SSC CGL Tier 1 exam conducted on 7th September 2016 (Shift 1) featured 100 questions from General Intelligence & Reasoning, General Awareness, Quantitative Aptitude, and English Comprehension, to be attempted in 75 minutes. The overall difficulty was moderate to difficult, with General Awareness being the most challenging section. Accuracy and time management were crucial due to a balanced mix of conceptual and factual questions.