SSC Selection Post 2026 (Phase XIV): exam date, pattern, syllabus and how to apply
The SSC Selection Post Examination fills many central government posts that SSC's other exams do not cover: clerks, data entry operators, laboratory and technical assistants, storekeepers and more, each with its own qualification, age limit and pay level. SSC advertises them together in phases. Where things stand now: the Phase XIV/2026 computer-based exam was held from 16 to 26 September 2026, and SSC published the tentative answer keys on 9 October 2026 (checked 20 October 2026). The result and document upload come next; the next phase has not been announced. This guide covers the dates, how to apply, the pattern, the syllabus and how to prepare for the next phase.
SSC Selection Post at a glance
| Conducting body | Staff Selection Commission (SSC), Government of India |
| What it is for | Posts in central ministries and departments not filled by other SSC exams |
| Levels | Matriculation, Higher Secondary (10+2), Graduation and above: one test per level |
| Mode | Computer-based test at an exam centre |
| Questions | 100 questions, 200 marks, in 60 minutes (four parts of 15 minutes) |
| Marking | +2 for a right answer, −0.50 for a wrong one |
| Languages | English and Hindi, chosen when applying (the English part is in English) |
| After the test | Document upload and scrutiny by the department; skill test for some posts |
| How often | In phases announced by SSC |
| Official website | ssc.gov.in |
SSC Selection Post exam date
From SSC's own notices, read on 20 October 2026:
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Online applications | 13 April to 4 May 2026 |
| Correction window | 11 to 13 May 2026 |
| Computer-based exam | 16 to 26 September 2026 (held) |
| Tentative answer keys, challenges | 9 to 12 October 2026 |
| Result and document upload | Not announced as of 20 October 2026 |
The Phase XIV notice first gave "June 2026 (Tentative)" for the exam. SSC's notice of 21 August 2026 moved it to 16 to 26 September, and the answer key notice of 9 October 2026 confirms it was held then. The result will appear on ssc.gov.in.
The next phase (Phase XV) has not been announced. Phase XIV was advertised on 13 April 2026; SSC's tentative calendar for 2026-27 listed it for March 2026, which shows how far dates can move. Watch SSC's exam calendar and notices. We track dates on our SSC Selection Post exam-dates page.
How to apply for SSC Selection Post
Selection Post is different from other SSC exams: you apply post by post, not once for the whole exam. The Phase XIV notice describes the process:
- Make your One-Time Registration (OTR) on ssc.gov.in, ideally with Aadhaar authentication.
- Read the post list (Annexure-III of the notice, and the post details page on ssc.gov.in). Each category of post has its own qualification, age limit, experience and region.
- Apply for each category of post separately on the website or the mySSC app, and pay the fee for each. The Phase XIV fee was ₹100 per category of post, with women, SC, ST, PwBD and eligible ex-servicemen exempt (read in the notice on 20 October 2026).
- If you apply for posts at two or three levels, you sit each level's test once.
Eligibility depends on the post. In Phase XIV, age limits were reckoned on 1 January 2026 and differed by post, from 18-25 years to 18-35 years, among others; qualifications and experience had to be held by the closing date, 4 May 2026. Experience counts only if gained after the required qualification.
Keep ready, because you upload them after the test: Class 10 certificate (date of birth), the certificates and mark sheets for your qualification, experience certificates, and category certificates. The department that owns the post checks them; missing the upload ends your candidature.
SSC Selection Post exam pattern
The same shape at every level:
| Part | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| A: General Intelligence | 25 | 50 | 15 minutes |
| B: General Awareness | 25 | 50 | 15 minutes |
| C: Quantitative Aptitude (Basic Arithmetic Skill) | 25 | 50 | 15 minutes |
| D: English Language (Basic Knowledge) | 25 | 50 | 15 minutes |
| Total | 100 | 200 | 60 minutes |
A wrong answer loses 0.50. Each part has its own 15-minute timer. Difficulty follows the level, except that Quantitative Aptitude is set at 10th standard even in the Graduation-level test. The notice sets minimum marks of 30% (UR), 25% (OBC, EWS) and 20% (others), and SSC can also fix minimum marks in each part. Marks from different shifts are normalised. Posts that need typing, data entry or computer skills have a qualifying skill test.
SSC Selection Post syllabus
- General Intelligence: analogy and classification, number and letter series, coding-decoding, syllogisms and Venn diagrams, blood relations, directions, ranking and puzzles, plus figure questions such as paper folding and embedded figures.
- General Awareness: current events, history and culture, geography, the economy, polity and the Constitution, everyday science.
- Quantitative Aptitude: number system and simplification, percentage, profit and loss, interest, ratio, averages, mixtures, time and distance, time and work, basic algebra, geometry, mensuration and trigonometry, and charts (histogram, bar, pie).
- English: synonyms, antonyms, idioms, one-word substitution; error spotting, spelling, fill in the blanks, sentence improvement; voice and narration; cloze passages and comprehension.
The level-wise topics are on our SSC Selection Post syllabus page.
A plan until the next phase
With no date announced, you have time to build a base that also serves SSC CHSL, whose pattern is close.
- Weeks 1 to 2: take one full SSC Selection Post mock test at your level under the 15-minute timers. Note which part costs you the most marks.
- Weeks 3 to 8: one topic a day from your weakest part; arithmetic and English grammar improve fastest. Twenty minutes of current affairs a day.
- Every week after that: one full mock and a review as in how to analyse a mock test.
- When the notice comes: shortlist posts the day it appears, and check age, qualification and experience against each one before you pay.
Fifteen minutes for 25 questions is 36 seconds a question. At −0.50 against +2, four wrong answers cancel one right one; see when to guess under negative marking.
Useful links
- SSC website: login, results and notices
- Selection Posts Phase XIV/2026 notice (PDF, ssc.gov.in)
- Phase XIV answer key notice of 9 October 2026 (PDF)
- Free SSC Selection Post mock tests
- SSC Selection Post syllabus
- SSC Selection Post exam dates
- SSC CGL vs SSC CHSL
- SSC Stenographer: exam date and how to apply
Frequently asked questions
When is the SSC Selection Post Phase XIV exam?
It was held from 16 to 26 September 2026. SSC published the tentative answer keys on 9 October 2026, with challenges open until 12 October.
When will SSC Selection Post Phase XV come?
SSC had not announced Phase XV when we checked on 20 October 2026. It will appear in SSC's exam calendar and on the notice board at ssc.gov.in.
Is there negative marking in SSC Selection Post?
Yes. Each question carries 2 marks and a wrong answer loses 0.50. Unanswered questions score nothing.
Can I apply for more than one post in SSC Selection Post?
Yes. You apply for each category of post separately and pay the fee for each. If your posts are at different levels, you take each level's test once.
What is the SSC Selection Post pass mark?
The notice sets minimum marks of 30% for UR, 25% for OBC and EWS and 20% for others, and SSC can also set minimum marks in each part. Cut-offs are fixed post by post after the exam.
Is the Selection Post exam in Hindi?
Yes. You choose English or Hindi when applying. The English Language part is in English in both.