SSC ASO Recruitment 2026: Detailed Exam Pattern, Syllabus & Selection Process Guide

SSC ASO Recruitment 2026: Detailed Exam Pattern

The selection process for the SSC Assistant Section Officer (ASO) / Assistant Grade Limited Departmental Competitive Examination consists of two primary stages: Part-I (Computer Based Examination) and Part-II (Evaluation of Service Records). Candidates must clear the written rounds to be eligible for the service record assessment.

Part-I: Computer Based Examination (CBE)

The written examination consists of two papers, both conducted in an objective-type Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) format. The marks distribution and duration are as follows:

Paper	Subject/Topics	Maximum Marks	Duration
Paper-I	General Awareness, Constitutional Provisions, Parliamentary Procedures, Manual of Office Procedure, Noting and Drafting.	150 Marks	3 Hours (4 Hours for Scribe)
Paper-II	Service Rules, Financial Rules, RTI Act, POSH Act, Records Management, and Précis Writing.	150 Marks	3 Hours (4 Hours for Scribe)
Total for Part-I		300 Marks	6 Hours Total

Part-II: Evaluation of Service Records

• Maximum Marks: 100 Marks
• Criteria: Shortlisted candidates from Part-I will undergo an evaluation of their Annual Performance Appraisal Reports (APARs).
• Final Selection: The final merit list is prepared based on the aggregate marks of Part-I (300) and Part-II (100), totaling 400 marks.

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SSC ASO Syllabus 2026: Subject-Wise Detailed Topics

Detailed Syllabus for Paper-I

This paper tests the candidate's knowledge of the working of the Government of India, the Constitution, and procedural administrative skills.

• General Awareness: Focus on Flagship programmes of the Government of India and recent GoI initiatives.
• Constitutional Provisions: General application of the Constitution of India in the functioning of the Government.
• Parliamentary Procedures:
  • Manual of Parliamentary Procedures (MoPA).
  • Instructions issued by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs.
  • Role of Secretariat in Parliamentary business.
• Reading Comprehension: Passages in English or Hindi (as opted) to test analytical and linguistic understanding.
• Manual of Office Procedure (CS-MOP): Detailed knowledge of the Central Secretariat Manual of Office Procedure.
• Rules of Business:
  • Allocation of Business Rules.
  • Transaction of Business Rules.
• Noting and Drafting: Principles of effective noting, drafting of official communications (D.O. letters, Office Memorandums, Endorsements, etc.).

Detailed Syllabus for Paper-II

This paper focuses on the statutory rules, financial regulations, and specific legislations governing government employees.

• Service Rules:
  • CCS (Leave) Rules.
  • CCS (Conduct) Rules.
  • CCS (CCA) Rules (Classification, Control, and Appeal).
  • Pension Rules and National Pension System (NPS).
• Financial Rules:
  • Traveling Allowance (TA) Rules.
  • Leave Travel Concession (LTC) Rules.
  • General Financial Rules (GFR) basics.
• Legislations and Acts:
  • Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005.
  • Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) Act, 2013.
• Records Management: Systematic filing, archiving, and retrieval of government records.
• Précis Writing: Summarizing lengthy official documents or passages into a concise and clear format.

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Important Examination Rules and Marking Scheme

• Negative Marking: There is a penalty of 0.25 marks for every incorrect answer in both Paper-I and Paper-II.
• Medium of Exam: Candidates must attempt the paper in the language (Hindi or English) opted for in the application form. Mixing languages is not permitted.
• Exam Center: The examination will be conducted exclusively in Delhi-NCR.
• Minimum Qualifying Marks: The Commission reserves the right to fix qualifying marks for individual papers or the aggregate.
• Tie-Breaking Criteria: In case of equal marks in the final merit, the tie will be resolved by:
  1. Higher marks in Paper-I.
  2. Higher marks in Paper-II.
  3. Seniority by Date of Birth (Older candidates ranked higher).
  4. Alphabetical order of the names.

Provisions for PwBD Candidates

• Compensatory Time: 20 minutes per hour of examination will be provided to eligible candidates (VH, OH, HH as per norms).
• Scribe Facility: Available for candidates with Blindness, Cerebral Palsy, or those with physical limitations to write, subject to the submission of required medical certificates (Annexure-II/III).

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