SSC CGL
Recruits graduates to Group B and Group C posts in central ministries and departments — Assistant Section Officer, Inspector (Income Tax, Central Excise, CGST), Sub-Inspector in CBI/NIA, Auditor, Accountant, Junior Statistical Officer and more. It is the flagship route to a central-government desk job after graduation.
Eligibility
Bachelor's degree in any discipline from a recognised university; specific posts have extra requirements (e.g. Junior Statistical Officer needs Mathematics in Class 12 or Statistics in the degree). Age 18–32 years depending on the post, with standard relaxations for reserved categories. There is no cap on attempts within the age window.
Age limit: 18–32 years (varies by post)
Exam pattern
Two-tier computer-based examination. Tier 1: 100 questions, 200 marks, 60 minutes across Reasoning, General Awareness, Quantitative Aptitude and English (25 questions each); minus 0.50 per wrong answer; qualifying in nature. Tier 2 Paper 1 (compulsory for all posts) runs in two sessions on one day — Section I: Mathematical Abilities + Reasoning (60 questions, 180 marks); Section II: English + General Awareness (70 questions, 210 marks); Section III: a qualifying Computer Knowledge module plus a qualifying 15-minute Data Entry Speed Test (DEST). Wrong answers in the scored Tier 2 sections cost 1 mark each. A separate Statistics paper is held for Junior Statistical Officer aspirants. Final merit rests entirely on Tier 2.
Syllabus at a glance
Quantitative Aptitude covers Class 10 arithmetic plus advanced topics — algebra, geometry, trigonometry, mensuration and data interpretation. English tests grammar, vocabulary, comprehension and para-jumbles. Reasoning spans verbal and non-verbal problem types. General Awareness leans heavily on static GK (history, polity, geography, economy, science) with a slice of current affairs, and Tier 2 adds a computer-knowledge module.
Upcoming dates
| Event | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Notification released | 21 May 2026 | confirmed |
| Application window (closed; deadline extended, re-opened 23–25 Jun) | 21 May – 25 Jun 2026 | confirmed |
| Tier 1 computer-based exam | Aug–Sep 2026 (exact dates awaited) | expected |
| Tier 2 computer-based exam | Dec 2026 | expected |
| Final result | Mid-2027 | tba |
Expected dates follow the usual calendar; confirm on the official notification before planning.
Free prep material
Standard books
- Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations — R.S. Aggarwal
- SSC Mathematics Chapterwise Solved Papers (7300+) — Rakesh Yadav
- Play with Advanced Maths — Abhinay Sharma
- Objective General English — S.P. Bakshi
- Word Power Made Easy — Norman Lewis
- Lucent's General Knowledge — Binay Karna & Manwendra Mukul
How toppers play it
- Tier 1 only qualifies you; merit comes solely from Tier 2 — weight your preparation towards maths and English, which dominate both tiers.
- Recalibrate guessing between tiers: negative marking is minus 0.50 in Tier 1 but a full minus 1 in Tier 2, so blind guesses that were tolerable in Tier 1 are costly in Tier 2.
- Solve TCS-pattern PYQs relentlessly — question templates repeat, and toppers routinely finish maths on PYQ familiarity rather than fresh derivation.
- In Tier 1, attempt GA first (2–3 seconds per known fact), then English and Reasoning, banking maximum time for Quantitative Aptitude.
- Do not ignore the qualifying Computer Knowledge module and DEST — candidates clear the merit sections and still get eliminated on these.