SSC Stenographer Previous Year Papers
SSC shows your own response sheet for a few days. Here is how to use it, with practice questions.
SSC does not publish a public archive of old Stenographer papers. After each computer-based test (CBT, the online objective paper) it shows every candidate their own response sheet with the answer keys, through a login on ssc.gov.in, for a few days. That sheet is the only official previous paper.
This page covers what SSC releases, what the CBT asks, and original reasoning and English practice questions with worked answers. The shorthand stage is covered on the skill test page.
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What SSC Released for Recent Steno Exams
From SSC's own write-ups:
Steno 2026 (CBE 09.09.2026 to 15.09.2026)
Release
Tentative answer keys with response sheets
Window
23.09.2026 to 26.09.2026
Steno 2025
Release
Final answer keys with response sheets, plus marks
Window
02.01.2026 to 17.01.2026
| Exam | Release | Window |
|---|---|---|
| Steno 2026 (CBE 09.09.2026 to 15.09.2026) | Tentative answer keys with response sheets | 23.09.2026 to 26.09.2026 |
| Steno 2025 | Final answer keys with response sheets, plus marks | 02.01.2026 to 17.01.2026 |
No Official PDF Archive Exists
SSC says the saved question paper is strictly for personal use and self-analysis only, and that individual requests for response sheets will not be entertained after the window. Files sold or shared as "Steno previous year papers" or "memory-based" sets are not SSC releases. Download your own sheet while the window is open.
What the CBT Asks
Scheme in the 2026 notice, with a sectional timer (each part runs on its own clock):
I
Subject
General Intelligence and Reasoning
Questions / Marks
50 / 50
Time
30 minutes
II
Subject
General Awareness
Questions / Marks
50 / 50
Time
30 minutes
III
Subject
English Language and Comprehension
Questions / Marks
100 / 100
Time
60 minutes
| Part | Subject | Questions / Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | General Intelligence and Reasoning | 50 / 50 | 30 minutes |
| II | General Awareness | 50 / 50 | 30 minutes |
| III | English Language and Comprehension | 100 / 100 | 60 minutes |
Data interpretation and arithmetic in the exam style. No signup.
How the Exam Tests You
Each wrong answer costs 0.25 marks. With a sectional timer you cannot borrow time from reasoning to finish English, so pacing has to be practised part by part. Reasoning gets 30 minutes for 50 questions, about 36 seconds each. The trap is spending two minutes on one puzzle and leaving easy questions unseen at the end of the part.
English is half the paper. The notice says it tests vocabulary, grammar, sentence structure, synonyms, antonyms and correct usage. Your own response sheet shows which of these cost you marks.
Practice Questions (Original, Not From a Past Paper)
- 1
Reasoning, practice question 1: Pointing to a man, Riya says, "He is the son of my mother's only brother." How is he related to Riya?
Riya's mother's only brother is Riya's maternal uncle. His son is Riya's cousin. Answer: cousin. Trap: stopping at "uncle" after the first step.
- 2
Reasoning, practice question 2: Find the odd one out. 121, 144, 169, 180, 196
121, 144, 169 and 196 are squares of 11, 12, 13 and 14. 180 is not a perfect square. Answer: 180.
- 3
English, practice question 3: Choose the correctly spelt word. (a) Accomodate (b) Accommodate (c) Acommodate (d) Acomodate
Accommodate has a double c and a double m. Answer: (b). Spelling questions reward a daily habit of noting words you misspell while transcribing.
- 4
English, practice question 4: Fill in the blank. Neither the clerk nor the officers ___ present.
With neither...nor, the verb agrees with the nearer subject. "Officers" is plural, so: were. Answer: were. Trap: matching the verb to "clerk" and choosing "was".
Using Past Papers for the CBT
- checkLog in during each answer-key window and save your response sheet
- checkMark every wrong answer by part: reasoning, general awareness or English
- checkPractise each part on its own timer, 30, 30 and 60 minutes
- checkCount the 0.25-mark deduction when you score practice papers
- checkKeep shorthand practice daily; the CBT only gets you to the skill test
FAQs
Where can I download the SSC Steno previous paper?expand_more
SSC shows each candidate their own response sheet with answer keys through a login on ssc.gov.in, for a limited window after the CBT. It does not keep a public archive or a downloadable PDF set.
Is there an official SSC stenographer reasoning questions PDF?expand_more
No. SSC releases reasoning questions only inside each candidate's response sheet during the answer-key window. Practise with timed reasoning sets and your own saved sheet.
Does the SSC Steno CBT have a sectional timer?expand_more
Yes, under the 2026 notice: 30 minutes for reasoning, 30 minutes for general awareness and 60 minutes for English.
Is there negative marking in the SSC Stenographer exam?expand_more
Yes. The 2026 notice deducts 0.25 marks for each wrong answer in the CBT.
Next steps
Take a full SSC Steno mock testThe whole CBT syllabus in one timed, scored paper.