NEW DELHI, October 11 — The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) on Sunday released the definitive Computer-Based Test (CBT) examination schedule and skill test transcription parameters for the Stenographer Grade 'C' (Group 'B' Non-Gazetted) and Grade 'D' (Group 'C') Examination 2026 on its official website (ssc.gov.in), filling over 2,400 sanctioned vacancies across central ministries, the Central Secretariat Stenographers Service (CSSS), Ministry of External Affairs, and Armed Forces Headquarters (AFHQ).
Scheduled for the second week of December 2026 across nationwide digital testing hubs, the two-hour CBT screening paper comprises 200 multiple-choice questions carrying 200 aggregate marks: General Intelligence & Reasoning (50 marks), General Awareness (50 marks), and English Language & Comprehension (100 marks), subject to a 0.25 mark negative deduction per wrong response. Note that Quantitative Aptitude/Mathematics is excluded from the Stenographer examination pattern.
Candidates clearing the normalized category cutoffs in the CBT will be summoned for the qualifying Stenography Skill Test, requiring dictation transcription at 100 words per minute (wpm) for Grade 'C' (Pay Level 6) and 80 wpm for Grade 'D' (Pay Level 4) in either English or Hindi.
Central secretariat recruitment frameworks, the 100-mark weightage of English Comprehension (active/passive voice, direct/indirect narration, cloze passages), and static General Awareness preparation are critical benchmarks for SSC Stenographer, SSC CHSL, and High Court Personal Assistant aspirants.