SSC CHSL 2026 Recruitment: 2,536 LDC, JSA and Data Entry Operator Posts for 12th Pass Candidates
The Staff Selection Commission has released the Combined Higher Secondary (10+2) Level Examination 2026 notice, carrying about 2,536 tentative vacancies. If you have finished your 12th standard and want a central government job, this is one of the biggest doors open to you this year. The posts on offer are Lower Division Clerk / Junior Secretariat Assistant, Data Entry Operator and DEO Grade ‘A’. The form opened on 7 September 2026 and closes on 7 October 2026. This is one of the most awaited SSC recruitment notifications of the year, so do not leave it for the last week.
One thing to understand right at the start: the Commission has not published a post-wise or category-wise split yet. The 2,536 figure is a tentative aggregate, and the detailed breakup will be put out later on the Commission’s website under Candidate’s Corner. So plan around the examination, not around a seat count. Here we have put together the eligibility, age relaxation, pay levels, exam pattern, fee and the conditions that quietly get candidates rejected every year, so you can fill the form once and fill it correctly.
What are the Key Highlights of SSC CHSL 2026?
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Organisation | Staff Selection Commission (SSC) |
| Examination | Combined Higher Secondary (10+2) Level Examination, 2026 |
| Total Vacancies | 2,536 (tentative) |
| Posts | LDC / JSA, Data Entry Operator, DEO Grade ‘A’ |
| Qualification | 12th standard pass or equivalent |
| Application Window | 7 September 2026 to 7 October 2026 |
| Job Location | All India |
The Commission fills clerical and data entry positions across Ministries, Departments and Constitutional bodies of the Government of India through this single examination. Every post here is Group ‘C’, which means a permanent central government job with regular pay commission revisions. The Commission does not collect state-wise or zone-wise vacancies, so your posting depends on the User Department that finally takes you.
How Many Vacancies are There in SSC CHSL 2026?
| Post | Pay Level | Vacancies |
|---|---|---|
| Lower Division Clerk / Junior Secretariat Assistant | Level-2 | Yet to be published |
| Data Entry Operator | Level-4 and Level-5 | Yet to be published |
| Data Entry Operator, Grade ‘A’ | Level-4 | Yet to be published |
| All three posts together | Group ‘C’ | 2,536 (tentative) |
Please read that table carefully instead of hunting for numbers elsewhere. The notice itself says the figure is tentative and that the final count will be settled after the User Departments send their scrutinised requirement. Reservation for SC, ST, OBC, EWS, Ex-Servicemen and PwBD candidates will be as determined and communicated by those Indenting Ministries, and the post-wise and category-wise table will appear separately on the Commission’s website in due course. Anyone showing you a confident category-wise split today is guessing.
What is the Eligibility for SSC CHSL 2026?
Educational Qualification
| Post and Department | Requirement |
|---|---|
| DEO and DEO Grade ‘A’ in Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, SSC and Ministry of Culture | 12th standard pass in Science stream with Mathematics as a subject |
| LDC / JSA, and DEO / DEO Grade ‘A’ in every other Ministry or Department | 12th standard pass or equivalent from a recognised Board or University |
Students who have appeared in their 12th standard examination and are waiting for the result can still apply, but you must hold the qualification on or before 7 October 2026, and the Board must have actually declared your result by that date, because a result still being processed does not count. This makes SSC CHSL one of the friendliest 12th pass government jobs for final-year students. One caution: a qualification earned through distance or online mode in a programme that the regulator has prohibited will not be accepted.
Age Limit
You must be between 18 and 27 years as on 1 August 2026, that is, born not before 2 August 1999 and not later than 1 August 2008.
| Category | Upper Age Relaxation |
|---|---|
| SC / ST | 5 years |
| OBC | 3 years |
| PwBD (Unreserved) | 10 years |
| PwBD (OBC) | 13 years |
| PwBD (SC / ST) | 15 years |
| Ex-Servicemen | 3 years after deducting military service rendered, and it is not available to sons, daughters or dependents of Ex-Servicemen |
| Defence personnel disabled in operations | 3 years, and 8 years for SC / ST |
| Central Government civilian employees with 3 years regular service | Up to 40 years, and 45 years for SC / ST |
| Widows, divorced women and women judicially separated, not remarried | Up to 35 years, and 40 years for SC / ST |
🎂 Not sure if you meet the age criteria? Use our free Age Calculator for Government Exams to find your exact age on the cut-off date and instantly check your eligibility — including any age relaxation you qualify for. →
The crucial date for claiming SC, ST, OBC, PwBD or Ex-Servicemen status, and for fee exemption, is the closing date of the application. Work out your exact age on 1 August 2026 before you tick a relaxation box, because a claim you cannot prove at document verification is worse than not claiming it at all.
What is the Salary for SSC CHSL 2026?
| Post | Pay Level | Monthly Pay |
|---|---|---|
| LDC / JSA | Level-2 | Rs 19,900 – 63,200 |
| Data Entry Operator | Level-4 and Level-5 | Rs 25,500 – 81,100 and Rs 29,200 – 92,300 |
| Data Entry Operator, Grade ‘A’ | Level-4 | Rs 25,500 – 81,100 |
These are 7th Pay Commission pay matrix figures, and house rent allowance, dearness allowance and transport allowance come on top of them depending on your posting city. Notice the gap between Level-2 and Level-5: the same 12th pass qualification can take you to two very different pay bands, and what decides it is your preference list and your merit. That is why the option form at the end of the process deserves as much thought as the exam itself.
What is the Selection Process for SSC CHSL 2026?
| Stage | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier-I | Computer Based Examination, objective type, 100 questions and 200 marks in 60 minutes, with a sectional timer of 15 minutes for each subject |
| Tier-II | Computer Based Examination held in two sessions on the same day |
| Document Verification | Carried out by the Indenting Ministry or Department |
| Physical and Medical Standards | Only where the post demands it, such as the physical standards, physical efficiency test and medical examination prescribed for LDC in the Border Roads Organization |
Tier-I Exam Pattern
| Part | Subject | Questions and Marks |
|---|---|---|
| I | English Language (Basic Knowledge) | 25 questions, 50 marks |
| II | General Intelligence | 25 questions, 50 marks |
| III | Quantitative Aptitude (Basic Arithmetic Skill) | 25 questions, 50 marks |
| IV | General Awareness | 25 questions, 50 marks |
Tier-II Exam Pattern
| Section | Content | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Section-I | Mathematical Abilities and Reasoning, 60 questions | 180 |
| Section-II | English Language and Comprehension and General Awareness, 60 questions | 180 |
| Section-III | Computer Knowledge Test, 15 questions, qualifying only | 45 |
| Section-IV | Skill Test or Typing Test, qualifying only | Qualifying |
There is a penalty of 0.50 marks for every wrong answer in Tier-I and 1 mark in Sections I, II and III of Tier-II, so guess only when you can rule out two choices. Minimum qualifying marks are 30% for Unreserved, 25% for OBC and EWS and 20% for all other categories. Normalised scores decide merit, and the final list is drawn from Sections I and II of Tier-II alone, provided you qualify all four sections. The Typing Test asks for 35 words per minute in English or 30 in Hindi, and Hindi must be typed in Mangal font. Skill Test speeds are 15,000 or 8,000 key depressions per hour depending on the Department. Go through the detailed syllabus and exam pattern before you build your timetable.
Which Mistakes Can Cancel Your SSC CHSL 2026 Candidature?
| Condition | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| One application only | If more than one application of yours with different registration numbers is detected, all of them will be rejected and your candidature cancelled, and if you also appear in the examination more than once you will be debarred by the Commission |
| Fee not paid | An application submitted without the prescribed fee will be summarily rejected and no request for reconsideration will be entertained |
| Registration timeline | You must complete the registration process within 14 days, failing which the details saved so far will be deleted |
| Name and date of birth | Enter both exactly as they appear in your matriculation certificate, otherwise your candidature may be cancelled |
| Category certificate | It must be in the prescribed format and produced at document verification, failing which your candidature will be cancelled |
| Post preference | Preferences must be submitted online within the stipulated time, failing which you will not be considered for any post and no second opportunity is given, and you can never be selected for a post you did not opt for, whatever your merit |
| Post specific standards | If a post is allotted to you on merit-cum-preference and you then fail its physical, medical or educational standards, your candidature is rejected and you will not be considered for any other preference |
| Preference once allotted | Once you are given your first available preference as per your merit, you will not be considered for any other option |
| Border Roads Organization | Only male candidates are eligible for the vacancy or vacancies, if any reported, in BRO |
| Photograph and signature | The live photograph must be clear, without cap or spectacles and in full frontal view; applications with a photograph not in accordance with the acceptable specimen are liable to be rejected |
| Date of birth once entered | The date of birth recorded in your matriculation certificate is final and no subsequent request for change will be considered or granted |
| Wrong information | If anything you declare is found false or incorrect at any stage, your candidature or appointment is liable to be cancelled or terminated |
| Fee refund | The fee and the correction charges once paid shall not be refunded under any circumstances |
| Distance and online degrees | Qualifications obtained through ODL or online mode in prohibited programmes shall not be accepted |
How to Apply Online for SSC CHSL 2026?
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Open the official SSC website or the ‘my SSC’ mobile app (link in Essential Links) |
| 2 | Generate a fresh One-Time Registration on the new website, because the OTR made on the old website will not work |
| 3 | Log in and fill the application form, choosing Aadhaar based authentication if you can |
| 4 | Capture your live photograph and upload your scanned signature in JPEG format, 10 to 20 KB |
| 5 | Give three examination centre preferences in order of priority within the same Region, because no change of centre is allowed later at any stage |
| 6 | Check the preview, pay the fee if you are not exempted, and submit |
Keep your matriculation certificate and your category certificate in the prescribed format ready before you begin, because those two are what forfeit a claim later if they are missing. If you want a scribe or compensatory time as a PwBD candidate, upload the required certificate at the time of applying itself.
What are the Important Dates for SSC CHSL 2026?
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Application starts | 7 September 2026 |
| Last date to apply | 7 October 2026, up to 11:00 PM |
| Last date for online fee payment | 8 October 2026, up to 11:00 PM |
| Correction window | 14 October 2026 to 16 October 2026 |
| Tier-I examination | To be notified later |
| Tier-II examination | To be notified later |
What is the Application Fee for SSC CHSL 2026?
| Category | Fee |
|---|---|
| All candidates | Rs 100 |
| Women, SC, ST, PwBD and ESM eligible for reservation | Rs 0, fully exempted |
| First correction during the correction window | Rs 200 |
| Second correction during the correction window | Rs 500 |
Payment is online only, through BHIM UPI, net banking or a Visa, MasterCard, Maestro or RuPay debit card. The correction charges apply to every candidate irrespective of gender or category, so treat the preview screen as your last chance to get the form right rather than paying twice to fix a spelling.
Essential Links for SSC CHSL 2026
| Resource | Link |
|---|---|
| Official Notification PDF | Download SSC CHSL 2026 Notification |
| Apply Online | SSC Online Application Portal |
| Official Website | Staff Selection Commission |
| WhatsApp Channel | Join WhatsApp Channel for Government Jobs |
| Telegram Channel | Join Telegram Channel for Government Jobs |
You have a full month, and that is more time than most notifications give you. Use the first week to arrange your certificates, the next three to revise arithmetic and English, and apply well before 7 October rather than on the closing evening, because government portals slow down badly in the last forty-eight hours. Keep visiting GovtJobsAlert.in for the post-wise vacancy table when it is released, and for more SSC job updates and admit card alerts.