SSC CGL Exam – Complete Guide

1. What is SSC CGL Exam?

• SSC CGL = Staff Selection Commission – Combined Graduate Level Exam.
• Conducted by SSC (Staff Selection Commission) every year.
• Recruits graduates for Group B & Group C posts in various ministries, departments, and organizations of the Central Government.
• It is one of the largest government recruitment exams in India – lakhs of candidates appear every year.

2. Posts under SSC CGL (Job List & Salary)

SSC CGL offers desk, field, audit, enforcement & statistical jobs.

✅ Popular SSC CGL Posts:

• Income Tax Inspector (CBDT)
• Assistant Audit Officer (AAO) (CAG)
• Assistant Section Officer (ASO) (MEA, CSS, Railways, IB, etc.)
• Sub-Inspector (SI) in CBI & NIA
• Assistant Enforcement Officer (AEO) (ED)
• Inspector (Central Excise, Preventive Officer, Examiner – CBIC)
• Divisional Accountant (CAG)
• Statistical Investigator
• Junior Statistical Officer (JSO)
• Auditor/Accountant/Tax Assistant (CBDT/CBIC/CAG)
• Clerical & Administrative posts in ministries

💰 Salary Structure

📈 Promotions vary → e.g., IT Inspector → Assistant Commissioner → Joint Commissioner → Commissioner.

3. Eligibility Criteria

(a) Nationality

• Must be an Indian citizen.

(b) Age Limit (Post-wise)

• Minimum: 18 years
• Maximum: 27–32 years (depends on post).
  • AAO, ASO (MEA): Up to 30 years.
  • Inspector, Sub-Inspector, CBI, AEO: Up to 30 years.
  • Tax Assistant, Auditor, Accountant: Up to 27 years.
  • Statistical Investigator: Up to 32 years.

Age Relaxations:

• OBC: +3 years
• SC/ST: +5 years
• PwD: +10 years

(c) Educational Qualification

• Bachelor’s Degree in any stream from a recognized university.
• Some posts have specific requirements:
  • AAO: B.Com/CA/ICWA/MBA (Finance).
  • JSO: Bachelor’s with Statistics/Maths.

(d) Physical Standards (for certain posts like Inspector & SI in CBI/ED/NIA):

• Height: 157 cm (female), 165 cm (male).
• Chest expansion (for males).
• Vision standards (correctable allowed).

4. SSC CGL Selection Process

SSC CGL has 4 tiers:

1. Tier I (Prelims – Computer Based)
   • Objective MCQ.
   • Qualifying + counted for merit.
2. Tier II (Mains – Computer Based)
   • Objective, 3 compulsory papers (Quant, English, Reasoning).
   • Additional paper for JSO & AAO.
3. Tier III (Descriptive – Pen & Paper)
   • Essay / Letter / Application writing (Qualifying).
4. Tier IV (Skill/Computer Proficiency Test)
   • Data Entry Speed Test (DEST) for Tax Assistant.
   • CPT for ASO in MEA, CSS.
   • Document Verification.

5. Exam Pattern

Tier I – Prelims (CBT)

🔹 Negative Marking: –0.50 per wrong answer.

Tier II – Mains (CBT)

🔹 Negative Marking: –0.25 (English), –0.50 (Others).

Tier III – Descriptive

• Mode: Pen & Paper (Offline).
• Marks: 100
• Time: 60 mins
• Format: Essay (200–250 words) + Letter/Application (150 words).

Tier IV – Skill Test

• DEST (Data Entry Speed Test) – 8000 key depressions/hour.
• CPT (Computer Proficiency Test) – Word, Excel, PowerPoint.
• Document verification.

6. Application Process

1. Visit ssc.nic.in.
2. Complete One-Time Registration (OTR).
3. Apply online for SSC CGL Notification.
4. Upload documents & pay fees.

Application Fees

• General / OBC: ₹100
• SC/ST/PwD/Ex-Servicemen/Women: No Fee

7. Syllabus Overview

(a) General Intelligence & Reasoning

• Coding-Decoding, Analogy, Series, Blood Relations, Venn Diagram, Puzzles, Missing Numbers.

(b) General Awareness

• History, Geography, Polity, Economy, Current Affairs, Environment, Science.

(c) Quantitative Aptitude

• Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, Mensuration, Percentages, Profit & Loss, Data Interpretation.

(d) English Comprehension

• Reading Comprehension, Grammar, Synonyms-Antonyms, Sentence Improvement, Error Spotting.

(e) Tier II Additional Papers

• Statistics (JSO) → Probability, Correlation, Regression, Sampling.
• Finance & Economics (AAO) → Accountancy, Financial Management, Indian Economy, Money & Banking.

8. Books & Resources

• Quantitative Aptitude: R.S. Aggarwal, Arun Sharma, Quantum CAT & Magme’s Books.
• Reasoning: R.S. Aggarwal, MK Pandey & Magme’s Books.
• English: Plinth to Paramount (Neetu Singh), Wren & Martin, Norman Lewis (Vocab) & Magme’s Books.
• General Awareness: Lucent GK + NCERTs (6–12), Magme’s 360 & Magme’s Books.
• Current Affairs: The Hindu, PIB & Magme’s Books.
• SSC Previous Year Papers – MUST for practice.
• Mock Tests – Magme’s Online Portal.

9. Quick Facts Table

10. Preparation Strategy

Step 1 – Build Basics

• NCERTs (6–12th) for GK.
• Foundation books for Maths & English.

Step 2 – Regular Practice

• Daily mock practice for Reasoning & Quant.
• Reading newspaper (Hindu/Indian Express) for GK & essay writing.

Step 3 – Tier II Special Focus

• Deep dive into Quant & English (since these carry highest marks).
• Extra study for Statistics & Finance (if eligible).

Step 4 – Revision & PYQs

• At least 10 years PYQs.
• Weekly mock tests for speed & accuracy.

11. Why Choose SSC CGL?

• Prestigious Central Govt. Jobs → postings in Income Tax, CBI, MEA, CAG, ED, etc.
• Salary & Perks → ₹35k–₹70k+, HRA, DA, TA.
• Promotion & Career Growth → e.g., IT Inspector → IRS Officer (on promotion).
• Nationwide Postings → Chance to work in Delhi, metros, or home state.
• Secure Career → Pension, allowances, job security.

✅ In short:

• Posts: Inspector, ASO, AAO, CBI SI, Auditor, Tax Assistant, etc.
• Salary: ₹35,000–₹70,000+.
• Exam: Tier I (Prelims) → Tier II (Mains) → Tier III (Descriptive) → Tier IV (Skill/DEST).
• Best Prep: PYQs + Mock Tests + NCERTs + Strong Quant & English.