The SSC CGL exam is conducted by the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) every year to fill various SSC CGL positions. The examination is held for hiring Grade “B” and “C” category posts in various Government Organisations, Divisions, Ministries, and Offices. Candidates appointed to various SSC CGL posts have varying tasks and responsibilities. Each role has a separate pay, classification and requirements.
Recently, the SSC has released the notification for the SSC CGL 2022. The last date for registering online was on 23 January. Tier 1 will be conducted on 11 April 2022. SSC Admit Cards for the same will be released in the first week of April. In this article, we will discuss in brief the exam pattern of the SSC CGL Exam.
Exam Pattern of SSC CGL
The SSC CGL Exam is divided into four levels: Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 3, and Tier 4. The first two levels are completed online, whereas the third tier is conducted offline, using pen and paper. Tier 1 candidates will have 60 minutes to finish the test. Candidates should go through the previous years’ papers to understand the question distribution and complexity of these three tiers.
SSC CGL Tier 1
Tier 1 test will be held online and will consist of four sections with around 100 questions, overall and a maximum score of 200. The full exam must be completed within the time limit of 60 minutes.
| Subject | Number of Questions | Maximum Marks | Negative Marking |
| English Comprehension | 25 | 50 | 0.5 marks for every wrong answer |
| General Intelligence and Reasoning | 25 | 50 | |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 25 | 50 | |
| General Awareness | 25 | 50 | |
| Total | 100 | 200 |
SSC CGL Tier 2
Candidates who qualify the Tier 1 are selected to write Tier 2. Tier 2 exams will be held online and will consist of four papers with around 100 questions in Quantitative Ability, Statistics, General Studies (Finance and Economics), and 200 questions in English Language and Comprehension Examinations, with a maximum of 200 marks for each paper. The time limit is 2 hours. It is to be noted that
- Papers I and II are mandatory for all positions.
- Paper III is only valid for applicants who were shortlisted in Tier 1 for the positions of Junior Statistical Officer (JSO) and Statistical Investigator.
- Paper IV is only valid for applicants who have applied for the position of Assistant Audit Officer/Assistant Accounts Officer and have been shortlisted in Tier 1 for these positions.
| Subject | Number of Questions | Maximum Marks | Negative Marking |
| Paper-I: Quantitative Abilities | 100 | 200 | 0.5 mark for every wrong answer |
| Paper-II: English Language and Comprehension | 200 | 200 | 0.25 mark for every wrong answer |
| Paper-III: Statistics | 100 | 200 | 0.5 mark for every wrong answer |
| Paper-IV: General Studies (Finance and Economics) | 100 | 200 | 0.5 mark for every wrong answer |
SSC CGL Tier 3
Those who qualify Tier 2 are selected to write Tier 3. Tier 3 of the SSC CGL examination will be a descriptive test. The paper will be in English/Hindi and will be worth 100 points. The full paper must be finished in 60 minutes.
| Subject | Maximum Marks | Mode |
| Descriptive Paper in English/Hindi (Writing of Essay, Precis, Letter, Application etc.) | 100 | Offline |
SSC CGL Tier 4
The SSC CGL Tier 4 Exam is a computer-based test and is not the same for all the posts. It will be divided into two parts: the DEST test and the CPT test.
| Particulars | Details |
| Time Duration | 15 minutes |
| Exam Mode | Online |
| Tests | Data Entry Skill Test (DEST)/ Computer Proficiency Test (CPT) |
| Data Entry Skill Test (DEST) | Candidates must type 2000 words in English on a computer in 15 minutes. This test is used to assess a candidate’s typing abilities. |
| Computer Proficiency Test (CPT) | This exam is used to assess a candidate’s knowledge of Spreadsheets, Word Processing and Slide Generation. |
Tips to Prepare for SSC CGL
The following points will assist you in getting started with your planning-
- Know the SSC CGL syllabus and the difficulty level.
- List down important topics and make sure you study those topics and practice a lot of questions.
- Know the current level of your preparation and work on your weak areas.
- Go through previous years’ question papers and know the previous years’ cut-off.
- The final thing you should do is practise more and more mock tests. The more you practise, the more you develop your understanding.
There are lakhs of candidates who write the exam every year. All the aspirants who are planning to write the SSC exam must go through the syllabus in detail, and make a strategy to clear the exam on the first attempt. The exam checks a candidate on almost all the attributes.
If you want to pass the exam with flying colours, believe in yourself; your ability and your power. Whatever the scenario is, you should always be self-motivated. That is the only way to achieve your goals.