SSC CGL Exam Date 2026: Tier 1 from 30 September
What the 12 September notice actually says
It is a single page and it carries one line of substance. Anything else you have read about a CGL date this month is somebody's guess laid on top of it.
| In the notice | What it states |
|---|---|
| Examination | Combined Graduate Level Examination, 2026 |
| Tier and mode | Tier 1, computer based examination |
| Schedule | 30th September 2026 to 30th October 2026 |
| File number and date | F.No. HQ-EC033/7/2025-EC, signed by the Under Secretary on 12.09.2026 |
| What it does not give | No shift timings, no city, no admit card date. It only asks candidates to keep visiting the Commission's website |
Reading the window: a month late, and 31 days long
The CGLE 2026 notification of 21.05.2026 had indicated Tier 1 in August or September and Tier 2 in December. Put the two documents side by side and three things follow that neither one spells out.
| Our reading | How it works out |
|---|---|
| The slip | Tier 1 begins on the last day of September and ends on 30 October, so against an August-September indication the paper has moved back by about a month. |
| The spread | Thirty-one days end to end. Candidates sit on different days in different shifts, which is why SSC normalises Tier 1 marks across shifts instead of comparing raw scores. |
| The gap to Tier 2 | If the December indication for Tier 2 holds, anyone writing Tier 1 in the last week of October has roughly six weeks before Tier 2. The descriptive paper and the harder maths are worth starting now rather than after the Tier 1 result. |
| What is still open | Exam city intimation and admit card. In earlier cycles the city slip came first and the admit card closer to the shift, but SSC has committed to no date for either. |
Where the admit card will appear
For this cycle SSC serves candidate documents from its own login module rather than from a separate regional page, so the login below is the page to watch. There is nothing to download there yet. A site offering you a CGL 2026 admit card link today is pointing at that same empty login.
Ten days left: what to do with them
Tier 1 is 100 questions in 60 minutes, marked +2 and minus 0.50, so the paper tests pace as much as knowledge. Full-length timed papers are the only way to find out where your hour actually goes. We publish free SSC CGL Tier 1 mock tests on the same pattern, with a running timer and a worked solution on every question, and you do not need an account to take one. Subject-wise practice is there for whatever a mock shows up as weak.
Important links
| Resource | Link (status as on 20.09.2026) |
|---|---|
| Tier 1 schedule notice, 12.09.2026 | Download the notice PDF — live, one page, carries the 30.09 to 30.10 window |
| Candidate login (admit card will appear here) | ssc.gov.in login — open, with no CGL 2026 admit card on it yet |
| Commission notice board | ssc.gov.in — the last CGL 2026 item on it is the 12.09.2026 notice |
| Practice: SSC CGL Tier 1 mock tests | Free timed papers on this site |
Frequently asked questions
What is the SSC CGL exam date 2026?
Tier 1 of the Combined Graduate Level Examination 2026 runs from 30 September 2026 to 30 October 2026. The date comes from an important notice the Staff Selection Commission published on 12 September 2026. Your own slot inside that window is the one printed on your admit card.
Has SSC released the CGL 2026 admit card?
No. As on 20.09.2026 the Commission had put out nothing after the 12 September schedule notice, so there is no admit card and no exam city intimation for this cycle yet. Admit cards for this cycle are served from the candidate login on ssc.gov.in.
Why is SSC CGL 2026 Tier 1 later than expected?
The notification of 21 May 2026 indicated Tier 1 in August or September 2026. The exam now begins on the last day of September and finishes on 30 October, so it is running roughly a month behind that indication.
When is SSC CGL 2026 Tier 2?
The 21 May 2026 notification indicated December 2026. SSC has not confirmed a Tier 2 date since. If December holds, only about six weeks separate the end of Tier 1 and the start of Tier 2.
How many days does the SSC CGL Tier 1 exam run?
Thirty-one days, from 30 September to 30 October 2026. A window that long means candidates sit different shifts on different days, which is why SSC normalises Tier 1 scores across shifts.