SSC CGL 2020 Syllabus & Exam Pattern (Tier 1/2/3/4)
Updated On -
Jul 13, 2020
Exams Prep Master
SSC CGL Syllabus is different for all the tiers of the exam. 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. The major sections of Tier 1 are General Intelligence & Reasoning, General Awareness, Quantitative Aptitude, and English Comprehension. For more details, check SSC CGL 2020
The important sections of Tier 2 are Quantitative Ability, English Language & Comprehension, Statistics, and General Studies. Since tier 3 is a descriptive exam designed to tests a candidate’s aptitude via essay/ letter/ application/ precise writing.
Check SSC CGL Preparation Tips
SSC CGL Tier 1 Syllabus
Exam pattern Highlights: SSC CGL 2020
|
Particulars |
SSC CGL Exam Highlights |
|---|---|
|
Number of tiers |
4 |
|
Exam mode |
Tier-I: Online Tier-II: Online Tier-III: Offline Tier-IV: Computer proficiency test/skill test/document verification |
|
Number of papers/sections |
Tier-I: 4 sections (English Intelligence & Reasoning, General Awareness, Quantitative Aptitude, English Comprehension) Tier-II: 4 papers (Quantitative Abilities, English Language and Comprehension, Statistics, General Studies) Tier-III: 1 paper (descriptive paper in English or Hindi) |
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Exam duration |
Tier-I: 60 minutes Tier-II: 120 minutes for each paper Tier-III: 60 minutes |
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Number of questions |
Tier-I: 100 Tier-II: 500 Tier-III: 1 |
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Type of questions |
Tier-I: MCQs Tier-II: MCQs Tier-III: Descriptive |
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Total marks |
Tier-I: 200 Tier-II: 800 Tier-III: 100 |
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Language of paper |
Tier-I: English and Hindi Tier-II: English and Hindi Tier-III: English and Hindi |
SSC CGL 2020 Syllabus for Tier 1
SSC CGL Tier 1 is a qualifying level exam conducted in the online mode. Given below are a few quick facts about the exam.
- Questions are objective in nature.
- Questions in General Intelligence, General Awareness, and English section are of graduation level.
- Questions in Quantitative Aptitude are from the 10th standard. Also, Check SSC CGL Exam Pattern 2020 in a detailed manner.
General Intelligence and Reasoning Section
The section aims to test the logical thinking capacity of a candidate. Both, verbal and non-verbal reasoning questions are asked in this section. These are focused heavily on decision making, analogies, series, and intelligence.
| Sections | SSC CGL Syllabus |
|---|---|
| General Intelligence and Reasoning: |
This section is based on Questions from Series (number, figurative), similarities and differences, analogy, space visualization. Spatial orientation, problem-solving, analysis, judgment. Decision making, visual memory, discrimination, observation. Direction sense test, Blood relations, arithmetical reasoning, and figural classification.
|
General Awareness Section
General Awareness includes questions from current affairs, basic science, and general knowledge. Questions are generally centered on India and neighboring countries of the sub-continent.
| History | Geography |
| Culture | General Policy & Scientific Research |
| Current affairs of Last 6 months | Economic Scene |
| Scientific research includes physics, chemistry, and Biology | - |
Best Books & Tips for General Awareness
Quantitative Aptitude Section
Quantitative Aptitude is the calculative section of Tier 1 of the CGL exam containing arithmetic questions. The mathematics part is asked from CBSE class 10 maths syllabus.
| Quantitative Aptitude (Q.A.) |
This section is based on questions on Percentages. Ratio & Proportion. Square and cube roots. Surds and indices. LCM and HCF, Averages, Age problems. Simple interest and Compound Interest, Profit and Loss, Discount, Partnership. Mixture and Alligation, Time and distance, Time & Work, Boat and Streams, Pipes and Cisterns. Numbers, Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, Heights and Distances.
|
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English Section
English section tests candidates’ understanding of the language through an assortment of questions comprising of both grammar and comprehension.
| Fill in the Blanks | Idioms & Phrases | Jumbled sentences (ordering) |
| One-word substitution | Synonyms & Antonyms | Spellings/Detecting Mis-spelt words |
| Common errors | Sentence improvement | Passage |
Check Best Book for English Section
SSC CGL Tier 2 Syllabus
SSC CGL 2020 Syllabus for Tier 2
SSC CGL Tier 2 is conducted in online mode. The questions are objective in nature. Tier 1 qualified candidates can participate in SSC CGL Tier 2. Candidates can take a look at some of the best books for SSC CGL Tier II Preparation. There are four papers in the exam:
- Paper 1 – Quantitative Ability
- Paper 2 – English Language and Comprehension
- Paper 3 – Statistics for Jr. Statistical Officer (JSO) and Compiler post
- Paper 4 – General Studies for Assistant Audit Officer (AAO) post.
Quantitative Ability
The SSC CGL syllabus for the Quant section is similar to Tier 1 but the difficulty level for Tier 2 is much higher. Candidates must solve these quiz papers for Tier II Quantitative Ability for a better idea of the exam pattern. Major topics under this section are Geometry, Trigonometry, and Average. Check Preparation Tips for Geometry in SSC CGL
Important topics are as follows:
| Simplification | Number Series |
| Number System | Percentages |
| Ratio & Proportion | Interest |
| Profit & Loss | Time & Work |
| Time, Speed & Distance | Mensuration |
| Data Interpretation | Mixtures & Allegations |
| Trigonometry | Geometry |
| Average | - |
English Language & Comprehension
The section tests a candidate’s aptitude in English. It is tested via essays, error spotting, sentence formation, change of speech, etc. The major topics in this section are Verbal Ability, Grammar, Active Passive Voice, and Direct Indirect Speech.
Statistics
Statistics for Junior Statistical Officer (JSO), Ministry of Statistics & Program Implementation. Prepare better for SSC CGL Statistics – Click Here
| Important Topics | |
| Measures of central tendency | Measures of dispersion |
| Moments, Skewness and Kurtosis | Correlation and probability theory |
| Random variable and probability distributions | Sampling theory |
| Statistical | Analysis of variance |
General Studies (Economics and Finance)
This is Paper 4 in SSC CGL Tier 2 examination. It is conducted exclusively for the post of Assistant Audit Officer (AAO). A total of 200 questions are asked in the paper, out of which 120 questions are from Economics and 80 questions are from Finance.
| Economics & Governance Topics | Finance & Accounts Topics |
| Auditor Role and Responsibility | Fundamentals of Accounting |
| Finance Commission Role & Functions | Principles of Accounting |
| About Economics/ Micro Economics | Basics of Accounting |
| Theory of Demand and Supply | Nature and Scope of Financial Accounting |
| About Indian Economy | Limitations of Financial Accounting |
| Role of Information Technology in Governance | Generally Accepted Accounting Principles |
Check Best Books for Economics & Finance
SSC CGL Tier 3 Syllabus
SSC CGL 2020 Syllabus for Tier 3
Tier 3 is a descriptive examination conducted offline and involves:
- Letter Writing
- Essay Writing
- Application Writing
- Precis Writing
Tier 3 is a 100 marks paper of 60 minutes duration. Candidates are allotted time of 60 minutes to complete the descriptive written test. For visually handicapped candidates and candidates suffering from cerebral palsy the time of examination is 80 minutes. Introduced in the year 2016, Tier 3 examination focuses on the writing capability of the candidate. A candidate has a choice of selecting the language he/she wishes to write. Only Hindi and English languages are allowed. The candidate may not choose any other regional language. It should be noted that the minimum qualifying marks for this Tier 3 paper are 33%.
Check Preparation Tips for SSC CGL Tier III
SSC CGL Tier 4 Syllabus
SSC CGL 2020 Syllabus for Tier 4
Merit list is prepared based on Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 exam, and the shortlisted candidates are then asked to appear for Tier 4 of SSC CGL. Tier 4 is basically Skill Test comprising of two tests.
- Data Entry Skill Test (DEST)
- Computer Proficiency Test (CPT)
DEST is conducted for candidates who have applied for Tax Assistant Posts in Central Excise & Income Tax. Data entry speed skills will be tested at 8000 depressions per hour. CPT is conducted for candidates who have applied for Assistant Section Officer Post in CSS only. Candidates will have to appear for the Computer Proficiency Test to validate the selection and showcase their comfort and ease of computer usage.
Best Websites to prepare online for SSC CGL
Frequently Asked Questions
SSC CGL 2020 Syllabus FAQs
Q. What is the percentage distribution of SSC CGL 2020 Quantitative Aptitude topics?
A: The percentage distribution can be understood by the pie chart shown below
Q. What should be studied in the SSC CGL General Knowledge section?
A. Candidate should focus on Static GK and Science as they can be very scoring. Candidate should be up-to-date with all the happenings around the globe that happened in the past year. Aspirants should make it a habit of going through newspapers on a daily basis.
Q. Which newspapers should be preferred while preparing for the current affairs section?
A. There are a lot of good newspapers available in the market and all of them tend to impart information. If a candidate is looking for to the point information which focuses on the facts, one should prefer looking up into newspapers like The Hindu, The Indian Express, Mail Today, The Times of India
Q. What are the best apps for preparing for SSC CGL?
A. There are a lot of apps available on the play store and apple store from where one can learn how to score in the exam. Experts say that candidates should stick to pen and paper for studying and learning for the exam and should use apps only for scoring purposes. The apps come with a whole lot of questions well segregated into topics. The benefit of using apps is that they won’t act as a burden on your shoulders and unlike books, you can carry them anywhere and practice accordingly. Some of the best apps that can be used in this case are GradeUp, Unacademy, etc.
Q. What are the best books for preparing Reasoning for SSC CGL?
A. Candidates can stick to Verbal/Non-Verbal Reasoning by RS Aggrawal and Previous years papers of reasoning by Kiran Publications for preparation of Reasoning. For more practice, one can look up for some good apps in the play store.
Q. Is there a strategy based upon which you can find out which questions are most likely to come in the exam?
A. Over the course of SSC CGL, it has been noticed that at least 40 - 50% of questions that are asked in SSC CGL are repeated year after year. If one goes through the previous years' question papers in the right manner, they will be able to find out what are the most common topics and hence prepare accordingly. The trend also shows that if a question which has been asked before but is missing in the past two papers has the highest chances of reappearing in the one that follows.
*The article might have information for the previous academic years, please refer the official website of the exam.