EPFO SSA Recruitment 2023 Notification, Result, Answer Key

 The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation had released an official notification to announce recruitment of 2674 Social Security Assistants (SSA) earlier this year. Applications for these posts under the EPFO SSA Recruitment 2023 were open till 26th April 2023.      

This recruitment drive is a good opportunity for graduate students to get a respectable job in a Government organisation. The selected candidates will be responsible for clerical, front desk and customer support services regarding provident fund and pension schemes.

Recruitment to these posts is done on the basis of computer based exams conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA). The 1st phase of selection, i.e. online CBT was conducted between 18th and 23rd August 2023. The NTA has released the answer key for the same on 1st September. The release of the final answer key and the result for the phase 1 exam is expected to be out soon.

Overview

The EPFO is a social security organisation under the Indian Government’s Ministry of Labour and Employment. It is responsible for regulating and managing provident funds in India. The recruitment for various posts in the organisation is done through tests conducted by the NTA. Currently, the EPFO SSA recruitment for 2023 is underway. The important updates regarding the same have been summarised in the following sections. 

Important Dates for EPFO SSA 2023

The NTA has released the important information for the EPFO SSA 2023 recruitment exam on its official website. The table below summarises the important dates relevant to this recruitment drive. 

EPFO SSA 2023 - Important Links

All the important exam information for the EPFO recruitment drive is available on the official NTA website. The important links of the relevant sections of the website have been provided below for the convenience of candidates. 

EPFO SSA Vacancy Details 

A total of 2674 vacancies have been announced for the Social Security Assistant posts in the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation. Candidates shall be recruited for these vacancies in the regional offices of EPFO across different states.

A summary of the total vacancies for various categories has been provided in the table below. 

Candidates can check the region-wise breakdown of the vacancies in the official notification. It is important to check the same before applying, as you need to opt a location for the job. 

EPFO SSA Eligibility Criteria

The NTA has published the conditions for eligibility for Social Security Assistant posts as prescribed by the EPFO, in the official recruitment advertisement. These include conditions regarding nationality/citizenship of candidates, age limit, and educational qualifications. 

Candidates must satisfy the following EPFO SSA eligibility criteria to be recruited to said posts.

Nationality

The candidates who wish to apply for the SSA posts must be either 

• an Indian citizen, or 
• a subject of Nepal, or 
• a Bhutanese subject, or 
• a Tibetan refugee (who came to India before 1st January 1962), or
• A person of Indian origin having migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, East African countries, and Vietnam may also apply for these posts. 

Age Limit & Relaxation

Candidates must be between 18 to 27 years of age as on the last date of application (26 April 2023).

The EPFO SSA age limit has been relaxed for certain categories of candidates, as mentioned below.

The upper age limit in case of Government employees and Ex-Servicemen can be further relaxed as per the Central Government orders. Candidates belonging to these categories must check the relaxation details before applying.

Educational & Other Qualifications

• To be eligible for EPFO SSA, candidates must possess a Bachelor’s degree in any discipline from a recognized University.
• Additionally, candidates also need to have a typing speed of 35 wpm in English or 30 wpm in Hindi.

Application Process for EPFO (SSA) 

The EPFO SSA application can be submitted only in online mode from the official NTA website, https://recruitment.nta.nic.in or the EPFO website www.epfindia.gov.in/. 

After confirming that they fulfill the eligibility criteria laid out by the NTA, interested candidates can follow the steps given below to apply for the advertised posts.

Step 1 : Click on the direct application link : EPFO SSA Online Application 

Step 2 : Make sure you register using your own email-id and mobile number to create the registration number. 

Step 3 : Fill in the required personal details regarding contact information, educational qualifications, etc to complete the online application. 

Step 4 : Upload scanned photo, signature, left hand thumb impression as per prescribed specifications.

Step 5 : Choose the preferred exam center and select the region of your choice.

Step 6 : Pay the prescribed exam fee through credit/debit card, net banking etc

Step 7 : Submit the application form and take a print out of the final confirmation page.

Apply Online - EPFO SSA Recruitment 2023 

Application Fees

The required application fee is : 

• Rs. 700 for General/EWS/OBC candidates
• No fee for SC/ST/PwBD/Female/Ex-servicemen candidates 

The online application fee for the SSA exam can only be paid online. You can pay it through net banking, debit card or credit card. 

EPFO SSA 2023 Selection Process

The EPFO SSA selection process consists of two successive stages mentioned below. Candidates have to qualify in both the phases to be considered for final selection. 

Phase I : Computer Based Examination

This consists of an online objective type exam of 600 marks. Candidates are tested for their general knowledge and quantitative aptitude, along with Computer literacy and English language skills. 

Phase II : Computer Skill Test (Data entry)

This is conducted for candidates who qualify in phase 1, to assess their speed and accuracy for data entry work. This test is qualifying in nature and marks obtained shall not be considered for the final merit list. 

Note : The selection process laid out in the official recruitment notification published by the NTA has been changed to include only two stages now. Earlier, there were three stages with separate Prelims and Mains exams, along with a skill test.

EPFO SSA Exam Pattern 2023 

As mentioned above, the SSA exam shall be conducted in two stages. The first stage consists of a computer based online exam with objective type questions on general aptitude, computer literacy and language comprehension. The second stage shall be a skill test to check the typing speed for data entry. A brief summary of the EPFO SSA exam pattern has been given below. 

Stage 1: Computer Based Examination

The topic-wise distribution of marks and questions for the stage 1 exam is provided in the table below. 

Based on the marks obtained in the first stage, candidates will be shortlisted for the next stage in a ratio of 1:10.

Stage 2: Skill Test 

Note : 

• This test will assess the typing speed and accuracy of candidates for data entry work.
• The final merit list will be prepared based on the marks obtained by candidates in the stage 1 computer based exam. The skill test will only be qualifying in nature. 

Syllabus for the EPFO SSA Exam 2023

The EPFO SSA exam syllabus (stage 1) includes a wide range of topics to test the general aptitude of the candidates. The major areas of examination that are usually focused on in the SSA exam are summarised in the following table. 

1. General Aptitude (30 Questions - 120 marks) 

2. General Awareness  (30 Questions - 120 marks) 

3. Quantitative Aptitude  (30 Questions - 120 marks) 

4. English Language with Comprehension (50 Questions - 200 Marks)

5. Computer Literacy (10 Questions - 40 marks) 

EPFO SSA Admit Card 

The admit card for the stage 1 exam was released on the official website in two phases. The admit card for the exams held on 18th and 21st August was released on 16th August. For the exams scheduled on 22nd and 23rd August, the admit card was released on 18th August. 

EPFO SSA 2023 Admit Card Download Link 

The admit card contains details like candidate's name, roll number, exam date, time, exam center address, and exam day instructions. Candidates must carry the admit card print out along with an original photo identity proof to the exam center.

Candidates are required to use their login credentials to download the admit card. Follow the steps given below to access your admit card : 

Step 1 : Visit the official page of NTA for the SSA recruitment exam. 

Step 2 : Click on the EPFO (SSA) Admit Card link at the bottom of the page. 

Step 3 : A login page will open in a pop-up window. 

Step 4 : Fill in your application number, date of birth and security pin displayed on the screen.

Step 5 : Click on Submit. Your admit card will show up on the screen. 

Step 6 : Check all details mentioned on the admit card to confirm they are correct.

Step 7 : Download the admit card and take out a couple of print outs to carry to the exam hall.

EPFO SSA 2023 Answer Key

The Stage 1 Answer Key was released by the NTA on the official website on 1st September 2023. This provisional answer key was open for challenge till 3rd September 2023, on payment of objection fee of Rs 500. 

EPFO SSA Answer Key Challenge Link (Stage 1) 

The National Testing Agency published the provisional answer key for the first phase of the exam on the official website. Candidates who appeared in the exam can compare their own answers against the answer key and calculate an approximate score before the result is declared. The last date for submitting objections to the answer key was 3rd September 2023 and the final answer key is now expected to be out soon.

EPFO SSA 2023 Result

EPFO will release the SSA result in different stages - Phase 1 computer exam and skill test. The final EPFO SSA merit list will be prepared based on the marks obtained by candidates in the online CBT only. The result of the skill test is considered only to decide whether the candidate is qualified for the post, and the marks are not added for merit purposes. 

Since the provisional answer-key for the SSA stage 1 exam has been released by the NTA, the result is also expected to be released soon. Candidates should check the official NTA website on a regular basis for updates on the result. 

EPFO SSA 2023 Cut Off  

The official recruitment advertisement hosted by NTA specifically mentions that the EPFO may fix a minimum cut off at any stage of the examination process. The EPFO SSA cut off marks for the 2023 exam shall be released along with the result on the official website. 

Check EPFO SSA Cut Off Marks for previous exam 

EPFO SSA Salary Details

Candidates selected for these posts will be hired in Level 5 as per the 7th CPC pay matrix. The starting basic salary will be Rs 29,200.

In addition to the basic pay, SSA will be eligible for various allowances like DA, HRA, TA, etc. as per government norms. Other benefits include LTC, medical reimbursement, PF, pension, gratuity, etc. Therefore, the total EPFO SSA salary can be expected at around Rs 45,000 - Rs 50,000 per month inclusive of allowances. 

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