SSC CHSL Syllabus 2026 at a Glance
The SSC CHSL 2026 exam has two computer-based tiers. Tier 1 has 100 questions (English, General Intelligence, Quantitative Aptitude, General Awareness; 25 each) for 200 marks in 60 minutes with a 15-minute timer per section. Tier 2 has Maths + Reasoning (60 questions) and English + GA (60 questions) for 360 merit marks, plus a qualifying Computer Knowledge Test and a typing test (LDC/JSA) or skill test (DEO).
Key takeaway: This page follows the official notice of the Combined Higher Secondary (10+2) Level Examination 2026 (uploaded on ssc.gov.in on 7 September 2026, Para 13 and Para 17). The Tier 1 exam runs from 30 November to 31 December 2026 (SSC schedule notice of 1 October 2026). Tier 1 only shortlists; the final merit is Tier 2 Section I + Section II.
The 2026 notice recruits Lower Division Clerk / Junior Secretariat Assistant (Pay Level 2), Data Entry Operator (Level 4 and 5) and DEO Grade 'A' (Level 4).
SSC CHSL Exam Pattern 2026 (Tier 1)
| Part | Subject | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | English Language (Basic Knowledge) | 25 | 50 |
| II | General Intelligence | 25 | 50 |
| III | Quantitative Aptitude (Basic Arithmetic Skill) | 25 | 50 |
| IV | General Awareness | 25 | 50 |
| Total | 100 | 200 |
- Time: 60 minutes with a 15-minute sectional timer for each subject (80 minutes, 20 per subject, for scribe-eligible candidates).
- Marking: +2 for a correct answer, −0.50 for a wrong one.
- Language: Parts II, III and IV are available in English, Hindi and 13 regional languages (Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Konkani, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Odiya, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu), as opted in the application. English is in English only.
- The notice says the parts are "not in sequence", so do not assume English always comes first.
SSC CHSL Tier 1 Syllabus 2026 (Subject-wise)
SSC CHSL English Syllabus
Spot the error, fill in the blanks, synonyms/homonyms, antonyms, spellings and misspelt words, idioms and phrases, one-word substitution, improvement of sentences, active/passive voice, direct/indirect narration, shuffling of sentence parts, shuffling of sentences in a passage (para jumbles), cloze passage and comprehension passage.
SSC CHSL Reasoning Syllabus (General Intelligence)
Verbal and non-verbal questions on:
| Family | Official topics |
|---|---|
| Analogy | Semantic, symbolic/number and figural analogy |
| Classification | Semantic, symbolic/number and figural classification |
| Series | Semantic, number and figural series |
| Logic | Venn diagrams, drawing inferences, critical thinking, problem solving |
| Non-verbal | Space orientation, punched hole/pattern folding and unfolding, figural pattern folding and completion, embedded figures |
| Others | Coding-decoding, symbolic and numerical operations, trends, word building, emotional and social intelligence, "other sub-topics, if any" |
In real papers "problem solving" and "other sub-topics" cover blood relations, direction sense, order and ranking, mirror and water images, dice and calendar-clock questions.
SSC CHSL Maths Syllabus (Quantitative Aptitude)
The 2026 notice lists a full maths syllabus for Tier 1, not just arithmetic, even though the section is called "Basic Arithmetic Skill":
| Area | Topics |
|---|---|
| Number system | Whole numbers, decimals and fractions, relationship between numbers |
| Arithmetic | Percentage, ratio and proportion, square roots, averages, simple and compound interest, profit and loss, discount, partnership, mixture and alligation, time and distance, time and work |
| Algebra | Basic identities of school algebra, elementary surds (simple problems), graphs of linear equations |
| Geometry | Triangle and its centres, congruence and similarity, circle: chords, tangents, angles subtended by chords, common tangents |
| Mensuration | Triangle, quadrilaterals, regular polygons, circle, right prism, cone, cylinder, sphere, hemisphere, cuboid, regular right pyramid (triangular or square base) |
| Trigonometry | Trigonometric ratios, complementary angles, heights and distances (simple problems), standard identities like sin²θ + cos²θ = 1 |
| Statistical charts | Tables and graphs: histogram, frequency polygon, bar diagram, pie chart |
SSC CHSL General Awareness Syllabus
Current events, everyday science as expected of an educated person, and questions on India and its neighbouring countries: history, culture, geography, economic scene, general policy and scientific research. Build your GA plan around history, polity, geography, economy, Class 10 science, static GK (books, days, dances, awards) and the last 6 months of current affairs.
For visually handicapped candidates with 40% or more disability, there are no maps, graphs, diagrams or statistical data questions in the Reasoning and Maths parts.
SSC CHSL Tier 2 Exam Pattern 2026
Tier 2 is held on one day in two sessions.
| Session | Section | Module | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Session I (2 h 15 min) | Section I | A. Mathematical Abilities | 30 | 90 | 30 minutes |
| B. Reasoning and General Intelligence | 30 | 90 | 30 minutes | ||
| Section II | A. English Language and Comprehension | 40 | 120 | 40 minutes | |
| B. General Awareness | 20 | 60 | 20 minutes | ||
| Section III | Computer Knowledge Test | 15 | 45 | 15 minutes | |
| Session II | Section IV | Skill Test (DEO) / Typing Test (LDC/JSA) | 1 task | qualifying | 15 or 10 minutes |
- Marking: +3 per correct answer and −1 per wrong answer in Sections I, II and III.
- Merit marks: Section I (180) + Section II (180) = 360. CKT (45 marks) and the skill/typing test are qualifying, but you must qualify every section.
- English (Module A of Section II) is in English only; the rest is in English, Hindi and the opted regional language.
- Scribe-eligible candidates get 40 minutes per module in Section I, 55 + 25 minutes in Section II, and 20 minutes for CKT and the skill test (15 minutes for the typing test).
SSC CHSL Tier 2 Syllabus 2026
Mathematical Abilities: the full Tier 1 maths list, plus statistics and probability: mean, median, mode, standard deviation and simple probability.
Reasoning and General Intelligence: same topic list as Tier 1.
English Language and Comprehension: vocabulary, grammar, sentence structure, synonyms, antonyms and their usage, plus every Tier 1 English topic. Comprehension has two or more passages: at least one simple passage based on a book or story, and one based on a current affairs editorial or report.
General Awareness: same scope as Tier 1.
SSC CHSL Computer Knowledge Test Syllabus
| Part | Topics |
|---|---|
| Computer basics | Organisation of a computer, CPU, input/output devices, memory and memory organisation, backup devices, ports, Windows Explorer, keyboard shortcuts |
| Software | Windows OS; basics of MS Word, MS Excel, PowerPoint |
| Internet and e-mail | Browsing and searching, downloading and uploading, managing an e-mail account, e-banking |
| Networking and cyber security | Networking devices and protocols; hacking, viruses, worms, Trojans and preventive measures |
SSC CHSL Typing Test and DEO Skill Test Rules 2026
| Test | For | Passage | Time | Speed required |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part A: Skill Test | DEO / DEO Grade 'A' in the departments named at Para 8.1 | English, about 3,700-4,000 key depressions | 15 minutes | 15,000 key depressions per hour |
| Part B: Skill Test | DEO / DEO Grade 'A' in all other departments | English, about 2,000-2,200 key depressions | 15 minutes | 8,000 key depressions per hour |
| Part C: Typing Test | LDC / JSA | Hindi or English (chosen in the application form) | 10 minutes | English 35 wpm (about 10,500 KDPH); Hindi 30 wpm (about 9,000 KDPH) |
- No exemption from the DEO skill test.
- Hindi typing must be done in the Mangal font; any other font means you fail the test.
- The typing medium chosen in the application cannot be changed later.
- PwD candidates certified as unable to type (by a Civil Surgeon of a government institution, in the prescribed format) may be exempted from the LDC/JSA typing test; this does not cover visual or hearing disability alone.
- Errors are calculated up to 2 decimal places.
Practise the LDC/JSA typing test and the DEO skill test (Part A and Part B) on our free SSC CHSL typing test (Hindi medium: SSC Hindi typing test), with key depressions per hour and full and half mistakes worked out for you.
Errors allowed, key depression maths and a Hinglish FAQ: SSC CHSL skill test 2026.
SSC CHSL Qualifying Marks and Merit Rules 2026
| Category | Minimum qualifying marks (Tier 1 and Tier 2 Sections I, II, III) |
|---|---|
| UR | 30% |
| OBC / EWS | 25% |
| All other categories | 20% |
- Cut-offs can differ for three groups: DEO in Para 8.1 departments, other DEOs, and LDC/JSA.
- Scores across shifts are normalised (SSC procedure of 2 June 2025).
- Final merit = Tier 2 Section I + Section II, subject to qualifying CKT and the skill/typing test. There is no re-evaluation.
How to Prepare Using the SSC CHSL Syllabus
- Treat geometry and trigonometry as Tier 1 topics. The 2026 list includes them, so do not stop at arithmetic.
- Train for the sectional timer. 15 minutes for 25 questions is 36 seconds a question; practise each section on its own timer.
- Give English extra weight in Tier 2. English carries 120 of the 360 merit marks.
- Start typing practice now. 35 wpm in English means about 175 key depressions a minute, held for 10 minutes with few errors, which takes regular daily practice.
- Revise computer basics (shortcuts, MS Office, networking terms) once a week; 15 CKT questions decide whether your merit marks count at all.
SSC CHSL Syllabus Practice Questions (Pattern Check)
Q1. How many questions and marks are there in SSC CHSL 2026 Tier 1? Answer: 100 questions, 200 marks, 60 minutes.
Q2. What is the negative marking in CHSL Tier 2? Answer: 1 mark for each wrong answer in Sections I, II and III (each correct answer gets 3).
Q3. How many questions does the CHSL Tier 2 English module have? Answer: 40 questions, 120 marks, 40 minutes.
Q4. What typing speed is required for LDC/JSA in English and in Hindi? Answer: 35 wpm in English and 30 wpm in Hindi, in a 10-minute test.
Q5. A DEO skill test requires 8,000 key depressions per hour. How many is that in 15 minutes? Answer: 8,000 × 15/60 = 2,000 key depressions, which is why the Part B passage has about 2,000-2,200.
Q6 (Maths, Tier 1 type). A shopkeeper marks an article 40% above cost price and allows a 25% discount. Find his profit percentage. Answer: 5%. Selling price = 1.40 × 0.75 = 1.05 times the cost price.
Q7 (Reasoning, Tier 1 type). 8 : 64 :: 11 : ? Answer: 121. Each number is paired with its square (8² = 64, 11² = 121).
Q8 (English, Tier 1 type). Choose the antonym of "benevolent". Answer: Malevolent.
Q9 (GA, Tier 1 type). Who is the ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha? Answer: The Vice-President of India (Article 64).
Q10. In which font must Hindi typing be done in the CHSL typing test? Answer: Mangal.
SSC CHSL Syllabus 2026 FAQs
Does SSC CHSL Tier 1 include geometry and trigonometry?
Yes. The 2026 notice lists algebra, geometry, mensuration, trigonometry (simple heights and distances) and statistical charts under Tier 1 Quantitative Aptitude, even though the section is labelled "Basic Arithmetic Skill".
When is the SSC CHSL 2026 Tier 1 exam?
From 30 November to 31 December 2026, as per SSC's schedule notice of 1 October 2026. Tier 2 will be notified later.
Are SSC CHSL Tier 1 marks counted in the final merit?
No. Tier 1 is for shortlisting; the final merit uses Tier 2 Section I and Section II marks only.
Is there negative marking in the SSC CHSL typing test?
The typing and skill tests are qualifying and are judged on speed and accuracy, not on MCQ marks. Negative marking applies only to the MCQ sections: 0.50 in Tier 1 and 1 mark in Tier 2.
What is the SSC CHSL Tier 2 exam pattern 2026?
Session I: Maths 30 + Reasoning 30 (1 hour), English 40 + GA 20 (1 hour) and CKT 15 questions (15 minutes), all at +3/−1. Session II: skill test for DEOs or typing test for LDC/JSA.
Can I choose the language of the SSC CHSL exam?
Yes for Reasoning, Maths and GA: English, Hindi or one of 13 regional languages listed in the notice, as opted in the application. The English section is only in English.
What are the minimum qualifying marks for SSC CHSL?
30% for UR, 25% for OBC and EWS, and 20% for all other categories.
Practice Next
- Latest CHSL sectionals: SSC CHSL Reasoning Sectional Mock Test 13 and SSC CHSL Maths Sectional Mock Test 13.
- Full mocks: SSC CHSL Full Length Mock Test 01, SSC CHSL Full Length Mock Test 11 and the SSC CHSL 2025 Tier 1 paper, 15 November Shift 1.
- Sectionals: English Sectional 01, General Intelligence Sectional 01, Quant Sectional 01, GA Sectional 01, Trigonometry Mock Test 01.
- Related notes: SSC CGL syllabus 2026, percentage tricks, trigonometry formulas, coding-decoding tricks, sentence improvement rules, computer abbreviations.
- Job update: SSC CHSL 2026 notification. Browse all study notes.
- Free tools: SSC CHSL marks calculator 2026, SSC CHSL typing test and exam eligibility checker.