SSC CHSL

12th Standard pass or equivalent from a recognised Board or University (Para 8.2). For DEO / DEO Grade 'A' in the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, the Ministry of Culture and the Staff Selection Commission, the requirement is higher: 12th Standard pass in the Science stream with Mathematics as a subject from a recognised Board or equivalent (Para 8.1). Candidates who have only appeared in their 12th may apply, but must possess the qualification on or before the cut-off date — for CHSLE 2025, 01-01-2026 (Para 8.3). Para 8.6 is strict about what counts: the result must have been declared by the Board or University by the cut-off date; mere processing of the result does not satisfy the requirement.

18–27 years. For CHSLE 2025 the crucial date for reckoning age was fixed as 01-01-2026, so candidates born not before 02-01-1999 and not later than 01-01-2008 were eligible (Para 5.1). The date of birth in your online application and in your Matriculation/Secondary Examination certificate is what the Commission uses, and no later request for change is considered or granted (Para 5.3).

Para 5.2 lists these relaxations beyond the upper age limit (the notice numbers them as codes; there is no code 07):

Two qualifications the notice attaches to this table: age relaxation is not admissible to sons, daughters and dependants of Ex-Servicemen, who should not indicate their category as ESM (Para 5.10); and anyone claiming reserved-category status or age relaxation must produce the certificate in the prescribed format from the competent authority when it is sought at Document Verification, failing which the claim is not entertained (Para 6.1).

The eligibility conditions the notice sets are the age limit (Para 5) and the educational qualification (Para 8); it does not lay down a cap on the number of times a candidate may sit the examination among them. What the notice does regulate is applications per cycle: under Para 24(j), only one online application may be submitted during the normal application period. If more than one application with different registration numbers is detected, all of them are rejected and the candidature is cancelled; and a candidate who submits multiple applications and appears at any stage more than once has the candidature cancelled and is debarred from the Commission's examinations as per rules.

₹100 (Para 10.1). Women candidates, and candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Persons with Benchmark Disabilities and Ex-Servicemen eligible for reservation, are exempted from payment of fee (Para 10.2). Payment is online only — BHIM UPI, net banking, or Visa / MasterCard / Maestro / RuPay debit cards (Para 10.3). For CHSLE 2025 the last date for online fee payment was 19-07-2025 (23:00). If the fee does not reach SSC, the application shows as 'Incomplete' and is summarily rejected, with no request for later payment entertained (Para 10.5). Fee once paid "shall not be refunded under any circumstances nor will it be adjusted against any other examination or selection" (Para 10.6).

Yes. After applications close, the Commission provides a window to correct and re-submit the application (Para 11.1) — for CHSLE 2025 it ran 23.07.2025 to 24.07.2025 (23:00). You may correct and re-submit twice, and no more: if you make a mistake in the corrected application too, you get one further chance, after which "No more corrections in the application form will be allowed under any circumstances" (Para 11.2). Correction charges are uniform at ₹200 for the first correction and ₹500 for the second, payable by all candidates irrespective of gender or category, online only, and never refunded or adjusted (Paras 11.4–11.6). Only candidates whose completed application with the requisite fee reached the Commission in time may use the window (Para 11.3). The latest corrected application becomes the valid one and earlier ones are cancelled (Para 11.7); if the correction charges are not received, the application shows as 'Incomplete' and the previously submitted application remains valid (Para 11.8).

Tier-I: 0.50 marks deducted for each wrong answer (Para 13.7.2), on questions worth 2 marks each. Tier-II: 1 mark deducted for each wrong answer in Section-I, Section-II and Section-III (Para 13.8.11), on questions worth 3 marks each. Section-IV, the Skill/Typing Test, is not an objective paper (Para 13.8.10).

In Tier-I, and in Sections I, II and III of Tier-II: UR 30%, OBC/EWS 25%, all other categories 20% (Para 17.1).

Para 17.3 says there *may be separate category-wise cut-offs in Tier-I and subsequent Tiers for different posts — (i) DEO / DEO Grade 'A' in the Department/Ministry at Para 8.1, (ii) DEO / DEO Grade 'A' elsewhere, and (iii) LDC/JSA. It is stated as a possibility. In practice, for CHSLE 2025 the Commission used it: its Tier-I result write-up of 27.02.2026 (https://ssc.gov.in/api/attachment/uploads/masterData/NoticeBoards/writeup_27022026.pdf) states that separate category-wise cut-offs "have been fixed"* in Tier-I for those three post groups and publishes three separate shortlists.

Para 13.2: marks scored in a Computer Based Examination, if conducted in multiple shifts, are normalised using the procedure the Commission published by Notice dated 02-06-2025, and the normalised scores are used to determine final merit and cut-off marks. Para 17.2 repeats that normalised scores are used to determine merit and for final selection. For CHSLE 2025, the Tier-I result write-up records that Tier-I was conducted in multiple shifts and that normalised marks were used to qualify candidates for Tier-II.

On Tier-II alone. Para 17.10: the merit list is prepared on the aggregate marks scored in Section-I and Section-II of Tier-II only, subject to qualifying Section-III and Section-IV. Sections I and II are 180 marks each, so 360 marks decide the list. Tier-I marks do not enter the final score.

Para 18, applied one after another until the tie is resolved: (1) marks scored in Section-I of Tier-II; (2) marks scored in Tier-I; (3) date of birth, with older candidates placed higher.

Tier-I questions are set in English, Hindi and any language opted for in the application form from Annexure-XVI, for Parts II, III and IV (Para 13.7.1). Tier-II questions are likewise set in English, Hindi and the opted language except for Part-A of Section-II, the English Language and Comprehension module (Para 13.8.10). Annexure-XVI lists 15 options: Hindi, English, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Konkani, Malayalam, Manipuri (also Meitei or Meithei), Marathi, Odiya, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu — and the notice advises candidates to be careful in exercising this option.

Yes. Section-IV is qualifying in nature (Para 13.8.13.2), but Para 17.5 makes it mandatory to qualify every section of Tier-II. For LDC/JSA: 35 w.p.m. in English or 30 w.p.m. in Hindi, judged on accuracy of typing a given passage in 10 minutes; the medium is chosen in the application form and cannot be changed later. For DEO: 15,000 key depressions per hour (Para 8.1 departments) or 8,000 key depressions per hour (elsewhere), 15 minutes. The Skill Test is mandatory for Data Entry Operators and no candidate is exempted from it (Para 13.8.13.6(i)). Persons with Disabilities who claim to be permanently unfit for the Typing Test because of a physical disability may, with the prior approval of the Commission, be exempted from appearing and qualifying at it, on a certificate in the prescribed format (Annexure-XIV) from the Civil Surgeon of a Government Health Care Institution, supported by the relevant medical certificates at the time of the Typing Test (Para 13.8.13.7(vii)).

A compensatory time of 20 minutes per hour of examination is provided to candidates permitted the use of a scribe under Paras 7.1, 7.2 and 7.3 — and, under Para 7.11, also to those who are eligible for a scribe but choose not to use one. In the Skill/Typing Test the compensatory time is 5 minutes. If you choose your own scribe, that scribe must not be a candidate in the same examination; if detected, both candidatures are cancelled (Para 7.9). If your own scribe fails to turn up, the Commission provides one (Para 7.8(e)). One-eyed and partially blind candidates who can read the normal question paper with or without a magnifying glass may use their own magnifying glass in the hall, and are not entitled to a scribe (Para 7.13).

You can challenge the key; you cannot ask for a re-check. Tentative answer keys are placed on the Commission's website after the examination, and representations must be submitted online within the stipulated time on payment of ₹100 per question, non-refundable; representations by letter, application or e-mail are not entertained (Para 13.3). Final answer keys are used to process the result. But Para 13.6 is explicit: "There shall be no provision for re-evaluation/ re-checking of the scores of any stage/ Tier(s) of the examination. No correspondence in this regard shall be entertained."

You will not be considered for any post in the final result, and no second opportunity is given (Paras 15.3, 17.9). Preferences are collected through an online Option Form on the Commission's website before the final result is declared. Once submitted they are "FINAL and IRREVERSIBLE", and a candidate is not considered for any post they did not opt for, regardless of merit position (Paras 15.1, 15.2).

Candidates appointed on the basis of this examination are on probation for two years, during which they may be required to undergo training or pass prescribed examinations before confirmation (Para 17.18). All these posts carry All India Service Liability — you are liable to serve anywhere in India (Para 17.19). You may be allotted a State/UT/Zone by the user department and required to acquire proficiency in its local language for confirmation (Para 17.20).

Represent to the concerned Regional Office of the Commission within two months of the declaration of the result, or two weeks before the next stage of the examination, whichever is earlier (Para 17.21). Separately, if you are finally selected and hear nothing from the Commission or the user department within six months of the final result, contact the user Ministry/Department/Organisation directly (Para 17.22).

The Commission implemented Aadhaar Based Biometric Authentication for this examination, and candidates authenticate themselves at One-Time Registration and while filling the application form. Candidates who do not wish to authenticate through Aadhaar must instead upload proof of name, proof of date of birth, proof of address, a photograph and proof of gender to complete their OTR (Para 24(d)). Choosing Aadhaar authentication also protects the application: it will not be rejected on the ground that the photograph or signature does not meet the prescribed standards (Paras 9.3, 9.5, 9.6).

No. Para 17.16: "Success in the examination confers no right of appointment unless the Government is satisfied after such enquiry as may be considered necessary that the candidate is suitable in all respects for appointment to the service/ post." Admission at all stages is purely provisional, and candidature is cancelled at any point if the eligibility criteria are found not to be met (Para 17.17). Document Verification is conducted by the user Ministries/Departments/Organisations after the final result is declared (Para 16.1).