WBPSC English Stenographer (Basic Grade) Recruitment 2026: 266 Vacancies Announced Across Schedule A & B
The West Bengal Public Service Commission (WBPSC) has officially issued the direct recruitment notification (Advt. No. 04/2025) for the English Stenographer (Basic Grade) in Schedule A and Schedule B Recruitment Examination. Through this competitive recruitment drive, WBPSC will recruit 266 permanent vacancies of English Stenographers (Personal Assistants) across major administrative departments, Secretariat directorates, and regional offices of the Government of West Bengal.
The vacancy matrix includes 146 posts under Schedule A (Secretariat & Apex Commission offices) and 120 posts under Schedule B (Directorates & District Administrative setups). Selected candidates will be appointed in Pay Level-9 (₹28,900 – ₹74,500) under the W.B.S. (ROPA) Rules, 2019, with an initial gross salary of approximately ₹34,000 to ₹38,000 per month. Candidates who have passed the Madhyamik (Class 10th) examination, possess shorthand dictation speed of 80 WPM, and English typing proficiency of 30 WPM can register online through psc.wb.gov.in until 07 November 2026 (up to 3:30 PM).
Cadre Architecture: Schedule 'A' vs Schedule 'B' Stenographer Posts
Understanding the structural differences in posting, department hierarchy, and career avenues across the two notified schedules:
Schedule A: English Stenographer
146 PostsJurisdiction & Postings: Appointees are attached directly to State Secretariat Departments (Nabanna, Bikash Bhavan), High-level Advisory Commissions, and Apex Government establishments in Kolkata.
- Attached to IAS Officers, Departmental Secretaries, and Principal Secretaries.
- Promotion ladder: Senior Stenographer → Personal Assistant → Private Secretary (Gazetted cadre).
- Entitled to higher Kolkata-tier City House Rent Allowance (HRA at 12% of basic pay).
Schedule B: English Stenographer
120 PostsJurisdiction & Postings: Appointees serve in Directorates, Commissionerates, Regional Inspectorates, and District Collectorate/Magistrate field offices across West Bengal.
- Attached to Directors, District Magistrates (DM), and Divisional Commissioners.
- High stability with options for district-level administrative postings.
- Same Pay Level-9 (₹28,900 – ₹74,500) with identical annual increments and promotion benefits.
Detailed Technical Competency & Language Eligibility Standards
WBPSC enforces strict educational and technical benchmarks for English Stenographer recruitment:
1. Academic Prerequisite
Must have passed the Madhyamik Examination (Class 10th) of the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE) or an equivalent examination recognized by the State/Central Government.
2. Shorthand & Typing Speed
Must possess a shorthand speed of not less than 80 words per minute (WPM) in English and an English computer typing speed of at least 30 words per minute (WPM).
3. Computer Literacy
Must possess elementary operational knowledge of computers, including basic text processing, file management, and document formatting capabilities.
State Language Proficiency Mandate:
Candidates must possess the ability to read, write, and speak in Bengali. However, this condition is not mandatory for candidates whose mother tongue is Nepali (in terms of Finance Department Audit Branch Notification No. 124-F dated 08.01.1995). Language proficiency will be tested during Document Verification.
Examination Architecture: 3-Paper Structure (600 Marks Total)
The English Stenographer Basic Grade Examination is administered in three successive papers carrying a cumulative total of 600 marks:
Paper-I: General English (100 Marks)
This paper is designed to test the candidate's fundamental understanding of the English language. Candidates who attain the commission-prescribed qualifying cutoff in Paper-I will be shortlisted to appear for Paper-II and Paper-III.
Paper-II: Stenography Dictation & Computer Transcription (400 Marks)
Dictation Speed: 80 Words Per Minute (WPM) continuous speech for a total duration of 6 minutes (a total dictation passage of 480 words).
Transcription: Candidates must transcribe their shorthand notes directly onto a computer within 1 hour. Marks are awarded for accuracy, speed, and faithful textual reproduction.
Error Marking Criteria in Shorthand Transcription:
Deductions apply for omissions of words, unauthorized substitutions, spelling mistakes in proper nouns, paragraph formatting errors, and syntactic punctuation lapses.
Paper-III: Computer Typing Speed Test (100 Marks)
A printed English manuscript passage is provided to candidates. Candidates must type the passage on a computer system at a minimum evaluated speed of 30 words per minute (WPM). Typing speed, key depressions, and stroke accuracy determine the final paper score.
Pay Scale, Allowances & Approximate In-Hand Salary (ROPA 2019)
Stenographers in West Bengal Government service are compensated under Pay Level-9 of the W.B.S. (ROPA) Rules, 2019:
Pay Level
Level-9
WBS ROPA 2019
Basic Pay Scale
₹28,900
Scale: ₹28.9k – ₹74.5k
House Rent (HRA)
12% Basic
Approx. ₹3,468/-
Approx In-Hand
₹34.5k – ₹38k
Per month + Perks
In addition to Basic Pay and HRA, appointees receive Dearness Allowance (DA as announced by the State Government), Medical Allowance (₹500/- p.m. or Swasthya Sathi coverage), special duty compensatory allowance (if posted in Secretariat cells), and defined contributory pension benefits under the West Bengal State Contributory Pension Scheme.
Critical Candidate Advisory: Application Edit Window & Verification Protocol
- 1. Edit Window Dates: An online correction window will open from 10 November to 13 November 2026 (up to 3:30 PM). Candidates can correct academic marks, uploaded documents, and address particulars during this single-chance window.
- 2. Non-Editable Fields: Candidate name, mobile number, registered email ID, and caste/category classification cannot be altered during the edit window. Ensure these demographic items are verified with extreme care before final fee payment.
- 3. Out-of-State Candidate Status: Candidates belonging to SC, ST, or OBC categories of other Indian States will be evaluated strictly under the Unreserved (General) category with standard general cutoffs and fees.
- 4. Single Application Rule: Submission of multiple application forms using different email IDs or phone numbers will trigger automated duplication detection and lead to immediate rejection of all submitted forms.