Government job notifications are full of short forms. Here is a plain-language list of what every major exam, recruitment body and process term stands for — SSC, IBPS, RRB and UPSC exams, the defence exams, and the salary and selection abbreviations you will see. Click any exam to open its full guide.
| Abbreviation | Full form | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| SSC | Staff Selection Commission | Conducts CGL, CHSL, MTS, GD Constable, CPO and other central-government exams. |
| IBPS | Institute of Banking Personnel Selection | Runs the common recruitment process for clerks and officers in public-sector banks. |
| RRB | Railway Recruitment Board | Recruits for Indian Railways — NTPC, Group D, ALP, JE and Technician posts. |
| RRC | Railway Recruitment Cell | Handles Level-1 (Group D) railway recruitment. |
| UPSC | Union Public Service Commission | Conducts Civil Services (IAS/IPS), NDA, CDS, CAPF and other central exams. |
| PSC | Public Service Commission | Each state's own commission for state-government jobs (e.g. TNPSC, KPSC, UPPSC). |
| NTA | National Testing Agency | Conducts national entrance and eligibility tests. |
| NCS | National Career Service | Government portal that lists public and private-sector vacancies. |
| Abbreviation | Full form | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| RBI | Reserve Bank of India | India's central bank; recruits Grade B officers and Assistants. |
| SBI | State Bank of India | Recruits Probationary Officers and Clerks separately from IBPS. |
| NABARD | National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development | Recruits Grade A and Grade B development officers. |
| LIC | Life Insurance Corporation of India | Recruits AAO, ADO and insurance agents. |
| ESIC | Employees' State Insurance Corporation | Recruits UDC, MTS and medical/paramedical staff. |
| EPFO | Employees' Provident Fund Organisation | Recruits Social Security Assistants and enforcement officers. |
| Abbreviation | Full form | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| SSC CGL | Combined Graduate Level | Group B & C central-government posts for graduates. |
| SSC CHSL | Combined Higher Secondary (10+2) Level | Clerk, LDC and Data Entry Operator posts for 12th-pass. |
| SSC MTS | Multi-Tasking Staff | Group C support posts for 10th-pass candidates. |
| SSC GD / CT GD | Constable (General Duty) | Soldier posts in the CAPFs (BSF, CRPF, CISF, ITBP, SSB) for 10th-pass. |
| SSC CPO / SI | Central Police Organisation — Sub-Inspector | Sub-Inspector in Delhi Police and the CAPFs. |
| SSC Steno | Stenographer Grade C & D | Shorthand posts in central-government offices. |
| SSC JE | Junior Engineer | Civil, Electrical and Mechanical engineering posts. |
| SSC JHT | Junior Hindi Translator | Hindi translation posts in government offices. |
| Abbreviation | Full form | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| IBPS PO / MT | Probationary Officer / Management Trainee | Entry-level officer in a public-sector bank. |
| IBPS Clerk | Clerical cadre | Bank clerk handling customer service, cash and accounts. |
| IBPS SO | Specialist Officer | IT, HR, Law, Agriculture, Marketing or Rajbhasha officer. |
| Abbreviation | Full form | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| RRB NTPC | Non-Technical Popular Categories | Station Master, Goods Guard, Ticket Clerk and similar posts. |
| RRB Group D | Railway Level-1 (Group D) posts | Track, maintenance and helper posts for 10th-pass. |
| RRB ALP | Assistant Loco Pilot | Trainee driver who assists in operating trains. |
| RRB JE | Junior Engineer | Engineering posts across Indian Railways. |
| RRB Technician | Railway Technician | Technical maintenance posts for ITI/diploma holders. |
| Abbreviation | Full form | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| NDA | National Defence Academy | Officer entry for 12th-pass into the Army, Navy and Air Force. |
| CDS | Combined Defence Services | Officer entry for graduates into the defence forces. |
| AFCAT | Air Force Common Admission Test | Officer entry into the Indian Air Force. |
| CAPF | Central Armed Police Forces | BSF, CRPF, CISF, ITBP and SSB — the central paramilitary forces. |
| Agniveer | Agnipath scheme recruit | Four-year enrolment into the armed forces under the Agnipath scheme. |
| Abbreviation | Full form | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| CBT | Computer-Based Test | The online objective stage of most exams. |
| PET | Physical Efficiency Test | Running and physical-fitness stage (police/defence). |
| PST | Physical Standard Test | Height, chest and weight measurement check. |
| DV | Document Verification | Final check of certificates before appointment. |
| CRP | Common Recruitment Process | IBPS's shared exam cycle for public-sector banks. |
| DA | Dearness Allowance | Inflation-linked part of a government salary. |
| HRA | House Rent Allowance | Housing component of the salary. |
| TA | Transport / Travelling Allowance | Commute component of the salary. |
| CTC | Cost to Company | The total annual pay package. |
| Pay Level | Pay Matrix Level (7th CPC) | The level that fixes basic pay under the 7th Pay Commission. |
SSC CGL stands for Staff Selection Commission — Combined Graduate Level, the exam for Group B and Group C central-government posts open to graduates.
IBPS PO/MT stands for Probationary Officer / Management Trainee, recruited by the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection to become an officer in a public-sector bank.
CT GD stands for Constable (General Duty) — CT means Constable and GD means General Duty, a soldier post in the Central Armed Police Forces.
RRB NTPC stands for Railway Recruitment Board — Non-Technical Popular Categories, covering posts like Station Master, Goods Guard and Ticket Clerk.
NDA stands for National Defence Academy and CDS stands for Combined Defence Services — both are officer-entry exams for the Indian armed forces conducted by the UPSC.
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