SSC GD Constable Complete Guide: Eligibility, Pattern & Salary

SSC GD Constable is one of the largest recruitments in India, hiring General Duty Constables into the country's central armed police forces. It needs only a 10th-pass qualification, which is why it draws lakhs of applicants every cycle.

This guide covers the forces it recruits for, who can apply, the exam and physical tests, the salary and how selection works. Vacancy numbers, the age cut-off and physical standards change with each notification, so always confirm against the official SSC notification on ssc.gov.in.

Which forces does SSC GD recruit for?

SSC conducts the GD Constable exam to fill General Duty Constable, Rifleman and Sepoy posts across:

• BSF, CRPF, CISF, ITBP and SSB (the Central Armed Police Forces).
• Assam Rifles, the Secretariat Security Force (SSF) and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).

Eligibility and age limit

• Education: a 10th (matriculation) pass from a recognised board. A degree is not required.
• Age: generally 18–23 years, with the exact cut-off set in each notification.
• Age relaxation: typically +3 years for OBC, +5 for SC/ST, and more for other reserved categories.

Exam pattern

The written stage is a single computer-based test (CBT):

• 80 questions, 160 marks, 60 minutes, with a penalty of 0.25 mark per wrong answer.
• Sections: General Intelligence & Reasoning, General Knowledge & Awareness, Elementary Mathematics, and English/Hindi.

Physical test (PET/PST)

Candidates who clear the CBT take the Physical Efficiency Test (PET) and Physical Standard Test (PST), which are qualifying:

• PET (running): commonly a 5 km run in 24 minutes for men and a 1.6 km run in 8.5 minutes for women (some regions differ).
• PST (physical standards): minimum height and chest (for men) measurements, relaxed for hill-area and tribal candidates.
• A detailed medical examination follows.

Salary

SSC GD Constable is a Pay Level 3 post (basic pay around ₹21,700, in the band ₹21,700–₹69,100). With Dearness Allowance, House Rent Allowance and other allowances, in-hand pay is commonly around ₹30,000–₹37,000 depending on the force and posting, along with the benefits of a uniformed central job.

Selection process

1. Computer Based Test (CBT)
2. Physical Efficiency Test (PET) and Physical Standard Test (PST)
3. Detailed Medical Examination
4. Document Verification