SSC ASO Recruitment 2026 for 341 Assistant Section Officer / Assistant Posts
SSC ASO
Recruitment 2026 for 341 Assistant Section Officer / Assistant Posts
Staff Selection Commission (SSC) has officially released the SSC
ASO Recruitment 2026 notification for the Assistant Section Officer / Assistant
Grade Limited Departmental Competitive Examination, 2025. A total of 341
vacancies are available across the Central Secretariat Service (CSS) under DoPT
and the Ministry of External Affairs (Cadre Cell). Eligible departmental
candidates can apply online from 25 June 2026 to 16 July 2026 (up to 11:00 PM).
The Computer Based Examination is scheduled tentatively in August 2026 in
Delhi-NCR only.
SSC ASO
Recruitment 2026 – Quick Overview
This
is a Limited Departmental Competitive Examination open only to in-service
government employees of the participating cadres. The SSC ASO Bharti 2026 is
conducted to add candidates to the Select List for the grade of Assistant
Section Officer / Assistant, a Group B Non-Gazetted post at Pay Level-7. The
notification reference number is No. 4/2/2026-CONF-5, published on 25 June
2026.
|
Detail |
Information |
|
Organization |
Staff Selection Commission (SSC) |
|
Exam Name |
ASO / Assistant Grade Limited
Departmental Competitive Examination, 2025 |
|
Post Name |
Assistant Section Officer (ASO) /
Assistant Grade |
|
Total Vacancies |
341 |
|
Pay Level |
Level-7 (Rs. 44,900 – Rs. 1,42,400) |
|
Group |
Group B, Non-Gazetted |
|
Application Mode |
Online |
|
Exam Mode |
Computer Based Examination (CBE) |
|
Exam Centre |
Delhi-NCR only |
|
Official Website |
https://ssc.gov.in |
SSC ASO Notification 2026 – Important Dates
Candidates
appearing in the SSC Assistant Section Officer Exam 2025 must strictly observe
the schedule below. The online application window is open for just over three
weeks, and hard copies forwarded through the department have a separate
deadline. Missing any of these dates will result in rejection of candidature.
|
Event |
Date |
|
Notification Published |
25 June 2026 |
|
Online Application Start Date |
25 June 2026 |
|
Last Date to Apply Online |
16 July 2026 (up to 11:00 PM / 2300
hours) |
|
Last Date for Receipt of Hard Copy
(General) |
23 July 2026 (up to 6:00 PM / 1800 hours) |
|
Last Date for Receipt of Hard Copy
(Abroad / A&N / Lakshadweep) |
30 July 2026 (up to 6:00 PM / 1800 hours) |
|
Computer Based Examination (Tentative) |
August 2026 |
The last
date to submit the SSC ASO online application is 16 July 2026.
After submitting online, candidates must also send the printed application
along with required documents through their Head of Department / Head of Office
to SSC Northern Region, New Delhi, so as to reach by 23
July 2026.
SSC ASO
Vacancy 2026 – Category-Wise Breakdown
The
SSC ASO vacancy 2026 is distributed across two cadres - Central Secretariat
Service under DoPT and the Ministry of External Affairs Cadre Cell. The CSS
cadre carries category-wise reservation including 19 seats reserved for Persons
with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD). MEA vacancies are all under the Unreserved
category with no PwBD reservation reported.
|
Sl. No. |
Service / Cadre |
UR |
SC |
ST |
Total |
PwBD |
|
1 |
Central Secretariat Service (CSS), DoPT |
189 |
71 |
58 |
318 |
19* |
|
2 |
Ministry of External Affairs (Cadre Cell) |
23 |
– |
– |
23 |
– |
|
|
Total |
|
|
|
341 |
|
*PwBD
breakup for CSS: 6 seats for VH (Visually Handicapped), 4 for OH
(Orthopedically Handicapped), 4 for HH (Hearing Handicapped), and 5 for Others.
SSC ASO
Eligibility Criteria 2026 – Who Can Apply
The
SSC ASO Limited Departmental Exam 2025 is not open to the general public. Only
serving government officials of the specific feeder cadres are eligible. The
crucial date for counting approved service is 1 July 2025 for
both cadres. Candidates must ensure they meet the exact conditions as specified
below before applying.
Eligibility for Central Secretariat Service (CSS), DoPT
Any
officer in the Upper Division Grade of the Central
Secretariat Clerical Service who, as on 01
July 2025, has rendered not less than six
years' approved service in that grade is eligible to
appear.
Eligibility for Ministry of External Affairs (Cadre Cell)
Officers
in the Upper Division Clerk Grade of the MEA Service who,
as on 01 July 2025, have (a) successfully
completed such mandatory training programme(s) as prescribed by the Ministry of
External Affairs and (b) rendered not less than six years' approved service in
the grade are eligible.
Disqualification Conditions
A
candidate who resigns, quits service, or whose services are terminated after
applying will not be eligible for appointment on the result of this
examination. Similarly, candidates appointed to an ex-cadre post or another
service on "transfer" without a lien in the SSA/UDC grade are not
eligible. This does not apply to candidates on deputation with the approval of
the competent authority.
SSC ASO Apply Online 2026 – Step-by-Step Process
The
SSC ASO Apply Online 2026 process involves two stages: One Time Registration
(OTR) on the SSC portal, followed by filling the actual examination
application. Candidates who had registered on the old website (ssc.nic.in) must
create a fresh OTR on the new website (ssc.gov.in) as the old OTR is not
functional on the new portal.
1.
Visit the official SSC website: https://ssc.gov.in
2.
Click on "Register Now" under
the Login or Register section to complete One Time Registration (OTR) if not
already done on the new website.
3.
During OTR, opt for Aadhaar-Based Authentication as
advised by the Commission.
4.
After OTR is complete, log in using your Registration Number and
password.
5.
Click the "Apply" link
under "Assistant Section Officer / Assistant Grade Limited
Departmental Competitive Examination, 2025" in the
Live Exam tab.
6.
Fill in departmental details - select your Cadre/Service,
joining date of feeder service, and length of service.
7.
Capture a live photograph using
webcam/smartphone as prompted (no pre-existing photo allowed).
8.
Upload your scanned signature in JPEG format (10–20
KB, dimensions: 6 cm × 2 cm).
9.
Upload mandatory documents including certified true copy of
Service Book (first page) and particulars of service. PwBD candidates must also
upload their disability certificate.
10.
Review all entries in the Preview section, accept the
declaration, and click Submit Application.
11.
Take a printout of the submitted application form.
12.
Submit the printed copy along with all required documents
through your Head of Department / Head of Office to
SSC (NR), New Delhi, by 23 July 2026.
Important: Only
those candidates whose application is forwarded by their Head of Department /
Head of Office will be considered for admission to this examination.
Applications submitted directly without departmental forwarding will be
rejected.
SSC ASO Exam
Pattern 2026 – Scheme of Examination
The
SSC Assistant Section Officer Exam 2026 is conducted in two parts. Part-I is a
Computer Based Examination (CBE) carrying 300 marks, and Part-II involves
Evaluation of Service Records (APARs) carrying 100 marks. The final merit is
prepared on the combined aggregate of both parts. There is no separate
qualifying exam - this is a competitive examination.
Part-I: Computer Based Examination (300 Marks)
|
Paper |
Subjects |
Type |
Max. Marks |
Duration |
|
Paper-I |
(i) General Awareness – flagship
programmes and GoI initiatives |
Objective (MCQ) |
150 |
3 hours (4 hours for eligible scribe
candidates) |
|
Paper-II |
(i) Service Rules – Leave Rules, Conduct
& CCA Rules, Pension and NPS Rules |
Objective (MCQ) |
150 |
3 hours (4 hours for eligible scribe
candidates) |
There
is a negative
marking of 0.25 marks (25%) for each wrong answer in both
Paper-I and Paper-II. Candidates must attempt the examination only in the
language (English or Hindi) opted in the application form. There will be no
question paper in Braille.
Part-II: Evaluation of Record of Service (100 Marks)
One
hundred marks are reserved for evaluation of Annual Performance Appraisal
Reports (APARs). Candidates shortlisted based on their Part-I aggregate
performance will proceed to Part-II. Marks from Part-II will be added to
determine the final rank. Once APARs have been evaluated, no request for change
in APAR grading will be entertained.
SSC ASO
Selection Process 2026
The
SSC ASO selection process 2026 is a two-stage merit-based system. Candidates
must clear the Computer Based Examination before their service records are
evaluated. Final selection is strictly based on combined merit - no candidate
has a right to selection merely by passing the exam.
1.
Stage 1
– Computer Based Examination (Part-I): Paper-I and
Paper-II, each of 150 marks. The Commission may fix minimum qualifying marks
individually for each paper.
2.
Stage 2
– APAR Evaluation (Part-II): Only candidates who
qualify Part-I are eligible. Service records (APARs) are evaluated for 100
marks.
3.
Final
Merit: Aggregate of Part-I (300 marks) + Part-II (100 marks) =
400 marks total. Names of finally selected candidates will be arranged in order
of merit separately for each cadre.
Tie-Breaking Rules
In
case of equal aggregate marks, ties are resolved in the following order: (i)
Marks in Paper-I, (ii) Marks in Paper-II, (iii) Date of birth - older candidate
ranked higher, (iv) Alphabetical order of names.
Pay Scale –
SSC ASO Salary 2026
Candidates
wondering about the salary for Assistant Section Officer will be pleased to
know that this is a Group B Non-Gazetted post. The SSC ASO pay scale is at Pay
Level-7 in the 7th Pay Commission Pay Matrix, with a pay range
of Rs.
44,900 to Rs. 1,42,400 per month. Additional allowances such as
HRA, DA, and TA apply as per government rules.
Scribe and
Compensatory Time Provisions
PwBD
candidates in the category of Blindness and Cerebral Palsy are eligible for
scribe / assistive technology support. Candidates with other benchmark
disabilities may also avail scribe support on producing a certificate from a
Government health institution (as per Annexure-II). A compensatory time of 20
minutes per hour of examination is provided to all
eligible scribe candidates, including those who choose not to avail the scribe
facility.
Documents
Required for SSC ASO Application 2026
Candidates
must upload the following documents with the online application and also
include self-attested photocopies with the printed hard copy forwarded by the
department. Original documents should not be submitted.
|
Document |
Required For |
|
Certified true copy of first page of
Service Book (attested by HoD/HoO) |
All candidates |
|
Certified copy of particulars of service
showing posts held, scale of pay, and capacity
(substantive/officiating/permanent/temporary) |
All candidates |
|
Certificate of Disability (as per
Annexure-VII / Annexure-VIII) |
PwBD candidates only |
|
Certificate for physical limitation to
write (Annexure-II or Annexure-III) |
Candidates availing scribe under Para
35(b)/(c) |
|
Live photograph captured on application
portal |
All candidates |
|
Scanned signature in JPEG format (10–20
KB) |
All candidates |
Important Links – SSC ASO Recruitment 2026
- Apply Online: Click here
- Official
Notification PDF: Click here
- Official
Website: Click here
Join WhatsApp Channel: Click Here
Join Telegram Channel: Click Here
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Note: Before applying Candidates are suggested to please always check
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