SSC CGL 2025 FRTA Declared: First Round Tentative Allocation Out, Sliding Window Open Till April 10

The Staff Selection Commission Headquarters has officially declared the First Round Tentative Allocation (FRTA) for the Combined Graduate Level (CGL) Examination 2025 — a development lakhs of government job aspirants across India have been waiting for. This comes after the Tier-I result was announced on December 18, 2025, and the Tier-II computer-based examination was successfully conducted on January 18 and 19, 2026.

If you appeared for SSC CGL 2025 and are waiting to know your post allocation status, here is the complete breakdown of everything — cut-offs, eligibility criteria, sliding mechanism, and critical dates — explained in simple terms.

What Is FRTA in SSC CGL 2025? Why Does It Matter?

FRTA, or First Round Tentative Allocation, is the stage where the SSC provisionally allocates posts to qualified candidates based on their performance in Tier-II. The word "tentative" is crucial — this is not the final allocation. Candidates still have a chance to improve their post or category preference through a process called the sliding mechanism, which is now open.

The FRTA process this year was conducted in accordance with an official notice dated March 3, 2026, which introduced the sliding mechanism for the first time at this stage, allowing merit-based reallocation and better utilisation of available vacancies.

SSC CGL Tier-II 2025: Who Was Considered for FRTA?

Not all Tier-II candidates made it to the FRTA round. The eligibility filter was clear and strict.

Only those candidates who fulfilled both of the following conditions were considered for evaluation in Section-III (Computer Knowledge Test or CKT) and Section-IV (Data Entry Speed Test or DEST):

They had to have submitted their option-cum-preferences online within the given deadline. They must have cleared both Section-I and Section-II of Paper-I in Tier-II.

Candidates who failed to meet the cut-offs in either Section-I or Section-II were directly ineligible for CKT and DEST evaluation. This is an important point for candidates reviewing their results — if you did not clear both sections, your Section-III and Section-IV performance was not counted.

SSC CGL 2025 Tier-II Category-Wise Cut-Off Marks: Section-I and Section-II

Below are the official category-wise cut-off marks for Tier-II Section-I and Section-II. These are among the most searched figures right now, and here they are in full:

For the Unreserved (UR) category, the Section-I cut-off is 54 and Section-II cut-off is 63. OBC and EWS candidates needed 45 in Section-I and 53 in Section-II. SC and ST candidates had a Section-I cut-off of 36 and Section-II cut-off of 42. The same 36 and 42 cut-offs also apply to ESM, OH, HH, VH, and PWD-Others categories.

These figures are final and form the qualifying threshold for advancement to further evaluation stages.

Minimum Qualifying Marks: Paper-I and Paper-II

Beyond the section cut-offs, candidates were also required to meet overall minimum qualifying marks across Paper-I and Paper-II.

The minimum qualifying percentage in Section-I, Section-II, and Section-III (CKT) of Paper-I and Paper-II is as follows: UR category candidates must score at least 30%. OBC and EWS candidates require 25%. All remaining categories — SC, ST, ESM, OH, HH, VH, PWD-Others — require a minimum of 20%.

These percentage-based thresholds are designed to ensure a baseline standard while maintaining inclusivity for reserved categories.

SSC CGL 2025 CKT Cut-Off Marks (Section-III, Out of 60)

For posts requiring computer proficiency, candidates had to appear in Section-III, the Computer Knowledge Test. The CKT is scored out of 60 marks, and the following cut-offs applied:

UR candidates needed 24 marks. OBC and EWS required 21. SC, ST, ESM, OH, HH, VH, and PWD-Others all required 18 marks.

If you are in the UR category and scored below 24 in CKT, you would not qualify for computer-proficiency posts in this round.

SSC CGL 2025 DEST Cut-Off: Maximum Permissible Error Percentage (Section-IV)

The Data Entry Speed Test uses an error-percentage model rather than raw marks. Lower error percentage is better. The maximum permissible error rates are:

UR candidates can have a maximum of 5% errors. OBC, SC, ST, and EWS candidates are allowed up to 7% errors. ESM candidates are also permitted up to 7% errors. OH, HH, VH, and PWD-Others candidates are allowed up to 10% errors.

Exceeding these thresholds in DEST disqualifies a candidate from posts requiring data entry speed proficiency.

How Are FRTA Allocations Calculated? Post-Wise Evaluation Criteria

The SSC has used different combinations of Tier-II scores for different post categories. Here is how it works:

For Junior Statistical Officer (JSO), the allocation is based on performance in Tier-II Paper-I (Sections I and II combined) as well as Paper-II. For Statistical Investigator Grade II (SI), the same criteria apply — Paper-I Sections I and II and Paper-II. For all other posts, only Tier-II Paper-I performance in Sections I and II is considered.

This means that if you were aiming for JSO or SI, your Paper-II Statistical score played a decisive role in your tentative allocation.

107 Candidates' Results Withheld: What This Means

An important update that every candidate should be aware of: a total of 107 candidates have had their results withheld due to various undisclosed reasons. If you are one of these candidates, your FRTA status will remain in a holding state until the matter is resolved.

Additionally, all allocations are subject to the final outcome of the Supreme Court order in SLP (C) No. 7246/2026 and the Writ Petition WP (C) No. 1733/2026. Candidates are advised to monitor official SSC communications for any changes arising from these legal proceedings.

SSC CGL 2025 Sliding Mechanism: The Most Important Dates Right Now

The sliding mechanism is the most time-sensitive action item for candidates right now. Here is exactly what you need to do and when:

Step 1 — Online Slot Booking: Visit the official SSC website and select your preferred venue, date, and slot for sliding between April 8 and April 10, 2026. This window closes on April 10, so do not delay.

Step 2 — In-Person Sliding Process: Attend the sliding process physically at your designated regional office. For the Northern Region, the sliding window runs from April 13 to April 22, 2026. For all other regions, it runs from April 13 to April 18, 2026.

Critical Warning: Failure to attend the sliding process in person will result in exclusion from the final allocation. This is non-negotiable as per the official notice.

What Is the Sliding Mechanism and Why Was It Introduced?

The sliding mechanism is a merit-based reallocation system designed to serve three key objectives. First, it helps maximise the utilisation of available vacancies so that fewer posts remain unfilled. Second, it allows candidates who were tentatively allocated to lower-preference posts to potentially move to higher-preference posts if vacancies exist and their merit permits. Third, it ensures a fair, transparent, and dynamic allocation process.

This is the first time such a mechanism has been formally introduced at the FRTA stage for SSC CGL, making the 2025 cycle a landmark one in SSC history.

Final Answer Keys and Marks Availability

The SSC has confirmed that final answer keys for the Tier-II examination have been released after reviewing all representations submitted by candidates. Detailed marks of both selected and non-selected candidates will be uploaded on the official SSC website in due course.

Candidates are advised to download and save all relevant documents, mark sheets, and allocation notices from the SSC portal as they become available.