FAST FACTS
Name of the exam: Staff Selection Commission-Combined Graduate Level (SSC-CGL) Exam
Stages of Examination: 3 stages of exam – Tier –I, II and III
Held in the month of: Usually in the month of June-July
Educational qualification: Graduate from any recognized university
What is SSC-CGL exam?
SSC-CGL is an exam conducted by Staff Selection Commission (SSC). This
is considered to be one of the biggest exams to be conducted for
graduate students. Candidates who clear this exam will be recruited for
various posts in the ministries of government of India and in
subordinate offices.
Career after one clears SSC-CGL exam
A lucrative career awaits those who clear the SSC-CGL exam. No wonder
then that in 2013, about 12 lakh candidates took the exam for a vacancy
of 20,000 posts. The competition is high. Once you clear the SSC-CGL
exam, depending on the post that you have applied for, you can steadily
climb the career ladder. Some of the posts are quite sought after
because of the high salary and the power that it offers in government
organizations.
A little bit about Staff Selection Commission (SSC)
SSC was established in 1975 and is an organization that is responsible
for recruiting staff for various posts in the ministries of government
of India and in subordinate offices. SSC recruits people for Group C
(non-technical) & Group B (non-gazetted both technical &
non-technical) posts in departments of Government of India, its attached
& subordinate offices, except those for which recruitment is made
by the Railway Recruitment Boards & Industrial Establishments.
Age criteria for SSC-CGL exam (As on 1 January)
- 18-27 for the below mentioned posts
Inspector of Income Tax, Inspector (Central Excise), Inspector
(Preventive Officer), Inspector (Examiner), Inspector of Posts,
Assistant Enforcement Officer, Inspector (CBN), Compiler Divisional
Accountant, Auditors/ UDCs /Tax Assistants, Junior Accountant &
Accountant, Sub Inspector (CBN)
- Statistical Investigator Gr II – Not to exceed 26 years
- Assistant / Sub Inspector in CBI – Between 20 – 27 years
SSC - CGL Exam
As mentioned, the examination is held in three phases:
Tier – I (200 marks)
Tier – II (400 marks)
Tier - III ( 100 marks)
- Tier – I
- Subjects: General Intelligence & Reasoning, General Awareness, Quantitative Aptitude, English
- Full marks: 200
- Time: 2 hours
- Tier – II (Only those who have cleared Tier – I can appear for Tier – II exam)
- Type: Objective
- Subjects: Quantitative Abilities & English
- Full marks: 200
- Time: 2 hours
- Negative marking: Yes (.25 for every wrong answer)
- Tier – III (Only those who have cleared Tier –II can appear for Tier – III exam)
- Tier - III is an interview round and one may have to take a Computer Proficiency and skill test along with it.
Posts that one can opt for:
There are a variety of posts that one can opt for as per one’s
preference. Please note that while filing up the application, your
preference for a post will be considered as final and any request for
change of post will not be entertained later.
Whether you get through the post that you applied for or not, will
depend on your performance in Tier – I and Tier – II exams and the
Interview/ Computer Proficiency / Skill Test that follows if you
successfully clear the Tier – I and II exams.
Some of the posts that you can apply for are:
- Assistant in Central Vigilance Commission, Intelligence Bureau
Group, Ministry of Railway, Ministry of External Affairs, AFHQ Group,
Other Ministries/ Departments/Organisations.
- Inspector of Income, Tax CBDT
- Inspector (Central Excise) CBEC
- Inspector (Preventive Officer) CBEC
- Inspector (Examiner) CBEC
- Assistant Enforcement Officer, Directorate of Enforcement, Department of Revenue
- Sub Inspectors, Central Bureau of Investigation
- Inspector of Posts, Department of Post
- Divisional Accountant, Offices under CAG
- Divisional Accountant, Offices under CAG
- Statistical Investigator, Gr.II M/Statistics & Prog Implementation
- Inspector, Central Bureau of Narcotics Group “B”
- Auditor, Offices under C&AG
- Auditor, Offices under CGDA
- Auditor, Offices under CGA & others
- Accountant/ Junior Accountant, Offices under C&AG
- Accountant/ Junior Accountant, Offices under CGA & others
- Upper Division Clerk, Central Govt. Offices/Ministries other than CSCS cadres
- Tax Assistant, CBDT
- Tax Assistant, CBEC
- Compiler, Registrar General of India
- Sub-Inspector, Central Bureau of Narcotics
Preparing for SSC-CGL exam
Tier –I: General Intelligence & Reasoning, General Awareness,
Quantitative Aptitude, English
General Intelligence & Reasoning
This section will cover topics like Directions, Analogies, Odd Man Out,
Ranking, Coding and de-coding, Blood Relations, Relationship concepts,
Venn Diagram, etc. The degree of toughness of this exam is considered to
be moderate. With good amount of practice, one can score good marks in
this section. There are books available as well as tests online, which
you can refer to to prepare for this section.
General Awareness
This section will test the general awareness of the candidate. At the
same time, it will also test the candidate’s knowledge about national
and international current affairs and also matters that occur in
everyday life. It will judge the candidate for his basic knowledge in
these areas. The subjects would include History, Culture, Science,
Economics, General Policy and Scientific Research.
While, preparing the person has to take into consideration all the
topics and ensure that he has a fair amount of knowledge about all of
them.
Quantitative Aptitude
This section will test the candidate for his ability of using and
understanding the numbers. The topics would involve Whole Numbers,
Decimals, Fractions, Relationship between numbers, Percentage, Ratio,
Profit and Loss, Discount, Partnership, Time and Distance, School
Algebra, Trigonometric ratio, Heights and distances, Histogram, etc.
Practice as many sums as possible to excel in this section. Learn
short-cuts and tricks that will allow you to solve the problems easily
and in less time. Time yourself while practicing these sums.
English
This section will test candidates on their basic understanding of the
English language. Topics would include comprehension and writing
ability. To prepare for this test, you can refer to basic English books.
Try practicing different comprehension so that you have an idea of what
to expect in the exam. Learn few new words every day, and also refer to
Grammar books so that you can brush up the basics of grammar. If you
can build a habit of reading the newspaper regularly, it can act to your
advantage.
Tier – II – Quantitative Abilities & English
This test will be objective in nature and will have multiple choices.
There will be negative markings too - .25 per wrong answer. So, you will
have to choose the answers wisely. In fact, it is recommended that you
choose the answer only if you are 100 percent sure that you have the
correct answer.
Quantitative Abilities will have topics covering Number System,
Percentage, Time and Work, Profit and Loss account, Average, Time, speed
and distance, Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, Statistics. Candidates
must have a fair knowledge on all these topics. So, practice
accordingly.
English will have topics like Finding errors, Fill in the blanks,
Synonyms and Antonyms, Wrongly spelt words, Idioms and phrases, Para
jumbos, One-word substitution, Active and passive voice, direct and
indirect narration, reading comprehension. The degree of toughness is
considered from easy to moderate. To prepare for this section, take as
many tests as possible. There are numerous tests that you can take
online too.
(Statistics: Those applying for Statistical Investigator Officers will have to take this test.)
Tier – III – Interview/ skill test round
All those who clear Tier – II will be called for the interview and skill
test round. In this round, you will be tested for your personality,
your computer efficiency and skill test. Groom yourself accordingly.
Prepare mentally on the basic questions that will be asked during your
interview round – like your educational background, your future plans,
general awareness questions, etc. Also be thorough about the post that
you have applied for. Learn all about it and the responsibilities it
carries. In this round, you should come across as a very confident and
intelligent person who is simply suitable for the job.
General tips
Some generic tips would be:
- Always keep yourself abreast with the syllabus as soon as it is
announced. Be thorough about the syllabus and do not leave out any
topic.
- Have a plan as to how to answer the maximum number of questions in
the stipulated time. While, preparing, solve the problems by timing
yourself. This way, you can be rest assured that you will manage time
very effectively in the examination hall.
- Solve as many question papers, mock tests and online tests as you can. The more you solve, the more confident you get.
- Learn tricks, maths short-cuts, memory methods, so as to solve the
tests papers in an easy and efficient manner on the day of the exam.
- Take the help of a coaching institute if need be.
- Last but not the least, be confident of yourself that you are going
to clear the exam. Once you are confident, then no exam will be too
difficult for you to clear.
Best of luck.
Useful link
http://ssc-cr.org/
www.ssc.nic.in
Useful books
- SSC (Maths solved papers from 1997)
- SSC CGL Exam Guide (with solved papers)
