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SSC Stenographer Eligibility 2025: Educational Qualification & Age Limit

Q: Can 12th appearing apply for SSC Stenographer?

The candidates must have cleared their 12th with at least 55% to appear for their SSC Stenographer. They will be required to provide their passing certificate.

Q: Can I become stenographer after 12th?

The candidates who have cleared their 12th from any stream with at least 55% marks can become a stenographer. They must check other SSC Stenographer eligibility criteria and apply for the same.

SSC Stenographer 2025 eligibility criteria will be announce alongside the official notification from the commission. Eligibility requirements will be based on educational qualifications, nationality, and age. Candidates found ineligible at any point during the recruitment process will have their applications canceled. Specifically, individuals aged between 18 and 30 years can apply for Group C positions, while those between 18 and 27 years are eligible for Group D positions.

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Table of Contents

SSC Steno Qualification
Steno Age Limit
SSC Steno Nationality
SSC Steno Number of Attempts
SSC Steno Eligibility for BRO
SSC Steno Eligibility of ESM
SSC Steno Reservation

SSC Steno Qualification

SSC Stenographer Educational Qualification

The minimum educational qualification required to appear in SSC Stenographer exam is having passed 10+2 or equivalent from a recognized Board or University.

All the degrees provided including technical education degree/diploma awarded through Open and Distance Learning mode of education by the Universities recognized for the purpose of employment to posts and services under the Central Government. It must be checked that they have been approved by the Distance Education Bureau, University Grants Commission.

All the candidates will be required to produce the relevant Certificates such as Mark sheets, Provisional Certificates of Intermediate/Higher Secondary/ Senior Secondary in the original.

Steno Age Limit

SSC Stenographer Age Limit

According to the SSC Stenographer eligibility criteria, the minimum age limit is 18 years. However, the maximum age limit varies based on the category of posts, the details of which are given below. However, relaxation is given to candidates from OBC and SC/ST category

Maximum Age Limit for Grade C stenographer – 30 years
Maximum Age Limit for Grade D stenographer – 27 years
No Relaxation in Age will be provided to sons, daughters, and dependents of ex-servicemen.

SSC Stenographer Age Relaxations: Both Grade C and D Posts

Permissible relaxations of Upper age limit for Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST) categories are as under:-

Category	Age Relaxation
SC/ST	5 years
OBC	3 years
PwD (Unreserved)	10 years
PwD (OBC)	13 years
PwD (SC / ST)	15 years
Ex – Servicemen (ESM)	03 years after conduction of military service from the closing date of the application
Candidates who attained domicile in J&K from 1st January 1980 to 31st December 1989.	05 years
Defence Personnel that suffered from a disability due to hostilities with a foreign nation or in a disturbed area and were relieved of their duties as a consequence	03 years
Defense Personnel that suffered from a disability due to hostilities with a foreign nation or in a disturbed area and were relieved of their duties as a consequence (SC / ST)	08 years

SSC Stenographer Age Relaxations: Group C Posts Only

The following are the age relaxations that are offered only to candidates applying for Group C posts in SSC Stenographer selection process.

Category (Other Backward Classes)	Age Relaxation
Central Govt. Civilian Employees: Individuals who have served for 3 years or longer for a continuous and regular period as on the last day of online applications	Up to 40 years of age
Central Govt. Civilian Employees: Individuals who have served for 3 years or longer for a continuous and regular period as on the last day of online applications (SC / ST)	Up to 45 years of age
Widows / Divorced Women / Women judicially separated and who are not remarried	Up to 35 years of age
Widows / Divorced Women / Women Judicially separated and who are not remarried (SC / ST)	Up to 40 years of age
Service Clerks in their last year of service in the Armed Forces	Up to 45 years of age
Service Clerks in the last year of service in the Armed Forces (SC / ST)	Up to 50 years of age
Retrenched census employees of Office of Registrar General of India	3 years plus length of service rendered by them in connection with census, before retrenchment and weight age of past service + 3 years

Candidates should know that the only date of birth that is going to be accepted by the Commission for ascertaining an individual’s age eligibility is the date that is noted in their matriculation / secondary examination certificate and no request for changes is going to be entertained.
Ex – servicemen (ESM) who have already attained employment in either Group ‘C’ & ‘D’ posts on regular basis after availing the reservation benefits cannot attain a reservation in the ESM category and the required fee concession.
“Call up service” period is noted as service that is treated as a service in the Armed Forces
Age relaxation is not applicable to the dependents, daughters or sons of Ex-servicemen. Therefore, these candidates should not label themselves as ex-servicemen.

SSC Steno Citizenship

SST Stenographer Nationality

All the aspiring candidates must meet the eligibility criteria for their Nationality as well. Here are the criteria that must be met by the candidates:

A candidate must be a citizen of any of the countries/ must satisfy the citizenship of the below-mentioned countries:

India
Subject of Nepal or
Subject of Bhutan or
a Tibetan refugee who came over to India, before the 1st January 1962, or
a person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Vietnam, Zambia, Sri Lanka, the United Republic of Tanzania(Formerly Tanganyika and Zanzibar), Ethiopia, Zaire, East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, Malawi, and Myanmar.

The government of India will issue a certificate of eligibility in favor of those candidates who belong to categories 2, 3, 4 and 5 above.

SSC Stenographer Number of Attempts

According to the official notification, SST Stenographer exam does not have any limit regarding the number of attempts. The candidates can take it as many times as possible while fulfilling the age criteria.

SSC Stenographer Work Experience

No work experience is required to appear for SSC Stenographer exam. Even freshers can apply for the exam. However, those who clear the first stage of selection process will be required to appear for the Stenography skill test.

SSC Steno Eligibility

SSC Stenographer Eligibility for Ex-Servicemen 2025

Eligibility criteria for ex-servicemen who will be competing in SSC Stenographer 2025 are explained below:

A candidate who has served as a combatant or non-combatant in Army, Navy and Air Force of the Indian Union.
Any person who has been released after completing the specific period of engagement, or at his own request, or dismiss on account of misconduct or inefficiency and has been given a gratuity, and includes personnel of the Territorial Army (pension holders).
Candidates of the Army Postal Service who have served as a part of Regular Army and retired from the Army Postal Service, or are released from the Army Postal service on medical grounds and awarded medical or another disability pension.
Personnel, who were on deputation in Army Postal Service for more than six months prior to April 14, 1987.
All the Gallantry award winners of the Armed Forces.
Ex-servicemen who are relieved on the medical ground with the medical disability pension.

Candidates who are serving as a Service Clerk in the last year of their service in the Armed Forces, and are due for release during the period 01-09-2020 to 31-08-2022 are eligible for age relaxation. Such candidates will be eligible to compete only for vacancies in Armed Forces Headquarters and Inter-Service Organisation.

Note: No relaxation in age limit will be provided to sons, daughters, and dependents of ex-servicemen.

SSC Steno Reservation

SSC Stenographer Reservation 2025

Reservation for SC / ST / OBC / Ex-Serviceman/ PH i.e. (Persons with Disability (PWD)/ etc. categories are available as per Government of India norms.

The posts of Stenographers Gr. “C” have been identified suitable for:

The persons who are suffering from disabilities of One Arm (OA), One Leg (OL), Both Legs (BL), Blind (B) and LV (Low vision)
The posts of Stenographers Gr. “D” have been identified suitable for the exam
The persons who are suffering from disabilities of One Arm (OA), One Leg (OL), One Arm and Leg (OAL) Both Legs (BL), Blind (B) and LV (Low vision).

SSC Steno Vacancies

SSC Stenographer Vacancies

Vacancies are uploaded on the website of the Commission once it is finalized by the concerned authorities.

Vacancies of Stenographers Grade “C” and “D” are in Ministries/Departments of Central Government.
Vacancies of Stenographers Grade “C” and “D” are also available in Attached/Subordinate offices of Ministries/Departments of Central Government located in States and Union Territories all over the country.
Hearing Impaired persons are considered not eligible for the posts of Stenographers.

Relevant Links
SSC Steno Onlone Mock Test Series	SSC Stenographer Best Books	SSC Stenographer Syllabus
SSC Stenographer Previous Year Papers	SSC Stenographer Skill Test	SSC Stenographer Salary

SSC Steno FAQs

SSC Stenographer Eligibility 2025 FAQs

Ques. Can 12^th appearing apply for SSC Stenographer?

Ans. The candidates must have cleared their 12^th with at least 55% to appear for their SSC Stenographer. They will be required to provide their passing certificate.

Ques. Can I become stenographer after 12th?

Ans. The candidates who have cleared their 12^th from any stream with at least 55% marks can become a stenographer. They must check other SSC Stenographer eligibility criteria and apply for the same.

Ques. What is SSC Stenographer salary?

Ans. SSC Stenographer in-hand salary ranges between INR 14,000 and 34,800. It includes various allowances and deductions.

Ques. What is the typing speed for SSC Stenographer?

Ans. The aspirants of SSC Stenographer who appear for the skill test will have to type 100 words (English) or 80 words (Hindi) per minute. They will be given 10 minutes to finish one dictation in either Hindi or English.

Ques. Can I register for SSC Stenographer 2025 twice?

Ans. A candidate should not register twice for SSC because it would be against the mandated regulations and thus would fall under fraudulent activity. This can force the board to take extra measures in restoring justice and they are allowed to take action against the candidate.

Ques. What are good department preferences in SSC Stenography?

Ans. Some of the good options are as follows

MEA (Ministry of External Affairs)
Ministry of Railways
CSS (Central Scretariat Service)
AFHQ (Armed Forces Headquarters)
CBDT and CBEC
President Secretariat

Ques. What are some tips for SSC Stenography Test?

Ans. Here are some good tips given by candidates who have previously qualified SSC Stenography Skill Test:

Don’t transcribe dictations on the day of the exam or a night prior
Keep yourself calm and composed in the shorthand examination hall and focus on yourself instead of other candidates.
After the trial passage is completed, make sure you strike it out with your pen or pencil because candidates may waste time in transcribing the wrong passage.
Post dictation, you should always remember to put the pagination in reverse order / decreasing order. This way, the individual can remember to judge how many pages they have remaining for the transcript.
Make sure that you are careful about not accidentally clicking on the SLEEP button / key of your keyboard. If an individual presses this button by mistake, they can accidentally lose at least 5 minutes of their time after the computer goes into sleep mode.

Ques. Are SSC jobs a good option for IIT graduates?

Ans. There are advantages and disadvantages in every field and sector. Some of the added benefits of procuring a postion through the SSC examination is as follows:

There is a more stabilized work pressure that is often attained in government positions.
For many individuals, they can find better work-life balance and satisfaction from working in a job that offers fixed working hours or a set time frame.
For many individuals who shift from precarious private jobs, there is better job security.
Many IIT graduates report finding the entrance examination easier to crack than many other examinations.

Ques. Is court stenography different than SSC Stenography?

Ans. If an individual wants to opt for the position of Court Stenographer then he/she should be well versed with legal terminologies and with courtroom procedures. There is generally very little room for error that is given. For e.g. the Delhi High Court only considers applicants on the basis of 3% mistakes only.

In comparison, SSC has raised their level to 7% mistakes for general and 10% for SC / ST and OBC Categories.

Ques. Can I learn English Stenography at home for SSC Stenographer exam?

Ans. This can differ from individual to individual. Individuals who are not able to take external coaching and have to learn at home need not fret. It is possible to learn it at home, with enough hard work and diligence, anything is possible.There are multiple books and tools that can be utilized to thoroughly prepare at home.