JKSSB AHTO Syllabus 2026: Assistant Handicrafts and Handloom Training Officer Post Details and Exam Pattern

JKSSB AHTO 2026 at a Glance

Post Details and Vacancies

The 87 posts are divided across three items. Both Handicrafts posts and the Handloom post are Divisional Cadre posts.

Note that Jammu Division has only 13 posts (Handicrafts), while the Handloom post is advertised for Kashmir Division only.

Category-wise vacancies

The number of posts can rise or fall before the selection is completed, as the advertisement itself states.

Eligibility Criteria

Educational qualification

A Graduate degree. The advertisement lists the qualification simply as "Graduate" for all three items, without naming a subject. Your degree must be held on or before the last date of application, and original certificates are checked at document verification.

Domicile

You must be a domicile of the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir with a valid domicile certificate on or before the last date of application.

Age limit (as on 1 January 2025)

Application fee

• General: ₹600
• SC / ST-1 / ST-2 / EWS / PwBD: ₹500
• Online payment only (net banking, credit or debit card). The fee is not refundable.

Selection Process and Exam Scheme

• Written/OMR examination only. The advertisement states that selection is made on the basis of merit in this exam. No interview is mentioned.
• Objective type, multiple choice questions set in English only.
• Negative marking: one-fourth of the marks assigned to a question is deducted for each wrong answer.
• Document verification follows for shortlisted candidates, who must bring original certificates.
• Admit cards are made available about one week before the exam on the JKSSB website.

JKSSB AHTO Exam Pattern 2026

The syllabus notice (Annexure "A") sets a 120-mark paper of 2 hours with five subjects. There is no separate craft, handicraft or handloom technical paper, so this is a general graduate-level paper for both posts.

Key insight: Computers is the highest-weighted subject at 30 marks, more than General Awareness. Many aspirants under-prepare it. Give it proper time, because it is one of the most scoring sections.

JKSSB AHTO Detailed Syllabus 2026

1. General Awareness with special reference to UT of J&K (24 marks)

1. Current events of national and international importance
2. Political and physical divisions of India
3. Climate and crops in India
4. Transport and communication
5. Demography: Census, its features and vital statistics
6. Important rivers and lakes in India
7. Indian economy
8. Indian culture and heritage
9. Indian history with special reference to the Freedom Movement
10. Indian Constitution: basic features, Preamble, Fundamental Rights, Fundamental Duties, Directive Principles of State Policy
11. Science and technology
12. Environment, ecology and bio-diversity
13. Taxation in India: direct and indirect tax, CBDT, GST etc.
14. J&K UT: (a) History, (b) Economy, (c) Geography (weather, climate, crops, rivers, lakes, flora, fauna), (d) Heritage and culture, (e) Important tourist destinations, (f) J&K Reorganization Act, 2019
15. Centrally Sponsored Schemes (MGNREGA, PMAY, SBM) and Panchayati Raj Act/Rules

2. General English & Comprehension (24 marks)

1. Tenses
2. Narration
3. Modals
4. Articles
5. Reading comprehension
6. Fill in the blanks with phrases, pronouns, homonyms/homophones etc.
7. Clauses
8. Synonyms and antonyms
9. Pairs of words and their use in meaningful sentences
10. Rearranging of jumbled sentences
11. Idioms and phrases
12. Uses of prepositions
13. Active and passive voice
14. Error spotting
15. Sentence correction
16. Spellings correction

3. General Intelligence & Reasoning (24 marks)

Part (i): Number series, letter series, semantic series, speed, distance and time, statements and conclusions, logical reasoning, mental reasoning, word building, numerical operations, semantic analogy, symbolic/number analogy, figural analogy, semantic classification, symbolic/number classification, figural classification, problem solving.

Part (ii): Symbolic operations, trends, space orientation, space visualization, Venn diagrams, drawing inferences, punched hole/pattern folding and un-folding, figural pattern folding and completion, indexing, address matching, date and city matching, classification of centre codes/roll numbers, small and capital letters.

4. Quantitative Aptitude (18 marks)

Part (i): Whole numbers, decimals, fractions and relationships between numbers, profit and loss, discount, partnership business, mixture and alligation, time and distance, time and work, percentage, ratio and proportion, square roots, averages, interest, basic algebra.

Part (ii): Graphs of linear equations, triangle and its various kinds of centres, congruence and similarity of triangles, circle and its chords, tangents, angles subtended by chords of a circle, common tangents to two or more circles, quadrilaterals, regular polygons, right prism, right circular cone, right circular cylinder, sphere, heights and distances, histogram, frequency polygon, bar diagram and pie chart, hemispheres, rectangular parallelepiped, regular right pyramid with triangular or square base, trigonometric ratio, degree and radian measures, standard identities, complementary angles.

5. Basic Knowledge of Computers (30 marks)

1. Basic applications of computer and its components
2. Fundamentals of computer sciences
3. Hardware and software, concept of open-source technologies
4. Input and output devices
5. Knowledge of MS Word, MS Excel, MS Access, MS PowerPoint, PDF, Internet and e-mail
6. Concept of computer virus and latest anti-virus
7. Role of Information Technology in governance

How to Prepare: Subject-wise Plan

Common mistakes to avoid

• Skipping Computers because it feels "non-academic" when it carries 25% of the paper.
• Studying only India-level General Awareness and ignoring the J&K topics (a) to (f).
• Guessing blindly despite one-fourth negative marking.
• Not practising full 120-mark mocks in 2 hours, so timing breaks down on exam day.
• Waiting for the exam date before starting. The syllabus is out, so start now.

Documents to Keep Ready

• Matriculation certificate: your name, date of birth and parents' names must match it exactly
• Valid domicile certificate and, if you claim reservation, a valid category certificate in the prescribed format
• Graduation degree and marks sheets (a bonafide certificate is needed for degrees from non-central universities outside J&K)
• Original photo ID (Aadhaar, voter ID, driving licence, PAN, passport etc.) and two recent passport-size colour photographs
• Printout of your application form and admit card

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the full form of AHTO?

It stands for Assistant Handicrafts Training Officer and Assistant Handloom Training Officer, two posts under the Industries and Commerce Department.

How many vacancies are there?

87 in total: 60 for Handicrafts (47 in Kashmir Division and 13 in Jammu Division) and 27 for Handloom (Kashmir Division).

How many marks and how much time is the exam?

120 marks and 2 hours, with five subjects.

Is there a separate technical or craft paper?

No. Annexure "A" lists five general subjects only, and the same syllabus applies to both posts.

Is there negative marking?

Yes. One-fourth of the marks of each question is deducted for a wrong answer.

What is the pay scale?

Level-6, ₹35,400 to ₹1,12,400.

When is the exam?

The date has not been given in the syllabus notice. JKSSB will announce it on jkssb.nic.in.

Source: JKSSB syllabus notice dated 10.08.2026 (Annexure "A") and Advertisement Notification No. 13 of 2025. Always cross-check details on jkssb.nic.in.