SSC CPO 2026 Syllabus, Exam Pattern & Marking Scheme (Hindi + English)
The SSC CPO 2026 exam pattern has changed. Here is the new Paper 1 and Paper 2 pattern, the full syllabus, negative marking, physical test and cut-off rules — explained simply, in English and Hindi.
- SSC CPO 2026 overview
- Important dates
- What changed in 2026
- Selection process (5 stages)
- Paper 1 exam pattern
- Paper 2 exam pattern
- Marking scheme & negative marking
- Full syllabus (subject-wise)
- Physical test (PST & PET)
- Medical standards
- Qualifying marks, NCC bonus & final merit
- Eligibility, fee & vacancies
- How to prepare for the new pattern
- FAQs
SSC has made the biggest change in years to the CPO exam: shorter Paper 1, sectional timers, double marks per question in Paper 2 and a higher negative marking. Old strategies (and old YouTube videos) won't fully work now. Read this once and you'll know exactly what to prepare.
1. SSC CPO 2026 Overviewएसएससी सीपीओ 2026 – एक नज़र में
| Point | Details |
|---|---|
| Full name | Sub-Inspector in Delhi Police and Central Armed Police Forces Examination, 2026 |
| Conducted by | Staff Selection Commission (SSC) |
| Posts | SI (Executive) in Delhi Police · SI (GD) in BSF, CISF, CRPF, ITBP, SSB · SI (Fire) in CISF (new) |
| Total vacancies | 1,871 (tentative) |
| Pay scale | Level 6: ₹35,400 – ₹1,12,400 |
| Exam mode | Online (Computer Based Examination) |
| Question language | Hindi & English (English Comprehension only in English) |
| Official website | ssc.gov.in |
2. Important Datesमहत्वपूर्ण तिथियाँ
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Notification released | 10 September 2026 |
| Online application | 10 – 30 September 2026 (till 11:00 PM) |
| Last date for fee payment | 1 October 2026 (till 11:00 PM) |
| Correction window | 8 – 10 October 2026 |
| Paper 1 exam date | To be announced by SSC |
Some websites are already showing an exam month. The official notice clearly says the exam schedule will be "notified later". Only trust dates published on ssc.gov.in.
3. What Changed in 2026NEW PATTERN2026 में क्या बदला?
| Point | Old pattern (till 2025) | New pattern (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 size | 200 questions · 200 marks · 2 hours | 100 questions · 100 marks · 1 hour |
| Sectional timer | No | Yes – 15 min per section (Paper 1), 20 min per section (Paper 2) |
| Paper 2 structure | Only English (200 questions) | 4 parts – Reasoning, GK, Maths + English |
| Paper 2 marks | 200 | 320 |
| Negative marking in Paper 2 | 0.25 per wrong answer | 0.50 per wrong answer |
| Final merit | Paper 1 + Paper 2 | Paper 2 marks (with NCC bonus) + post preference |
| New post | — | SI (Fire) in CISF – 234 posts |
🇮🇳 हिंदी में समझें
अब Paper 1 छोटा हो गया है – सिर्फ 100 प्रश्न, 1 घंटा। हर सेक्शन का अलग टाइमर (15 मिनट) है, यानी एक सेक्शन का बचा समय दूसरे में नहीं जोड़ सकते। Paper 2 में अब Reasoning, GK और Maths भी हैं, और गलत उत्तर पर 0.50 अंक कटेंगे। सबसे बड़ी बात: अंतिम मेरिट Paper 2 के अंकों से बनेगी, इसलिए Paper 2 को हल्के में मत लीजिए।
4. Selection Process: 5 Stagesचयन प्रक्रिया
- Stage 1 · Paper 1 (CBE)Online exam. Used for shortlisting candidates for the physical test.
- Stage 2 · PST / PETHeight, chest, running, jumps. Qualifying only — no marks.
- Stage 3 · Paper 2 (CBE)Online exam. Final merit is based on this paper.
- Stage 4 · Medical (DME / RME)Detailed medical test. Qualifying only.
- Stage 5 · Document VerificationOriginal certificates checked, then final result and force allocation.
🇮🇳 हिंदी में समझें
पहले Paper 1, फिर फिजिकल टेस्ट (PST/PET), फिर Paper 2, फिर मेडिकल और आखिर में डॉक्यूमेंट वेरिफिकेशन। फिजिकल और मेडिकल में सिर्फ पास होना है, इनके नंबर नहीं जुड़ते। फाइनल सिलेक्शन Paper 2 के नंबर और आपकी फ़ोर्स-प्राथमिकता से होगा।
5. Paper 1 Exam Patternपेपर 1 परीक्षा पैटर्न
👉 Swipe the table sideways to see all columns
| Part | Subject | Questions | Marks | Sectional time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | General Intelligence & Reasoning | 25 | 25 | 15 minutes |
| II | General Knowledge & General Awareness | 25 | 25 | 15 minutes |
| III | Quantitative Aptitude | 25 | 25 | 15 minutes |
| IV | English Comprehension | 25 | 25 | 15 minutes |
| Total | — | 100 | 100 | 1 hour |
- Each question = 1 mark. Wrong answer = −0.25.
- SSC can fix a separate cut-off for each part of Paper 1. So don't ignore your weak subject.
- With a 15-minute timer per section, you get about 36 seconds per question. Speed matters a lot.
6. Paper 2 Exam PatternDECIDES MERITपेपर 2 परीक्षा पैटर्न
👉 Swipe the table sideways to see all columns
| Part | Subject | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | General Intelligence & Reasoning | 20 | 40 | 20 minutes |
| II | General Knowledge & General Awareness | 20 | 40 | 20 minutes |
| III | Quantitative Aptitude | 20 | 40 | 20 minutes |
| IV | English Comprehension | 100 | 200 | 1 hour |
| Total | — | 160 | 320 | 2 hours |
Paper 2 has 2 marks per question, and English alone is 200 out of 320 marks — that's 62.5% of your final merit!
🇮🇳 हिंदी में समझें
Paper 2 में हर प्रश्न 2 अंक का है। Reasoning, GK और Maths – तीनों में 20-20 प्रश्न (हर सेक्शन 20 मिनट), और English में 100 प्रश्न (1 घंटा)। कुल 160 प्रश्न, 320 अंक। SSC के अनुसार Paper 2 का स्तर Paper 1 से कठिन होगा।
7. Marking Scheme & Negative Markingअंक योजना और नेगेटिव मार्किंग
| Point | Paper 1 | Paper 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Marks per correct answer | +1 | +2 |
| Marks cut per wrong answer | −0.25 | −0.50 |
| Unattempted question | 0 | 0 |
| Wrong answers that cancel one right answer | 4 | 4 |
Example (Paper 1): You attempt 80 questions — 68 right, 12 wrong.
Example (Paper 2): You attempt 130 questions — 110 right, 20 wrong.
If you can cut two options out of four, guessing is usually worth it. If you have no idea at all, leave it. Blind guessing in Paper 2 hurts more because each wrong answer costs 0.50.
If the exam runs in many shifts, SSC normalises the scores so no shift is unfairly easy or hard. Answer keys come out after the exam, and you can challenge a question by paying ₹50 per question.
8. Full Syllabus: Subject-Wiseविषयवार पूरा सिलेबस
The syllabus is the same for Paper 1 and Paper 2 — only the difficulty level is higher in Paper 2. The tables below cover the official topics plus a few closely related ones SSC regularly asks (like mirror images and one-word substitution).
A. General Intelligence & Reasoning (रीज़निंग)
| Area | Topics |
|---|---|
| Analogy & Classification | Word, number, symbol and figure analogy; odd-one-out (word, number, figure) |
| Series | Number series, letter/word series, figure series |
| Coding–Decoding | Letter/number coding, small & capital letter coding, symbolic operations |
| Logical reasoning | Syllogism, statement & conclusion, drawing inferences, critical thinking |
| Non-verbal | Paper folding & punched hole, embedded figures, figure completion, mirror/water image, space visualisation |
| Others | Venn diagrams, direction & distance, indexing, address/date/city matching, emotional & social intelligence |
B. General Knowledge & General Awareness (सामान्य ज्ञान)
| Area | Topics |
|---|---|
| History | Ancient, Medieval, Modern India, freedom struggle |
| Culture | Art, dances, festivals, heritage sites |
| Geography | Indian & world geography, rivers, soils, climate |
| Polity | Indian Constitution, Parliament, Articles, amendments |
| Economy | Budget, banking, five-year plans, schemes |
| Science | Everyday Physics, Chemistry, Biology; scientific research |
| Current Affairs | National & international news, sports, awards, appointments |
| Neighbours | India and its neighbouring countries |
C. Quantitative Aptitude (गणित)
| Area | Topics |
|---|---|
| Arithmetic | Number system, decimals, fractions, percentage, ratio & proportion, average, interest, profit–loss–discount, partnership, mixture & alligation, time & distance, time & work, square roots |
| Algebra | Basic algebraic identities, elementary surds, graphs of linear equations |
| Geometry | Triangles and their centres, congruence & similarity, circles (chords, tangents, angles), quadrilaterals, regular polygons |
| Mensuration | Prism, cone, cylinder, sphere, hemisphere, cuboid, pyramid |
| Trigonometry | Ratios, degree & radian, standard identities, complementary angles, heights & distances |
| Data Interpretation | Histogram, frequency polygon, bar diagram, pie chart |
D. English Comprehension (अंग्रेज़ी)
| Area | Topics |
|---|---|
| Grammar | Error spotting, fill in the blanks (verbs, prepositions, articles), sentence improvement, sentence structure |
| Vocabulary | Synonyms, antonyms, spellings, one-word substitution |
| Phrases | Idioms & phrases, phrasal verbs |
| Reading | Reading comprehension, cloze test, sentence completion |
🇮🇳 हिंदी में समझें
चारों विषयों का सिलेबस दोनों पेपर में एक जैसा है। Reasoning, GK और Maths के प्रश्न हिंदी और अंग्रेज़ी दोनों में आएँगे, लेकिन English Comprehension सिर्फ अंग्रेज़ी में होगा। क्योंकि Paper 2 में English के 200 अंक हैं, इसलिए हिंदी माध्यम वाले छात्रों को English पर रोज़ कम से कम 1–2 घंटे देने चाहिए।
9. Physical Test: PST & PETशारीरिक परीक्षा
Physical Standard Test (PST) – Height & Chest
| Category | Height | Chest (unexpanded / expanded) |
|---|---|---|
| Male (general) | 170 cm | 80 / 85 cm |
| Male (hill areas & other listed groups) | 165 cm | 80 / 85 cm |
| Male (Scheduled Tribes) | 162.5 cm | 77 / 82 cm |
| Female (general) | 157 cm | Not required |
| Female (hill areas & other listed groups) | 155 cm | Not required |
| Female (Scheduled Tribes) | 154 cm | Not required |
Some forces have extra relaxations (for example, Gorkha candidates in CAPFs), and SI (Fire) needs a slightly bigger chest (81 / 86 cm). Check the notice for your exact category.
Physical Endurance Test (PET)
| Event | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 100 m race | 16 seconds | 18 seconds |
| Long race | 1.6 km in 6.5 minutes | 800 m in 4 minutes |
| Long jump | 3.65 m (3 chances) | 2.7 m (3 chances) |
| High jump | 1.2 m (3 chances) | 0.9 m (3 chances) |
| Shot put (16 lbs) | 4.5 m (3 chances) | Not required |
🇮🇳 हिंदी में समझें
PST में लंबाई और सीना मापा जाता है, PET में दौड़ और कूद। ये दोनों सिर्फ क्वालीफाइंग हैं। पुरुषों के लिए सबसे मुश्किल हिस्सा अक्सर 1.6 किमी 6.5 मिनट में होता है, इसलिए दौड़ की प्रैक्टिस अभी से शुरू करें।
10. Medical Standardsमेडिकल मानक
- Distant vision: 6/6 (better eye) and 6/9 (worse eye) without glasses or any eye surgery.
- Near vision: N6 (better eye) and N9 (worse eye).
- No knock knees, flat foot, varicose veins or squint; high colour vision is needed.
- Tattoos: allowed only as per rules — religious symbols or names, on the inner left forearm or back of the hand, smaller than ¼ of that body part.
- After selection, you must clear 7 obstacle events during training (like rope climbing and Tarzan swing).
Many candidates clear the written exam but fail the medical because of eyesight or flat foot. Get your eyes and feet checked early, so you know where you stand.
11. Qualifying Marks, NCC Bonus & Final Meritन्यूनतम अंक, NCC बोनस और मेरिट
| Category | Minimum qualifying marks (Paper 1 & Paper 2) |
|---|---|
| UR (General) | 30% |
| OBC / EWS | 25% |
| All other categories | 20% |
| NCC certificate | Bonus in each paper |
|---|---|
| 'C' Certificate | 5% of maximum marks |
| 'B' Certificate | 3% of maximum marks |
| 'A' Certificate | 2% of maximum marks |
- Minimum marks are just the entry gate. The real cut-off is usually much higher.
- Final selection and force allocation = Paper 2 marks (+ NCC bonus) and your post preference.
- Post preference is taken after the Paper 2 result, and once submitted it can't be changed.
- Tie-breaker: Paper 2 total → English marks in Paper 2 → older candidate → alphabetical order of name.
12. Eligibility, Fee & Vacanciesपात्रता, शुल्क और रिक्तियाँ
| Point | Details |
|---|---|
| Age (as on 1 Aug 2026) | 20–25 years (born between 2 Aug 2001 and 1 Aug 2006) · SI (Fire): 18–30 years |
| Age relaxation | SC/ST: 5 years · OBC: 3 years · others as per rules |
| Qualification | Bachelor's degree in any subject · SI (Fire): B.Sc. (PCM) or the listed 3-year engineering diploma |
| Driving licence | Male candidates for Delhi Police need a valid LMV licence (motorcycle and car) by the physical test date |
| Application fee | ₹100 · Free for women, SC, ST and eligible Ex-Servicemen |
| Post / Force | Vacancies |
|---|---|
| SI in Delhi Police | 317 (Male 205 · Female 112) |
| SI (GD) in BSF | 457 |
| SI (GD) in CRPF | 254 |
| SI (GD) in CISF | 250 |
| SI (GD) in ITBP | 187 |
| SI (GD) in SSB | 172 |
| SI (Fire) in CISF | 234 (Male only) |
| Total | 1,871 |
All CAPF posts carry All India Service Liability — you can be posted anywhere in India. Delhi Police SI is the only exception; it is posted within Delhi.
13. How to Prepare for the New Patternनए पैटर्न की तैयारी कैसे करें
| Section | Smart strategy |
|---|---|
| Reasoning | Practise sectional mocks of 25 questions in 15 minutes. Master series, coding, analogy and non-verbal first — they are fast marks. |
| GK | Static GK from tables + daily current affairs. Revise more, read less. GK questions take seconds, so they save time. |
| Maths | Learn tables up to 30, squares up to 50 and cubes up to 25. Arithmetic first, then geometry, trigonometry and mensuration. |
| English | Most important for final merit (200/320 in Paper 2). Daily: 20 vocabulary words, 1 reading passage, 30 grammar questions. |
| Physical | Run 4–5 days a week. Build up to 1.6 km comfortably under 6 minutes before the PET. |
Because of sectional timers, take at least 2 sectional mocks daily. You can't "save" time in one section for another, so every section needs its own speed.
🇮🇳 हिंदी में समझें
नए पैटर्न में स्पीड और English दोनों बहुत ज़रूरी हैं। हर दिन सेक्शन-वाइज़ मॉक टेस्ट दें, गलतियों की अलग कॉपी बनाएँ, और दौड़ की तैयारी पढ़ाई के साथ-साथ जारी रखें। याद रखिए – Paper 2 के अंक ही आपकी रैंक तय करेंगे।
14. FAQsअक्सर पूछे जाने वाले प्रश्न
Is the SSC CPO 2026 exam pattern new?
Yes. Paper 1 is now 100 questions in 1 hour with sectional timing, and Paper 2 now has 4 parts with 320 marks and 0.50 negative marking.
When is the SSC CPO 2026 exam?
SSC hasn't announced it yet. The notice says the schedule will be notified later. Keep checking ssc.gov.in.
Can I give the exam in Hindi? / क्या परीक्षा हिंदी में दे सकते हैं?
Yes. Reasoning, GK and Maths questions come in both Hindi and English. English Comprehension is only in English. / हाँ, English सेक्शन को छोड़कर सभी प्रश्न हिंदी और अंग्रेज़ी दोनों में आते हैं।
Is there negative marking? / क्या नेगेटिव मार्किंग है?
Yes. 0.25 marks per wrong answer in Paper 1 and 0.50 marks per wrong answer in Paper 2. / हाँ, Paper 1 में 0.25 और Paper 2 में 0.50 अंक कटते हैं।
Do Paper 1 marks count in the final merit?
Final selection and force allocation are based on Paper 2 marks (plus NCC bonus) and your post preference. Paper 1 is mainly for shortlisting.
Do I need a driving licence to apply?
Only male candidates who want Delhi Police need a valid LMV licence (motorcycle and car) by the physical test date. Without it, you can still be considered for CAPF posts.
Can I wear glasses for the medical test?
No. The eyesight standard must be met without glasses or any corrective surgery.
Is the syllabus different for Paper 1 and Paper 2?
No, the syllabus is the same. Paper 2 is harder, and English carries much more weight in it.
- Notification: 10 Sept 2026 · 1,871 posts · last date 30 Sept 2026 · exam date to be announced
- Paper 1: 100 Q · 100 marks · 1 hour · 15 min per section · −0.25
- Paper 2: 160 Q · 320 marks · 2 hours · English = 200 marks · −0.50
- PST/PET & medical are qualifying · final merit = Paper 2 + NCC bonus + preference
- Age 20–25 · any graduate · fee ₹100 (free for women, SC, ST, ESM)
This post is based on the official SSC notice for the Sub-Inspector in Delhi Police and CAPFs Examination, 2026 (dated 10 September 2026). SSC may change dates or details through later notices. Always confirm on ssc.gov.in. Success Notes is an independent guide and is not affiliated with SSC.
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