The SSC CHSL exam follows a two-tier structure: Tier 1 and Tier 2. The Tier 1 syllabus includes General Awareness, General Intelligence & Reasoning, English Language, and Quantitative Aptitude. It consists of 100 questions worth 200 marks with a 0.5-mark penalty per incorrect answer, to be completed in 60 minutes. The SSC CHSL Tier 2 exam assesses Mathematical Abilities, Reasoning, English, General Awareness, Computer Knowledge, and a mandatory Skill/Typing Test.
SSC CHSL Syllabus 2026
With the SSC CHSL 2026 Tier 1 exam scheduled between July and September 2026, candidates have a strategic window to optimize their study plan. Mastering the latest official syllabus is the most critical step toward effective preparation.
| SSC CHSL Syllabus and Exam Pattern- Summary | |
| Commission | Staff Selection Commission (SSC) |
| Exam Name | SSC CHSL 2026 |
| Selection Process | Tier 1 & Tier 2 |
| Tier 1 Exam Type | 100 MCQs, 200 marks, 60 min |
| Tier 2 Exam Type | Objective + Skill/Typing Test |
| Mode of Exam | Online (Computer-Based Test) |
| Negative Marking | Tier 1- 0.5 marks Tier 2- 1 mark |
| Selection Process | Tier 1 and Tier 2 |
| Official website | https://ssc.gov.in/ |
SSC CHSL Tier 1 Exam Pattern 2026
Key Points:
- Total: 100 questions | 200 marks (2 marks each) | 60 minutes
- PwD candidates get 80 minutes
- Negative marking: 0.5 marks per wrong answer
- 4 sections of 25 questions each — no sectional time limit
- Tier 1 score is qualifying only — not counted in final merit
| Subjects | No. of Questions | Marks |
| General Awareness | 25 | 50 |
| General Intelligence & Reasoning | 25 | 50 |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 25 | 50 |
| English Language & Comprehension | 25 | 50 |
| Total | 100 | 200 |
Important: Tier 1 marks are qualifying in nature and are not included in the final merit list; selection is determined solely by your Tier 2 performance.
SSC CHSL Tier 1 Syllabus 2026
The Tier 1 round serves as the gateway to the next phase. Candidates must solve 100 questions within 60 minutes (80 minutes for PwD candidates) for a total of 200 marks, with 2 marks awarded per correct response and 0.5 marks deducted for every wrong answer. The exam evaluates four key subjects: English Language, Quantitative Aptitude, General Intelligence, and General Awareness.
General Awareness Syllabus
- History
- India and its neighbouring countries
- Culture
- Geography
- Economic Scene
- General Policy
- Scientific Research
- Awards and Honors
- Books and Authors
- Current Affairs
- Sports GK
- Indian GK
- Indian Polity
General Intelligence Syllabus
- Semantic Analogy
- Symbolic operations
- Symbolic/ Number Analogy
- Trends
- Figural Analogy
- Space Orientation
- Semantic Classification
- Venn Diagrams
- Number Series
- Embedded figures
- Figural Series
- Critical Thinking
- Problem Solving
- Symbolic/ Number Classification
- Drawing inferences
- Figural Classification
- Punched hole/ pattern folding & unfolding
- Semantic Series
- Figural Pattern-folding and completion
- Emotional Intelligence
- Word Building, Social Intelligence
- Coding and de-coding
- Other sub-topics if any Numerical operations.
📱 Free SSC CHSL Tier 1 Live Test (Tue 9 AM–Wed 10 PM)
English Language Syllabus
- Spot the Error
- Fill in the Blanks
- Synonyms/ Homonyms
- Antonyms
- Spellings/ Detecting misspelt words
- Idioms and Phrases
- One Word Substitution
- Improvement of Sentences
- Active and Passive Voice
- Conversion into Direct/Indirect narration
- Shuffling of Sentence parts
- Shuffling of Sentences in a passage
- Cloze Passage
- Comprehension Passage
Quantitative Aptitude Syllabus
- Number Systems: Computation of Whole Numbers, Decimals, and Fractions, Relationship between Numbers.
- Fundamental arithmetical operations: Percentages, Ratio and Proportion, Square roots, Averages, Interest (Simple and Compound), Profit and Loss, Discount, Partnership Business, Mixture and Allegation, Time and distance, Time and work.
- Mensuration: Triangle, Quadrilaterals, Regular Polygons, Circle, Right Prism, Right Circular Cone, Right Circular Cylinder, Sphere, Hemispheres, Rectangular Parallelepiped, Regular Right Pyramid with triangular or square Base.
- Algebra: Basic algebraic identities of School Algebra and Elementary surds (simple problems) and Graphs of Linear Equations.
- Geometry: Familiarity with elementary geometric figures and facts: Triangle and its various kinds of centres, Congruence and similarity of triangles, Circle and its chords, tangents, angles subtended by chords of a circle, common tangents to two or more circles.
- Trigonometry: Trigonometry, Trigonometric ratios, Complementary angles, Height and distances (simple problems only) Standard Identities like sin2 𝜃 + Cos2 𝜃=1 etc.
- Statistical Charts: Use of Tables and Graphs: Histogram, Frequency polygon, Bar-diagram, Pie-chart.
Which topics have the highest weightage in SSC CHSL Tier 1?
Highest Weightage in English
- Reading Comprehension & Cloze Test: 7 to 10 questions
- Error Spotting & Sentence Improvement: 3 to 5 questions
- Synonyms and Antonyms: 3 to 4 questions
Highest Weightage in Quantitative Aptitude (Maths)-
- Data Interpretation (DI): 3 to 5 questions
- Percentage, Ratio & Proportion, Profit & Loss: 5 to 7 questions
- Combined Algebra & Geometry: 3 to 5 questions
Highest Weightage in General Intelligence & Reasoning -
- Number/Alphabet Series & Coding-Decoding: 4 to 6 questions
- Analogy & Classification: 3 to 4 questions
- Blood Relations & Syllogism: 3 to 4 questions
Highest Weightage in General Awareness -
- Current Affairs (National and International): 5 to 7 questions
- General Science (Physics, Chemistry, Biology): 5 to 7 questions
- Static GK (Festivals, Dances, Indian History & Polity): 4 to 6 questions
SSC CHSL Tier 2 Exam Pattern 2026
The Tier 2 exam consists of two sessions conducted on the same day. Session I covers the objective tests, while Session II features the mandatory Skill or Typing Test. Final recruitment is based strictly on your Tier 2 score.
Negative Marking in Tier 2: A penalty of 1 mark applies to incorrect answers in Section 1, Section 2, and Module 1 of Section 3. No negative marks are applied to the Skill/Typing Test.
| Session | Section | Modules | Subject | No. of Questions | Marks | Time |
| Session-I (2 hours and 15 minutes) | Section 1 | Module-1 | Mathematical Abilities | 30 | 60*3 = 180 | 1 hour |
| Module-2 | Reasoning and General Intelligence | 30 | ||||
| Section 2 | Module-1 | English Language and Comprehension | 40 | 60*3 = 180 | 1 hour | |
| Module-2 | General Awareness | 20 | ||||
| Section 3 | Module-1 | Computer Knowledge Module | 15 | 15*3 = 45 | 15 minutes | |
| Session-II (25 minutes) | Section 3 | Module-2 | Skill Test & Typing Test Modules: Part A: Skill Test for DEOs in Ministries and Government Departments. Part B: Skill Test for DEOs in other Departments/Organizations. Part C: Typing Test for LDC and JSA posts. | -- | -- |
15 minutes duration. 15 minutes duration. 10 minutes duration. |
SSC CHSL Tier 2 Syllabus 2026
Module I of Session I (Mathematical Abilities)
| Module I of Session I (Mathematical Abilities) | |
| Chapter | Topics |
| Number Systems |
|
| Fundamental arithmetical operations |
|
| Algebra |
|
| Geometry | Understanding of elementary geometric shapes and properties.
|
| Mensuration |
|
| Trigonometry |
|
| Statistics and probability | Interpretation and use of Data Tables and Statistical Graphs.
|
Module II of Section I (Reasoning and General Intelligence)
| Module-II of Section-I (Reasoning and General Intelligence): |
Verbal and non-verbal reasoning types.
|
Module-I of Section-II (English Language And Comprehension)
| Module-I of Section-II (English Language And Comprehension) |
|
Module-II of Section-II (General Awareness)
| Module-II of Section-II (General Awareness) |
Questions test awareness of current events and scientific phenomena encountered in everyday life, expected of an educated professional. General knowledge concerning India and its neighboring countries, with a focus on historical, geographic, and socio-economic facts.
|
Module I of Section III of Paper I (Computer Proficiency)
| Module-I of Section-III of Paper-I (Computer Proficiency) | |
| Chapters | Topics |
| Computer Basics |
|
| Software | Windows Operating system including basics of Microsoft Office like MS word, MS Excel and Power Point etc |
| Working with Internet and e-mails |
|
| Basics of networking and cyber security |
|
SSC CHSL Skill Test & Typing Test 2026
The Skill/Typing Test is a mandatory qualifying stage; candidates must pass to remain eligible for their respective posts, though it does not affect the final merit ranking.
| Post | Test Type | Speed Required | Duration |
| DEO (Ministry/Department) | Skill Test (Data Entry) | 15,000 Key Depressions per hour | 15 minutes (~3700–4000 key depressions) |
| DEO (Other Departments) | Skill Test (Data Entry) | 8,000 Key Depressions per hour | 15 minutes (~2000–2200 key depressions) |
| LDC / JSA | Typing Test | English: 35 wpm | Hindi: 30 wpm | 10 minutes |
Preparation Tip: Practice on a physical keyboard daily to build speed and accuracy. Aim to exceed the required speed threshold by 20% to account for exam-day pressure.
SSC CHSL Minimum Qualifying Marks
Minimum qualifying marks for Tier 1 and the objective sections of Tier 2 are defined by the SSC board.
- UR: 30%
- OBC/ EWS: 25%
- All other categories: 20%
Tips to Prepare for SSC CHSL 2026
- Gather all key resources — SSC CHSL Syllabus, Previous Year Papers, Mock Tests, and study material — before starting your preparation.
- Use the SSC Calendar to calculate how many months remain and allocate time based on your strengths and weaknesses.
- Focus extra time on English and Quantitative Aptitude — they carry the most weight in Tier 2 and directly impact your final merit.
- Practice as many mock tests as possible. After each test, spend time reviewing what went right and wrong to improve consistently.
- Seek mentorship from experienced teachers or seniors who have cleared the exam and can guide you based on the current pattern.
- Stay consistent and give your 100%. Each chapter completed brings you one step closer to a stable government career.
Note: The official SSC CHSL exam syllabus detailed above aligns with the latest government notifications.
FAQs
The exam consists of two stages: Tier 1 (Computer-based objective test) and Tier 2 (Objective test followed by a Skill/Typing assessment).
Tier 1 includes 100 objective-type questions distributed equally across four subjects for a maximum of 200 marks.
General Intelligence & Reasoning is widely considered the most scoring section for most candidates.
No. Tier 1 is strictly qualifying. Final merit is determined by performance in the Tier 2 exam.
Yes, the syllabus for the written exam is uniform for all posts; however, typing speed and skill test criteria vary based on the specific job role.
Yes. A penalty of 0.5 marks applies in Tier 1, and 1 mark per incorrect answer is deducted in the objective modules of Tier 2.
Yes. Consistent practice using the official syllabus and previous years' question papers is the most effective way to secure a high rank.
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