Exam Guide SSC

SSC CGL

Staff Selection Commission (SSC)

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Official Website

Exam Guide 7 views 2 min read

Overview

SSC CGL (Combined Graduate Level) is SSC’s flagship examination for filling Group B and Group C posts in various ministries, departments, and organisations of the Government of India — including posts such as Assistant Section Officer, Inspector (various departments), Auditor, Accountant, and Statistical Investigator. It is open to graduates of any stream and is held annually.

Eligibility

Candidates must hold a bachelor’s degree from a recognised university in any discipline (candidates in their final year may apply provisionally, subject to producing proof of graduation by the document verification stage). The general age limit is typically 18 to 32 years, though it varies by specific post — some posts have a lower upper age limit (e.g. 27 or 30 years). Standard government age relaxation applies on top of the post

specific limit: OBC candidates get 3 years, SC/ST candidates get 5 years, and PwBD/ex-servicemen candidates get further relaxation per applicable government norms. Always confirm the exact age limit and relaxation for your specific post preference against the current official notification, since it varies post-to-post within the same exam.

Selection Process

Tier I (screening, qualifying) → Tier II (main examination, post-specific) → Document Verification → Skill Test / Computer Proficiency Test for posts that require one → Final merit list based on Tier II performance.

Exam Pattern

SSC CGL is conducted in two computer-based tiers.

Tier I is a screening-level objective test covering General Intelligence & Reasoning, General Awareness, Quantitative Aptitude, and English Comprehension.

Tier II is the main examination and includes post-specific papers — a common Mathematics/Reasoning/English/General Awareness paper for all candidates, plus additional specialised papers (such as Statistics, or General Studies covering Finance & Economics) only for candidates applying to posts that require them.

Both tiers carry negative marking for wrong answers.

Exact section-wise question counts, duration, and marking scheme are set out in each cycle’s official notification and should be confirmed there.

Syllabus

Quantitative Aptitude: arithmetic (number systems, percentage, ratio, profit & loss, simple/compound interest, time-speed-distance, time & work), algebra, geometry & mensuration, trigonometry, and statistics/data interpretation.

Reasoning: verbal and non-verbal reasoning, analogy, classification, series, coding-decoding, puzzles, and analytical reasoning.

English Language: grammar, vocabulary, cloze test, comprehension passages, and error spotting.

General Awareness: current affairs, static general knowledge (history, geography, polity, economics), and general science.

Salary & Career

  
SSC CGL posts span multiple pay levels of the 7th Central Pay Commission pay matrix — broadly from Pay Level 4 up to Pay Level 8 — depending on the specific post and department applied for (e.g. Auditor/Accountant roles sit at a lower pay level than Inspector-level posts). Because pay level is tied to the specific post, not the exam as a whole, check the post preference list in the current notification for exact pay levels.

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