While over 30.69 lakh candidates had applied for 3,131 posts last year, only 15.71 lakh have registered for 2,536 posts in 2026. Prayagraj: Applications for the Staff Selection Commission’s ( SSC ) Combined Higher Secondary Level (CHSL) examination have dropped by nearly half in a year. This is the sharpest decline seen in recent years for the central govt recruitment exam.
A total of 15,71,342 candidates applied for CHSL 2026, according to information provided by SSC under the RTI Act. The computer-based Tier-I examination is proposed from Nov 30 to Dec 31. In 2024, 34.55 lakh candidates applied for 3,712 posts, while 32.17 lakh applied for 1,762 posts in 2023. The 2022 recruitment attracted 32.35 lakh applications for 4,522 posts. The number stood at 38.05 lakh for 6,013 posts in 2021 and 38.98 lakh for 4,726 posts in 2020.
The recruitment is for posts such as Lower Division Clerk/Junior Secretariat Assistant, Postal Assistant/Sorting Assistant and Data Entry Operator in various central govt ministries, offices and departments. The decline is particularly significant when compared with previous years.
Railway Recruitment Board has also released the city intimation slip and helpdesk link for candidates appearing for Assistant Loco Pilot (ALP) recruitment under CEN 01/2026. CBT-I will be held on Nov 3, 4 and 5. Candidates will receive exam city and date details around 10 days before the exam, while e-call letters will be available about four days before the scheduled date.
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Meanwhile, SSC has clarified the category status of candidates shortlisted for the next stage of the Constable GD recruitment examination 2026. Candidates who had selected SC, ST, OBC, EWS or ex-servicemen categories while applying but qualified the computer-based examination on the standards prescribed for the unreserved category were shown as UR in the initial result list.