BSSC CGL 2026 Notification
4th Graduate Level Combined Competitive Examination
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BSSC's 4th Graduate Level Combined Competitive Examination (advertisement 05/25) was revised by the corrigendum of 21 November 2025 to 1,883 posts, including 1,406 Assistant Section Officer posts, from Pay Level-5 to Level-7. Graduates registered online from 18 August to 17 September 2025. Unusually, the preliminary exam is open-book.
BSSC CGL 2026 at a glance
- BSSC CGL 2026 status
- Form closed
- BSSC CGL 2026 last date
- 17 Sept 2025
- Total vacancies
- 1,883
- Age limit
- 21–37 (UR men); up to 42 (SC/ST), as on 1 Aug 2025
- Application fee
- General / BC / EBC (male, Bihar or outside): ₹540; SC / ST / PwD / Women (Bihar domicile): ₹135; All candidates residing outside Bihar: ₹540
- Qualification
- Graduate
BSSC CGL 2026 Important Dates
- Application started
- Fee payment window closed
- Prelims exam2026 (schedule via admit card)
BSSC CGL 2026 Application Fee
| General / BC / EBC (male, Bihar or outside) | ₹540 |
|---|---|
| SC / ST / PwD / Women (Bihar domicile) | ₹135 |
| All candidates residing outside Bihar | ₹540 |
BSSC CGL 2026 Age Limit as on 1 Aug 2025
| Age limit | 21–37 (UR men); up to 42 (SC/ST) |
|---|---|
| Relaxation: General / Unreserved — Female | Up to 40 years |
| Relaxation: BC / EBC (male & female) | Up to 40 years |
| Relaxation: SC / ST (male & female) | Up to 42 years |
| Relaxation: PwD (any category) | +10 years on top of category limit |
BSSC CGL 2026 Eligibility
- Assistant Section Officer and Planning Assistant: graduation from a recognised university. Other posts have subject conditions, for example a degree in Maths, Economics, Commerce or Statistics for Junior Statistical Assistant, and PGDCA/BCA/B.Sc (IT) or a listed B.Tech for Data Entry Operator.
- Age on 1 August 2025: minimum 21 for all; maximum 37 for unreserved men, 40 for unreserved women and for BC/EBC men and women, and 42 for SC/ST men and women.
- Persons with disabilities of all categories get 10 more years. Candidates who met the age limit on 1 August 2022 are also eligible.
- Reservation, including the 35% for women, is only for permanent residents of Bihar.
BSSC CGL 2026 Selection Process
- Preliminary exam (open-book): 150 objective questions in 2 hours 15 minutes, +4 for a correct answer and −1 for a wrong one. Held when more than 40,000 applications are received.
- Five times the vacancies in each category are shortlisted for the main exam.
- Main exam: a qualifying Hindi paper (30% needed before the main paper is evaluated) and a main paper on general studies, general science and maths, and mental ability.
- Merit list with category-wise minimum marks; ties go to the older candidate, then alphabetical order of name.
BSSC CGL 2026 Exam Pattern
| Stage | Subject | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preliminary exam (open-book) | General studies, general science & maths, mental ability | 150 | 600 | 2 h 15 min |
| Main exam | Hindi (qualifying, 30%) | – | – | – |
| Main exam | Main paper: general studies, general science & maths, mental ability | – | – | – |
BSSC CGL 2026 Vacancy Details
| Post | Qualification | Posts |
|---|---|---|
| Assistant Section Officer (ASO) and other Group C posts | Bachelor’s degree | 1,883 |
How to Apply for BSSC CGL 2026
- Register on bssc.bihar.gov.in and fill the online application for advertisement 05/25.
- Claim your reservation category in the form; if you don't claim it there, you can't get it later.
- Pay the fee online by credit/debit card, UPI or net banking: ₹540 for General/BC/EBC men and all candidates from outside Bihar, ₹135 for SC/ST and women of Bihar and for PwD candidates.
- Registration and fee payment ran from 18 August to 17 September 2025. The fee is non-refundable.
BSSC CGL 2026 Important Links
Update timeline
BSSC CGL 2026: Complete Details
BSSC CGL 4 posts after the corrigendum
Advertisement 05/25 originally listed 1,481 posts: 1,064 Assistant Section Officer, 88 Planning Assistant, 5 Junior Statistical Assistant, 1 Data Entry Operator Grade-C, and 125 plus 198 Auditor posts in two departments. A corrigendum dated 21 November 2025 added 342 Assistant Section Officer posts, bringing that post to 1,406, and put the revised total for the exam at 1,883. The corrigendum states that the rest of the advertisement stays unchanged.
Qualification and age limit
Most posts need only a graduate degree. Junior Statistical Assistant needs a degree in Maths, Economics, Commerce or Statistics, Data Entry Operator needs PGDCA, BCA or B.Sc (IT) or a listed computer B.Tech, and Auditor posts need a commerce or related degree. Age is counted on 1 August 2025: the minimum is 21, and the maximum is 37 for unreserved men, 40 for unreserved women and backward classes, and 42 for SC and ST, with 10 more years for PwD candidates.
Open-book prelims and exam pattern
The preliminary exam is a single general knowledge paper of 150 questions in 2 hours 15 minutes, with 4 marks for each correct answer and 1 mark lost for each wrong one. It is an open-book exam: you may bring three textbooks, one each for general studies, maths and general science, as long as they are board textbooks such as NCERT or BSEB. Notes, guides and photocopies are not allowed, and in case of a difference between the Hindi and English papers, the English version counts.
Mains and qualifying marks
Five times the vacancies in each category move on to the main exam, which is announced separately. It has a Hindi paper that you must pass with 30% before your main paper is marked, and a main paper on general studies, general science and maths, and mental ability. The minimum qualifying marks are 40% for unreserved, 36.5% for BC, 34% for EBC and 32% for SC/ST, women and PwD candidates.
Fee and reservation for Bihar residents
The fee was ₹540 for General, BC and EBC men and for every candidate from outside Bihar, and ₹135 for SC/ST candidates and women who are permanent residents of Bihar, and for PwD candidates. Reservation benefits, including 35% of posts for women, apply only to permanent residents of Bihar, who must upload caste and domicile certificates when applying for the main exam.
BSSC CGL 2026: Frequently Asked Questions
How many posts are there in BSSC CGL 4 (advertisement 05/25)?
1,883 after the corrigendum of 21 November 2025. The original advertisement had 1,481; Assistant Section Officer posts went up from 1,064 to 1,406.
Is the BSSC CGL prelims exam open-book?
Yes. You may take three textbooks into the exam, one each for general studies, maths and general science, and only NCERT, BSEB, ICSE or other board textbooks are allowed. Guides, notes and photocopies are not.
What is the BSSC CGL 4 prelims exam pattern?
One general knowledge paper of 150 objective questions in 2 hours 15 minutes, covering general studies, general science and maths, and mental ability. Each correct answer gets 4 marks and 1 mark is deducted for each wrong answer.
What is the BSSC CGL 4 age limit?
On 1 August 2025: 21 to 37 for unreserved men, 21 to 40 for unreserved women and BC/EBC candidates, and 21 to 42 for SC/ST candidates. PwD candidates get 10 more years.
What is the BSSC CGL 4 application fee?
₹540 for General, BC and EBC men and for all candidates from outside Bihar; ₹135 for SC/ST and women who are Bihar residents, and for PwD candidates of all categories.
What are the minimum qualifying marks in BSSC CGL?
40% for unreserved, 36.5% for BC, 34% for EBC, and 32% for SC/ST, women and PwD candidates, in both the prelims and the mains.
What is the salary for BSSC CGL posts?
Assistant Section Officer, Planning Assistant and Junior Statistical Assistant are at Pay Level-7, Data Entry Operator Grade-C at Level-6, and Auditor at Level-5.
How many candidates go to the BSSC CGL mains?
Five times the number of vacancies in each category, based on prelims marks. The main exam is announced in a separate advertisement.
Related exams
How we checked this
Checked by Chandra Prataplast checked
Every date, fee and number on this page was checked against the official BSSC notice before publishing. Editorial policy
Correction log (1)
- : Total vacancies corrected from
1481to 1883
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