SSC CGL vs SSC CHSL: Difference in Posts, Salary, Exam and Growth

SSC CGL vs SSC CHSL: side-by-side table

Qualification and age: who can take which exam

For CHSL 2026 you needed to have passed Class 12 by 7 October 2026. DEO posts in the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, SSC and the Ministry of Culture also need science with maths in Class 12. A graduate has passed Class 12, so graduates within the age limit can apply too.

For CGL 2026 you need a bachelor's degree by 1 August 2026; final-year students could apply if they hold the degree by then. A few posts ask for more. Junior Statistical Officer needs at least 60% in maths in Class 12 or statistics as a subject in the degree. Statistical Investigator Grade-II needs a degree in subjects such as statistics, maths, economics or computer science. Assistant Audit Officer and Assistant Accounts Officer in the state cadre need the state's regional language at matriculation level.

CHSL has one age band, 18 to 27 years. CGL has four: 18 to 27 for Group C posts such as Tax Assistant, Auditor and Postal Assistant; 18 to 30 for most Group B posts; 20 to 30 for Assistant Section Officer in CSS, MEA, Railways and AFHQ and for Sub Inspector in CBI; and 18 to 32 for Junior Statistical Officer. Both exams give the same relaxations, including 5 years for SC/ST, 3 years for OBC and 10 years for PwBD.

Posts and pay levels compared

CHSL offers three posts: Lower Division Clerk/Junior Secretariat Assistant at Level 2 (Rs 19,900 to Rs 63,200), Data Entry Operator at Level 4 or Level 5, and DEO Grade A at Level 4. In the 2025 cycle almost all CHSL vacancies were LDC/JSA, so most CHSL selections start at Level 2.

SSC CHSL vs CGL salary comparison

Our own approximate calculation, not an SSC figure: basic pay plus DA at 60% (the rate from 1 January 2026), HRA at 30% for an X class city, and transport allowance with DA (Rs 1,350 base at Level 2, Rs 3,600 base at Levels 4 to 8). From this, 10% of basic plus DA goes to NPS, and tax is extra. HRA is 20% or 10% in Y and Z class cities. The July 2026 DA revision had not been announced when we checked.

Job profile: what the work looks like

CHSL jobs are support roles. An LDC or JSA keeps files and registers moving, logs incoming and outgoing letters, types routine drafts and updates office records on the computer. A DEO spends most of the day entering and checking data. The work is steady and desk-based, and it teaches you how a government office actually runs.

CGL jobs carry more responsibility from day one. An Assistant Section Officer examines files and prepares notes and drafts that go up to senior officers in a ministry. Inspectors in the income tax and customs and GST departments verify records, check compliance and may do field work. Auditors, accountants and Assistant Audit Officers examine and keep government accounts, while Tax Assistants handle tax records and processing.

One thing is common: posts filled through both exams carry all-India service liability, so you can be posted anywhere in the country. Your department may allot you a state or zone after selection.

Exam pattern: what is the same and what CGL adds

Negative marking matches closely: 0.50 marks per wrong answer in Tier-I and 1 mark in the Tier-II sections, with CGL's Papers II and III at 0.50. Minimum qualifying marks are also the same: 30% for UR, 25% for OBC and EWS, 20% for others.

The syllabus lists in the two notices overlap heavily: arithmetic, algebra, geometry, mensuration, trigonometry and data charts in maths, plus similar reasoning, English and general awareness topics. The CGL notice sets its Paper I maths at matriculation level and English at 10+2 level, with Papers II and III at graduation level. CGL usually feels tougher because of the longer English and GA sections, the specialist papers and stiffer competition for the better-paid posts. Look at the official cut-offs of recent cycles of both exams on ssc.gov.in to judge the gap for your category.

Career growth: where each exam puts you

• CHSL entry is mostly at Level 2. A JSA's first promotion is Senior Secretariat Assistant/UDC at Level 4. SSC's departmental exam for that step in the Central Secretariat Clerical Service required five years of approved service as an LDC, counted as on 1 August 2025.
• That same SSA/UDC post is a direct-entry post in CGL 2026. So CGL lets a graduate begin where a CHSL entrant's first promotion lands.
• CGL's Group B posts start at Level 6, 7 or 8. Assistant Audit Officer is a gazetted post, though direct recruits must pass the Subordinate Audit/Accounts Service exam during probation to be confirmed.
• Both routes get MACP: a move to the next pay level after 10, 20 and 30 years of service if regular promotion does not come first.
• Physical and medical standards apply to some CGL posts, such as Inspector in CBIC and Sub Inspector in CBI and NIA. In CHSL they apply to LDC in the Border Roads Organisation.

How to choose between SSC CGL and SSC CHSL

• Still in Class 12 or just passed: CHSL is your route for now. Build CGL preparation alongside your degree.
• Graduate aged 27 or below: apply for both. A CHSL job also does not close the CGL door, since central government employees with three years of regular service get an upper age limit of up to 40 for CGL Group C posts.
• Above 27 before any relaxation: CHSL is out of reach, but CGL posts with the 18-30, 20-30 and 18-32 bands stay open. Above 30, that leaves mainly Junior Statistical Officer.
• Want audit, accounts, tax or investigation work: those roles come through CGL. Happy with a steady desk job and an earlier start: CHSL fits.
• Good at maths or studied statistics: look at Junior Statistical Officer in CGL, which asks for 60% in Class 12 maths or statistics in your degree and has the widest age band.

Can you prepare for SSC CGL and CHSL together?

Yes, and it is the sensible way for graduates. Tier-I has the same four subjects in both, and Tier-II Section I is identical in size. If you prepare to CGL depth, CHSL questions will feel familiar. For CHSL, add typing practice early if you want LDC/JSA, because the typing test is pass or fail.

The 2026 dates line up one after the other. CGL 2026 Tier-I was reported to run from 30 September to 30 October 2026. SSC has proposed CHSL 2026 Tier-I from 30 November to 31 December 2026, and the CGL notice gave December 2026 as the tentative month for CGL Tier-II. Applications for both 2026 exams are closed, so if you are reading this for the next cycle, watch ssc.gov.in for the new notices.

For the shared subjects, you can read free notes on Sikhami, test your speed in quiz battles, and join a study room on Sikhami for timed revision with other aspirants.