Eligibility is the one part of SSC GD that has no strategy to it — you either meet the criteria on the cut-off date or you do not. It is worth checking carefully before you spend months preparing.
Educational qualification
You must have passed Class 10 (Matriculation) from a recognised board. That is the whole requirement. There is no graduation requirement, and a higher qualification gives you no advantage in selection — your rank comes from the written exam alone.
Age limit
The age limit is 18 to 23 years for the general category, calculated as on the cut-off date given in the notification (1 January 2026 for the 2026 cycle).
| Category | Age relaxation | Effective upper limit |
|---|---|---|
| General / EWS | — | 23 |
| OBC | 3 years | 26 |
| SC / ST | 5 years | 28 |
Further relaxations apply to ex-servicemen, candidates from specified regions, and other categories defined in the notification. Always verify against the official document for the cycle you are applying in — this is the section that changes most often.
Nationality
You must be a citizen of India. Candidates from Nepal, Bhutan and certain other categories may be eligible subject to the conditions set out in the notification.
Physical standards you must also meet
Meeting the age and education criteria is not enough — you must also clear the Physical Standard Test.
| Measure | Male (general) | Female (general) |
|---|---|---|
| Height | 170 cm | 157 cm |
| Chest, unexpanded | 80 cm | — |
| Chest, minimum expansion | +5 cm | — |
And the Physical Efficiency Test: 5 km in 24 minutes for men, 1.6 km in 8½ minutes for women. Relaxed standards apply in the Ladakh region and for certain hill and tribal categories.
Height cannot be trained, so if you are close to the minimum it is worth getting measured properly before committing to a preparation cycle.
Medical fitness
The final stage is a detailed medical examination covering vision, hearing, and general fitness, including checks for conditions such as knock knees, flat feet and colour blindness. If you have any doubt about your medical fitness, it is far better to find out early than after clearing two stages.
What to do next
If you meet the criteria, the useful next step is a written-exam diagnostic rather than more reading about eligibility. Your rank is decided entirely by the CBT, so the sooner you find out where you stand on the four sections, the better you can plan.