The abbreviation SSC stands for Staff Selection Commission. This is a prestigious government organization in India that conducts annual recruitment exams for a range of candidates who have either passed 12, graduated, or postgraduate. It offers posts in various departments that come under various ministries.
SSC is considered a very significant body under the Department of Personnel and Training and consists of a head mainly a chairman, two members, and a secretary-cum-controller of examinations. Established in 1975, the Staff Selection Commission formerly known as Subordinate Services Commission has been actively recruiting for Group B positions in various ministries and subordinate offices and C posts for non-technical staff under the same ministries and subordinate offices.
The main examinations conducted by SSC
SSC conducts various exams for recruiting staff in different positions under various ministries. Apart from taking the exam, they also conduct interviews and typewriting tests from time to time. The main examinations administered by SSC are:
- SSC Junior Engineer Exam- JE exam
- SSC Combined Graduate Level Exam- CGL exam
- SSC Multitasking Staff Exam- MTS exam
- SSC Central Police Organization Exam- CPO exam
- SSC Combined Higher Secondary Level Exam- CHSL exam
- SSC General Duty Exam for Constables- GD exam
- SSC Stenographer Exam
Eligibility
The candidate must have qualified for 12th grade to be eligible for the majority of SSC recruitment exams. However, a few of the posts have a minimum eligibility requirement for graduation. Hence, candidates must check the eligibility criteria on the website before applying.
SSC Syllabus and Exam Pattern
The syllabus for most government exams is the same as for management exams. Therefore, students preparing for CAT or CET can easily apply for SSC recruitment posts. Reading the syllabus thoroughly followed by making a preparation plan gives the candidate a clear idea about the exam pattern as well as clarity about how to start studying. The syllabus of SSC varies from post to post, and it is updated every 2 to 4 years. Therefore, students must keep checking the official website of SSC so as not to miss any updates regarding the syllabus. However, the syllabus of these post-exams is either related to the field of eligibility or the post.
Junior Engineer Exam- JE exam
- Every year, SSC conducts a JE exam for candidates who have a degree or diploma in Civil/Electrical/Mechanical. These candidates are eligible for the post of Junior Engineer in niche engineering fields like Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, etc. They also offer contractual posts for different departments and ministries of the Indian Government.
- The examination consists of 2 separate papers, namely Paper 1 and Paper 2. Paper 1 consists of 3 sections wherein the first two are related to logical reasoning and general awareness whereas the third section is related to engineering. For every correct answer, a candidate scores 1 point, but for every wrong answer, 0.25 points are deducted.
- The salary of SSC JEs ranges from approximately Rs. 35,000 to Rs. 1,24,000
CGL exam – Combined Graduate Level Exam
- The most popular exam of the SSC, SSC-CGL, is held for the recruitment of graduates every year for a variety of posts in different ministries, subordinate offices, etc. Examining for SSC-CGL consists of 4 rounds. Tier 1 and 2 consists of the same syllabus, namely quantitative aptitude, general awareness, and English. The only difference is in the logical reasoning present in tier 1 and statistics in tier 2.
- Tier 3 is a descriptive exam whereas Tier 4, the last but not least, is a skill test.
- SSC-CGL officer salaries range from around Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 65,000 depending on the post.
MTS exam – Multitasking Staff Exam
- As the name suggests, SSC conducts MTS examinations to recruit candidates who are capable of doing multitasking jobs. Their job profile revolves around maintaining general cleanliness by cleaning rooms, dusting furniture, etc. as well as maintaining records and transporting files to different offices.
- The exam pattern of the MTS examination consists of two papers wherein 1 paper comprises MCQs and 2 papers take the form of descriptive writing. The syllabus of MTS remains the same as SSC-CGL, i.e., General Awareness, Numerical Aptitude, Logical Reasoning, and English Language.
- The basic pay of a candidate who has been selected for MTS is approximately Rs. 15,000 to Rs, 20,000.
CPO exam – Central Police Organization Exam
As the name suggests, every year SSC recruits applicants who are willing to join the Police for various posts such as Sub-inspector, Central Armed Police Forces, and Assistant Sub-Inspector of Police. The exam pattern of SSC-CPO is divided into Paper 1 and Paper 2 along with a separate fitness test. Tiers 1 and 2 are both MCQ-type papers, whereas, for the fitness test, the candidate will have to run and do various types of jumps and shots.
CHSL exam – Combined Higher Secondary Level Exam
CHSL consists of many posts such as Postal Assistants, Sorting Assistants, Data Entry Operators, Lower Divisional Clerks (LDC)/ Junior Secretariat Assistants (JSA), Data Entry Operators (Grade A), etc. The exam pattern consists of three tiers wherein 1 tier comprises MCQs, 2 tiers comprise descriptive paper in any language (English/Hindi) and tier 3 is composed of skill test or computer knowledge. The syllabus for this exam is the same as others.
GD exam – General Duty Exam for Constables
SSC-GD examination is conducted every year to recruit aspirants for the position of General Duty Constable in the Border Security Force, Secretariat Security Force, etc. The recruitment procedure for these positions is done by MoU, i.e., Memorandum of Understanding which is mutually agreed upon by the SSC and Home Affairs Ministry.
Stenographer Exam
SSC conducts a stenographer examination every year wherein candidates are recruited for the position of Stenographer Grade C, i.e., for non-gazetted posts, and D in various departments, organizations, and ministries in different states across the country.
FAQs regarding SSC
Candidates can attempt the SSC JE examination an unlimited number of times. There is, however, a maximum age eligibility criterion of 30 or 32 years old.
SSC-CGL examination is conducted for various posts like Assistant Audit Officer, Assistant Account Officer, Assistant Section Officer for various departments, etc. In total, the SSC offers 5-grade pay levels.
The male should be 170 cm tall, while the female should be 157 cm.
For a medical test, a candidate must have near and distant vision of 6/6. For minimum near vision, N6 is for the better eye and N6 is for the worse eye. In contrast, for minimum distant vision, for the better eye, it is 6/6 and for distance, it is 6/9. Additionally, the candidate must not have a knocked knee, squint eyes, or flat feet.
The selection procedure for SSC-stenographer consists of 2 stages, computer-based online tests which can be done in either English or Hindi language. Stage 2 consists of a typing test in which applicants must type 100 words per minute.
