SSC CGL 2026 Tier-1 answer key out: challenge window 4 to 7 Nov, Rs 50 per question

The SSC CGL 2026 Tier-I tentative answer key and candidates’ response sheets are now on ssc.gov.in. In a notice dated 4 November 2026, the Commission says you can challenge answers online from 9:00 PM on 4 November to 9:00 PM on 7 November 2026, and each question or answer you challenge costs Rs 50. Tier-I ran from 30 September to 28 October 2026 across the country. Challenges after the deadline, or sent in any other way, will not be entertained under any circumstances. Save your response sheet before the links close, because the Commission will not provide it again.

What has SSC released for CGL 2026 Tier-I?

The Staff Selection Commission has uploaded the candidates’ response sheets along with the tentative answer keys of the Combined Graduate Level Examination, 2026 (Tier-I). The notice is dated 4 November 2026. Tier-I was conducted by the Commission from 30 September 2026 to 28 October 2026 at centres across the country.

These are tentative keys. That means they can change after the Commission looks at the challenges. The notice itself describes the keys as tentative and does not announce a final key date.

How can you see your response sheet and answer key?

Go to the official website, ssc.gov.in, and log in with your registration number and password during the period given in the notice. You will find your response sheet and the tentative answer key there.

Take a printout or save a copy. The notice states that the response sheets and tentative answer keys will not be available after the specified time limit, and that individual requests for them will not be entertained later.

What is the challenge window and the fee?

Item	Detail in the notice
Challenge opens	4 November 2026, 9:00 PM
Challenge closes	7 November 2026, 9:00 PM
Fee	Rs 50 per question or answer challenged
Mode	Online only

The notice says representations received after 9:00 PM on 7 November 2026 will not be entertained under any circumstances, and that challenges submitted in any other mode will also be rejected. So do not email or post your objections.

How do you file a challenge step by step?

1. Log in at ssc.gov.in with your registration number and password.
2. Open your response sheet and compare it with the tentative answer key.
3. Open the challenge module and select the questions where you think the key is wrong.
4. Pay Rs 50 for each question you challenge and submit before the deadline.
5. Keep the confirmation for your records.

The notice also asks candidates to read the Challenge/Objection Management System guidelines issued on 10 April 2026, which are on the SSC website. Those guidelines are not part of this notice, so check them before you pay.

Why does the question order look different in the challenge module?

Many candidates will notice that the questions or options appear in a different order from what they saw in the exam. The notice explains why. In the challenge module, the sequence of questions and answers is the same for all candidates who appeared in a particular shift, whereas during the exam these sequences were different for different candidates.

The notice adds that the answers you selected in the exam are reflected exactly in the challenge module. So do not worry if option positions have changed. Match the content of the option, not its position.

Can you share or keep the question paper?

You can save the question paper, but the notice says it is strictly for personal use and self-analysis only. An undertaking to this effect is shown in the Challenge Management portal when you log in.

So do not post the question paper or response sheet on social media or coaching groups as an official document. Use it to check your own answers and decide which challenges are worth Rs 50 each.

Is it worth challenging an answer?

The notice does not say what happens to the fee if a challenge is accepted. It also does not describe how the Commission reviews challenges. So the decision is yours. A practical approach is to challenge only where you can back your answer with a textbook, an NCERT page or another standard source, because every challenged question costs Rs 50 and the fee is charged per question.

Count your total before you pay. For example, five challenged questions would mean Rs 250 under the stated rate.

What does the notice not say?

The notice does not state:

• the date of the Tier-I result or the final answer key;
• the cut-off marks or the number of candidates who appeared;
• the schedule of Tier-II;
• the number of vacancies;
• what happens to the Rs 50 fee if a challenge is accepted;
• how the Commission examines the challenges.

For updates, use only ssc.gov.in.