How many application forms Received for SSC CHSL 2026 Exam?

The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) recruits staff for ministries, departments and offices of the Government of India. Every year SSC conducts the Combined Higher Secondary Level (CHSL) Examination for candidates who have passed Class 12. It is one of the most popular exams for government job aspirants.

According to RTI reply data, SSC CHSL 2026 received 15,71,342 applications for 2,536 tentative vacancies. That is about 49% fewer than the 30.69 lakh applications received in 2025. Check out complete details below.

SSC CHSL Exam

The SSC CHSL examination is conducted to recruit candidates for posts like Lower Division Clerk (LDC), Junior Secretariat Assistant (JSA) and Data Entry Operator (DEO). The selection process for SSC CHSL 2025 includes the following stages:

Tier 1: Computer-Based Test (CBT)
Tier 2: Computer-Based Test (CBT)
Document Verification
Final Joining

SSC CHSL 2026 Total Form Fill Ups

SSC CHSL 2026 has received 15,71,342 applications for 2,536 tentative vacancies as per RTI reply data. This is about 49% lower than the 30.69 lakh applications received in 2025. Below you will find the year-wise application data, category-wise figures, competition per vacancy and what the drop means for your preparation.

Particulars	Details
Conducting body	Staff Selection Commission (SSC)
Total applications in 2026	15,71,342
Total applications in 2025	30.69 lakh
Decrease from 2025	About 14.98 lakh (approx. 49%)
Tentative vacancies	2,536
Applications per vacancy	About 620

SSC CHSL Total Applications: Year-Wise Data

The table below shows how applications have changed over the years. Over the years, the SSC CHSL exam has consistently seen high participation from candidates across the country. This information helps in understanding how the competition level has changed over time.

Year	Total Applications
2026	15,71,342
2025	30.69 lakh
2024	34,55,000
2023	32,17,442
2022	31,97,965
2021	36,69,524
2020	38,98,378
2018	30,73,838
2017	61,52,068
2016	64,06,623

SSC CHSL Previous Years Category Wise Registered Candidates Data

It is also important to understand the category-wise application distribution for the SSC CHSL exam. This provides a clearer picture of the competition among different categories. Below are the detailed statistics for SSC CHSL 2023 and SSC CHSL 2022.

Check: SSC CHSL City Intimation 2025 Out

SSC CHSL 2023 Application Data

For the SSC CHSL 2023 recruitment, a total of 32,17,442 applications were received for 1211 vacancies. Below is the category-wise distribution of applications:

Category	No. of Applications
SC	7,98,283
ST	2,95,256
OBC	12,67,404
EWS	1,89,646
UR	6,66,853
Total	32,17,442

SSC CHSL 2022 Application Data:

In SSC CHSL 2022, a total of 31,97,965 applications were submitted. The category-wise application numbers were as follows:

Category	No. of Applications
SC	9,05,676
ST	3,55,246
OBC	15,17,187
EWS	1,79,580
UR	8,47,770
Total	31,97,965

What the data shows:

Applications were highest in 2016 and 2017, at over 60 lakh each year.
They stayed between roughly 31 and 39 lakh from 2018 to 2025.
The 2026 figure is the lowest in this list.

SSC CHSL 2026 Competition Per Vacancy

With 15,71,342 applications for 2,536 vacancies, there are about 620 applications for every vacancy. This ratio shows how competitive the exam is, but it does not show how many candidates will actually appear. The number of candidates who write the exam, the exam difficulty and the recruitment rules will all affect the final selection.

The SSC CHSL exam remains a highly popular choice among aspirants aiming for government jobs after completing their higher secondary education. With lakhs of candidates applying each year, the exam continues to maintain a high level of competition. Candidates should be well aware of the growing participation trends and prepare with a focused strategy to secure selection in these posts.

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