 "SSC")
The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) recently issued a notice regarding grade C and D stenographers’ examination 2017. The commission has invited applications from eligible candidates to apply for the recruitment exam. The computer-based exam will tentatively be held from September 4, 2017 to September 7, 2017.
The Commission has emphasized in the notice that Government strives to have a workforce that reflects gender balance and woman candidates are encouraged to apply. Hence, SSC has exempted women and reserved category candidates from paying the exam fees of Rs 100.
It is important that the candidates read the eligibility criteria before applying. Admission certificates for the examination will not be issued to the candidates who declare in their application that they do not possess skills in stenography. The post of stenographers is also not suitable for hearing-impaired person.
Dates to remember
| Event | Dates |
| Application start date | June 17, 2017 |
| Application end date | July 15, 2017 |
| Offline challan generation end date | July 15, 2017 up to 05:00 PM |
| Payment through SBI challan | July 18, 2017 up to 05:00 PM |
Commission is yet to determine the vacancies. The vacancies are in ministries/ departments of central government, including their attached/ subordinate offices located in States and Union Territories all over the country.
Eligibility criteria
As on August 1, 2017, the interested candidate must have passed class 12 exams or equivalent from a recognized board or university. All the degrees, diplomas or certificates including technical education degree/diploma awarded through Open and Distance Learning mode of education by the Universities established by an Act of Parliament or State Legislature, Institutions Deemed to be Universities under Section 3 of the University Grant Commission Act 1956 and Institutions of National Importance declared under an Act of Parliament stand automatically recognized for the purpose of employment to posts and services under the Central Government provided they have been approved by the Distance Education Bureau, University Grant Commission.
All candidates who are declared qualified by the commission for appearing in the skill test will be required to produce the relevant certificates such as Mark sheets, Provisional Certificates etc. for completion of Intermediate/Higher Secondary/10+2/Senior Secondary in original as proof of having acquired the minimum educational qualification on or before August 1, 2017, failing which the candidature of such candidates will be cancelled by the Commission.
Candidates should be at least 18 years old and no older than 27 as on August 1, 2017. The upper age limit can vary according to reservation.
Application process
Candidates can submit applications only through online mode at ssconline.nic.in. Step-by-step guide on how to apply for SSC grade C, D stenographer exam 2017:
1. Visit the official website for SSC (ssc.nic.in)
2. Click on the Apply tab on the home page header
3. Select Steno ‘C’ and ‘D’ tab
4. Click on Apply link
5. Register on the page by filling in details requested
6. Using the registration number and password generated log in again
7. Enter the details in the fields provided
8. Make the fee payment online or generate State Bank of India (SBI) challan
9. After the payment of fees, save and download the application form for further reference
To pay fee in cash, candidates should take print-out of the challan generated online after completion of application part and deposit the requisite fee in designated branch of SBI and then continue within the stipulated date and time.
Candidates are required to indicate the order of preference for the posts of stenographer grade C and stenographer grade D.
Candidates will not be considered for the post for which they have not exercised preference. Preferences of departments/ offices for allocation will be obtained at the time of skill test/ Document verification
Admission to the examination
Candidates who apply by the closing date will be assigned roll numbers which will be displayed on the website of the concerned regional office about two weeks before the date of the examination. Admission certificates (ACs) for the examination indicating the time table and also venues of examination for each candidate will also be listed on the website of the concerned regional office about two weeks before the date of examination. It will not be sent by post.
It is compulsory to carry at least one original photo ID such as voter’s ID, Aadhaar card, driving license, ID Cards issued by Government or other offices where the candidates may be working. Candidates without such ID cards will not be allowed entry into the Examination Halls/ Skill Test venues. Candidates must bring 3 passport size photographs for affixing it in the commission’s copy of admission
Mode of selection
Candidates will be shortlisted for the skill test on the basis of their performance in the computer-based examination. Those who qualify in the skill test will be recommended for appointment by the commission on the basis of total marks in the examination. Allocation of candidates will be made to user departments depending upon their merit position and the option exercised by them.
SC, ST, OBC, ExS and PH (PWD) candidates selected on their own merit without relaxed standards will not be adjusted against the reserved share of vacancies, but will be accommodated against the general/ unreserved vacancies as per their position in the overall merit list.
Reserved category candidate who qualifies on the basis of relaxed standards viz. age limit, experience or qualifications, permitted number of chances in computer-based examination, extended zone of consideration, etc. will be counted against reserved vacancies and not against general vacancies.
Resolution of tie cases
In case where more than one candidate secure the equal aggregates marks, tie will be resolved by applying the following methods one after another:
1. Marks in computer based examination
2. Date of birth, with older candidates placed higher
3. Alphabetical order in which first names of the candidates appear
Scheme of the exam
The computer-based exam is tentatively scheduled from September 4, 2017 to September 7, 2017. It will be held for two hours and in three parts. The first part will include questions on general intelligence and reasoning for 50 marks, part 2 will include general awareness for 50 marks and part 3 will contain questions on the English language and comprehension for 100 marks.
| Part | Subject | No. of questions | Maximum marks |
| I | General intelligence and reasoning | 50 | 50 |
| II | General awareness | 50 | 50 |
| III | English language and comprehension | 100 | 100 |
While candidates will have 2 hours to answer all questions, those afflicted by Cerebral Palsy and locomotor disability (VH/OH) wherein the dominant writing extremity is affected to the extent of slowing down the performance will be allotted 2 hours and 40 minutes for the examination.
Part 1 and part 2 of the examination will be conducted in both Hindi and English and in the Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) format. There will be negative marking of 0.25 marks for each wrong answer.
Skill test
Only the candidates who obtain qualifying marks in the examination, as prescribed by the commission, will be called for the skill test. Commission may also prescribe qualifying marks in each part of Examination. The skill test will be of qualifying nature and SSC will fix the qualifying standards in the skill test for different categories of candidates
The candidates will be given one dictation for 10 minutes in English / Hindi at the speed of 100 w.p.m. for the post of stenographer grade C and 80 w.p.m. for the post of stenographer grade D. The matter will have to be transcribed on computer. The transcription time is as follows:
| For stenographer grade D | 50 minutes (English) |
| 65 minutes (Hindi) | |
| For stenographer grade C | 50 minutes (English) |
| 65 minutes (Hindi) |
Candidates who opt to take the stenography test in Hindi will be required to learn English stenography and vice versa after their appointment, failing which their probation may not be cleared by appointing departments or authority.
Candidates have to work as English/Hindi stenographers as per the functional requirement of the User Office irrespective of the medium of Skill Test of candidate during the examination.
