Staff Selection Commission – Combined Higher Secondary Level (SSC CHSL)
The Staff Selection Commission Combined Higher Secondary Level (SSC CHSL) exam is conducted by the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) to recruit candidates for various posts such as Lower Division Clerk (LDC), Postal Assistant (PA), Data Entry Operator (DEO), and Court Clerk in various ministries, departments, and organizations of the Government of India. Some of the popular posts for which candidates are recruited through the SSC CHSL exam are:
- Lower Division Clerk (LDC) 2. Postal Assistant (PA)
- Data Entry Operator (DEO) 4. Court Clerk
- Lower Division Clerk (LDC) 6. Postal Assistant (PA)
- Data Entry Operator (DEO) 8. Court Clerk
SSC-CHSL in a Glance-
| Exam Name | Staff Selection Commission Combined Higher Secondary Level Examination (SSC- CHSL) |
| Conducting Body | Staff Selection Commission (SSC) |
| Exam Level | National Level Exam |
| Exam Type | Computer-Based Test (CBT) |
| Stages | Tier1- Online Test, Tier2-Descriptive Test, Tier3-Typing/Skill Test |
| Age | 18-27 years (Relaxation in age as per Government Rules) |
| Education | Must have passed 10+2 or equivalent from a recognized board |
| Application | Generally in December-January (varies each year) |
| Time of Exam | Tier 1: Usually conducted in March-April
Tier 2: Usually conducted in June-July Tier 3: Usually conducted in September-October |
| Time Duration | Tier 1- 60 minutes for all candidates
(Time extends for 80 minutes for PwD-Person with Disabilities candidates) Tier 2- 60 minutes for all candidates (Time extends 80 minutes for PwD) Tier 3-15 minutes for all candidates Typing Test (30 wpm Hindi and 35wpm English). For visually handicapped 30 minutes will be given. |
| Exam Pattern Tier 1 | Objective type (Multiple Choice Questions) with 100 questions from four sections (English, General Intelligence, Quantitative Aptitude, and General Awareness), each carrying 2 marks. |
| Exam Pattern Tier 2 | Descriptive paper with essay writing, letter/application writing, and précis writing in English/Hindi. |
| Exam Pattern Tier 3 | Skill Test (Typing Test for LDC/DEO/JSA/PA/SA and Data Entry Speed Test for DEO). |
| Selection Process | Candidates are selected based on their performance in Tier 1 and Tier 2 exams. Tier 3 is qualifying in nature. |
| Syllabus | English Language, General Intelligence, Quantitative Aptitude, and General Awareness. |
| Official Website | https://ssc.nic.in/ |
Eligibility Criteria for SSC CHSL-
The candidate must have passed 10+2 or equivalent examination from a recognized board or university.
| Eligibility Criteria | Details |
|
Nationality |
Candidates must be citizens of India, subjects of Nepal/Bhutan, Tibetan refugees who came over to India before 1st January 1962, or persons of Indian origin who have migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania (formerly Tanganyika and Zanzibar), Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia and Vietnam with the intention of permanently settling in India. |
| Age Limit | Candidates must be between 18 and 27 years old as of January 1st of the examination year. Age relaxation is provided for certain categories as per government norms. |
| Educational Qualification | Candidates must have passed 10+2 or equivalent examination from a recognized Board or University. |
| Skill Test | Candidates must have a typing speed of 35 words per minute in English or 30 words per minute in Hindi on a computer. |
| Physical Fitness | Candidates must be physically fit as per the standards set by the Staff Selection Commission. |
Exam pattern for SSC CHSL-
The SSC CHSL exam consists of three stages – Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3. Below is the paper pattern for each stage:
Tier 1 Exam Pattern:
| Section | Number of Questions | Maximum Marks |
| General Intelligence and Reasoning | 25 | 50 |
| General Awareness | 25 | 50 |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 25 | 50 |
| English Comprehension | 25 | 50 |
| Total | 100 | 200 |
Note: The Tier 1 exam is computer-based and consists of multiple-choice questions. There is a negative marking
of 0.50 marks for each wrong answer.
Tier 2 Exam Pattern:
| Section | Number of Questions | Maximum Marks |
| Descriptive Paper in English/Hindi | 1 | 100 |
Note: The Tier 2 exam is a descriptive paper in English/Hindi and is conducted in pen and paper mode. The candidates have to write an essay and a letter/application in either English or Hindi language. The minimum qualifying marks in Tier 2 is 33%.
Tier 3 Exam Pattern:
| Subject | Maximum Marks | Time Duration |
| Skill Test/Typing Test | Qualifying in nature | Qualifying in nature |
Note: Tier 3 is a Skill Test / Typing Test, which is only applicable for candidates who have applied for posts that require typing or data entry skills. The final merit list of candidates is prepared based on their performance in Tier 1 and Tier 2. Tier 3 is only qualifying in nature and its marks are not considered for the final selection.
SSC CHSL EXAM SYLLABUS-
| Subject | Topics |
| General Intelligence and Reasoning | Analogies, similarities, differences, space visualization, problem-solving, analysis, judgment, decision-making, visual memory, discrimination, observation, relationship concepts, arithmetical reasoning, verbal and figure classification, arithmetical number series, non-verbal series, coding and decoding, statement conclusion, syllogistic reasoning etc. |
| General Awareness | History, culture, geography, economic scene, general policy, scientific research, elementary science etc. |
| Quantitative Aptitude | Number systems, computation of whole numbers, decimals and fractions, relationships between numbers, percentage, ratio and proportion, square roots, averages, interest, profit and loss, discount, partnership business, mixture and allegation, time and distance, time and work, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, mensuration, data interpretation etc. |
| English Language
and Comprehension |
Spot the error, fill in the blanks, synonyms, antonyms, spelling/detecting mis-spelt words, idioms and phrases, one-word substitution, improvement of sentences,
active/passive voice of verbs, conversion into direct/indirect narration, shuffling of sentence parts, shuffling of sentences in a passage, cloze passage, comprehension passage etc. |
SSC CHSL GENERAL INTELLIGENCE AND REASONING TOPIC WISE SYLLABUS-
| Topic | Sub-Topic |
| Classification | Analogy, Coding-Decoding, Puzzle, Matrix, Word formation, Arranging words in meaningful order or dictionary order, Venn Diagram, Directions and Distances, Blood Relations, Missing Number, Series |
| Logical Reasoning | Alpha-numeric sequence puzzle, Mathematical Operations, Logical Venn Diagrams, Inserting the Missing Character, Data Sufficiency, Coded Inequalities, Seating
Arrangement, Puzzle Tabulation, Syllogism |
| Alphanumeric Series | Number Series, Alphabet Series, Mixed Series |
| Ranking and Arrangement | Arrangement of words in logical order, Ranking |
| Distance and Directions | Blood Relations, Directions, Distance and Time |
| Non-Verbal Reasoning | Series, Analogy, Classification, Mirror and Water Images, Paper Cutting and Folding, Completion of Figures, Embedded Figures, Figure Formation and Analysis, Cube and Dice |
| Coding and Decoding | Coding and Decoding by Analogy, Coding and Decoding by Letter Shifting, Coding and Decoding in fictitious language, Coding and Decoding by Number Shifting,
Coding-Decoding of Words |
SSC CHSL GENERAL AWARENESS TOPIC WISE SYLLABUS-
| Subject | Topics |
| History | Ancient, Medieval and Modern History, Art and Culture, Monuments and Places of India, Freedom Struggle, Post-Independence History, World History |
| Geography | Indian and World Geography, Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India and the World, Environmental Issues Concerning India and the World |
| Polity | Constitution of India, Governance, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, Political System in India, Parliament and State Legislatures |
| Economy | Indian Economy, Economic Concepts and Terminologies, Agriculture, Industry, Trade and Commerce, Banking and Finance, Human Resource Development, Current Economic Issues and Policies |
| Science and Technology | Basics of Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Computer Applications, Recent Developments and Discoveries in Science and Technology, Electronics, Space Science, Defence
Technology |
| Current Affairs | National and International Events, Sports, Awards and Honours, New Appointments,
Books and Authors, Science and Technology, Important Days and Themes, Environment and Climate Change, Summits and Conferences |