How to read a government recruitment notification: last date, age, fee and documents

1. The dates, and the time

• Look for the last date and last time. The SSC notices give a time (for example 23:00 hours) for the last date of the application and a separate, later date for the online fee payment. The India Post GDS notice gives 17:00 hours.
• Look for the correction window. SSC and India Post both give a short window after the closing date to fix mistakes, and SSC says correction charges are paid and are not refunded. After the window closes, no change is allowed.
• Treat the examination dates as tentative. The SSC notices say a change in schedule is informed only through the website.

2. The date your age and education are counted on

Your age is not counted on the day you apply. Each notice names a reference date, and it changes from notice to notice. In the SSC Constable (GD) 2026 notice it was 1 January 2026; in the SSC MTS 2025 notice it was 1 August 2025. In the India Post GDS notice, age is counted on the last date for submitting applications, while education is counted as on the date of the notification.

• Work out your age on the date in the notice, not today. A candidate one month outside the limit is not eligible.
• Education must be complete on the cut-off date in the notice. The SSC Constable (GD) notice says candidates who had not passed Class 10 by the cut-off date were not eligible and should not apply.

3. Age relaxation and reservation

• Notices list extra years in the upper age limit for reserved categories, persons with benchmark disabilities, ex-servicemen and others. The table is different in each notice, so read the row for your own category. We do not copy these numbers into guides because they change.
• To claim reservation or relaxation you need a certificate in the format the notice prescribes (the India Post notice and the SSC notice both attach formats as annexures). A certificate in another format can be refused, though India Post allows a short period after provisional selection to submit one in the right format.
• Check how EWS is treated. In the India Post notice EWS applicants get no upper-age relaxation, but they are covered by a 10 per cent reservation in engagement.

4. The fee, and who is exempt

• Both SSC notices and the India Post notice we read set a fee of Rs 100. Exemptions differ: the SSC Constable (GD) notice exempts women, ex-servicemen eligible for reservation and certain reserved categories; the SSC MTS notice also exempts persons with benchmark disabilities; the India Post notice exempts all female applicants, persons with benchmark disabilities, transwomen and applicants in certain reserved categories listed in the notice.
• Pay only online, on the official portal. The SSC notices list UPI, net banking and cards. The India Post notice says the bank charges are paid by the applicant and the fee is not refunded.
• Keep your registration number and the payment receipt. SSC says an application with unpaid or incomplete fee stays incomplete.

5. Which state or circle, and the domicile rule

• In the SSC Constable (GD) notice the vacancies are set state by state. You give your state in the form and must show a domicile or permanent resident certificate of that same state later. The notice says the state cannot be changed.
• In the India Post notice you apply for a division within a postal circle, and you must have studied the circle's local language up to Class 10.
• State recruitment notices often reserve posts for local residents. Read the notice for the residence rule.

6. Vacancies, pay and the kind of job

• The vacancy numbers in a notice are described as tentative and are updated on the official website.
• Check the pay level or allowance and the kind of job. For example, the India Post notice says Gramin Dak Sevaks are not regular central government employees and are paid an allowance, while SSC MTS and Constable (GD) carry a pay level in the notice.
• Read the job duties and place of work. India Post says a Branch Postmaster must provide the office accommodation at their own cost.

7. When your documents are checked

Most notices ask only for details, a photograph and signature at the time of applying; the originals are checked later. The India Post notice says no documents are uploaded with the application and original documents are checked in person after shortlisting. The SSC Constable (GD) notice says detailed scrutiny is done at medical examination and document verification, so the candidate must check eligibility before appearing. See our documents checklist for what to keep ready.

Common mistakes

• Entering name, date of birth or parents' names differently from the Class 10 certificate. Both SSC and India Post say to enter them exactly as on the certificate.
• Applying from a forwarded message instead of the official notice. Find the notice on the official site and read it yourself.
• Missing the separate, later date for fee payment or the correction window.
• Assuming this year's rules match last year's.