SSC CHSL Eligibility Criteria 2026: Check SSC CHSL Age limit and Qualification

Author Image
By Smartkeeda
20 Mar 2026

SSC CHSL Eligibility 2026 outlines the specific requirements for a candidate to have in order to participate in the combined Higher Secondary Level examination. Candidates applying for posts such as LDC (Lower Division Clerk), JSA (Junior Secretariat Assistant), and DEO (Data Entry Operator) must understand all essential requirements to meet the SSC CHSL Eligibility Criteria 2026.

In this article, we have covered all the necessary details, such as age requirements, nationality, age relaxation, physical disability criteria, and important FAQs related to eligibility, so students are advised to go through the entire article to gain detailed knowledge about SSC CHSL Eligibility 2026.

SSC CHSL Eligibility Criteria 2026

The Staff Selection Commission establishes the SSC CHSL Eligibility Criteria 2026.  The Staff Selection Commission conducts the SSC CHSL exam for posts such as  Lower Division Clerk (LDC), Junior Secretariat Assistant (JSA), and Data Entry Operator (DEO). candidates must meet the necessary requirements to sit for the exam. Let’s take a look at the overview of SSC CHSL Eligibility 2026

 

 

SSC CHSL Eligibility Criteria 2026 Overview

 

Exam Name

 

SSC CHSL 2026

 

Organization

 

Staff Selection Commission

 

Post Name

 

Lower Division Clerk (LDC), Junior Secretariat Assistant (JSA), and Data Entry Operator

 

SSC CHSL Age Limit

 

18-27 years

 

SSC CHSL Qualification

 

12th Pass

 

SSC CHSL Nationality

 

Indian

SSC Official Website

 

ssc.gov.in

 

SSC CHSL Age Limit

Each candidate must meet the specific age limits set by the Staff Selection Commission. As per the SSC CHSL Age limit 2026, applicants should clearly understand the age criteria before applying. The minimum age to apply for SSC CHSL posts is 18 years, while the maximum age limit for most posts is 27 years.

In simple terms, candidates must be at least 18 years old and not exceed 27 years of age as on the cut-off date, as per the SSC CHSL Age limit 2026.

Age Limit for SSC CHSL 2026

 

Post

 

Minimum Age

 

Maximum Age

 

LDC/JSA

 

18 years

 

27 years

DEO 18 years 27 years

 

SSC CHSL Age Relaxation 2026

The Staff Selection Commission prescribes certain relaxations for candidates belonging to reserved categories, persons with disabilities, etc. The table below provides an overview of the age relaxation available to different categories under the SSC CHSL examination.

 

SSC CHSL Age Relaxation 2026

 

Category

 

Permissible Age Relaxation

 

SC/ST

 

5 years

 

OBC

 

3 years

 

Persons with Disabilities (PwD-Unreserved)

 

10 years

 

PwD + OBC

 

13 years

 

PwD + SC/ST

 

15 years

 

Ex-Servicemen

 

3 years after deduction of the military service rendered from the actual age as on the closing date.

 

Candidates domiciled in Jammu & Kashmir from 1st January 1980 to 31st December 1989

 

5 years

 

Defence Personnel disabled in operation during hostilities with any foreign country or in a disturbed area and released as a consequence thereof

 

3 years

 

Defence Personnel disabled in operation during hostilities with any foreign country or in a disturbed area and released as a consequence thereof (SC/ ST)

 

8 years

 

Central Government Civilian Employees with at least 3 years of regular and continuous service (Unreserved)

 

Up to 40 years of age

 

Central Government Civilian Employees with at least 3 years of regular and continuous service (SC/ST)

 

Up to 45 years of age

 

Widows/ Divorced Women/ Women judicially separated and not remarried

 

Up to 35 years of age

 

Widows/ Divorced Women/ Women judicially separated and not remarried (SC/ST)

 

Up to 40 years of age

SSC CHSL Nationality

As per the official guidelines, the SSC CHSL Eligibility Criteria 2026 for nationality are strictly defined. The main SSC CHSL 2026 eligibility criterion is that the candidate must be a citizen of India. The official notification also includes a detailed explanation of the different sub-categories that come under the nationality requirement.

 

To be eligible for recruitment, candidates must be from one of the nationalities listed below.

  • A citizen of India
  • A subject of Nepal
  • A subject of Bhutan
  • A Tibetan refugee
  • Migrants from Pakistan, the United Republic of Tanzania (formerly Tanganyika and Zanzibar), Burma, Sri Lanka, Malawi, East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, Zaire, Vietnam, and Ethiopia, who have permanently settled in India.

SSC CHSL Educational Qualification

As per the SSC CHSL Eligibility Criteria 2026, candidates applying for most posts must have passed Class 12 or an equivalent examination from a recognised board. The qualifications required for each post are outlined below

 

SSC CHSL Educational Qualification 2026

 

Post Name

 

Qualification

 

For Data Entry Operator (DEO)/ DEO Grade ‘A’ in the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution and the Ministry of Culture

 

12th Standard pass in Science streams with Mathematics as a subject from a recognised Board or equivalent.

 

For LDC/JSA and DEO/DEO Grade ‘A’ (except DEOs in the Department/ Ministry

 

Candidates must have passed the 12th Standard or equivalent examination from a recognised Board or University.

 

SSC CHSL 2026 Physical Disability Criteria

The Staff Selection Commission has laid down certain eligibility conditions for candidates belonging to the Persons with Disabilities (PwD) category. Applicants under this category are advised to go through these guidelines carefully to understand which posts they can apply for. For better clarity, the post-wise physical disability criteria are provided below.

Post Name

Physical Disability

DEO

a) Low Vision

b) Deaf, Hard of Hearing

c) One Arm affected, Both Arms affected, One Leg affected, Both Legs

One Arm one Leg affected, Cerebral Palsy, Leprosy Cured, Dwarfism, Acid Attack Victim, Muscular Dystrophy, Spinal Deformity/Spinal Injury

LDC/JSA

a) Low Vision and Blind

b) Deaf, Hard of Hearing

c) One Arm affected, Both Arms affected, One Leg affected, Both Legs

One Arm one Leg affected, Cerebral Palsy, Leprosy Cured, Dwarfism, Acid Attack Victim, Muscular Dystrophy, Spinal Deformity/Spinal Injury

Note: Candidates with benchmark disabilities will be given compensatory time of 20 minutes for every hour of the examination.

Total Number of Attempts for SSC CHSL 2026

The Staff Selection Commission does not specify any limit on the number of attempts an aspirant can take in the SSC CHSL examination. A candidate willing to sit for the exam must meet the necessary eligibility criteria, including age, nationality, educational qualifications, etc., prescribed by the SSC. If one meets the eligibility criteria, they can attempt the paper as many times as they want.

SSC CHSL Eligibility Verification: Required Documents

During the Document Verification process conducted by the respective User Departments or Organisations, candidates will be required to produce copies of the documents mentioned below.

 

  1. Matriculation/Secondary Certificate.
  2. Educational Qualification Certificate.
  3. Caste/Category Certificate, if belonging to the reserved categories.
  4. Persons with Disabilities Certificate in the prescribed format, if applicable.
  5. For Ex-Servicemen (ESM): Serving Defence Personnel Certificate as per Annexure-VII, if applicable.
  6. Discharge Certificate, if discharged from the Armed Forces.
  7. Relevant Certificate if seeking any age relaxation.
  8. No Objection Certificate, if already employed in the Government/Government undertakings.