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Exam comparison · from official notices

SSC CGL vs UPSC CSE: salary, eligibility, exam pattern and syllabus

  • SSC CGL is conducted by SSC; UPSC CSE is conducted by UPSC.
  • Qualification — SSC CGL: Bachelor's degree from a recognised university for most posts. UPSC CSE: Graduate degree from a university incorporated by a central or state Act, a deemed university, or an equivalent qualification.
  • Age limit — SSC CGL: Varies by post: 18–27, 18–30, 20–30 or 18–32 years (as on 1 August 2026). UPSC CSE: 21–32 years (as on 1 August 2026).
  • SSC CGL has 3 stages in its printed pattern; UPSC CSE has 2.

SSC CGL vs UPSC CSE: side by side

Each cell is copied from the exam's latest official notice. Always confirm in the notice before applying.

FactSSC CGLUPSC CSE
Conducting body
  • SSC
  • ssc.gov.in
  • UPSC
  • upsc.gov.in
Latest notice
  • Combined Graduate Level Examination, 2026 — Notice (published 21 May 2026)
  • Civil Services Examination, 2026 — Examination Notice No. 05/2026-CSE (published 4 February 2026)
Application status
  • Applications closed on 22 June 2026.
  • Applications closed on 24 February 2026.
Posts
  • Group 'B' and Group 'C' posts in central ministries, departments and constitutional / statutory bodies
  • Examples named in the notice: Assistant Audit Officer, Junior Statistical Officer and other Group B/C posts
  • 23 services: IAS, IFS, IPS and Central Group ‘A’ / Group ‘B’ services listed in the notice
Pay (as printed)
  • Level 8 (₹47,600 – ₹1,51,100)
  • Level 7 (₹44,900 – ₹1,42,400)
  • Level 6 (₹35,400 – ₹1,12,400)
  • Level 5 (₹29,200 – ₹92,300)
  • Level 4 (₹25,500 – ₹81,100)

Pay Level 8 →Pay Level 7 →Pay Level 6 →Pay Level 5 →Pay Level 4 →

  • Not printed in the notice data shown here
Age limit
  • Varies by post: 18–27, 18–30, 20–30 or 18–32 years (as on 1 August 2026)
  • 21–32 years (as on 1 August 2026)
Qualification
  • Bachelor's degree from a recognised university for most posts
  • Junior Statistical Officer: 60% in 12th-level Mathematics, or Statistics as a degree subject; Statistical Investigator Gr-II: degree in a listed subject
  • Qualification must be held as on 1 August 2026
  • Graduate degree from a university incorporated by a central or state Act, a deemed university, or an equivalent qualification
  • Number of attempts: 6 for General/EWS; 9 for OBC and PwBD; unlimited for SC/ST (subject to age)
Selection stages
  • Tier-I (1 hour (15-minute sectional timer))
  • Tier-II, Paper-I (compulsory) (Session-I 2 h 15 min; Session-II 15 min)
  • Tier-II, Paper-II and Paper-III (2 hours each)
  • Preliminary (2 hours per paper)
  • Main (written) and Personality Test (See notice)
Negative marking
  • Tier-I: Negative marking: 0.50 per wrong answer.
  • Tier-II, Paper-I (compulsory): Negative marking: 1 mark per wrong answer in Sections I–III.
  • Tier-I has 100 questions for 200 marks in one hour, with negative marking of 0.50 per wrong answer.
  • Preliminary: Negative marking: one-third (0.33) of the marks of a question for each wrong answer.
Vacancies
  • Approx. 12,256 (tentative; post- and category-wise list on ssc.gov.in)
  • Approx. 933 (including 33 for Persons with Benchmark Disability)
Application fee
  • ₹100
  • Women, SC, ST, PwBD and Ex-Servicemen eligible for reservation are exempted from the fee.
  • ₹100 for the Preliminary; ₹200 more for the Main
  • Women, SC, ST and Persons with Benchmark Disability are exempted from the fee.
Official noticeOpen official notice ↗Open official notice ↗

Read more on each exam

SSC CGL

UPSC CSE

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between SSC CGL and UPSC CSE eligibility?

SSC CGL: age Varies by post: 18–27, 18–30, 20–30 or 18–32 years as on 1 August 2026; Bachelor's degree from a recognised university for most posts. Junior Statistical Officer: 60% in 12th-level Mathematics, or Statistics as a degree subject; Statistical Investigator Gr-II: degree in a listed subject. Qualification must be held as on 1 August 2026. UPSC CSE: age 21–32 years as on 1 August 2026; Graduate degree from a university incorporated by a central or state Act, a deemed university, or an equivalent qualification. Number of attempts: 6 for General/EWS; 9 for OBC and PwBD; unlimited for SC/ST (subject to age). Both from the latest official notices.

How is the selection process of SSC CGL different from UPSC CSE?

SSC CGL: Tier-I: computer-based test (qualifying/shortlisting); Tier-II: computer-based test (Paper-I for all posts; Paper-II for JSO; Paper-III for specified posts); Document verification and post preference. UPSC CSE: Preliminary examination: two objective papers (screening); Main examination: written papers (two qualifying, seven counted for merit); Personality test (interview).

How many vacancies are there in SSC CGL and UPSC CSE?

SSC CGL: Approx. 12,256 (tentative; post- and category-wise list on ssc.gov.in). UPSC CSE: Approx. 933 (including 33 for Persons with Benchmark Disability). As printed in each latest notice.

What is the application fee for SSC CGL and UPSC CSE?

SSC CGL: ₹100. UPSC CSE: ₹100 for the Preliminary; ₹200 more for the Main. Fee exemptions are listed in each notice.

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