How SSC Counts Mistakes in the Typing Test and DEST
SSC splits every error into a full mistake or a half mistake, and its published evaluation guidelines say exactly which is which. Two of those rules cost marks for things that are not typing at all: indenting a paragraph with the space bar instead of the Tab key, and putting more than one space after a full stop. The Commission publishes an error percentage for CGL DEST only. For the CHSL typing test it publishes none.
Practise the SSC CHSL typing test Practise SSC CGL DESTWhere these rules come from
Both 2026 notices point at the same document rather than listing the rules themselves. The CHSL notice, at section 13.9.13.3, says the skill test and typing test "will be evaluated as per the evaluation guidelines available on the website of the Commission". The CGL notice, at section 13.9.10.2, says information about evaluation of the typing test and DEST "is available on the Commission's new website https://ssc.gov.in ('For Candidates')".
That document is the Revised Guidelines for Evaluation of Typing Test/DEST Scripts (English/Hindi). It is listed on ssc.gov.in under For Candidates, Script Evaluation. It is three pages long and it applies to both mediums.
The six full mistakes
SSC's evaluation guidelines list six errors that each count as one whole mistake in the typing test and DEST.
- Omitting a word or figure.
- Substituting a wrong word or figure, except where words have simply been transposed.
- Adding a word or figure that is not in the passage.
- Any spelling error, whether by repeating, adding, omitting or substituting a letter. The guidelines give their own example: the word "spelling" typed as seeplings, seplling, speling or seepling.
- Repeating a word or figure. Their example is "I shall shall be grateful".
- An incomplete word. A half-typed word is treated as a mistake.
The five half mistakes
SSC's evaluation guidelines list five errors that each count as half a mistake in the typing test and DEST.
- Spacing. No space between two words, such as "Ihope", or an unwanted space between or inside words, such as "I h ave".
- Wrong capitalisation. A capital for a small letter or the other way round. The guidelines say this does not apply to Hindi typewriting scripts.
- Punctuation. A mark omitted, added, or replaced by another.
- Transposition. Words swapped, such as "I hope" typed as "hope I".
- Paragraphs. Half a mistake for each paragraph where the space before the start is not uniform, meaning it was indented with manual spaces instead of the Tab key.
The guidelines add one more line worth knowing: any correction made by pen or pencil is treated as a mistake.
The instructions most candidates never read
SSC's evaluation guidelines carry an annexure of instructions to candidates sitting the typing test or DEST. These are the ones that change how you should type rather than what you should know.
- Use the Tab key to begin a paragraph. Every paragraph indented with manual spaces is half a mistake. In a passage with four paragraphs that is two whole mistakes before you have mistyped anything.
- One space after every punctuation mark. After a comma, a full stop, a question mark. Two spaces after a full stop is a spacing error.
- Do not repeat the passage if you finish early. You are allowed to go back and correct your mistakes in the time left instead.
- Type in the medium you opted for. No credit is given for typing in a medium you did not choose.
- Type figures, numerals and years exactly as printed. Typing them differently, or in the other language, is a mistake.
- Any irrelevant matter you type is a mistake, and any incomplete word is one full mistake.
What the error threshold actually is
This is where the two SSC exams part company.
CGL DEST has published limits. Section 16.2 of the CGL 2026 notice sets the maximum percentage of errors allowed, which it calls the minimum qualifying standards:
| UR | 20% |
|---|---|
| OBC / EWS | 25% |
| All other categories | 30% |
Higher, unpublished standards apply to Tax Assistant in CBIC and CBDT, to UDC and SSA in the Central Bureau of Narcotics, and to the Computer Proficiency posts at paragraph 13.9.9. The notice says the standard for those is higher without saying by how much.
The CHSL examination notice does not set a typing-error percentage. The notice makes the test qualifying, says errors are calculated to two decimal places, and leaves evaluation to the guidelines above. The guidelines define what a mistake is and set no percentage.
The number that gets confused with it
Section 16.1 of the CGL notice, and section 17.1 of the CHSL notice, set the minimum qualifying marks for the written sections: 30% for UR, 25% for OBC and EWS, 20% for all other categories.
Same three numbers as the DEST error limits, reversed. In 16.1 the unreserved candidate needs the highest score. In 16.2 the unreserved candidate is allowed the fewest errors. They measure different things and it is easy to quote one while meaning the other.
CHSL error limits are published with results
The CHSLE 2025 first-round allocation write-up, paragraph 6(ii) allows 7% mistakes for UR and 10% for every other category, including EWS. Checked 21 September 2026.
The examination notice and script-evaluation guidelines do not set that percentage. Use the result cut-offs for the relevant cycle; do not assume a past threshold guarantees qualification in a later recruitment.
How this site scores your practice
The CHSL practice profile uses the full and half model above, with the cycle-specific 7% UR and 10% all-other-category cut-offs as selectable practice settings. The CGL DEST profile uses the published 20%, 25% and 30% limits by category, which you can pick before you start.
Neither profile reproduces the Commission's own evaluation software. It is an approximation built to the rules on this page, and the result it gives you is practice feedback, not a qualification.
Common questions
What is a full mistake in the SSC typing test?
The Commission's evaluation guidelines list six: omitting a word or figure, substituting a wrong one, adding a word or figure that is not in the passage, any spelling error, repeating a word or figure, and an incomplete or half-typed word.
What is a half mistake?
Five kinds: spacing errors such as a missing space between two words or an unwanted space inside one, wrong capitalisation, punctuation omitted or added or swapped, transposed words, and a paragraph indented with manual spaces instead of the Tab key. Wrong capitalisation does not apply to Hindi typewriting scripts.
Why does pressing the space bar instead of Tab cost me marks?
The guidelines say candidates are required to use the Tab key to begin any paragraph rather than giving spaces manually, and that every paragraph where the space is given without pressing Tab is treated as a half mistake. It is a rule about how you indent, not about what you type.
How many errors are allowed in SSC CGL DEST?
Section 16.2 of the CGL 2026 notice sets the maximum percentage of errors allowed at 20% for UR, 25% for OBC and EWS, and 30% for all other categories.
How many errors are allowed in the SSC CHSL typing test?
SSC's CHSLE 2025 allocation write-up sets 7% for UR and 10% for all other categories, including EWS. These are cycle-specific cut-offs; the CHSL 2026 examination notice does not set a typing-error percentage.
Are the error rules the same for Hindi and English?
Almost. The guidelines are written for both mediums and say so explicitly. The one stated difference is that wrong capitalisation does not apply to Hindi typewriting scripts.
Where can I read the SSC evaluation guidelines myself?
They are listed on ssc.gov.in under For Candidates, Script Evaluation, as Evaluation of Typing Test/Dest Scripts. The copy read for this page was the one published by SSC Eastern Region at sscer.org.
Source note
Read 16 September 2026. The mistake definitions and candidate instructions come from the Revised Guidelines for Evaluation of Typing Test/DEST Scripts (English/Hindi), published by the Staff Selection Commission and listed on ssc.gov.in under For Candidates, Script Evaluation. The copy actually read was the one published by SSC Eastern Region at sscer.org; the file listed on ssc.gov.in is a different size and its download link could not be opened by automated retrieval that day, so if the two ever differ the Commission's own copy governs. The error percentages, section numbers and qualifying status come from the SSC CGL 2026 notice and the SSC CHSL 2026 notice. Rules change between recruitments: the current notice for your exam decides, not this page. Every document cited across the site is listed on the official sources page.
Practice tool, not an official result. Sarkari Exam Typing is not affiliated with the Staff Selection Commission. Full disclaimer.