The Official SSC MTS and Havaldar 2026 Examination Blueprint
The Staff Selection Commission conducts the Multi-Tasking (Non-Technical) Staff and Havaldar (CBIC & CBN) examination to recruit 10th-pass candidates into Central Government ministries and departments. Under the revised examination structure, the final merit ranking is determined exclusively by your performance in Session 2 (English and General Awareness), making targeted study essential.
1. Examination Scheme: Two Distinct Sessions
| Session & Subject |
Questions |
Marks |
Duration |
Marking & Merit Role |
Session I:
Part 1: Numerical and Mathematical Ability
Part 2: Reasoning Ability and Problem Solving |
20
20
(40 Qs) |
60
60
(120 Marks) |
45 Minutes |
Qualifying Only
NO Negative Marking
(Need ~30% UR to qualify Session 1) |
Session II:
Part 1: General Awareness
Part 2: English Language and Comprehension |
25
25
(50 Qs) |
75
75
(150 Marks) |
45 Minutes |
100% Final Merit Determination
-1 Mark Negative Penalty for every wrong answer |
2. Session 2 High-Yield Syllabus Breakdown (The Merit Core)
- General Awareness (25 Qs - 75 Marks): Indian History (Freedom Struggle, Mughal era, Harappan civilization), Geography (Rivers, National Parks, Climate), Art & Culture (Festivals, Dances, Musical instruments, Temple architecture), Indian Constitution & Polity (Preamble, Fundamental Rights, President), and 6-Month Current Affairs.
- English Language (25 Qs - 75 Marks): Basic English grammar (Tenses, Prepositions, Subject-Verb Agreement), vocabulary (Synonyms, Antonyms, Common Spelling Errors, One-Word Substitutions), and Reading Comprehension/Cloze test passages written in simple prose.
3. Session 1 Strategy: Fast Qualifying Without Over-Investment
- Zero Negative Marking Advantage: Because Session 1 carries no negative marking, candidates should attempt all 40 questions. Answer confident math and reasoning questions first, then make educated guesses on remaining questions.
- Meet the Baseline Cut-Off: Qualifying Session 1 requires roughly 12 correct questions (36 marks) out of 40 for General category. Do not spend 4 hours daily practicing complex advance math that has zero bearing on your final rank.
4. A 60-Day Study Timetable for MTS Selection
- Days 1-20: Complete basic English grammar rules; learn 25 new vocabulary words and 15 idioms daily; review NCERT Class 6-10 summary notes for General Science and History.
- Days 21-40: Solve the last 4 years of official SSC MTS question papers, focusing heavily on Session 2 accuracy. Maintain a handwritten notebook of tricky general awareness facts.
- Days 41-60: Attempt full timed mock tests daily. Target a raw score of 130+ out of 150 in Session 2 to secure high ranks and top-preference state allocations.
