SSC ASO Assistant Grade LDCE 2025 Apply Online for 341 Posts ,Apply Before 16 July

𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) operates under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Government of India. It is the principal body for recruiting staff for ministries, departments, and subordinate offices of the central government. SSC conducts examinations for both open market recruitment and departmental promotions. The Northern Regional Office, located at Block No. 12, CGO Complex, Lodhi Road, New Delhi, is responsible for administering this Limited Departmental Competitive Examination for the Assistant Section Officer and Assistant Grade posts. 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 SSC has released Notice No. 4/2/2026-CONF-5 for the Assistant Section Officer / Assistant Grade Limited Departmental Competitive Examination (LDCE) 2025. This is a promotion-based competitive examination for eligible in-service government employees already working as Upper Division Clerk or Senior Secretariat Assistant. The exam will make additions to the Select List for the post of ASO in the Central Secretariat Service (CSS), DoPT, and Assistant in the Ministry of External Affairs (Cadre Cell). The examination is tentatively scheduled for August 2026 and will be held in Delhi-NCR only. This is not an open market recruitment. Only departmental candidates who fulfill the prescribed service conditions are eligible to apply. The post carries Pay Level-7 with a monthly starting pay of ₹44,900. 🎓 𝐄𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚 This is a departmental exam. Only serving central government employees of specific cadres are eligible. 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗦𝗦, 𝗗𝗼𝗣𝗧: · Must be working in the Upper Division Grade of the Central Secretariat Clerical Service. · Must have completed at least 6 years of approved service in that grade as of 1 July 2025. 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗠𝗘𝗔 (𝗖𝗮𝗱𝗿𝗲 𝗖𝗲𝗹𝗹): · Must be in the Upper Division Clerk Grade of the Service. · Must have completed mandatory training programmes prescribed by the Ministry of External Affairs. · Must have at least 6 years of approved service as of 1 July 2025. 𝗢𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: · Candidate must hold a lien on the Senior Secretariat Assistant / Upper Division Clerk post at the time of applying. · If a candidate resigns, quits, or is terminated after applying, eligibility for appointment based on results will be forfeited. · Candidates on deputation to ex-cadre posts with proper approval remain eligible. · No relaxation in eligibility conditions is permitted under any circumstances. · Applications must be forwarded through the Head of Department or Head of Office. Direct submission to SSC is not accepted. 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 (𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝐛𝐲 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩) 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 1 – 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝘂𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 (𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁-𝗜): 300 Marks. Two objective-type papers of 150 marks each. Paper-I: General awareness, constitutional provisions, parliamentary procedures, reading comprehension, Central Secretariat office procedure, allocation/transaction of business rules, Noting and Drafting. Paper-II: Service rules (Leave, CCA, Pension, NPS), financial rules (TA, LTC), RTI Act 2005, Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act 2013, Records management, Precis writing. Duration: 3 hours per paper (4 hours for scribe-eligible candidates). Negative marking: -0.25 per wrong answer. 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 2 – 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝗣𝗔𝗥 𝗘𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Based on aggregate Part-I performance, candidates are shortlisted for Part-II. Those not qualifying Part-I are eliminated. 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 3 – 𝗘𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 (𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁-𝗜𝗜): 100 Marks. Annual Performance Appraisal Reports (APARs) are evaluated and added to the final score. 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 4 – 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Based on combined total of Part-I + Part-II. Separate merit lists are prepared for CSS and MEA cadres. 𝗧𝗶𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿: Paper-I marks → Paper-II marks → Date of birth (older ranked higher) → Alphabetical order of names. This is a competitive exam, not qualifying. No candidate has a right to inclusion in the Select List solely on the basis of clearing the exam.

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐉𝐨𝐛 𝐢𝐬 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 The post of Assistant Section Officer in the Central Secretariat Service is among the most respected Group B Non-Gazetted positions in the central government. ASOs work directly on policy-level administrative tasks — handling official correspondence, parliamentary matters, inter-ministerial coordination, noting and drafting, and office management at the ministry level. This is not a clerical role; it is a position that requires strong knowledge of office procedures, service rules, and legislative frameworks that govern central government functioning. This LDCE provides eligible Upper Division Clerks and Senior Secretariat Assistants a faster, merit-based route to promotion, bypassing the lengthy seniority-only pathway that can take many additional years through normal service. Clearing this exam brings a meaningful salary increase to Pay Level-7, greater administrative responsibilities, and a clearly defined upward career trajectory within the secretariat service hierarchy. It is one of the few structured pathways where performance, not just tenure, determines advancement in the central government.