SSC GD Exam Pattern 2026: Quick Answer
The SSC GD Constable 2026 exam pattern is a single computer-based test of 80 questions for 160 marks in 60 minutes. The paper has four equal parts — General Intelligence and Reasoning, General Knowledge and General Awareness, Elementary Mathematics, and English or Hindi — with 20 questions of 2 marks each in every part. 0.25 mark is deducted for each wrong answer, and there is no sectional timing, so you can move freely between the four parts inside the hour. Candidates who clear the written test then face the PET (race), PST (height and chest), a medical examination and document verification. Final merit is based on the written test marks only (plus any NCC bonus); the physical and medical stages are qualifying.
Key takeaway: Speed and accuracy decide this exam. With only 45 seconds per question on average and a small 0.25 penalty, the paper rewards candidates who attempt a lot but guess rarely. And the race matters as much as the paper: 5 km in 24 minutes for men is a serious running target, so start training while you are still preparing for the written test.
Official source: SSC notice for the Constable (GD) in CAPFs and SSF, and Rifleman (GD) in Assam Rifles Examination, 2026, published on ssc.gov.in on 1 December 2025 (25,487 vacancies). For the topic lists in each part, see our SSC GD syllabus 2026 note.
SSC GD Exam Pattern 2026 at a Glance
| Stage | What happens | Marks | Time | Counts in final merit? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Based Examination (CBE) | 80 questions, 4 parts of 20 | 160 | 60 minutes | Yes (plus NCC bonus) |
| Physical Efficiency Test (PET) | Race: 5 km in 24 min (men), 1.6 km in 8.5 min (women) | Qualifying | — | No |
| Physical Standard Test (PST) | Height 170 cm (men), 157 cm (women); chest 80 cm + 5 cm expansion (men) | Qualifying | — | No |
| Detailed Medical Examination + Document Verification | Medical fitness and certificate checks | Qualifying | — | No |
SSC GD CBT Exam Pattern 2026
English practice set: SSC GD English Questions with Answers: Solved Practice Set.
| Part | Subject | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | General Intelligence and Reasoning | 20 | 40 |
| B | General Knowledge and General Awareness | 20 | 40 |
| C | Elementary Mathematics | 20 | 40 |
| D | English / Hindi | 20 | 40 |
| Total | 80 | 160 |
Every question carries 2 marks, and 0.25 mark is deducted for each wrong answer. There is no sectional timer: the full 60 minutes belongs to you, and you can spend it on whichever part you like. That is a real advantage over exams like SSC CGL and SSC CPO, where each section closes on its own timer. Use it deliberately — most toppers finish Reasoning and Maths first, when their minds are freshest, and leave GK, which is mostly recall, for the end.
The paper is set at Matriculation (Class 10) level, which makes it the easiest written paper among SSC exams. That does not make it easy to clear. In the 2026 cycle, 21,56,776 candidates appeared for the written test and only 1,97,408 were shortlisted for PET/PST — roughly one in eleven. The difference between selection and rejection is usually a handful of marks, and the cut-offs in high-competition states crossed 120 out of 160 for men in 2026.
SSC GD marking scheme: worked example
Suppose you attempt 72 questions, with 60 right and 12 wrong:
- Marks for correct answers: 60 × 2 = 120
- Penalty: 12 × 0.25 = 3
- Score = 120 − 3 = 117 out of 160
Eight wrong answers cancel exactly one right answer, so the penalty is gentle compared with most SSC exams. A pure guess among four options has a slightly positive expected value (one chance in four of gaining 2 marks against three chances in four of losing 0.25), and once you have eliminated even one option, guessing is clearly worth it. The mistake to avoid is not guessing — it is spending two minutes on a single question. At 45 seconds per question, a question you cannot crack in a minute is costing you two easier questions elsewhere.
SSC GD Exam Languages, Normalisation and NCC Bonus
The written test is offered in English, Hindi and 13 regional languages: Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Konkani, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu. You choose your language when you fill the form. Part D tests either English or Hindi, whichever you pick — the other three parts are available in your chosen language.
Because the exam runs in many shifts over several weeks, scores are normalised across shifts using SSC's published procedure, so a tough shift does not punish you and an easy shift does not reward you unfairly. Your normalised score, not your raw score, is what the cut-off is applied to. That is why the 2026 cut-offs in our SSC GD cut-off 2026 note carry long decimals like 126.13865 — they are normalised marks, not raw totals.
NCC certificate holders get bonus marks added to the normalised score: 8 marks for a 'C' certificate (5% of 160), 4.8 marks for 'B' (3%) and 3.2 marks for 'A' (2%). Eight marks is a large jump when state cut-offs are separated by decimals, so if you hold an NCC certificate, claim it in the form and keep it ready for verification. Ex-Servicemen do not get NCC bonus marks.
SSC GD Qualifying Marks 2026
These are the minimum marks you must score in the written test (without NCC bonus) to be considered at all. Clearing them does not guarantee shortlisting — the actual cut-off, fixed state-wise, category-wise, gender-wise and area-wise, is usually far higher.
| Category | Minimum qualifying % | Marks out of 160 |
|---|---|---|
| UR | 30% | 48 |
| OBC / EWS | 25% | 40 |
| SC, ST, ESM and all other categories | 20% | 32 |
About 8 times the vacancies are shortlisted for PET/PST, and about 2 times are then called for the medical examination and document verification. The shortlisting is done state-wise and area-wise (General, Border and Naxal/Militancy affected districts), which is why there is no single SSC GD cut-off. Our SSC GD cut-off 2026 note lists the 2026 cut-off for every state.
SSC GD PET Race Time 2026 (Physical Efficiency Test)
The PET is a race, and it is qualifying only — it carries no marks, but failing it ends your recruitment. There is no appeal against a PET (race) result, so treat the standard as a hard deadline, not a target to aim for on the day.
| Candidates | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| All regions except Ladakh | 5 km in 24 minutes | 1.6 km in 8.5 minutes |
| Ladakh region | 1.6 km in 7 minutes | 800 m in 5 minutes |
Five kilometres in 24 minutes means holding a pace under 4 minutes 48 seconds per kilometre for the whole distance. That is a brisk run, not a jog, and most candidates who fail the PET fail because they started running only after the written result. Build up gradually — three to four runs a week, mixing easy distance runs with short intervals — and time yourself over 5 km at least once a fortnight. Women face 1.6 km in 8.5 minutes, which is about 5 minutes 19 seconds per kilometre, a much gentler pace, but the same rule applies: practise it before the call letter arrives. Ex-Servicemen are exempt from the PET but must still appear for measurements and the medical test.
SSC GD PST Height and Chest 2026 (Physical Standard Test)
The PST measures height, chest and weight at the same stage as the PET. Weight must be proportionate to height and age. The general standards are:
| Standard | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Height (general) | 170 cm | 157 cm |
| Height: all ST candidates | 162.5 cm | 150 cm |
| Height: ST candidates of North-Eastern states | 157 cm | 147.5 cm |
| Height: Garhwalis, Kumaonis, Dogras, Marathas; candidates of Assam, Himachal Pradesh, J&K and Ladakh | 165 cm | 155 cm |
| Height: candidates from Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura | 162.5 cm | 152.5 cm |
| Chest (male only, unexpanded / minimum expansion) | 80 cm / 5 cm | Not measured |
Relaxed chest standards apply for men: 76 cm for ST candidates, 78 cm for Garhwalis, Kumaonis, Dogras, Marathas and candidates of Assam, Himachal Pradesh, J&K and Ladakh, and 77 cm for candidates from North-Eastern states and the Gorkha Territorial Administration — all with 5 cm minimum expansion. If you claim a relaxed height or chest standard, carry the certificate in the prescribed format from the competent authority to the PET/PST ground. Unlike the race, height and chest can be appealed on the same day if you fail the measurement.
How SSC GD Final Merit Is Prepared
| Step | What decides it |
|---|---|
| Written test (CBE) | Normalised marks out of 160, plus NCC bonus where claimed |
| PET / PST | Qualifying only — pass or fail, no marks |
| Medical examination + document verification | Qualifying only |
| Final merit | CBE marks (plus NCC bonus), force-wise and state-wise, subject to qualifying the physical and medical stages |
Ties are broken by Part-A (Reasoning) marks first, then Part-B (GK), then Part-C (Maths), then date of birth (older first), then name. That tie-break order is one more reason not to neglect Reasoning: it is the first thing SSC looks at when two candidates finish on the same score.
The 25,487 vacancies in the 2026 notice were split as 23,467 for men and 2,020 for women, across BSF, CISF, CRPF, ITBP, SSB, SSF (Constable GD) and Assam Rifles (Rifleman GD). CISF alone accounted for 14,595 posts, followed by CRPF with 5,490. Your force preference is exercised at the application stage, so read the force-wise split before you apply rather than after the result.
SSC GD 2026 Cycle: Where Things Stand
The 2026 written test was held from 27 April to 30 May 2026, and 21,56,776 candidates appeared. SSC published the PET/PST shortlist on 12 October 2026 (with a revised result on 23 October 2026): 1,97,408 candidates were shortlisted — 15,782 women, 1,81,251 men for state-wise posts and 375 men for all-India SSF posts. The physical tests are conducted by the CAPFs, with CRPF as the nodal force, and call letters are issued through the CRPF recruitment portal. CRPF has announced the physical tests — PET, PST, document verification and medical examination — tentatively for 26 November to 11 December 2026 at 31 recruitment centres; your call letter is the final word, not a coaching-site date.
The 2027 notification had not been published as of 7 November 2026. Until it appears, the 2026 scheme on this page is the latest official pattern, and no 2027 date, vacancy figure or pattern change should be taken from unofficial sources. When the 2027 notice is published, check it against this page for any change before you plan your preparation.
SSC GD Exam Pattern 2026 vs Exam Strategy
| Pattern fact | What it means for your preparation |
|---|---|
| 80 questions in 60 minutes, no sectional timer | Spend your time where the marks are: finish Reasoning and Maths first, leave GK recall for the end |
| 0.25 negative marking against 2-mark questions | Guess after eliminating one option; never leave a question blank out of fear |
| Class 10 level paper | Speed and accuracy beat deep study; practise with a timer from day one |
| Normalised scores decide the cut-off | Do not compare your raw mock score with last year's cut-off; compare your rank and percentile |
| PET is qualifying but eliminating | Start running now — 5 km in 24 minutes cannot be built in a fortnight |
| Reasoning is the first tie-breaker | Treat Part A as seriously as Maths, not as a warm-up |
SSC GD Exam Pattern 2026 FAQs
How many questions are there in the SSC GD exam 2026?
80 questions for 160 marks in 60 minutes: 20 questions (40 marks) each in Reasoning, GK and General Awareness, Elementary Maths, and English or Hindi.
Is there negative marking in SSC GD 2026?
Yes. 0.25 mark is deducted for each wrong answer, and 2 marks are awarded for each correct answer.
Is there sectional timing in SSC GD?
No. The full 60 minutes is yours to split across the four parts as you like — unlike SSC CGL and SSC CPO, where each section has its own timer.
What is the SSC GD PET running time for males and females?
Men must run 5 km in 24 minutes and women 1.6 km in 8.5 minutes (except Ladakh region: 1.6 km in 7 minutes for men and 800 m in 5 minutes for women). The PET is qualifying only.
Are SSC GD PET and PST marks added to the final merit?
No. Both are qualifying only. Final merit is based on the written test marks (plus NCC bonus), subject to clearing PET, PST, medical examination and document verification.
Is the SSC GD 2027 notification out?
No. As of 7 November 2026 the 2027 notification had not been published. The 2026 pattern on this page is the latest official scheme until the new notice appears.
Practice Next for SSC GD
Physical stage: SSC GD PET/PST 2026
Exam hub: SSC GD 2026 exam page and free SSC GD mock tests.
Sectional mocks: SSC GD Reasoning Sectional Mock Test 01, SSC GD English Sectional Mock Test 01, SSC GD Elementary Mathematics Sectional Mock Test 01 and SSC GD General Knowledge Sectional Mock Test 01.
Full mocks: SSC GD Full Length Mock Test 01 and SSC GD Full Mock Test 08.
Previous year papers: SSC GD previous year question paper.
Related notes: SSC GD syllabus 2026, SSC GD cut-off 2026, SSC GD eligibility and age limit 2026 and SSC GD salary 2026.
Compare: SSC GD vs SSC MTS 2026.
Browse all study notes.
Sources: SSC notice, Constable (GD) in CAPFs and SSF and Rifleman (GD) in Assam Rifles Examination, 2026 (1 December 2025), and SSC GD 2026 result write-up (12 October 2026, revised 23 October 2026), on ssc.gov.in; figures as of 7 November 2026. Cut-off and shortlist figures are from the official result write-up; pace figures are our arithmetic.