SSC CPO Recruitment 2026: 1,871 SI Vacancies, Eligibility, Salary, Exam Pattern, PET/PST & Apply Online

The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) has released the SSC CPO 2026 notification for recruitment to the post of Sub-Inspector (SI) in Delhi Police and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs).

SSC CPO 2026 is an important opportunity for graduate candidates seeking a Central Government job with a Group ‘B’/’C’ pay scale.

SSC CPO 2026 offers a total of 1,871 tentative vacancies for Sub-Inspector (Executive) in Delhi Police, Sub-Inspector (GD) in CAPFs and Sub-Inspector (Fire) in CISF.

Eligible candidates can submit the SSC CPO 2026 online application form from 10 September 2026 to 30 September 2026 through the official SSC website.

The recruitment process includes Paper-I, Physical Standard Test (PST), Physical Endurance Test (PET), Paper-II and Detailed Medical Examination (DME).

SSC CPO Recruitment 2026 – Overview

SSC will recruit candidates for Sub-Inspector posts in Delhi Police and various Central Armed Police Forces under the Ministry of Home Affairs.

SSC CPO Vacancy 2026

SSC has announced a total of 1,871 tentative vacancies for CPO 2026 across three post categories.

The vacancies are distributed among Delhi Police, CAPFs and CISF Fire as follows:

SSC CPO 2026 Posts

Candidates can apply for the following posts:

• Sub-Inspector (Executive) in Delhi Police – Male
• Sub-Inspector (Executive) in Delhi Police – Female
• Sub-Inspector (GD) in CAPFs
• Sub-Inspector (Fire) in CISF – Male

The CAPF posts are available in:

• Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)
• Border Security Force (BSF)
• Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP)
• Central Industrial Security Force (CISF)
• Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB)

SSC CPO Salary 2026

The pay scale is the same across all three post categories, though the service classification differs.

The official notification specifies Pay Level 6 for all three posts; take-home pay will also include applicable allowances as per post and posting location.

SSC CPO Eligibility Criteria 2026

Candidates should carefully check the SSC CPO eligibility criteria 2026 before submitting the application form.

Educational Qualification

Candidates appearing in their final year/semester of a Bachelor’s degree can also apply, but they must possess the required qualification on or before the closing date for receipt of applications, i.e. 30 September 2026.

Age Limit

• All posts except SI (Fire) in CISF: 20–25 years as on 01 August 2026 (born between 02 August 2001 and 01 August 2006)
• SI (Fire) in CISF: 18–30 years as on 01 August 2026 (born between 02 August 1996 and 01 August 2008)

Age Relaxation

The applicable age relaxation is subject to the conditions specified in the official notification.

Physical Standards (PST)

Relaxed height/chest norms apply for candidates from Hill areas (Garhwal, Kumaon, Himachal Pradesh, etc.), North-Eastern states, Gorkhas and Scheduled Tribes, and are available on production of a certificate from the competent authority of the candidate’s district, per Annexure-VIII of the notification. For the complete post-wise and category-wise height/chest table, refer to the official SSC CPO 2026

Physical Endurance Test (PET)

PST/PET are qualifying in nature and carry no marks. Ex-Servicemen candidates are exempted from PET but must still undergo PST.

SSC CPO Application Fee 2026

The application fee is ₹100, and women candidates, SC, ST and eligible Ex-Servicemen candidates are exempted from payment. Fee can be paid only through online modes — BHIM UPI, Net Banking, or Visa/MasterCard/Maestro/RuPay Debit cards.

SSC CPO Important Dates 2026

The SSC notice states that online applications can be submitted from 10.09.2026 to 30.09.2026, while the last date for online fee payment is 01.10.2026. The correction window will remain open from 08.10.2026 to 10.10.2026 up to 11:00 PM. The examination schedule will be notified later.

SSC CPO Exam Pattern 2026

The examination consists of four stages: Paper-I, PST/PET, Paper-II and Detailed Medical Examination (DME) — all mandatory.

Paper-I

Duration: 1 hour, with a sectional timer of 15 minutes for each part. Negative marking of 0.25 marks applies for each wrong answer in Paper-I.

Paper-II

Duration: 1 hour, with a sectional timer of 20 minutes for Parts I–III (the English Comprehension part runs within the same overall hour). Negative marking of 0.50 marks applies for each wrong answer in Paper-II. The difficulty level of Paper-II is higher than Paper-I.

NCC certificate holders receive bonus marks in both papers: 5% for NCC ‘C’, 3% for NCC ‘B’ and 2% for NCC ‘A’ certificate, added to normalized scores.

SSC CPO Selection Process 2026

The selection process broadly involves:

1. Paper-I (Computer Based Examination)
2. Physical Standard Test (PST) and Physical Endurance Test (PET)
3. Paper-II (Computer Based Examination)
4. Detailed Medical Examination (DME)
5. Document Verification
6. Final merit and allocation

Candidates are shortlisted for PST/PET based on Paper-I performance. Only those who qualify PST/PET are allowed to appear in Paper-II. PST/PET are qualifying/elimination in nature and do not carry marks.

SSC CPO 2026 Application Process

Candidates must submit their applications online through the new SSC website.

Steps to Apply

1. Visit the official SSC website.
2. Complete One-Time Registration (OTR) on the new SSC website if not already registered.
3. Log in using the Registration Number and password.
4. Select the “Sub-Inspector in Delhi Police and CAPFs Examination 2026” under the Latest Notifications section.
5. Enter the required application details.
6. Select post preferences and other required options.
7. Upload/complete the required documents and application details.
8. Pay the application fee, if applicable.
9. Submit the application form.
10. Save and print/download the submitted application for future reference.

SSC has clarified that OTR generated on the old SSC website will not be functional on the new website; candidates who have not generated OTR on the new website will need to register again.

SSC CPO 2026 Important Points

• SSC CPO 2026 has 1,871 tentative vacancies across SI (Delhi Police), SI (GD) in CAPFs and SI (Fire) in CISF.
• The final vacancy count may change.
• Age limit is 20–25 years (18–30 years for SI Fire) as on 01 August 2026.
• Minimum qualification is a Bachelor’s Degree (specific stream required for SI Fire).
• The application fee is ₹100 for candidates who are not exempted.
• Women, SC, ST and eligible ESM candidates are exempted from the application fee.
• Paper-I carries 100 marks; negative marking is 0.25 per wrong answer.
• Paper-II carries 320 marks; negative marking is 0.50 per wrong answer.
• PST/PET are mandatory but qualifying in nature.
• NCC certificate holders get bonus marks in both papers.
• Selected candidates are liable to serve anywhere in India.

SSC CPO Recruitment 2026 – Important Links

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. How many vacancies are announced for SSC CPO 2026? SSC has announced 1,871 tentative vacancies for CPO 2026 across SI (Delhi Police), SI (GD) in CAPFs and SI (Fire) in CISF. The final number may change.

2. What is the SSC CPO 2026 application last date? The last date to submit the online application is 30 September 2026 up to 11:00 PM.

3. What is the SSC CPO application fee? The application fee is ₹100. Women, SC, ST and eligible Ex-Servicemen candidates are exempted from paying the fee.

4. What is the age limit for SSC CPO 2026? Candidates should be 20–25 years old as on 01 August 2026 for most posts, and 18–30 years for SI (Fire) in CISF, subject to applicable age relaxation.

5. What is the educational qualification for SSC CPO? A Bachelor’s Degree from a recognized university for SI (Delhi Police/CAPFs); a Bachelor’s Degree in Science with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics, or a Matriculation plus 3-year engineering diploma, for SI (Fire) in CISF.

6. What is the salary of SSC CPO posts? All three posts carry Pay Level 6 (₹35,400–₹1,12,400).

7. Is PST/PET compulsory? Yes. PST/PET are mandatory and qualifying in nature; only qualified candidates proceed to Paper-II.

8. What is the exam pattern for SSC CPO? The exam has two papers — Paper-I (100 questions, 100 marks) and Paper-II (160 questions, 320 marks) — along with PST/PET and a Detailed Medical Examination.

9. When will the SSC CPO 2026 exam be conducted? The Computer Based Examination schedule has not yet been notified in the official notice. SSC will announce it separately.

Conclusion

SSC CPO 2026 is an important opportunity for graduate candidates seeking a career as Sub-Inspector in Delhi Police or the Central Armed Police Forces. The examination offers recruitment to SI (Executive), SI (GD) and SI (Fire) posts, all at Pay Level 6.

Candidates should remember that the 1,871 vacancies are tentative and subject to change. Applicants are advised to check the SSC website regularly for updated vacancy details and examination dates.