Assistants’ Grade Examination
The Assistants’ Grade Examination is conducted by the Staff Selection Commission for recruitment to (I) Grade IV (Assistant) of the General Cadre of the Indian Foreign Services (B); (II) Grade II (Cypher Assistant) of Cypher Cadre of Indian Foreign Service Branch (B); (III) Assistants’ Grade of the Central Secretariat Service; (IV) Assistants’ Grade of the Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Service; and (v) Posts of Assistants in other departments/organisations and the attached offices of the Government of India, not participating in IFS (B)/Railway Board Secretariat Service.
Age: A candidate must have attained the age of 20 years and must not have attained the age of 25 years on the first day of the August of the previous year. The upper age limit may be relaxed in respect of scheduled caste, scheduled tribes, other backward classes and such other categories of persons as may, from time to time, be notified in this behalf by the government of India to the extent and subject to the conditions notified in respect of each category. The supper age limit is also relaxed to 30 years in respect of LDCs/UDCs, Stenographers Grade ‘D’ and Grade II with not less than 3 years continuous and regular service in various departments/offices of Government of India.
Educational Qualifications: Degree from a recognised University or equivalent Examination
Plan of Examination: The examination consists of two stages (a) preliminary examination and (b) main examination,
(a) Preliminary Examination (objective type): The preliminary examination will be of a test for selection of candidates for the main examination and would comprise the following subjects:
| S.No. | Test | No. of questions | Marks | Duration |
| 1. | Reasoning Ability | 75 | 75 | |
| 2. | General Awareness | 75 | 75 | |
| 3. | Arithmetic | 75 | 75 | 3 hours |
| 4. | Language Paper English or Hindi | 75 | 75 | |
| Total | 300 | 300 | ||
(i) The papers in all the subjects will be of objective type (multiple choice type).
(ii) Question on reasoning ability, general awareness and arithmetic will be set in both English and Hindi.
(iii) Part (iv) language paper will be of qualifying nature and the marks secured by the candidates in this part will not be counted for the preparation of the list of candidates to be called for the main examination.
(iv) The aggregate marks secured in Part (i), (ii) and (iii) will be taken for preparation of the list of candidates to be called for main examination.
(b) Main Examination (Conventional Type): The main examination consists of the following papers:
| Paper | Test | Marks | Duration | |
| I | Language Comprehension | |||
| (a) General English | 50 | 3 hours | ||
| (b) Communication/Writing Skill | 150 | |||
| II | Arithmetic | 100 | 2 hours | |
| Total | 300 | |||
Notes: (i) The question papers for the Main Examination will be of conventional (Essay) Type.
- In Paper I, Part (a) of Main Examination will be compulsory for all the candidates. However, this will be of a qualifying nature. The marks secured in this part will not be counted for preparation of the final selection list. The Commission have the discretion to fix a qualifying standard in this part.
- Candidates will have the option to answer Paper I Part (b) (Communication/Writing Skill) and Paper II (Arithmetic) either in Hindi or in English.
- Scripts of Paper I Part (b) (Communication/Writing Skill) and Paper II (Arithmetic) will be evaluated of only those candidates who secure minimum qualifying standard in Part (a) of paper I of the Main Examination.