SSC CPO 2026 final exam checklist: admit card, documents, reporting time
Every year some candidates are turned away from SSC exam centres not for lack of preparation but for a missing document or a late arrival. Use this checklist in the days before your SSC CPO Paper I, proposed for 23 to 28 November 2026 in SSC's corrigendum of 26 October 2026. The rules below are from SSC's notice of 10 September 2026; your admit card may add more, and what it says applies to you.
Two to three days before: the admit card
- Download the admit card from the SSC website. The notice says it will be available 2 to 3 days before the exam. For a 23 November shift, expect it around 20 or 21 November.
- Check your name, photograph, date of birth, roll number, exam date, shift and centre address.
- Note the reporting time printed on it.
- Note any other document the admit card asks you to bring.
- Print it. The notice says you must bring a printout to the exam hall.
The night before: pack these
- Printed admit card.
- Original valid photo ID with your date of birth, exactly as on the admit card. The notice accepts, among others: Voter ID, driving licence, PAN card, passport, university or college ID card, a government or PSU employer ID card, an ex-serviceman discharge book, or another photo ID issued by the Central or State Government.
- If your photo ID has no date of birth, an additional original document that proves it, such as your Class 10 certificate or a board marksheet, birth certificate or category certificate. A mismatch in date of birth means you will not be allowed to sit the exam.
- Two recent passport-size colour photographs, which the notice requires from candidates who have not completed Aadhaar-based authentication.
- Any certificate the admit card names.
Things not to carry
- Mobile phone, smartwatch, Bluetooth earphones or any electronic device. SSC's notice treats possessing such a device in the exam hall as misconduct, with debarment of 3 to 5 years.
- Calculators, notes, books or papers, unless the admit card allows them.
Do not count on being able to leave a phone at the centre. It is safest to leave it at home or with someone who comes with you.
On the morning
- Leave early. Candidates who have not done Aadhaar-based authentication must report two hours before the start of the exam, as the notice says.
- Eat a normal meal and carry water if allowed.
- Read your one-page notes if you like; do not learn anything new.
In the hall
- Check that your name and photo on the screen are correct before you start.
- Remember the pattern: four parts of 25 questions, 15 minutes each, +1 / −0.25. See the exam-day strategy.
- Use the rough sheet given to you for directions, family trees and calculations.
After the exam
- Note your shift and date. SSC will place tentative answer keys on its website; you can see your responses and challenge a key online, at ₹50 per question, within the time allowed.
- Keep running. If you clear Paper I, the PET and PST come next.
- Male candidates aiming for Delhi Police: make sure you will hold a valid motorcycle and car (LMV) driving licence by the date of the physical test.
Still have time?
If you are reading this a week or more before your exam, sit a full SSC CPO mock test under the real timers and follow the last 7 days plan.
Frequently asked questions
Which ID proof is valid for SSC CPO 2026?
An original photo ID with your date of birth as printed on the admit card, such as a Voter ID, driving licence, PAN card, passport, college ID or government-issued photo ID. The full list is in the notice and on your admit card.
Is a photocopy of the ID allowed?
The notice asks for an original valid photo ID. Carry the original.
What is the reporting time for SSC CPO?
It is on your admit card. Candidates who have not completed Aadhaar-based authentication must report two hours before the exam starts.
Can I take a phone into the SSC CPO exam?
No. Possessing a mobile phone or any electronic device in the exam hall is treated as misconduct and can lead to debarment for 3 to 5 years.