Your first government exam form: what to set up, and in what order

The steps, in order

1. 1

   Set up a phone number and an email that belong to you

   Have ready: A SIM in your own name or a family number you will keep, and an email inbox you can open on your phone.

   Both are checked by OTP. SSC says any message it sends goes to that number and that email "only", and it uses them to recover your password and Registration Number. A cyber cafe's email or a friend's phone locks you out of your own application later. (Annexure-III para 6(k)-(m), p.61; Important Instructions (p), p.52)

2. 2

   Make one folder for the form

   Have ready: Your Class 10 certificate, a clear photo of your signature on white paper, and a recent passport-size photo.

   Put the scans and the cropped files in one folder on the phone or computer you will apply from. Read your notice for the exact sizes: JEE Main 2026, for example, wanted the photo as a JPG of 10 to 200 KB, the signature at 10 to 100 KB and the Class 10 certificate as a PDF of 50 to 300 KB. SSC takes the photo live on the form and wants the signature at 10 to 20 KB. (JEE bulletin p.4; para 9.6, p.18)

   Resize the photo to your exam's size →
3. 3

   Register on the exam body's own website

   Have ready: The Class 10 certificate open in front of you, and a pen to write down the number you get.

   SSC calls this One-Time Registration and gives you a Registration Number; NTA gives you an Application Number and asks you to set a password and a security question. Write the number on paper the moment it appears. NTA asks you to quote it in every message you send them. (Annexure-III para 6(m), p.61; JEE bulletin pp.4-5)

4. 4

   Choose a password you can keep

   Have ready: A password of 8 to 13 characters with a capital letter, a small letter, a number and a symbol (NTA's rule).

   Don't share it, and log out when you finish. NTA says neither it nor NIC is responsible if someone misuses your password. You can reset it later through the security question, an SMS code to your registered mobile, or a link sent to your registered email. (JEE bulletin p.5)

5. 5

   Fill the form slowly, then read the preview

   Have ready: The Class 10 certificate next to the screen.

   Before you submit, check every field through the Preview or Print option, and check that the photo and signature meet the notice's rules. Details you give are checked against original documents later, and if anything turns out wrong, SSC says your candidature is "rejected forthwith". (para 9.11-9.12, p.19)

6. 6

   Pay the fee, then check that it reached them

   Have ready: UPI, net banking or a debit card, with enough balance.

   On SSC, open the "Payment Status" link in your login. If the fee hasn't reached SSC, the form shows as "Incomplete" and is summarily rejected. On NTA, the Confirmation Page appears only after the fee is received. If it doesn't appear, NTA treats the transaction as cancelled: ask your bank for the refund and pay again. NTA refunds double payments after the final result. (para 10.5, p.20; JEE bulletin pp.3, 5)

7. 7

   Save the printout or the Confirmation Page

   Have ready: A folder on your phone and a printer, or a shop that can print an A4 page.

   SSC accepts a submitted form "Provisionally" and may ask for the printout after the computer-based exam. NTA asks you to keep hard and soft copies of the Confirmation Page, admit card and scorecard, because they are taken off the site after a date. SSC asks you to keep the form and exam documents for at least 3 years. (Important Instructions (h), p.50; Annexure-IV para 31, p.74; JEE bulletin p.29; para 9.11, p.19)

8. 8

   Use the correction window only for real mistakes

   Have ready: The printout, with every wrong field marked.

   In SSC CGL 2026 the window ran for 3 days after the closing date. You could correct the form twice: ₹200 the first time and ₹500 the second, for every candidate whatever the category. The newest corrected form replaces the earlier one. After the window, nothing can be changed, and letters or emails asking for changes are rejected. (para 11.1-11.4, 11.7, 11.9, pp.20-21)

Why not the last day

Nobody will remind you

How first forms go wrong

Every line below comes from SSC's or NTA's own rules.

• ✕Two forms for one exam. SSC rejects every application when it finds more than one under different registration numbers, and NTA treats it as unfair means, even if it finds out later. (Important Instructions (j), pp.50-51; JEE bulletin p.3)
• ✕The fee never reached them. An unpaid SSC form stays "Incomplete" and is summarily rejected; requests to pay after the deadline are not taken. (para 10.5, p.20)
• ✕A detail that doesn't match your documents. Everything is checked against the originals at document verification, and a wrong entry gets the candidature rejected. (para 9.12, p.19)
• ✕A phone or email you can no longer open. SSC won't change them later, and they are how you get your password and Registration Number back. (Important Instructions (p), p.52; Annexure-III para 6(k)-(l), p.61)
• ✕Expecting a refund. SSC doesn't refund the fee or the correction charge, and won't move it to another exam. (para 10.6, p.20; para 11.6, p.21)

SSC and NTA do some things differently

Frequently asked questions

Can I use my father's or a friend's mobile number for a government exam form?

It works on the day, but it causes trouble later. SSC sends every message to the number you give, uses it to recover your password and Registration Number, and won't accept a request to change it later (CGL 2026 notice, Annexure-III para 6(k), p.61; Important Instructions (p), p.52). Use a number you will still have when the results come out.

I paid the fee but the form still shows "Incomplete". What now?

On SSC, open the "Payment Status" link in your login; an unpaid form is rejected if the fee doesn't reach SSC before the fee deadline (CGL 2026 notice, para 10.5, p.20). On NTA, if no Confirmation Page appears, the transaction counts as cancelled: ask your bank for the refund and pay again. NTA refunds double payments after the final result (JEE Main 2026 bulletin, p.5).

Can I fill the form again if I made a mistake?

Not as a second form. Two forms for one exam get all your applications rejected (SSC) or treated as unfair means (NTA). Wait for the correction window instead. In SSC CGL 2026 it ran for 3 days after the closing date, with ₹200 for the first correction and ₹500 for the second (paras 11.1-11.4, p.20).

Do I need to send the printout of my application by post?

Not usually. SSC says the printout is "normally" not to be sent, but you must keep it and may be asked for it after the computer-based exam (CGL 2026 notice, Important Instructions (h), p.50; Annexure-IV para 31, p.74).

Will the exam body refund my fee if I can't take the exam?

Not at SSC. The fee "shall not be refunded under any circumstances" and isn't moved to another exam (CGL 2026 notice, para 10.6, p.20).

How long should I keep my application form?

SSC advises at least 3 years, together with documents such as your marks and answer sheet (CGL 2026 notice, para 9.11, p.19).

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