SSC Stenographer Exam Pattern 2025: The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) Stenographer exam pattern should be known by every candidate who is willing to appear for the exam. The SSC Stenographer exam is conducted in two stages, the written exam and the skill test. The exam pattern will give candidates an idea of what to expect and the complete syllabus.
The SSC Stenographer exam is expected to be conducted in December 2025. Along with the exam pattern, this article has also provided the SSC Stenographer syllabus, books, and other important details which will help candidates to prepare for the exam well and make an effective study plan. Read on to know more about the SSC Stenographer exam pattern 2025.
SSC Steno Exam Pattern 2025 Overview
Before getting into the detailed SSC Stenographer Exam Pattern, let us have an overview of the exam:
The exam pattern for both these stages will be provided in the sections below.
SSC Steno Computer Based Test Pattern
The first stage of the SSC Stenographer exam (for both Grade C and Grade D) is the computer-based test (CBT). The various sections, number of questions, and maximum marks for the CBT are tabulated below:
Subject
Number of Questions
Maximum Marks
General Intelligence and Reasoning
50
50
General Awareness
50
50
English Language and Comprehension
100
100
Total
200
200
SSC Stenographer 2025 Marking Scheme
Along with the SSC Stenographer exam pattern, candidates must check the marking scheme for SSC Stenographer Computer Based Test. Please check the details below.
Each question will carry 1 mark.
There is a penalty for every wrong answer. 1/4th of the mark assigned to a question will be deducted for an incorrect answer.
There is no negative marking for questions not answered.
The total time duration for the CBT is 2 hours.
The exam is not separately timed, i.e. the three sections of the exam will not have separate time slots during which the sections should be finished.
Except for the English Language and Comprehension section, the other sections will be available bilingually, i.e. in Hindi and English.
It is to be noted that extra 40 minutes will be allotted for candidates with disabilities (benchmark disabilities such as blindness, locomotor and cerebral palsy).
Candidates who clear the SSC Stenographer CBT (Stage 1) will be called for Skill Test.
SSC Stenographer 2025 Minimum Qualifying Marks
For each category, the minimum qualifying marks are different. The minimum qualifying marks for the computer-based examination are listed below for each category:
Category
Qualifying marks
UR
30%
OBC/EWS
25%
All other categories (SC, ST, PwD, ESM, etc)
20%
Practice SSC Stenographer Unlimited Questions
Access the unlimited SSC Stenographer questions from Embibe and improve the preparation level. Candidates can follow the below-mentioned steps to take the SSC Stenographer practice tests:
1st Step: Visit Embibe’s official website, i.e., Embibe.
2nd Step: Use the mobile number/email to log in.
3rd Step: Then select Goal as ‘SSC Stenographer’.
4th Step: Click Next and select the preferred language.
5th Step: Once done, click on the below-mentioned links to practice.
SSC Steno Skill Test Pattern
The primary task for SSC Stenographers Grade C and Grade D involves making notes from dictation using shorthand. Stage 2 of the SSC Stenographer exam tests this particular skill of candidates. Shortlisted candidates from Stage 1 will be given dictation in English/Hindi for 10 minutes, and they will be tested for their speed.
The detailed SSC Stenographer Exam Pattern for Skill Test is tabulated below:
Post
Language
Time Duration
Time Duration of the Test Who Opted For Scribe
Stenographer Grade D
English
50
70
Stenographer Grade D
Hindi
65
90
Stenographer Grade C
English
40
55
Stenographer Grade C
Hindi
55
75
People with disabilities (such as blindness, locomotor disability and cerebral palsy) will have different time allotments. For the transcription of dictation: Stenographer Grade C candidates will get 55 minutes for English and 75 minutes for Hindi. Stenographer Grade D candidates will get 70 minutes for English and 90 minutes for Hindi.
The Skill Test will be qualifying in nature and the commission will fix the qualifying standards for different categories of candidates.
The Skill Test will be conducted at the different Regional/Sub Regional Offices of the commission or other centres as decided by the commission.
SSC Stenographer Syllabus 2025
Candidates must check out the SSC Stenographer syllabus along with the SSC Stenographer exam pattern. It’ll help them to understand what type of questions are asked in the exam. Along with that, they can easily figure out their strong and weak areas. Along with the SSC Stenographer syllabus, we have listed the best books for the SSC Stenographer exam. The following is the SSC Stenographer syllabus for each subject:
General Awareness
Candidates can check all the important topics of SSC Stenographer General Awareness below.
Important Topics
Based on Important dates of Celebration
General Polity
The Economy of India
Book Author’s Name
Scientific Research
Important Sports days
History
Economic Sense
The Constitution
Newspapers
Current Affairs
—
Best Books for General Awareness
Please check the best books for SSC Stenographer General Awareness below.
Lucent by Sunil Kumar Singh
Pratiyogita Darpan Magazine
Yojana Magazine
English Language and Comprehension
Candidates can check all the important topics of SSC Stenographer English Language and Comprehension below.
Important Topics
English Language-based questions
Spotting Errors
Synonyms
Reading Comprehension
Antonyms
Sentence Structure
One word substitution
Grammar
Vocabulary
–
Best Books for English Language and Comprehension
Please check the best books for SSC Stenographer English Language and Comprehension below.
Plinth to paramount by K.D Publications
English Language by Kiran Publications
General English by Arihant
General Intelligence and Reasoning
Candidates can check all the important topics of SSC Stenographer General Intelligence and Reasoning below.
Important Topics
Arithmetical Reasoning
Analytical reasoning
Syllogism
Missing character
Number Series
Puzzle test
Blood Relationship concept
Venn diagram
Number series
Series test
Problem-solving analysis
Direction test
Best Books for General Intelligence and Reasoning
Please check the best books for SSC Stenographer General Intelligence and Reasoning below.
Reasoning by Rakesh Yadav Publication
Reasoning by R.S Agarwal
SSC Stenographer Exam Preparation Tips
It is essential for candidates to have a good strategy and preparation plan to ace the exam. We have listed down some of the important preparation tips for the exam:
First, candidates must check the SSC Stenographer Exam pattern to get an idea about subjects and marks.
Next, they must check the syllabus thoroughly and identify their strong and weak areas.
Have a clear understanding of the theory behind every concept and then solve a sufficient number of practice questions.
Make sure to revise the theories and practice the difficult questions regularly.
Take a sufficient number of SSC Stenographer mock tests and then work on the mistakes and weaknesses.
Knowledge of English and Hindi Language – grammar, spelling, vocabulary, and comprehension is a must if a candidate wants to clear both stages of the exam.
Candidates can check the frequently asked questions on the SSC Stenographer Exam Pattern as follows:
Q.1: How many stages are there in SSC Stenographer 2025 Exam Pattern?
Ans: SSC Stenographer has two stages. The first stage is the pre-examination, and the second stage is called the skill test.
Q.2: What is the SSC Stenographer 2025 Marking Scheme?
Ans: The SSC Stenographer Marking Scheme is as follows: Each question will carry 1 mark. For every wrong answer, 1/4th of the mark assigned to a question will be deducted, and there will be no deduction for unattempted questions.
Q.3:Does the SSC Stenographer exam have a negative marking system?
Ans: Yes, the SSC Stenographer exam follows the negative marking scheme in which for every wrong answer, 1/4th of the mark assigned to a question will be deducted.
Q.4: Is the SSC Steno exam easy to crack?
Ans: The difficulty level of the SSC Steno exam is moderate to hard according to the previous trends. However, if candidates invest time dedicatedly every day, complete the syllabus, practise mock tests and previous years’ question papers daily, they can easily crack the exam.
Q.5:How many sections are there in the SSC Stenographer 2025 CBT?
Ans: The exam is divided into 3 sections, i.e. General Intelligence, General Awareness, and English Comprehension.
Q.6:How can I improve my question-solving speed?
Ans: Practice mock tests on a regular basis and try to complete your exam in a given time frame. This is how you can improve your question-solving speed.
We hope this detailed article on SSC Stenographer Exam Pattern helps you. Stay tuned to Embibe.com for the latest news and updates on SSC Stenographer Exam 2025! All the best!