SSC CPO syllabus 2026: Paper I and Paper II topics, new pattern and marks
The SSC CPO exam (Sub-Inspector in Delhi Police and the Central Armed Police Forces) has two computer-based papers with the same four subjects: General Intelligence and Reasoning, General Knowledge and General Awareness, Quantitative Aptitude, and English Comprehension. What changed in 2026 is the size of Paper I: now 100 questions in 1 hour, 25 per subject, with a 15-minute timer for each part. Paper II then tests the same subjects at a higher level, with English worth 200 of its 320 marks. Paper I of the 2026 exam is proposed for 20 to 28 November 2026. The facts below are from SSC's notice of 10 September 2026 and its notice of 1 October 2026, checked on 26 October 2026.
SSC CPO exam pattern 2026
Paper I (shortlists for the physical tests)
| Part | Subject | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | General Intelligence and Reasoning | 25 | 25 | 15 minutes |
| II | General Knowledge and General Awareness | 25 | 25 | 15 minutes |
| III | Quantitative Aptitude | 25 | 25 | 15 minutes |
| IV | English Comprehension | 25 | 25 | 15 minutes |
| Total | 100 | 100 | 1 hour |
Each question carries 1 mark; a wrong answer costs 0.25. Earlier years' Paper I was 200 questions in 2 hours, so old papers are longer than the 2026 one.
Paper II (decides the merit)
| Subject | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Intelligence and Reasoning | 20 | 40 | 20 minutes |
| General Knowledge and General Awareness | 20 | 40 | 20 minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 20 | 40 | 20 minutes |
| English Comprehension | 100 | 200 | 1 hour |
| Total | 160 | 320 | 2 hours |
Each question carries 2 marks; a wrong answer costs 0.50. Questions are in Hindi and English, except English Comprehension, which is in English. Final selection is on Paper II marks (with NCC bonus marks where applicable) and your preference of posts.
SSC CPO syllabus, subject by subject
General Intelligence and Reasoning
- Analogy and classification
- Number and letter series
- Coding-decoding
- Blood relations and directions
- Syllogism, statements and Venn diagrams
- Order, ranking and arrangement
- Mathematical operations and missing numbers
- Figure-based questions: mirror images, paper folding, embedded figures
General Knowledge and General Awareness
- History and culture
- Geography
- Polity and the Constitution
- Economy
- General science
- Current events and static general knowledge
Quantitative Aptitude
- Number system and simplification
- Percentage, profit and loss, discount, interest
- Ratio, average, mixture and partnership
- Time and work, time and distance
- Algebra
- Geometry and mensuration
- Trigonometry, heights and distances
- Data interpretation: tables, bar diagrams, pie charts
English Comprehension
- Error spotting and sentence improvement
- Fill in the blanks
- Synonyms and antonyms
- Idioms, one-word substitution and spelling
- Cloze passage
- Reading comprehension
In Paper II, the first three subjects are tested "as in Paper I, at a higher level of difficulty", and English adds grammar and sentence structure, sentence completion, and phrases and idioms across 100 questions.
What the new Paper I means for your preparation
- 15 minutes per subject, no borrowing. With a sectional timer, you cannot spend spare Reasoning minutes on Quant. 25 questions in 15 minutes is 36 seconds each.
- Every subject must be at least decent. Paper I has minimum qualifying marks (30% for UR, 25% for OBC and EWS, 20% for others), and a weak section has no time from another to make it up.
- English matters twice. It is a quarter of Paper I and 200 of 320 marks in Paper II. If one subject deserves daily time from now, it is English.
- Old papers are still useful for questions, but practise them in 15-minute blocks of 25 questions, not as 2-hour papers.
A plan for the weeks before 20 November 2026
- This week: take a full SSC CPO Paper I mock test under the four 15-minute timers and note which part ran out of time.
- Every day until the exam: one 15-minute block of 25 questions in your weakest part, one in English, and 20 minutes of current affairs.
- Twice a week: a full one-hour mock, followed by an analysis of the mock part by part.
- Alongside: start running. The PST/PET follows the Paper I result; for men it includes 100 m in 16 seconds and 1.6 km in 6.5 minutes, for women 100 m in 18 seconds and 800 m in 4 minutes.
With a 0.25 penalty, a guess between two options you could not separate is worth taking; our article on negative marking explains when.
Useful links
- SSC CPO 2026: exam date, eligibility and how to apply
- SSC CPO syllabus page
- Free SSC CPO mock tests
- SSC CPO exam dates
- SSC official website
Frequently asked questions
What is the SSC CPO syllabus?
Four subjects in both papers: General Intelligence and Reasoning, General Knowledge and General Awareness, Quantitative Aptitude, and English Comprehension. Paper II tests the first three at a higher level and has 100 English questions.
What is the new SSC CPO Paper I pattern?
From 2026, Paper I is 100 questions in 1 hour: 25 in each of the four subjects, with a 15-minute timer per part. Each question is 1 mark and a wrong answer costs 0.25.
When is SSC CPO Paper I 2026?
SSC's notice of 1 October 2026 proposes 20 to 28 November 2026. Your date and shift will be on your admit card.
Is there negative marking in SSC CPO?
Yes: 0.25 for a wrong answer in Paper I and 0.50 in Paper II.
Are Paper I marks counted in the SSC CPO final merit?
No. Paper I shortlists candidates for the physical tests. Final selection is on Paper II marks and your preference of posts.