The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) Stenographer Exam is a national-level entrance examination which tests candidates based on their speed and accuracy while typing. This highly competitive SSC Stenographer exam is conducted by the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) on behalf of various Central Ministries/Departments/Organizations under the Government of India to recruit stenographers (multipurpose), lower division clerks, typists and data entry operators, as per their requirements.
Stenographers are employed in courts to take dictation and prepare documents. They are also employed in other professions such as law, media and journalism, administration, etc. The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) conducts the SSC Stenographer Exam every year to recruit candidates for the post of Stenographer Grade “C” and Grade “D”. The candidates qualifying in the SSC Stenographer exam would be eligible for appointment in different departments like Central Secretariat Service (CSS), Indian Railways, Income Tax Department, etc.
The candidates should have passed their 10th, 12th, or graduation with 50% aggregate marks and have a speed of 100 w.p.m. in English shorthand to be eligible to appear for this exam. However, there are some other conditions as well for the SSC exam.
SSC Stenographer Exam Stages
The SSC exam for Stenographer is conducted in two phases – a written test and a typing test. The written test will be conducted via multiple-choice questions, whereas the typing test will be conducted on computerized word processors.
SSC Stenographer Written Exam
The written exam consists of 3 sections – General Knowledge, General Intelligence, and English Language Comprehension. For all sections, 2 hours are allotted. The total marks scored by an applicant determines their ranking on the merit list.
There are three parts to the SSC Stenographer exam:
- Part 1: English Language Comprehension (100 marks)
- Part 2: General Intelligence and Reasoning (50 marks)
- Part 3: General Awareness (50 marks)
All the questions are objective-type questions and carry 1 mark each for the correct answer. There will be 0.25 negative marking for every wrong answer in the written examination. The minimum qualifying marks for the SSC Stenographer exam are 33% for General candidates and 28% for SC/ST candidates. The candidates qualifying in the written exam are called for the skill test, where they must demonstrate their typing speed.
SSC Stenographer Skill Test
The second stage of the SSC Stenographer exam is the skill test, where the candidates will be required to type a text in their desired language at a certain speed, based on the stenographer level they are applying for. The text will include words, sentences, and phrases that must be typed within a given time.
In the skill test, the typing speed and accuracy of the candidate are checked. The minimum typing speed required in English is 100 words per minute. In Hindi, it is 80 words per minute. The transcription time is:
- 50 minutes for English
- 65 minutes for Hindi
Along with speed, the number of mistakes made in the text will also be considered while scoring.
SSC Stenographer Syllabus:
The SSC Stenographer exam is a common one for government jobs in India. While it is not too difficult, there are some things you, as an aspiring candidate, can do in advance to prepare. First and foremost, you must apply and register for the exam.
After that, you must get your hands on the syllabus and practice material to know which areas need your focus. Some of the most important topics are General Intelligence & Reasoning, General Awareness, English Language and Comprehension, Quantitative Aptitude, and Computer Knowledge.
Here is an even more specific breakdown:
- Analogies
- Similarities And Differences
- Spatial Visualization
- Spatial Orientation
- Problem Solving Analysis
- Judgement Decision Making
- Visual Memory
- Discrimination Observation
- Relationship Concepts
- Arithmetical Reasoning
- Verbal And Figure Classification
- Arithmetical Number Series, etc.
