Checked 26 September 2026. From the CGLE 2026 notice (paras 13 and 16), compared with the CGLE 2025 notice; CKT/DEST higher standards from the CGLE 2024 and 2025 result write-ups; normalisation from SSC’s June 2025 procedure.
SSC CGL is two computer-based tiers, and only the second decides the merit list. Tier-I is a 100-question screening test; Tier-II has a compulsory Paper-I for everyone and two optional papers for the statistics and audit posts. The 2026 notice keeps the questions and marks of 2025 but changes the clock: every section now has its own sectional timer, and a new Paper-III returns for the Assistant Audit Officer and Assistant Accounts Officer posts. This guide lays the pattern out from the notice, with the qualifying marks turned into raw numbers and a checker.
CGLE 2026 notice, paras 13.8–13.9.
Where other pages get this wrong
Tier-I marks do not count in the SSC CGL final merit; merit is on Tier-II, and for most posts only on Section-I and Section-II of Paper-I (390 marks).
Commonly published instead: Pages adding Tier-I and Tier-II marks, or counting the Computer Knowledge module in the merit total.
CGLE 2026 notice paras 16.10–16.14: merit “on the basis of overall performance of candidates in Tier-II Examination only”; Section-III (CKT) and Section-IV (DEST) are qualifying.
Tier-I
| Part | Questions | Marks | Time (2026) | Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A. General Intelligence & Reasoning | 25 | 50 | 15 min | Graduation |
| B. General Awareness | 25 | 50 | 15 min | Graduation |
| C. Quantitative Aptitude | 25 | 50 | 15 min | Class 10 |
| D. English Comprehension | 25 | 50 | 15 min | Graduation |
| Total | 100 | 200 | 60 min (80 for scribe-eligible) |
CGLE 2026 notice para 13.8; levels from para 13.10.5 (Quant at Class 10 standard) and the Tier-I syllabus headings. 0.50 marks deducted per wrong answer; questions in English and Hindi except English Comprehension. In 2025 the same 100 questions ran in one 60-minute block.
Tier-II
| Paper / section | Questions | Marks | Time (2026) | Counts in merit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper-I, Section-I: Mathematical Abilities 30 + Reasoning 30 | 60 | 180 | 1 h (30 + 30 min) | Yes |
| Paper-I, Section-II: English 45 + General Awareness 25 | 70 | 210 | 1 h (40 + 20 min) | Yes |
| Paper-I, Section-III: Computer Knowledge Test | 20 | 60 | 15 min | Qualifying |
| Paper-I, Section-IV: Data Entry Speed Test | 1 task | — | 15 min (Session-II) | Qualifying |
| Paper-II: Statistics (JSO, SI Gr-II only) | 100 | 200 | 2 h | Yes, for those posts |
| Paper-III: General Studies (Finance & Economics) (AAO/AAcO only) | 100 | 200 | 2 h | Yes, for those posts |
CGLE 2026 notice para 13.9. Paper-I: 3 marks a question, 1 mark deducted per wrong answer in Sections I–III. Papers II and III: 2 marks a question, 0.50 deducted. Session-I (Sections I–III) runs 2 h 15 min; DEST follows on the same day after re-registration. All sections of Paper-I must be qualified separately.
CGLE 2026 notice paras 16.11–16.14.
The qualifying marks, in raw numbers
| Test | UR 30% | OBC / EWS 25% | Others 20% |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tier-I (200) | 60 | 50 | 40 |
| Tier-II Section-I (180) | 54 | 45 | 36 |
| Tier-II Section-II (210) | 63 | 52.5 (53 in whole marks) | 42 |
| Computer Knowledge (60) | 18 | 15 | 12 |
| Paper-II or Paper-III (200) | 60 | 50 | 40 |
CGLE 2026 notice para 16.1; marks are our arithmetic from the percentages. These are floors, not cut-offs: the Tier-II list is drawn by a Tier-I cut-off far above 60, and posts are filled from the top of the merit list. In 2025, SSC’s FRTA write-up (para 3) used exactly these Section-I/II floors to decide whose CKT and DEST were evaluated; the higher Computer-Proficiency standards it set are a separate bar (para 7), shown further down.
| Category | DEST: maximum errors allowed (normal standard) |
|---|---|
| UR | 20% |
| OBC / EWS | 25% |
| All others | 30% |
CGLE 2026 notice para 16.2. Unlike the marks above, these are the most mistakes allowed — lower is stricter.
SSC CGL 2026 score and qualifying check
Tier-I (2 marks each, −0.50 per wrong answer)
Tier-II Paper-I (3 marks each, −1 per wrong answer)
Paper-II or Paper-III, if you sit one (2 marks each, −0.50 per wrong answer)
CGLE 2026 notice paras 13.8–13.9 and 16.1: Tier-I 100 Q / 200 marks; Tier-II Section-I 60 Q / 180, Section-II 70 Q / 210, Section-III 20 Q / 60 (qualifying); minimum 30% UR, 25% OBC/EWS, 20% others in each. Merit for most posts = Section-I + Section-II (390). These are raw marks; SSC normalises multi-shift scores, so real scores can move either way. Posts with “Computer Proficiency” use a higher CKT bar set by SSC after the exam — in 2025 it was 24 / 21 / 18 of 60; the tool shows how you compare with that 2025 bar.
Computer skills: the higher bar for some posts
CKT and DEST do not add marks, but they can block a post. The notice sets higher standards for posts where “Computer Proficiency” is prescribed — ASO in CSS, MEA and AFHQ, Assistant in SFIO, GSI and IMD, the three CBIC Inspector posts and Executive Assistant, and Postal Assistant — and a higher DEST standard for Tax Assistants in CBIC and CBDT and UDC/SSA in CBN. SSC fixes the exact bar after the exam; the last two cycles give a sense of it.
| Standard | CGL 2025 | CGL 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| CKT for Computer Proficiency posts (out of 60) | UR 24 · OBC/EWS 21 · SC/ST/ESM/PwBD 18 | UR 27 · OBC/EWS 24 · others 21 |
| DEST maximum mistakes, higher standard | UR 5% · OBC/SC/ST/EWS/ESM 7% · PwBD 10% | UR 5% · OBC/SC/ST/EWS/ESM 7% · PwBD 10% |
| CKT normal floor (for comparison) | 18 / 15 / 12 | 18 / 15 / 12 |
| DEST normal standard (for comparison) | 20% / 25% / 30% | 20% / 25% / 30% |
CGLE 2025 FRTA write-up (08.04.2026) para 7; CGLE 2024 final-result write-up (12.03.2025) para 6; notice para 16.2. SSC’s write-ups still call this “CPT”, though there is no separate Computer Proficiency Test any more. DEST is a passage of about 2,000 key depressions in 15 minutes.
Sectional timers change the tactics
Until 2025, a Tier-II candidate had one hour for Section-I and could spend 40 minutes on maths and 20 on reasoning. In 2026 each part is capped: 30 minutes each for maths and reasoning, 40 for the 45 English questions and 20 for the 25 general-awareness questions. Our arithmetic gives 60 seconds a question for maths and reasoning, 53 for English and 48 for GA; Tier-I gives 36 seconds a question in every part. Time saved in one part can no longer be spent in another, so a slow part now costs marks directly.
| Part | Questions | Minutes | Seconds per question (ours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tier-I, each part | 25 | 15 | 36 |
| Tier-II Maths | 30 | 30 | 60 |
| Tier-II Reasoning | 30 | 30 | 60 |
| Tier-II English | 45 | 40 | 53 |
| Tier-II General Awareness | 25 | 20 | 48 |
| Papers II / III | 100 | 120 | 72 |
CGLE 2026 notice, sectional timers in paras 13.8–13.9; arithmetic ours (English: 40 × 60 ÷ 45 = 53 seconds).
Negative marking and guessing
In Tier-I a right answer earns 2 and a wrong one costs 0.50; in Paper-I a right answer earns 3 and a wrong one costs 1. The notice says only “multiple choice” and does not state how many options a question has. If a question has four options, a blind guess is worth 0.25 × 2 − 0.75 × 0.5 = +0.125 marks in Tier-I and 0.25 × 3 − 0.75 × 1 = 0 in Paper-I (our arithmetic). On that assumption a blind guess neither helps nor hurts in Tier-II Paper-I, and eliminating even one option makes it worthwhile there; check the number of options on screen on the day. Leaving a question blank is never penalised.
Normalisation, answer keys and re-checks
| Rule | What SSC says |
|---|---|
| Normalisation | Multi-shift scores normalised per SSC’s notice of 02.06.2025 (equipercentile: your percentile within your shift is matched to the pooled distribution). The CGL 2025 Tier-I result write-up says it applied this procedure; the CGL 2024 Tier-I write-up cites the 07.02.2019 formula |
| Re-exam candidates | In 2025, candidates re-examined on 14.10.2025 were normalised with their original shifts |
| Answer-key challenge | Notice: ₹100 per question; SSC’s 22.08.2025 notice and both 2025 keys: ₹50 per question — check the fee on the 2026 key notice before paying |
| Faulty questions | No correct option or out of syllabus: marks to all; more than one correct option: full marks for any correct one |
| Re-evaluation | None, for any tier |
CGLE 2026 notice paras 13.2–13.7; SSC normalisation procedure (June 2025) and explanatory note (10.09.2025); CGLE 2025 Tier-I corrigendum (14.01.2026) para 4; challenge-fee notice 22.08.2025; objection guidelines 10.04.2026.
Practise it, don't just read it
Paper-II is 100 statistics questions in two hours. The SSC CGL quizzes on index numbers, time series, ANOVA and statistical inference match Paper-II topics.
The ProSyllabus SSC CGL library has topic quizzes on reading comprehension and on the Paper-II statistics topics — index numbers, time series, analysis of variance and statistical inference — the first quiz is free.
What is the SSC CGL 2026 exam pattern?
Tier-I: 100 questions for 200 marks in four 15-minute parts. Tier-II: Paper-I for all (Sections I–IV), Paper-II for JSO/SI Gr-II and Paper-III for AAO/AAcO.
Is there a sectional timer in SSC CGL 2026?
Yes — 15 minutes per Tier-I part; in Tier-II 30 + 30 minutes for Section-I and 40 + 20 for Section-II.
What is the negative marking in SSC CGL?
0.50 per wrong answer in Tier-I and Papers II–III; 1 mark in Tier-II Paper-I Sections I–III.
Are SSC CGL Tier-I marks counted in the final result?
No — Tier-I only shortlists candidates for Tier-II.
How many marks count in the SSC CGL merit?
390 (Section-I + Section-II) for most posts; 590 for JSO/SI Gr-II and AAO/AAcO.
What is SSC CGL Paper-III?
General Studies (Finance & Economics): 100 questions, 200 marks, 2 hours, only for AAO and AAcO.
What are the minimum qualifying marks in SSC CGL?
30% UR, 25% OBC/EWS, 20% others in Tier-I and in each qualifying section of Tier-II.
What is the DEST in SSC CGL?
A 15-minute data entry test of about 2,000 key depressions; qualifying, with a stricter standard for some posts.
Is there a CPT in SSC CGL now?
No separate test; SSC applies higher CKT and DEST standards to “Computer Proficiency” posts, which its write-ups still call CPT.
Does SSC normalise CGL scores?
Yes, for multi-shift exams, using the procedure notified on 2 June 2025.
Can SSC CGL marks be re-evaluated?
No.
More in this series
- SSC CGL 2026: Tier-I dates, admit card, what changed
- SSC CGL 2026 post-wise vacancies
- SSC CGL eligibility: age by post, JSO, SI Gr-II, AAO
- SSC CGL cut-off 2024–2025: Tier-I and post-wise
- SSC CGL post preference, sliding (FIX/FLOAT), physical standards
- SSC CGL AAO and JSO: Paper-III, Paper-II, state cadres
- SSC CGL post list and salary by pay level
- SSC CGL notice board — official updates
Sources
- official — SSC — Notice of CGLE 2026 (21.05.2026)
- official — SSC — Notice of CGLE 2025 (09.06.2025)
- official — SSC — CGLE 2025 first round of tentative allocation write-up (08.04.2026)
- official — SSC — CGLE 2024 final result write-up (12.03.2025)
- official — SSC — CGLE 2025 Tier-I result write-up (18.12.2025)
- official — SSC — CGLE 2024 Tier-I result write-up (05.12.2024)
- official — SSC — Normalisation procedure for SSC exams from June 2025
- official — SSC — Explanatory note on normalisation (10.09.2025)
- official — SSC — Corrigendum to the CGLE 2025 Tier-I result (14.01.2026)
- official — SSC — Answer-key challenge fee ₹50 per question (22.08.2025)
- official — SSC — CGLE 2025 Tier-I tentative answer keys (16.10.2025, ₹50 per question)
- official — SSC — CGLE 2025 Tier-II tentative answer keys (30.01.2026, ₹50 per question)
- official — SSC — Challenge/objection management guidelines (10.04.2026)
- reported — Adda247 — SSC CGL 2026 (reported; see corrections)
official = a document published by the conducting body. reported = a news or coaching site we could not check against an original. Where sources disagree this page says so rather than picking one.
