Pariksha SaathiSSC CHSL 2026: exam pattern, marks, negative marking, age limit and cut-off
Every figure on this page is copied from an official document linked next to it, with the date we last checked it. Pattern, age limit and dates are from the CHSL 2026 notification; cut-offs are from the official result write-ups of earlier years. Last verified: 15 October 2026.
At a glance
- Selection stages
- Tier-I (Computer Based Examination) → Tier-II (Computer Based Examination)
- First stage: Questions / Marks / Time
- 100 / 200 / 60 min
- Negative marking
- 0.50 mark is deducted for each wrong answer.
- Tentative vacancies
- 2,536 (as on 7 September 2026)
Current affairs free every morning: today's PDF (in Hindi) · on Telegram
Weekly live mock: Sunday, 8 November 2026, 10:00–12:00 IST · 50 questions in 60 minutes, one paper for everyone · Sit it in the Android app →
Exam pattern
Tier-I (Computer Based Examination)
Applies to: All posts
Tier-I
| Section | Questions | Marks each | Marks | Time (min) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language (Basic Knowledge) | 25 | 2 | 50 | 15 |
| General Intelligence | 25 | 2 | 50 | 15 |
| Quantitative Aptitude (Basic Arithmetic Skill) | 25 | 2 | 50 | 15 |
| General Awareness | 25 | 2 | 50 | 15 |
| Total | 100 | 200 | 60 |
Time allowed: 60 minutes. 1 hour 20 minutes (20 minutes per subject) for candidates eligible for a scribe. Negative marking: 0.50 mark is deducted for each wrong answer.
- Objective multiple-choice questions, set in English, Hindi and the language the candidate chose in the application form, except the English Language part.
- Each subject has its own 15-minute timer: a section closes when its time is up.
- When the exam runs in several shifts, marks are normalised before the cut-off is applied.
- Separate category-wise cut-offs can be set for three groups of posts: DEO/DEO Grade A in the Ministries named in the notice (science stream), other DEO/DEO Grade A posts, and LDC/JSA.
Tier-II (Computer Based Examination)
Applies to: All posts that qualify in Tier-I
Section-I
| Section | Questions | Marks each | Marks | Time (min) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematical Abilities | 30 | 3 | 90 | 30 |
| Reasoning and General Intelligence | 30 | 3 | 90 | 30 |
| Total | 60 | 180 | 60 |
Time allowed: 60 minutes. 1 hour 20 minutes (40 minutes per subject) for candidates eligible for a scribe. Negative marking: 1 mark is deducted for each wrong answer.
- Tier-II is held in two sessions on the same day: Session-I has Sections I, II and III; Session-II has the skill or typing test. A candidate must qualify in every section.
Section-II
| Section | Questions | Marks each | Marks | Time (min) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language and Comprehension | 40 | 3 | 120 | 40 |
| General Awareness | 20 | 3 | 60 | 20 |
| Total | 60 | 180 | 60 |
Time allowed: 60 minutes. 1 hour 20 minutes (55 minutes for English, 25 for General Awareness) for candidates eligible for a scribe. Negative marking: 1 mark is deducted for each wrong answer.
Section-III: Computer Knowledge Test
| Section | Questions | Marks each | Marks | Time (min) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Knowledge | 15 | 3 | 45 | — |
| Total | 15 | 45 | 15 |
Time allowed: 15 minutes. 20 minutes for candidates eligible for a scribe. Negative marking: 1 mark is deducted for each wrong answer. This part is qualifying only: it does not add to the merit score.
Section-IV, Part A: Skill Test for DEO in the named Ministries
Applies to: Data Entry Operator / DEO Grade A in the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, the Staff Selection Commission and the Ministry of Culture (12th with Science and Mathematics)
Time allowed: 15 minutes. 20 minutes for candidates eligible for a scribe. This part is qualifying only: it does not add to the merit score.
- Data entry speed of 15,000 key depressions per hour, judged on a passage of about 3,700 to 4,000 key depressions typed in 15 minutes. Compulsory for every DEO candidate.
Section-IV, Part B: Skill Test for other DEO posts
Applies to: Data Entry Operator / DEO Grade A in all other departments
Time allowed: 15 minutes. 20 minutes for candidates eligible for a scribe. This part is qualifying only: it does not add to the merit score.
- Data entry speed of 8,000 key depressions per hour, judged on a passage of about 2,000 to 2,200 key depressions typed in 15 minutes. Compulsory for every DEO candidate.
Section-IV, Part C: Typing Test for LDC/JSA
Applies to: Lower Division Clerk / Junior Secretariat Assistant
Time allowed: 10 minutes. 15 minutes for candidates eligible for a scribe. This part is qualifying only: it does not add to the merit score.
- Typing speed of 35 words per minute in English or 30 words per minute in Hindi, in the medium chosen in the application form (Hindi typing is in Mangal font). Candidates certified as unable to type because of a permanent disability may be exempted.
Source: Notice of Combined Higher Secondary (10+2) Level Examination, 2026 (uploaded 7 September 2026) ↗ · Last verified: 15 October 2026 · Report an error
Free SSC CHSL mock tests in this official pattern →
Syllabus: subjects tested
The subjects in short, as the official syllabus lists them. The exam body's own notification is final.
- Quantitative Aptitude
- Number system, percentages, ratio & proportion, profit & loss, time-speed-distance, algebra, geometry, and mensuration.
- General Intelligence (Reasoning)
- Analogies, classification, series, coding-decoding, blood relations, direction sense, and non-verbal reasoning.
- English Language
- Grammar, vocabulary, sentence correction, fill in the blanks, synonyms/antonyms, and reading comprehension.
- General Awareness
- Static GK plus current affairs — where a daily current-affairs habit pays off directly.
Full syllabus, stage by stage → · Official website ↗
Age limit and qualification
18 to 27 years as on 1 August 2026 (born between 2 August 1999 and 1 August 2008), with upper-age relaxation: 5 years for SC/ST, 3 years for OBC, 10 years for persons with benchmark disabilities (13 years if OBC, 15 years if SC/ST). Age is counted as on 1 August 2026.
| Posts | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Lower Division Clerk / Junior Secretariat Assistant, and Data Entry Operator / DEO Grade A in departments other than the three named below | 12th Standard pass (or equivalent) from a recognised Board or University. Candidates still appearing in the 12th exam may apply but must hold the pass result by 7 October 2026. |
| Data Entry Operator / DEO Grade A in the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, the Staff Selection Commission and the Ministry of Culture | 12th Standard pass in the Science stream with Mathematics as a subject, from a recognised Board or equivalent. |
Minimum qualifying marks in Tier-I and in Sections I, II and III of Tier-II: 30% for UR, 25% for OBC and EWS, 20% for all other categories.
Source: Notice of Combined Higher Secondary (10+2) Level Examination, 2026 (uploaded 7 September 2026) ↗ · Last verified: 15 October 2026 · Report an error
Important dates
| Event | Date | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Online applications | 7 September 2026 to 7 October 2026 | official notice ↗ |
| Last date for online fee payment | 8 October 2026 | official notice ↗ |
| Application form correction window | 14 October 2026 to 16 October 2026 | official notice ↗ |
| Tier-I (Computer Based Examination) | To be notified later | official notice ↗ |
| Tier-II (Computer Based Examination) | To be notified later | official notice ↗ |
Source: Notice of Combined Higher Secondary (10+2) Level Examination, 2026 (uploaded 7 September 2026) ↗ · Last verified: 15 October 2026 · Report an error
Source: Tentative vacancies ↗ · Last verified: 15 October 2026 · Report an error
Cut-off marks by year and category
Tier-I, DEO/DEO Grade A in other departments
Marks are out of 200. Cut-offs change every cycle and are no promise for the next one; use them to see how competitive each category has been.
| Category | 2025 |
|---|---|
| UR | 165.27 |
| OBC | 165.27 |
| EWS | 163.77 |
| SC | 158.63 |
| ST | 150.43 |
| ESM | 112.53 |
| HH | 120.22 |
| Other PwD | 108.00 |
Source: 2025 result write-up ↗ · Last verified: 15 October 2026 · Report an error
Tier-I, DEO/DEO Grade A in the named Ministries (science stream)
Marks are out of 200. Cut-offs change every cycle and are no promise for the next one; use them to see how competitive each category has been.
| Category | 2025 |
|---|---|
| UR | 169.54 |
| OBC | 169.50 |
| EWS | 169.54 |
| SC | 157.72 |
| ST | 152.79 |
| ESM | 128.53 |
| HH | 118.61 |
Source: 2025 result write-up ↗ · Last verified: 15 October 2026 · Report an error
Tier-I, LDC/JSA
Marks are out of 200. Cut-offs change every cycle and are no promise for the next one; use them to see how competitive each category has been.
| Category | 2025 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| UR | 144.26 | 157.36 |
| OBC | 143.83 | 156.62 |
| EWS | 141.42 | 150.52 |
| SC | 125.40 | 139.68 |
| ST | 115.25 | 129.45 |
| ESM | 68.26 | 78.23 |
| OH | 112.15 | 124.70 |
| HH | 75.39 | 81.07 |
| VH | 82.73 | 123.79 |
| Other PwD | 55.33 | 72.54 |
Source: 2025 result write-up ↗ · Last verified: 15 October 2026 · Report an error
Source: 2024 result write-up ↗ · Last verified: 15 October 2026 · Report an error
Tier-I, DEO/DEO Grade A (single list, 2024)
Marks are out of 200. Cut-offs change every cycle and are no promise for the next one; use them to see how competitive each category has been.
| Category | 2024 |
|---|---|
| UR | 176.27 |
| OBC | 176.27 |
| EWS | 176.27 |
| SC | 166.68 |
| ST | 165.08 |
| ESM | 133.94 |
| OH | 166.25 |
Source: 2024 result write-up ↗ · Last verified: 15 October 2026 · Report an error
UR: unreserved. OBC, EWS, SC, ST: reserved categories. ESM: ex-servicemen. OH, HH, VH: orthopaedic, hearing and visual disability. Other PwD: other persons with disabilities.
Practice questions by section
Free questions, each with its answer, in the subjects this exam tests. Every topic opens a list of question pages.
Quantitative Aptitude
- Geometry: Lines and Triangles 24 questions
- Number System 21 questions
- Percentage 21 questions
- Trigonometry 20 questions
- Boat and Stream 19 questions
- Mensuration: 2D 16 questions
- Permutation and Combination 15 questions
- Probability — Tier II 15 questions
Reasoning
- Syllogism 115 questions
- Blood Relations 89 questions
- Coding-Decoding 88 questions
- Analogy 39 questions
- Direction Sense 38 questions
- Seating Arrangement 29 questions
- Calendar 19 questions
- Clock 19 questions
English
- Error Spotting 94 questions
- Fill in the Blanks 56 questions
- Sentence Improvement 52 questions
- Cloze Test 38 questions
- Direct and Indirect Speech 30 questions
- One Word Substitution 19 questions
- Degrees of Comparison 13 questions
- Active and Passive Voice 12 questions
General Studies
- General Science 480 questions
- Static General Knowledge 240 questions
- Indian Geography 239 questions
- Physical and World Geography 239 questions
- Indian Polity and Constitution 238 questions
- Environment and Ecology 237 questions
- Modern Indian History and Freedom Struggle 235 questions
- Indian Art and Culture 234 questions
All practice questions by topic →
Free notes (PDF)
Notes for every topic in this exam’s syllabus, one PDF per subject: each lesson ends with a quick-revision box, and each PDF ends with a revision sheet. Written by an AI assistant and not reviewed by a subject-matter expert.
- Quantitative Aptitude (89 pages, 1.1 MB)
- Reasoning (74 pages, 954 KB)
- English (65 pages, 819 KB)
- General Awareness (208 pages, 2.3 MB)
- Computer Knowledge (18 pages, 314 KB)
Latest notices
- SSC CHSL 2026 Tier-I (CBE) to be held from 30 November to 31 December 2026notification · 23 October 2026
- SSC CHSL 2025: Final Result Declared, 3,515 Candidates Recommended Against 3,522 Vacanciesresult · 14 October 2026
- SSC CHSL 2026: Online Application Window Closes Today (7 October), 2,536 Vacanciesnotification · 7 October 2026
- SSC CHSL 2026 applications open until October 7notification · 18 September 2026
SSC CHSL admit card, result and answer key: every notice →
Recent current affairs for this exam
- Indian Navy frees hijacked fishing vessel 'Azini' from armed pirates off Somalia; all 20 crew members safe3 November 2026
- 5th edition of India-US tri-service HADR exercise Tiger Triumph opens at Visakhapatnam; an NDRF team to take part for the first time3 November 2026
- Aditya-L1's VELC shows a solar eruption expanded asymmetrically, not like a simple symmetric bubble: IIA study3 November 2026
- Health Ministry proposes amending Rule 43A of the Drugs Rules, 1945 to add ICDs, an SEZ and Noida International Airport as authorised import gateways3 November 2026
- TRAI releases Telecommunication Interconnection (Third Amendment) Regulations, 2026: shift to LSA-level and IP-based interconnection, effective 1 January 20273 November 2026
Prepare
- Exam calendar: official dates across every exam
- Syllabus and subjects tested
- Typing and data entry practice with the official time limits
- Job profile and salary
- Free lessons
- Start practising
Frequently asked questions
What are the selection stages of SSC CHSL?
Tier-I (Computer Based Examination) → Tier-II (Computer Based Examination), as per the CHSL 2026 notification.
How many questions are in the SSC CHSL first stage?
Tier-I (Computer Based Examination): 100 questions for 200 marks in 60 minutes, as per the CHSL 2026 notification.
Is there negative marking in SSC CHSL?
Tier-I (Computer Based Examination), as per the CHSL 2026 notification: 0.50 mark is deducted for each wrong answer.
Is there negative marking in SSC CHSL Tier-II?
Tier-II (Computer Based Examination), as per the CHSL 2026 notification: 1 mark is deducted for each wrong answer.
Which parts of the SSC CHSL exam are qualifying?
As per the CHSL 2026 notification, these are qualifying: Tier-II (Computer Based Examination): Section-III: Computer Knowledge Test; Tier-II (Computer Based Examination): Section-IV, Part A: Skill Test for DEO in the named Ministries; Tier-II (Computer Based Examination): Section-IV, Part B: Skill Test for other DEO posts; Tier-II (Computer Based Examination): Section-IV, Part C: Typing Test for LDC/JSA.
What is the age limit for SSC CHSL?
18 to 27 years as on 1 August 2026 (born between 2 August 1999 and 1 August 2008), with upper-age relaxation: 5 years for SC/ST, 3 years for OBC, 10 years for persons with benchmark disabilities (13 years if OBC, 15 years if SC/ST). Age is counted as on 1 August 2026.
Can students awaiting their result apply for SSC CHSL?
As per the CHSL 2026 notification: Lower Division Clerk / Junior Secretariat Assistant, and Data Entry Operator / DEO Grade A in departments other than the three named below: 12th Standard pass (or equivalent) from a recognised Board or University. Candidates still appearing in the 12th exam may apply but must hold the pass result by 7 October 2026.
What are the minimum qualifying marks in SSC CHSL?
Minimum qualifying marks in Tier-I and in Sections I, II and III of Tier-II: 30% for UR, 25% for OBC and EWS, 20% for all other categories.
How many vacancies are there in SSC CHSL?
2,536 tentative vacancies for CHSL 2026, as officially published on 7 September 2026.
When is the last date to apply for SSC CHSL?
Online applications: 7 September 2026 to 7 October 2026 (now closed). As per the CHSL 2026 notification.
Which subjects does the SSC CHSL exam test?
The official syllabus lists: Quantitative Aptitude; General Intelligence (Reasoning); English Language; General Awareness.
Source: Notice of Combined Higher Secondary (10+2) Level Examination, 2026 (uploaded 7 September 2026) ↗ · Last verified: 15 October 2026 · Report an error
How this page is made
These facts are transcribed from the official documents linked above and checked against them on the date shown. If anything here differs from the official notification, the official notification is right. Please tell us through the Contact page. See also our editorial standards. Contact · Editorial standards