SSC CPO Eligibility Criteria 2026, Check Educational, Age Limit, Physical Details

The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) has released the SSC CPO 2026 Notification for the recruitment of Sub-Inspectors in Delhi Police, Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), and Sub-Inspector (Fire) in CISF. Candidates planning to apply for the examination must carefully check the SSC CPO Eligibility Criteria 2026 before submitting the application form.

The eligibility requirements include age limit, educational qualification, nationality, physical standards, physical endurance, and driving licence requirements. To check the complete eligibility criteria, candidates can refer to this article.

SSC CPO Eligibility Criteria 2026

The SSC CPO 2026 online application process has started on September 10, 2026, and eligible candidates can submit their applications up to September 30, 2026. Candidates who do not fulfil the prescribed eligibility conditions at any stage of the recruitment may have their candidature cancelled.

Eligibility Criteria Requirements Include;

Nationality
Educational Qualification
Age Limit
Physical Standards
Physical Endurance
Driving Licence Requirements

Nationality

A candidate must satisfy the nationality conditions prescribed by SSC.

A candidate must be:

A citizen of India, or
A subject of Nepal, or
A subject of Bhutan.

Candidates who are subjects of Nepal or Bhutan may be required to produce an eligibility certificate issued by the Government of India.

Candidates requiring such a certificate may be allowed to appear in the examination, but appointment will be offered only after the required eligibility certificate has been issued.

SSC CPO Educational Qualification 2026

Educational qualification is one of the most important conditions under SSC CPO eligibility. The required qualification differs slightly depending on the post.

Educational Qualification for SI in Delhi Police and SI (GD) in CAPFs

Candidates applying for Sub-Inspector in Delhi Police or Sub-Inspector (GD) in CAPFs must have a Bachelor’s degree from a recognised university or an equivalent qualification.

The degree can be in any discipline unless a specific qualification is mentioned for a particular post.

Candidates who are appearing in their final year of graduation may also apply, provided they acquire the required educational qualification by the closing date of the online application.

Educational Qualification for SI (Fire) in CISF

For the Sub-Inspector (Fire) in CISF post, candidates need to fulfil the specific educational requirement.

Candidates must have either:

A Bachelor’s Degree in Science with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics as subjects, or
Matriculation/10th qualification along with a 3-year Diploma in Mechanical, Civil, Electrical, Automobile, Chemical, Mining, Aeronautical or Telecommunication Engineering, or an equivalent qualification.

SSC CPO Age Limit 2026 (As on 01/08/2026)

The SSC CPO age limit 2026 differs for different posts. The cutoff date to calculate the age limit is 1st August 2026.

For all SSC CPO posts except SI Fire in CISF, the age limit is:

Minimum Age Limit – 20 years
Maximum Age Limit – 25 years
Candidates must have been born no earlier than August 2, 2001, and not later than August 1, 2006.

For SI Fire in CISF, the age limit is:

Minimum Age Limit – 18 years
Maximum Age Limit – 30 years

Age Relexation

Category	Age Relaxation
SC/ST	5 years
OBC	3 years
Ex-servicemen (ESM)	3 years after deduction of the military service rendered from the actual age as on the closing date.
Widows, divorced women and women judicially separated from their husbands and who are not remarried.	Up to 35 years of age
Widows, divorced women and women judicially separated from their husbands and who are not re-married. (SC/ ST)	Up to 40 years of age
Departmental candidates (Unreserved) who have rendered not less than 3 years of regular and continuous service as on closing date	Up to 30 years of age
Departmental candidates (OBC) who have rendered not less than 3 years of regular and continuous service as on closing date.	Up to 33 years of age
Departmental candidates (SC/ ST) who have rendered not less than 3 years of regular and continuous service as on closing date.	Up to 35 years of age

SSC CPO Physical Standard Test (PST) 2026

Height and Chest Requirements for Male Candidates

Category	Minimum Height	Chest – Unexpanded	Chest – Expanded
General/OBC/SC/EWS	170 cm	80 cm	85 cm
Candidates from specified hill/North-Eastern areas	165 cm	80 cm	85 cm
ST candidates	162.5 cm	77 cm	82 cm

Height Requirement for Female Candidates

Category	Minimum Height
General/OBC/SC/EWS	157 cm
Candidates from specified hill/North-Eastern areas	155 cm
ST candidates	154 cm

SSC CPO Physical Endurance Test (PET) 2026

Candidates who qualify the PST are required to qualify the PET.

PET for Male Candidates

Event	Standard
100 metres race	16 seconds
1.6 km race	6 minutes 30 seconds
Long Jump	3.65 metres in 3 chances
High Jump	1.2 metres in 3 chances
Shot Put (16 lbs)	4.5 metres in 3 chances

PET for Female Candidates

Event	Standard
100 metres race	18 seconds
800 metres race	4 minutes
Long Jump	2.7 metres in 3 chances
High Jump	0.9 metres in 3 chances

Driving Licence Requirement for SSC CPO 2026

The driving licence requirement is particularly important for candidates applying for Sub-Inspector (Executive) in Delhi Police – Male.

A male candidate applying for SI in Delhi Police must possess a valid Driving Licence for Light Motor Vehicle (LMV), covering motorcycle and car, by the date prescribed for the Physical Endurance and Measurement Test.

The driving licence requirement does not apply to: