TypingTestExamThe SSC Stenographer Skill Test is held after the computer-based test for Stenographer Grade C and Grade D posts. Unlike SSC CGL or CHSL, this is a dictation plus transcription test: a passage is dictated as audio, you record it in shorthand, and then you type your notes back on a computer.
Dictation speed and time
| Grade | Dictation speed | Dictation length |
|---|---|---|
| Grade C | 100 words per minute | ~1000 words in 10 minutes |
| Grade D | 80 words per minute | ~800 words in 10 minutes |
After the 10-minute dictation, you transcribe on a computer within the following official grade- and language-specific window.
| Grade | English transcription | Hindi transcription |
|---|---|---|
| Grade C | 40 minutes | 55 minutes |
| Grade D | 50 minutes | 65 minutes |
Error evaluation
Transcripts are evaluated strictly, but SSC sets qualifying standards separately for candidate categories. The practice preset uses a 7% training target to encourage accuracy; it is clearly a general practice setting rather than a universal official cut-off.
The typing speed nobody mentions
The headline numbers are shorthand speeds, but to transcribe a 10-minute dictation inside the allotted time you need a comfortable typing speed of roughly 35–50 WPM. This is exactly where copy-typing practice helps a stenography candidate. Use the practice tool above to build that transcription typing speed and accuracy.
How to prepare
- Daily dictation at slightly above your target speed (e.g. 110 WPM if you need 100).
- Read-back drills — transcribe your own shorthand under a timer.
- Typing speed — get your computer typing to 40+ WPM so transcription never runs out of time.
- Accuracy — practise formal, official-style passages to handle vocabulary and punctuation.
