🚔 SSC CPO 2026 - Central Police Organisations
SSC CPO 2026 Mock Tests, Syllabus and Exam Pattern
Staff Selection Commission - Central Police Organisations - the premier recruitment exam for Sub-Inspector posts in Delhi Police, BSF, CISF, CRPF, SSB, ITBP, and CAPF. Graduate-level exam with 4 selection stages including a Physical Standard Test, Physical Endurance Test, Medical Examination, and Paper II. Free mock tests, chapter-wise practice, PYQs, and expert strategy - all in one place.
4 Selection Stages
4,000+ Vacancies
Graduate Eligible
Free Mock Tests
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2026
Notification Expected
4,000+
Expected Vacancies
Rs.35,400+
Starting Basic Pay
20-25
Age Limit (Years)
📋 Table of Contents
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🎯 Practice Mock Tests - Chapter-wise and Subject-wise
Click any subject to see all chapters, or click directly on a chapter to start practicing
🔍 SSC CPO 2026 - At a Glance
Everything you need to know before you start preparing
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SSC CPO - The Fastest Graduate Route to a Police Officer Post
SSC CPO is the only SSC exam that directly recruits graduates as Sub-Inspectors - an officer-grade post in India's Central Police Organisations. At Pay Level 6 (Rs.35,400 Basic Pay), an SI earns significantly more than an SSC GD Constable and holds supervisory authority over constables. SI in Delhi Police is particularly prestigious - urban posting, no border duties, a structured career in one of India's most high-profile police forces, and a defined promotion path to Inspector, ACP, and beyond.
📊 Paper I - Computer Based Test (Stage 1)
Paper I is the first qualifying stage. Marks are used to shortlist candidates for PET and PST.
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Paper I - Objective CBT (2 Hours)
⚠️ Important: Paper I has no sectional time limit - all 200 questions share 2 hours. Negative marking is 0.25 marks per wrong answer. Paper I marks are used only for shortlisting to PET and PST - they are NOT added to the final merit list. Final merit is based entirely on Paper II marks.
🏃 Physical Endurance Test (PET) and Physical Standard Test (PST)
Stage 2 is qualifying only - no marks awarded. Failing any event eliminates you regardless of Paper I score.
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Physical Endurance Test (PET)
⚠️ SSC CPO PET is harder than SSC GD PET. Unlike SSC GD which only tests running, SSC CPO additionally tests Long Jump, High Jump, and Shot Put (for males). These field events require specific technique and practice - especially the Long Jump and High Jump which are not intuitive without training. Start field event practice well before the PET date.
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Physical Standard Test (PST) - Height, Weight and Chest
🏆 Paper II - English Language and Comprehension (Final Merit)
Paper II is conducted after Medical Examination. Your Paper II score alone determines your final rank and post allotment.
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Paper II - English Language and Comprehension (2 Hours)
✅ Paper II is the only merit paper. All 200 marks go directly into the final merit list. Paper I only shortlists you - it does not contribute to your rank. This makes SSC CPO unique among SSC exams - your entire written exam rank depends on how well you perform in English alone. A candidate with excellent English but average Paper I can rank far above a candidate with a high Paper I score but weak English.
💡 Paper II English topics include: Reading Comprehension (multiple passages), Cloze Test, Error Detection, Sentence Improvement, Active and Passive Voice, Direct and Indirect Speech, Fill in the Blanks, Para Jumbles, Synonyms and Antonyms, One Word Substitution, Idioms and Phrases, and Spelling Correction. The difficulty is higher than Paper I English - passages are longer and grammar questions are more nuanced.
🏥 Medical Examination Standards
Stage 3 - Conducted after PET and PST. SI level medical standards are stricter than GD Constable standards.
👁️ Eyesight Standards
- Distant Vision: 6/6 (better eye) and 6/9 (worse eye)
- Near Vision: N6 (better eye) and N9 (worse eye)
- Colour Vision: Normal - must distinguish red and green
- No squint permitted
- Glasses or contact lenses not permitted
- No night blindness
💪 Physical Fitness
- No deformity of limbs, chest, or spine
- No flat foot or knocked knees
- No varicose veins
- Good cardiovascular health
- No hernia, hydrocele, or piles
- Weight proportionate to height as per BMI norms
👂 Hearing and Speech
- Normal hearing in both ears without hearing aids
- No perforated eardrums or wax
- No stammer or speech defect
- Good mental health - no history of psychiatric illness
⚠️ Key Disqualifying Conditions
- Colour blindness (even partial)
- Myopia or hypermetropia requiring correction
- Flat feet or bow legs
- Any chronic disease or skin condition
- Tattoos on face, neck, or hands (check latest guidelines)
- Any communicable or infectious disease
💼 Posts, Organisations and Salary Details
SSC CPO recruits Sub-Inspectors across 7 organisations and ASI in CISF. Post allotment is based on merit, vacancy, and preference.
ℹ️ Gross salary for SI posts is Rs.55,000 - Rs.65,000+ per month including DA, HRA, risk allowance, and force-specific allowances. SI in Delhi Police additionally receives transport allowance and city compensatory allowance for Delhi posting. All posts include free ration or ration allowance, government accommodation or HRA, CGHS medical, and pension under NPS.
📚 SSC CPO Syllabus - Chapter-wise Topics
Paper I is graduate level - harder than SSC GD and SSC MTS. Paper II is an advanced English-only paper.
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General Intelligence and Reasoning
50 Questions - 50 Marks - Paper I
- Analogy - Semantic, Symbolic and Figural
- Classification - Word-based and Figure-based
- Series - Number, Letter and Figure
- Coding-Decoding
- Blood Relations
- Direction and Distance
- Venn Diagrams and Syllogism
- Non-verbal Reasoning - Mirror Images, Paper Folding, Embedded Figures
- Statement and Conclusions
- Seating Arrangement (basic)
- Puzzles and Data Sufficiency
💡 Pro Tip: CPO Reasoning is harder than GD Reasoning - includes Statement and Conclusions and basic Puzzles not found in GD. Non-verbal topics remain the quickest scoring area.
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General Knowledge and General Awareness
50 Questions - 50 Marks - Paper I
- History - Ancient, Medieval, Modern India
- Geography - India and World Physical Geography
- Polity - Constitution, Parliament, Judiciary, Fundamental Rights
- General Science - Physics, Chemistry, Biology (Class 10 level)
- Indian Economy - Key indicators, Budget, Schemes
- Defence and Security GK - Military exercises, Weapon systems, CAPF-specific facts
- Current Affairs - Last 6-9 months
- Awards, Appointments, Sports
- Static GK - Countries, Capitals, Important organisations
💡 Pro Tip: Like SSC GD, CPO GK has a strong defence and security bias. Build dedicated notes on military exercises, CAPF hierarchy, recent defence acquisitions, and internal security events - these questions appear consistently.
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Quantitative Aptitude
50 Questions - 50 Marks - Paper I
Arithmetic (Class 10)
- Percentage, Profit and Loss, Discount
- Ratio and Proportion, Partnership
- Time and Work, Pipes and Cisterns
- Simple and Compound Interest
- Speed, Distance and Time
- Average, Mixture and Alligation
- Number System, LCM and HCF
Geometry and Mensuration
- Basic Geometry - Triangles, Circles, Angles
- Mensuration - Area, Perimeter, Volume (2D and 3D)
- Basic Trigonometry - Ratios and simple applications
- Data Interpretation - Tables, Bar charts, Pie charts
💡 Pro Tip: CPO Math is harder than GD Math - includes Geometry, Mensuration, Trigonometry, and DI which are absent in GD. These topics need dedicated preparation of at least 3-4 weeks.
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English - Paper I and Paper II
🔥 50 Marks (Paper I) + 200 Marks (Paper II) - English is Everything
Paper I English (moderate level)
- Reading Comprehension
- Cloze Test
- Error Detection
- Synonyms and Antonyms
- One Word Substitution
- Idioms and Phrases
- Spelling Correction
Paper II English (advanced - merit paper)
- Multiple Reading Comprehension passages (longer, harder)
- Active and Passive Voice (advanced)
- Direct and Indirect Speech (advanced)
- Sentence Improvement and Correction
- Para Jumbles
- Fill in the Blanks (advanced vocabulary)
- Cloze Test (longer passages)
💡 Pro Tip: Paper II is 200 marks of pure English - this is the only merit paper. A candidate scoring 170/200 in Paper II will rank far above one scoring 140/200 regardless of their Paper I scores. English mastery is not optional in SSC CPO - it is the entire exam.
⚖️ SSC CPO vs SSC GD Constable - Key Differences
Both are SSC police force exams but at very different levels - SI is an officer post, GD is a constable post.
🎯 Our Recommendation: If you are a graduate, always target SSC CPO over SSC GD. The pay difference is Rs.13,700/month in basic pay alone - a lifetime difference of Rs.50+ lakh over a career. The CPO exam is harder (graduate level vs 10th level) and the PET is more demanding (4 events vs 1), but the career, authority, and salary are vastly superior. Graduates who apply for GD Constable alongside CPO should treat GD as a backup only - not a primary target.
📈 SSC CPO Previous Year Cut-off Marks
Paper I cut-offs for shortlisting to PET and Paper II final merit cut-offs
ℹ️ Paper I cut-offs are for shortlisting to PET only. Paper II cut-offs determine final selection. Cut-offs vary by organisation and state. Data is indicative - always refer to official SSC score cards for exact figures. Target 160+ in Paper I and 155+ in Paper II for a comfortable selection in General category.
💡 Expert Tips - Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
From our faculty who have trained thousands of SSC CPO successful candidates
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Paper II is the entire exam - treat English as your primary subject from Day 1 - SSC CPO has a unique structure where Paper I (200 marks across 4 subjects) is only used for shortlisting to PET and does not contribute to merit. Your final rank is based entirely on Paper II - 200 marks of English Language and Comprehension. Many candidates invest 80% of their preparation time in Paper I subjects (Reasoning, Quant, GK) and only 20% in English - then discover that they cleared Paper I comfortably but ranked poorly because of their Paper II score. Flip this ratio: 50% of your preparation time must go to English from the very first week.
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The PET has 4 events - Long Jump and High Jump need specific technique training - Unlike SSC GD where the PET is only a 5 km run, SSC CPO PET includes Long Jump (3.65 metres for males), High Jump (1.2 metres for males), and Shot Put (4.5 metres for males) in addition to the 5 km run. Long Jump and High Jump are technique-dependent events that cannot be cleared by fitness alone without practising the correct approach run, takeoff, and landing technique. Many physically fit candidates fail the Long Jump because they have never practised the technique before. Start field event training - specifically Long Jump and High Jump - at least 10-12 weeks before the expected PET date.
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SI in Delhi Police requires a valid LMV driving licence - get it before applying - The eligibility for Sub-Inspector in Delhi Police includes possession of a valid driving licence for Light Motor Vehicles (LMV) at the time of application. This is a hard requirement - candidates without an LMV licence cannot be selected for the Delhi Police SI post regardless of their exam performance. Many candidates discover this requirement only after they have already applied and are unable to change their preference. If you want Delhi Police SI - which is the most preferred CPO post - get your LMV driving licence well before the notification is released.
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Paper I Quant and Reasoning need graduate-level preparation - not just Class 10 content - SSC CPO Paper I Quantitative Aptitude includes Geometry, Mensuration, Trigonometry, and Data Interpretation that are not tested in SSC GD or SSC MTS. Similarly, Paper I Reasoning includes Statement and Conclusions and basic Puzzles beyond the simple non-verbal topics of GD. Candidates who prepare for CPO using GD or MTS-level practice material consistently underperform in Paper I Quant and Reasoning. Use SSC CHSL or SSC CGL Tier 1 level practice material for CPO Paper I preparation - the difficulty is closest to that level.
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Defence GK is disproportionately important in CPO - build it as a separate topic - SSC CPO GK has an even stronger defence and security bias than SSC GD, because the exam is specifically for police and paramilitary officer posts. Military exercises, CAPF hierarchy and command structure, border management policies, weapon systems inducted by the Indian military, internal security operations, and national security-related current affairs appear in nearly every CPO GK section. Standard current affairs capsules designed for banking or other SSC exams cover only 60-70% of CPO GK. Build a dedicated defence and security GK notebook and update it monthly with relevant news.
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Check eyesight before applying - uncorrected 6/6 vision is mandatory for SI posts - SI in CAPFs and Delhi Police requires uncorrected distant vision of 6/6 in the better eye - meaning candidates who wear glasses or contact lenses for any reason are likely to be medically disqualified. This is among the strictest vision requirements of any central government exam. Many graduates spend months preparing for SSC CPO without knowing about this requirement and are disqualified at the medical stage. Get a comprehensive eye examination before applying. If your uncorrected vision is borderline, consult an ophthalmologist about whether laser correction surgery (LASIK) done well before the medical examination would be accepted - policies on this vary and should be verified against the latest official notification.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions - SSC CPO 2026
Most searched questions about SSC CPO answered by our experts
SSC CPO Sub-Inspectors join at Pay Level 6 with a Basic Pay of Rs.35,400 per month. The gross salary including DA (currently 46%), HRA (8% to 27% depending on city), and Transport Allowance is approximately Rs.55,000 to Rs.65,000+ per month. Force-specific allowances add further - Risk Allowance for CRPF and BSF field postings, Border Allowance for SSB and ITBP border areas, High Altitude Allowance for ITBP Himalayan postings, and City Compensatory Allowance for Delhi Police postings. All SI posts include free ration or ration allowance, government accommodation or HRA, CGHS medical for self and family, NPS pension, and Group Insurance. The effective total compensation is significantly higher than the gross salary figure alone.
SSC CPO has a unique two-paper structure where Paper I serves only as a qualifying and shortlisting test. Paper I (200 marks across Reasoning, GK, Quant, and English) is used to determine which candidates are shortlisted for the PET and PST physical stages. After PET, PST, and Medical Examination, the remaining candidates appear for Paper II - a 200-mark English-only paper. Only Paper II marks are used to prepare the final merit list and determine post allotment. This structure was designed to ensure that SI-grade officers have strong English communication skills - a critical requirement for drafting FIRs, charge sheets, court documents, and official correspondence. A candidate with a high Paper I score but weak Paper II will rank lower than a candidate with a lower Paper I score but strong Paper II.
Yes - SSC CPO is open to female candidates for specific posts. Female candidates can apply for Sub-Inspector posts in CAPF organisations (BSF, CISF, CRPF, SSB, ITBP). SI post in Delhi Police has historically been male-only for certain roles, but check the latest notification for current female vacancy details. Female PET standards are different - 1.6 km run instead of 5 km, 2.70 metres Long Jump instead of 3.65 metres, and 0.9 metres High Jump instead of 1.2 metres. Height requirement for female General/OBC/SC candidates is 157 cm. The written exam (Paper I and Paper II) is identical for both genders with no separate cut-offs in the merit stage.
SSC CPO Sub-Inspectors have an officer-grade promotion ladder within their respective force. The typical progression is: Sub-Inspector (SI) - Inspector - Deputy Superintendent (DSP) - Assistant Commandant - Deputy Commandant - Commandant - Inspector General - Director General. Promotions at each stage are based on performance appraisals, departmental exams, and seniority. In Delhi Police specifically, the progression from SI to Inspector and then to ACP (Assistant Commissioner of Police) is well-defined. CPO SIs can also apply for the UPSC CAPF exam (Assistant Commandant examination) while in service to get a direct commission as a Gazetted Officer at a higher level - this is a popular career advancement route for service members.
SSC CPO has no official attempt limit. You can appear every time a notification is released as long as you are within the age limit of 20-25 years for General category (up to 28 years for OBC, up to 30 years for SC/ST). SSC CPO notifications are released roughly once a year or once in 1.5 years. The complete selection cycle from notification to final joining takes approximately 12-18 months due to the multiple stages (Paper I, PET, Medical, Paper II). Given that the age window is only 5 years for General category (20-25), candidates should start preparing from their 3rd year of graduation and appear in every cycle without skipping.
SSC CPO and SSC CGL are different in nature rather than one being clearly harder. In terms of written exam difficulty, SSC CPO Paper I is broadly comparable to SSC CGL Tier 1 in difficulty level for most subjects. The key differences are: SSC CPO has an additional Paper II (200 marks English-only merit paper) while SSC CGL has a Tier 2 with 390 marks across multiple subjects; SSC CPO has the physical stages (PET and PST) which SSC CGL does not have at all; SSC CGL offers officer-grade desk jobs while SSC CPO offers police officer field posts. Candidates who are physically fit and want a police career should target CPO; candidates who prefer administrative desk roles should target CGL. Both can be prepared simultaneously with approximately 80% syllabus overlap in the written components.
The most preferred post among SSC CPO candidates is Sub-Inspector in Delhi Police - it is the only CAPF/police SI post with an exclusively urban posting (Delhi), a well-defined and fast promotion track, and the prestige of serving in one of India's most high-profile and visible police forces. Additionally, Delhi posting comes with city-specific allowances. However, Delhi Police SI requires a valid LMV driving licence - candidates without one cannot apply. Among the CAPF SI posts, CISF is most preferred for its urban-heavy posting profile (airports, metro, PSUs). BSF and ITBP offer the highest total compensation through border and altitude allowances but involve remote postings. Rank your preferences based on your priority - urban lifestyle vs maximum pay vs field career experience.
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Written and Reviewed by Our SSC and Police Exam Expert Faculty
SSC CPO and CAPF Exam Specialist | 12+ Years SSC and Government Exam Coaching Experience
This page has been prepared by our senior SSC and police exam faculty with over a decade of experience coaching SSC CPO aspirants. Our faculty has guided thousands of students who have cleared SSC CPO to become Sub-Inspectors in Delhi Police, BSF, CISF, CRPF, ITBP, and SSB. All exam pattern tables, syllabus breakdowns, PET and PST standards, and selection process details are verified against official SSC and CAPF notifications and updated for the 2026 cycle.
✅ SSC CPO Specialist ✅ Delhi Police and CAPF Expert ✅ 15,000+ Students Trained
SSC CPO 2026 - Complete Guide: Eligibility, Paper I and Paper II Pattern, PET and PST Standards, Syllabus and Free Mock Tests
The SSC CPO (Central Police Organisations) exam 2026 is conducted by the Staff Selection Commission to recruit Sub-Inspectors in Delhi Police, BSF, CISF, CRPF, SSB, ITBP, and CAPF, and Assistant Sub-Inspectors in CISF. With 4,000+ vacancies and a starting Basic Pay of Rs.35,400 per month (Pay Level 6), SSC CPO is the fastest graduate route to an officer-grade police post in India's central security forces. Unlike SSC GD which recruits at the constable level, SSC CPO directly recruits supervisory Sub-Inspectors - making it one of the most career-rewarding exams for graduates who want a police and security force career.
The SSC CPO selection process has 4 stages: Paper I (Computer Based Test - 200 questions, 200 marks, 2 hours, covering Reasoning, GK, Quantitative Aptitude, and English - used only for shortlisting, NOT counted in merit), Physical Endurance Test and Physical Standard Test (qualifying - includes 5 km run, Long Jump, High Jump, and Shot Put for males), Medical Examination (eyesight, physical fitness, hearing standards), and Paper II (Computer Based Test - 200 questions, 200 marks, 2 hours of English Language and Comprehension only - this is the SOLE merit paper that determines final rank and post allotment).
Our free SSC CPO mock tests cover all 5 subject areas - General Intelligence and Reasoning (Analogy, Classification, Coding-Decoding, Non-verbal Reasoning, Statement and Conclusions), General Knowledge and General Awareness (History, Geography, Polity, Science, Defence GK, Current Affairs), Quantitative Aptitude (Arithmetic, Geometry, Mensuration, Trigonometry, DI), English Comprehension (RC, Cloze Test, Error Detection, Synonyms, One Word Substitution), and General Studies - with chapter-wise tests, full-length Paper I and Paper II timed mock tests, and detailed solutions - at zero cost, with no login required.