Every year, a large number of candidates appear for the SSC CGL exam. Last year (2015), the number was above 17 lacs! But somehow many people, especially students in the final year of their Bachelor’s degree get confused about SSC CGL eligibility criteria.

On this website alone I tend to get hundreds of emails and comments where candidates desirous of appearing want to know if they are eligible for SSC CGL exam.

Hence, I decided to write this one detailed post so that I don’t have to do it in parts over email and comments 😛

There are three conditions to check your eligibility

1. Age limit – Different for different posts, relaxation for several reserved categories
2. Educational qualifications – Different for different posts, no relaxation for reserved categories
3. Medical fitness – Only required for certain posts whose job requires active on-field duties, no relaxation for reserved categories

Now, Let’s go through each of these in detail.

Age Limit For SSC CGL Exam

Your age has to be calculated on the cut-off date specified by SSC. For 2016, the day is 1 August 2016. Last year it was 1 August 2015.

Secondly, SSC will only consider your 10th or 12th exam certificates as the source of your birth date – nothing else.

So,

1. Calculate your age on the day specified for the current year based on your birth date mentioned in your 10th/12th certificates.
2. Check the age required for the post you are looking for in the official notification.
3. And check if you meet the age required.

Remember there is a minimum and a maximum age limit.

For eg. if the age required for a post is 18-27 years. Then, as per age limit

Age Relaxation For Reservation Categories

The age upper limit is relaxed for reservation categories, ex-servicemen, some special women categories and also some class of central government employees.

Educational Qualification For SSC CGL Exam

Educational qualification is what puzzles most. So you have to understand how SSC checks your educational eligibility.

SSC will check for two things,

1. You should have the relevant educational qualification as detailed below from a UGC recognized university/institute
2. And you should have got your qualifying degree (that is the degree on the basis of which you are eligible for the post) ON OR BEFORE THE CUTOFF DATE.

The cut-off date for educational qualification is mostly same as that for the age limit.

To explain further, you results should have been announced on or before the cut-off date and you should have passed the exam. Obviously, at the time of document verification (at the end of Tier 2), you should have the original/provisional degree to prove this.

The cut-off date for checking educational qualification in SSC CGL 2016 exam process is 01 August 2016. So candidates who qualify Tier 2, and are called for document verification, will be required to show documents which prove that they have cleared their exams on or before 01 August 2016. The date on the mark sheets will be checked.

Now let’s walk through the actual degree required.

Educational Qualifications For Assistant Audit Officer

This post has been newly created in 2016. For this post, you need at least a Bachelor’s Degree from any recognized University or equivalent.

HOWEVER, SSC prefers that the applicants possess one of the following over and above the mandatory requirement — Chartered Accountant, Cost & Management Accountant, Company Secretary, Masters in Commerce, Masters in Business Studies, Masters in Business Administration (Finance), Masters in Business Economics.

Educational Qualifications For Statistical Investigator Grade – II

For Statistical Investigator Grade – II, you need a Bachelor’s Degree from any recognized University or equivalent, and you should meet at least one of the two conditions below:

1. You should have at least 60% in Mathematics at 12th standard level, OR
2. You should have taken ‘Statistics’ as one of the subjects at degree level

Statistical Investigator is another big source of comments on competition websites. If you don’t want to take this job or you don’t meet the qualifications required, then please don’t fill it as an option in your preference for posts.

As simple as this advice sounds, people still mark Statistical Investigator as a preference. And later on, they are either in two minds about appearing for its exam or scared if they will get disqualified.

So, if you don’t want it, don’t fill it.

Educational Qualifications For Compiler

For applying for compiler post, you need a Bachelor’s Degree from any recognized University or equivalent, plus you also need anyone of the following as a subject in your degree course (compulsory or elective subject both are OK):

1. Economics
2. Statistics
3. Mathematics

Educational Qualifications For All Other Posts

For all other posts, you only need a Bachelor’s Degree from any recognized University or equivalent.

Medical Fitness

Some post also require some minimum physical standards. These posts are:

• Central Excise Inspector – Central Board of Excise and Customs
• Examiner Inspector – Central Board of Excise and Customs
• Preventive Officer Inspector – Central Board of Excise and Customs
• Inspector – Central Bureau of Narcotics
• Sub-Inspector – Central Bureau of Narcotics
• Sub- Inspector – Central Bureau of Investigation
• Sub- Inspector – National Investigation Agency

The requirements may include cut-ff levels for height, chest measurement, walking/cycling the specified distance in given time and vision.

These conditions are different for men and women, and also among different posts. There are some relaxations for several communities.

Check the official notification for complete post-wise details.

Final Words

I hope after reading this post, you are clear on the SSC CGL eligibility requirements. I also recommend that you also go through the official notification and recheck everything yourself. Because it is the only document which you should actually believe. Let me know if you need any help in the comments below.

Now that you are done with the eligibility requirements, you may want to start your preparations by reading our post on which books to use for SSC CGL exam.