SSC MTS Exam Pattern and Syllabus 2026: Session 1, Session 2, Havaldar PET and Free Mock Tests

The two post streams

• Multi-Tasking Staff — general central government offices; selection is on the written examination and document verification.
• Havaldar (CBIC and CBN) — adds a physical efficiency test and physical standard test after the written stage, with separate standards for male and female candidates.

Educational qualification

• MTS and Havaldar — Matriculation (class 10) or equivalent from a recognised board, as on the cut-off date in the notice (1 August 2025 in the last cycle).

Other conditions

• Fee — ₹100 online; women and SC, ST, PwBD and ex-servicemen candidates are exempt.
• Choice of region — Candidates opt for the state or union territory (CCA) whose vacancies they wish to be considered for, and are considered only there. MTS vacancies are state-wise.
• Pay — Pay Level 1 of the 7th CPC pay matrix (₹18,000–56,900) for both MTS and Havaldar.

The SSC MTS process from registration to result

1. One-Time Registration on ssc.gov.in Create an OTR profile once on the Commission’s portal. Registration asks for Aadhaar-based verification, a mobile number and e-mail that remain with you for the whole cycle, and your basic educational and category details. The OTR number and password are what you log in with at every later stage — exam-city intimation, admit card, answer-key challenge, result and option form — so keep them safe.
2. Fill the online application for SSC MTS Log in, pick the examination, confirm the OTR details, choose the examination centre preferences and the medium of the paper, and upload or capture the photograph and signature exactly as the notice specifies. The declaration you sign at the end binds you to the eligibility conditions, and the Commission verifies documents only at the end of the process — an ineligible candidate can go through every stage and be dropped at verification.
3. Pay the fee The fee is ₹100, paid online, with the last date a day after applications close. Women and SC, ST, PwBD and ex-servicemen candidates are exempt. The fee is not refunded.
4. Use the correction window if you need it A three-day correction window opens about a week after applications close. The Commission charges ₹200 for the first corrected submission and ₹500 for the second, from every candidate regardless of category. Some fields — notably the OTR identity details — cannot be changed at this point, which is why the OTR should be filled carefully in the first place.
5. Exam-city intimation, then the admission certificate Roughly two weeks before the examination the candidate login shows the city allotted; the admission certificate itself is released only three to four days before the date. Print it, and carry it with an original photo identity document that carries the same date of birth as your application.
6. On the day: biometrics, frisking and the clock Report at the time on the admission certificate; entry closes before the shift begins. Expect biometric capture and frisking, and expect the paper to be delivered with the timers the notice describes — a section or session that has closed cannot be reopened. Rough sheets are provided; nothing electronic is allowed inside.
7. Tentative answer key and challenge A few days after the last shift the Commission uploads tentative answer keys with each candidate’s response sheet. Objections are filed online only, within the announced window, on payment of a per-question fee that is not refunded. Subject-matter experts examine the objections and the final key is used for evaluation.
8. Result, marks and the next stage Results are published as PDF write-ups on the notice board with category-wise cut-offs and the count of candidates shortlisted; individual marks are released in the login shortly afterwards. Candidates for the next stage receive fresh admission certificates through the same login.
9. Self-slot selection In the 2025 cycle the Commission let candidates choose their examination date and shift from the slots available in their city, through the login, a few weeks before the CBE. Slots are first come, first served, so log in on the day the facility opens.
10. The two sessions on one screen Session 1 runs for 45 minutes and closes automatically; Session 2 starts at once for another 45 minutes. Scribe-eligible candidates get 60 minutes per session. You cannot return to Session 1, and Session 2 is evaluated only if you qualify Session 1.
11. Result of the CBE and the Havaldar shortlist The result is published in the ratio 1:7 (vacancies to candidates) for Havaldar, on Session 2 marks, with CCA-wise and category-wise cut-offs. PET/PST is conducted by CBIC and CBN a few weeks later; a candidate who fails it is still considered for MTS.
12. Option-cum-preference, first round of tentative allocation and verification The Commission publishes a first round of tentative allocation for MTS and Havaldar together after the Havaldar PET/PST, verifies identity, and then declares the final result; departments verify documents before appointment.

A three-month plan

1. Month 1: Session 1 to a safe level, Session 2 foundations Number system, fractions, percentages, ratio, averages, profit and loss, simple interest, time and work, and basic geometry and data interpretation for numerical ability; series, analogies, coding, classification, blood relations, directions and figure questions for reasoning. Alongside, English grammar basics, vocabulary and a static general awareness spine — history, polity, geography, science, economy.
2. Month 2: Session 2 depth and timing Daily reading for English comprehension, cloze tests, error spotting and sentence improvement. Daily current affairs covering the six months before the exam. Sectional tests of 45 minutes to fix pace: 40 questions in Session 1 is 67 seconds each, 50 in Session 2 is 54.
3. Month 3: full mocks and revision A full two-session mock every second day, an error log by topic, and revision from your own notes. Havaldar candidates should start a daily brisk walk to be sure of 1,600 metres in 15 minutes.

Two rules that follow from the pattern

• Attempt everything in Session 1 — There is no negative marking, so an unanswered question is a mark left on the table. Mark the best guess on every question before the 45 minutes end.
• Guess selectively in Session 2 — One mark off against three on; a four-option blind guess loses, a two-option guess is worth taking. General awareness is the section where unknown means unknown — move on.

Official documents

Notice of MTS and Havaldar (CBIC and CBN) Examination 2025 (26 June 2025) Tentative vacancies of MTS and Havaldar 2025 (27 November 2025) Self-slot selection notice for the MTS 2025 CBE (16 January 2026) MTS 2025 result of the CBE — Havaldar shortlist and cut-offs (3 August 2026) Schedule of PET/PST for Havaldar, MTS 2025 (20 August 2026) SSC home page — notices, calendar and candidate login