Introduction: Staff Selection Commission – Combined Graduate Level Examination that is often referred to as SSC-CGL, it is one of the examinations in India that is conducted to select and recruit individuals or staff on number of positions which comes under the Government of India in various settings like ministries, departments and organizations.
Background SSC-CGL
The Staff Selection Commission established in 1975 is the responsible board to select staff for many Group B and Group C posts. In India there are thousands of aspirants that look up for this examination as it provides them with the opportunity to get a government job. Indian job aspirants give preference to government jobs over the private job as government job comes with financial security and many other assured benefits.
Eligibility Criteria for SSC-CGL
The first and foremost requirement to appear in the SSC-CGL examination is to have an undergraduate degree (Bachelor’s degree) from a recognized university in India. As far as the age criterion is concerned the eligibility is between from 18 years to 30 years. The cost of the application fee is Rs. 100 but it is exempted for applicants coming from Schedule Caste, Physically Handicapped, Schedule Tribe, all Female Candidates, and Ex- servicemen come under fee exemption category.
Pattern of SSC-CGL examination
There are four (4) major Tiers or set of examination conducted by the SSC-CGL where the examination are conducted over a period of time and results are declared after each Tier examination. As of now the interview Tier has been removed following a government order to not to conduct interviews for non-gazzeted posts in the central government as of 1st January 2016. However a computer proficiency test or a skill test was included as a Tier wherever applicable.
Details of All four (4) Tiers in SSC-CGL examination
Tier I: Preliminary
The Tier I exam consists of a written objective multiple-choice exam with four sections, covering the subjects of:
- General Intelligence and Reasoning
- General Awareness
- Quantitative Aptitude
- English Comprehension
The section in above Tier carry 50 Marks each per section for a sub total of 200 Marks. Based on the result of the Tier 1 a candidate becomes eligible to appear for Tier 2 and Tier 3 exams. Generally it’s an online exam (computer based)
Tier II: Mains Exam
Also known as the Mains Exam, the Tier II exam consists of written objective multiple-choice exam, in four sections (also called “Papers”), covering the subjects of:
- Quantitative Aptitude
- English Language and Comprehension
- Statistics
- General Studies, which is subdivided into:
- Finance & Accounting
- Economics & Governance.
The exam consists of 200 Marks per section. As a thumb of rule most of the positions for which the exam is taken only first two sections are required by the candidate which are (Paper-I: Quantitative Aptitude, Paper-II: English Language and Comprehension). Whereas there are few positions that require the third or fourth section. The exam is conducted online as of 2018.
Tier III exam: Descriptive Paper
The Tier III exam is an “offline exam” usually done with a pen and paper. The applicants are asked to do essay writing, application writing, comprehension and letter writing. This exam is required to be done in either in English or Hindi.
Tier IV exam: Data Entry Skill Test / Computer Proficiency Test
Apparently in positions which require computer skill set, in 2016 a Fourth Tier was introduced with two possible exams which depended on the positions applied.
- Data Entry Speed Test (DEST): candidates enter data at the rate of 2000 key presses in 15 minutes. This is mainly for positions such as Tax Assistant. (Central Excise & Income Tax)
- Computer Proficiency Test (CPT): covering the topics of word processing, spreadsheets, and making
Other exams SSC-CGL
- Personality test (applicable to as per the requirement of the position applied)
- Physical Endurance Test / Medical Examination for Central Police Organization (CPO)
Some generic top preparation tips for SSC-CGL
A: Solve previous year paper:This most important and the most generic tip is to start by solving previous year paper. Practice solving previous year paper, it will help you know about the pattern of the exam and will also give you hands on training to solve those questions in a timeline.
The exams are mostly done online so you will have very less time to respond in solving the questions. Make sure you practice in a way that you make fewer mistakes and have solid base. It is also suggested that there is a negative marking pattern for wrong answers so be very careful in answering all the questions.
B: Preparation for General Intelligence and Reasoning: The general intelligence and reasoning utilizes the logical part of the brain. Perhaps questions related to reasoning uses brains logical faculties and the good news is that these logical faculties could be trained and made more efficient.
The question paper comprises of topics such as Coding-decoding, Number series, Arrangement-Direction test, Non verbal, Classification (odd one out) test, Mathematical operations, cubes and cubical dice test, Statement conclusion and Syllogisms etc.
Now the trick here is not just to solve the questions but your focus while preparing should be in solving questions in less time so that you could attempt all the questions. Same goes here that practice and practice to increase your speed in solving questions will help you in the long run.
C: Preparation for General Awareness section: The general awareness section is further divided into two sections the first part is related to general knowledge and other part is related to current affairs. There is a day and night difference in both the categories. The general knowledge questions belong to science and static general knowledge therefore your books should comprise of these.
For current affairs you should refer newspapers from time to time but one should focus on GK more. The section is further bifurcated into four broad categories which are History (Indian history), Geography and Economics (Physical and Indian Geography), Science (General science from 7th to 10th class) and Current Affairs (generally current affairs happened in past one year or so).
D: Quantitative Aptitude:This one is also a very crucial exam and it comprises of Algebra, Data interpretation, Trigonometry, Geometry, Ratio & Partnership, Number theory, Average and Allegations, Time, Speed and Distance and Percentage.
The only way you could master the quantitative aptitude is through the practice and clear basics. One should start with the preparation from preparing class 10th NCERT mathematics books. Invest in good books and prepare a time table.
E: English and Verbal preparation: Practice writing short essays on various topics so that you are well acquainted in writing. On the day of the exam it will be easier for you to write creatively but only if you have practiced it. The focus of the preparation for English should also be on Learning vocabulary, Grammar, Parts of Speech, Spelling test, Sentence Completion, Idioms and Reading comprehension.
The other easy way to improve English language is to read newspapers as they use most fine grammatically English. Besides it will also help you in preparing for current affairs also. Many students may find it difficult but with grit and commitment you can also clear the exam. Practice to learn the basics of grammar first and then slowly build upon learning deeper topics.
Link to official website: https://ssc.nic.in/
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