Key dates
- Online application: 7 September to 7 October 2026 (11 pm), only at ssc.gov.in.
- Last date for fee payment: 8 October 2026 (11 pm).
- Tier I exam: not yet notified. It is tentatively expected between December 2026 and February 2027.
Who can apply
You need to have passed Class 12 (10+2) or an equivalent from a recognised board by the cut-off date in the notice. The age limit is generally 18 to 27 years, with the usual relaxation for reserved categories. The posts are Lower Division Clerk / Junior Secretariat Assistant, Data Entry Operator and Postal / Sorting Assistant. Some DEO posts need Class 12 with Mathematics, so check the post-wise conditions in the notice before you set your preferences.
Tier I pattern, and the change that matters
Tier I is a 60-minute computer-based test of 100 questions for 200 marks. Each wrong answer costs 0.50 marks. The big change this year is a 15-minute sectional timer. Each section is locked to its own 15 minutes, and time you save in one section cannot be carried to another.
- English Language: 25 questions, 50 marks.
- General Intelligence: 25 questions, 50 marks.
- Quantitative Aptitude: 25 questions, 50 marks.
- General Awareness: 25 questions, 50 marks.
How to use the time before Tier I
With the exam at least two months away, you have time to build the base properly. Spend the first month on concepts: arithmetic chapters in Quant, grammar rules and vocabulary in English, and static GK in short daily blocks. In the second month, move to sectional tests timed at exactly 15 minutes, so the lock feels normal by exam day.
Tier II includes a typing or data-entry skill test. Start typing practice now for 15 minutes a day. It is the one skill that cannot be crammed in the last week.
Before you submit the form
- Check that your name and date of birth match your Class 10 certificate exactly.
- Upload a recent photo and signature in the size and format the notice asks for.
- Choose your exam centres carefully. SSC rarely allows changes later.
- Pay the fee and save the confirmation page. An application without a successful fee payment, where a fee is due, is not complete.
Key takeaways
- SSC CHSL 2026 has about 2,536 tentative vacancies; apply at ssc.gov.in by 11 pm on 7 October 2026.
- Tier I now has a 15-minute sectional timer: 4 sections × 25 questions, 200 marks, −0.50 per wrong answer.
- Start typing practice now; the Tier II skill test can't be learned in a week.
Sources
Dates and patterns change — always confirm on the official website before applying.
