Updated: 9 October 2026. The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) has uploaded the candidate response sheets and tentative answer keys for the Selection Post Phase XIV Examination, 2026. Candidates who appeared for the computer-based examination should review the answers carefully and submit a challenge within the official window if they find a genuine discrepancy. The objection facility is time-limited: it opens on 9 October at 4:00 PM and closes on 12 October 2026 at 4:00 PM.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Recruitment examination | SSC Selection Post Phase XIV, 2026 |
| Notice | Candidate response sheets, tentative answer keys and challenges |
| Examination dates | 16–26 September 2026 |
| Qualification levels | Matriculation, Higher Secondary (10+2), and Graduation & Above |
| Challenge window | 9 October 2026, 4:00 PM to 12 October 2026, 4:00 PM |
| Challenge fee | ₹50 per question/answer challenged |
| Official portal | ssc.gov.in |
What SSC has released
The new notice allows candidates to view their recorded responses alongside the Commission’s tentative answer key. The response sheet shows the options recorded for the candidate; the tentative key indicates the Commission’s provisional answers. These are related but different documents, and both should be checked before a challenge is submitted.
The phrase tentative answer key matters. The key is not necessarily the final answer key, and an answer shown by the system should not be treated as permanently settled while the challenge process remains open. SSC will consider representations submitted through the prescribed facility and take the process forward under its notice. No final-result date should be assumed unless SSC announces one separately.
Who should check the response sheet?
Every candidate who appeared in the Phase XIV computer-based examination should check the notice and confirm that the response sheet belongs to the correct examination and candidate login. The examination covers different post levels—Matriculation, Higher Secondary and Graduation & Above—so candidates should make sure that the paper and post level they are reviewing match their application and examination record.
This is also the right time to review any concern while the challenge window is open, rather than wait for a result. Once the window closes, the online challenge facility may no longer accept representations. The dates and time printed in the Commission’s notice should be treated as controlling.
How to access the SSC Phase XIV answer key
- Open the official SSC website.
- Find the notice titled “Phase-XIV/2026/Selection Posts Examination – Uploading of Candidate’s Response Sheet(s) along with Tentative Answer Keys and inviting challenges thereon” on the Notice Board.
- Open the notice and follow its candidate-login link or instructions. Use the registration credentials required by the portal; the answer-key login generally uses the candidate’s Registration Number and Password.
- Open the correct response sheet and tentative key. Save or print the available record for personal review if the portal permits it.
- Compare the recorded response with the tentative key question by question. Make a short list of only those answers that have a clear, supportable basis for challenge.
- If you decide to challenge an answer, use the official online challenge facility and complete the fee payment before the deadline.
If the login does not work, check the registration details and the instructions in the current notice before trying repeatedly. Avoid relying on unofficial download pages or social-media screenshots for a personal response sheet.
Challenge deadline and fee: do not leave this to the last hour
The portal’s announced challenge period runs from 4:00 PM on 9 October to 4:00 PM on 12 October 2026. The prescribed fee is ₹50 for each question/answer challenged. A candidate challenging several answers should calculate the fee accordingly and keep the transaction confirmation or acknowledgement generated by the official portal.
Do not wait until the final minutes. Login issues, slow connectivity, payment failures or uncertainty about the supporting material can consume valuable time. Keep the registration details available, review the notice once, and complete submission early enough to confirm that the challenge has actually been recorded.
How to decide whether an answer should be challenged
A challenge should address a specific, identifiable problem—not merely a candidate’s preference for another option. Re-read the question and every option in the context of the examination level. Check whether the concern is about a factual error, an ambiguous question, a mismatch between the question and the provisional key, or a possible technical issue with the recorded response.
Where the notice or portal allows supporting documents or references, use material that directly addresses the disputed point. Keep the explanation precise: identify the question, state which answer appears to be incorrect, and explain the basis in a few clear sentences. A challenge fee should not be treated as a reason to submit weak or speculative objections; the aim is to flag a genuine discrepancy that SSC can evaluate.
The Commission’s own submission format and supporting-document requirements take priority over any general advice on this page. Do not send challenge representations to unrelated email addresses or assume that a social-media post constitutes formal submission.
What happens after the objection window?
After the challenge period ends, SSC can examine the representations and finalise the answer key or take other steps specified in the recruitment process. Candidates should continue to follow the official portal for the next notice, any final answer key, score-related information and result updates. This article does not assign an expected result date because the official notice should be used for any announced timetable.
Also keep the distinction between the response sheet, answer key and result clear:
- Response sheet: the options or responses recorded for an individual candidate.
- Tentative answer key: the Commission’s provisional answers before the challenge process is completed.
- Final answer key: the answer key after the Commission’s review, when published.
- Result: the outcome of the examination stage; it is a separate notice and should not be inferred from the answer key alone.
Candidate checklist
- Check that the response sheet relates to your own registration and the correct examination level.
- Read the full official notice, including any login, fee and submission instructions.
- Mark the final date and time: 12 October 2026 at 4:00 PM.
- Check each disputed answer against credible, directly relevant material before submitting.
- Pay the prescribed ₹50 per challenged question/answer through the official facility, and retain the acknowledgement.
- Do not share your password, one-time credentials or response sheet publicly.
- Monitor the SSC site for later notices; do not treat unofficial expected-result dates as confirmed.
Official source
The controlling source is the Staff Selection Commission official website. Locate the Phase-XIV notice under the Notice Board and follow the instructions printed there. The date, fee, login process or deadline should always be verified against the notice visible on SSC’s website.
