What is the required educational qualification criteria for SSC CGL & SSC CHSL?

For SSC CGL the minimum educational qualification is Graduation & For CHSL the minimum educational qualification is 10+2 passed from a recognized board.

How many times SSC CGL & SSC CHSL Examination is conducted in a year?

Both SSC CGL & SSC CHSL conducted once in a year.

Can a student apply for both SSC CGL & SSC CHSL Examination at the same time?

Yes, If a candidates can apply for both the examination at the same time, if he fulfills the eligibility criteria given in the notification.

Can a final year graduation student apply for SSC CGL?

Yes, A final year student can apply for SSC CGL examination, if he passes the minimum educational qualification required before the cut-off date given in the notification.

Is there any negative marking in Tier 1 Examination of SSC CGL & SSC CHSL?

Yes, Both the examinations have a negative marking of 0.50 marks in Tier 1.

Difference Between SSC CGL vs SSC CHSL

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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 ) .
Junior Statistical Officer (JSO) – Bachelor’s Degree in any subject with Statistics as one of the subjects at degree level.
Statistical Investigator Grade-II – Bachelor’s Degree in any subject with Statistics as one of the subjects from a recognized University or Institute.

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

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):
Mathematical Abilities – 30 question
Reasoning and General Intelligence – 30 question
Section-II (70 question, 210 marks, 1 hour): English Language and Comprehension – 45 questions
General Awareness – 25 questions
Section-III: Computer Knowledge Module (20 questions, 60 marks, 15 minutes)

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):
Mathematical Abilities – 30 question
Reasoning and General Intelligence – 30 question
Section-II (60 question, 180 marks, 1 hour): English Language and Comprehension – 40 questions
General Awareness – 20 questions
Section-III: Computer Knowledge Module (15 questions, 45 marks, 15 minutes)

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

Assistant Section Officer (in various departments)
Inspector of Income Tax
Inspector (Central Excise)
Inspector (Preventive Officer)
Inspector (Examiner)
Assistant Enforcement Officer
Sub Inspector (in CBI and NIA)
Inspector Posts
Inspector Central Bureau of Narcotics
Executive Assistant
Research Assistant
Divisional Accountant
Sub-Inspector/Junior Intelligence Officer
Junior Statistical Officer
Auditor
Accountant/Junior Accountant
Postal Assistant/Sorting Assistant
Senior Secretariat Assistant/Upper Division Clerks
Senior Administrative Assistant
Tax Assistant

Lower Division Clerk (LDC)/ Junior Secretariat Assistant (JSA)
Data Entry Operator (DEO)
Data Entry Operator, Grade “A”

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:

Senior Audit Officers (SAO)
Commissioners
Principal Directors
Deputy Secretaries
Senior Superintendents
Senior Divisional Account Officers
Narcotics Commissioners
Additional Commissioners of Income Tax
Senior Accounts Officers

Career growth is limited as compared to CGL, but still it offers promotional opportunities:

Lower Division Clerks (LDC) can progress to Upper Division Clerks (UDC) and can reach to the post of Assistant Section Officer level.
Data Entry Operators (DEO) can be promoted to the position of System Analyst.

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

2023: 24,74,030
2022: 33,55,194
2021: 19,63,324
2020: 22,09,867

2023: 32,17,442
2022: 32,80,868
2021: 38,55,152
2020: 38,98,378

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.