SSC Stenographer 2026 Syllabus & Exam Pattern – CBE Pattern, Stenography Skill Test Speed, Age Limit & Eligibility | Official Notice

SSC Stenographer Grade ‘C’ and Grade ‘D’ 2026 – Complete Syllabus, Exam Pattern and Skill Test

Compiled strictly from the official Notice of Advertisement, Staff Selection Commission, Stenographer 2026. Every topic, mark distribution, sectional timer, negative-marking rule, stenography speed and age limit below is taken from Sections 13, 14, 15, 8 and 5 of the Commission notification.

Overview

Exam Pattern – Computer Based Examination (Section 13)

Objective type, multiple choice only. 200 questions / 200 marks in 2 hours, with a sectional timer of 30 minutes each for Part I and Part II, and 60 minutes for Part III. Scribe-eligible candidates get 2 hours 40 minutes (Part I 40 minutes, Part II 40 minutes, Part III 80 minutes).

Negative Marking (Section 13.3)

0.25 marks for each wrong answer in the Computer Based Examination. Candidates are advised to keep this in mind while answering.

Syllabus – Indicative Syllabus for the Computer Based Examination (Section 14)

14.1 General Intelligence & Reasoning

Includes questions of both verbal and non-verbal type, testing the candidate’s ability to deal with abstract ideas and symbols and their relationship, arithmetical computation and other analytical functions.

Topic list: Analogies · Similarities and Differences · Space Visualisation · Problem Solving · Analysis · Judgment · Decision Making · Visual Memory · Discriminating Observation · Relationship Concepts · Arithmetical Reasoning · Verbal and Figure Classification · Arithmetical Number Series · Non-verbal Series.

14.2 General Awareness

Tests general awareness of the environment and its application to society, current events, and everyday matters in their scientific aspects as may be expected of an educated person. Also covers India and its neighbouring countries, especially:

• Sports
• History
• Culture
• Geography
• Economic Scene
• General Polity including the Indian Constitution
• Scientific Research

These questions are designed so that they do not require special study of any discipline.

14.3 Accessibility provision

For VH candidates with 40% and above visual disability, there will be no component of Maps / Graphs / Diagrams / Statistical Data in the General Intelligence & Reasoning and General Awareness paper.

14.4 English Language & Comprehension

In addition to testing the candidate’s understanding of the English Language – its vocabulary, grammar, sentence structure, synonyms, antonyms and their correct usage – the candidate’s writing ability is also tested.

Stage 2 – Skill Test in Stenography (Section 15)

Candidates shortlisted in the Computer Based Examination must appear for the Skill Test in Stenography. Each candidate is given one dictation for 10 minutes in English or Hindi (as opted in the application form) at 100 words per minute for Stenographer Grade ‘C’ and 80 words per minute for Stenographer Grade ‘D’. The matter must be transcribed on a computer.

• 15.2 A candidate who opts for the Stenography Test in Hindi will be required to learn English Stenography after appointment, and vice versa, failing which probation may not be cleared. Candidates must work as English/Hindi stenographers per the functional requirement of the user office, irrespective of the medium chosen at the Skill Test.
• 15.3 The Skill Test is held at the Commission’s Regional Offices or at other centres as decided by the Commission.
• 15.4 Detailed instructions are provided by the concerned Regional Office to candidates called for the Skill Test.
• 15.5 Standard instructions on the evaluation methodology are available under the ‘For Candidates’ section on the Commission’s website.

Eligibility

Vacancy Details

Approx. 731 tentative vacancies across Stenographer Grade ‘C’ and Grade ‘D’ posts in various central government user departments. The Commission does not decide the number of vacancies – these are reported by the user departments. Updated post-wise and category-wise vacancies, together with the reservation roster and category-wise earmarking, are published on the Commission website. Only male candidates are eligible for any vacancies reported in the Border Guard organisation. Vacancies in the ESM category are reserved exclusively for the Group ‘C’ post.

Preparation Guidance

Derived strictly from the weightings in the official notification:

• Part III carries half the paper. English Language and Comprehension is 100 of the 200 questions, and it also tests writing ability – allocate proportionally more practice time here than to the other two parts.
• General Awareness is syllabus-bounded. The notification states the questions are confined to Sports, History, Culture, Geography, Economic Scene, General Polity including the Indian Constitution, and Scientific Research, and that no special study of any discipline is required. Cover these areas rather than attempting general-current-affairs coverage.
• Practise sectional time management. The sectional timer is 30 minutes for Part I, 30 minutes for Part II and 60 minutes for Part III – practise answering to that split, not to a uniform pace.
• Negative marking is only 0.25 marks, the lowest in the SSC CBE family. Guessing is comparatively low-risk here, but careless guessing on 200 questions still accumulates.
• Start stenography practice early if shortlisted. Speed requirements differ by post (100 w.p.m. for Grade ‘C’, 80 w.p.m. for Grade ‘D’) and transcription time differs by both post and language.
• Note the language commitment. Choosing Hindi or English at the Skill Test obliges you to learn the other language after appointment.

Official Source Links

• Official Notice of Advertisement (Stenographer 2026): https://ssc.gov.in/api/attachment/uploads/masterData/NoticeBoards/Notice_of_adv_steno_2026.pdf
• Staff Selection Commission homepage: https://ssc.gov.in
• Commission syllabus hub: https://ssc.gov.in/syllabus
• Tentative vacancy page: ssc.gov.in → For Candidates → Tentative Vacancy

FAQ

1. What is the SSC Stenographer 2026 exam pattern?

A Computer Based Examination of 200 questions for 200 marks in 2 hours, divided into General Intelligence & Reasoning (50 questions, 50 marks), General Awareness (50 questions, 50 marks) and English Language and Comprehension (100 questions, 100 marks), with a sectional timer of 30 minutes for each of Parts I and II and 60 minutes for Part III. Shortlisted candidates then appear for the Skill Test in Stenography.

2. Is there negative marking in the SSC Stenographer exam?

Yes. 0.25 marks are deducted for each wrong answer in the Computer Based Examination.

3. What is the stenography speed required?

100 words per minute for Stenographer Grade ‘C’ and 80 words per minute for Stenographer Grade ‘D’. Each candidate gets one dictation of 10 minutes in English or Hindi, which must be transcribed on a computer within the prescribed time.

4. How long is the transcription part of the Skill Test?

Stenographer Grade ‘D’: 50 minutes in English or 65 minutes in Hindi. Stenographer Grade ‘C’: 40 minutes in English or 55 minutes in Hindi. Scribe-eligible candidates get 70, 90, 55 and 75 minutes respectively.

5. What is the age limit?

As on 01.08.2026: 18–30 years for Stenographer Grade ‘C’ (born not before 02.08.1996) and 18–27 years for Stenographer Grade ‘D’ (born not before 02.08.1999). In both cases candidates must not be born later than 01.08.2008.

6. What is the educational qualification required?

Passing 12th standard or equivalent from a recognised Board or University on or before 01.08.2026. The notification also lists Intermediate / Higher Secondary (code 02) and Certificate Course (code 03) codes.

7. How many vacancies are there?

Approximately 731 tentative vacancies. The Commission is still collecting vacancies from user departments, so post-wise and category-wise figures are updated on its website.

8. Is the exam bilingual?

Yes. The Computer Based Examination question paper is set in both English and Hindi. The Skill Test may be taken in English or Hindi as opted by the candidate, but they will be required to learn the other language after appointment.

9. Is there any relaxation for visually impaired candidates?

Yes. For VH candidates with 40% and above visual disability, there is no component of Maps, Graphs, Diagrams or Statistical Data in the General Intelligence & Reasoning and General Awareness paper.

All content on this page is derived from the official Staff Selection Commission notification linked above.