How to crack SSC CGL

Staff Selection Commission is an organization under the Government of India which recruits staff for various government positions. This organization conducts CGL ( Combined graduate level) examination for the achievement of Grade “B” and “C” classes posts in varied Government Ministries, Departments, and Offices.  Every year the number of applications are registered for this examination. Around 30 to 40 lakhs people apply for this immense selection procedure with the aspiration of getting a government job. Due to the increased number of applicants, the competition for this exam is quite high. To crack this high-level examination a candidate should follow proper procedure and accurate knowledge regarding this to avoid any jargon during the examination

Process for this examination

 

Eligibility

A graduate candidate from a recognized university. Age of the candidate must be from 20 to 30 years. The age limits may also vary from positions applied for this job. The application fee for General category and OBC category is INR 100. All women candidates, Schedule Caste, Schedule Tribe, Physically Handicapped and Ex-servicemen eligible for reservation are exempted from paying the application fee, their application is free of cost. Candidates minimum age can be 18 years depending upon the post he is applying for and age relaxation is only given to some reserved category applicants such as OBC category is given 3 years, SC/ST is given 5 years and Physically handicapped 10 years. All this is strictly governed by government rule.

Structure of the examination

The exam is conducted in different tiers and in 2019 the tier- 1 CGL examination will be conducted from 4^th June 2019 to 19the June 2019, and Tier- 2  CGL examination will be conducted from 11^th September 2019 to 13^th September 2019 in online mode.

Tier – I : Preliminary Exam

This examination consists of a written examination with objective multiple- choice questions having four options covering the subjects such as;

• English comprehension
• General Awareness
• Quantitative Aptitude
• General Intelligence and reasoning

Each section contains 5o marks making the entire paper of 200 marks in total. The examination is conducted in online mode and based on the result of this examination candidates can sit for Tier – II and Tier – III examination.  The exam will be of 60 minutes. Each section will contain 25 questions making a total of 100 questions in the paper and there will be negative marking of 0.5 marks.

Tier – II : Mains Exam

This examination also consists of written objective questions also known as papers in the title head of

• English language and comprehension
• Statistics
• Quantitative Aptitude
• General Studies, which is further divided into subcategories of

1. Finance and Accounting

2. Economics and Governance

This exam is scored with maximum 200 marks per section, depending upon the type of positions most only require the candidate to take only the first two sections that is Part I : Quantitative Aptitude and Part II: English Language and comprehension but certain positions require to take Part III and Part IV as well. Each paper in this exam will be of 60 minutes. Each section will contain 100 questions and each section will have a total of 200 marks and there will be negative marking of 0.25 marks.

Besides these two Tier’s there are others as well like the Tier III and Tier IV

Tier- III: Descriptive Paper

This is a pen and paper examination in which the appearing candidates have to write an essay or letter writing. This can be taken in either Hindi or English. This exam is conducted offline. This tier will constitute of 100 marks and the time limit for this exam is 60 minutes.

Tier- IV: Data entry skill test or Computer Proficiency test

Two skill test examinations are conducted under Tier – IV exam for specific positions only

• DEST( Data Entry Speed Test): This is mainly for the position of Tax assistant in the department Central excise and income tax. In this, a candidate has to enter data at the rate of 2000 key presses in 15 minutes.
• CPT ( Computer Proficiency Test): This test covers the topic of spreadsheets, generation of slides and word processing.

The cut- off for this examination is different every year and is also a different category wise. After all the examinations are held a document verification step is also conducted to avoid discrepancies.

Tips to crack SSC CGL

1. Quantitative aptitude section

Quantitative aptitude section is one of the most important sections is the paper because it is the deciding factor in the merit list of SSC CGL. Therefore, if you know the basic mathematics of 10^th standard and basic formulas then this section will become easy to attempt.

• The arithmetic topic covers 48% of the section, Data interpretation is 20 %, Geometry and mensuration is 16%, Trigonometry is 8% and algebra is 8%, a candidate should have the basic formulas of mathematics on the tip of his hands to crack this section well.
• When you are starting your preparation do not look for shortcuts rather clear your basics and work on them first.
• Try to memorize all the formulas and in-depth knowledge of the same.
• Allot proper time to every topic and make proper time management. Try to focus on your weak areas and try not to give more than 1 minute to any question.
• Learn short- cut methods to increase calculation speed, this helps in saving time.
• If you are not good in any shortcut trick then avoid using them in the paper as it will increase the chances of negative marking.

2. English Language and comprehension section

This section tests the understanding and knowledge of the candidate in the English language. This section takes less time to attempt as compared to other sections in the question paper. This section requires good command over English Grammar rules, Good comprehension skills, and vocabulary usage.

• This section contains the topic from vocabulary, reading comprehension and Grammar having percentage distribution of 48%, 20%, and 32% respectively.
• The questions are directly asked in this section.
• Improve your vocabulary by memorizing words and their meanings well, you can take the help of flashcards and thesaurus and keep a pocket list of words and their synonyms and antonyms.
• Spotting errors come so a good knowledge of English grammar would really help.
• Improve your reading comprehension skills by practicing comprehension and solving their answers.
• Try reading newspapers and magazines every day, this will improve your reading habits and will create a better understanding.

Check Out Best SSC CGL Coaching in Delhi. 

3. Reasoning and General Intelligence

This section checks the candidate's ability to think properly and problem-solving abilities.

• Topics covered in this section are verbal reasoning and nonverbal reasoning comprising of 66% and 34% respectively.
• In Non- verbal reasoning questions are asked from topics like Figure matrix and paper folding, Figure formation, Dice, Rule detection, triangle, squares, Images, mirror images, Completion of pattern, etc.
• In Verbal reasoning questions are asked from  Coding, decoding, series, ranks, syllogism, analogy, classification/ odd pair and statement conclusion.
• It is required that the candidate improve his logical skills and sharpen reason giving
• Concepts should be very clear and understanding of the same should be clear as well for better performance in the examination.
• Focus on one topic at a time and study it thoroughly.
• Do not make unnecessary assumptions and don’t fluke.
• Remember that the given question will only be solved by data analysis present in the question.
• Remember the order of alphabets and their numerical positions.

4. General Awareness and General Knowledge

This section is one of the high scoring section in the CGL examination. This section checks the general awareness of the person and what is going on in India and around the world.

• Topic covered in this section are Static GK, General science, current affairs, and miscellaneous comprising 40%, 40%, 10%, and 10% respectively.
• General science contains questions from biology, physics, chemistry, daily science, etc.
• Static GK contains questions from Indian politics, History, and culture, economy, geography, etc.
• Current affairs contain questions from recent development in sports, awards, politics
• Finance and banking sector, International happening, etc.
• Miscellaneous contains questions from National schemes, computers, book names and authors, logical analysis, important days, etc.
• Be up to date with news and keep checking what is happening in and around the world.
• Read the newspapers every day and watch the news and read magazines.
• Always create notes and revise the notes properly.

Books for SSC CGL

• Objective General English By S P Bakshi (Arihant)
•  Arihant’s Fast Track Objective Arithmetic
• Manorama yearbook
• Arihant’s SSC CGL Solved Papers