If you take one thing from this article, take this: the SSC GD race for men is 5 kilometres, not 1.6. A great many candidates arrive at the ground having trained for a short run, and they are eliminated in the first fifteen minutes of the stage they worked hardest for.
There are also no jump events in SSC GD. Long jump and high jump belong to Army GD and Agniveer recruitment. If you have been practising jumps for this exam, that time belongs in your running instead.
Physical Efficiency Test (PET) — the race
| Category | Requirement | Pace needed |
|---|---|---|
| Male (general) | 5 km in 24 minutes | 4:48 per km |
| Female (general) | 1.6 km in 8½ minutes | 5:19 per km |
| Male (Ladakh region) | 1.6 km in 7 minutes | 4:23 per km |
| Female (Ladakh region) | 800 m in 4 minutes | 5:00 per km |
Look at the pace column rather than the distance. 4:48 per kilometre is not a sprint — it is a firm, controlled pace held without a break for twenty-four minutes. That is an endurance quality, and endurance is built over months, not weeks.
It is also the single most trainable thing in this entire recruitment. Almost anyone who starts early enough gets there.
Physical Standard Test (PST) — the measurements
| Measure | Male (general) | Female (general) |
|---|---|---|
| Height | 170 cm | 157 cm |
| Chest, unexpanded | 80 cm | — |
| Chest, minimum expansion | +5 cm (to 85 cm) | — |
Relaxations apply for ST candidates and for candidates from specified hill and tribal regions. The exact figures are set out in the official notification for each cycle — check the notification for the year you are applying in, because relaxations are the one thing that varies.
Height cannot be trained. Chest expansion can: it responds to consistent aerobic work and strength training.
The PET is qualifying only
Finishing in 19 minutes earns you no more than finishing in 23:50. Your rank comes entirely from your written CBT score.
So the goal is not to be fast — it is to be certainly inside the cut-off, on a bad day, on unfamiliar ground, with nerves. Train for a comfortable margin, not a personal best.
Find your baseline before you plan
You cannot plan without a number. Warm up properly, run your target distance as steadily as you can, and record the time honestly.
| Your 5 km time (men) | What it means |
|---|---|
| Cannot yet run 5 km without walking | Build the distance first; ignore the clock |
| Over 32 minutes | You need a full 12-week base |
| 28–32 minutes | About 8 weeks out |
| 25–28 minutes | You need speed work, not more distance |
| Under 24 minutes | You are there — hold it and study |
Two rules that will save your selection
- Never increase your weekly running distance by more than about 10%. Almost every stress fracture and case of shin splints in recruitment training comes from doing too much too soon.
- Pain that changes how you run is a stop signal. Soreness is fine. Sharp or one-sided pain is not. A week off now is cheaper than missing the PET entirely.
If you have a heart or respiratory condition, a recent injury, or you have been completely sedentary, get medical clearance before starting. You will face a detailed medical examination at the end of this process anyway.