SSC CHSL
Recruits Class 12 pass candidates as Lower Division Clerk (LDC), Junior Secretariat Assistant (JSA) and Data Entry Operator (DEO) in central ministries, departments and offices.
Eligibility
Class 12 or equivalent. DEO posts in certain departments (for example, the Comptroller and Auditor General's office) need Class 12 with Science and Mathematics. Candidates must be 18-27 years old as on 1 August of the exam year (born between 2 August 1999 and 1 August 2008 for the 2026 cycle), with standard category relaxations. There is no cap on attempts.
Age limit: 18-27 years (relaxations as per rules)
Exam pattern
Tier 1 is a computer-based test of 100 MCQs worth 200 marks: English, General Intelligence, Quantitative Aptitude and General Awareness, 25 questions each. From the 2026 cycle each section has a 15-minute timer, making 60 minutes in total, and wrong answers cost 0.50 marks. Tier 2 Session I lasts 2 hours 15 minutes and has 135 questions worth 405 marks: Mathematics 30, Reasoning 30, English 40, General Awareness 20 and Computer Knowledge 15, with 1 mark deducted per wrong answer. Session II, held the same day, is a qualifying skill test (DEO) or typing test (LDC/JSA).
Syllabus at a glance
Arithmetic and elementary advanced maths up to Class 10 level, verbal and non-verbal reasoning, English grammar, vocabulary and comprehension, and General Awareness (static GK, science, polity, history, geography, current affairs). Tier 2 adds computer basics. The typing test needs 35 words per minute in English or 30 in Hindi; the DEO skill test needs 8,000 key depressions per hour.
Upcoming dates
| Event | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| CHSL 2026 city intimation slip / admit card | Late Nov 2026 | expected |
| CHSL 2026 Tier 1 exam | 30 Nov - 31 Dec 2026 | confirmed |
| CHSL 2026 Tier 1 answer key | Jan 2027 | expected |
| CHSL 2026 Tier 2 exam | Feb-Mar 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 (Arihant)
- A Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning – R.S. Aggarwal
- Objective General English – S.P. Bakshi (Arihant)
- Lucent's General Knowledge – Lucent Publications
- SSC CHSL Previous Year Solved Papers – Kiran Prakashan
How toppers play it
- With 15-minute sectional timers in Tier 1, do not let one tough reasoning or maths section eat into another. Aim for about 20 accurate attempts per section.
- In Tier 2, English carries the most marks (40 questions, 120 marks) and wrong answers cost 1 mark, so build reading and grammar accuracy early.
- Start typing practice now. The LDC/JSA typing test (35 words per minute in English) and the DEO test (8,000 key depressions per hour) are qualifying and fail many otherwise successful candidates.
- CHSL questions follow CGL Tier 1 closely but are easier. Solve CGL Tier 1 and earlier CHSL shift papers to see the full range of question types.