SSC CGL Preparation 2024: Tips, Strategy & Guide

Knowing SSC CGL syllabus and exam pattern well is the first step toward effective exam preparation. The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) conducts the Combined Graduate Level (CGL) exam in two stages (commonly known as tiers):

Check the complete SSC CGL exam pattern and SSC CGL syllabus.

SSC CGL Tier-I is the first stage and the filtering stage of the exam. Most of the candidates are filtered out at this stage. The candidates scoring even one mark less than the SSC CGL cutoff mark will not be selected for the next tier of the exam. This is the most important stage of the SSC CGL exam and hence the candidates should give maximum time for its preparation. The candidates should note that the SSC CGL 2024 preparation will also be guided by the syllabus, exam pattern and the best-recommended books.

Moreover, the preparation done for this tier will also help in Tier II and III. Read below the section-wise preparation strategy for the exam. The candidates can see here the last month's preparation strategy for SSC CGL Tier-I exam.

SSC CGL Tier 2 Exam Video

The candidates can see below the SSC CGL Tier 2 Exam Video

General Awareness as the name suggests tests the awareness of the candidates about the happening around in the country, and society. The best source to prepare the General Awareness questions is the newspaper.  General Awareness section is the most important section which can make or break the dream of selection in the SSC CGL exam.  It comprises General Knowledge and Current Affairs. The candidates need to prepare the General Knowledge topics in their entirety and along with it the Current Affairs of last one year. in the recent paper, the current affairs of the previous year were asked in the Tier-I exam. Maths, Reasoning and English are the other sections of SSC CGL Tier-I exam.

See Here:

SSC CGL General Awareness Topics

Candidates need to read, learn and practice at the same time to prepare for all the above-said topics. For this, there should be a concrete plan for simultaneously preparing all the topics. Before diving into the preparation part let us briefly see the syllabus and exam pattern of the SSC CGL exam. 

General Knowledge and Current Affairs are the two sections of General Awareness. General Knowledge is a vast section and it comprises topics from History, Geography, Economy, Indian Polity, General Science, Environment and Miscellaneous. Miscellaneous topics mean Awards, Person/Place in News, Summit/Conference, Sports News and the like. It has the overlapping with Current Affairs topics. 

Check Here: SSC CGL Tier 1 Shift Timing

The candidates should prepare the notes from the GK books and newspapers to prepare the GA as a whole. They should also read the Current Affairs yearly books to gather more information about the topics. They can follow the Current Affairs Topics given at Shiksha.com.

This section includes questions on both verbal and non-verbal reasoning. The verbal reasoning section covers more questions compared to the non-verbal reasoning section. Some of the important SSC CGL topics that candidates can prepare for this section include Similarities and Differences, Number Series, Spatial Orientation, Analogies, Arithmetic Non-Verbal Series, Space Visualisation, Decision-Making, Syllogistic Reasoning, Problem-Solving, Judgment, Visual Memory, Coding and Decoding, Statement Conclusion, etc.

Questions asked in the Quantitative Aptitude section test candidates’ ability to use numbers and calculations appropriately. The important SSC CGL topics in this section are Whole Numbers, Ratio & Proportions, Discount, Decimals & Fractions, Averages, Percentage, Square Roots, Interest, Profit and Loss, Time & Distance, Time & Work, geometrical problems, etc. Some of the important tips for preparation of this section include working on the basics, learning short-cut methods for increasing calculation speed and managing time properly. 

This section aims to test the basic English comprehension and writing skills of candidates. For the preparation for this section, candidates are advised to gain good control over English grammar rules and vocabulary. Candidates are also advised to improve their comprehension skills by reading feature stories and opinion pieces in magazines, editorials, etc.

Also Read: National Recruitment Agency Common Eligibility Test (NRA CET)

Check out the paper-wise SSC CGL preparation tips for tier-II below:

• For the preparation of Paper-I (Quantitative Abilities) and paper II (English Language and Comprehension) of the SSC CGL Tier-II Exam, candidates can follow the same tips mentioned for the Quantitative Aptitude and English Comprehension sections of tier-I. However, candidates must note that although the topics for tier-I (Quantitative Aptitude and English Comprehension sections) and tier-II (paper-I and -II) are similar, the difficulty level of the questions asked in the tier-II exam increases.
• Statistics - The Statistics paper of SSC CGL Tier-II exam includes questions on topics such as Collection, Classification and Presentation of Statistical Data; Measures of Central Tendency; Measures of Dispersion Moments, Skewness and Kurtosis; Correlation and Regression; Probability Theory; Random Variable and Probability Distributions; Sampling Theory; Statistical Inference; Analysis of Variance; Time Series Analysis and Index Numbers.
• Finance & Accounts - This paper is usually of 80 marks and includes questions on fundamental principles and concepts of accounting. Some of the important topics which candidates can prepare for this section include Rectification of Errors, Profit & Loss Appropriation Accounts, Non-profit Organisations Accounts, Valuation of Inventories, Income & Expenditure Accounts, Trading, Depreciation Accounting, Receipts and Payments and Bills of Exchange, Self-Balancing Ledgers, etc.
• Economics & Governance - This paper is usually of 120 marks and includes questions on topics such as Constitutional Provisions of Comptroller & Auditor General of India; Role and Functions of Finance Commission; Introduction to Micro Economics; Theory of Demand and Supply; Theory of Production and Cost; Forms of Market and Price Determination; Indian Economy; Economic Reforms in India; Money and Banking; Role of Information Technology in Governance; etc.

Also Read: SSC CGL Tier-I Exam: Check Important Documents to Carry & Exam Day Instructions

SSC CGL DEST Preparation

SSC CGL skill test is conducted to test candidates’ typing or basic computer skills. Here, candidates are either given a Data Entry Speed Test (DEST) or a Computer Proficiency Test (CPT). DEST is basically a typing test in which candidates have to type 8,000 key depressions per hour on a computer. In CPT, candidates are judged on three modules – Word Processing, Spreadsheet and Generation of Slides.  

For SSC CGL preparation, it is important for candidates to pick the right books for study. Given below are some of the important subject-wise SSC CGL books that candidates refer to for study:

It is important to take help from the candidates already appeared in the SSC CGL exams. The candidates can see below the SSC CGL Tier 1 exam analysis of 2021.

Every year, after the exam is over Shiksha reaches out to students to know their reactions to the exam and analyse the paper properly. A majority of the students that Shiksha spoke with after the SSC CGL tier-I 2021 was over shared that the paper was of easy to moderate difficulty level. Check the complete SSC CGL exam analysis 2020 here:

Also Read:

• SSC CGL Tier-I Exam Analysis 2020 by Students: Check Difficulty Level
• SSC CGL 2020 Exam Analysis for Tier-I: Check Difficulty Level & Important Topics

Some of the other essential SSC CGL preparation tips that candidates should keep in mind include:

• Have a well-planned study routine
• Be consistent with your studies
• Have the right collection of SSC CGL books and study material
• Attempt as many SSC CGL mock tests and sample papers as possible to manage accuracy and speed well during the exam
• Thorough revision of what you study is one of the key steps for effective SSC CGL preparation

Also Read: Important preparation tips to clear SSC CGL

The candidates can see here important questions related to SSC CGL preparation.