SSC CHSL vs SSC GD 2026: Quick Answer
SSC CHSL and SSC GD are both SSC exams for school-leavers, but they lead to entirely different careers. CHSL (Combined Higher Secondary Level) needs a 12th pass and recruits Lower Division Clerks, Junior Secretariat Assistants and Data Entry Operators for central government ministries — desk jobs with a typing or skill test. GD (Constable GD) needs only a 10th pass and recruits Constables and Riflemen for the Central Armed Police Forces and Assam Rifles — uniformed jobs with a race, height and chest measurement, and a medical examination. CHSL 2026 has 2,536 vacancies with Tier 1 running from 30 November to 31 December 2026; GD 2026 had 25,487 vacancies under its notice of 1 December 2025, with its shortlist for PET/PST published on 12 October 2026. If you have passed Class 12 and want office work, CHSL is your exam; if you have passed Class 10 and want the uniform, GD is. As of 7 November 2026.
SSC CHSL vs SSC GD 2026: Comparison Table
| Point | SSC CHSL 2026 | SSC GD 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Combined Higher Secondary (10+2) Level Examination | Constable (GD) in CAPFs and SSF, and Rifleman (GD) in Assam Rifles Examination |
| Notice | 7 September 2026 (ssc.gov.in) | 1 December 2025 (ssc.gov.in) |
| Vacancies | 2,536 | 25,487 |
| Age limit (General) | 18 to 27 years as on 01.08.2026 | 18 to 23 years as on 01.01.2026 |
| Education | 12th pass (10+2) | Matriculation (10th) pass by 01.01.2026 |
| Posts | LDC, JSA, DEO, DEO Grade 'A' | Constable (GD) in BSF, CISF, CRPF, ITBP, SSB, SSF; Rifleman (GD) in Assam Rifles |
| Stages | Tier 1 → Tier 2 → skill/typing test | CBE → PET/PST → medical and document verification |
| Written exam | Tier 1: 100Q / 200 marks / 60 min; Tier 2: merit 360 marks + qualifying CKT | One CBE: 80Q / 160 marks / 60 min |
| Negative marking | 0.50 per wrong answer in Tier 1; 1 mark in Tier 2 sections | 0.25 per wrong answer |
| Physical test | Typing test (LDC/JSA) or skill test (DEO) — qualifying | PET race + PST height/chest — qualifying |
| Final merit | Tier 2 Section I + Section II (360 marks) | CBE marks (plus NCC bonus), subject to PET/PST and medical |
| Pay level | Level 2 (LDC/JSA), Level 4/5 (DEO) | Level 3 for all posts |
| Starting basic pay | ₹19,900 (LDC/JSA); ₹25,500 / ₹29,200 (DEO) | ₹21,700 |
| Work | Office, desk-based, ministries and departments | Uniformed, field and border duties in the forces |
As of 7 November 2026. Sources: SSC CHSL 2026 notice (7 September 2026) and SSC GD 2026 notice (1 December 2025), as summarised in our SSC CHSL syllabus 2026 and SSC GD syllabus 2026 notes.
SSC CHSL vs SSC GD Eligibility: 12th Pass vs 10th Pass
| Point | SSC CHSL | SSC GD |
|---|---|---|
| Age (General) | 18 to 27 years as on 01.08.2026 (born 02.08.1999 to 01.08.2008) | 18 to 23 years as on 01.01.2026 (born 02.01.2003 to 01.01.2008) |
| Education | 12th pass or equivalent; DEO (Science stream) posts need 12th with Science and Mathematics | Matriculation (10th) pass by 01.01.2026 |
| Relaxations | Usual SSC relaxations (SC/ST 5 years, OBC 3 years, PwBD 10 years) | Usual SSC relaxations |
| Nationality | Citizen of India and the standard SSC categories | Citizen of India and the standard SSC categories |
| Physical standards | None, beyond the typing/skill test | PET/PST standards must be met; ex-servicemen exempt from PET |
The education gap is the key difference: a Class 10 pass can write GD but not CHSL, while a Class 12 pass can write both. The age gap matters the other way: GD caps at 23, so a 25-year-old graduate-age candidate can write CHSL but not GD. A candidate aged 18 to 23 with a 12th pass is eligible for both and should consider writing both.
SSC CHSL vs SSC GD Exam Pattern
GD pattern in full: SSC GD exam pattern 2026.
CHSL Tier 1. 100 questions for 200 marks in 60 minutes, with a 15-minute timer per section: English (25), General Intelligence (25), Quantitative Aptitude (25) and General Awareness (25), 2 marks each with 0.50 deducted per wrong answer. Tier 1 only shortlists for Tier 2.
CHSL Tier 2. Session I has Section I (Maths 30 + Reasoning 30, 180 marks) and Section II (English 40 + General Awareness 20, 180 marks), giving 360 merit marks, plus a qualifying 15-question Computer Knowledge Test. Session II is the skill test for DEO or the typing test for LDC/JSA — both qualifying, but you must qualify every section. Final merit is Tier 2 Section I + Section II.
GD CBE. One 60-minute paper of 80 questions for 160 marks, in four equal parts of 20 questions: General Intelligence and Reasoning, General Knowledge and General Awareness, Elementary Mathematics, and English or Hindi. Every question carries 2 marks with 0.25 deducted per wrong answer, and questions are of Matriculation (Class 10) level. Scores are normalised across shifts, NCC bonus marks are added, and about 8 times the vacancies are shortlisted for PET/PST.
The second stage is where the exams feel different. CHSL's second stage is a keyboard: a typing test for LDC/JSA posts or a skill test for DEO posts, testing speed and accuracy at a desk. GD's second stage is physical: a 5 km race in 24 minutes for men (1.6 km in 8½ minutes for women) except in Ladakh, plus height and chest measurement, then a detailed medical examination. Prepare for the stage that matches the career you actually want — typing speed cannot be built in a week, and neither can race fitness.
SSC CHSL vs SSC GD Salary 2026
| Point | SSC CHSL | SSC GD |
|---|---|---|
| Pay levels | Level 2 (LDC/JSA ₹19,900–63,200); Level 4 (DEO ₹25,500–81,100) or Level 5 (DEO ₹29,200–92,300); DEO Grade 'A' Level 4 | Level 3 (₹21,700–69,100) for all posts |
| Starting basic pay | ₹19,900 (LDC/JSA); ₹25,500 or ₹29,200 (DEO) | ₹21,700 |
| Approximate gross | LDC/JSA about ₹35,000–40,000 a month; DEO about ₹46,000–61,000, depending on city and level | About ₹39,800–47,000 a month, depending on HRA and Transport Allowance at the posting |
| DA | 63% of basic pay from 1 July 2026 (Cabinet approval, PIB 28 October 2026) | 63% of basic pay from 1 July 2026 (same approval) |
| Extra allowances | Usual central government allowances | Force-specific allowances for field postings, rations and so on, set by each force |
The headline comparison is misleading if read alone: a DEO starts higher than a GD Constable, but an LDC starts lower. The GD gross sits between the two CHSL posts, and force allowances — which the SSC notice does not publish — can add to it. Full tables are in our SSC CHSL salary 2026 and SSC GD salary 2026 notes.
SSC CHSL vs SSC GD: Which Exam Should You Choose?
Choose SSC CHSL if you have passed Class 12, want office work in a ministry or department, are comfortable with a typing test, and prefer postings in cities and state capitals with regular hours. CHSL also keeps the door open to departmental promotion into higher clerical and assistant grades over a career.
Choose SSC GD if you have passed Class 10 (with or without Class 12), want uniformed service, are physically fit and ready for field, border and internal-security duties, and accept transfers across the country. GD has ten times the vacancies of CHSL, which makes the written competition less tight per post — but the physical and medical stages eliminate candidates the written exam never touches.
Write both if you are 18 to 23 with a 12th pass. The written syllabuses overlap heavily — reasoning, maths, English and general awareness at Class 10 level — and the two exams run months apart. The only preparation that does not transfer is typing practice for CHSL and race and measurement preparation for GD, and both need months, so start both early and decide later.
SSC CHSL vs SSC GD Promotion and Career Growth
CHSL recruits promote within the central secretariat and departmental clerical cadres: LDC to UDC, then Assistant and Section Officer grades through departmental examinations and seniority, with DEOs following a parallel technical track. GD Constables promote within their force — Constable to Head Constable, Assistant Sub-Inspector, Sub-Inspector and beyond — through departmental examinations, seniority and courses, with faster avenues for graduates. Neither career is a dead end, but they grow in different organisations: CHSL inside civilian ministries, GD inside the uniformed forces with their own rank structure, discipline and retirement rules.
SSC CHSL vs SSC GD FAQs
What is the difference between SSC CHSL and SSC GD?
CHSL needs a 12th pass and recruits clerks and data entry operators for ministries, through two computer-based tiers and a typing or skill test. GD needs a 10th pass and recruits constables and riflemen for the CAPFs and Assam Rifles, through one computer-based exam, a physical test and a medical examination.
Can I apply for both SSC CHSL and SSC GD?
Yes, if you meet both sets of conditions: 12th pass and age 18 to 27 for CHSL, 10th pass and age 18 to 23 for GD. Many candidates aged 18 to 23 with a 12th pass write both.
Is SSC GD easier than SSC CHSL?
GD's written paper is Class 10 level with a smaller penalty (0.25) and ten times the vacancies, but it adds a race, height and chest standards and a medical examination that CHSL does not have. CHSL's written papers go deeper, especially in Tier 2, and add a typing or skill test. Easier depends on whether your strength is academics or fitness.
What is the salary difference between CHSL and GD?
LDC/JSA start at Level 2 (₹19,900 basic), DEO at Level 4 or 5 (₹25,500 or ₹29,200), and GD Constables at Level 3 (₹21,700). Approximate gross pay is ₹35,000–40,000 for LDC/JSA, ₹46,000–61,000 for DEO, and ₹39,800–47,000 for GD, before force-specific allowances.
Does SSC GD have a typing test?
No. GD has no typing test. Its second stage is the PET race and PST measurements, followed by a medical examination. The typing test belongs to CHSL (for LDC/JSA posts) and to CGL's DEST, not to GD.