SSC CHSL Eligibility Criteria 2024

The Staff Selection Commission conducts the Combined Higher Secondary Level (CHSL) Exam nationwide, to recruit Higher Secondary qualified and eligible jobseekers for diverse roles within the Indian government's departments and offices. This examination is held almost annually and aims to fill various positions including Lower Divisional Clerk (LDC)/Junior Secretariat Assistant (JSA), Postal Assistants (PA)/Sorting Assistants (SA), Data Entry Operator (Grade A) and Data Entry Operator (DEO). 

This year, the SSC CHSL 2024 Notification got released on April 08, 2024, for Lower Divisional Clerk (LDC)/Junior Secretariat Assistant (JSA), Data Entry Operator (Grade A) and Data Entry Operator (DEO) posts. As with every year, there are expected to be many aspirants applying for this role. Interested candidates must follow certain SSC CHSL eligibility criteria specified in the notification if they want to qualify for the recruitment. We have provided a detailed analysis of the SSC CHSL eligibility in this section. If you want to check out the full SSC CHSL eligibility criteria, you can look at the notification for more details.

Thus, before filling out the application form, you need to check the SSC CHSL eligibility which comprises of age limit, relaxation, educational criteria and so on in detail. Once you do that, you can complete the application process successfully. Here on this page, we will discuss the SSC CHSL eligibility criteria for the SSC CHSL Exam 2024. Let's start with the Educational Criteria first.

SSC CHSL Eligibility Criteria 2024: Educational Qualifications

To apply for the highly anticipated SSC CHSL exam in 2024, you have to fulfill the educational qualifications mentioned in SSC CHSL eligibility criteria put forward by the Staff Selection Commission. According to the official eligibility criteria, the applicants who have applied for the Data Entry Operator (DEO) or DEO Grade 'A' posts in the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (C&AG), Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, and Ministry of Culture must have passed 12th standard with a science stream containing Mathematics as a subject, which they must have done from an accredited board or equivalent qualifications. This educational qualification has been incorporated as an integral part of the SSC CHSL eligibility criteria, which the intending candidates will subsequently achieve in order to qualify for these specific positions.

Clear definitions of the eligibility criteria for LDC/ JSA and DEO/ DEO Grade ‘A’ (except DEOs in Department/ Ministry) have also been specified. As per the SSC CHSL eligibility criteria for these posts, the applying candidate must have done his or her 12th standard or equivalent examination from any renowned board or university. Regarding the above posts, there is no particular subject or stream that is required in order to clear the eligibility criteria for SSC CHSL. Importantly, those who have appeared in 12th Standard or equivalent examination for which the result has not yet been declared by their respective schools also get an opportunity to apply, provided they obtain the prescribed qualification before the cutoff date as mentioned in the official notification. This consideration to the eligibility of SSC CHSL is a usual feature to include a much broader set of candidates.

The SSC CHSL eligibility criteria ensure that candidates meet the basic qualifications on the basis of which they create their application. It must be noted that the eligibility criteria, as such, are applied to every and each aspirant who wants to sit under the SSC CHSL examination for any post. For appearing for the exam, the fulfillment of basic qualifications according to the eligibility criteria constitutes the first step towards success and a job. The table below elaborates further on educational requirements and other conditions of SSC CHSL eligibility criteria for greater clarity on specific qualifications required for every job.

Name of the PostEducational Qualification (As on August 01, 2024)
Data Entry Operator (DEO)/ DEO Grade ‘A’ in the Office of Comptroller and Auditor General of India (C&AG), Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, and Ministry of Culture 12th Standard pass in Science stream with Mathematics as a subject from a recognized Board or equivalent.
LDC/ JSA and DEO/ DEO Grade ‘A’ (except DEOs in Department/ Ministry must have passed 12th Standard or equivalent examination from a recognized Board or University.
The candidates who have appeared in their 12th Standard or equivalent examination can also apply, however they must possess Essential qualification on or before the cutoff date i.e. August 01, 2024.

SSC CHSL Eligibility Criteria 2024: Age Limit

If you are planning to apply for the SSC CHSL 2024 exam, it is crucial to understand and meet the eligibility criteria for SSC CHSL, especially with regard to the age limit. The SSC CHSL eligibility criteria include specific conditions that every candidate must fulfill to be eligible for the exam. One of the key aspects of the eligibility criteria is the age limit, which is clearly defined in the official notification released by the SSC. To ensure fairness and transparency, the SSC outlines both a minimum and maximum age limit that candidates must fall within. If you do not meet the SSC CHSL eligibility criteria concerning the age limit, you may not be permitted to take part in the exam process. Therefore, it is essential that you review these conditions carefully before applying. For your convenience, we have provided a table below that details the age requirements as per the eligibility criteria. This will help you quickly verify whether you meet the necessary conditions to apply for the SSC CHSL 2024 exam.

PostAge Criteria (As on August 01, 2024)
Lower Division Clerk (LDC)/ Junior Secretariat Assistant (JSA), Data Entry Operator (DEO), Data Entry Operator, Grade"A" Minimum Age - 18 years / Maximum Age - 27 years i.e. Candidates born not before 02-08-1997 and not later than 01-08-2006 are eligible to apply.

SSC CHSL Age Relaxation

SSC CHSL eligibility criteria specify the general upper and lower age limits. They also provide specific relaxations in the upper age limit for candidates belonging to specific reserved categories. These are important relaxations which form part of eligibility criteria, striving for equal opportunities to candidates from different backgrounds. If you come under any of the categories that have age relaxation available, you would be granted additional years based on the eligibility criteria above the standard age limit. You need to thoroughly screen the eligibility criteria to check if any relaxations apply to you.

Candidates who fall in the age relaxation category of SSC CHSL, must know the relaxations specified by SSC. Upper age limit relaxation SSC fixes permissible relaxations within such discretionary limits that are subject to government guidelines. These are subject to category variations, especially for SC, ST, OBC, or others. You must scrutinize the SSC CHSL eligibility criteria properly so that you do not miss out on any of these benefits. Following is a complete list of the SSC CHSL age relaxations:

S.No.CategoryUpper Age Relaxation
1 Other Backward Classes (OBC) 3 years
2 Scheduled Caste / Scheduled Tribe 5 years
3 PwBD
  • General - 10 years
  • OBC - 13 years
  • SC/ ST - 15 Years
4 Ex-Servicemen (ESM) 03 years after deduction of the military service rendered from the actual age as on closing date of receipt of online application
5 Defence Personnel disabled in operation during hostilities with any foreign country or in a disturbed area and released as a consequence thereof
  • General - 3 years
  • SC/ ST - 8 years
6 Central Government Civilian Employees: Who have rendered not less than 3 years regular and continuous service as on closing date for receipt of online applications
  • General - Up to 40 years
  • SC/ ST - Up to 45 years
7 Widows/ Divorced Women/ Women judicially separated and who are not remarried
  • General - Up to 35 years
  • SC/ ST - Up to 40 years

Certain conditions that need to be fulfilled for the 2024 SSC CHSL eligibility when it comes to nationality must be met if you want to sit for the exam. Aspirants have Indian citizenship and provide proof of it to for the nationality condition of the SSC CHSL eligibility criteria to be fullfilled. They have to belong from one of the following nationalities to take the exam and a candidate may be either: 

  • A resident of India, or 
  • A subject of Nepal, or 
  • A subject of Bhutan or 
  • A Tibetan refugee who moved over to India before the 1st of January, 1962, to be permanently settled in India, 
  • A person of Indian heritage who has migrated from Burma, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, the East African republics of Kenya, the United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda, Zaire, Ethiopia, Zambia, Malawi, and Vietnam to permanently settle in India. 

SSC CHSL Disability and Ex-Servicemen Criteria

Those with some physical disabilities such as low vision & blindness, deafness or being hard of hearing are also eligible to apply for LDC or DEO posts as specified in SSC CHSL eligibility criteria 2024. Such candidates can check the table below to know about other physical disabilities which are mentioned by official authorities.

Besides that, former servicemen are also included in the eligibility criteria age relaxation norms. Those servicemen who have 3 years after deduction of the military service from their actual age as on closing date of online application will qualify for age relaxation conditions. Besides that, age relaxation in the SSC CHSL eligibility criteria also applies to any defence personnel who was disabled in operation during hostilities with any foreign country or in a disturbed area and released. These personnel have an age limit of 3 years for the General Category and 8 for the OBC category.

SSC CHSL Documents Needed for Verification.

Candidates who are seeking to fill the SSC CHSL vacancies and are seeking consideration for this post based on the relaxation criteria given above have to bring their documents for verification. These documents need to be certified and approved by the appropriate authorities and failing to do so can result in disqualification despite belonging to any of the SC/ST/OBC/EWS/PwBD/ESM categories. Candidates in these categories need to submit the given below documents for the SSC CHSL eligibility criteria and are required to submit copies of various documents as outlined below: 

  • Matriculation/Secondary Certificate. 
  •  Educational Qualification Certificate. 
  • Caste/Category Certificate, if belonging to reserved categories. 
  •  Persons with Disabilities Certificate in the prescribed format, if applicable. 
  • For Ex-Servicemen (ESM): Serving Defence Personnel Certificate , if applicable. 
  • Discharge Certificate, if discharged from the Armed Forces. 
  •  Relevant Certificate if seeking any age relaxation. 
  • No Objection Certificate, if already employed in Government/Government undertakings. 

Please Note: While candidates are encouraged to carry their photo ID like Aadhar, PAN, Driving License or Passport, the Ration Card will not be seen as a proof of self-identity. More details on the SSC CHSL eligibility criteria can be seen on the notificaiton. 

Conclusion

The SSC CHSL eligibility criteria is a very important aspect determining whether a candidate is eligible to apply for the SSC CHSL exam. So, it is essential to carefully review and understand the age limit, educational qualification, nationality, and number of attempts allowed before applying. Aspiring candidates should regularly check the official website for any updates or changes to the SSC CHSL eligibility criteria.

ixambee aims to assist potential candidates in their exam preparation journey and so provides access to pocket-friendly and effective study materials, including the SSC Super Pack Online Course and the SSC CHSL mock tests, to ensure your preparation is comprehensive and exhaustive. Best of luck with your preparation!