SSC CGL vs SSC CHSL: Which One is Better?

April 15, 2024

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The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) is an organization under Government of India that conducts various examinations every year to recruit eligible candidates for various posts in the ministries and departments of the Government of India and in subordinate offices. A job opportunity with the SSC provides a lot of job security for those who are looking for a rewarding career opportunity. The two most popular recruitment examinations conducted by SSC are SSC CGL and SSC CHSL. Both the examinations are equally preferred and important examinations. SSC recruitment gives a golden opportunity to the aspirants who are willing to work in the government sector and who fancy the government offices jobs, owing to the convenience, comfort and facilities that are provided. Though the scope in both the jobs maybe similar, but before you choose to apply for any one of these, you should be well aware of some differences between both of them. We have tried to list down some main points on the basis of which you can compare both the examinations and choose the one that seems better for you. Once you understand the differences between both of them, you can make the sound choice of which exam to prepare for.

SSC CGL vs SSC CHSL: Name of the Examinations

As mentioned earlier, the Staff Selection Commission Combined Graduate Level Examination and the Staff Selection Commission Combined Higher Secondary Level Examination, popularly known as SSC CGL and SSC CHSL are the two important exams in the SSC.

CGL	Combined Graduate Level Examination
CHSL	Combined Higher Secondary Level Examination

SSC CGL vs SSC CHSL: Eligibility Criteria

While filling out any application form, you should be eligible according to the criteria mentioned in the official notification in order to avoid the cancellation of your candidature in the future. SSC CGL & SSC CHSL being two different examinations, their eligibility criteria are also expected to be different as follows:

	SSC CGL	SSC CHSL
Educational Qualification	Bachelor’s Degree in any discipline from a recognized board or university.	Must have passed 12th Standard or an equivalent examination from a recognized board or university.
Age Criteria	Candidate should not be less than 18 years and not more than 32 years (depending on various posts)	Candidate should not be less than 18 years and not more than 27 years.

The SSC CGL and the SSC CHSL Eligibility Criteria in complete form will be provided in the notification for both exams. The eligibility criteria for both exams can differ each year so it is always a good idea to study the notification in detail to know all the important details about the exam.

SSC CGL vs SSC CHSL: Job Posts

The SSC CGL examination is held to recruit candidates for major Group B and Group C posts in the various government departments and ministries.
Whereas the SSC CHSL examination is generally held for the Group C and clerical posts, the reason why it has the qualification as 12th pass.

SSC CGL vs SSC CHSL: Exam Pattern

Both the examinations of SSC CGL and SSC CHSL are conducted in certain stages called Tiers. A candidate needs to qualify one stage to move to the next stage.

SSC CGL Exam Pattern

SSC CGL examination is conducted in two stages: Tier 1 and Tier 2respectively.
Tier I & Tier II are conducted online. Tier 2 comprises three papers, with Paper 1 divided into Session 1 and Session 2.
Tier I consists of 4 subjects/tests – General Awareness, General Intelligence & Reasoning, Quantitative Aptitude & English Comprehension.
Tier II also consists of four subjects/tests – Quantitative Ability, Statistics, General Studies (Finance & Economics) & English Language and Comprehension.
A negative marking of 0.50 marks is also there in the SSC CGL examination.

SSC CHSL Exam Pattern

SSC CHSL examination is conducted in three stages: Tier I, Tier II and Tier III.
Tier I of SSC CHSL exam is an online objective (multiple choice) test which contains the same subjects as in SSC CGL , i.e. General Awareness, General Intelligence & Reasoning, Quantitative Aptitude & English Comprehension.
Tier II consists of a descriptive paper to test the written skills of the candidates in English/Hindi. The Paper would comprise an ‘Essay’ writing of 200-250 words and Letter/Application writing of approximately 150-200 words.
There is also a typing test for some jobs.

SSC CGL vs SSC CHSL: Career & Benefits

SSC CGL- The growth and opportunities are endless once you clear the SSC CGL exam. SSC CGL job posts provide consistent growth in your career.

The nature of work also depends on the post you opt for according to your eligibility.
If you join early within 2-3 years after your graduation, your promotion prospects would be good. Being at an early age, you can expect to retire at a higher post.
It is a Central Government job; thus, one can expect good perks and benefits.
You are entitled to a pension after you complete your term of service.
You may also be eligible for housing facilities and other similar facilities.
Job security is one of the reasons for preference of this job.
The job also provides a good work-life balance.

SSC CHSL- Being group ‘C’ posts, the jobs under CHSL are mostly clerical level jobs. Two main jobs under SSC CHSL are LDC (Lower-Divisional CLerk) & DEO (Data Entry Operator) . Both jobs offer comfortable working conditions, and if you stick to the job, you may be promoted to a higher post as well.

As a DEO, you will be responsible for maintaining documents and updating, creating & entering all the relevant and important data in the computer database.
You need to write letters and do chores at office in the absence of LDCs.
DEOs scan all the pertinent information, figures and data of the department thoroughly and compile them together to stack and make a proper database for future reference.
An LDC is responsible for clerical work, which includes documentation and co-ordination with the seniors. You are expected to undertake the official responsibilities smoothly and efficiently for the day to day operations in the office.
There are promotion opportunities in both these jobs as well, depending on the departments.

SSC CGL vs SSC CHSL: Salary

SSC CGL: The minimum basic salary under CGL after the 7th Pay Commission is expected to be around Rs 18,000 and the maximum salary may go on to Rs 50,000. There are some recommendations that are still under process and remain to be accepted . The salary scale also varies according to the different posts.

SSC CHSL: The two major posts under SSC CHSL are LDC and DEO, as discussed above. The in-hand salary of both the posts will be:

Lower Division Clerk – 18,777 – 22,411

Data Entry Operator – 25,165 – 31,045

Depending on the above-discussed points, we can ensure that both the SSC CGL and SSC CHSL jobs are worth working hard for. Both these jobs being under the Central Government., provide favourable work profiles , opportunities and growth. Not any one of them can be considered as better than the other. It depends on your personal aim, life prospects and the way you want to shape up your life.

Take a look at the SSC CGL Salary and SSC CHSL Salary here.

Summing Up

If you are looking for a long and fruitful career with the SSC CGL or the SSC CHSL, you can begin your exam preparations by taking a look at ixamBee’s preparation guides like the SSC Super Pack Online Course and other resources like Previous Year Papers and Mock Tests. With the right resources, you can easily prepare for your SSC CHSL or CGL exams without any worries. Now that you have an idea of which of the two positions you want to work in, you can begin your preparation accordingly.

To help you prepare 50% faster for competitive exams, ixamBee provides a free Mock Test Series and all the Current Affairs in English and Current Affairs in Hindi in the BeePedia capsules for GA Preparation. You can also get the latest updates for Bank PO, Bank Clerk, SSC, RBI Grade B, NABARD, and Other Government Jobs.