SSC JSA / LDC Grade Limited Departmental Competitive Exam, 2025 (for DoPT only) Answer Key 2026

36. Scheme of Examination: The examination shall be conducted according to the following plan

and syllabus: PART-I: COMPUTER BASED EXAMINATION (300 MARKS) Paper No. Subject Type of Paper Max. Marks Duration I (i) General awareness with focus on flagship programmes and path breaking initiatives of the Govt.

(ii) Knowledge of Constitutional provisions and their general application in GoI.

(iii) Parliamentary procedures as per the Manual of Parliamentary procedures in Government of India and Office Memoranda/ Instructions issued by Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs from time to time.

(iv) Reading comprehension in English/ Hindi.

(v) Central Secretariat- Manual of Office Procedure.

(vi) Allocation of Business Rules and Transaction of Business Rules.

(vii) Noting & Drafting Objective 150 3 hours (4 hours for the candidates eligible for scribe*) II (i) Service Rules such as Leave Rules, conduct & CCA Rules, Pension and NPS Rules etc.

(ii) Financial Rules such as TA, LTC etc.

(iii) Legislations such as RTI Act, 2005, Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013.

(iv) Records Management.

(v) Precis Writing. Objective 150 3 hours (4 hours for the candidates eligible for scribe*)

* as per para 35(a), 35(b) & 35(c) i. Part-I consists of two Computer Based papers of 150 marks each, viz., Paper-I & Paper-II. Questions in both Paper-I & Paper-II will be of Objective Type Multiple Choice only. There will be negative marking of 0.25 marks, i.e., 25% for each wrong answer in both Paper-I & Paper-II. ii. The candidates have to attempt the examination only in the language (English/ Hindi) as opted in the online Application Form. There will be no Question Paper in Braille for Visually Handicapped candidates. iii. Tentative Answer Keys of Computer Based Examination will be placed on the website of the Commission after the Examination. Candidates may go through the Answer Keys and submit online representations, if any, within the time limit given by the Commission, on payment of Rs. 50/- per question which is non-refundable. Representations on the matter received through any other modality i.e., letter, application, email, etc. will not be entertained. Representation regarding the Answer Keys will be scrutinized before finalizing the Answer Keys and the decision of the Commission in this regard will be final. Final answer keys of Computer Based Examination will be published after declaration of the result. iv. Detailed guidelines regarding challenge/ objection/ representation management system have been published on the website of the Commission vide Notice dated 10.04.2026. Candidates may go through the same as challenge/ objection/ representation management will be handled accordingly to these guidelines. v. There shall be no provision for re-evaluation/ re-checking of scores of any stage/ paper(s) of the Examination. No correspondence in this regard shall be entertained. vi. The schedule of examination indicated in the Notice is tentative. Any change in the schedule of examination will be informed to candidates only through the website of the Commission. PART-II EVALUATION OF RECORD OF SERVICE (100 Marks): i. 100 marks are earmarked for evaluation of record of service (APARs). Marks obtained in Part-II would be added for ascertaining the rank of the candidate. ii. Once the APARs have been evaluated, no request for change in APAR grading, etc. at a subsequent date will be entertained by the Commission under any circumstances.

37. Syllabus: Syllabus of the Computer Based Examination shall be as follows:

(a) Comprehension (English/ Hindi) and General English Candidate will be tested in simple composition and Applied Grammar.

(b) Parliamentary Procedure Simple questions relating to sessions of Parliament and handling of Parliament question.

(c) General Knowledge Knowledge of current events, matters of every day observation, experience and general information about India.

(d) Noting/ Drafting Simple questions from chapter 7, 8 and 9 of latest CSMOP, i.e., Guidelines on Noting, Communication, Forms Channels and Procedure and Guidelines on Drafting of Communications.

37. Mode of Selection

i. The Commission in their discretion may fix minimum qualifying marks individually for Paper-I and Paper-II of Part-I. ii. Based on the aggregate performance in Paper-I and Paper-II of Part-I, candidates will be shortlisted for evaluation of record of service, i.e., Part-II. The candidates who are not qualified in Paper-I + Paper-II of Part-I will not be eligible for evaluation of record of service, i.e., Part-II and they will not be considered for further selection process. iii. Final selection will be made on the basis of the aggregate performance of candidates in Part-I (CBE) and Part-II (APAR Evaluation). iv. After the examination, the names of finally selected candidates will be arranged by the Commission, in separate lists, for the participating Cadres/ Services in the order of merit along with the aggregate marks finally awarded to each candidate so that candidates who are found by the Commission to be qualified in the examination shall be recommended for inclusion in the Select lists of Assistant Section Officer and Assistant of Central Secretariat Services (CSS) and Ministry of External Affairs (Cadre Cell) respectively up to the required number of vacancies. v. Provided that the candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes or the Scheduled Tribes or Persons with Benchmark Disability shall, to the extent of the number of vacancies reserved for the Scheduled Castes/ Scheduled Tribes, be recommended by the Commission by a relaxed standard, subject to the fitness of these candidates for selection to the service. vi. Provided that the candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes or the Scheduled Tribes or Persons with Benchmark Disability who have been recommended by the Commission without resorting to the relaxed standard referred to in this sub rule, shall not be adjusted against the vacancies reserved for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. vii. Selection to the Grade of Assistant Section Officer/ Assistant in different services/cadres shall be made to the extent of the available vacancies, as intimated by the indenting service/ cadre, in order of merit, subject to the reservation for candidates of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and Persons with Benchmark Disabilities, in accordance with the orders issued from time to time by the Central Government in the Department of Personnel and Training. The candidates who have not been recommended are below the cut-off marks, i.e., not making to the merit list and are not qualified in the examination. viii. Candidates should clearly understand that this is a competitive and not a qualifying examination. The number of persons to be included in the Select List of Assistant Section Officer (ASO) of Central Secretariat Services (CSS) and Assistant of Ministry of External Affairs (Cadre Cell) on the basis of the result of the examination is entirely within the competence of Government to decide. No candidate will, therefore, have any claim for inclusion in the Select List on the basis of performance in the examination as a matter of right. ix. Success in the examination confers no right to selection unless the cadre authority is satisfied, after such enquiry as may be considered necessary that the candidate having regard to his/ her conduct in service is suitable in all respects for selection.