SSC CGL Preparation 2023: Tips, Strategy & Guide

Exam On: 14 Jul '23 - 27 Jul '23

Updated on Nov 24, 2022 17:51 IST

SSC CGL preparation requires a consistent and planned effort of over one year. The candidates are required to device a preparation strategy for each of the section mentioned in the SSC CGL syllabus. In addition to the syllabus, the candidates are required to lay special emphasis on general awareness topics to prepare them fully. Most of the candidates found it difficult to prepare the general awareness topic.The candidates can see here the SSC CGL General Awareness questions with official answers.

Also Read: SSC MTS 2023 Exam Analysis Live Updates

Moreover, the Commission has added general awareness in Tier 2 exam also so the candidates will be required to prepare it for both tiers now. SSC CGL 2022 exam (Tier 1) will be conducted from December 1 to 13. The candidates can see here the SSC CGL exam analysis.

Table of Contents

SSC CGL Syllabus and Exam Pattern
How to Prepare for SSC CGL Tier-I?
SSC CGL General Awareness Preparation
SSC CGL General Intelligence & Reasoning Preparation
SSC CGL Quantitative Aptitude Preparation
SSC CGL English Preparation
How to Prepare for SSC CGL Tier-II?
SSC CGL Preparation Books
SSC CGL Exam Analysis
Other Tips for SSC CGL Preparation
SSC CGL 2022 Preparation FAQs

SSC CGL Syllabus and Exam Pattern

Knowing SSC CGL syllabus and exam pattern well is the first step toward effective exam preparation. The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) conducts the Combined Graduate Level (CGL) exam in four stages (commonly known as tiers):

Particulars	SSC CGL Exam Highlights
Number of tiers	2
Exam mode	Tier-I: Online Tier-II: Online
Number of papers/sections	Tier-I: 4 sections (English Intelligence & Reasoning, General Awareness, Quantitative Aptitude, English Comprehension) Tier-II: 3 papers will be conducted in SSC CGL Tier 3. The details are given below: Paper 1: Mathematical Abilities Reasoning and General Intelligence English Language and Comprehension General Awareness Computer Knowledge Data Entry Skills Paper 2: Statistics Paper 3: General Studies-Finance and Economics
Exam duration	Tier-I: 60 minutes Tier-II: 150 Minutes for Paper 1 120 Minutes each for Paper 2 and 3
Number of questions	Tier-I: 100 Tier-II: 350
Type of questions	Tier-I: MCQs Tier-II: MCQs + DEST
Total marks	Tier-I: 200 Tier-II: 850
Language of paper	Tier-I: English and Hindi Tier-II: English and Hindi

Check the complete SSC CGL exam pattern and SSC CGL syllabus.

How to Prepare for SSC CGL Tier-I?

SSC CGL Tier-I is the first stage and the filtering stage of the exam. Most of the candidates are filtered out at this stage. The candidates scoring even one mark less than the cutoff mark are not selected for the next tier of the exam. This is the most important stage of the SSC CGL exam and hence the candidates should give maximum time for its preparation. Moreover, the preparation done for this tier will also help in Tier-II and III. Read below the section-wise preparation strategy for the exam. The candidates can see here the last month's preparation strategy for SSC CGL Tier-I exam.

SSC CGL General Awareness Preparation

General Awareness as the name suggests tests the awareness of the candidates about the happening around in the country, and society. The best source to prepare the General Awareness questions is the newspaper. General Awareness section is the most important section which can make or break the dream of selection in the SSC CGL exam. It comprises General Knowledge and Current Affairs. The candidates need to prepare the General Knowledge topics in their entirety and along with it the Current Affairs of last one year. in the recent paper, the current affairs of the previous year were asked in the Tier-I exam. Maths, Reasoning and English are the other sections of SSC CGL Tier-I exam.

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SSC CGL General Awareness Topics

SSC GD Result 2023 Live Updates

Candidates need to read, learn and practice at the same time to prepare for all the above-said topics. For this, there should be a concrete plan for simultaneously preparing all the topics. Before diving into the preparation part let us briefly see the syllabus and exam pattern of the SSC CGL exam.

General Knowledge and Current Affairs are the two sections of General Awareness. General Knowledge is a vast section and it comprises the topics from History, Geography, Economy, Indian Polity, General Science, Environment and Miscellaneous. Miscellaneous topics mean Awards, Person/Place in News, Summit/Conference, Sports News and the like. It has the overlapping with Current Affairs topics.

Check Here: SSC CGL Tier 1 Shift Timing

The candidates should prepare the notes from the GK books and newspapers to prepare the GA as a whole. They should also read the Current Affairs yearly books to gather more information about the topics. They can follow the Current Affairs Topics given at Shiksha.com.

SSC CGL General Intelligence & Reasoning Preparation

This section includes questions on both verbal and non-verbal reasoning. The verbal reasoning section covers more questions compared to the non-verbal reasoning section. Some of the important SSC CGL topics that candidates can prepare for this section include Similarities and Differences, Number Series, Spatial Orientation, Analogies, Arithmetic Non-Verbal Series, Space Visualisation, Decision-Making, Syllogistic Reasoning, Problem-Solving, Judgment, Visual Memory, Coding and Decoding, Statement Conclusion, etc.

Get the Top Score in DI and Logical Reasoning section of Competitive Entrance Exams with Expert Prep Tips

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SSC CGL Quantitative Aptitude Preparation

Questions asked in the Quantitative Aptitude section test candidates’ ability to use numbers and calculations appropriately. The important SSC CGL topics in this section are Whole Numbers, Ratio & Proportions, Discount, Decimals & Fractions, Averages, Percentage, Square Roots, Interest, Profit and Loss, Time & Distance, Time & Work, geometrical problems, etc. Some of the important tips for preparation of this section include working on the basics, learning short-cut methods for increasing calculation speed and managing time properly.

Get the Top Score in the Quantitative Aptitude section of Competitive Exams with Expert Prep Tips

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SSC CGL English Preparation

This section aims to test the basic English comprehension and writing skills of candidates. For the preparation for this section, candidates are advised to gain good control over English grammar rules and vocabulary. Candidates are also advised to improve their comprehension skills by reading feature stories and opinion pieces in magazines, editorials, etc.

Prepare for Competitive Exams with Expert Tips on English Section

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Also Read: National Recruitment Agency Common Eligibility Test (NRA CET)

How to Prepare for SSC CGL Tier-II?

Check out the paper-wise SSC CGL preparation tips for tier-II below:

For the preparation of Paper-I (Quantitative Abilities) and paper II (English Language and Comprehension) of the SSC CGL Tier-II Exam, candidates can follow the same tips mentioned for the Quantitative Aptitude and English Comprehension sections of tier-I. However, candidates must note that although the topics for tier-I (Quantitative Aptitude and English Comprehension sections) and tier-II (paper-I and -II) are similar, the difficulty level of the questions asked in the tier-II exam increases.
Statistics - The Statistics paper of SSC CGL Tier-II exam includes questions on topics such as Collection, Classification and Presentation of Statistical Data; Measures of Central Tendency; Measures of Dispersion Moments, Skewness and Kurtosis; Correlation and Regression; Probability Theory; Random Variable and Probability Distributions; Sampling Theory; Statistical Inference; Analysis of Variance; Time Series Analysis and Index Numbers.
Finance & Accounts - This paper is usually of 80 marks and includes questions on fundamental principles and concepts of accounting. Some of the important topics which candidates can prepare for this section include Rectification of Errors, Profit & Loss Appropriation Accounts, Non-profit Organisations Accounts, Valuation of Inventories, Income & Expenditure Accounts, Trading, Depreciation Accounting, Receipts and Payments and Bills of Exchange, Self-Balancing Ledgers, etc.
Economics & Governance - This paper is usually of 120 marks and includes questions on topics such as Constitutional Provisions of Comptroller & Auditor General of India; Role and Functions of Finance Commission; Introduction to Micro Economics; Theory of Demand and Supply; Theory of Production and Cost; Forms of Market and Price Determination; Indian Economy; Economic Reforms in India; Money and Banking; Role of Information Technology in Governance; etc.

Also Read: SSC CGL Tier-I Exam: Check Important Documents to Carry & Exam Day Instructions

SSC CGL DEST Preparation

SSC CGL skill test is conducted to test candidates’ typing or basic computer skills. Here, candidates are either given a Data Entry Speed Test (DEST) or a Computer Proficiency Test (CPT). DEST is basically a typing test in which candidates have to type 8,000 key depressions per hour on a computer. In CPT, candidates are judged on three modules – Word Processing, Spreadsheet and Generation of Slides.

SSC CGL Preparation Books

For SSC CGL preparation, it is important for candidates to pick the right books for study. Given below are some of the important subject-wise SSC CGL books that candidates refer to for study:

General Intelligence & Reasoning
Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning by RS Aggarwal	Analytical Reasoning by MK Pandey
General Awareness
Manorama Yearbook and NewsPaper	General Knowledge by Lucent Publication
Quantitative Aptitude
Elementary & Advanced Mathematics by Kiran Prakashan	Advance Maths by Rakesh Yadav
English Comprehension
English for General Competitions: from Plinth to Paramount (Volume – 1) by Neetu Singh/KD Publications	Objective General English by SP Bakshi/Arihant

SSC CGL Exam Analysis

It is important to take help from the candidates already appeared in the SSC CGL exams. The candidates can see below the student reaction taken by Shiksha just after the SSC CGL 2021 Tier-I exam on April 11, 2022.

Every year, after the exam is over Shiksha reaches out to students to know their reactions to the exam and analyse the paper properly. A majority of the students that Shiksha spoke with after the SSC CGL tier-I 2021 was over shared that the paper was of easy to moderate difficulty level. Check the complete SSC CGL exam analysis 2020 here:

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Other Tips for SSC CGL Preparation

Some of the other essential SSC CGL preparation tips that candidates should keep in mind include:

Have a well-planned study routine
Be consistent with your studies
Have the right collection of SSC CGL books and study material
Attempt as many SSC CGL mock tests and sample papers as possible to manage accuracy and speed well during the exam
Thorough revision of what you study is one of the key steps for effective SSC CGL preparation

Also Read: Important preparation tips to clear SSC CGL

SSC CGL 2022 Preparation FAQs

Q:What is the best way to prepare for SSC CGL exam?

A: The best way to prepare SSC CGL is to make a effective plan and second is to execute the same with honesty and consistency. Effective plans means the candidate should prepare a study plan based on the pragmatic considerations. The affinity of the candidates should be addressed in the plan. The plan should cover all the topics of the SSC CGL syllabus, its revision and the practice of mock test papers. The second most important factor is the honesty and consistency. Consistency will make the plan effective.

Q: Which are the important books for the preparation of the Quantitative Aptitude section of SSC CGL?

A: You can study books such as Elementary & Advanced Mathematics by Kiran Prakashan and Advance Maths by Rakesh Yadav for preparation of the Quantitative Aptitude section of the SSC CGL exam.

Q: In how many months will I be able to prepare for SSC CGL exam?

A: Six months to 9 months is usually a good time to prepare for the SSC CGL exam. However, it depends on how many hours a day candidate is spending on the exam preparation.

Q: Is it possible to crack SSC CGL without coaching?

A: Yes, it is completely possible to crack the SSC CGL exam without coaching. You just need to keep your focus right, have a well-thought-out study plan and have the right set of books and study material.

Q: Does SSC CGL have negative marking?

A: Yes, the SSC CGL exam has negative markings in both paper-I and -II. Candidates should be careful in attempting the question of which they are unsure.

Q: How can I keep myself updated on current affairs?

A: To keep yourself updated on current affairs you must study newspapers every day. You can also subscribe to any monthly GK magazine.

Q: How do I prepare for SSC CGL at home?

A: The candidates can prepare for SSC CGL exam at home. The candidates should prepare a plan considering the resources they have at home. Besides preparation, the most important aspect of SSC CGL preparation is practice. Practice with the mock test and previous year question papers will help the candidates to develop the mindset to apply their knowledge in a time bound manner. SSC CGL preparation at home requires consistency and honesty.

Q: Is 3 month enough for SSC CGL?

A: No three months is not enough for the SSC CGL preparation. It is essential to prepare all the topics for the exam. The General Awareness topics are enormous in numbers and it would be very difficult to prepare for the exam in three months. In addition to preparation, the candidates are required practice also.