Haryana HSSC CET 2026 Group D Notification Out - Apply Online

The Haryana Staff Selection Commission (HSSC) has released the Common Eligibility Test (CET) notification for Group D posts under Advertisement No. 05/2026, published on 18 June 2026. Online registration opens on 19 June 2026 and closes on 3 July 2026, with the fee payment window ending on 6 July 2026. The CET for Group D is a 100-mark, 100-question offline OMR exam conducted at Matriculation level, and candidates apply through the onetimeregn.haryana.gov.in portal rather than a separate HSSC application form.

HSSC CET Group D 2026 - Overview

Notably, the actual post-wise vacancy breakup is not part of this notification - the Commission has stated that the detail of Group-D posts will be published separately, so candidates should keep checking the official website for the post-wise advertisement once CET registration closes.

Important Dates for HSSC CET Group D 2026

The registration and fee-related timelines are the most time-sensitive part of this notification, since HSSC has built in separate cut-offs for different reserved categories as well.

Candidates should pay close attention to the certificate-dating rules above - a BCA, BCB, or EWS certificate dated before 1 April 2026, for instance, will not be accepted even if the candidate is otherwise eligible.

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HSSC CET Group D 2026 Notification PDF Download

The complete advertisement, running across 15 chapters plus annexures covering everything from age relaxation to disability provisions, is published directly on the Commission's website. Candidates are advised to read the full notification before registering, since the document also carries category-specific certificate proformas (Annexures I to IX) that must be uploaded with the application.

PDF Download Link - available on the official HSSC website at www.hssc.gov.in.

Eligibility Criteria for HSSC CET Group D 2026

Eligibility for this CET cycle is built around two simple pillars - educational qualification and age - but each carries specific conditions that can disqualify an otherwise eligible candidate if overlooked.

Educational Qualification

For all Group-D posts except Sweeper, Chowkidar, and Sweeper-cum-Chowkidar, a candidate must hold:

• Matriculation from a recognized Board, and
• Hindi or Sanskrit up to Matriculation as one of the subjects studied.

The notification clarifies that the detailed, post-wise educational qualification (for the specific Group-D posts) will be published separately along with the vacancy details.

Age Limit and Relaxation

A candidate must be not less than 18 years and not more than 42 years of age as on the closing date of registration (3 July 2026). Age relaxation is governed by Haryana Government instructions dated 25 March 2022, and the upper age limit can extend up to 52 years for candidates entitled to combined relaxation benefits.

A repeated candidate note worth flagging: anyone who already registered for CET Advt. No. 1/2022 (held on 5–6 November 2022) or CET Advt. No. 1/2025 (held on 26–27 July 2025) must use that same CET Registration Number rather than creating a fresh one.

How to Apply Online for HSSC CET Group D 2026

Applications are not submitted on a separate HSSC form - everything runs through Haryana's One Time Registration (OTR) system, which is also used for other state recruitment exams.

1. Visit the official registration portal at onetimeregn.haryana.gov.in.
2. New applicants register and receive a Registration Number; returning CET 2022/2025 candidates log in with their existing number.
3. Fill in personal, educational, and category details accurately, since no corrections are allowed after final submission except during the 7–9 July 2026 edit window.
4. Upload all category-specific scanned documents (see the documents section below).
5. Pay the applicable fee online through net banking, debit card, or credit card.
6. Submit the form, then download and retain a printed copy along with the uploaded documents for future reference.

Apply Online - once live on 19 June 2026, the link will be available through onetimeregn.haryana.gov.in.

Application Fee for HSSC CET Group D 2026

Fee payment follows the category-wise structure set under the CET Policy notified on 31 December 2024, with separate concessions based on residency proof and gender.

Candidates who had already applied and paid fee for CET Group C Advt. No. 1/2025 need not pay the fee again for this Group D cycle. Only candidates applying fresh are required to pay, based on the Standard Rate of Rs. 1,000 (or as revised by the Government).

Two points worth remembering: the fee, once paid, is non-refundable under any circumstances, and a single fee payment covers one CET attempt valid for both Group C and Group D - improving your score in a later attempt requires paying again.

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Documents Required for HSSC CET Group D 2026 Application

Every applicant, regardless of category, must upload a common base set of documents, with additional category-specific papers layered on top.

Common documents (all categories):

• Scanned copy of the Matriculation certificate
• Latest colour photograph with white background, clearly showing the candidate's name and the date it was taken
• Scanned signature
• A signed undertaking as per Annexure VIII of the notification

Category-specific additions:

Only documents uploaded at the time of filling the form are considered for scrutiny - anything submitted later, in any form, will not be entertained.

HSSC CET Group D 2026 Exam Pattern

The CET for Group D is designed as a single-stage, OMR-based screening test rather than a multi-stage exam, making the marking scheme one of the most important things to understand before attempting it.

This last rule is unusual and trips up many candidates: marking a wrong answer carries no penalty at all, but leaving a question blank without filling in the designated fifth circle results in a one-mark deduction. The exam centre, once allotted on the admit card, will not ordinarily be changed.

Also read: SBI PO 2026 Notification PDF Out - Apply Online for 1,500 Probationary Officer Posts

HSSC CET Group D 2026 Syllabus

The CET syllabus is split into two weighted parts - a larger general-skills component and a smaller Haryana-specific component - and the question paper stays at Matriculation difficulty throughout.

Part A: 75% Weightage

• General Awareness: India and neighbouring countries, especially History, Indian Polity & Constitution, Art & Culture, Geography; General Science (Physics, Chemistry, Biology)
• Reasoning: Alphabetical order, series, coding-decoding, direction and distance, order and ranking, blood relations, analogy, classification, clock and calendar, mirror/water image, syllogism, sitting arrangement, statement and assumption/conclusion, counting figures, non-verbal series
• Quantitative Ability: Number system, simplification, decimals, fractions, LCM/HCF, ratio and proportion, percentage, roots, average, profit and loss, discount, simple and compound interest, mensuration, partnership, mixtures and alligation, time and work, time and distance, basic trigonometry, algebra, and geometry
• English Language: Grammar, spotting errors, fill in the blanks, synonyms and antonyms, spellings, idioms and phrases, sentence improvement, active/passive voice, direct/indirect narration, and tenses
• Hindi Language: Varna, swar-vyanjan, sangya, sarvanam, visheshan, kriya, kaal, sandhi, samas, paryayvachi-vilom shabd, muhavare-lokoktiyan, and vakya shodhan

Part B: 25% Weightage - Haryana-Specific General Knowledge

This portion covers History, Current Affairs, Literature, Geography, Environment, and Culture of Haryana, along with the state's economy, civics, polity, art, customs, and society.

Minimum Qualifying Marks and Validity of Earlier CET Scores

A general-category candidate needs to score at least 50% in the CET to be eligible, while reserved-category candidates (both vertical and horizontal) get a 10% concession, bringing their qualifying mark to 40%.

For candidates who already cleared the Group D CET held on 12 January 2024 - a score that remains valid until 11 January 2027 - their marks (originally scored out of a maximum of 95) will be mathematically converted into a percentage so they can be merged into the same combined merit list as candidates appearing under the new 100-mark pattern.

It's also worth noting that selection for Group-D posts has changed structurally: under a Government notification dated 12 February 2026, the earlier selection formula (which included up to 10 marks for socio-economic factors such as orphan or widow status alongside the written exam) has been replaced. Selection is now based entirely on CET marks, with no interview at any stage.

HSSC CET (Group D) Syllabus 2026

Reservation Benefits and Certificate Rules

Reservation benefits under this notification are available only to bonafide residents of Haryana State; reserved-category candidates from other states or Union Territories are treated purely as general-category candidates for this recruitment.

BCA and BCB (Non-Creamy Layer)

Certificates must follow the format in Annexure-II and be issued on or after 1 April 2026. Certificates issued for contesting Panchayati Raj elections, or OBC certificates issued for Central Government jobs, are not accepted.

EWS (Economically Weaker Section)

The family's gross annual income must be below Rs. 8 lakh (revised upward from Rs. 6 lakh per the 14 January 2026 instructions), and the family must not own specified assets such as 5+ acres of agricultural land, a 1,000+ sq. ft. residential flat, or immovable property valued at Rs. 1 crore or more. The certificate must be issued on or after 1 April 2026 and is valid only for the financial year it specifies.

DSC and OSC (Deprived and Other Scheduled Castes)

Under instructions dated 13 November 2024, Haryana's existing 20% Scheduled Caste reservation quota is now split equally between Deprived Scheduled Castes (DSC) and Other Scheduled Castes (OSC). If suitable DSC candidates aren't available, the balance posts can go to OSC candidates, and vice versa.

Ex-Servicemen and Freedom Fighter Dependents

Ex-servicemen benefits follow Government Instructions dated 25 May 2026, while reservation for children or grandchildren of Freedom Fighters (paternal or maternal lineage) follows instructions dated 27 October 2021 and 26 April 2022, applicable only when reserved Backward Class or Ex-servicemen posts remain unfilled.

Provisions for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD)

Candidates registering under the PwBD category must select the correct disability code at the time of registration: VH (Visual Impairment), HH (Hard of Hearing), OH (Orthopedic, including locomotor disability and cerebral palsy), or MD (Multiple Disability, including autism and intellectual disability).

Scribe and compensatory time facilities are available as follows:

• Candidates with blindness, locomotor disability (both arms affected), or cerebral palsy can use a scribe without needing a physical-limitation certificate.
• Candidates in other PwBD categories need a certificate from a Chief Medical Officer, Civil Surgeon, or Medical Superintendent confirming the need for a scribe.
• The scribe's own qualification must be up to Matriculation only, and the scribe cannot be a candidate in the same examination.
• All eligible PwBD candidates referred above receive 20 minutes of compensatory time per hour, bringing the total exam duration to 140 minutes instead of 105.

Selection Process for HSSC CET Group D 2026

Since Group-D recruitment has no separate written exam beyond the CET, the process works differently from Group-C recruitment. The Commission shortlists candidates purely on CET marks, then publishes a category-wise merit and waiting list. When actual posts are advertised later, eligible candidates apply electronically to express willingness for that specific post using their existing Registration Number - only the candidate's consent is sought before the Commission recommends names to the appointing department; there is no fresh written test at this stage.

In case of a tie in CET marks, the older candidate gets precedence; if birth dates also match, the candidate whose first name comes earlier alphabetically (in English) ranks higher.

Exam Day Rules and Malpractice Penalties

HSSC enforces strict frisking and conduct rules at every CET centre, and violations carry debarment periods ranging from two to five years depending on severity.

Items strictly barred inside the exam hall include textual material, calculators, pens, geometry boxes, pen drives, mobile phones, Bluetooth devices, smartwatches, wallets, belts, caps, jewellery, and food or water containers. Candidates wearing articles of religious or cultural faith are advised to report at least two hours before the last reporting time to allow for proper frisking.

OMR sheets must be marked only with a ballpoint pen (not a pencil), and any erasing, scratching, or use of whitener detected by the scanning machine leads to outright cancellation of the OMR sheet and candidature.

Who Should Apply for HSSC CET Group D 2026?

This recruitment cycle is suited to candidates who meet the matriculation-plus-language qualification and fall within the eligible age bracket, with a clear path for reserved-category candidates as well.

You should apply if you:

• Have passed Matriculation from a recognized board with Hindi or Sanskrit as a subject
• Are between 18 and 42 years of age as on 3 July 2026, or qualify for a relaxation category
• Are a bonafide resident of Haryana seeking reservation benefits, or are applying as a general-category candidate from anywhere in India, Nepal, or Bhutan

You should reconsider applying if you:

• Do not hold Matriculation, or did not study Hindi/Sanskrit up to that level
• Fall outside the 18–42 age band without an applicable relaxation
• Are a reserved-category candidate from outside Haryana expecting reservation benefits - you will only be considered under the general category

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Several avoidable errors lead to rejection at the scrutiny stage or loss of marks during the exam itself, based directly on the causes of rejection listed in the notification.

• Uploading a BCA, BCB, EWS, or DSC/OSC certificate dated outside its required validity window
• Submitting an incomplete document set for your claimed category
• Registering more than once instead of using an existing CET 2022 or 2025 Registration Number
• Leaving a question blank without filling the fifth "not attempted" bubble, resulting in an avoidable -1 mark
• Darkening more than one circle for a single question, which voids that answer entirely
• Assuming corrections can be made after final submission - they are only possible during the 7–9 July 2026 window
• Carrying barred items such as mobile phones, watches, or wallets into the exam hall

Important Links

• PDF Download Link - Click Here
• Apply Online - registration and application via onetimeregn.haryana.gov.in
• Official HSSC Website: www.hssc.gov.in