SSC CHSL
Recruits Class 12 pass candidates as Lower Division Clerk/Junior Secretariat Assistant (LDC/JSA) and Data Entry Operator (DEO) in central ministries, departments and offices — the main clerical-grade entry into the central government straight after school.
Eligibility
Passed Class 12 in any stream from a recognised board; DEO posts in the office of the C&AG require Class 12 in Science with Mathematics. Age 18–27 years as on the cutoff date, with category relaxations. No attempt limit within the age band.
Age limit: 18–27 years
Exam pattern
Tier 1: online exam of 100 questions, 200 marks, 60 minutes — English, General Knowledge, Quantitative Aptitude and Reasoning (25 each), minus 0.50 per wrong answer. Tier 2 is a one-day computer-based exam in two sessions: Section I Maths + Reasoning (180 marks), Section II English + General Awareness (180 marks), a qualifying computer-knowledge module, and a qualifying skill/typing module — DEO candidates need 8,000 key depressions per hour, LDC/JSA need 35 wpm typing in English or 30 wpm in Hindi. Wrong answers in scored Tier 2 sections cost 1 mark. Merit is decided on Tier 2.
Syllabus at a glance
Same subject pool as CGL pitched at 10+2 level: arithmetic and basic advanced maths, English grammar/vocabulary/comprehension, verbal and non-verbal reasoning, and General Awareness dominated by static GK with some current affairs. Tier 2 adds computer basics (hardware, software, internet, office suites).
Upcoming dates
| Event | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Notification | Jul 2026 (delayed from the calendar's April slot) | expected |
| Application window | Jul–Aug 2026 (about four weeks from notification) | expected |
| Tier 1 computer-based exam | Sep–Oct 2026 (calendar slot was Jul–Sep, pushed back by the delayed notification) | expected |
| Tier 2 computer-based exam | Jan–Feb 2027 | tba |
Expected dates follow the usual calendar; confirm on the official notification before planning.
Free prep material
Standard books
- Fast Track Objective Arithmetic — Rajesh Verma
- Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations — R.S. Aggarwal
- Objective General English — S.P. Bakshi
- A Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning — R.S. Aggarwal
- Lucent's General Knowledge — Binay Karna & Manwendra Mukul
- Kiran's SSC CHSL Solved Papers — Kiran Prakashan
How toppers play it
- Tier 1 cutoffs regularly cross 140–160 out of 200 for the general category — you need 90%+ accuracy, so with minus 0.50 negative marking skip questions you cannot shortlist to two options.
- Start typing practice from day one: the qualifying typing/DEO speed test eliminates written-exam qualifiers every cycle, and 35 wpm consistency takes weeks to build.
- Prepare with CGL-level maths PYQs — CHSL draws from the same TCS question bank, and over-preparing maths gives a decisive Tier 2 edge.
- In Tier 1, attempt GK first, then English and Reasoning, leaving maximum time for Quantitative Aptitude.
- GA is static-heavy: one pass of Lucent plus the last six months of current affairs plus GA PYQs covers most of the paper.