Delhi Subordinate Services Selection Board ASO

The DSSSB ASO exam is the Delhi Subordinate Services Selection Board's recruitment test for the post of Grade-II (GNCTDSS), better known as Assistant Section Officer (ASO), in departments of the Government of NCT of Delhi. It is a Group B, non-gazetted ministerial post at Pay Level 7, which makes it one of the most popular graduate-level Delhi government jobs.

The 2026 cycle runs under Advertisement No. 01/2026 (Combined Examination, 2026), Post Code 804/26. The Tier I computer-based test is being held between 21 September and 18 October 2026. This page brings together everything you need in one place: vacancies, eligibility, fee, the two-tier exam pattern, syllabus summary, salary, the special window for 2009 applicants and a practical preparation plan.

Table of Contents

DSSSB ASO 2026

Latest Updates

• Exam schedule: DSSSB released the exam schedule on 24 August 2026. Post Code 804/26 is scheduled across most days between 21 September and 18 October 2026, in up to three shifts (9:00 to 11:00 AM, 1:00 to 3:00 PM and 5:00 to 7:00 PM).

• Admit card: E-admit cards for Post Code 804/26 were made available through the candidate login on the DSSSB online portal in mid-September 2026. Your own date, shift and centre are printed on your admit card, so not every candidate writes on the same day.

• Vacancy revision: A corrigendum in May 2026 raised the Services Department ASO vacancies from 576 to 606.

• Answer key: DSSSB usually publishes a draft answer key with an objection window after the exam window closes. No date for the 804/26 answer key had been announced at the time of writing.

Dates after the exam window are not fixed yet. Track the notices section on the official DSSSB website and your registered email for the answer key and result.

Important Dates

The eligibility cut-off date for this advertisement is the closing date of the application window, 25 March 2026. Age and qualification are both checked as on that date.

DSSSB ASO Vacancy 2026

Post Code 804/26 covers ASO posts in three departments. The Services Department share is by far the largest, and its figure was revised upward after the advertisement was first released.

For the Services Department posts, the category-wise split reported after the corrigendum is shown below.

Treat these numbers as indicative. Vacancies can change through further corrigenda, and PwBD and ex-servicemen posts are counted within these categories. Check the latest corrigendum on the DSSSB website before you rely on a figure.

DSSSB ASO Eligibility Criteria

Educational qualification

• Services Department: Bachelor's degree from a recognised university or institute.

• DPCC: Bachelor's degree from a recognised university, with basic knowledge of computers.

• DUSIB: Bachelor's degree or equivalent from a recognised university, with computer proficiency.

Any stream is accepted. Your degree must be complete, with the result declared, by the closing date of the application window.

Age limit

For the Services Department, the age limit is 21 to 30 years as on 25 March 2026. For DPCC and DUSIB, the upper limit is also 30 years. Relaxation in the upper age limit applies as shown below.

Other conditions

• Nationality: Candidates must be citizens of India.

• OBC status: OBC reservation is given only to candidates whose caste appears in the Delhi OBC list. Candidates with OBC certificates from other states apply as UR.

• Documents: Category, PwBD and ex-servicemen certificates should be issued on or before the closing date and in the prescribed format.

For full rules, including relaxation for widows and divorced women and the exact certificate formats, read Para 8 of the official advertisement.

Application Fee and How to Apply

The fee was payable online through SBI e-Pay only and is non-refundable. The regular application window for Advertisement No. 01/2026 closed on 25 March 2026, so the steps below are for reference and for the next cycle.

1. Register on the DSSSB online application portal with your name, date of birth, mobile number and email.

2. Log in with the registration number and password sent to you.

3. Select Advertisement No. 01/2026 and Post Code 804/26, and fill in personal, educational and category details.

4. Upload your photograph, signature and other documents in the size and format given on the portal.

5. Pay the fee if applicable, submit the form and save the confirmation page.

Common reasons for rejection: a blurred or old photograph, a mismatch between your name or date of birth and your Class 10 certificate, an OBC certificate from outside Delhi used to claim reservation, and a degree result declared after the closing date.

Special Window for 2009 Applicants (Post Code 90/09)

This cycle has an unusual feature. In compliance with a Supreme Court order dated 27 February 2026, the Services Department issued a public notice on 8 July 2026 inviting online applications from candidates who had applied for Grade-II under Post Code 90/09 in 2009. They could apply against the Post Code 804/26 vacancies.

• Window: 17 July to 17 August 2026.

• Who could apply: Only those who applied under Post Code 90/09 in 2009, with proof such as the 2009 application form, the acknowledgement postcard or a Tier I or Tier II admit card from that recruitment.

• Fee: No application fee.

• Age: Candidates who reach the superannuation age of 60 years are not eligible.

If you are a fresh applicant, this window does not affect your eligibility. It does mean the candidate pool is larger than a normal cycle, which is worth keeping in mind when you set your target score.

DSSSB ASO Exam Pattern

The DSSSB ASO exam pattern has two tiers, both conducted online. Tier I is a screening test. Tier II decides the final merit.

Tier I pattern

Tier II pattern

Each wrong answer in the objective sections costs 0.25 mark. Unattempted questions carry no penalty. Minimum qualifying marks are 40% for UR and EWS, 35% for Delhi OBC and 30% for SC, ST and PwBD, and the Board can fix a higher cut-off.

What this means for you:

• Speed is the first filter: Tier I gives you 36 seconds per question on average, so quick calculation and fast reading matter as much as knowledge.

• Hindi counts only in Tier I: Do not skip it. Forty Hindi marks can decide whether you qualify for Tier II.

• Start writing early: The 100-mark descriptive part is where many strong objective scorers lose ground. Weekly essay and precis practice from the start pays off.

DSSSB ASO Syllabus

Four of the objective subjects repeat in both tiers, so one round of preparation covers most of Tier II as well. The complete topic list with a study plan is on our DSSSB ASO syllabus page.

Selection Process

1. Tier I: Objective screening test. You must meet the minimum qualifying marks, and DSSSB shortlists candidates for Tier II based on merit and vacancies.

2. Tier II: Objective Part I and descriptive Part II. The combined Tier II score forms the final merit list.

3. Document verification: Certificates for qualification, age, category and other claims are checked.

4. Medical examination: Selected candidates must be found medically fit before appointment.

There is no interview for the ASO post.

DSSSB ASO Salary and Job Profile

The starting basic pay is Rs. 44,900. Your in-hand salary depends on the current DA rate, your HRA slab and deductions such as NPS contribution, so treat any single in-hand figure you see online as an estimate.

An ASO handles file work in a section of a Delhi government department: noting and drafting, processing cases, maintaining records, preparing replies and supporting senior officers. With service and departmental exams, ASOs can move up to Section Officer and higher administrative posts, as per the recruitment rules.

How to Prepare for the DSSSB ASO Exam

Plan for both tiers together

• Build a common base: General Awareness, Reasoning, Arithmetic and English appear in both tiers. Prepare them once, thoroughly.

• Add Hindi for Tier I: Spend 30 minutes a day on grammar rules, idioms and comprehension.

• Add Computer Proficiency and writing for Tier II: Start these in the second month, not after the Tier I result.

Give Delhi GK its own slot

General Awareness questions often include Delhi-specific facts: its history, monuments, administration, government schemes and geography. Keep a separate notebook for Delhi GK and revise it every week.

Practise in exam conditions

Two hundred questions in two hours is a speed test. Once your basics are in place, take sectional tests to fix weak areas, then full-length mocks to build stamina and question selection. For timed practice in the current pattern,

Use previous papers and an error log

Solve DSSSB Grade-II and ASO previous year papers to understand the real difficulty and the topics DSSSB repeats. Record every wrong or slow question in an error log and revise it before each mock.

Practise writing every week

For official notices, corrigenda and admit cards, rely on the official DSSSB website and the DSSSB online application portal.