SSC GD Constable Full Syllabus 2026 — Exam Pattern (80 Questions, 160 Marks, 60 Minutes, 0.25 Negative), Section-wise Syllabus for Reasoning, GK, Elementary Maths & English/Hindi, PET/PST Details

SSC GD Constable Full Syllabus 2026 — Exam Pattern (80 Questions, 160 Marks, 60 Minutes, 0.25 Negative), Section-wise Syllabus for Reasoning, GK, Elementary Maths & English/Hindi, PET/PST Details

SSC GD Constable Full Syllabus — About

• The Staff Selection Commission conducts the Constable (General Duty) examination for recruitment to the Border Security Force (BSF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Assam Rifles (AR) and Sepoy posts in the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).
• The Computer Based Examination carries 80 questions for 160 marks — 2 marks per question — completed in 60 minutes, with 0.25 negative marking per wrong answer.
• The four sections are General Intelligence and Reasoning, General Knowledge and General Awareness, Elementary Mathematics, and English or Hindi — 20 questions each.
• After the CBT, candidates face the qualifying Physical Efficiency Test (PET) and Physical Standard Test (PST), followed by detailed medical examination and document verification.
• SSC Official Website: https://ssc.gov.in/
• The official notification of the active GD cycle on ssc.gov.in is the binding document — this page links official portals only.

SSC GD Constable Exam Pattern

• The paper is a single CBT of 80 questions in 60 minutes — 45 seconds per question, so speed is the deciding factor.
• Each question carries 2 marks with 0.25 negative marking — the penalty is proportionally light, but streaks of wrong answers still erase gains.
• All four sections carry equal weight — 20 questions, 40 marks each — so no section can be skipped.
• The question paper is set in English and Hindi (candidates choose the language for the English/Hindi section per the rules).
• Sectional or overall cut-offs apply as per the commission's policy — the CBT score drives the shortlist for PET/PST.

Section-wise Question Distribution

• Four sections at 20 questions and 40 marks each — a perfectly balanced paper.
• Reasoning and Elementary Mathematics together carry 80 of the 160 marks — the scoring engine of the paper.
• General Knowledge and General Awareness (40 marks) rewards consistent current-affairs and static-GK reading.
• English/Hindi is attempted in the chosen language — candidates answer the language section in the language they select.

Section 1 Syllabus — General Intelligence and Reasoning (20 Questions)

• Analogies — semantic, symbolic, number, figural.
• Classification and odd-one-out across words, numbers and figures.
• Series — number, alphabetical and figural series.
• Coding-decoding; word building; numerical operations.
• Space visualisation and orientation; direction sense.
• Venn diagrams; drawing inferences; punched holes and folding-unfolding.
• Figural pattern folding, completion and embedded figures.
• Critical thinking; emotional and social intelligence; problem solving.

Section 2 Syllabus — General Knowledge and General Awareness (20 Questions)

• Current events of India and the world — national and international importance.
• India and its neighbouring countries; history, culture and geography.
• Indian polity and constitution; economic scene.
• General polity and scientific research themes.
• Static GK — sports, awards, books and authors, important days and organisations.
• Everyday observations and general scientific principles.

Section 3 Syllabus — Elementary Mathematics (20 Questions)

• Number systems — computation of whole numbers, decimals, fractions, relationships between numbers.
• Percentage, ratio and proportion, averages, interest (simple and compound), profit-loss, discount.
• Mensuration — area and volume of basic shapes.
• Time and distance, time and work.
• Fundamental arithmetical operations — the core of this section.
• The companion page on this site covers the Mathematics section in deeper topic-wise detail — this page keeps the full-paper view.

Section 4 Syllabus — English/Hindi (20 Questions)

• English option — spot the error, fill in the blanks, synonyms, antonyms, spelling.
• Idioms and phrases; one-word substitution; sentence improvement.
• Active-passive voice; direct-indirect narration; cloze passage.
• Reading comprehension; shuffling of sentence parts.
• Hindi option — व्याकरण (संधि, समास, उपसर्ग-प्रत्यय), पर्यायवाची-विलोम, मुहावरे-लोकोक्तियां.
• अपठित गद्यांश-बोध; वाक्य-शुद्धि-वाक्य-रचना; गद्यांश-पूर्ति.
• Candidates choose either English or Hindi for this section per the application rules.

PET and PST — Physical Standards (Qualifying, as reported)

• PET for male candidates: race of 5 kilometres in 24 minutes.
• PET for female candidates: race of 1.6 kilometres in 8.5 minutes.
• PST height: 170 cm for males and 157 cm for females, with relaxations for ST, Garhwali, Gorkha, Maratha, and hill/tribal-region candidates per the official norms.
• PST chest (males only): minimum 80 cm with a 5 cm expansion requirement, with category relaxations as notified.
• PET/PST are qualifying in nature — marks do not count in the final merit, but failing them removes the candidate.
• Medical examination follows the PET/PST stage per the notification standards.
• As reported — verify the exact standards from the official notification of the active cycle.

SSC GD — Key Cycle Notes (as reported)

• The GD Constable cycle runs annually — notification, CBT, PET/PST, medical and final result, with large multi-force vacancy counts announced per cycle.
• The previous cycle covered tens of thousands of Constable GD posts across the forces, with the CBT followed by PET/PST in phases.
• Candidates apply online through ssc.gov.in with the SSC OTR (One Time Registration) profile.
• Merit is drawn force-wise and category-wise from the CBT score of PET/PST-qualified candidates.
• Age limit: 18 to 23 years as per the notification cut-off, with relaxations per rules.
• As reported — verify cycle-specific details from the official notification.

Force-wise Recruitment — Where GD Constables Serve

• BSF (Border Security Force) — border guarding duties along India's international borders.
• CISF (Central Industrial Security Force) — security of industrial undertakings, airports and government installations.
• CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) — internal security, law-and-order and counter-insurgency operations.
• SSB (Sashastra Seema Bal) and ITBP (Indo-Tibetan Border Police) — open-border and high-altitude border guarding.
• Assam Rifles (AR) — north-east security duties; NCB Sepoy — narcotics-enforcement support roles.
• Vacancy distribution across forces and categories is published in the official notification of each cycle.

SSC GD — Previous Cycle Data (as reported)

• The recent cycle announced one of the largest single-notice vacancy counts — over 25,000 Constable GD posts across the forces.
• The CBT was conducted in multiple shifts across exam cities, followed by phased PET/PST and medical examination.
• Cut-offs vary force-wise, category-wise and male-female — the final merit combines CBT performance with qualifying-stage clearance.
• Candidates should read the previous cycle's cut-off trends only as a reference, not a guarantee — each cycle's vacancy mix changes the competition.

SSC OTR and Application — Key Points

• GD applications run through the SSC OTR (One Time Registration) profile at ssc.gov.in — one profile serves all SSC examinations.
• The OTR must match certificates exactly — name, date of birth and category details are verified at document scrutiny.
• Recent photograph and signature per the prescribed specifications are uploaded once and reused across applications.
• Keep the registration number and submitted-form printout safe for admit-card downloads and PET/PST communication.

SSC GD — Cycle Milestones (as reported)

• Notification release with force-wise and category-wise vacancy tables.
• Online application window with correction/edit facility per the notified schedule.
• CBT city intimation and admit card releases before the exam dates.
• CBT across multiple shifts, followed by the answer-key and objection window.
• PET/PST call letters and staged physical tests at designated centres.
• Detailed medical examination and final force-wise, category-wise allocation.

Qualifying vs Merit Stages — How GD Selection Reads

• The CBT is the only scored stage — 160 marks decide the force-wise, category-wise merit position.
• PET/PST and the detailed medical examination are qualifying gates — pass/fail only, no marks.
• Trade-wise requirements do not apply here (unlike technical recruitments) — GD is a general-duty cadre.
• Documentation must match the OTR application exactly — category, height-relaxation and domicile claims are verified at scrutiny.
• Candidates falling short at any qualifying gate are excluded regardless of CBT rank — the physical stage is as decisive as the written paper.
• Keep every certificate (education, category, height-relaxation claim) ready in original plus photocopies from the application stage itself.

PET/PST Preparation Notes (Indicative)

• Build running endurance progressively — start at 2–3 km and reach the 5 km male / 1.6 km female standard with weeks of margin.
• Time every practice run — the qualifying benchmarks are absolute (24 min / 8.5 min), not relative.
• Maintain BMI and height documentation readiness — the PST verifies standards against the official norms.
• Practice chest-expansion breathing exercises for the male chest standard.
• Schedule PET training in the morning and written study in the day — both stages demand distinct rhythms.
• Medical standards (vision, fitness) follow the notification — rectify correctable issues before the stage arrives.

Preparation Strategy — SSC GD Constable

• Speed first: 45 seconds per question across four sections — daily timed sectionals build the pace.
• Reasoning and Elementary Maths (80 marks combined) are the rank engine — practise coding-decoding, series and percentage-ratio problems daily.
• General Knowledge rewards compounding — one hour of daily static-GK plus current-affairs reading covers the 40-mark block over months.
• Choose the language section (English or Hindi) early and prepare it exclusively — switching languages wastes preparation.
• With 0.25 negative marking on a 2-mark question, blind guessing is cheap but not free — skip only unverifiable guesses.
• Begin PET training (running) alongside written preparation — the qualifying race standards are fixed and unforgiving.
• Attempt full 80-question mocks in 60 minutes weekly and track accuracy above 80 percent.
• Track ssc.gov.in for the next cycle's notification, city intimation and admit cards.

Exam-day Notes (Indicative)

• CBT centres enforce strict reporting times — check the admit card and arrive early.
• Carry the admit card and a valid photo ID; electronic devices are prohibited.
• The on-screen interface shows the question palette — use flag-and-return for doubtful questions within the section time.
• The official instructions on the admit card are binding — these notes are indicative only.

Exam-day Notes (Indicative)

• CBT centres enforce strict reporting times — check the admit card and arrive early.
• Carry the admit card and a valid photo ID; electronic devices are prohibited.
• The on-screen interface shows the question palette — use flag-and-return for doubtful questions within the section time.
• The official instructions on the admit card are binding — these notes are indicative only.

How to Download the SSC GD Syllabus (Process Steps)

• Open the official SSC website at ssc.gov.in.
• Open the Constable (GD) notification for the active cycle.
• The notification annexure lists the CBT syllabus for all four sections and the PET/PST standards.
• Download the PDF and save the syllabus and physical-standard pages for revision.
• No third-party syllabus PDFs are linked on this page — official SSC documents only.

Important Links — Official Only

• SSC Official Website: ssc.gov.in (Official Website)
• The official GD Constable notification (with the CBT syllabus and PET/PST annexure) is hosted on ssc.gov.in.
• No third-party syllabus or notification PDFs are linked on this page.
• No unaffiliated links are used on this page.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the SSC GD Constable exam pattern? A CBT of 80 questions for 160 marks in 60 minutes — 2 marks per question with 0.25 negative marking.
• What are the four sections? General Intelligence and Reasoning, General Knowledge and General Awareness, Elementary Mathematics, and English/Hindi — 20 questions, 40 marks each.
• Is there negative marking? Yes — 0.25 mark is deducted for each wrong answer.
• What does the PET involve? A qualifying race — 5 km in 24 minutes for males and 1.6 km in 8.5 minutes for females, per the reported standards.
• What are the physical standards? Height 170 cm (male) / 157 cm (female) with category relaxations, and a chest standard for males (80 cm + 5 cm expansion) — as reported from the official norms.
• Which forces recruit through SSC GD? BSF, CISF, CRPF, SSB, ITBP, Assam Rifles and Sepoy posts in NCB.
• Does the CBT score count in the final merit? Yes — the final merit is drawn from the CBT score of candidates who clear the qualifying PET/PST and medical stages.
• Where is the official syllabus? In the GD notification on ssc.gov.in — no third-party PDFs are linked on this page.
• What is the age limit? 18 to 23 years as per the notification cut-off date, with category-wise relaxations as per the official rules.
• Is the exam bilingual? Yes — the question paper is set in English and Hindi, and candidates choose their language for the language section per the rules.
• When do applications open? Each cycle's application window is announced on ssc.gov.in with the notification — apply through the SSC OTR profile within the window.

Disclaimer

• This page is an informational summary of the SSC Constable (GD) examination pattern and syllabus based on the official SSC notification standards.
• It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the Staff Selection Commission.
• Physical standards, vacancy counts and cycle rules are as reported and must be confirmed from the official SSC notification of the active cycle before acting on them.
• Always verify details at https://ssc.gov.in/.