The SSC CGL exam is conducted every year for the recruitment of candidates in various Grade ‘B’ and ‘C’ posts in different departments and ministries under the Government of India. This article will provide you information regarding SSC CGL 2021 and help you devise a strategy that shall give you the impetus required to ace the exam.
Candidates must check the SSC CGL Syllabus for better preparation. SSC CGL recruitment comprises of 4 tiers. While the first two tiers are computer-based objective examinations, the third tier is a descriptive pen and paper-based examination to be conducted in both English and Hindi.
There is an additional tier 4 consisting of DEST (Data Entry Skill Test) and CPT (Computer Proficiency Test) for selective posts. Candidates can even prepare for the SSC CGL exam online through several websites and apps.
The duration of the exam is 60 minutes (80 minutes for visually handicapped candidates or those suffering from Cerebral Palsy). There is no sectional time limit so you have the liberty to attempt the sections in any order.
Subject | Questions | Marks | Duration of the Exam |
---|---|---|---|
General Intelligence and Reasoning | 25 | 50 | 60 minutes |
General Awareness | 25 | 50 | 60 minutes |
Quantitative Aptitude | 25 | 50 | 60 minutes |
English Language | 25 | 50 | 60 minutes |
Total | 100 | 200 | 60 minutes |
To know more about the SSC CGL exam pattern, click here.
General Awareness (GA) is observed to be the most scoring section of the exam in recent years.
Quantitative Aptitude (QA) is the toughest and most time-consuming segment of this exam.
SSC CGL Tier 2 exam will be objective in nature. However, its level of difficulty is higher than that of Tier 1. You can check the exam pattern for Tier II to get acquainted with the type of questions asked. It will be conducted online and the medium will be English/Hindi. It will consist of 4 papers (refer to the table below).
Paper | Questions | Marks | Duration of the exam |
---|---|---|---|
Quantitative Aptitude | 100 | 200 | 2 hours |
English Language and Comprehension | 200 | 200 | 2 hours |
Statistics | 100 | 200 | 2 hours |
General Studies (Finance and Economics) | 100 | 200 | 2 hours |
SSC CGL Tier 2 English Language Paper has 200 questions carrying 1 mark each. The duration of this paper is 2 hours.
Check how to prepare for Tier II in 30 days.
SSC CGL Tier 2 Statistics Paper has 100 questions carrying one mark each. The duration of this paper is 2 hours. Each correct answer will fetch 2 marks while ½ a mark will be deducted for every incorrect answer.
With the introduction of the new post of Assistant Audit Officer (AAO), Paper 4 has been added to CGL Tier 2. The duration of this paper is 120 minutes. It will consist of 100 questions of 2 marks each. 0.5 mark will be deducted for an incorrect answer.
SSC CGL Tier 3 is a newly added tier in lieu of the interview conducted for various posts till last year. It is also aimed at assessing candidates’ ability to manage official communication and correspondence. Candidates have to write an Essay/Precis/Letter /Application Writing in the examination.
SSC has introduced a new paper i.e. Tier 3 in place of the personal interview round recently. Candidates can prepare for the Tier 3 Descriptive Paper once they are well acquainted with the syllabus and pattern. Here is all the pertinent information.
SSC CGL Tier 3 exam is conducted in pen and paper mode. It is a 100-mark Descriptive Paper in English/Hindi (writing essays/precis/letter/applications etc.). The time allotted to this paper is 60 minutes (80 minutes for visually handicapped candidates and those suffering from Cerebral Palsy).
This exam is qualifying in nature and marks are included in the preparation of the final merit. The paper is bilingual i.e. you can choose to write answers either in Hindi or English Language.
SSC CGL Tier 4 exam is held after the declaration of the Tier 2 result of the Combined Graduate Level Exam (CGL). Candidates who successfully qualify the Tier 2 exam are eligible for the Tier 4 exam.
It comprises two types of tests i.e Computer Proficiency Test (CPT) and Data Entry Speed Test (DEST). The objective is to test your ability to do basic tasks such as type correctly at a reasonable speed and your knowledge of fundamental office software tools like Microsoft Word, Excel, and Powerpoint.
CPT includes the following three modules:
DEST consists of only a typing test wherein the students have to make 2000 key depressions in 15 minutes. It is a speed test that can be cleared without a hitch with regular practice.
General intelligence:
Book Name | Author |
Verbal and Non-verbal reasoning | R.S. Aggarwal |
Analytical Reasoning | M.K. Pandey |
General Knowledge:
Read newspaper regularly to keep yourself up to date with the current affairs |
To revise your study, make short notes. It helps you to save your time of studying. |
Quantitative Aptitude:
Book Name | Author |
Elementary & Advanced Mathematics | Kiran Prakashan |
Advance Maths for General Competitions | Rakesh Yadav/ KD Publications |
General Awareness:
Book Name | Author |
General Knowledge | Arihant Publications |
General Knowledge | Dr. Binary Karn/ Lucent |
English Comprehension:
Book Name | Author |
English for General Competitions: from Plinth to Paramount (Volume – 1) | Neetu Singh /KD Publications |
A mirror of Common Errors | Dr. Ashok Kumar /Academic and test publication |
Competitive General English | Kiran Prakashan |
Objective General English | S. P. Bakshi |
It is essential for the students to practice online mock tests since the SSC CGL exam is conducted in the online mode. Hence, it will be helpful for the aspirants to understand the exam pattern of the SSC CGL EXam. As a result, the aspirants will get a chance to identify their strong and weak points and can rectify themselves accordingly. Taking a full-length mock tests exams are useful before SSC CGL 2020 exam for the students. In a nutshell, the aspirants should spend more time on their weak areas.
Though SSC CGL 2020 is a common competitive exam among the students, however, the aspirants should follow some basic preparation tips while they do not admit to any coaching institutes. At first, the students should know the SSCL CGL Syllabus thoroughly before starting to take preparation. The aspirants should go through the good books for preparing themselves for SSC CGL Exam. You should choose the books wisely, especially while you do preparation without coaching institutes. You can also check the youtube channels, which provide the free online coaching classes. Hence, you will get plenty of study materials and tips and tricks to qualify for the SSC CGL 2020 exam.
Download SSC CGL Practice Papers
Q 1. From where can I find the detailed syllabus of the SSC CGL exam?
Answer: Candidates can access the syllabus by visiting the official website of SSC CGL - ssc.nic.in. Tier I and Tier 2 are online examinations consisting of different subjects, Tier III is a descriptive paper that can be answered in Hindi and English language. Check Detailed SSC CGL Syllabus
Q 2. Will I be able to prepare for both the SSC CGL and IBPS simultaneously?
Answer: Yes. You can prepare for both at the same time because the syllabus for these exams is nearly the same.
Q 3. I am already preparing for Civil Services. Could I prepare for SSC CGL exam at the same time?
Answer: Yes, in both of these exams, you will have to prepare Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning and Unseen Passages.
Q 4. In how many months will I be able to prepare for the SSC CGL exam?
Answer: If you could dedicate 5-6 hours a day, you will be able to cover the entire syllabus in good terms in around 3-4 months.
Q 5. Should I join a coaching institute for the SSC CGL preparation tips?
Answer: It is not mandatory to join a coaching institute. Many students crack this exam with self-study only. All you require is dedication and hard work.
Q 6. What are the sources of best study material for preparing for the SSC CGL exam?
Answer: You may check out the online tutorials, web blogs and papers of previous years. Those are really beneficial.
Q 7. How many questions from the General Intelligence section should I practice before attempting the SSC CGL exam?
Answer: It is recommended to practice at least 50 reasoning questions every day and at least 2000 questions before attempting the real exam.
Q 8. What are the most scoring topics that I should prepare for Tier I?
Answer: You should focus more on puzzles, analogy, coding-decoding, series, and figure-based questions, but also cover up the remaining topics.
Q 9. How much time should I spend in attempting the General Intelligence & Reasoning section of Tier I?
Answer: You should practice well to attempt this section in around 20 minutes.
Q 10: How much time should I spend on each question of the General Intelligence & Reasoning section of Tier I?
Answer: You should not spend over a minute on each question in this section.
Q 11: How much time should I spend in attempting the Quantitative Aptitude section of Tier I?
Answer: You should practice well to attempt this section is not more than 25 minutes.
Q 12. Which section of Tier I should I attempt first?
Answer: You should start attempting the Tier I paper with the easier sections like General Awareness.
Q 13. How much time should I spend in attempting the English Language section of Tier I?
Answer: The English Language Section should not take more than 15 minutes.
Q 14. What should be the first step while attempting the English Language section of Tier I?
Answer: You must attempt the Reading Comprehension part at the beginning very quickly.
Q 15. Does SSC CGL have Negative marking?
Answer: Yes, the exam has a concept of negative marking. Your incorrect attempt would bring your score to a downside.
Q 16. What is the most important tip for preparing Tier I and II in SSC CGL?
Answer: You must cover all the topics and work hard on time management.
Q 17. Is there a sectional time limit in the Tier I exam?
Answer: There is no sectional time limit.
Q 18. Can I switch between sections while attempting Tier I?
Answer: Yes, you can.
Q 19. What could I do to be updated on the current affairs?
Answer: Read any English newspaper on a daily basis. Also, subscribe to any monthly GK magazine and go through it.
Q 20. I am not very familiar with computers. How could I prepare for the SSC CGL exam, as the first two levels will be online based?
Answer: Try to attempt as many mock tests as you can. This will surely enhance your speed.
*The article might have information for the previous academic years, please refer the official website of the exam.