SSC Stenographer CBT Syllabus
The computer based test is the only stage of SSC Stenographer that produces marks. The skill test that follows is pass or fail, so your rank comes entirely from this paper.
Half of it is English. That single fact should shape how you divide your preparation, and it usually does not.
SSC Stenographer CBT exam pattern
Section | Questions | Marks |
General Intelligence and Reasoning | 50 | 50 |
General Awareness | 50 | 50 |
English Language and Comprehension | 100 | 100 |
Total | 200 | 200 |
Two hours, one mark per correct answer and 0.25 deducted per wrong answer. Objective multiple choice, set in English and Hindi except the English section. Candidates eligible for a scribe get additional time as set out in the notification.
The latest cycle introduced sectional timing, reported as 30 minutes each for Reasoning and General Awareness and 60 minutes for English. Confirm this against the notification for your cycle before building a mock test routine around it.
Minimum qualifying marks
Thirty per cent for unreserved candidates, twenty-five per cent for OBC and EWS candidates and twenty per cent for all other categories. These are floors rather than targets, and the actual cut-off sits well above them.
Section by section
General Intelligence and Reasoning
Analogies, similarities and differences, space visualisation, problem solving, analysis, judgement, decision making, visual memory, discrimination, observation, relationship concepts, arithmetical reasoning, verbal and figure classification, arithmetical number series, along with the ability to deal with abstract ideas and symbols. Both verbal and non-verbal questions appear.
General Awareness
Current events and everyday observation and experience in their scientific aspect. India and its neighbouring countries covering history, culture, geography, the economic scene, general polity, the Constitution and scientific research. Sports, awards, books and government schemes turn up regularly.
English Language and Comprehension
Vocabulary, grammar, sentence structure, synonyms and antonyms and correct usage, tested through spotting errors, fill in the blanks, spelling, idioms and phrases, one word substitution, sentence improvement, voice and narration, para jumbles, cloze passages and reading comprehension.
Where the marks actually sit
One hundred of the two hundred questions are English. Reasoning and General Awareness together match it.
Preparation plans that give English a quarter of the hours are out of step with the paper. If you are strong in English, this exam is winnable on that alone. If you are not, that is where the work has to go, because there is nowhere else to make up a hundred marks.
How to prepare
Build English first and build it as a subject rather than a section. Vocabulary through daily reading, grammar by error category, and comprehension practised at full length.
Reasoning is the fastest section to improve. The question types are few and they repeat, so a few weeks of focused practice usually adds ten to fifteen marks.
General Awareness needs time rather than intensity. Daily reading from the start covers it and nothing else does.
Run shorthand practice in parallel from day one. The skill test is separate and the CBT result leaves too little time to build dictation speed from scratch.
Frequently asked questions
How many questions are in the SSC Stenographer CBT?
200 questions for 200 marks in two hours.
What is the negative marking in the SSC Stenographer CBT?
0.25 marks for each wrong answer.
How many English questions are asked?
100 of the 200, making English half the paper.
What are the minimum qualifying marks?
30 per cent for unreserved candidates, 25 per cent for OBC and EWS candidates and 20 per cent for other categories.
Is the CBT the only stage that carries marks?
Yes. The skill test that follows is qualifying.
Marks, timing, negative marking and qualifying standards on this page follow the scheme of examination in the latest SSC Stenographer notification published on ssc.gov.in.