SSC · Government Exams

SSC MTS Exam Pattern

One computer-based test in two back-to-back sessions. Session 1 is qualifying with no penalty for a wrong answer; Session 2 builds the merit list and deducts a mark for every mistake.

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SSC MTS · checked 19 September 2026

The dates, vacancies and rules below are read on the conducting body’s own site and rewritten as each notice appears. The guide beneath carries the full pattern, syllabus, cut-offs and free mock tests.

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19September 2026

Checked 19 September 2026

SSC MTS: the facts that matter now

01
MTS 2026 notice not issued as of 12 September 2026; the calendar had placed the CBE tentatively in September–November 2026
Next cycle
02
Staff Selection Commission (SSC)
Conducted by
03
Class 10 pass from a recognised board as on the cut-off date
Level
04
Multi Tasking (Non-Technical) Staff, Pay Level 1; Havaldar in CBIC and CBN, Pay Level 1
Posts

Pattern

SSC MTS — SSC MTS exam pattern 2026: Session 1, Session 2, negative marking and the Havaldar PET

The MTS Computer Based Examination is a single sitting of 90 minutes divided into two sessions of 45 minutes each, on the same screen, with no gap. Session 1 closes automatically and Session 2 opens immediately. Both sessions are compulsory, and the way they are scored is different enough that they should be attempted differently.

SSC MTS exam pattern, Session 1. Objective; no negative marking; qualifying only.
Part	Subject	Questions	Marks	Time
I	Numerical and Mathematical Ability	20	60	45 minutes for the session (60 for scribe-eligible candidates)
II	Reasoning Ability and Problem Solving	20	60
	Total	40	120

SSC MTS exam pattern, Session 2. Objective; one mark deducted per wrong answer; merit is built from this session alone.
Part	Subject	Questions	Marks	Time
I	General Awareness	25	75	45 minutes for the session (60 for scribe-eligible candidates)
II	English Language and Comprehension	25	75
	Total	50	150

The rules that shape the paper

Session 1 is evaluated first — A candidate who does not reach the minimum qualifying marks in Session 1 — 30 per cent for UR, 25 for OBC and EWS, 20 for the rest — is not evaluated in Session 2 at all.
Merit is Session 2 only — Session 1 marks are not added. Two candidates with 120 and 60 in Session 1 and the same Session 2 score are tied on merit.
Negative marking applies only in Session 2 — One mark per wrong answer against three for a correct one. Attempt every question in Session 1; guess only between two options in Session 2.
Languages — The paper is offered in English, Hindi and 13 regional languages, chosen at application; English Language and Comprehension is in English only.
No maps, graphs or statistical data — The notice states that there is no component of maps, graphs, diagrams or statistical data in the paper, which matters for visually impaired candidates and for what to practise.

Havaldar in CBIC and CBN — PET and PST, qualifying, conducted by the departments after the CBE.
Standard	Male	Female
Walk	1,600 metres in 15 minutes	1 kilometre in 20 minutes
Height	157.5 cm (relaxable by 5 cm for Garhwalis, Assamese, Gorkhas and Scheduled Tribes)	152 cm (relaxable by 2.5 cm for the same groups)
Chest	81 cm fully expanded, minimum 5 cm expansion	—
Weight	—	48 kg (relaxable by 2 kg for the same groups)

Havaldar candidates are shortlisted for PET/PST in the ratio of 1:7 on Session 2 marks, with the Commission fixing CCA-wise and category-wise cut-offs. The examination is conducted in multiple shifts, and marks are normalised by the formula the Commission published on 2 June 2025 before cut-offs and merit are computed. Normalised scores can therefore differ from raw scores, in either direction, depending on the difficulty of the shift you sat. In the 2025 cycle, 8,04,633 candidates appeared in the CBE held from 4 to 20 February 2026 and the result of 3 August 2026 shortlisted candidates for the Havaldar PET/PST held from 24 to 31 August 2026.

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