SSC CHSL 2026 Recruitment - LDC, JSA and DEO

Opening Overview

The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) has released the notification for the Combined Higher Secondary (10+2) Level Examination, 2026 for recruitment to Group C posts of Lower Divisional Clerk/Junior Secretariat Assistant (LDC/JSA), Data Entry Operator (DEO) and Data Entry Operator Grade A in various Central Government ministries, departments, offices, constitutional bodies, statutory bodies and tribunals. The notification mentions approximately 2,536 tentative vacancies, while the final vacancies will be notified later. Eligible 12th-pass candidates can submit their applications online from 07/09/2026 to 07/10/2026.

Post Details

Important Dates

Application Fee

The fee can be paid online through BHIM UPI, Net Banking, Visa, MasterCard, Maestro or RuPay debit card. The fee must be paid by 08/10/2026 up to 23:00 Hours. The fee once paid will not be refunded or adjusted against any other examination.

Application Correction Charges

Correction charges apply to all candidates irrespective of gender or category. A candidate can correct and resubmit the application a maximum of two times during the correction window.

Age Limit

The age limit is 18 to 27 years as on 01/08/2026. Candidates must have been born not before 02/08/1999 and not later than 01/08/2008.

Vacancy Details

The Commission has reported approximately 2,536 tentative vacancies. The final number of vacancies and post-wise/category-wise vacancy details will be determined after scrutiny of the requirements submitted by user departments and will be published on the SSC website.

State-wise and zone-wise vacancies are not collected by SSC. Candidates must contact the concerned user department for specific state-wise or zone-wise vacancy information.

Eligibility / Qualification

LDC/JSA and General DEO/DEO Grade A Posts

Candidates must have passed the 12th Standard or equivalent examination from a recognized Board or University.

DEO/DEO Grade A in the Specified Departments

For Data Entry Operator and Data Entry Operator Grade A posts in the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Staff Selection Commission and Ministry of Culture, candidates must have passed the 12th Standard in the Science stream with Mathematics as a subject from a recognized Board or equivalent.

Candidates appearing in the 12th Standard examination may also apply, but they must possess the required qualification by 07/10/2026. The result of the qualifying examination must have been declared by the Board or University by the cut-off date.

Qualifications obtained through Open and Distance Learning mode must be recognized by the Distance Education Bureau of the University Grants Commission for the relevant period. Candidates claiming equivalent qualifications must produce the relevant equivalence certificate during Document Verification.

Nationality/Citizenship

A candidate must be:

• A citizen of India; or
• A subject of Nepal; or
• A subject of Bhutan; or
• A person of Indian origin who has migrated from specified countries with the intention of permanently settling in India, subject to production of an eligibility certificate issued by the Government of India.

Only male candidates are eligible for vacancies, if any, reported by the Border Roads Organization (BRO).

Selection Process

The selection process will consist of the following stages:

1. Tier-I Computer Based Examination
2. Tier-II Computer Based Examination
3. Computer Knowledge Test in Tier-II, qualifying in nature
4. Skill Test/Typing Test in Tier-II, qualifying in nature
5. Document Verification by the concerned user ministry, department or organization
6. Post allocation and final selection on the basis of merit and post preferences

Candidates must qualify all sections of Tier-II. The final merit list will be prepared using aggregate marks obtained in Section-I and Section-II of Tier-II, subject to qualification in Section-III and Section-IV. Final allocation will be based on merit-cum-preferences of posts and departments.

Minimum Qualifying Marks

Normalized scores will be used where the examination is conducted in multiple shifts. All posts carry All India Service Liability, meaning selected candidates may be required to serve anywhere in India.

Exam Pattern

Tier-I Examination

Candidates eligible for a scribe will receive 80 minutes, with sectional timing of 20 minutes for each subject. Tier-I consists of objective multiple-choice questions. There will be negative marking of 0.50 marks for each wrong answer.

Tier-II Examination

Tier-II will be conducted in two sessions on the same day.

Session-I

For eligible scribe candidates, additional compensatory time will be provided as prescribed by SSC. Section-I, Section-II and Section-III carry 1 mark negative marking for each wrong answer. Section-III is mandatory but qualifying in nature.

Session-II: Skill Test/Typing Test

The skill test and typing test are qualifying in nature. Eligible candidates using a scribe will receive additional compensatory time. Hindi typing must be performed in Mangal font. Candidates must select the typing-test medium in the online application form, and the selected medium cannot be changed later.

Candidates with a permanent physical disability that prevents typing may seek exemption from the typing test by submitting the prescribed medical certificate. Visual and hearing disabilities alone do not qualify for this exemption.

Syllabus

Tier-I English Language

Spot the error, fill in the blanks, synonyms and homonyms, antonyms, spellings, idioms and phrases, one-word substitution, sentence improvement, active and passive voice, direct and indirect narration, sentence shuffling, cloze passage and comprehension passage.

Tier-I General Intelligence

Semantic analogy, symbolic operations, number analogy, trends, figural analogy, space orientation, semantic classification, Venn diagrams, number classification, drawing inferences, figural classification, punched-hole and pattern folding, series, embedded figures, critical thinking, problem solving, emotional intelligence, word building, social intelligence, coding-decoding and numerical operations.

Tier-I Quantitative Aptitude

Number systems, whole numbers, decimals and fractions, percentages, ratio and proportion, square roots, averages, simple and compound interest, profit and loss, discount, partnership, mixture and alligation, time and distance, time and work, algebra, geometry, mensuration, trigonometry and statistical charts.

Tier-I General Awareness

Questions will cover the environment around the candidate, current events, everyday scientific observations and topics relating to India and neighbouring countries, including history, culture, geography, economic affairs, general policy and scientific research.

Tier-II Mathematical Abilities

Number systems, arithmetic operations, percentages, ratio and proportion, averages, interest, profit and loss, discount, partnership, mixture and alligation, time and distance, time and work, algebra, geometry, mensuration, trigonometry, statistical charts, measures of central tendency, standard deviation and simple probability.

Tier-II Reasoning and General Intelligence

Verbal and non-verbal reasoning, analogies, symbolic operations, trends, space orientation, classification, Venn diagrams, inference, series, embedded figures, pattern folding, critical thinking, problem solving, emotional intelligence, word building, social intelligence and coding-decoding.

Tier-II English Language and Comprehension

Vocabulary, grammar, sentence structure, synonyms, antonyms, error detection, fill in the blanks, spelling, idioms and phrases, one-word substitution, sentence improvement, active and passive voice, narration, sentence shuffling, cloze test and comprehension passages based on stories, books, current affairs editorials or reports.

Tier-II Computer Knowledge

Computer organization, Central Processing Unit, input and output devices, memory, backup devices, ports, Windows Explorer, keyboard shortcuts, Windows operating system, MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, web browsing, searching, downloading, uploading, email management, e-banking, networking devices and protocols, cyber-security threats and preventive measures.

Salary / Pay Scale

Selected candidates will receive allowances and other benefits applicable to Central Government employees as per the applicable rules.

Examination Centres and Language Options

Candidates must select three examination centres in order of preference within the same SSC region. Requests for change of centre will not be accepted later. SSC may add, cancel or divert examination centres depending on administrative requirements.

The Computer Based Examination may be opted for in the following languages, subject to the language-specific provisions in the notice: Hindi, English, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Konkani, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Odiya, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu. The English Language and Comprehension module will be conducted in English.

Documents and Examination Instructions

Candidates who have not undergone Aadhaar-based authentication must carry the following to the examination centre:

• Printed Admission Certificate
• Two recent passport-size colour photographs
• Original valid photo identity proof showing date of birth
• Additional original date-of-birth document if the photo ID does not show date of birth
• Required medical certificate, undertaking and scribe identity documents, where applicable

Accepted photo identity documents include Voter ID, Driving Licence, PAN Card, Passport, institution identity card, Government or PSU employee identity card, Ex-Serviceman Discharge Book and other photo identity cards issued by the Central or State Government.

Candidates must complete One-Time Registration on the new SSC website. Registration on the old SSC website will not function on the new portal. The live photograph must be captured through the application module without a cap, mask, spectacles or sunglasses, against a plain and well-lit background. The scanned signature must be uploaded in JPEG/JPG format, generally between 10 KB and 20 KB, with the prescribed dimensions.

PwBD/PwD candidates seeking a scribe or compensatory time must select the relevant facility in the application form and produce the prescribed certificate during the examination. Eligible candidates receive 20 minutes of compensatory time per hour of examination.

Important Notes

• Applications are accepted provisionally and eligibility will be verified later by the Commission or the concerned user department.
• Candidates must submit valid certificates for educational qualification, caste, EWS, PwBD, ESM and age relaxation claims during Document Verification.
• Post and department preferences submitted online are final and irreversible.
• Candidates selected for BRO LDC vacancies, if reported, must satisfy the prescribed physical efficiency, physical and medical standards. Only male candidates are eligible for BRO vacancies.
• For BRO, candidates must pass a one-mile run within 10 minutes at GREF Centre, Pune, followed by medical examination.
• No re-evaluation or re-checking of examination scores is permitted.
• Candidates found using unfair means may face cancellation of candidature and debarment from future SSC examinations.
• The SSC website and concerned regional office websites are the primary sources for examination updates.
• SSC helpline: 1800 309 3063.