SSC CPO 2026 – Notification, Vacancy, Eligibility, Pattern, Syllabus & Salary

The SSC CPO 2026 notification was released by the Staff Selection Commission on 10 September 2026 at ssc.gov.in. The Sub-Inspector in Delhi Police and Central Armed Police Forces Examination, 2026 invites online applications for Sub-Inspector (Executive) posts in Delhi Police and Sub-Inspector (General Duty) posts in the Central Armed Police Forces.

Online registration runs from 10 to 30 September 2026 on the new SSC website. Applications are accepted only online, either on ssc.gov.in or through the mySSC mobile app. Candidates must complete their One-Time Registration (OTR) on the new website first — an OTR created on the old SSC website will not carry over to the new one.

The notification PDF is available under the For Candidates section of ssc.gov.in. Candidates should read the official notice for the full department-wise annexures before applying.

The SSC CPO 2026 vacancy totals 1,871 posts across Delhi Police, the Central Armed Police Forces and the newly introduced Sub-Inspector (Fire) role in CISF.

Force-wise Sub-Inspector (GD) in CAPFs

Sub-Inspector (Exe.) in Delhi Police

Sub-Inspector (Fire) in CISF — Male

For reference, the previous years’ vacancy trend stood at 1,876 (2023), 4,187 (2024) and 5,308 (2025) total vacancies; the 2026 figure of 1,871 follows the pattern of a smaller batch. Reserves (10% ESM in CAPFs) apply as per the notification.

The SSC CPO 2026 eligibility criteria cover nationality, educational qualification and age limit, besides the physical and medical standards applied at later stages.

Nationality / Citizenship

A candidate must be an Indian citizen or a subject of Nepal or Bhutan. Candidates from Nepal or Bhutan must obtain the certificate of eligibility issued by the Government of India.

Educational Qualification

• SI (GD) in CAPFs and SI (Exe.) in Delhi Police: a Bachelor’s Degree in any discipline from a recognised university.
• SI (Exe.) in Delhi Police (male only): additionally, a valid driving licence for light motor vehicles (motorcycle and car) as of the date fixed for physical endurance and standard tests — without it the candidate is not permitted to appear in the physical tests.
• SI (Fire) in CISF: a Bachelor’s Degree in Science with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics from a recognised university or equivalent; or Matriculation (or equivalent) with a three-year diploma in mechanical, civil, electrical, automobile, chemical, mining, aeronautical or telecommunication engineering from a recognised institution.

Age Limit

As on 01.08.2026, candidates for all posts except SI (Fire) must be aged 20–25 years (birth between 02.08.2001 and 01.08.2006); for SI (Fire) in CISF the band is 18–30 years. Category-wise relaxation applies as per the Age Limit section above.

The SSC CPO 2026 exam pattern has been revised for both papers. Paper-I now carries 100 questions for 100 marks in 60 minutes with sectional timing, and Paper-II carries 160 questions for 320 marks in 2 hours.

SSC CPO Paper-I (CBT)

SSC CPO Paper-II (CBT)

Negative marking: 0.25 mark per wrong answer in Paper-I and 0.50 mark in Paper-II. Questions are objective (MCQ) type; Paper-I is bilingual (Hindi and English, except the English section).

Minimum Qualifying Marks (without NCC bonus)

NCC Bonus Marks (both papers)

The SSC CPO 2026 syllabus is organised around the four common sections of both papers — Reasoning, General Knowledge, Quantitative Aptitude and English.

General Intelligence & Reasoning

Verbal reasoning, syllogism, circular and linear seating arrangements, double lineup, scheduling, input-output, blood relations, directions and distances, ordering and ranking, data sufficiency, coding-decoding and code inequalities.

General Knowledge & General Awareness

Current affairs, awards and honours, books and authors, sports, entertainment, obituaries, important dates and scientific research.

Quantitative Aptitude

Percentage, ratio, data interpretation, mensuration and geometry, quadratic equations, interest, problems of ages, profit and loss, number series, speed-distance-time, time and work, number system and data sufficiency.

English Comprehension

Reading comprehension, grammar, vocabulary, verbal ability, synonyms-antonyms, active and passive voice, para jumbles, fill in the blanks and error correction.

The SSC CPO 2026 selection process runs in four stages. Every stage is a gate — a candidate clears the previous one to move ahead.

The SSC CPO 2026 posts cover Sub-Inspector (Executive) in Delhi Police, Sub-Inspector (General Duty) in CAPFs, and the newly added Sub-Inspector (Fire) in CISF. Job location is Delhi for Delhi Police posts and anywhere in India for the forces.

Candidates submit their post/force preference in order of priority in the application form. The preference is final and cannot be changed, so research each option carefully before applying.

The Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) comprises seven security units under the Ministry of Home Affairs handling internal and border security — CISF, BSF, SSB, CRPF, ITBP, Assam Rifles and NSG.

Selected Sub-Inspectors are placed in Pay Level-6 under the 7th Pay Commission.

In addition to basic pay, employees draw Dearness Allowance, House Rent Allowance, uniform and other allowances and deductions per government norms; the exact in-hand amount varies with the posting.

The SSC CPO 2026 admit card has not been released yet. Admit cards will be issued separately for each stage — Paper-I, PET/PST, Paper-II and DME — on the ssc.gov.in regional pages. Download the relevant admit card using your registration number and password at the announced time.

The SSC CPO 2026 answer key is To be announced. SSC releases the provisional answer keys for the computer-based papers along with the response sheet, allowing candidates to compare answers and estimate their probable score before the result. Sketch dates will follow each paper’s conduct.

The SSC CPO 2026 results are not yet declared. Results are released stage-wise: the Paper-I result shortlists candidates for the physical stage, the PET/PST result carries forward the physically fit candidates, the Paper-II result follows the second CBT, and the final result is prepared after the detailed medical examination and other prescribed checks. Track the qualifying status at every stage on ssc.gov.in.

The SSC CPO 2026 cut off is To be announced — the Paper-I cut-off will be released with the Paper-I result, followed by the Paper-II cut-off.

Previous Year Paper-I Cut Off — reference only

Previous-year figures are indicative of the competition only and are not a forecast of the 2026 cut-off, which will depend on vacancies, difficulty and candidate performance under the revised pattern.

SSC conducts the SSC CPO 2026 CBT across cities grouped under its regional offices; candidates choose their exam centre preference while applying. The exact Paper-I centre for each candidate is printed on the admit card issued before the examination. The physical and medical stages are held at locations notified by the Commission and the user force.