| Conducting body | Puducherry Examining Authority, Chief Secretariat (PEA). Official website ↗ |
|---|---|
| Posts | Lower Division Clerk, DP&AR (post code 1020/2026), Lower Division Clerk, Local Administration Department (post code 1024/2026) |
| Qualification | A pass in Class 12 (HSC) or equivalent, plus either a pass in the Typewriting Lower Grade examination in English, Tamil, Malayalam or Telugu from the Government or Board of Technical Education, or a computer typing speed of 35 wpm in English or 30 wpm in Tamil, Malayalam or Telugu. The Local Administration LDC post (1024/2026) lists the Typewriting Lower Grade pass as the requirement. |
| Age limit | 18–30 years on 13 April 2026 (general category) |
| Domicile | Required |
| Selection stages | Written examination: Paper I and Paper II, 100 marks each, with equal weight → Minimum marks in each paper: 30% (UR), 25% (OBC/MBC/EWS), 20% (SC) → Provisional shortlist of three times the vacancies for certificate verification → Typing speed test on computer for LDC candidates who do not hold the Typewriting Lower Grade pass → Final select list |
| Latest notification | Combined Higher Secondary Level Examination 2026, Advertisement No. 02/CHSL/PEA/2026 dated 13 March 2026 (with addendum of 15 March 2026) · 52 vacancies |
Last checked . Sources
About Puducherry LDC (CHSL)
Lower Division Clerk (Group C, pay level 2) is the main post in the Puducherry Examining Authority's Combined Higher Secondary Level (CHSL) Examination. Advertisement No. 02/CHSL/PEA/2026, dated 13 March 2026, listed 31 LDC posts under DP&AR, and an addendum of 15 March 2026 added 21 LDC posts in the Local Administration Department. The same exam also recruits Junior Laboratory Assistants and Library Clerks. The previous round, CHSL 2025 (advertised on 17 November 2025), went on to a typing speed test and a result notice in 2026.
Eligibility
Age limit
General category: 18–30 years, counted on 13 April 2026.
Age relaxation
- OBC: 3 years
- SC: 5 years
- PwBD: 10 years
- The 3 years for backward classes applies to MBC, OBC, EBC and BCM candidates, the backward-class groups with LDC vacancies (the Local Administration post 1024/2026 lists MBC and OBC).
- Ex-servicemen get their period of military service plus 3 years.
- Widows, divorced women and women judicially separated from their husbands who have not remarried can apply up to 35 years (40 for SC).
- Government servants applying in service can go up to 40 years (45 for SC) under the conditions in the advertisement.
Qualification
A pass in Class 12 (HSC) or equivalent, plus either a pass in the Typewriting Lower Grade examination in English, Tamil, Malayalam or Telugu from the Government or Board of Technical Education, or a computer typing speed of 35 wpm in English or 30 wpm in Tamil, Malayalam or Telugu. The Local Administration LDC post (1024/2026) lists the Typewriting Lower Grade pass as the requirement.
Other conditions
- You must be a native of the UT of Puducherry and have lived there continuously for the 5 years before the notification date.
- Candidates without the Typewriting Lower Grade certificate must pass a typing speed test on computer before final selection.
Selection process
- Written examination: Paper I and Paper II, 100 marks each, with equal weight
- Minimum marks in each paper: 30% (UR), 25% (OBC/MBC/EWS), 20% (SC)
- Provisional shortlist of three times the vacancies for certificate verification
- Typing speed test on computer for LDC candidates who do not hold the Typewriting Lower Grade pass
- Final select list
Exam pattern
Paper I
Mode: Pen and paper, OMR answer sheet · Duration: 2 hours · Negative marking: 0.25 marks per wrong answer; multiple answers count as wrong
| SUBJECT | QUESTIONS | MARKS |
|---|---|---|
| General intelligence, reasoning, quantitative aptitude | ||
| General studies and current affairs | ||
| Ethics and morality | ||
| English language, grammar and comprehension | ||
| Computer knowledge | ||
| Paper I total | 100 | 100 |
Paper II (general)
Mode: Pen and paper, OMR answer sheet · Duration: 2 hours · Negative marking: 0.25 marks per wrong answer; multiple answers count as wrong
| SUBJECT | QUESTIONS | MARKS |
|---|---|---|
| Physics, chemistry, biology and human physiology, mathematics, statistics | ||
| Commerce, economics, geography, social science | ||
| Indian and world history, Indian politics and Constitution, freedom struggle | ||
| Paper II total | 100 | 100 |
Typing speed test (only for those without Typewriting Lower Grade)
Mode: On computer
| SUBJECT |
|---|
| 35 wpm in English or 30 wpm in Tamil, Malayalam or Telugu |
Puducherry LDC (CHSL) syllabus
Paper I: reasoning and aptitude
- Analogies and classification
- Number series and arithmetical reasoning
- Space visualisation and figure questions
- Percentage, ratio, average, profit and loss
- Simple and compound interest
- Time and work, time and distance, mensuration
- Tables and graphs
Paper I: English
- Spot the error, fill in the blanks
- Synonyms, antonyms, idioms, one-word substitution
- Active and passive voice, direct and indirect speech
- Sentence shuffling, cloze test, comprehension
Paper I: general studies, ethics and computers
- Current affairs
- History, polity, economics, everyday science
- Ethics and moral judgement
- Computer hardware, software and applications
Paper II
- Physics, chemistry, biology and human physiology
- Mathematics and statistics
- Commerce, economics, geography, social science
- Indian and world history, Indian politics and Constitution, freedom struggle
What they ask
Paper I of the CHSL is the same kind of common paper as the CGL: reasoning, arithmetic, general studies with current affairs, ethics and morality, English usage and computer knowledge, set at Class 12 level. Paper II is a general paper drawn from Class 11 and 12 subjects, with science and maths in one group, commerce and social science in another, and history and the Constitution in a third. Each paper has 100 questions in two hours, both carry equal weight, and 0.25 marks go for each wrong answer. The papers are printed in English and one regional language, but English questions are not translated.
How to prepare
- Sort out the typing requirement first. If you do not hold a Typewriting Lower Grade pass, practise on a computer until you can type 35 wpm in English or 30 wpm in Tamil, Malayalam or Telugu, because the typing test decides final selection.
- Give Paper II the same time as Paper I. Both count equally and each has its own minimum mark.
- Revise Class 11 and 12 textbooks for Paper II science and maths, and school social science for history, geography and the Constitution.
- Answer only when you can rule out at least two options, since each wrong answer costs a quarter mark.
Practise Puducherry LDC (CHSL) syllabus topics a few minutes a day with short quizzes in the Improvam app.
Photo and signature
- Photo: Separate upload: JPEG, 238 x 306 pixels, under 50 KB. Or photo and signature scanned together on an A4 sheet at 200 DPI, at least 600 x 600 pixels, under 150 KB.
- Signature: Separate upload: JPEG, 350 x 150 pixels, under 30 KB.
Source: official instructions ↗
Resize your photo and signature for Puducherry LDC (CHSL)
Puducherry LDC (CHSL) FAQs
Yes. You need either a Typewriting Lower Grade pass or the computer typing speed of 35 wpm in English or 30 wpm in a regional language. Those without the certificate take a typing test after the written exam.
Sources
- Puducherry Examining Authority: CHSL Examination 2026, Advertisement No. 02/CHSL/PEA/2026 with addendum (PDF) ↗ (official, checked )
- Puducherry Examining Authority: CHSL Examination 2025, Advertisement No. 02/CHSL/PEA/2025 (PDF) ↗ (official, checked )
- Recruitment portal: CHSL 2025 (LDC) news, typing test and result notices ↗ (official, checked )
Checked against official sources on . Rules change with each notification, so read the latest one before you apply.
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