The Common Graduate Level Exam (CGLE) is a nation-wide annual exam conducted by the Staff Selection Commission (SSC). It is conducted to recruit suitable candidates into various Group B and Group C posts under the Government of India.
Broadly, SSC CGL consists of four stages:
SSC CGL Tier 1 or Prelims
SSC CGL Tier 2 or Mains
SSC CGL Tier 3 or Descriptive Exam
SSC CGL Tier 4 or Document Verification and Typing Test (Qualifying)
In this article, we have discussed everything that you need to know in order to prepare for this exam! Let’s get started:
In the CGL exam, the marks of each round are calculated to prepare the final merit that determines your selection and the profile that you get from the exam. Hence, it becomes very important to prepare well and give each round with equal determination and preparation.
Stage |
Name of Section/ Paper |
Marks Allotted |
Time Allotted |
SSC CGL Tier-1 (Total Marks = 200) |
Quantitative Aptitude |
50 |
60 minutes or 1 hour |
English Language |
50 |
||
Logical Reasoning |
50 |
||
General Awareness |
50 |
||
SSC CGL Tier-2 (Total Marks =400) |
Paper 1: Quantitative Aptitude |
200 |
2 hour |
Paper 2: English Language and Comprehension |
200 |
2 hour |
|
Paper 3: Statistics |
200 |
2 hour |
|
Paper 4: General Studies (Finance and Economics) |
200 |
2 hour |
|
SSC CGL Tier-3 (Total Marks =100) |
Descriptive Paper |
100 |
60 minutes |
SSC CGL Tier-4 |
Typing Test and Document Verification |
Qualifying |
Paper I and Paper-II are compulsory for all aspirants in Tier 2.
Paper-III in Tier-2 will be held only for those students who applied for and are shortlisted for Junior Statistical Officer (JSO) post in Tier-1.
Paper IV in Tier-2 will be held only for those students who applied for and are shortlisted for Assistant Account Officer/Assitant Audit Officer (AAO) post in Tier-1.
SSC CGL notification 2020 has been released on 29th December 2020 on its official website. The exam will be held in May. The notification of SSC CGL contains the detailed instruction for filling of application forms, SSC CGL exam pattern, and exam syllabus.
The entire calendar for SSC CGL 2020 is given below:
Important Events |
Dates |
Release of SSC CGL Advertisement |
29th December 2020 |
Opening of Application form submission |
29th December 2020 |
Closing of Application form submission |
31sh January 2021 |
Release of Admit Card for SSC CGL Tier 1 |
Postponed |
SSC CGL Tier 1 Exam |
Postponed |
Announcement of Result for SSC CGL Tier 1 |
Postponed |
SSC CGL Tier 2 Exam |
Postponed |
Check more about the SSC CGL notification in the linked article.
The SSC Combined Graduate Level (CGL) Examination 2020 will be conducted in four stages. The exam pattern for each of these stages is discussed below:
The SSC CGL Tier 1 consists of four sections, Quantitative Aptitude, English Language and Comprehension, General Intelligence & Reasoning and General Awareness. It is a computer-based-test (CBT) and conducted online on the stipulated exam venue. Further, it is an elimination round where only candidates who qualify the Tier-1 will be allowed to appear for the Tier-2 exam.
The pattern for SSC CGL Exam Tier 1 is given below:
Section |
Number of Questions |
Marks Alloted |
Time |
Quantitative Aptitude (Maths) |
25 |
50 |
A composite of 60 minutes of 1 hour is allotted to complete the exam. |
English Language and Comprehension |
25 |
50 |
|
General Awareness |
25 |
50 |
|
General Intelligence and Reasoning |
25 |
50 |
|
Total |
100 |
200 |
There is a negative marking of ¼ of the total marks allotted for the question for incorrect answers. Hence, you should be extremely careful while answering the questions.
SSC CGL Tier 2 is a second stage exam in the scheme of SSC CGL. Only the candidates who are shortlisted in the first round are allowed to appear for SSC CGL Tier 2. The Tier 2 or SSC CGL Mains exam is a computer-based test (CBT) and is held online on the prescribed exam venue. It consists of two papers (compulsory for all) that are held on the same day at a gap of 3 hours.
Paper-III and Paper-IV in the Tier-2 of SSC CGL are held only for those candidates who are shortlisted for the post of JSO and AAO respectively.
The exam pattern for SSC CGL Tier 2 is discussed below:
Name of Paper |
Number of Questions |
Marks Allotted |
Time |
Paper 1: Quantitative Aptitude |
100 |
200 |
2 hours |
Paper 2: English Language and Comprehension |
200 |
200 |
2 hours |
Paper 3: Statistics |
100 |
200 |
2 hours |
Paper 4: General Studies (Finance and Economics) |
100 |
200 |
2 hours |
There is a negative marking of ¼ marks for each wrong answer. Hence, candidates should mark the answers extremely carefully.
SSC CGL Tier 3 is a descriptive exam and is held in offline mode (pen and paper mode). It consists of an essay and letter/precis/application. Consisting of a total of 100 marks, Tier 3 is also an extremely important exam in the entire scheme of the paper.
Question Type |
Marks Allotted |
Time Allotted |
Essay (250 words) |
50 |
A total of 60 minutes or 1 hour is allotted for this exam |
Letter/Precis/Application |
50 |
Staff Selection Commission (SSC) defines the syllabus for each Tier in its notification. We have discussed the syllabus and the micro-topics according to the previous year papers comprehensively. You can check out the SSC CGLexam syllabus in the linked article.
Get in touch with our course counselors to get detailed information about all our SSC courses. Start preparing for SSC CGL Exam just in time to ace the examination!