SSC Stenographer Grade C & D 2026 — Complete Guide

The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) conducts the Stenographer Grade C and Grade D examination to recruit stenographers for various Ministries, Departments, and Organizations of the Government of India. This exam is ideal for candidates who have passed their 12th standard and want a stable central government job with a good salary scale and career growth.

SSC Steno is one of the most accessible SSC examinations — no graduation required, good salary, and job security with posting in Ministries across Delhi and India.

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SSC Stenographer 2026 — At a Glance

Parameter	Details
Conducting Body	Staff Selection Commission (SSC)
Posts	Stenographer Grade C (Group B, Non-Gazetted) & Grade D (Group C)
Minimum Qualification	12th Standard Pass (Any Stream)
Selection Process	CBT → Skill Test in Stenography
Mode of CBT	Computer Based Test (Online)
Official Website	ssc.gov.in

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SSC Stenographer 2026 — Important Dates

Event	Expected Date
Notification Release	July 2026
Online Application Start	July 2026
Application Last Date	August 15, 2026 (approx.)
Application Correction Window	August/September 2026
CBT Exam Date	October–November 2026
CBT Result Declaration	December 2026
Skill Test in Stenography	January–February 2027
Final Result	March–April 2027

Exact dates will be confirmed with the official SSC Stenographer 2026 notification on ssc.gov.in. Bookmark the page.

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SSC Stenographer 2026 — Vacancy Details

SSC Stenographer vacancies are announced with each notification. Historical data:

Year	Total Vacancies	Grade C	Grade D
SSC Steno 2023	2,006	281	1,725
SSC Steno 2022	756	61	695
SSC Steno 2020	1,411	40	1,371
SSC Steno 2019	1,276	53	1,223

Expected 2026 Vacancies: 1,500–2,500 posts (both Grade C and D combined), based on trend.

Major Recruiting Departments for SSC Steno:

• President's Secretariat, Rajya Sabha, Lok Sabha, Supreme Court of India
• Ministries of Finance, Home Affairs, Education, Agriculture
• CBDT, CBIC, CAG, various Central Government Offices

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SSC Stenographer 2026 — Eligibility Criteria

Educational Qualification

• Mandatory: 12th Standard (10+2) from any recognized Board or University
• Stream: Any stream — Science, Commerce, or Arts
• No graduation or specific subject requirement

Age Limit (as on August 1, 2026)

Post	General	OBC	SC/ST	PwBD (Gen)	PwBD (SC/ST)
Grade C	18–30 yrs	18–33 yrs	18–35 yrs	18–40 yrs	18–45 yrs
Grade D	18–27 yrs	18–30 yrs	18–32 yrs	18–37 yrs	18–42 yrs

Important: Age relaxation for Ex-Servicemen: General – 3 years, OBC – 6 years, SC/ST – 8 years.

Nationality

Must be a Citizen of India

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SSC Stenographer 2026 — Exam Pattern

Stage 1: Computer Based Test (CBT)

Subject	Questions	Marks	Duration
General Intelligence & Reasoning	50	50	—
General Awareness	50	50	—
English Language & Comprehension	100	100	—
Total	200	200	2 Hours

Important Notes:

• Negative marking: -0.25 per wrong answer
• No Mathematics section in SSC Stenographer (unlike SSC CGL/CHSL)
• English section is heavily weighted — 100 out of 200 marks

Stage 2: Skill Test in Stenography (Qualifying)

Post	Dictation Speed	Transcription Time (Computer)
Grade C	100 words per minute (wpm)	40 minutes (English) / 55 minutes (Hindi)
Grade D	80 words per minute (wpm)	50 minutes (English) / 65 minutes (Hindi)

How the Skill Test Works:

1. An examiner reads a passage aloud at 100/80 wpm for 10 minutes
2. Candidate takes shorthand notes during dictation
3. Candidate types out the transcription on a computer within the allotted time
4. Shorthand can be taken in either English or Hindi medium (your choice)

The Skill Test is qualifying — it does not add marks to merit. However, you MUST pass it. Failing the skill test eliminates you even if your CBT rank is high.

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SSC Stenographer 2026 — Detailed Syllabus

General Intelligence & Reasoning (50 Questions)

Verbal Reasoning:

• Analogies (Semantic and Figurative)
• Symbolic/Number Analogy
• Classification (Odd One Out)
• Semantic Series, Number Series, Figural Series
• Problem Solving, Word Building
• Coding-Decoding
• Blood Relations, Direction Test
• Syllogisms, Venn Diagrams
• Statement and Conclusions
• Calendar, Clock Problems
• Order and Ranking

Non-Verbal Reasoning:

• Figural Analogy and Classification
• Paper Cutting and Folding
• Mirror Image, Water Image
• Embedded Figures, Completion of Figures
• Counting of Figures (squares, triangles)
• Matrix Problems

General Awareness (50 Questions)

Category	Topics Covered
History	Ancient, Medieval, Modern India; World History overview
Geography	India's geography, world geography, climate, rivers
Indian Polity	Constitution, Parliament, Judiciary, PM/President
Economy	Budget, GST, banking basics, GDP, poverty
Science	Physics (Light, Electricity), Chemistry (Acids, Bases), Biology (Diseases, Human body)
Current Affairs	National and International events — last 6–12 months
Sports	Major Indian and international sporting achievements
Awards	Bharat Ratna, Padma Awards, Nobel Prize winners
Government Schemes	Central government flagship schemes
Technology	Space, defence, IT — basics

English Language & Comprehension (100 Questions)

Topic	Questions (approx.)
Spot the Error	10–15
Fill in the Blanks (Grammar)	10–12
Synonyms	8–10
Antonyms	8–10
Spelling Correction	5–8
Idioms & Phrases	6–8
One Word Substitution	6–8
Sentence Improvement	10–12
Active/Passive Voice	5–8
Direct/Indirect Speech	5–8
Reading Comprehension	15–20 (2 short passages)
Para Jumbles (Sentence Rearrangement)	5–8
Cloze Test	10–15

English is the most important section — 50% of total marks. Candidates who score 75+ out of 100 in English almost always clear the CBT.

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SSC Stenographer — Previous Year Cut-Offs (CBT, Out of 200)

Year	General	OBC	SC	ST
SSC Steno 2023	135–142	128–136	118–126	108–116
SSC Steno 2022	131–139	124–132	114–122	104–112
SSC Steno 2020	128–136	121–129	111–119	99–108
SSC Steno 2019	125–133	118–126	108–116	96–105

Cut-offs vary based on difficulty level and total applicants each year.

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SSC Stenographer Salary Structure

Grade C (Pay Level 4, Pay Band ₹25,500 – ₹81,100)

Component	Amount (Delhi Posting)
Basic Pay	₹25,500
HRA (30% of Basic – X cities)	₹7,650
DA (55% of Basic, 2026)	₹14,025
Transport Allowance	₹3,600 + DA
Total In-Hand (approx.)	₹48,000 – ₹55,000/month

Grade D (Pay Level 4, initial; promotions to Level 6)

Component	Amount (Delhi Posting)
Basic Pay	₹25,500
HRA + DA + TA	Similar to Grade C
Total In-Hand (approx.)	₹45,000 – ₹52,000/month

Career Progression:

• Grade D → Grade C (through Departmental Exam, typically 5–8 years)
• Grade C → Private Secretary (PAD) → Principal Private Secretary (PPS)
• Grade C Stenos in major Ministries (Finance, PMO, President's Secretariat) can reach Level 8–10 in their career

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How to Apply for SSC Stenographer 2026

1. Register on SSC Portal: Visit ssc.gov.in → Complete One Time Registration (OTR) if not already done (this is permanent and needs to be done only once)
2. Log in with OTR credentials → Go to "Latest Notifications" → SSC Stenographer 2026
3. Fill Application Form: Enter personal details, select exam city, declare shorthand medium (English or Hindi)
4. Pay Application Fee: ₹100 for General/OBC candidates | Nil for Female/SC/ST/PwBD/Ex-Servicemen
5. Upload Documents: Passport photo (JPEG, 20–50 KB), signature (JPEG, 10–20 KB)
6. Submit and Download your confirmation page

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Preparation Strategy for SSC Stenographer 2026

3-Month Study Plan

Month 1 — Foundation:

• English: Daily synonyms, antonyms, idioms (10 words/phrases per day from Norman Lewis)
• GK: Lucent's General Knowledge — complete the History and Polity sections
• Reasoning: R.S. Aggarwal Verbal & Non-Verbal (complete verbal section in Month 1)
• Shorthand: Start learning shorthand if you haven't — 20 minutes daily of dictation practice

Month 2 — Intensive Practice:

• English: Start reading comprehension (2 passages daily), work on grammar (Wren & Martin)
• GK: Lucent GK Geography + Science + Current Affairs (daily news reading)
• Reasoning: Complete non-verbal section; practice matrix problems and figure-based questions
• Shorthand: Increase to 40 minutes daily — target achieving 60 wpm by end of Month 2 (for Grade D) or 80 wpm (for Grade C)

Month 3 — Mock Tests + Shorthand Speed Push:

• 2 full mock CBT tests per week (SSC Steno pattern — 200 questions, 2 hours)
• English: Focus on cloze test and error spotting (20 questions daily)
• Shorthand: Daily 30-minute dictation practice — aim for 80 wpm (Grade D) or 100 wpm (Grade C)
• Current Affairs: Last 6 months — newspapers and monthly compilation

Best Books for SSC Stenographer 2026

Subject	Recommended Book
Reasoning	R.S. Aggarwal — Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning
General Awareness	Lucent's General Knowledge
English	S.P. Bakshi — Objective English (Arihant)
English Advanced	Norman Lewis — Word Power Made Easy
Shorthand Practice	Pitman's Shorthand Manual (English) or Kailash Shorthand (Hindi)
Previous Papers	Kiran Prakashan — SSC Stenographer Solved Papers

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SSC Stenographer vs. SSC CHSL — Key Differences

Parameter	SSC Steno	SSC CHSL
Minimum Qualification	12th Pass	12th Pass
Additional Skill	Shorthand (100/80 wpm)	Typing (35 wpm English / 30 wpm Hindi)
English Marks	100 out of 200	50 out of 200
Maths	Not in exam	50 marks in exam
Grade	B (Grade C) / C (Grade D)	C (LDC/DEO posts mostly)
Pay Level	Level 4	Level 2–4
Competition	Moderate	High

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Official Links for SSC Stenographer 2026

Resource	Link
SSC Official Website	ssc.gov.in
OTR / Application Portal	ssc.gov.in/login
Latest Notifications	ssc.gov.in/for-candidates/notices
Syllabus PDF	SSC Syllabus Page
Previous Year Papers	SSC Question Papers

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Last Updated: April 2026 | Source: Staff Selection Commission (SSC), Government of India, ssc.gov.in