SSC Exam Guide: All Exams, Jobs, Eligibility and Salary

An SSC exam is a recruitment exam held by the Staff Selection Commission to fill Group B and Group C jobs in central government ministries, departments, offices and the armed police forces. There is an SSC exam for almost every level: class 10 pass, class 12 pass, diploma holders and graduates. Pay starts at Level 1 (₹18,000 basic) for MTS and goes up to Level 8 (₹47,600 basic) for the top CGL posts.

In my years of guiding students, SSC has been the most common first sarkari job for families like yours. The forms are online, the fee is small, the syllabus is fixed and the posts are spread across India. This page gives you the SSC exam details in one place: which exam fits you, what it pays and how to prepare.

What is SSC exam and who conducts it

SSC exam full form: SSC stands for Staff Selection Commission. It works under the central government's Department of Personnel and Training and has regional offices across the country. Its job is to select staff for central government offices through open, merit based exams. So when people ask "SSC exam kya hota hai" or "SSC exam means what", the simple answer is: it is the common entrance gate to most non-officer central government jobs.

One point that confuses many students: in Maharashtra and a few other states, "SSC" also means the class 10 board exam (Secondary School Certificate) run by the state board, MSBSHSE in Maharashtra. That board exam has nothing to do with Staff Selection Commission jobs. If you are looking for the msbshse SSC exam, check your state board's website.

SSC all exam list: posts, qualification and salary

Here is the full SSC job list in one table, with the age limit for general category candidates as given in recent notices.

SSC also holds the Combined Hindi Translators exam for master's degree holders, and the Delhi Police constable exam (see Delhi Police constable). Upcoming SSC exams for the year are listed in the exam calendar on the official website.

Staff Selection Commission exam eligibility and age limit

Your qualification decides which SSC exams you can sit for:

• 10th pass: MTS, Havaldar, GD Constable and matric level Selection Posts. See govt jobs after 10th.
• 12th pass: CHSL, Stenographer and higher secondary level Selection Posts. This is the 12th level SSC exam group. See govt jobs after 12th.
• Diploma or engineering degree: JE.
• Graduates: CGL, CPO and graduate level Selection Posts, and also all lower level exams.

SSC exam age limit: the lowest starting age is 18 (20 for CPO) and the highest upper limit for general candidates is 32 for one CGL post. Selection Posts can go up to 35 for some posts. Relaxation in the upper age limit is 5 years for SC and ST, 3 years for OBC, and more for PwBD candidates and ex-servicemen. Rules are in each notice, and our age limit guide explains them. Check your own age on the cut-off date here:

SSC salary per month: pay levels and what you get

All SSC jobs are on the 7th Pay Commission pay matrix, so the SSC salary depends on the level of your post. For a worked estimate with the current DA, use the pay box near the start of this page.

• SSC group D salary: the old Group D posts such as MTS are now Group C at Level 1, starting at ₹18,000 basic. The SSC Havaldar salary is also Level 1.
• SSC group C salary: Level 1 to Level 5 posts, such as GD constable, CHSL clerks and Grade D stenographers.
• Group B posts: Level 6 to Level 8, such as JE, Sub-Inspector, Grade C stenographer and many CGL posts.

Every month you get basic pay, Dearness Allowance (revised twice a year), House Rent Allowance that depends on whether your city is class X, Y or Z, and a transport allowance. 10% of basic plus DA goes to the pension scheme. Selection Post salaries, including the "phase" posts people search for, depend on the level printed against each post. Calculate the in-hand amount for any level here:

To understand each part of the pay slip, read salary allowances explained.

SSC exam pattern and selection process

Most SSC exams are computer based, with objective questions in Hindi and English. The four common subjects are reasoning, general awareness, maths (quantitative aptitude) and English. Here is how the main exams are structured in recent notices:

After the written stages, every exam has document verification. Posts are given by merit and the preferences you fill.

SSC exam syllabus

The SSC exam syllabus is similar across exams. Only the level changes, from class 10 for MTS and GD to graduation level for CGL.

• Reasoning: series, analogy, coding, puzzles, blood relations, directions, non-verbal figures.
• General awareness: history, geography, polity, economy, science, current affairs. General awareness for SSC exams is mostly static GK plus the last 6 to 8 months of news.
• Maths: percentage, ratio, profit and loss, interest, time and work, averages, algebra, geometry, mensuration, data interpretation.
• English: grammar, vocabulary, comprehension, error spotting, fill in the blanks.

JE adds engineering subjects, Stenographer adds shorthand, and CGL adds statistics or finance papers for some posts.

SSC exam preparation tips

1. Pick your main exam by qualification. A 12th pass student should target CHSL and also try Stenographer or MTS. A graduate should target CGL and keep CHSL and CPO as backups.
2. Start with maths and English. They take the longest to improve.
3. Use previous papers as your main SSC exam study material. SSC repeats topics and question style. Solve SSC exam questions and answers from past years topic by topic.
4. Read the news daily for 30 minutes and make short notes.
5. Take one mock test a week in the last three months, and study your mistakes.

For most students, 8 to 12 months of steady daily study is enough for a first serious attempt. You do not need an expensive SSC course or online course; good SSC exam preparation material, past papers and mock tests are enough for many. If you are unsure which line suits you, try our career counselling test, and compare with railway jobs and bank jobs.

Training, promotions and life in an SSC government job

Training depends on the post. Office jobs like CHSL, CGL and Stenographer have short induction training and on-the-job learning. Police posts like GD Constable and Sub-Inspector have long and tough basic training at force academies. Engineering posts train within their department.

Promotions follow each cadre's rules. A clerk can rise to Assistant Section Officer and Section Officer, an Inspector to Superintendent, a Sub-Inspector to Inspector and above. Even when promotion is slow, the financial upgrade scheme raises your pay level after set years of service. Many people also clear a higher SSC exam while working, for example moving from CHSL to CGL.

How to apply and the official website

All SSC exam forms are filled on the official website, ssc.gov.in. You do one time registration, then apply for each exam with that login. The website has the exam calendar, notices, admit cards, answer keys and results. Exam dates, vacancies, cut-offs and fee details change every cycle, so always read the latest notice there. Many SSC exam centres are listed in each notice, and you choose your preferred centre in the form.

When you hear of an SSC exam being cancelled, postponed or rescheduled, or see news about protests, confirm it only through a notice on the official website before you change your plans.