SSC CPO Recruitment 2026: Staff Selection Commission for Sub-Inspector posts

The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) has announced the SSC CPO 2026 Recruitment for Sub-Inspector posts in Delhi Police, Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), and Sub-Inspector (Fire) in the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). The recruitment notification was issued on September 10, 2026. Applications can be submitted from September 10 to September 30, 2026, up to 11:00 PM. The notification lists 1,871 tentative vacancies.

The recruitment includes different posts with different eligibility conditions. In particular, candidates should not assume that the requirements for the regular Delhi Police or CAPF Sub-Inspector posts automatically apply to the newly introduced CISF Sub-Inspector (Fire) post.

Sarkari Janseva

SSC CPO 2026: Vacancies and Posts

The 2026 recruitment covers Sub-Inspector (Executive) in Delhi Police, Sub-Inspector (GD) in CAPFs and Sub-Inspector (Fire) in CISF. The vacancy figures are tentative and may be revised by SSC.

Post	Male	Female	Total
Sub-Inspector (Executive), Delhi Police	205	112	317
Sub-Inspector (GD), CAPFs	1,173	147	1,320
Sub-Inspector (Fire), CISF	234	—	234
Total	1,612	259	1,871

The CAPF vacancies are spread across CRPF, BSF, ITBP, CISF and SSB. The force allocation is subject to the vacancy position communicated by the respective authorities and SSC.

SSC CPO 2026: Important Dates

Recruitment Event	Date
Notification released	September 10, 2026
Online application begins	September 10, 2026
Last date to submit application	September 30, 2026, up to 11:00 PM
Last date for online fee payment	October 1, 2026, up to 11:00 PM
Application correction window	October 8 to October 10, 2026
Computer-Based Examination	To be announced

The application deadline and fee-payment deadline are separate. Candidates who are required to pay the application fee should ensure that the payment is completed within the prescribed period.

SSC has scheduled a correction facility from October 8 to October 10, 2026. The date of the Computer-Based Examination will be announced separately.

SSC CPO 2026: Educational Qualification

For the Sub-Inspector (Executive) in Delhi Police and Sub-Inspector (GD) in CAPFs, candidates are required to have a bachelor’s degree from a recognised university or an equivalent qualification, subject to the conditions specified in the notification.

The educational requirement for Sub-Inspector (Fire) in CISF is different. Candidates applying for this post must satisfy the specific science or technical qualification prescribed in the notification. A general graduation degree should therefore not be assumed to be sufficient for the Fire post.

Candidates whose degree is still being completed should also check the prescribed qualification date and documentary requirements. Being enrolled in a degree course does not by itself establish eligibility.

SSC CPO 2026: Age Limit

For the regular Delhi Police and CAPF Sub-Inspector posts, the prescribed age range is generally 20 to 25 years as on August 1, 2026, with applicable relaxations for eligible categories.

The CISF Sub-Inspector (Fire) post has a separate age requirement, with the prescribed range extending from 18 to 30 years as on August 1, 2026. Candidates should apply the age condition applicable to their selected post rather than using one age limit for the entire CPO recruitment.

Age relaxation is available to eligible categories according to the rules stated in the recruitment notification.

SSC CPO 2026: Delhi Police Driving Licence Requirement

Male candidates who apply for the Sub-Inspector (Executive) post in Delhi Police must meet the prescribed driving licence requirement. The candidate is required to possess a valid driving licence for both a motorcycle and a motor car at the relevant stage of the recruitment process.

This condition is specific to the Delhi Police SI post. Therefore, candidates interested only in CAPF Sub-Inspector posts should distinguish this requirement from the general eligibility conditions.

SSC CPO 2026: Revised Exam Pattern

The 2026 examination pattern contains important changes that candidates should consider while preparing. Paper-I consists of 100 questions carrying 100 marks and covers four sections.

Paper	Sections	Questions	Marks	Duration
Paper-I	General Intelligence and Reasoning, General Knowledge and General Awareness, Quantitative Aptitude, English Comprehension	100	100	1 hour
Paper-II	General Intelligence and Reasoning, General Knowledge and General Awareness, Quantitative Aptitude, English Comprehension	160	320	1 hour

Paper-I contains 25 questions in each of its four sections. The examination uses sectional timing, meaning candidates must manage their time within the prescribed period for each section.

Paper-II places substantial weight on English Comprehension. Candidates should therefore prepare according to the 2026 pattern instead of relying entirely on the structure used in earlier CPO examinations.

SSC CPO 2026: Selection Process

The selection process involves more than the written examination. Candidates have to progress through the stages prescribed by SSC and the concerned forces.

• Paper-I Computer-Based Examination
• Physical Standard Test (PST)
• Physical Endurance Test (PET)
• Paper-II Computer-Based Examination
• Medical examination
• Document verification

The physical requirements vary according to the applicable post and category. Candidates preparing for CPO should therefore combine written-examination preparation with the physical standards and endurance requirements applicable to their chosen post.

SSC CPO 2026: Application Fee

The prescribed application fee is ₹100 for candidates who are required to pay it.

Women candidates, candidates belonging to Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) categories, and eligible Ex-Servicemen are exempt from payment of the application fee according to the recruitment conditions.

Applicants who are not exempt should complete the online payment within the separate fee-payment deadline. Completing the application form without completing a required fee payment does not by itself complete the application process.

SSC CPO 2026: How to Apply

Eligible candidates can apply through the official SSC application system. Before beginning the application, candidates should keep their personal, educational and category-related information available so that the form can be completed accurately.

• Visit the official SSC website and access the CPO 2026 recruitment application.
• Complete the required registration or login process.
• Enter personal and educational details according to the prescribed documents.
• Select the relevant post and preferences where applicable.
• Upload the required information or documents in the prescribed format.
• Pay the application fee if applicable.
• Submit the application before the September 30, 2026 deadline.
• Save a copy of the submitted application and payment record for future use.

SSC CPO 2026: What Candidates Should Check First

The most useful check before applying is whether the candidate actually meets the conditions of the particular post selected. A bachelor’s degree may satisfy the educational requirement for the regular SI posts, but the CISF Fire post has its own qualification requirements.

Similarly, the Delhi Police SI post has a driving licence condition for male candidates. Age requirements also differ between the regular SI posts and CISF SI (Fire).

Candidates should also pay attention to the revised examination pattern. Preparation based solely on an older CPO syllabus or timing arrangement may leave candidates unprepared for the sectional structure introduced for the 2026 examination.

SSC CPO 2026: Official Recruitment Information

The Staff Selection Commission is the primary authority for the recruitment notification, application process, examination schedule and subsequent updates. Candidates should rely on SSC notices for any later changes to vacancies, examination dates, eligibility conditions or other recruitment arrangements.

The official SSC website can be accessed here: SSC official website.

For regional notices, candidates may also refer to the relevant SSC regional website and its notice section.

SSC CPO 2026: What Happens Next

For eligible applicants, the immediate deadline is September 30, 2026, at 11:00 PM. After the application stage, SSC has scheduled a correction window from October 8 to October 10. The Computer-Based Examination date will be announced later.

With the 2026 recruitment introducing a different examination structure and adding the CISF Sub-Inspector (Fire) post, candidates should base their application and preparation on the current notification rather than assumptions from previous CPO recruitment cycles. The key decision is to establish post-specific eligibility first and then prepare for the written and physical stages that follow.