SSC CHSL Recruitment 2026: 2,536 Vacancies, Eligibility, Application Form, Exam Pattern and Important Dates

writer by Sanjoy gorh

The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) has released the official notification for the Combined Higher Secondary (10+2) Level Examination, 2026. The recruitment is for Group C posts including Lower Divisional Clerk (LDC), Junior Secretariat Assistant (JSA), Data Entry Operator (DEO), and Data Entry Operator Grade A in various Central Government ministries, departments, offices and other organisations.

According to the official notification, approximately 2,536 vacancies are available on a tentative basis. Candidates who have passed Class 12 can apply, subject to the post-specific educational requirements. 

The online application process started on September 7, 2026, and eligible candidates can submit their applications up to October 7, 2026, at 11:00 PM.Here is a complete guide to SSC CHSL Recruitment 2026, including vacancies, eligibility, age limit, salary, application fee, selection process and examination pattern.

SSC CHSL Recruitment 2026: Highlights

The examination dates for Tier-I and Tier-II have not yet been notified in the official notice. Candidates should therefore rely on SSC’s website for subsequent examination updates.

SSC CHSL 2026 Vacancy Details

SSC has mentioned approximately 2,536 tentative vacancies for CHSL 2026. These vacancies are not final. The Commission has stated that the final vacancy position will be determined after scrutiny of information received from the concerned User Departments.

Updated post-wise and category-wise vacancies will be made available on the SSC website when they are finalised. SSC also makes it clear that it does not collect state-wise or zone-wise vacancy information. Therefore, candidates should not treat 2,536 as the final number of available posts.

Posts and SSC CHSL Salary 2026

The recruitment covers several Group C positions.

LDC/JSA Salary

The Lower Divisional Clerk (LDC)/Junior Secretariat Assistant (JSA) post carries Pay Level-2, with a pay scale of ₹19,900 to ₹63,200.

DEO Salary

The Data Entry Operator (DEO) post is available at:

• Pay Level-4: ₹25,500 to ₹81,100
• Pay Level-5: ₹29,200 to ₹92,300

DEO Grade A Salary

The Data Entry Operator Grade A post carries Pay Level-4, with a pay scale of ₹25,500 to ₹81,100. 

These are the pay levels and scales specified in the notification. Actual monthly salary and take-home pay can vary depending on the applicable allowances and deductions.

SSC CHSL Eligibility Criteria 2026

Candidates should carefully check the educational and age requirements before submitting the application.

Educational Qualification

For LDC/JSA and most DEO/DEO Grade A posts, candidates must have passed 12th Standard or an equivalent examination from a recognised Board or University.

However, there is an important exception.

For DEO/DEO Grade A in the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Staff Selection Commission and Ministry of Culture, candidates must have passed 12th Standard in the Science stream with Mathematics as a subject from a recognised Board or equivalent. 

Candidates appearing for their Class 12 examination can also apply, but they must possess the required qualification by October 7, 2026.

The notification specifically states that the result of the required qualification must have been declared by the Board or University by the cut-off date. Merely having the result under processing is not sufficient. 

SSC CHSL Age Limit 2026

The age limit is 18 to 27 years as on August 1, 2026.Candidates must have been born:On or after August 2, 1999, and on or before August 1, 2008. 

Age relaxation is available to eligible categories according to Government of India rules. The notification specifies:

• SC/ST: 5 years
• OBC: 3 years
• PwBD: 10 years
• PwBD OBC: 13 years
• PwBD SC/ST: 15 years
• Ex-Servicemen: 3 years after deduction of military service from actual age

Additional relaxations apply to certain defence personnel and Central Government civilian employees under the conditions specified in the notification. 

SSC CHSL Application Form 2026

Eligible candidates have to apply online through the new SSC website or the mySSC mobile application.The application window is: September 7, 2026 to October 7, 2026, 11:00 PM.

Candidates who have not generated an One-Time Registration (OTR) on the new SSC website must complete OTR before applying. The notification clearly states that an OTR created on the old SSC website will not work on the new website. 

Candidates should avoid waiting until the final day because heavy website traffic or technical problems could make submission difficult.

SSC CHSL Application Fee

The application fee is ₹100. Women candidates and eligible candidates belonging to SC, ST, PwBD and Ex-Servicemen categories are exempt from paying the examination fee.

For candidates who have to pay the fee, online payment can be made through BHIM UPI, Net Banking and eligible debit card options. The last date for online fee payment is October 8, 2026, at 11:00 PM. 

Candidates should check their payment status after making the payment. An application for which the required fee is not received can remain incomplete and may be rejected.

SSC CHSL Correction Window 2026

SSC will provide a correction window from:

October 14 to October 16, 2026, up to 11:00 PM.

A candidate can submit a corrected application two times during the correction period.The correction charges are:

• First correction: ₹200
• Second correction: ₹500

The charges apply irrespective of gender or category. 

Candidates should therefore check their personal details, educational information, category details and other application information carefully before final submission.

SSC CHSL 2026 Exam Pattern

The SSC CHSL examination will be conducted in two tiers: Tier-I and Tier-II. 

Tier-I Exam Pattern

Tier-I consists of four sections:

The normal examination duration is 60 minutes, with a sectional timer of 15 minutes for each subject.The examination consists of objective-type multiple-choice questions. There is a negative marking of 0.50 marks for each wrong answer. 

Candidates should therefore avoid random guessing, particularly when they are uncertain about an answer.

SSC CHSL Tier-II Exam Pattern

Tier-II is more detailed and includes mathematical abilities, reasoning, English language and comprehension, general awareness and computer knowledge.

Section-I contains:

• Mathematical Abilities – 30 questions
• Reasoning and General Intelligence – 30 questions

Section-II contains:

• English Language and Comprehension – 40 questions
• General Awareness – 20 questions

Section-III is the Computer Knowledge Test, containing 15 questions.

Tier-II also includes the required Skill Test/Typing Test depending on the post. DEO candidates have a skill test, while LDC/JSA candidates have a typing test. 

The final merit list is prepared based on performance in the relevant sections of Tier-II, subject to qualifying the required portions of the examination and the applicable post-preference process. 

SSC CHSL Selection Process

Candidates should understand that clearing Tier-I alone does not mean final selection.The recruitment process involves the prescribed stages of the SSC CHSL examination, followed by document verification and post allocation according to merit and preferences.

Document Verification is conducted by the concerned User Ministries, Departments or Organisations after declaration of the final result. Candidates have to produce original documents and the required certificates when called for verification. 

SSC also states that final allotment is based on merit-cum-preference. Once a post is allotted, candidates may not be shifted to another preference merely because they fail to meet a post-specific physical, medical or educational requirement. 

SSC CHSL 2026: Important Dates

Candidates should keep the following dates saved:

• Notification: September 7, 2026
• Application begins: September 7, 2026
• Last date to apply: October 7, 2026, 11:00 PM
• Last date for fee payment: October 8, 2026, 11:00 PM
• Correction window: October 14–16, 2026, up to 11:00 PM
• Tier-I exam: To be notified
• Tier-II exam: To be notified

These dates are taken from the official SSC CHSL 2026 notice provided for this article. 

What Candidates Should Do Before Applying

Before submitting the SSC CHSL application, candidates should:

1. Check their date of birth against the age-limit requirements.
2. Confirm that their Class 12 qualification meets the requirement for the post they want.
3. Check whether they need Mathematics in Class 12 for the specified DEO posts.
4. Complete OTR on the new SSC website if they have not already done so.
5. Carefully enter personal and educational information.
6. Capture the photograph according to SSC’s instructions.
7. Upload the signature in the prescribed format.
8. Pay the examination fee if applicable.
9. Check the application preview before submission.
10. Save a copy of the submitted application for future reference.

SSC specifically advises candidates to verify the information in the application before submitting it. Information provided in the application can be checked against original documents during verification, and incorrect information can lead to rejection. 

SSC CHSL Recruitment 2026

Q1.What is the SSC CHSL 2026 application last date?

The last date to submit the online application is October 7, 2026, at 11:00 PM. 

Q2.How many vacancies are announced for SSC CHSL 2026?

SSC has announced approximately 2,536 tentative vacancies. The final vacancy number may change after further scrutiny and reporting by User Departments. 

Q3.What qualification is required for SSC CHSL 2026?

For most LDC/JSA and DEO/DEO Grade A posts, candidates need to have passed Class 12 or an equivalent examination. Certain specified DEO posts require Class 12 Science with Mathematics. 

Q4.What is the SSC CHSL age limit?

The age limit is 18 to 27 years as on August 1, 2026, subject to applicable category-based relaxations. 

Q5.What is the SSC CHSL application fee?

The standard application fee is ₹100. Women, SC, ST, eligible PwBD and eligible Ex-Servicemen candidates are exempt from the fee. 

Final Takeaway

SSC CHSL Recruitment 2026 is an important Central Government recruitment opportunity for candidates who have completed Class 12. The notification covers LDC/JSA and DEO-related Group C posts, with approximately 2,536 tentative vacancies and pay levels ranging from Level-2 to Level-5.

The most important deadline is October 7, 2026, at 11:00 PM, which is the closing time for online applications. Candidates should not wait until the last day to apply.

Most importantly, applicants should check the post-specific educational requirements, especially the Mathematics requirement for certain DEO positions, before selecting their preferences. They should also keep their original educational and category documents ready for later verification.

Official source: Staff Selection Commission’s SSC CHSL 2026 notification provided for this article. The examination dates and final vacancy figures should be checked again on the official SSC website when SSC issues further updates.