SSC CGL 2026 Tier-1 provisional answer key released; objections can be filed until 7 November

The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) has released the provisional answer key and candidates' response sheets for the Combined Graduate Level Examination 2026 (CGL Tier-1). The Commission issued an official notification regarding this on 4 November 2026. Candidates who appeared for this examination can now view their response sheets and the provisional answer key by visiting the Commission's official website, ssc.gov.in. To access this information, candidates will need to log in to the portal using their registration number and password.

According to a report by Business Standard, this provisional key for CGL Tier-1 is now available on the official website, allowing candidates to compare their answers with the provisional answer key. This process will help candidates estimate their potential scores. The SSC conducted this Tier-1 examination at various examination centres across the country. According to an NDTV report, the examination was held between 30 September and 28 October 2026.

If any candidate is not satisfied with any answer in the answer key released by the Commission, they can raise an objection against it. The Commission has set a deadline for filing objections. Candidates will be able to lodge their objections online starting from 9 AM on 4 November 2026 until 9 PM on 7 November 2026. As per an Amar Ujala report, candidates will have to pay a fee of ₹50 to raise an objection on each question or answer.

The Commission has clearly instructed that no objections received after 9 PM on 7 November 2026 will be considered under any circumstances. Additionally, objections sent through any medium other than the designated online portal will not be accepted. Therefore, all candidates are advised to submit their objections within the prescribed time limit.

The Commission has also issued some important directions regarding the process of filing objections to the answer key. According to the Commission, the sequence of questions and their options in the objection module may differ from the sequence seen during the actual examination. This is because the sequence of questions and answers in the objection module will be kept uniform for all candidates included in a single shift of the examination, whereas the sequence of questions may vary for different candidates in the actual examination.

However, the Commission has assured candidates that the answers they selected during the examination will appear exactly as they were in the objection module. Therefore, candidates should focus on their selected answers rather than the sequence of questions. Detailed guidelines regarding this process have also been released. The Commission has advised candidates to carefully read the instructions provided in the notification issued on 10 April 2026.

SSC further clarified in its notification that once the prescribed time limit expires, candidates will not be provided with the response sheet and provisional answer key. No individual requests made to obtain the response sheet or answer key after the deadline will be considered by the Commission. Candidates should log in and download the PDF of their response sheet and answer key before the portal closes.

The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) is a central recruiting agency under the Government of India, which recruits staff for Group 'B' and 'C' posts in various government ministries and departments.