SSC MTS 2025 exam pattern — sections, marks, negative marking
SSC MTS (SSC Multi-Tasking (Non-Technical) Staff and Havaldar in CBIC & CBN Examination (MTS & Havaldar)) is conducted by Staff Selection Commission (SSC). The stages are: CBT → PET/PST (Havaldar only) → document verification. This page sets out each stage with its sections, questions, marks, duration and negative marking, explains how the final selection is made, and shows how to approach each subject. For dates and the current status of the 2025 cycle, see the SSC MTS guide.
CBT Session 1 - Numerical & Reasoning: 40 questions, 120 marks, 45 minutes, +3 per correct, no negative marking. CBT Session 2 - General Awareness & English: 50 questions, 150 marks, 45 minutes, +3 per correct, -1 per wrong.
✓ Data verified 1 Oct 2026
Stage-wise exam pattern
CBT Session 1 - Numerical & Reasoning Qualifying (must clear on its own)
Online CBT · 45 min · +3 per correct, no negative marking
| Section | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Numerical & Mathematical Ability | 20 | 60 |
| Reasoning Ability & Problem Solving | 20 | 60 |
| Total | 40 | 120 |
Session 1 carries no negative marking, so leave nothing blank. You must score the minimum qualifying marks in this session separately; skipping a session means disqualification. Marks are normalised across shifts. Questions come in English, Hindi and 13 regional languages.
CBT Session 2 - General Awareness & English Merit-deciding (for shortlisting and ranking)
Online CBT · 45 min · +3 per correct, -1 per wrong
| Section | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| General Awareness | 25 | 75 |
| English Language & Comprehension | 25 | 75 |
| Total | 50 | 150 |
Session 2 has 1 mark negative per wrong answer. In the 2025-26 cycle the PET/PST shortlist was drawn on normalised Session 2 marks, after candidates cleared both sessions. Tip: attempt questions you are at least 60-70 percent sure of; a blind guess in a negative-marked section costs you more than it earns.
Selection process
CBT (Session 1 + Session 2) -> PET/PST (Havaldar only) -> Document Verification -> Allotment. Both sessions are compulsory and you must meet the minimum qualifying marks in each. Results are drawn from normalised marks, with cut-offs varying by post, category and the collecting authority or region. For the 2025-26 cycle, SSC shortlisted Havaldar candidates for the physical tests at a 1:7 ratio using Session 2 normalised marks. The PET/PST standards reported for Havaldar are: men - walk 1,600 metres in 15 minutes or cycle 8 km in 30 minutes, height 157.5 cm, chest 76 cm (81 cm expanded); women - walk 1 km in 20 minutes or cycle 3 km in 25 minutes, height 152 cm. PET/PST is qualifying only and marks do not count in merit. MTS has no physical test and no interview.
Normalisation: why your raw score is not your final score
Since the CBT runs in many shifts with different question papers, SSC normalises the marks across shifts so that a harder paper is not a disadvantage. Practical consequences: (1) your raw score is not your final score - the normalised figure decides the result; (2) never compare raw marks across shifts, days or years; (3) attempt every Session 1 question regardless of how hard your shift feels, because there is no negative marking there; (4) in Session 2, accuracy matters more than volume because each wrong answer costs a mark.
How to read this pattern
Each stage carries a tag that tells you what it is for. In this exam: CBT Session 1 - Numerical & Reasoning is “Qualifying (must clear on its own)”; CBT Session 2 - General Awareness & English is “Merit-deciding (for shortlisting and ranking)”. Read each stage's tag and notes to see whether its marks count towards the final merit or only decide who moves to the next stage, because that changes how much risk is worth taking on a single question.
Always check the negative marking line before you decide how freely to guess. Where there is a penalty, a wrong answer costs marks; where the data says there is none, leaving a question blank only loses the chance to score.
Question counts per section are the best guide to how much time and practice each subject deserves. Use the tables above to split your preparation in proportion to the marks on offer, and revisit the split after each mock or topic test.
How to approach each section
Each subject below links to the full notes on ExamShortcut. Topics are listed as high importance where our topic data flags them; the question counts come from the pattern above.
Quantitative Aptitude
All 23 topics →CBT Session 1 - Numerical & Reasoning: 20 questions, 60 marks
Learn the formula and the shortcut for each topic first, then drill timed sets so that routine calculation questions take seconds. In the exam, take the questions you can do quickly and leave the long, multi-step ones for the end. Topic tests after every chapter show which topics still cost you time.
High-importance topics: Number System, Percentage, Ratio, Proportion, Partnership & Ages, Average, Interest (SI & CI), Profit, Loss & Discount
General Intelligence & Reasoning
All 20 topics →CBT Session 1 - Numerical & Reasoning: 20 questions, 60 marks
Reasoning rewards pattern recognition, so practise each question type until you recognise it on sight: series, coding-decoding, analogy, classification, syllogism, direction and blood-relation questions, and non-verbal figures. Work in rough on paper rather than in your head, and skip any puzzle that is not settling within a minute or so.
High-importance topics: Analogy, Classification (Odd One Out), Series (Number & Letter), Coding - Decoding, Blood Relations, Seating Arrangement
General Awareness
All 14 topics →CBT Session 2 - General Awareness & English: 25 questions, 75 marks
General awareness is memory work, so revise in short, regular rounds instead of cramming. Combine static GK tables with the last several months of current affairs, and use the daily quiz to keep facts fresh. Decide in advance how much time you will give it.
High-importance topics: Modern Indian History, Indian Polity & Constitution, Indian Geography, Indian Economy, Biology, Static GK
English Comprehension
All 14 topics →CBT Session 2 - General Awareness & English: 25 questions, 75 marks
Build the basics in grammar (error spotting, fill in the blanks, sentence improvement) and add a little vocabulary every day: idioms, one-word substitutions, synonyms and spellings. For comprehension, read the questions before the passage and answer from the text, not from outside knowledge.
High-importance topics: Reading Comprehension, Cloze Test, Error Spotting, Sentence Improvement, Fill in the Blanks, Grammar Essentials (Handbook)
Next, check who can apply on the SSC MTS eligibility page and compare posts and pay on the SSC MTS salary and posts page.
SSC MTS exam pattern — FAQs
What is the selection process for SSC MTS?
CBT → PET/PST (Havaldar only) → document verification.
What is the CBT Session 1 - Numerical & Reasoning pattern in SSC MTS?
40 questions, 120 marks, 45 minutes, +3 per correct, no negative marking. Sections: Numerical & Mathematical Ability (20 questions, 60 marks); Reasoning Ability & Problem Solving (20 questions, 60 marks).
What is the CBT Session 2 - General Awareness & English pattern in SSC MTS?
50 questions, 150 marks, 45 minutes, +3 per correct, -1 per wrong. Sections: General Awareness (25 questions, 75 marks); English Language & Comprehension (25 questions, 75 marks).
What is the negative marking in SSC MTS?
Session 1 has no negative marking. In Session 2, each wrong answer costs 1 mark, while a correct answer earns 3. Unanswered questions score zero in both sessions.
Do I have to qualify in both sessions?
Yes. Both sessions are compulsory and you must clear the minimum qualifying marks in each one separately; missing a session means disqualification. The exact percentages are set in each notification, so read the current one.
Is there any interview or Tier 2 in SSC MTS?
No. There is no interview and no Tier 2. The selection is the CBT merit (normalised), PET/PST for Havaldar and document verification.