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The Staff Selection Commission conduct recruitment examination for both the Examination SSC CGL & SSC CHSL. Both the recruitment are conducted to fill various posts in different Ministries/ Departments/ Organizations of Government of India. However there are many differences related to eligibility, age limit, exam process & job profiles. In this article, we’ll explain these differences in detail. This detailed comparison will help you make an informed decision about which examination aligns best with your educational background & future career prospects.
SSC CGL & SSC CHSL Examination Overview
The Staff Selection Commission conducts two major exams: SSC CGL for graduates and SSC CHSL for 12th pass candidates. These exams differ in eligibility, job levels, and exam patterns, educational backgrounds.
| Parameters | SSC Combined Graduate Level | SSC Combined Higher Secondary Level |
| Post Included | Group B & Group C | Group C |
| Age Limit | 18 to 32 years (varies according to post) | 18 to 27 years |
| Educational Qualification | Graduation | 10 + 2 |
| Examination Pattern | Tier I + Tier II | Tier I+ Tier II |
| Pay level | Level 4 to Level 7 (varies according to post) | Level 2 to Level 5 (varies according to post) |
| Exam Conducting Body | Staff Selection Commission | Staff Selection Commission |
Eligibility: SSC CGL vs SSC CHSL
The SSC CGL and SSC CHSL exams are conducted for different job roles, so the eligibility criteria for them is also different. The complete detail of the eligibility criteria is given below
| Eligibility | SSC CGL | SSC CHSL |
| Age Limit | i) 18 – 27 years for the post which ranges in Pay level 4 & Pay level 5 ii) 18 – 30 years (for Pay level 5 – level 7) iii) Junior Statistical Officer -32 years |
18 to 27 years for all post |
| Educational Qualification |
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent ( For all other posts Except JSO and Statistical Investigator Grade-II ) . |
12th standard or equivalent (for LDC/JSA). For DEO/DEO Grade ‘A’ in specific ministries: 12th Standard pass in Science stream with Mathematics as a subject. |
Examination Pattern of SSC CGL vs SSC CHSL
Examination pattern for Tier 1 is same for both the examination, there is slight difference between the exam pattern in Tier 2. detailed information about examination pattern is tabulated below.
| Scheme of Examination | SSC CGL | SSC CHSL |
| TIER I | 100 MCQs (25 each from General Intelligence & Reasoning, General Awareness, Quantitative Aptitude, English Comprehension), Time – 1 hour, Negative marking – 0.50 marks |
100 MCQs (25 each from General Intelligence & Reasoning, General Awareness, Quantitative Aptitude, English Comprehension), Time – 1 hour, Negative marking – 0.50 marks |
| TIER II |
Consist of 2 Sessions (Compulsory for all posts) Session I (2 hours and 15 Minutes):Section-I (60 question, 180 marks, 1 hour): Session II (15 Minutes)Data Entry Speed Test Module (typing speed approx 27 words per minute) Paper-II(For Junior Statistical Officer and Statistical Investigator Grade-II posts): Statistics (100 questions, 200 marks) Note: There will be negative marking of 1 mark for each wrong answer in Section-I, Section-II & Section-III and of 0.50 marks for each wrong answer in Paper-II. |
Consist of 2 Sessions (Compulsory for all posts) Session I (2 hours and 15 Minutes):Section-I (60 question, 180 marks, 1 hour): Session II (15 Minutes for DEO and 10 Minutes for LDC/JSA)Data Entry Speed Test Module (typing speed approx 35 words per minute) Note: There will be negative marking of 1 mark for each wrong answer in Section-I, Section-II & Section-III. |
Salary Difference in SSC CGL & SSC CHSL
The post in SSC CGL has higher salary as compared to CHSL, because CGL offers higher administration roles as compared to clerk and Data Entry Operator in SSC CHSL. Let’s have an overview of the pay scale offered by these exams.
SSC CHSL Pay Scale: Ranges from Level 2 (Rs 19,900 to ₹ 63,200) to Level 5 (Rs 29,200 to ₹ 92,300) depending on the specific post.
SSC CGL Pay Scale: Ranges from Level 4 (Rs 25,500 to ₹ 81,100) to Level 7 (Rs 44,900 to 1,42,400) depending on the specific post.
SSC CGL vs SSC CHSL Posts
Aspirants who are eligible to apply for the upcoming SSC CGL and SSC CHSL exams, should have a look on variety of posts offered by these Examinations.
| SSC CGL | SSC CHSL |
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SSC CGL vs SSC CHSL: Career Growth Opportunities
Both SSC CGL and CHSL offer paths for career growth in government service. However, CGL provides more diverse and higher-level promotional opportunities compared to CHSL
| SSC CGL | SSC CHSL |
| Initially appointed as Group ‘B’ and ‘C’ officers, with postings across India. After gaining some years of experience, officers can be promoted to higher positions such as:
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Career growth is limited as compared to CGL, but still it offers promotional opportunities:
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Competition Level: SSC CGL vs SSC CHSL
Both exams are highly competitive, with millions of candidates applying each year. However, CHSL tends to have more applicants, likely due to its lower educational qualification (12th pass vs. graduate for CGL). Let’s compare their competition levels based on Previous year data released by staff selection Commission
| SSC CGL Registered Candidates | SSC CHSL Registered Candidates |
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In both cases, the large number of applicants compared to available positions makes these exams very competitive. Proper preparation is key for success in either exam.
SSC CGL is for college graduates. It offers Group ‘B’ and ‘C’ positions in Government of India with higher pay scales and high career growth opportunities. It’s more competitive but provides paths to senior administrative roles. SSC CHSL is for those who finished their 12th grade examinations. It offers stable government jobs in clerical and data entry positions. You can get promotions, but not as high as in CGL. It provides a great path to start a government job just after passing class 12th examination.
| Related Posts | |
| SSC CHSL Notification 2024 | SSC CGL Notification 2024 |
| SSC CHSL Syllabus 2024 | SSC CGL Syllabus 2024 |
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