SSC CHSL Tier-2 exam pattern 2026: sections, marks, timing and final merit

SSC CHSL 2026 Tier-II is a computer-based exam held on one day in two sessions. Session-I (2 hours 15 minutes) has three sections. Section-I is Mathematical Abilities plus Reasoning: 60 questions in one hour. Section-II is English Language and Comprehension plus General Awareness: 60 questions in one hour. Section-III is Computer Knowledge: 15 questions in 15 minutes. Session-II is the Typing Test (LDC/JSA) or the Skill Test (DEO). Every question is worth 3 marks, and 1 is taken off for a wrong answer. Your final merit is Section-I plus Section-II, out of 360. Computer Knowledge and the typing or skill test only have to be passed. Tier-I marks count only to break ties. Below is the pattern from the CHSL 2026 notice (Paras 13.9, 17, 18) and what to start on now.

The Tier-I pattern and the exam dates are in our SSC CHSL 2026 guide. Tier-II dates have not been announced; the notice says they will be notified later.

The Tier-II pattern

Section-I and Section-II are each out of 180. Each module has its own timer inside the section's hour.

How the day runs

1. Section-I opens first. When its hour is up, it closes automatically (Para 13.9.4).
2. Section-II starts immediately and also closes after one hour (Para 13.9.5).
3. Section-III, Computer Knowledge, follows for 15 minutes, and Session-I ends (Para 13.9.6).
4. There is a break for re-registration (Para 13.9.7).
5. Session-II: the Skill Test or Typing Test (Para 13.9.8).

You must appear in all four sections (Para 17.4) and qualify in every one of them (Para 13.9.9). Questions are in English, Hindi and the other languages listed in the notice, except English Language and Comprehension, which is in English only (Para 13.9.10).

Candidates eligible for a scribe (Paras 7.1–7.3) get Section-I in 80 minutes (40 + 40), Section-II in 80 (55 + 25), Section-III in 20, the Skill Test in 20 and the Typing Test in 15.

Marks, negative marking and time per question

Every question in Sections I, II and III is worth 3 marks, with 1 taken off for a wrong answer (Para 13.9.11). One mark lost per wrong answer is a third of a right one. In Tier-I it is a quarter: 0.5 against 2.

• Time: 30 questions in 30 minutes, 40 in 40, 20 in 20, 15 in 15. That is one minute per question in every module, against 36 seconds in Tier-I.
• Guessing: a blind guess among four options is worth 0.25 × 3 − 0.75 × 1 = 0. It gains nothing on average. Remove one option you know is wrong, and the guess is worth ⅓ × 3 − ⅔ × 1 = +0.33. Remove two, and it is worth +1. So guess only when you can rule something out. Our article on negative marking explains the rule.

Qualifying marks

The minimum qualifying marks apply to Tier-I and to each of Sections I, II and III of Tier-II (Para 17.1):

These are minimums, not cut-offs. The actual cut-offs are set later, by category, and can differ for three post groups: DEO in the Para 8.1 offices, other DEO posts, and LDC/JSA (Para 17.3). Scores from different shifts are normalised by SSC's published method (Para 13.2).

Computer Knowledge: qualifying, but don't ignore it

Section-III is mandatory but qualifying (Para 13.9.12). Its marks are not in your total, but if you fail it you are out. The syllabus (Para 13.11.5):

• Computer basics: organisation of a computer, CPU, input/output devices, memory and its organisation, back-up devices, ports, Windows Explorer, keyboard shortcuts.
• Software: Windows, and the basics of MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
• Internet and e-mail: browsing and searching, downloading and uploading, managing an e-mail account, e-banking.
• Networking and cyber security: networking devices and protocols; threats such as hacking, viruses, worms and Trojans, and how to prevent them.

The Skill Test and Typing Test

LDC/JSA: 10 minutes at 35 words a minute in English or 30 in Hindi (Mangal font), in the medium chosen in the form. DEO: 15 minutes at 8,000 key depressions an hour, or 15,000 for the Para 8.1 offices. Both are qualifying (Para 13.9.13). Our SSC CHSL typing test article has the rules, exemptions, how to measure your speed and a practice plan.

How the final merit is formed

• Merit marks: Section-I + Section-II of Tier-II, out of 360, normalised. This applies only if you have also qualified in Section-III and Section-IV (Para 17.9).
• Posts: you are placed in the first post on your preference list that your merit reaches, in your category (Para 17.10). Preferences are given online before the result and cannot be changed later; anyone who misses the window is not considered (Paras 15.1–15.3).
• Tier-I: used to shortlist for Tier-II (Para 17.2). After that, it matters only if there is a tie.

How ties are broken

If two candidates have the same Tier-II score, SSC applies these one after another until the tie is broken (Para 18):

1. Marks in Section-I of Tier-II.
2. Marks in Tier-I.
3. Date of birth: the older candidate is placed higher.

Example: A and B both have 250 out of 360. A has 130 in Section-I and B 125, so A ranks higher whatever their Tier-I marks. Only if both had 130 would Tier-I decide.

Tier-I and Tier-II side by side

What to start preparing for Tier-II now

Only Tier-I qualifiers sit Tier-II, so most of your time until December belongs to Tier-I, and the shared subjects count for both. Three things are Tier-II only and take weeks to build:

1. Typing (LDC/JSA) or data entry (DEO): 30–45 minutes a day from now. Speed comes slowly and cannot be crammed.
2. Computer Knowledge: one short topic a week from the list above, for example memory and storage, then keyboard shortcuts, then Excel basics.
3. The extra maths: mean, median, mode, standard deviation and simple probability. These are a few short chapters of school maths.

Read one long editorial a week too. For Tier-I, the 10 free SSC CHSL mock tests have the real 15-minute section timers in English and Hindi, and a plan of what to practise next after each.

Useful links

• SSC CHSL 2026 notice (PDF, ssc.gov.in), Paras 13.9, 17 and 18
• Free SSC CHSL mock tests
• SSC CHSL syllabus
• SSC CHSL 2026: exam date, pattern and how to apply
• SSC CHSL typing test
• SSC CHSL Tier-I preparation strategy
• Negative marking: when to guess

Frequently asked questions

What is the SSC CHSL Tier-2 exam pattern?

One day, two sessions. Session-I has Section-I (Maths and Reasoning, 60 questions, one hour), Section-II (English and General Awareness, 60 questions, one hour) and Section-III (Computer Knowledge, 15 questions, 15 minutes). Session-II is the Typing or Skill Test.

Is there negative marking in SSC CHSL Tier-2?

Yes. 1 mark is taken off for each wrong answer in Sections I, II and III, against 3 for a right one.

Do Tier-I marks count in the SSC CHSL final merit?

No. The merit is Tier-II Section-I plus Section-II, out of 360. Tier-I marks are used only to break a tie, after Tier-II Section-I marks.

Is Computer Knowledge counted in SSC CHSL Tier-2 marks?

No. It is qualifying: you must reach the minimum (30% for UR, 25% for OBC/EWS, 20% for others), but its marks are not added to the merit.

When is the SSC CHSL 2026 Tier-2 exam?

SSC has not announced it yet. The notice says the Tier-II schedule will be notified later; it follows the Tier-I result.