CBSE Superintendent

CBSE Superintendent is a Group B, Pay Level 6 administrative post at the Central Board of Secondary Education. The Board recruits Superintendents directly through its own recruitment drive. The latest drive is the Direct Recruitment Quota (DRQ) 2026 examination, notified on 2 December 2025 with 27 Superintendent vacancies, and selection runs through a Tier I objective test, a Tier II objective plus descriptive paper and a qualifying typing test.

This page sets out the current cycle in one place: vacancies, dates, eligibility, fee, the revised exam pattern, the syllabus, salary and previous cut-offs, plus a stage-wise preparation plan. The biggest change from the 2024-25 cycle is a shorter Tier I paper (100 questions for 300 marks in 2 hours, down from 150 questions for 450 marks in 3 hours), so check that any material you use follows the new structure.

Table of Contents

• CBSE Superintendent at a Glance

• CBSE Superintendent Notification 2026

• Important Dates

• Vacancy Details

• Eligibility Criteria

• Application Fee and How to Apply

• CBSE Superintendent Exam Pattern

• Syllabus Summary

• Selection Process

• Salary and Job Profile

• Previous Cut-Off Reference

• How to Prepare for CBSE Superintendent

• Superintendent and Junior Assistant: Key Differences

CBSE Superintendent at a Glance

CBSE Superintendent Notification 2026

CBSE released the DRQ 2026 detailed advertisement on 2 December 2025. It covered nine Group A, B and C non-teaching and academic posts, and the Superintendent post (Post Code 06/25) carries 27 vacancies at Pay Level 6. Junior Assistant was part of the same drive with its own Tier I paper.

The notice made three changes that matter for Superintendent aspirants:

• Shorter Tier I: Tier I now has six parts, 100 questions and 300 marks in 2 hours. The 2024-25 paper had five parts, 150 questions and 450 marks in 3 hours.

• Separate Hindi and English parts: Hindi comprehension and English comprehension are now two parts of 10 questions each, instead of one combined language part.

• Separate Tier I sitting: The notice says Post Code 06/25 has its own Tier I test because of its distinct level and syllabus.

Older pages may still show the 150-question Tier I pattern, so follow the official notification.

Official recruitment page: https://www.cbse.gov.in/cbsenew/recruitment.html

Important Dates

Dates marked "as reported" come from public notices and news coverage of those notices, and some notices are scanned documents. Track the official recruitment page on cbse.gov.in and your registered email for the final word. A fresh notification for the next cycle had not been released as of 27 October 2026.

Vacancy Details

The DRQ 2026 notice lists 27 Superintendent vacancies. CBSE states that vacancy numbers are tentative and may increase or decrease.

For comparison, the 2024-25 Superintendent drive (advertisement dated 31 December 2024) had 142 vacancies. The number of posts changes a lot between cycles, which in turn moves the cut-off.

Eligibility Criteria

Educational Qualification

• Degree: A bachelor's degree from a recognised university or equivalent.

• Computer knowledge: Working knowledge of Windows, MS Office, handling large databases and the internet.

• Typing: 35 words per minute in English or 30 words per minute in Hindi on computer. This is mandatory but qualifying.

• Result deadline: You must hold the degree by the closing date. Final-year students whose results are awaited should not apply.

Age Limit

Candidates must be between 18 and 30 years of age as on the closing date, 22 December 2025.

Other Conditions

• Nationality: You must be a citizen of India.

• Ex-Servicemen: Non-graduate ex-servicemen are not eligible for Group B posts such as Superintendent.

• One application per post: Multiple applications for the same post are rejected.

For full details, see the CBSE Superintendent eligibility guide.

Application Fee and How to Apply

Fees are paid online only and are not refunded. Applications are made online through the link on the CBSE recruitment page while the window is open:

1. Read the detailed advertisement and check eligibility for Post Code 06/25.

2. Register with a working email ID and mobile number.

3. Fill in personal, category and educational details exactly as they appear on your certificates.

4. Upload your photograph and signature as instructed on the portal.

5. Pay the fee online and save the confirmation page, which is generated only after successful payment.

Common reasons for rejection include unclear or mismatched photographs, unsigned applications, wrong category claims without the required certificate and applying without the degree in hand. You can apply for more than one DRQ post, but each needs a separate application and fee.

CBSE Superintendent Exam Pattern

Tier I (Objective, OMR)

Tier II (Objective and Descriptive)

Objective questions carry 3 marks each with a 1-mark deduction for every wrong answer; unanswered questions score zero, and marking more than one option counts as wrong. Papers are bilingual except the Hindi and English language parts. There is no re-evaluation of Tier II.

What This Means for You

• Tier I is a speed test: 100 questions in 120 minutes leaves about 72 seconds per question, so reasoning and arithmetic need practised shortcuts.

• Guess with care: A wrong answer costs 1 mark against a possible 3. Guess only when you can rule out at least two options.

• Tier II rewards writing: The 30 descriptive questions are worth as much as the 50 objective ones. Every descriptive answer carries 5 marks, so short, structured answers on polity, public administration and current affairs pay off.

See the full CBSE Superintendent exam pattern for timing strategy.

Syllabus Summary

The DRQ 2026 notice names the parts of each paper but does not attach a detailed topic list. It sets the expected level as senior secondary for Tier I and graduation for Tier II. The topics below are built from the notice and from the official 2024-25 syllabus, so treat them as a working checklist.

The full topic list is on the CBSE Superintendent syllabus page.

Selection Process

1. Tier I: Candidates are shortlisted for Tier II in a ratio of 1:10 of vacancies, based on Tier I performance.

2. Tier II: Candidates are called for the skill test in a ratio of 1:5, based on Tier II performance.

3. Skill Test: A qualifying typing test at 35 wpm in English or 30 wpm in Hindi on computer.

4. Document verification: Original certificates and three sets of self-attested copies are checked before appointment.

Candidates must score at least 30% in each tier. The cut-off for OBC and EWS is up to 5% below the UR cut-off, and for SC, ST and PwBD up to 10% below. Ties go to the older candidate first, then by alphabetical order of name. In the 2024-25 cycle, a CBSE public notice said Tier I was a screening stage whose marks would not count for selection. The DRQ 2026 notice gives no separate merit formula for Superintendent, so expect Tier II to carry the ranking, and confirm this in the final result notice.

Salary and Job Profile

In-hand salary depends on the city of posting and current DA rates, so any in-hand figure you see online is not an official figure. Superintendents supervise sections in CBSE offices: handling files and records, examination and affiliation work, accounts support and day-to-day administration in regional and headquarters offices.

Previous Cut-Off Reference

These figures are as reported from the CBSE result notices of 2 March 2026 and 15 May 2026, which are scanned documents, so treat them as indicative and confirm them on the official notice. Cut-offs change every year with difficulty, vacancies and the number of applicants. Use them as a benchmark only, and aim for a clear margin above them. More data is on the CBSE Superintendent cut-off page.

How to Prepare for CBSE Superintendent

Tier I Preparation

• Fix arithmetic and reasoning first: They carry 120 of the 300 marks and reward daily timed practice.

• Do not skip computers: The computer part carries 60 marks, the same as reasoning, and its questions on MS Office, internet and security basics are quick to revise.

• Read news daily: Spend 30 to 40 minutes on current affairs and keep monthly notes, because current affairs appear in both tiers.

Tier II Preparation

• Start writing early: Practise 150 to 200 word answers on polity, public administration and current issues at least three times a week.

• Build one set of notes for both formats: The same topics are tested as MCQs and as descriptive questions, so short notes with facts, articles and examples serve both.

• Plan the 3 hours: Decide in advance how long you will spend on the 50 MCQs so the descriptive answers are not rushed.

Mock Tests and Typing Practice

CBSE does not publish an official mock test for its recruitment exams, so the official recruitment page is where to check notices and answer keys. Pair them with previous year papers to judge the real difficulty level.

Begin typing practice once you have cleared Tier I, aiming comfortably above 35 wpm with high accuracy.

Superintendent and Junior Assistant: Key Differences

Official website: https://www.cbse.gov.in/