Staff Selection Commission General Duty Constable

The SSC GD Constable exam is one of the largest government recruitments open to Class 10 pass candidates in India. Conducted by the Staff Selection Commission (SSC), it fills General Duty posts in the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), the Secretariat Security Force (SSF) and Assam Rifles. Lakhs of candidates apply in every cycle, so a clear understanding of the process gives you a real head start.

This guide covers what you need before the SSC GD 2027 notification: the current status of the 2026 and 2027 cycles, posts and forces, eligibility, the selection process, the exam pattern, physical standards, salary and a month-by-month preparation plan. Figures are taken from the latest official SSC notice and exam calendar, and year-specific details are marked clearly so you know what may change.

SSC GD Latest Updates

Two SSC GD cycles overlap right now. The 2026 recruitment is at the result stage, while the 2027 cycle is due to open soon.

For the 2026 CBE, SSC introduced a week-preference system in which candidates ranked all four exam weeks in order of choice. Look out for similar instructions in the 2027 cycle, and always confirm final dates on the official website, ssc.gov.in.

SSC GD Exam Overview

Posts and Forces Under SSC GD

Selected candidates serve as General Duty personnel. Depending on the force, the work includes border guarding, internal security, protection of key installations and disaster response. Your force is allotted on the basis of merit and the preferences you submit.

SSC GD Vacancy 2026

The 2026 notice listed 25,487 tentative vacancies: 23,467 for men and 2,020 for women. CISF alone accounted for more than half of all posts.

Why the Vacancy Count Often Changes

Many aspirants judge a cycle only by the vacancy number in the notification. That can be misleading, because SSC has raised GD vacancies well after the notice in recent cycles.

A revision is never guaranteed, so do not plan around one. The practical lesson is simple: a low opening figure is not a reason to skip the exam.

SSC GD Eligibility Criteria

You must meet every condition on the cut-off date stated in the notification. For the 2026 cycle, age was calculated as on 1 January 2026.

Nationality: You must be a citizen of India.

Educational qualification: You must have passed Class 10 (Matriculation) or an equivalent examination from a recognised board or university.

Age limit: 18 to 23 years. Reserved categories receive upper age relaxation as shown below.

Physical standards: Height, chest (men only) and running standards also apply. These are checked after the written exam and are explained in the PST and PET section below.

SSC GD Selection Process

The SSC GD selection process has four stages. Only the CBE carries marks for the merit list; the other stages are qualifying.

Candidates are shortlisted for PST/PET on the basis of CBE merit, separately for each state or area, category and gender. The final result and force allotment depend on CBE performance and your force preference, subject to clearing every later stage.

SSC GD Exam Pattern (CBE)

The CBE is a single objective paper of Class 10 standard. All four sections carry equal weight, and there is no sectional time limit.

• Duration: 60 minutes for the whole paper.

• Marking: 2 marks for each correct answer.

• Negative marking: 0.25 marks deducted for each wrong answer. Unanswered questions get zero.

• Languages: English, Hindi and 13 regional languages: Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Konkani, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu.

• Normalisation: Because the CBE runs in many shifts, scores are normalised before the merit list is prepared.

Minimum Qualifying Marks and NCC Bonus

Clearing the minimum marks keeps you in the race, but the actual cut-off is usually much higher and varies by state and category.

NCC certificate holders receive bonus marks added to their normalised score: 5% of maximum marks for the NCC C certificate, 3% for B and 2% for A. Carry the original certificate to document verification.

SSC GD Syllabus

The syllabus stays at matriculation level. Reasoning tests pattern recognition through analogies, series, coding-decoding and non-verbal questions. General Awareness covers current events, history, geography, polity, economy, sports and basic science, with a focus on India and its neighbours. Elementary Maths covers arithmetic such as percentages, profit and loss, averages, time and work, and mensuration. The language section tests basic comprehension in English or Hindi.

SSC GD Physical Standards (PST) and PET

The physical stage is conducted by the CAPFs. Many candidates clear the CBE but lose out here, so start training early.

Height Standards (Selected Categories)

Further relaxations apply to candidates from the North-Eastern states, Gorkhas and some other groups. Check the full table in the official notice.

Chest (men only): 80 cm unexpanded with a minimum expansion of 5 cm for general candidates, with relaxation for certain categories.

Weight and medical fitness: A 2026 revision moved weight assessment from the PST to the medical examination, where a BMI range of 18 to 25 is the standard. Vision and other medical norms also apply.

Physical Efficiency Test (PET)

Ex-Servicemen are exempt from the PET but must attend for measurements.

SSC GD Salary

How to Apply for SSC GD 2027

The application process usually stays open for about a month after the notification.

1. Complete One-Time Registration (OTR) on ssc.gov.in or the mySSC app, if not already done.

2. Log in and open the Constable (GD) application link.

3. Fill in personal and educational details, and select exam centre preferences.

4. Capture your live photograph and upload your signature in the required format.

5. Enter your force preferences carefully, as they affect allotment later.

6. Pay the ₹100 fee, if applicable, and save a copy of the submitted form.

SSC GD Preparation Plan for 2027

If the CBE follows the calendar, you have roughly four to five months. Here is a practical phase-wise plan.

Tips That Make a Real Difference

• Guard your accuracy: With 0.25 negative marking, a wrong answer costs one-eighth of a correct one. Skip questions you cannot narrow down.

• Target 45 to 50 minutes for the paper: Keep the last 10 minutes to revisit marked questions.

• Start with your strongest section: Early confidence helps you pace the rest of the paper.

• Revise current affairs monthly: Current events are a regular part of the GK section, so a monthly revision routine works better than one-time reading.

• Analyse every mock: Note the topic and the reason for each error. The analysis matters more than the score.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Waiting for the notification before starting preparation.

• Ignoring running practice until the CBE result comes out.

• Filling force preferences without understanding each force's role and postings.

• Relying on memorised shortcuts without understanding the basic concept.

Practise for SSC GD with Testkart

Mock tests are the closest thing to the real exam. Practising in a timed online format trains you to handle 80 questions in 60 minutes and shows exactly where you lose marks. On Testkart, you can take SSC GD mock tests and topic-wise practice tests, then review your performance to identify weak areas before the actual CBE.