSC CPO Vacancy Trend

The vacancy count has swung sharply over the years, which is why cut-offs also move.

With 1,871 posts, 2026 has far fewer seats than the previous two cycles, so expect tougher competition.

How to Apply Online for SSC CPO 2026

Applications are accepted only online, at ssc.gov.in or through the mySSC mobile app.

1. Complete One-Time Registration (OTR) on ssc.gov.in. An OTR created on the old website (ssc.nic.in) does not work.

2. Log in with your registration number and open the Sub-Inspector in Delhi Police and CAPFs Examination 2026 form.

3. Fill in educational details, category, age relaxation and NCC details, if any.

4. Choose three exam centres within the same SSC region, in order of priority. Centre changes are not allowed later.

5. Capture your live photograph through the application module and upload your signature (JPEG, 10 to 20 KB).

6. Pay the fee online, preview every field, and submit.

7. Save a printout of the form and payment receipt.

SSC recommends Aadhaar-based authentication. If you use it, your form will not be rejected over photo or signature quality, and you will not need extra photo ID at the exam venue. Only one application per candidate is allowed. Multiple applications lead to rejection of all of them.

SSC CPO Application Fees 2026

Pay through BHIM UPI, net banking or Visa, MasterCard, Maestro or RuPay debit card by 1 October 2026. An unpaid form is marked "Incomplete" and rejected. During the correction window, every candidate pays Rs. 200 for the first correction and Rs. 500 for the second, regardless of gender or category.

SSC CPO Eligibility Criteria 2026

Nationality

You must be a citizen of India, a subject of Nepal, or a subject of Bhutan. Nepal and Bhutan subjects need a certificate of eligibility from the Government of India.

Age Limit (as on 1 August 2026)

Age Relaxation

Educational Qualification

Final-year students can apply, but the result must be declared by 30 September 2026. A result that is still being processed on that date does not count.

Driving Licence for Delhi Police

Male candidates for SI in Delhi Police need a valid LMV licence for both motorcycle and car on the date of the physical test. Without it, you remain eligible for CAPF posts only.

SSC CPO 2026 Selection Process

All four stages are mandatory: Paper I, PST/PET, Paper II and the Detailed Medical Examination, followed by document verification.

Paper I

Paper I is a 100-mark computer-based test. It only shortlists candidates for the physical test. SSC may even set separate cut-offs for each part of the paper.

Physical Standard Test (PST)

Male candidates (height and chest)

Female candidates: 157 cm (General), 155 cm (hill areas and specified groups), 154 cm (Scheduled Tribes). There is no chest requirement. Weight must correspond to height for all posts.

Physical Endurance Test (PET)

PST and PET carry no marks but eliminate candidates who fail. Ex-Servicemen skip the PET but must clear the PST.

Paper II

Only candidates who clear the PST/PET appear for Paper II, a 320-mark test. Its marks decide your final rank and force allocation.

Detailed Medical Examination and Document Verification

Candidates shortlisted on Paper II marks undergo a Detailed Medical Examination, with a Review Medical Examination for those declared unfit. Eyesight must be at least 6/6 (better eye) and 6/9 (worse eye) for distance, and N6/N9 for near vision, without glasses or corrective surgery. Knock knees, flat feet, varicose veins, squint and weak colour vision lead to rejection. The CAPFs verify documents, usually alongside the medical stage.

SSC CPO 2026 Exam Pattern (New)

Both papers are objective and computer-based. Parts I to III are set in Hindi and English.

Paper I

Negative marking: 0.25 marks per wrong answer. You get about 36 seconds per question, and unused time cannot move to the next section.

Paper II

Negative marking: 0.50 marks per wrong answer. The notice states that Paper II will be tougher than Paper I. English alone carries 62.5% of Paper II's marks.

Other Scoring Rules

SSC CPO 2026 Syllabus

The official notice gives one indicative syllabus for both papers, with Paper II set at a higher difficulty level.

• General Intelligence and Reasoning: Analogies, classification, series, coding-decoding, Venn diagrams, syllogism, statement-conclusion, space visualisation, paper folding, embedded figures, and critical, emotional and social intelligence.

• General Knowledge and General Awareness: Current events, history, culture, geography, economy, polity, the Indian Constitution, scientific research, and India and its neighbouring countries.

• Quantitative Aptitude: Percentage, ratio and proportion, averages, interest, profit and loss, discount, mixtures, time and distance, time and work, algebra, geometry, mensuration, trigonometry, heights and distances, and data interpretation (histogram, bar diagram, pie chart).

• English Comprehension: Error spotting, fill in the blanks, vocabulary, spellings, grammar, sentence structure, synonyms, antonyms, idioms and phrases, and reading comprehension.

SSC CPO Previous Year Cut-Off

The table below shows the SSC CPO 2024 Paper I cut-off, which decided who qualified for the PST/PET. It was scored out of 200 marks under the old pattern, so treat it as a sense of competition, not a target for the new 100-mark paper.

SSC CPO 2026 Salary and Job Profile

Allowances such as DA and HRA are added to the basic pay. New SIs serve a two-year probation. During training, they must also clear seven obstacle events, including the Tarzan swing, monkey crawl and vertical rope. All posts except Delhi Police SI carry an all-India service liability. Read more in our SSC CPO salary and job profile guide.

SSC CPO Post Preference: Choose Carefully

SSC collects post and force preferences through an Online Option Form after the Paper II result, not in the application. The codes are A (Delhi Police), B (BSF), C (CISF), D (CRPF), E (ITBP), F (SSB) and G (SI Fire, CISF). Your choices are final and irreversible, and you will not be considered for any force you leave out.

Once you get your highest available preference on merit, SSC drops your remaining options. If you then fail that post's physical, medical or educational standard, your candidature ends. It does not move to your next choice.

SSC CPO Preparation Tips

• Anchor your plan around English. It carries 200 of 320 marks in Paper II. Read one editorial daily and practise comprehension passages under time pressure.

• Train with sectional timers. Practise each section separately in 15-minute (Paper I) and 20-minute (Paper II) blocks.

• Protect your accuracy. With a 0.50 penalty, two wrong answers cancel one right answer in Paper II. Skip questions you cannot solve with confidence.

• Start physical training now. The 1.6 km race and long jump eliminate many candidates. Build stamina at least three months before the PET.

• Take full-length mocks. The free SSC CPO mock tests on Testkart follow the new 2026 pattern

SSC CPO 2026 Admit Card

SSC CPO 2026 Result

SSC releases results stage by stage, after Paper I, after PST/PET, and after Paper II, followed by the final merit list. Tentative answer keys are published after each paper. The final answer keys go online once the result is declared.

Best Books for SSC CPO 2026

• A Modern Approach to Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning by R.S. Aggarwal

• Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations by R.S. Aggarwal

• Fast Track Objective Arithmetic by Rajesh Verma

• Objective General English by S.P. Bakshi

• Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis

• Manorama Yearbook 2026 for general awareness.