SSC CHSL 2026 Tier 1: Exam Dates, New 15-Minute Sectional Timing, Pattern, Syllabus and 30-Day Plan

SSC CHSL 2026 Tier 1 starts on 30 November 2026 and runs until 31 December 2026. The paper has 100 questions in four parts, but this year there is one big change: every part now has its own 15-minute sectional timer. This guide covers the exam dates, the full pattern, the marking, the syllabus for each part, a 30-day plan that fits the time left, and the mistakes that cost students marks.

SSC CHSL 2026 at a glance

The exam dates are proposed dates. Your own date, shift and city will be on your admission certificate, which SSC releases a few days before the exam. Keep checking ssc.gov.in and your regional SSC website.

What is new in 2026: the 15-minute sectional timer

Earlier, CHSL Tier 1 gave you 60 minutes for all 100 questions, and you could move freely between sections. You could spend 25 minutes on Maths and finish General Awareness in 8 minutes. That is no longer possible.

In the 2026 notice (para 13.8), Tier 1 is still 60 minutes in total, but each of the four parts has its own 15-minute timer. When the 15 minutes of one part end, the test moves you to the next part. You cannot go back. Candidates eligible for a scribe get 20 minutes per part (80 minutes in total).

What this means for you:

• Saved time is not carried forward. If you finish General Awareness in 7 minutes, you cannot use the other 8 minutes for Maths. Use the spare time to re-check that section.
• Maths becomes the tightest section. 25 questions in 15 minutes is 36 seconds per question. You need speed in basic arithmetic, not just knowledge.
• Each section needs its own plan. You must decide in advance which question types you will attempt first and which you will skip.
• Mock tests must use the same timer. Practising with a free 60-minute timer will give you a false idea of your speed.

SSC CHSL Tier 1 exam pattern 2026

Marking scheme

• Each correct answer: +2 marks.
• Each wrong answer: minus 0.50 marks.
• Unattempted question: 0.
• Four wrong answers cancel one correct answer. Guessing blindly is a bad idea; guessing after removing two options is usually fine.

Language of the paper

Parts II, III and IV (Reasoning, Maths and GA) are available in English, Hindi and the 13 regional languages listed in Annexure XV of the notice, which include Marathi. You choose the language in your application form. The English part is, of course, in English only.

Qualifying marks and normalisation

• Minimum qualifying marks in Tier 1: 30% for UR, 25% for OBC/EWS, 20% for all other categories. Clearing this does not mean selection; the real cut-off is usually much higher.
• Because Tier 1 runs in many shifts, SSC normalises scores using its notice of 2 June 2025.
• Tier 1 is used to shortlist for Tier 2. As per the notice, the final merit list is prepared on Tier 2 performance only. Still, you must score well in Tier 1 to reach Tier 2.
• There may be separate cut-offs for DEO posts and for LDC/JSA.

SSC CHSL Tier 1 syllabus, section by section

The official syllabus is long. Below is the same syllabus grouped into the topics that actually appear, with links to our free topic tests.

Part I: English Language

• Spot the error and sentence improvement
• Fill in the blanks (articles, prepositions, verbs, vocabulary)
• Synonyms and antonyms
• Spelling (find the correctly or wrongly spelt word)
• Idioms and phrases, one-word substitution
• Active and passive voice, direct and indirect speech
• Sentence rearrangement (para jumbles)
• Cloze test and reading comprehension

English has a lot of one-line questions (synonyms, idioms, spelling) that take under 20 seconds each. Do these first, then the cloze test or passage.

Part II: General Intelligence (Reasoning)

• Analogy (word, number and figure): analogy topic test
• Classification / odd one out: classification topic test
• Series (number, letter and figure): series topic test
• Coding-decoding: coding-decoding topic test
• Mathematical operations and symbol substitution: mathematical operations topic test
• Blood relations: blood relations topic test
• Direction sense: direction topic test
• Order and ranking, seating: order & ranking, seating arrangement
• Syllogism and statement-conclusion: syllogism topic test
• Venn diagrams, word building, dictionary order
• Non-verbal: mirror and water images, paper folding and punched holes, embedded figures, figure completion, counting figures

In 15 minutes, the visual questions (mirror image, embedded figure) are the fastest marks. Leave long seating arrangements for the end.

Part III: Quantitative Aptitude

• Number system, simplification, LCM and HCF, squares and square roots: number system topic test
• Percentage: percentage topic test
• Ratio and proportion, partnership, mixture and alligation: ratio topic test
• Average: average topic test
• Profit, loss and discount: profit, loss & discount topic test
• Simple and compound interest: SI & CI topic test
• Time and work: time & work topic test
• Time, speed and distance: time, speed & distance topic test
• Algebra (identities, surds, linear equations): algebra topic test
• Geometry (triangles and their centres, congruence and similarity, circles, chords and tangents)
• Mensuration (2D and 3D figures): mensuration topic test
• Trigonometry (ratios, identities, complementary angles, heights and distances)
• Data interpretation: bar graph, pie chart, histogram, frequency polygon

The name says "Basic Arithmetic Skill", but questions on algebra, geometry and trigonometry do appear. Arithmetic is still the largest block and the fastest to score.

Part IV: General Awareness

• Current affairs (roughly the last 6 to 8 months before the exam)
• History of India and its culture
• Geography of India and the world
• Indian polity and Constitution
• Economy and government schemes
• General science (physics, chemistry, biology at school level)
• Static GK: sports, awards, books and authors, important days, dances and festivals

GA is the quickest section. You either know the answer or you do not. Most students finish it in 6 to 8 minutes. Use the spare time to re-read the questions you marked for review, because there is no way to carry the time forward.

How to manage 15 minutes per section

These are targets, not rules. Your mock tests will show your real numbers. The aim is high accuracy. With 0.50 negative marking, 20 correct and 2 wrong gives 39 marks, while 22 correct and 8 wrong gives only 40. Eight extra attempts earned just one mark. Attempt more only when your accuracy in mocks stays above about 85%.

30-day study plan for SSC CHSL Tier 1

From 27 October, you have about 34 days before the first shift on 30 November. If your exam is in December, you have more. The plan below uses 3 to 4 hours a day. Students who are working or in college can stretch each week to 9 or 10 days.

Week 1 (days 1 to 7): find your weak spots

• Day 1: take Mock Test 1 with the sectional timer. Note your score and attempts in each section.
• Days 2 to 7: Maths arithmetic basics. One chapter a day: percentage, ratio, average, profit and loss, SI and CI, time and work. Finish each with the topic test.
• Daily: 20 minutes of English vocabulary (synonyms, idioms, one-word) and 20 minutes of GA (current affairs from the last 6 months).

Week 2 (days 8 to 14): reasoning and the rest of Maths

• Reasoning: analogy, classification, series, coding-decoding, blood relations, direction, ranking. Take one topic test per day.
• Maths: time and distance, algebra identities, basic geometry, mensuration formulas.
• English: error spotting and fill in the blanks, 25 questions a day.
• GA: static GK, one area a day (history, geography, polity, economy, science, sports and awards).

Week 3 (days 15 to 21): speed

• Take Mock Test 2 on day 15.
• Practise 15-minute sectional drills: set a timer and solve 25 questions of one section in one sitting. Do two drills a day.
• Maths: trigonometry, data interpretation, and the chapters where your topic test score was below 60%.
• Write a short "formula and fact sheet" for Maths and a list of words you got wrong in English.

Week 4 (days 22 to 30): mocks and revision

• A full mock every second day, with analysis on the day in between. Re-attempt our two mocks; you can also repeat topic tests from the SSC CHSL test list.
• Analysis means: for every wrong question, write why it went wrong (concept, calculation, misread, guess).
• Last 3 days: only revision of your fact sheet, vocabulary list and current affairs. No new chapters.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Practising without the sectional timer. Your speed in a free 60-minute test does not tell you how you will do with a hard 15-minute limit for Maths.
• Getting stuck on one Maths question. If a question takes more than a minute, mark it and move on. You cannot win that time back later.
• Ignoring English because it "looks easy". English carries 50 marks, the same as Maths, and is often the highest-scoring section for students who practise it daily.
• Blind guessing in GA. At minus 0.50 per wrong answer, four wild guesses can wipe out the marks of one correct answer.
• Reading only current affairs. Static GK and general science make up a large part of GA.
• Leaving the admission certificate to the last day. Download it as soon as SSC releases it and check the centre address the day before.
• Trusting unofficial date lists. Exam dates in this cycle have already been revised for other SSC exams. Only the notice on ssc.gov.in is final.

Frequently asked questions

When is the SSC CHSL 2026 Tier 1 exam?

SSC has scheduled Tier 1 from 30 November to 31 December 2026, as per its notice dated 1 October 2026. Your exact date and shift will be on your admission certificate.

Is there sectional timing in SSC CHSL 2026?

Yes. From 2026, each of the four parts has a 15-minute timer (20 minutes for scribe-eligible candidates). You cannot move between sections or carry unused time to another section.

What is the negative marking in SSC CHSL Tier 1?

Each correct answer gets 2 marks and 0.50 marks are deducted for each wrong answer. Unattempted questions get zero.

Can I write SSC CHSL Tier 1 in Marathi?

Yes, for Reasoning, Maths and General Awareness. The notice offers English, Hindi and 13 regional languages (Marathi included) for Parts II, III and IV. The English part is in English only.

Are Tier 1 marks counted in the final merit?

As per the 2026 notice, the final merit list is prepared on the basis of Tier 2 performance. Tier 1 is used to shortlist candidates for Tier 2.

How many vacancies are there in SSC CHSL 2026?

The notice mentions about 2,536 tentative vacancies. SSC will update the post-wise and category-wise numbers on its website; the final number can change.

What is the minimum qualifying mark in Tier 1?

30% for UR, 25% for OBC and EWS, and 20% for other categories. The actual cut-off to reach Tier 2 is decided after the exam and is normally higher.

Sources

• SSC, Notice of Combined Higher Secondary (10+2) Level Examination, 2026 (7 September 2026): ssc.gov.in notice PDF
• SSC, Important Notice on exam schedule (1 October 2026): ssc.gov.in notice PDF
• Staff Selection Commission official website: ssc.gov.in