| Conducting body | Staff Selection Commission (SSC). Official website ↗ |
|---|---|
| Posts | Stenographer Grade C (Group B, non-gazetted), Stenographer Grade D (Group C) |
| Qualification | Class 12 pass from a recognised board or university by 1 August 2026. |
| Age limit | 18–30 years on 1 August 2026 (general category) |
| Domicile | Not required |
| Selection stages | Computer based exam → Skill test in stenography (qualifying) |
| Latest notification | Notice of Stenographer Grade 'C' and 'D' Examination, 2026 · 731 vacancies |
Last checked . Sources
About SSC Stenographer
SSC recruits stenographers for central ministries, departments and their attached and subordinate offices through this exam. Grade C is a Group B non-gazetted post and Grade D is a Group C post. The 2026 notice put tentative vacancies at about 731.
Eligibility
Age limit
General category: 18–30 years, counted on 1 August 2026.
Age relaxation
- OBC: 3 years
- SC: 5 years
- ST: 5 years
- PwBD: 10 years
- Grade C: 18 to 30 years. Grade D: 18 to 27 years.
- PwBD candidates get 10 years (13 for OBC, 15 for SC/ST).
- Ex-servicemen get 3 years after deducting their military service from their actual age.
Qualification
Class 12 pass from a recognised board or university by 1 August 2026.
Other conditions
- Only men are eligible for any Stenographer Grade D vacancies reported by the Border Roads Organisation.
- If you take the skill test in Hindi, you must type in Mangal font. A transcript typed in any other font is not evaluated (addendum of 23 September 2026).
Selection process
- Computer based exam
- Skill test in stenography (qualifying)
Exam pattern
Computer based exam
Mode: Objective multiple choice in English and Hindi · Duration: 2 hours (30 minutes each for Parts I and II, 60 minutes for Part III) · Negative marking: 0.25 mark per wrong answer
| SUBJECT | QUESTIONS | MARKS |
|---|---|---|
| General Intelligence and Reasoning | 50 | 50 |
| General Awareness | 50 | 50 |
| English Language and Comprehension | 100 | 100 |
Skill test
Mode: One 10-minute dictation in English or Hindi, transcribed on a computer
| SUBJECT |
|---|
| Grade C: 100 words per minute; 40 minutes to transcribe in English, 55 in Hindi |
| Grade D: 80 words per minute; 50 minutes to transcribe in English, 65 in Hindi |
SSC Stenographer syllabus
General Intelligence and Reasoning
- Verbal and non-verbal questions
- Analogies, similarities and differences
- Space visualisation and problem solving
- Classification and number series
- Non-verbal series
- Arithmetical reasoning
General Awareness
- Current events
- Sports
- History, culture and geography
- Economic scene
- General polity including the Indian Constitution
- Scientific research
English Language and Comprehension
- Vocabulary, synonyms and antonyms
- Grammar and sentence structure
- Correct usage
- Comprehension
What they ask
The computer based exam has 200 one-mark questions in 2 hours, with 0.25 mark cut per wrong answer. English Language and Comprehension is half the paper, 100 questions in a 60-minute section, while reasoning and general awareness get 30 minutes each for 50 questions. There is no maths section. Those shortlisted take a 10-minute dictation at 100 wpm for Grade C or 80 wpm for Grade D and transcribe it on a computer.
How to prepare
- Treat English as the main subject. It is 100 of the 200 marks and also decides ties first.
- Practise 30-minute timed sets for reasoning and general awareness, since each has 50 questions in that time.
- Take dictation daily at your target speed, 100 wpm for Grade C or 80 wpm for Grade D, and practise typing the transcript on a computer within the time limit.
- If you take the skill test in Hindi, note that you will have to learn English stenography after appointment, and the reverse.
- Keep up with current affairs and polity through daily topic-wise practice quizzes on the free Improvam app.
SSC Stenographer is one of the exams in the Improvam app. Open it to start a practice quiz.
Open in the Improvam appSSC Stenographer FAQs
100 words per minute for Grade C and 80 words per minute for Grade D, for a 10-minute dictation in English or Hindi.
Sources
- SSC notice: Stenographer Grade 'C' and 'D' Examination, 2026 ↗ (official, checked )
- SSC addendum: Mangal font for Hindi skill test, Stenographer Grade C and D Examination 2026 (23.09.2026) ↗ (official, checked )
- Staff Selection Commission home page ↗ (official, checked )
Checked against official sources on . Rules change with each notification, so read the latest one before you apply.