Group A, B, C and D Posts in Central Government: What the Groups Mean
14 Oct 2026
- Salary
- Career Growth
Quick answer
Every central government civil post belongs to Group A, B or C, decided by its level in the 7th CPC pay matrix under a 2018 order. This guide sets out the classification, what happened to Group D, why "gazetted" is a separate question, and how one examination can recruit to posts in different groups.
Notices and pay tables keep calling posts "Group A", "Group B" or "Group C", and candidates read the group as a rank or a type of exam. It is neither. A post's group is set by its level in the pay matrix, under a single government order, and it changes only when that order or the pay structure changes. Once you know the rule, the group of any central post can be read off its pay level.
To see which recruitments are open to you, start from 10th pass, 12th pass or graduate jobs.
The Rule: Group by Pay Level
The current classification is a Department of Personnel and Training order, S.O. 3964(E) of 9 August 2018, made under Article 309 of the Constitution and rule 6 of the Central Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1965. It classifies "all civil posts under the Union" as follows:
| Post carrying pay in the Pay Matrix at | Group |
|---|---|
| Level 10 to 18 | Group A |
| Level 6 to 9 | Group B |
| Level 1 to 5 | Group C |
"Level" means the level in the pay matrix of the Central Civil Services (Revised Pay) Rules, 2016 — the 7th Pay Commission structure. So the group follows the pay: a post at Level 7 is Group B, a post at Level 5 is Group C. The order replaced an identical table of November 2017, and before that a 2009 classification that worked the same way on the 6th CPC's grade pays.
What the Groups Mean in Practice
DoPT's own description of the civil service puts the groups in order of responsibility. Group A posts "carry higher administrative and executive responsibilities and include senior management positions", the middle and junior levels of Group A together with Group B "constitute middle management", and Group C posts "perform supervisory as well as operative tasks and render clerical assistances".
That is a description, not a rule. The rule is the pay level.
There Is No Group D Any More
Group D was the fourth group until the 6th Pay Commission. A 2010 DoPT memorandum records the change: "The 6th CPC recommended that all Group 'D' posts in the Government will stand upgraded to Group 'C', Pay Band-I with Grade Pay of Rs.1800, along with the incumbents", with "no further recruitment in Group 'D'". The same memorandum let departments adopt the designation Multi-Tasking Staff for common categories of former Group D posts, and says such posts "are classified as Group 'C'".
The current order has no Group D at all. A "Group D" vacancy advertised today in the central government is a Group C post — the RRB Group D recruitment keeps the old name for its Level 1 posts. State governments classify their own posts under their own service rules, and the groups there need not match the central ones.
Gazetted Is a Separate Question
Whether a post is gazetted is not decided by its group. DoPT's guidelines for recruitment rules list "Whether Gazetted or Non-Gazetted" as its own item, set for each post, and Group B contains both. DoPT's model recruitment rules for library posts show it: the Library & Information Assistant is "Group B … Non-Gazetted", while the Assistant Library & Information Officer, one step up, is "Group B … Gazetted".
Read the post's own entry for its status rather than inferring it from the group.
One Examination, Several Groups
Because the group follows the post's pay level, one examination can recruit to several groups at once. SSC's Combined Graduate Level Examination 2026 notice lists:
| Post | Pay level | Classification in the notice |
|---|---|---|
| Assistant Audit Officer | Level 8 | Group "B" Gazetted (Non-Ministerial) |
| Assistant Section Officer, Central Secretariat Service | Level 7 | Group "B" |
| Auditor, Offices under C&AG | Level 5 | Group "C" |
The same exam, the same applicants, three different classifications — decided by the post you are allotted, not by the exam you sat. UPSC's Civil Services Examination recruits mainly to the All India Services and Group 'A' services, with a few Group 'B' services such as DANICS and DANIPS; SSC's Junior Engineer posts are all "Group 'B' in Level-6". The salary calculator shows what each level pays.
What Changes With the Group
For a candidate, the group is mainly a way of reading a post's level and seniority at a glance. It does not change your eligibility to apply. What decides whether you can apply is the post's own qualification, age and other conditions; see the eligibility guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is a central government post's group decided?
By its level in the 7th CPC pay matrix. Under DoPT's order S.O. 3964(E) of 9 August 2018, Levels 10 to 18 are Group A, Levels 6 to 9 Group B and Levels 1 to 5 Group C.
Do Group D posts still exist?
Not in the central government. Following the 6th Pay Commission, Group D posts were upgraded to Group C, with no further recruitment in Group D, and many were redesignated Multi-Tasking Staff. Some recruitments still use the old name for posts that are now Group C.
Are all Group B posts gazetted?
No. Gazetted status is set for each post in its recruitment rules, and Group B has both gazetted and non-gazetted posts. SSC's Assistant Audit Officer is Group B gazetted; many other Group B posts are non-gazetted.
Is SSC CGL a Group B or Group C exam?
Both. The CGL 2026 notice recruits to Group B posts at Levels 6 to 8 and Group C posts at lower levels, and the post you are allotted decides your group.
Do state government posts follow the same groups?
Not necessarily. States classify their own posts under their own service rules.
In Summary
A central government post's group is its pay level, read through one order: Level 10 and above is Group A, Levels 6 to 9 Group B, Levels 1 to 5 Group C. Group D was merged into Group C after the 6th Pay Commission. Gazetted status is a separate question settled post by post, and a single examination can recruit to more than one group. Read the group off the post, not the exam.
Sources
- DoPT Order S.O. 3964(E), 9 August 2018, F. No. 11012/10/2016-Estt.A-III — classification of civil posts (Gazette of India Extraordinary, Part II, Section 3(ii))
- DoPT OM No. 11012/10/2016-Estt.A-III, 8 December 2017, enclosing S.O. 3578(E) of 9 November 2017
- DoPT Order S.O. 946(E), 9 April 2009 — classification by 6th CPC grade pay
- DoPT OM No. AB-14017/6/2009-Estt (RR), 30 April 2010 — model recruitment rules for pre-revised Group 'D' posts and the Multi-Tasking Staff designation
- DoPT OM No. AB-14017/54/2005-Estt (RR), 28 March 2013 — model recruitment rules for library posts
- DoPT OM No. AB.14017/48/2010-Estt.(RR), 31 December 2010 — guidelines for framing recruitment rules
- DoPT, "Classification of Central Government Posts"
- Staff Selection Commission, Combined Graduate Level Examination 2026 notice — para 2, details of the posts
- UPSC, Civil Services Examination Notice No. 05/2026-CSE — the services recruited
- Staff Selection Commission, Junior Engineer Examination 2026 notice