SSC CHSL Vacancy 2026: Quick Answer
The SSC CHSL 2026 notice announces approximately 2,536 tentative vacancies for Group C posts — Lower Division Clerk / Junior Secretariat Assistant (LDC/JSA), Data Entry Operator (DEO) and DEO Grade 'A'. That figure comes from Para 2.1 of the official notice (F. No. HQ-C1102/5/2026-C-1, uploaded on ssc.gov.in on 7 September 2026), and the word "tentative" matters: the notice itself says the final vacancies will be decided later, after the user departments' documents are scrutinised. No post-wise or category-wise break-up has been published yet — the notice says the updated post-wise and category-wise list will appear on the SSC website under Candidate's Corner, Tentative Vacancy, in due course. As of 7 November 2026 it has not appeared. Tier 1 runs from 30 November to 31 December 2026, and applications closed on 7 October 2026.
Key takeaway: Remember one number and one warning. The number is approx. 2,536, tentative — the only vacancy figure the official notice gives. The warning is that any post-wise split you see online right now did not come from the notice, because the notice contains no such split. If a page tells you exactly how many of the 2,536 are LDC and how many are DEO, it is guessing or inventing. Check the Tentative Vacancy page on ssc.gov.in before Tier 1, and treat every other split as unverified until SSC publishes it.
Official source: Combined Higher Secondary (10+2) Level Examination, 2026 notice, F. No. HQ-C1102/5/2026-C-1, on ssc.gov.in (Para 2.1 for vacancies, Para 1 for posts and pay levels, Para 5 for the age limit); SSC schedule notice of 1 October 2026 (Tier 1 window 30 November–31 December 2026). Full pattern: SSC CHSL exam pattern 2026; eligibility: SSC CHSL eligibility and age limit 2026.
Latest Changes: SSC CHSL Vacancy 2026
| Date | What changed | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 7 November 2026 | This note re-checked the official notice PDF on ssc.gov.in: Para 2.1 still reads approx. 2,536 tentative vacancies, and no post-wise list has been added | Official notice PDF, read directly |
| 3 November 2026 | No post-wise vacancy list on the SSC notice board yet | Secondary check (CareerGhar) |
| 26 October 2026 | A corrigendum revised Junior Engineer and Sub-Inspector exam dates only — CHSL vacancies were not touched | Secondary coverage (AglaSem) |
| 1 October 2026 | SSC schedule notice proposed the Tier 1 window, 30 November–31 December 2026 | SSC schedule notice |
| 7 September 2026 | CHSL 2026 notice uploaded on ssc.gov.in; Para 2.1 announced approx. 2,536 tentative vacancies | Official notice |
Nothing since 7 September has changed the vacancy figure. The correction window (14–16 October 2026) closed without any vacancy update, and no corrigendum to the CHSL 2026 notice has changed the vacancy position as of 7 November 2026.
What the Official Notice Actually Says
Every row below is from the notice itself, and where the notice says nothing, this table says so instead of filling the gap with a guess.
| Fact | What the notice says | Notice paragraph |
|---|---|---|
| Total vacancies | Approx. 2,536 — tentative, not final | Para 2.1 |
| Posts covered | LDC/JSA, DEO, DEO Grade 'A' — all Group C | Preamble and Para 1 |
| Post-wise break-up | Not given; to be published later on ssc.gov.in | Para 2.1 |
| Category-wise break-up | Not given; to be published later on ssc.gov.in | Para 2.1 |
| State-wise / zone-wise vacancies | Not collected by SSC at all | Para 2.1 |
| Where updates will appear | ssc.gov.in > Candidate's Corner > Tentative Vacancy | Para 2.1 |
| LDC/JSA pay | Pay Level 2, ₹19,900–63,200 | Para 1.1 |
| DEO pay | Pay Level 4, ₹25,500–81,100, or Level 5, ₹29,200–92,300 | Para 1.2 |
| DEO Grade 'A' pay | Pay Level 4, ₹25,500–81,100 | Para 1.3 |
| Age limit | 18–27 years as on 01-08-2026; born 02-08-1999 to 01-08-2008 | Para 5.1 |
| Tier 1 window | 30 November–31 December 2026 (1 October schedule notice) | Schedule notice |
| Tier 1 pattern | 100 questions, 200 marks, 60 minutes; 4 sections of 25 questions with 15-minute sectional timers; +2 / −0.50 | Para 13 |
Two things in that table deserve a second look. First, the notice is explicit that state-wise and zone-wise vacancies are not collected by the Commission — it even tells candidates to approach the user departments directly for zone-wise or state-wise information. So if a page shows you a state-wise CHSL vacancy table for 2026, it is not from SSC. Second, the final vacancy figure depends on the user departments: the notice says final vacancies "will be determined in due course after scrutiny of all the documents provided by the User Departments". That is why the number is tentative, and why it can move in either direction before the final result.
The Posts: LDC/JSA, DEO and DEO Grade 'A'
The notice recruits for three post families, and the differences between them matter more than the vacancy total does for your preparation — because your Tier 2 skill test depends on which post you are aiming for.
Lower Division Clerk (LDC) / Junior Secretariat Assistant (JSA) is the clerical backbone of the recruitment: routine office work, maintaining files and records and correspondence in central government ministries and departments. It sits in Pay Level 2, with a starting basic pay of ₹19,900. LDC/JSA candidates face a typing test in Tier 2 Session II, which is qualifying — fail it and you are out even with a high merit score. One notice detail applies only here: only male candidates are eligible for LDC vacancies in the Border Roads Organisation, which also has physical and medical standards.
Data Entry Operator (DEO) is the data-handling post, in Pay Level 4 or Level 5 depending on the department — the level is decided by the post you are allotted, not by your choice. DEO candidates face a skill test (data entry speed and accuracy) instead of the typing test. Most DEO posts need only a Class 12 pass, but DEO posts in the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, the Staff Selection Commission itself, the Ministry of Culture and the Comptroller and Auditor General's office need Class 12 in the Science stream with Mathematics.
Data Entry Operator, Grade 'A' is a separate, smaller cadre in Pay Level 4, listed as its own post in the notice rather than as a grade of DEO, and it carries the same Science-stream condition in the offices named above.
How many of the 2,536 belong to each of these three families? That is the held figure in this note: SSC has not published it. The notice promises the post-wise and category-wise list later, and as of 7 November 2026 no such list exists on the SSC website. Do not plan your post preference around a split you found on a coaching site — the preference form itself is filled later, through the online option form before the final result, and the notice says options once submitted are final.
How Vacancies Changed Against 2025
The 2025 cycle is the honest comparison point, but it comes with a provenance warning. The 2025 vacancy total of 3,131 is reported by secondary sources (Testbook and Adda247 both give it) — it was not verified from an SSC notice read for this note, so treat it as reported, not official. On that reported figure, the 2026 tentative total of 2,536 is 595 fewer posts, about 19% down on 2025. That is a real fall if the 2025 figure is right; CHSL vacancies have swung widely year to year, with 6,789 posts in 2019 at the high end.
What does a 19% fall mean for you? Less than it looks like. The cut-off is set by how many candidates clear Tier 1 against how many seats exist, and by the difficulty of the paper — not by the vacancy total alone. The 2025 Tier 1 cut-off for UR candidates was 144.26 out of 200 for LDC/JSA and 169.54 for DEO, and the 2024 UR LDC/JSA cut-off was higher still at 157.36, in a year with a different vacancy total. A smaller vacancy list can push cut-offs up, but a harder paper or fewer applicants can push them down by more. So read the fall as a reason to aim above the 2025 cut-off — 150+ out of 200 in mocks for LDC/JSA, 175+ for DEO — not as a reason to panic or to switch exams. The full cut-off picture is in our SSC CHSL cut-off note, and the day-by-day plan for the remaining days is in the SSC CHSL preparation strategy 2026 note.
Who Can Apply: Eligibility Snapshot
The vacancy figure only matters if you are eligible, so here is the snapshot from the notice. The age limit is 18 to 27 years as on 01-08-2026, which means you must have been born not before 02-08-1999 and not later than 01-08-2008. Relaxation follows central government rules: 5 years for SC/ST and 3 years for OBC, with further relaxations for PwBD, Ex-Servicemen and other categories in Para 5.2. The minimum qualification is a Class 12 pass (or equivalent) from a recognised board or university, with the result declared on or before 07-10-2026; Science with Mathematics is needed only for the DEO posts in the offices named above. Applications closed on 7 October 2026 at 23:00, the fee deadline was 8 October, and the correction window ran 14–16 October — all three dates are now past, so nobody can join this cycle late. The full detail is in our SSC CHSL eligibility and age limit 2026 note.
Common Mistakes About CHSL Vacancies
- Treating 2,536 as final. It is tentative by the notice's own word, and the notice says the final figure comes after departmental scrutiny. A final list can add posts or remove them.
- Believing a post-wise split you found online. The notice has no split. One secondary page lists all 2,536 against LDC alone, which contradicts its own text; another claims 4,500 posts, which contradicts the notice entirely. Both are wrong, and both are still circulating.
- Hunting for state-wise vacancies. SSC does not collect them for CHSL. There is no state quota to find, and no state-wise table to wait for.
- Mixing up 2025 and 2026. The 3,131 figure belongs to the 2025 cycle (as reported by secondary sources). Quoting it as the 2026 total overstates this year's seats by 595.
- Reading the vacancy fall as a cut-off forecast. Fewer posts do not mechanically mean a higher cut-off — paper difficulty, applicant numbers and normalisation across shifts all move it. Aim above the 2025 cut-off instead of forecasting it.
- Thinking Tier 1 marks count in the final merit. They do not. Tier 1 only shortlists you for Tier 2; final merit comes from Tier 2. A vacancy list, however small, is decided in Tier 2, not Tier 1.
Memory Tricks: CHSL Vacancy 2026 Numbers
- "2,536 — tentative, T for tentative." The figure and its warning share a letter: Tentative 2,536. If a page gives you the number without the word tentative, it has dropped the most important part.
- "Para 2.1 is the vacancy para." 2.1 for vacancies, 5.1 for the age limit, 13 for the exam scheme. Three paragraph numbers answer three questions.
- "1 August freezes your age." The age clock stopped on 01-08-2026 — born 02-08-1999 to 01-08-2008. August twice: the month your age was counted, and the month your birth window starts.
- "30 November, last day of November." Tier 1 starts on the last day of November and runs to 31 December. One date to remember, not two.
- "No split, no state." Two absences to remember together: no post-wise split yet, and no state-wise vacancies ever. If a table shows either, it is not from SSC.
Practice Questions: SSC CHSL Vacancy 2026 (10 Questions)
1. How many tentative vacancies did the SSC CHSL 2026 notice announce? (a) 3,131 (b) 2,536 (c) 4,500 (d) 6,789 — Answer: (b) 2,536. Para 2.1 of the official notice says there are approx. 2,536 tentative vacancies.
2. Which paragraph of the CHSL 2026 notice gives the vacancy figure? (a) Para 1.1 (b) Para 2.1 (c) Para 5.1 (d) Para 13 — Answer: (b) Para 2.1. Para 1 covers pay scales, Para 5.1 the age limit, and Para 13 the scheme of examination.
3. What is the age limit for SSC CHSL 2026, and as on which date? (a) 18–27 years as on 01-08-2026 (b) 18–27 years as on 07-10-2026 (c) 18–30 years as on 01-08-2026 (d) 21–27 years as on 01-01-2026 — Answer: (a) 18–27 years as on 01-08-2026. Candidates must be born not before 02-08-1999 and not later than 01-08-2008.
4. Where will SSC publish the post-wise and category-wise vacancy list? (a) In Employment News only (b) On ssc.gov.in under Candidate's Corner, Tentative Vacancy (c) On the mySSC app only (d) It will not be published — Answer: (b) On ssc.gov.in under Candidate's Corner, Tentative Vacancy. Para 2.1 of the notice says so.
5. When does SSC CHSL Tier 1 2026 run? (a) 1–30 November 2026 (b) 30 November–31 December 2026 (c) January 2027 (d) 7 September–7 October 2026 — Answer: (b) 30 November–31 December 2026. Per the SSC schedule notice of 1 October 2026.
6. How many questions and marks is CHSL Tier 1? (a) 100 questions, 200 marks (b) 135 questions, 405 marks (c) 100 questions, 100 marks (d) 200 questions, 400 marks — Answer: (a) 100 questions, 200 marks. Four sections of 25 questions, 60 minutes, with a 15-minute sectional timer per section.
7. What is the negative marking in CHSL Tier 1? (a) −0.25 (b) −0.50 (c) −1 (d) No negative marking — Answer: (b) −0.50. A correct answer gives +2 marks.
8. What was the 2025 Tier 1 cut-off for UR (LDC/JSA)? (a) 157.36 (b) 169.54 (c) 144.26 (d) 125.40 — Answer: (c) 144.26 out of 200. 169.54 was the DEO cut-off; 157.36 was the 2024 UR LDC/JSA cut-off.
9. What pay level is the DEO post in? (a) Level 2 only (b) Level 4 or Level 5 (c) Level 6 (d) Level 7 — Answer: (b) Level 4 or Level 5. DEO is Level 4 (₹25,500–81,100) or Level 5 (₹29,200–92,300), depending on the department.
10. Does SSC collect state-wise vacancies for CHSL? (a) Yes, for all states (b) Yes, for major states only (c) No — Answer: (c) No. Para 2.1 says state-wise/zone-wise vacancies are not collected by the Commission.
SSC CHSL Vacancy 2026 FAQs
How many vacancies are there in SSC CHSL 2026?
Approx. 2,536 tentative vacancies, per Para 2.1 of the official notice (F. No. HQ-C1102/5/2026-C-1, 7 September 2026). The figure is tentative — the final total will be decided after the user departments' documents are scrutinised.
What is the post-wise vacancy break-up for CHSL 2026?
Not published yet. The notice says the post-wise and category-wise list will be published on ssc.gov.in under Candidate's Corner, Tentative Vacancy, in due course. As of 7 November 2026 it has not appeared, so any split you see online is unverified.
Is the 2,536 figure final?
No. The notice calls the vacancies tentative and says the final number will be determined later. It can move up or down before the final result.
Are there state-wise vacancies in SSC CHSL 2026?
No. SSC states in Para 2.1 that it does not collect state-wise or zone-wise vacancies for this examination, and directs candidates to the user departments for that information.
What is the age limit for SSC CHSL 2026?
18 to 27 years as on 01-08-2026 — born not before 02-08-1999 and not later than 01-08-2008. SC/ST candidates get 5 years' relaxation and OBC candidates 3 years.
When is the SSC CHSL Tier 1 exam in 2026?
30 November to 31 December 2026, per the SSC schedule notice of 1 October 2026. The city slip is expected around 20–21 November and the admit card around 27 November for first-day candidates — both expected, not announced.
Did CHSL vacancies fall compared to 2025?
On the figures reported by secondary sources, yes: 3,131 in 2025 (reported, not verified from an SSC notice) against 2,536 tentative in 2026 — about 19% fewer. The 2025 figure is secondary-reported, so treat the comparison as indicative, not official.
Practice Next for SSC CHSL
- Pattern, syllabus and cut-off: SSC CHSL exam pattern 2026, SSC CHSL syllabus 2026, SSC CHSL cut-off
- Admit card, result and skill test: SSC CHSL admit card 2026, SSC CHSL result 2026, SSC CHSL skill test 2026
- Salary, eligibility and strategy: SSC CHSL salary 2026, SSC CHSL eligibility and age limit 2026, SSC CHSL preparation strategy 2026
- Previous papers: SSC CHSL previous year question papers
- Mocks: CHSL Tier 1 new-pattern mock 01, CHSL Tier 1 new-pattern mock 02, CHSL Tier 1 new-pattern mock 03, CHSL Tier 2 mock 01
Sources: CHSL 2026 notice (F. No. HQ-C1102/5/2026-C-1), official PDF read directly from ssc.gov.in on 7 November 2026 — Para 2.1 (approx. 2,536 tentative vacancies; post-wise and category-wise lists to follow; no state/zone-wise vacancies collected), Para 1.1–1.3 (pay levels), Para 5.1–5.2 (age limit 18–27 as on 01-08-2026; SC/ST +5, OBC +3), Para 13 (Tier 1 scheme); SSC schedule notice of 1 October 2026 (Tier 1 window 30 November–31 December 2026); 2025 Tier 1 cut-offs from the SSC result write-ups via the house strategy note (UR LDC/JSA 144.26, DEO 169.54; 2024 UR LDC/JSA 157.36); 2025 vacancy total 3,131 as reported by Testbook and Adda247 — secondary-reported, not verified from an SSC notice; city-slip and admit-card dates from convergent secondary coverage — expected, not announced; the 26 October 2026 corrigendum (JE/SI dates only) and the 3 November notice-board check from secondary coverage (AglaSem, CareerGhar). The post-wise and category-wise vacancy break-up is HELD: not published by SSC as of 7 November 2026. As of 7 November 2026.