SSC CGL 2026 Answer Key (Tier-I)

From official Staff Selection Commission (SSC), Government of India notices · last checked 8 October 2026

Not released yet

SSC has not released the CGL 2026 Tier-I answer key yet (checked 9 October 2026). Tier-I runs from 30 September to 30 October 2026. The CGL 2026 notice says tentative answer keys are put up after the exam, with an online window to challenge them. Last year the CGL 2025 key came on 16 October 2025, 2 days after that cycle's last exam (a re-exam on 14 October). We update this page as soon as SSC publishes the notice.

ssc.gov.in ↗

How to check the answer key and your response sheet

  1. Go to ssc.gov.in and click Login. Enter your Registration Number, your SSC password and the captcha.
  2. Under "My Applications", click "Answer Key Challenge", then "Click Here". This opens your own response sheet on the exam agency's portal.
  3. Read the colours: green = you chose the right answer, red = you chose a wrong answer, yellow = the correct answer, grey = you did not attempt it.
  4. Count your right and wrong answers in each section and enter them in the score calculator below.
  5. To challenge an answer, click "Click Here to Challenge Question", choose the complaint type, explain why (you can attach a scanned image), then "Proceed to Pay". A challenge counts only after payment, and only online challenges are accepted.
  6. Save or print your response sheet. SSC removes it when the window closes and does not accept individual requests after that.
  7. Note: in the challenge module the order of questions and options can differ from your exam. Your own answers are shown exactly as you marked them.

Calculate your score from the answer key

Count your right and wrong answers per section from the response sheet, enter them below, and compare with last year's official cut-off.

SectionRightWrongScore
General Intelligence and Reasoning
25 Q · +2 / -0.5
0
General Awareness
25 Q · +2 / -0.5
0
Quantitative Aptitude
25 Q · +2 / -0.5
0
English Comprehension
25 Q · +2 / -0.5
0
Your score
0 / 200
Attempted
0
100 left
Accuracy
—
Compare with the 2025 official cut-off (Tier-I – List-3 (all posts except JSO and Statistical Investigator Gr-II)):

Cut-off: 136.40215

Cut-offs change every year with difficulty and vacancies — treat last year's as a guide, not a promise. Official cut-off marks out of 200 (normalized). Tier-I was held from 12 to 26 September 2025, with a re-exam on 14 October 2025. Values are the corrected figures from the SSC corrigendum of 14 January 2026. They replace some figures in the result of 18 December 2025.

Tier-I has 100 questions for 200 marks, and 0.50 mark is cut for each wrong answer (CGL 2026 notice, para 13.8). This gives your raw score. SSC normalizes marks across shifts, so your official score may be different.

When was the answer key released in past years?

From SSC's own notices — a guide to when this year's key may come.

CycleExam heldKey releasedObjection windowFee
CGL 2025 ↗12–26 Sep 2025 (+ re-exam 14 Oct 2025)16 Oct 2025 (9 pm)16 Oct (9 pm) to 21 Oct 2025 (11 am), extended from 19 Oct₹50 per question
CGL 2024 ↗9–26 Sep 20243 Oct 2024 (6 pm)3 Oct (6 pm) to 8 Oct 2024 (6 pm), extended from 6 Oct₹100 per question

Frequently asked questions

When will the SSC CGL 2026 Tier-I answer key be released?

SSC has not announced a date. Its notice only says the tentative keys come after the exam, and Tier-I ends on 30 October 2026. In past cycles the key came 7 days after the last exam day (CGL 2024: exam ended 26 September, key on 3 October) and 2 days after the last exam day (CGL 2025: re-exam on 14 October, key on 16 October).

How do I download the SSC CGL answer key? Is there a PDF?

There is no public answer key PDF. Each candidate sees their own response sheet with the correct answers after logging in on ssc.gov.in with their Registration Number and password, then My Applications → Answer Key Challenge. Print or save it, because it is removed when the challenge window closes.

What is the fee to challenge an answer?

The CGL 2026 notice prints ₹100 per question. But since 22 August 2025 SSC has charged ₹50 per question until it builds a refund system, and its latest answer key notice (23 September 2026) also charges ₹50. The CGL 2026 answer key notice will confirm the fee. The fee is paid online and is non-refundable.

How long is the objection window?

About 3 days at first, and SSC extended it in both recent cycles: CGL 2025 ran from 16 October (9 pm) to 21 October 2025 (11 am), and CGL 2024 from 3 October (6 pm) to 8 October 2024 (6 pm). Don't wait for the last day.

What happens if my challenge is correct?

Under SSC's challenge guidelines of 10 April 2026, a question that is ambiguous or out of syllabus is dropped and its marks are given to everyone. If more than one option is correct, everyone who chose a correct option gets full marks. SSC then uses the final keys to evaluate all candidates.

Will my score from the answer key match my official score?

Not exactly. The answer key gives your raw score. Tier-I is held in many shifts, so SSC normalizes the marks (equipercentile method) and uses the normalized marks to shortlist for Tier-II. Your official score can be higher or lower than your raw score.

When do the final answer key and the result come?

SSC uploads the final key after the result. For CGL 2025 the Tier-I result came on 18 December 2025 and the final key on 9 January 2026. For CGL 2024 the result came on 5 December 2024 and the final key on 19 December 2024. No date has been announced for CGL 2026 yet.

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