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The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) conducts the Combined Level Graduate (CGL) and the Central Police Organization (CPO) exam every year, both of which are incredibly prestigious. If you manage to get through this exam, then you will have an amazing kick-start to your career and will have financial security and stability for the rest of your life. However, in order to understand both the exams, we have put forth a comparison between the two SSC CGL vs SSC CPO. Check SSC CGL vs SSC CPO full comparison in exam pattern, syllabus, job profile and salary.
SSC CGL Overview
Candidates who intend to apply for the exam need to be familiar with the SSC CGL in full. To give candidates a better understanding of the exam, we have provided the SSC CGL Exam Overview below.
| Particulars | SSC CGL 2025 Notification Details |
|---|
| Name | Staff Selection Commission Combined Graduate Level (SSC CGL) |
| Conducted by | Staff Selection Commission (SSC) |
| Exam Level | National |
| Frequency | Yearly |
| Exam Mode | Both online and offline |
| Exam Duration | Tier-I: 60 minutes, Tier-II: 2 hours 15 minutes ( Paper – I) |
| Purpose of Exam | To select candidates for Group-B and -C posts in various departments of the Government of India |
| Language | English and Hindi |
| Exam Helpdesk No. | 011-69999845 |
| Official Website | http://ssc.nic.in/ |
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SSC CPO Overview
Candidates who intend to apply for the exam need to be familiar with the SSC CPO in full. To give candidates a better understanding of the exam, we have provided the SSC CPO Exam Overview below.
| Particulars | Details |
|---|
| Name of the Exam | Central Police Organization Exam |
|---|
| Conducting Body | Staff Selection Commission |
|---|
| Post Name | Sub-Inspector in Delhi Police, CISF, and Sub-Inspector in CAPF, BSF, and SSB. |
|---|
| Exam Level | National |
|---|
| Mode of Application | Online |
|---|
| Mode of Exam | Offline |
|---|
| Official Website | ssc.nic.in |
|---|
Attempt Free SSC CPO Mock test
SSC CGL vs SSC CPO Exam Pattern
The complete details of SSC CGL and SSC CPO Exam Pattern is as follows :
SSC CGL Exam Pattern 2026
The SSC CGL Exam Pattern has 2 phases: Tier- 1, and Tier- 2 according to the new exam pattern.
SSC CGL Tier 1 Exam Pattern
The SSC CGL Tier 1 Exam is a qualifying exam, and the score obtained in this exam will not be considered for the final selection. A new change this year is the introduction of sectional timing, where each section must be attempted within a fixed time limit. The details of the SSC CGL Exam Pattern are as follows:
- Exam Duration: 1 hour
- Negative Marking: 0.50 marks per wrong answer.
- Qualification Process: Tier-1 is qualifying; Tier-2 determines final merit.
- Paper 1: Must qualify each section separately.
- Merit List: Based only on Tier-2 performance.
- Time: 1 hour (with sectional timer of 15 minutes for each subject), 1 hour and 20 minutes (with sectional timer of 15+5=20 minutes for each subject) for the candidates eligible for scribe. The subject wise weightage for Tier 1 is as follows:
| Subject | Number of Questions | Maximum Marks | Time Allowed |
|---|
| General Intelligence and Reasoning | 25 | 50 | 1 hour (with sectional timer of 15 minutes for each subject) (1 hour and 20 minutes (with sectional timer of 15+5=20 minutes for each subject) for the candidates eligible for scribe |
| General Awareness | 25 | 50 |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 25 | 50 |
| English Comprehension | 25 | 50 |
| Total | 100 | 200 |
SSC CGL Tier 2 Exam Pattern
The SSC CGL Exam Pattern for Tier 2 is given below. The key details about the merit list preparation, exam duration, and negative marking policy:
- Merit List: Based only on Tier-2 performance.
- Exam Duration: Paper 1: 2 hours 15 minutes; Paper 2: 2 hours.
- Negative Marking: Paper 1 – 1 mark per wrong answer; Paper 2 – 0.50 marks per wrong answer.
The subject wise weightage for Tier 2 is as follows:
| Session | Subject | Questions & Marks | Time |
|---|
Paper 1
Session I | Section I
Module I – Mathematical Abilities
Module II – Reasoning and General Intelligence | 30
30
60 x 30 = 180 | 1. 1 hour (with sectional timer of 30 minutes for each subject) 2. 1 hours and 20 minutes (with sectional timer of 30+10=40 minutes for each subject) for the candidates eligible for scribe |
Section II
Module I – English Language Comprehension
Module II – General Awareness | 45
25
70 x 3 = 210 | 1. 1 hour (with sectional timer of 40 minutes for Subject A i.e. English Language & Comprehension and 20 minutes for Subject B i.e. General Awareness) 2. 1 hours and 20 minutes(with sectional timer of 40+15=55 minutes for Subject A i.e. English Language & Comprehension and 20+5=25 minutes for Subject B i.e. General Awareness) for the candidates eligible for scribe |
Section III
Module – I – Computer Knowledge module | 20 x 3 = 60 | 1. 15 Minutes (For Section-III & IV each) 2. 20 minutes for the candidates eligible for scribe |
| Session II (15 minutes) | Module – II: Data Entry Speed Test | One data entry task |
| Paper 2 | FOR JSO: Paper 2 - Statistics | 100 x 2 = 200 | 1. 2 hours 2. 2 hours and 40 minutes for the candidates eligible for scribe |
| Paper 3 | FOR AAO: Paper 3 - General Studies (Finance and Economics) | 100 x 2 = 200 | 1. 2 hours 2. 2 hours and 40 minutes for the candidates eligible for scribe |
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SSC CPO Exam Pattern
In order to perform well in the SSC CPO examination, it is imperative that you have a very good and clear idea about the SSC CPO Exam Pattern. This will also help you with your competitive exam preparation properly and efficiently. The exam pattern of the SSC CPO is as follows-
Paper-I
The table below mentions the SSC CPO Exam Pattern:
| Subject | Number of Questions | Maximum Number of Marks | Duration |
| English Comprehension | 50 | 50 | 2 hours |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 50 | 50 | |
| General Knowledge | 50 | 50 | |
| General Intelligence and Reasoning | 50 | 50 | |
SSC CPO PET (Physical Efficiency Test)
When it comes to the SSC CPO PET test, the qualification requirements are a bit different for female candidates and male candidates. The PET examination pattern is as follows-
| Activity | Female Candidates | Male Candidates |
|---|
| High Jump | 3 feet (0.9 meters) in 3 chances | 6.5 feet (2 meters) in 3 chances |
| Long Jump | 9 feet (2.7 meters) in 3 chances | 21 feet (6.5 meters) in 5 chances |
| Race (Short) | 100 meters in 18 seconds | 100 meters in 16 seconds |
| Race (Long) | 800 meters in 4 minutes | 1.6 km in 6.5 minutes |
| Shot Put | Not Applicable | 16 lbs. for 5 meters in 3 chances |
Paper-II
The SSC CPO Paper-II is organized after the completion of the PET test. The details of the exam pattern are given below.
- The exam will consist of two subjects- English Language and Comprehension, and the exam will be conducted online.
- There will be 200 questions and every question will carry one mark each. Hence, the full marks will be 200.
- The total duration of the exam is 2 hours.
SSC CGL vs SSC CPO Syllabus
The complete details of SSC CGL and SSC CPO Syllabus is as follows :
SSC CGL Syllabus
The SSC CGL Syllabus for every tier is different from each other.
| Sections | Syllabus |
|---|
| General Awareness | Questions based on India and its neighbouring countries and regarding the current events. Also includes questions from subjects such as General Policy, Culture, Economics, Geography, History, and Scientific Research (Biology, Chemistry and Physics). |
| Quantitative Aptitude | Ratio and Proportion, Percentages, LCM & HCF, Square and Cube roots, Age problems, Averages, Profit & Loss, Simple Interest and Compound Interest, Partnership, Discount, Time & Distance, Boat & Streams, Time & Work, Numbers, Pipes & Cistern, Geometry, Algebra, Heights & Distances and Trigonometry.
Pie Chart, Bar Diagram, Frequency Polygon, Histogram, Complementary Angles, Standard Identities, Circle & its Chords, Radian & Degree Measures, Trigonometric Ratio, Regular Right Pyramid with a square or triangular base. Rectangular Parallelepiped, Hemispheres, Sphere, Right Circular Cylinder, Right Circular Cone, Right Prism, Circle, Regular Polygon, Quadrilaterals, Triangle, Graphs of Linear Equations, Decimals and Divisions, and Remainders |
| English Language | Cloze Test, Passage, Sentence Improvement, Common Errors, Spellings, Antonyms, Synonyms, One Word Substitution, Jumbled Sentences, Idioms & Phrases, Fill in the Blanks |
| Reasoning & General Intelligence | Social Intelligence, Emotional Intelligence, Critical Thinking, Embedded Figures, Classification & Encoding, Capital & Small Letters, Roll Numbers, City & Date Matching, Indexing, Folding & Completion, Drawing Inferences, Venn Diagrams, Space Visualization, Space Orientation, Trends.
Calendar, Clock, Questions on dice, Symbolic Operations, Numerical Operations, Seating Arrangement, Word Building, Problem Solving, Input-Output Questions, Figural Classification, Semantic Classification, Number Classification, Ranking Test, Figural Analogy, Number Analogy, Semantic Analogy, Syllogism in Reasoning, Statement Conclusion and Coding & Decoding. Figural Classification, Arithmetical Reasoning, Blood Relations, Direction Sense, Observation, Discrimination, Visual Memory, Decision Making, Judgement, Analysis, Problem Solving and Spatial Orientation |
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SSC CPO Syllabus
The Staff Selection Commission conducts the SSC CPO exam to recruit candidates for various Central Police Organisations. To help aspirants prepare effectively, the detailed SSC CPO Syllabus covers four main sections English Comprehension, General Intelligence & Logical Reasoning, General Knowledge & Awareness, and Quantitative Aptitude. Understanding the syllabus topics is essential for targeted preparation and scoring well in the exam.
| Section | Topics Covered |
|---|
| English Comprehension | Synonyms
Grammar
Comprehension
Unseen Passages
Vocabulary
Cloze Passage
Sentence Formation
Sentence Rearrangement
One word substitutions
Idioms & Phrases
Fill in the Blanks
Shuffling of the sentence parts
Error Correction
Antonyms
Subject-Verb Agreement |
|---|
| General Intelligence & Logical Reasoning | Arithmetic number series
Analogies, similarities and differences
Non-verbal series
Coding
Verbal and non-verbal type
Problem-solving, decision making, visual memory
Discrimination, observation
Semantic Analogy
Punched hole/ pattern-folding & unfolding
Figural Pattern Folding and completion
Numerical Operations
Symbolic Operations
Relationship concepts
Syllogistic reasoning
Space visualization |
|---|
| General Knowledge and General Awareness | Economy
Social Issues
Award and Honors
Personalities
Environment
Science and Tech
Current Affairs |
|---|
| Quantitative Aptitude | Bar diagram & Pie chart, etc.
Relationships between numbers
Angles subtended by chords of a circle
Quadrilaterals
Computation of whole numbers, decimals & fractions
Triangle and its different kinds of centers
Congruence and similarity of triangles
Degree and Radian Measures
Trigonometric ratio
Interest
Profit & Loss
Discount
Time & work
Square
Roots
Percentage
Ratio and Proportion
Time and distance
Circle and its chords
Tangents
Averages
Partnership Business
Mixture and Alligation
Basic algebraic
Equations |
|---|
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SSC CGL vs SSC CPO Job Profile
The difference in job profile of SSC CGL and SSC CPO is as follows:
SSC CGL Job Profile
The SSC CGL Job Profile is quite vast in nature, and it is as follows :
| Group | Post Name | Key Responsibilities | Pay Band (INR) | Pay Grade (INR) |
|---|
| Group A | Assistant Accounts Officer | Passing bills and handling payments/receipts on behalf of the Government of India | 9,300 – 34,800 | 4,800 |
| | Assistant Audit Officer | Assisting in auditing government organizations | 9,300 – 34,800 | 4,800 |
| Group B | Assistant Section Officer (Central Secretariat Service) | Preparing speeches and notes for senior officers | 9,300 – 34,800 | 4,600 |
| | Assistant Section Officer (Intelligence Bureau) | Handling papers and files about administrative and financial affairs | 9,300 – 34,800 | 4,600 |
| | Assistant Section Officer (Ministry of Railway) | Clerical work like report writing and file handling | 9,300 – 34,800 | 4,600 |
| | Assistant Section Officer (Ministry of External Affairs) | Assisting seniors in official work | 9,300 – 34,800 | 4,600 |
| | Assistant Section Officer (Armed Forces HQ) | Clerical work, writing reports, compiling files | 9,300 – 34,800 | 4,600 |
| | Assistant (Central Vigilance Commission) | Monitoring vigilance activities in government organizations | 9,300 – 34,800 | 4,600 |
| | Assistant (Other ministries/departments) | Posted in various government departments, clerical and administrative tasks | 9,300 – 34,800 | 4,600 |
| | Assistant Section Officer (Other ministries/departments) | Handling administrative and financial matters | 9,300 – 34,800 | 4,600 |
| | Superintendent/Assistant (Other ministries/departments) | Computer work, data entry, mail correspondence, filing | 9,300 – 34,800 | 4,200 |
| | Income Tax Inspector | Examining property values, conducting external surveys | 9,300 – 34,800 | 4,600 |
| | Central Excise Inspector | Collection of customs duties, policy formulation related to levy | 9,300 – 34,800 | 4,600 |
| | Inspector (Preventive Officer) | Seizing illegal goods, assessing customs duty, smuggling prevention | 9,300 – 34,800 | 4,600 |
| | Inspector (Examiner) | Clerical work in headquarters, assessing taxation on goods passing through ports | 9,300 – 34,800 | 4,600 |
| | Assistant Enforcement Officer | Prevention of forgery, money laundering, and other illegal activities | 9,300 – 34,800 | 4,600 |
| | Sub Inspector (CBI) | Investigating crimes | 9,300 – 34,800 | 4,600 |
| | Inspector (Department of Posts) | Promoting business of post offices | 9,300 – 34,800 | 4,600 |
| | Divisional Accountant | Auditing state government accounts | 9,300 – 34,800 | 4,200 |
| | Inspector (Central Bureau of Narcotics) | Monitoring drug smuggling and opium cultivation | 9,300 – 34,800 | 4,600 |
| | Sub Inspector (National Investigation Agency) | Investigating terrorism and national security threats | 9,300 – 34,800 | 4,200 |
| Group C | Junior Statistical Officer | Collecting and processing data for government schemes | 9,300 – 34,800 | 4,200 |
| Group D | Auditor (Offices under C&AG) | Auditing expense reports of State Department | 5,200 – 20,200 | 2,800 |
| | Auditor (Offices under CGDA) | Auditing expense reports of Defence Forces Accounts Department | 5,200 – 20,200 | 2,800 |
| | Auditor (Other Ministries/Departments) | Auditing expense reports of various departments | 5,200 – 20,200 | 2,800 |
| | Accountant/Junior Accountant (Offices under C&AG) | Clerical work, passing bills, handling payments & receipts | 5,200 – 20,200 | 2,800 |
| | Accountant/Junior Accountant (Other Ministries/Departments) | Clerical work in various ministries | 5,200 – 20,200 | 2,800 |
| | Senior Secretariat Assistant/Upper Divisional Clerk | Handling past cases, detecting errors, verifying facts | 5,200 – 20,200 | 2,400 |
| | Tax Assistant (CBDT) | Assessing tax data of individuals/businesses | 5,200 – 20,200 | 2,400 |
| | Tax Assistant (CBEC) | Desk job assisting senior officers | 5,200 – 20,200 | 2,400 |
| | Sub Inspector (Central Bureau of Narcotics) | Preventing drug smuggling; mostly field job | 5,200 – 20,200 | 2,400 |
SSC CPO Job profile
The SSC CPO exam is held every year to fill up the following posts of-
| Post / Unit | Key Responsibilities | Additional Info |
|---|
| Sub Inspector (Delhi Police) | - Maintain law and order during major disturbances | Investigates local & special laws, Indian Penal Code cases |
| - Register FIRs for crimes | Can arrest accused with or without arrest warrant |
| - Arrest suspects | |
| Assistant Sub Inspector (CISF) | - Perform clerical duties (file maintenance, admin affairs) | Works under Sub Inspector supervision |
| - Search & seize suspects and illegal property | Provides security to public sector industrial locations |
| - Provide last mile security at airports | |
| Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) | - Protect industrial units and government infrastructure projects | Security for PSU and government institutions |
| Seema Suraksha Bal (SSB) | - Prevent anti-national activities (smuggling, cross-border crimes) | Protect Indo-Bhutan and Indo-Nepal borders |
| Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) | - Prevent illegal immigration, smuggling, anti-national crimes on northern border | Protect borders near China and Pakistan (Ladakh to Arunachal) |
| Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) | - Control Naxalite activities and manage riots | |
| Border Security Force (BSF) | - Prevent illegal refugees and cross-border crimes | Protect India-Pakistan border, ensure civilian security |
SSC CGL Vs SSC CPO Vacancy
The Staff Selection Commission releases every year for various posts the SSC CGL Vacancy and Central Police Organisation (CPO) vacancy. These vacancies are categorized based on departments, posts, and reservation categories such as General, OBC, SC, ST, EWS, and PwD. Below is an approximate breakup of vacancies expected or typically announced in recent years for SSC CGL and SSC CPO exams:
| Exam | Post / Department | Total Vacancies (Approx.) | Category-wise Vacancy |
|---|
| SSC CGL | Assistant Audit Officer | 300 – 400 | General, OBC, SC, ST, EWS, PwD |
|---|
| | Income Tax Inspector | 800 – 1000 | General, OBC, SC, ST, EWS, PwD |
| Central Excise Inspector | 400 – 500 | General, OBC, SC, ST, EWS, PwD |
| Assistant Section Officer | 500 – 600 | General, OBC, SC, ST, EWS, PwD |
| Junior Statistical Officer | 100 – 150 | General, OBC, SC, ST, EWS, PwD |
| Sub Inspector (CBI) | 150 – 200 | General, OBC, SC, ST, EWS, PwD |
| Total | ~8000 – 9000+ | |
| SSC CPO | Sub-Inspector (Delhi Police) | 400 – 500 | General, OBC, SC, ST, PwD |
| Sub-Inspector (CAPF, CISF, BSF) | 700 – 900 | General, OBC, SC, ST, PwD |
| | Total | ~1200 – 1500+ | |
SSC CGL vs SSC CPO Salary
The comparison of SSC CGL and SSC CPO Salary is as follows :
SSC CGL Salary
The SSC CGL Salary Post-wise is as follows :
| Posts & Department | Grade Pay | Net in hand salary (After 7th pay commission) |
|---|
| Assistant Audit Officer- Under C & AG | 4800 | 65318 (X)
59434 (Y)
55626 (Z) |
| Assistant Accounts Officer | 4800 | 65318 (X)
59434 (Y)
55626 (Z) |
| Assistant Section Officer- Central Secretariat | 4600 | 61888 (X)
58296 (Y)
54704(Z) |
| Assistant Section Officer- Intelligence Bureau | 4600 | |
| Assistant Section Officer – Railway | 4600 | |
| Assistant Section Officer – Ext. Affairs | 4600 | |
| Assistant Section Officer – AFHQ | 4600 | |
| Assistant – Other Ministries | 4600 | |
| Inspector of Income Tax – CBDT | 4600 | |
| Inspector (Central Excise) – CBIC | 4600 | |
| Inspector (Preventive Officer) – CBIC | 4600 | |
| Inspector (Examiner) – CBIC | 4600 | |
| Assistant Enforcement Officer – Dept. Of Revenue | 4600 | |
| Sub-Inspector – CBI | 4600 | |
| Inspector of post – Dept. of Post | 4600 | |
| Inspector – Narcotics | 4600 | |
| Assistant – Other Ministries | 4200 | 49543 (X)
44636 (Y)
41804 (Z) |
| Divisional Accountant – Under C & AG | 4200 | |
| Junior Statistical Officer – Statistics | 4200 | |
| Statistical Investigator Grade II – Registrar General of India | 4200 | |
| Sub-Inspector – NIA | 4200 | |
| Auditor – Under CGDA | 2800 | 41526 (X)
37115 (Y)
34779 (Z) |
| Auditor – Under C & AG | 2800 | |
| Auditor – Under CGA & Others | 2800 | |
| Accountant/Jr. Accountant – Under C & AG | 2800 | |
| Accountant/Jr. Accountant – Under CGA & Others | 2800 | |
| Senior Secretariat Assistant/ UDC – Central govt. offices | 2400 | 36742 (X)
32627 (Y)
30587 (Z) |
| Tax Assistant – CBDT | 2400 | |
| Tax Assistant – CBIC | 2400 | |
| Sub-Inspector Central Bureau of Narcotics | 2400 | |
| Upper Division Clerks – Border road org. | 2400 | |
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SSC CGL Per Month Salary
The SSC CGL monthly salary for various posts are as follows:
| Pay Level | Grade Pay (Rs) | Basic Pay (Rs) | HRA % & Amount (Rs) | DA (17%) (Rs) | Travel Allowance (Rs) | Gross Salary Approx. (Rs) |
|---|
| | | | X (24%) | Y (16%) | Z (8%) | |
| Level 8 | 4,800 | 47,600 | 11,424 | 7,616 | 3,808 | 8,092 |
| Level 7 | 4,600 | 44,900 | 10,776 | 7,184 | 3,592 | 7,633 |
| Level 6 | 4,200 | 35,400 | 8,496 | 5,664 | 2,832 | 6,018 |
| Level 5 | 2,800 | 29,200 | 7,008 | 4,672 | 2,336 | 4,964 |
| Level 4 | 2,400 | 25,500 | 6,120 | 4,080 | 2,040 | 4,335 |
SSC CPO Salary
The SSC CPO Salary structure for the ASI and SI posts is explained below-
| Post | Pay Scale |
|---|
| Sub Inspectors in CAPF and Delhi Police | Level 6
INR 35, 400-1,12, 400/- per month+ Grade pay of INR 4,200 |
| Assistant Sub Inspectors in CISF | Level 5 INR 29,200 – 92,300/- per month + Grade pay of INR 2,800 |
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