Big changes in SSC CGL 2025; From single-shift exams to enhanced supervision

The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) has rolled out a series of reforms for the Combined Graduate Level (CGL) examination scheduled in September 2025. In an interaction with Navbharat Times, SSC Chairman S. Gopalakrishnan said the changes were designed to address persistent issues such as technical glitches, long travel to exam centres, and delays in Aadhaar-based verification.

The upcoming exam will see significant improvements in transparency, convenience, and fairness for lakhs of aspirants across the country.

Key Reforms in SSC CGL 2025

Single-Shift Examination: Unlike previous years when the exam was held in multiple shifts with varying question papers, the 2025 CGL exam will be conducted in a single shift. This step aims to give all candidates an equal and uniform test experience.

Nearby Exam Centres: To reduce the hardship of long-distance travel, candidates will now be allotted exam centres within a 100 km radius of their registered address. Currently, about 80% of aspirants get nearby centres; the Commission aims to raise this to more than 90% in future exams.

Fair Scoring Through Normalisation: SSC is adopting a shift-wise normalisation system to ensure fair scoring in cases where question papers differ in difficulty levels across shifts.

Vendor-Based Exam Management:

• For smoother administration, SSC has distributed responsibilities among four vendors:
• One for managing exam centres
• One for security arrangements
• One for handling online applications
• One for preparing question papers
• Question paper creation will be directly monitored by SSC to maintain quality and consistency.

Mandatory Aadhaar Verification: Aadhaar-based verification will now be compulsory for all candidates to strengthen identity checks and eliminate delays.

Why It Matters

These reforms are expected to resolve long-standing issues that candidates faced in earlier exams, such as malfunctioning devices, server problems, and centre mismanagement. The Commission believes the new measures will create a more transparent and candidate-friendly recruitment process.