SSC ASO LDCE Notification 2026 Out for 341 Vacancies, Apply Online at ssc.gov.in

The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) has released a detailed notification for Assistant Section Officer/Assistant Grade Limited Departmental Competitive Examination, 2025. Through the recruitment drive, a total of 341 vacancies have been announced for the Assistant Section Officer posts in the Central Secretariat Service (CSS) and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). The online application process has started from 25th June 2026 onwards. Candidates can now start submitting their online application forms at the SSC official website www.ssc.gov.in.

SSC ASO LDCE Notification 2026 Out

The detailed SSC ASO LDCE Notification 2026 has been released by the Staff Selection Commission at their official website www.ssc.gov.in with an aim to recruit eligible candidates for 341 Assistant Section Officer vacancies. Candidates who are willing to apply must go through the detailed notification PDF to check all the important details like eligibility criteria, registration process, application fee, selection process, and more.

SSC ASO LDCE 2026- Summary

Candidates can only apply online for Assistant Section Officer/Assistant Grade Limited Departmental Competitive Examination, 2025; no other means of application submission is accepted. All eligible candidates who successfully apply will undergo a two-stage selection process, which includes a computer-based examination and an APAR Evaluation.

SSC ASO LDCE 2026- Overview
Organization	Staff Selection Commission (SSC)
Exam Name	Assistant Grade Limited Departmental Competitive Examination, 2025
Post	Assistant Section Officer
Group	Group B, Non-Gazetted
Vacancy	341
Name of Service/Cadre	Central Secretariat Service (CSS) and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)
Mode of Application	Online
Registration Dates	25th June to 16th July 2026
Selection Process	Computer-Based Examination APAR Evaluation
Pay Level	Level-7 (Rs. 44,900 – Rs. 1,42,400)
Official Website	www.ssc.gov.in

SSC ASO LDCE 2026- Important Dates

The detailed notification has been released along with the complete registration schedule. The online application process has started from 25th June 2026 onwards, and the last date to apply online is 16th July 2026.

Events	Dates
Apply Online Starts	25th June 2026
Last Date to Apply Online	16th July 2026 (11:00 pm)
Last Date for Departments to Submit Printed Applications	23rd July 2026 (6:00 pm)
Last Date for Candidates Posted Abroad/Andaman & Nicobar/Lakshadweep	30th July 2026 (6:00 pm)
Exam Date	August 2026

SSC ASO LDCE Vacancy 2026

A total of 341 vacancies have been announced by the Staff Selection Commission for the Assistant Section Officer posts in the Central Secretariat Service (CSS) and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). Check service/cadre-wise and category-wise vacancy distribution from below.

Sl. No.	Service / Cadre	UR	SC	ST	Total	PwBD
1	Central Secretariat Service (CSS), DoPT	189	71	58	318	19*
2	Ministry of External Affairs (Cadre Cell)	23	–	–	23	–
Total		212	71	58	341	19

SSC ASO LDCE Eligibility Criteria 2026

Candidates who will apply for the SSC ASO LDCE must make sure they fulfill the required eligibility criteria as specified by the officials.

For the Central Secretariat Service (CSS), applicants must be serving as Upper Division Grade Officers of the Central Secretariat Clerical Service and should have completed at least six years of approved service as of 1 July 2025.
Candidates applying under the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) must be serving in the Upper Division Clerk (UDC) grade, have successfully completed the prescribed mandatory training programs, and possess a minimum of six years of approved service as of 1 July 2025.

SSC ASO LDCE Apply Online 2026

The Staff Selection Commission has started accepting the online application from eligible candidates for Assistant Section Officer/Assistant Grade Limited Departmental Competitive Examination, 2025 from 25th June 2026 onwards. Candidates willing to apply for the ASO posts can also use the direct link provided below to submit their online application forms.

Steps to Apply for SSC ASO LDCE Recruitment 2026

Candidates can follow the steps below to complete the online application process.

Go to the official SSC website at ssc.gov.in.
Complete the One Time Registration (OTR) process if not done.
Log in using your registration credentials that you have attained.
A new window will open then click on the Assistant Section Officer/Assistant Grade LDCE 2025 application link.
Fill in the required personal and service-related details.
Upload the required documents such as photograph and signature.
Verify the details that you have entered and then submit the application form online.
Download and print the application form.
Submit the printed application along with the required documents through your head of department/head of office before the deadline as mentioned in the official notification.

SSC ASO LDCE Exam Pattern 2026

Part I: Computer-Based Test

Part-I consists of two Computer-Based Papers of 150 marks each, i.e., Paper-I and Paper-II. Questions in both papers will be Objective Type Multiple Choice (MCQ). There will be a negative marking of 0.25 marks for every wrong answer in both papers. Candidates have to attempt the examination only in English.

Paper No.	Subject	Type of Paper	Max. Marks	Duration
Paper-I	(i) General awareness with focus on flagship programmes and path-breaking initiatives of the Government. (ii) Knowledge of Constitutional provisions and their general application in Government. (iii) Parliamentary procedure as per the Manual of Parliamentary Procedures in Government of India and Office Memorandum/Instructions issued by the 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 candidates eligible for scribe)
Paper-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) PFRS Writing.	Objective	150	3 hours (4 hours for candidates eligible for scribe)

Part II: Evaluation of Record of Service (100 Marks)

100 marks are earmarked for evaluation of record of service (APARs). Marks obtained in PartII would be added for ascertaining the rank of the candidate.
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.