SSC CPO PET PST Syllabus
SSC CPO has the most demanding physical stage of any Staff Selection Commission examination. Five events for men, four for women, and every one of them has to be cleared.
The stage sits between the two written papers. Clear Paper 1, then the physical tests, then Paper 2. A candidate who fails a single event does not sit Paper 2 at all, whatever Paper 1 produced.
Physical Efficiency Test
Event | Male candidates | Female candidates |
100 metre race | 16 seconds | 18 seconds |
Long race | 1.6 kilometres in 6.5 minutes | 800 metres in 4 minutes |
Long jump | 3.65 metres in 3 chances | 2.7 metres in 3 chances |
High jump | 1.2 metres in 3 chances | 0.9 metres in 3 chances |
Shot put, 16 pounds | 4.5 metres in 3 chances | Not applicable |
Every event is qualifying and no event carries marks into the merit list.
The two runs are the events candidates train for. The jumps and the shot put are the events that fail them, because almost nobody practises a technical field event and three chances is not many to learn one in.
Long jump in particular deserves attention. Three point six five metres is not a distance, it is a technique, and a candidate with the fitness but not the take off will foul all three attempts.
Physical Standard Test
Height
Category | Male | Female |
General standard | 170 cm | 157 cm |
Candidates from hill communities and specified regions | 165 cm | 155 cm |
Scheduled Tribe candidates | 162.5 cm | 150 cm |
Chest, male candidates only
Measurement | Requirement |
Unexpanded | 80 cm |
Minimum expansion | 5 cm |
Weight is recorded as proportionate to height and age. The full relaxation table, including the communities and regions eligible for the reduced height standards, is annexed to the notification, and relaxations are applied only against a valid category certificate.
Detailed medical examination
The medical examination follows Paper 2. It covers distant and near vision without correction, colour vision and conditions including knock knee, flat foot, squint and varicose veins, along with general physical fitness.
Candidates found unfit are usually offered a review medical examination. The window for applying is short and the procedure is set out in the medical result notice, so read that notice the day it appears.
How to train for the CPO physical stage
Start the moment you decide to apply, not after the Paper 1 result. The gap between the result and the physical test is measured in weeks, and technique in the jumps takes months.
Split your training. Sprint work for the 100 metres, tempo running for the 1.6 kilometres, then separate technical sessions for long jump, high jump and shot put. Those are three different physical demands and training only the runs leaves three events uncovered.
Practise the field events on a proper pit and a proper circle if you can find one. Learning a take off on grass and then meeting sand on test day costs attempts you do not have.
Get your height and chest measured properly and early. Candidates who are borderline on height gain nothing from finding out at the centre, and those who are borderline on chest expansion can usually improve it with a few months of consistent training.
Frequently asked questions
How many events are in the SSC CPO PET?
Five for male candidates and four for female candidates, all qualifying.
What is the running standard in SSC CPO?
100 metres in 16 seconds and 1.6 kilometres in 6.5 minutes for men. 100 metres in 18 seconds and 800 metres in 4 minutes for women.
What is the minimum height for SSC CPO Sub Inspector?
170 cm for male candidates and 157 cm for female candidates in the general standard, with relaxations for specified communities and regions.
Does the PET carry marks?
No. The PET, the PST and the medical examination are all qualifying, and merit comes from Paper 1 and Paper 2.
What happens if I fail the PET?
The candidature ends there, and you do not appear for Paper 2.
Physical standards, event requirements and relaxations on this page follow the scheme of examination in the latest SSC CPO notification published on ssc.gov.in.