Every sarkari job, explained.
What the job is, who can apply, how selection works, the pay, and how to prepare. Checked against official notices.
The same path for almost every recruitment. Know it once, and no form will surprise you.
- 1
Find the right job
Read the notification (advertisement) only on the official site of the board that is hiring, such as ssc.gov.in, rrbapply.gov.in or mpsc.gov.in. The notification PDF is the only rulebook: posts, eligibility, fee, last date and exam pattern are all in it.
What goes wrong: People trust WhatsApp forwards and YouTube thumbnails that carry wrong dates or fake vacancies. Fake sites copy the look of real boards and take fees; a real government site ends in.gov.in or.nic.in.
- 2
Check eligibility
Check education, age on the cut-off date named in the notification, category relaxation, domicile and physical standards before paying anything. Age relaxation (usually OBC +3, SC/ST +5 years for central jobs) applies only if you hold a valid category certificate.
What goes wrong: Many applicants count age on the wrong date, or apply while their final-year result is not out when the notification needs the degree by a fixed date. If you are found ineligible at document verification, the candidature is cancelled even after passing the exam.
- 3
Get documents ready
Keep 10th marksheet (proof of date of birth), 12th and degree marksheets, caste certificate, non-creamy-layer or EWS certificate for the current year, domicile certificate, Aadhaar, and recent photo and signature scans in the size the form asks for. Get missing certificates made early from the tehsil or Aaple Sarkar/CSC centre; they can take weeks.
What goes wrong: Name or date-of-birth spelling differs between Aadhaar and marksheet, and the form is rejected later. OBC-NCL and EWS certificates must be in the format and financial year the notification asks for; an old one is not accepted.
- 4
One-time registration (OTR)
Many boards need a one-time registration first: SSC OTR on ssc.gov.in, UPSC OTR on its online portal, MPSC profile on mpsconline.gov.in, UPSSSC needs a PET score. Use your own mobile number and email that you will keep for years.
What goes wrong: Using a cyber-cafe owner's phone or email means you lose login, OTP and admit-card messages. Making two registrations is treated as a violation by some boards and can cancel your candidature.
- 5
Fill the form and pay the fee
Fill the form yourself or sit next to the person filling it, choose post and exam city carefully, pay the fee, then download and save the final submitted form and payment receipt. Apply several days before the last date.
What goes wrong: Sites slow down in the last two days and payments fail. Wrong category, wrong post preference or a blurred photo cannot always be corrected later; use the correction window if the board opens one.
- 6
Download the admit card
Watch the official site for the city slip and then the admit card, usually a few days before the exam. Print it, read the reporting time, and carry the original photo ID named on it.
What goes wrong: Candidates reach late because they go by exam time instead of reporting time, or carry a photocopy of ID. Gates close strictly; nobody is let in after that.
- 7
Written exam and physical test
Most exams are computer-based objective tests with negative marking; attempt what you are sure of. Police, forces, forest guard and Agniveer jobs also have a running and measurement test, which you must train for months before, not weeks.
What goes wrong: Guessing blindly loses marks to negative marking. In physical tests, first-time runners get injured or fail by seconds; height and chest are measured strictly with no rounding up.
- 8
Result, document check, medical, joining
Check the result and cut-off on the official site, go to document verification with all originals and self-attested copies, then pass the medical. After the appointment letter, joining and police/character verification follow.
What goes wrong: Missing one original (e.g. caste certificate) at verification can cost the seat. Eyesight or colour-blindness fails the medical in railway and force jobs; get your eyes checked before you apply. Anyone asking for money to 'set' a result or joining is a fraud.