SSC CHSL Exam Pattern 2020: Staff Selection Commission (SSC) conducts various exams every year for the recruitment of different posts in various government departments and ministries. One of the most popular exams that SSC conducts every year is the Combined Higher Secondary Level (CHSL) or SSC CHSL. Lakhs of candidates appear for this exam every year making it one of the most competitive exams in India. Candidates planning to appear for the exam must have a clear knowledge of SSC CHSL exam pattern and selection process. This will help them plan their preparation better.
In this article, we will provide you with the detailed SSC CHSL Exam Pattern 2020 – the different stages of the exam, the subjects, marking scheme, time duration, etc. This will help you to boost your preparation to the next level.
LATEST UPDATE: SSC CHSL Tier-I 2020 to be held in March 2020 has been postponed by the officials until the further orders. Read the notice here.
SSC CHSL Exam Pattern 2020
Before getting into the details of SSC CHSL Exam Pattern 2020, let’s have an overview of the exam:
| Name of the Exam | Staff Selection Commission Combined Higher Secondary Level Exam (SSC CHSL Exam) |
| Conducting Body | Staff Selection Commission (SSC) |
| Name of the Posts | LDC, DEO, Postal/Sorting Assistants (PA/SA), Court Clerk, etc. |
| Job Location | All Over India |
| Number of Vacancies | 10,415 (Tentative) |
| Mode of Application | Online |
| Exam Mode | Online for Tier I, Offline for Tier II |
| Number of Stages | Three |
| Official Website | ssc.nic.in |
As mentioned above, there are three stages in SSC CHSL Selection Procedure:
- Tier-I: Computer Based Written Examination
- Tier-II: Descriptive Test
- Tier-III: Skill Test / Typing Test for the posts of DEO, PA/SA, LDC, and Court Clerk
Given below are the detailed Tier-wise CHSL exam pattern.
SSC CHSL Exam Pattern For Computer-Based Written Exam (Tier-1)
The SSC CHSL Tier I is of objective type, consisting of Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs). It has four sections with a total of 100 questions. The different sections, as well as the marking scheme of SSC CHSL Tier 1 exam, are tabulated below:
| Sections | Number of Questions / Maximum Marks |
| English Language | 25 / 50 |
| General Intelligence | 25 / 50 |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 25 / 50 |
| General Awareness | 25 / 50 |
| Total | 100 / 200 |
- The total time duration for the Tier 1 exam is 60 minutes. While previously, the time duration was 75 minutes. The time duration has been significantly reduced since last year.
- There is negative marking for wrong answers in this exam; 0.50 marks will be deducted for every wrong answer.
Except for the English Language section, this test will be conducted bilingually, i.e. in English and Hindi.
You can get a clear idea of the exam pattern from the table mentioned below. Have a look at it.
| Tier 1 | Exam Pattern |
| Mode of the Exam | Online |
| Question type | Objective |
| Duration | 1 hour (75 minutes for VH candidates) |
| Total Question | 100 |
| Marking Scheme | 2 marks for every right answer, 0.50 negative for the wrong answer |
| Total Marks | 200 |
Check Out How to Prepare for SSC CHSL Exam Here
SSC CHSL Exam Pattern For Descriptive Test (Tier-II)
The SSC CHSL Descriptive Test is conducted in pen and paper-based mode (PBT). The SSC CHSL Tier-II exam pattern is tabulated below:
| Topic | Word Limit | Maximum Marks |
| Letter/Application Writing | 150-200 | 100 |
| Essay Writing | 200-250 | – |
- The total time duration for SSC CHSL Tier-II is 1 hour (60 minutes).
- This section will be available in both English and Hindi.
- Candidates must secure at least 33 percent in order to clear this stage of SSC CHSL exam.
| Tier 2 Events | Exam Pattern |
| Mode of the Exam | Offline |
| Question type | Descriptive |
| Duration | 1 Hour |
| Total Question | 2 |
| Marking Scheme | — |
| Total Marks | 100 |
SSC CHSL Exam Pattern For Skill Test/Typing Test
Here are a few important points you need to know about SSC CHSL Skill Test/Typing Test:
- The SSC CHSL Skill Test/Typing Test is qualifying in nature.
- The SSC CHSL Tier 3 score will not be considered for final merit listing.
- Typing Test: To be qualified for the exam, English Typing Test will require a speed of 35 words per minute and Hindi Typing Test will require a speed of 30 words per minute. Typing test is applicable for Postal Assistant/Sorting Assistant, LDC, and Court Clerk posts.
- Skill Test: This test, applicable for Data Entry Operator (DEO), demands data entry speed of 8,000 key depressions per hour on the computer.
SSC CHSL Final Selection
Final selection of SSC CHSL will be made on the basis of combined scores obtained by the candidates in SSC CHSL Tier 1 and Tier 2.
Now that you have a clear idea of SSC CHSL Exam Pattern 2020, pull up your socks and start your SSC CHSL preparation. However, the first thing that you need to do is go through the SSC CHSL Syllabus. You must have a clear knowledge of all the topics that are included in all the sections.
Candidates must remember that the syllabus of all the sections is based more or less on the high school syllabus. So, with a properly planned study, cracking this exam won’t be difficult. All you have to do is brush up the concepts and practice as many questions as possible.
The only thing you will have to worry about this exam is managing the time. The SSC CHSL exam demands you to answer 100 questions in just one hour of time. Even though the questions are multiple-choice in nature, solving them in a time-bound manner and choosing the right answer might seem a bit difficult task; especially if you are not prepared for the difficult ones. Few questions might be tricky and you must attempt these questions at the end of the exam to avoid any wastage of time.
Important FAQs Related To SSC CHSL Exam Pattern 2020
Given below are some of the important FAQs asked by the students related to SSC CHSL Exam Pattern:
1. Is there any negative marking in Stage 1?
Yes, there is a negative marking of 0.5 marks for every wrong answer. For every correct attempt, you will be awarded +2 marks.
2. If Tier 3 marks are not added, then why to appear for it?
A: SSC CHSL Tier-3 is for candidates who are applying for the post of Data Entry Operator (DEO). This Typing Test and Skill Test is of qualifying nature. So, you need to clear Tier-3 in order to feature in the Final Merit List.
3. Can you tell me where can I practice free SSC CHSL mocks to prepare for the exam?
A: Yes, Embibe offers you with the free SSC CHSL mock test to boost your preparation.
Taking SSC CHSL mock tests on a regular basis will help you improve your test-taking strategy. Also, you will get to identify your weaknesses and areas of improvement. You can then work on them before appearing for the actual exam.
We recommend you take SSC CHSL Mock Tests on Embibe. These tests will prepare you to face the actual exam with confidence and help you crack the exam.
CHECK DETAILED SSC CHSL SYLLABUS 2020 HERE
We hope this detailed article on SSC CHSL Exam Pattern helps you. If you have any queries regarding SSC CHSL Exam Pattern, feel free to ping us. We will help you out.
All the best!
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