SSC CHSL 2026 Last Date 7 October: How to Apply, Fee, Eligibility

The SSC CHSL 2026 last date is 7 October 2026 (11 PM). That’s 4 days from today. If you’ve passed 12th and you’re between 18 and 27, you can still apply for about 2,536 central government clerk and data entry posts.

Don’t wait for the last evening. The SSC website slows down badly on deadline day, and lakhs of people try to apply at the same time.

Detail	Information
Exam	SSC Combined Higher Secondary Level (CHSL) 2026
Application started	7 September 2026
Last date to apply	7 October 2026, 11 PM
Last date for fee payment	8 October 2026, 11 PM
Correction window	14 to 16 October 2026
Tier 1 exam	Expected around December 2026 (not confirmed yet)
Vacancies	About 2,536 (tentative)
Qualification	12th pass
Official website	ssc.gov.in

Posts and salary

SSC CHSL fills three types of posts in central government ministries and offices.

North Block, New Delhi, home to several central ministries. Photo: Mukulfaiz / Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 3.0

Post	Pay Level	Pay scale
Lower Division Clerk (LDC) / Junior Secretariat Assistant (JSA)	Level 2	₹19,900 – ₹63,200
Data Entry Operator (DEO)	Level 4 or 5	₹25,500 – ₹81,100 / ₹29,200 – ₹92,300
Data Entry Operator Grade ‘A’	Level 4	₹25,500 – ₹81,100

On top of basic pay you get DA, HRA (10% to 30% depending on the city) and transport allowance. So the in-hand salary is clearly higher than the basic pay, and it’s higher in big cities than in small towns.

SSC CHSL 2026 eligibility

Age limit

18 to 27 years as on 1 August 2026. That means you should be born not before 2 August 1999 and not after 1 August 2008.

Age relaxation:

• SC/ST: 5 years
• OBC: 3 years
• PwBD and ex-servicemen: extra relaxation as per the notification

Educational qualification

You must have passed 12th (or equivalent) on or before 7 October 2026.

For some DEO posts in specific departments, you need 12th with Science and Maths. If you’re from Arts or Commerce, you can still apply for LDC/JSA and the other DEO posts. Check the department list in the notification before choosing your post preferences.

Application fee

Category	Fee
General / OBC / EWS (men)	₹100
Women (all categories), SC, ST, PwBD, ex-servicemen	No fee

You can pay by UPI, net banking or debit/credit card. If you’re paying, finish it by 8 October, 11 PM. An application without the fee payment doesn’t count.

How to apply for SSC CHSL 2026

The whole thing takes 20 to 30 minutes if you keep your documents ready.

1. Go to ssc.gov.in.
2. Register first (One-Time Registration). If you already registered for any SSC exam on the new website, just log in.
3. Log in and open the CHSL 2026 application under the “Apply” section.
4. Fill in your personal details, qualification and category exactly as on your certificates.
5. Choose your exam centre preferences and post preferences.
6. Capture your live photograph using your webcam or phone camera when the form asks for it. Use good light and a plain background.
7. Upload your signature in the required size (JPEG, around 10 to 20 KB).
8. Preview everything carefully, then submit.
9. Pay the fee if it applies to you, and download or print the final application.

Keep these ready before you start

• Aadhaar or another photo ID
• 10th certificate (for name and date of birth)
• 12th marksheet
• Category / PwBD / EWS certificate, if you’re claiming it
• A scanned signature
• A working email and phone number for OTPs

Mistakes to avoid

• Name or date of birth not matching your 10th certificate. This causes trouble at document verification later.
• A dark or blurred live photo. The system may reject it, or it can cause issues at the exam centre.
• Leaving the fee unpaid. Many people submit the form and forget to pay before the fee deadline.
• Picking exam centres randomly. Choose centres you can actually reach on the exam day.
• Applying on 7 October night. The site often gets slow or shows errors near the deadline.

If you do make a mistake, the correction window is 14 to 16 October 2026. SSC charges ₹200 for the first correction and ₹500 for the second, so check everything before you submit.

Selection process and exam pattern

SSC CHSL has two stages:

1. Tier 1: a computer-based objective exam
2. Tier 2: a harder computer-based exam, which also includes a typing or skill test

Typing speed matters in Tier 2, so start practising early. Photo: Rawpixel, CC0

Tier 1 exam pattern

Section	Questions	Marks
General Intelligence (Reasoning)	25	50
General Awareness	25	50
Quantitative Aptitude	25	50
English Language	25	50
Total	100	200

• Time: 60 minutes (80 minutes for eligible PwBD candidates)
• Each correct answer: +2
• Each wrong answer: −0.50

Tier 1 is mainly a screening stage. Your final selection depends mostly on your Tier 2 performance and the skill test.

Should you apply?

Honestly, if you’re eligible, yes, apply. The fee is ₹100 or nothing, and it’s a permanent central government job with regular promotions.

A few things to keep in mind:

• Competition is high. Lakhs apply for about 2,500 posts. Start preparing now, not after the admit card comes.
• Typing matters. Many people clear Tier 2 written but struggle in the skill test. Practise typing 15 to 20 minutes every day from now.
• It pairs well with other exams. The same reasoning, maths and English prep helps for SSC CGL, MTS and bank clerk exams. If you’re also writing bank exams, see our IBPS Clerk admit card 2026 guide.

What happens after you apply

1. 14 to 16 October: correction window, only if you made a mistake
2. Region-wise admit cards: usually a few days before the Tier 1 exam
3. Tier 1 exam: expected around December 2026
4. Tier 1 result, then Tier 2 and the skill test

We’ll update this page when SSC announces the exam dates.

Always confirm the dates and rules in the official notification on ssc.gov.in. If anything there differs from this page, follow the official notification.