SSC CGL Syllabus, Exam Pattern — Combined Graduate Level Examination
| Conducting body | Staff Selection Commission (SSC) |
|---|---|
| Qualification | Bachelor's degree (some posts need specific subjects — see the notification) |
| Selection process | Tier-I → Tier-II (Paper-I for all posts; Paper-II for JSO posts; Paper-III for AAO posts) |
| Negative marking | Tier-I: 0.50 mark per wrong answer. Tier-II Paper-I (Sections I, II and III): 1 mark per wrong answer; Paper-II and Paper-III: 0.50 mark per wrong answer. |
| Official website | ssc.gov.in |
Exam Pattern
Tier-I (qualifying)
Each subject has a fixed sectional timer of 15 minutes.
| Section | Questions | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Intelligence & Reasoning | 25 | 50 | 15 minutes |
| General Awareness | 25 | 50 | 15 minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 25 | 50 | 15 minutes |
| English Comprehension | 25 | 50 | 15 minutes |
Total: 100 questions, 200 marks, 1 hour
Tier-II Paper-I, Section-I (compulsory for all posts)
| Section | Questions | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematical Abilities | 30 | 90 | 30 minutes |
| Reasoning and General Intelligence | 30 | 90 | 30 minutes |
Section-I total: 60 questions, 180 marks, 1 hour
Tier-II Paper-I, Section-II
| Section | Questions | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Language & Comprehension | 45 | 135 | 40 minutes |
| General Awareness | 25 | 75 | 20 minutes |
Section-II total: 70 questions, 210 marks, 1 hour
Tier-II Paper-I, Sections III & IV
| Section | Questions | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Knowledge Test | 20 | 60 | 15 minutes |
| Data Entry Speed Test (Session-II) | 1 task | Qualifying | 15 minutes |
Paper-I objective total: 150 questions, 450 marks, plus the qualifying Data Entry Speed Test.
Tier-II Paper-II — Statistics (only for Junior Statistical Officer / Statistical Investigator posts)
| Section | Questions | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statistics | 100 | 200 | 2 hours |
Tier-II Paper-III — General Studies, Finance & Economics (only for Assistant Audit / Accounts Officer posts)
| Section | Questions | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Studies (Finance and Economics) | 100 | 200 | 2 hours |
Part A: Financial Accounting (80 marks). Part B: Economics and Governance (120 marks).
Syllabus — Topics to Prepare
These topics are listed in the official notification's syllabus.
General Intelligence & Reasoning
- Analogies (semantic, symbolic/number, figural)
- Similarities and differences, classification, series
- Space visualization and orientation, problem solving
- Word building, coding and de-coding
- Numerical and symbolic operations, trends
- Venn diagrams, drawing inferences
- Punched-hole pattern folding/unfolding and completion
- Indexing, address matching, date and city matching
- Embedded figures, critical thinking
- Emotional intelligence, social intelligence
- Syllogistic reasoning, statement–conclusion, arithmetical reasoning
- Non-verbal series
General Awareness
- Current events and matters of everyday observation (scientific aspect)
- India and neighbouring countries — History
- Culture and Geography
- Economic Scene
- General Policy
- Scientific Research
Quantitative Aptitude
- Whole numbers, decimals, fractions and relationships between numbers
- Percentage, Ratio & Proportion, Square roots, Averages
- Interest, Profit & Loss, Discount, Partnership
- Mixture and Alligation, Time and Distance, Time & Work
- Basic algebraic identities and elementary surds, graphs of linear equations
- Triangle and its centres, congruence and similarity of triangles
- Circle — chords, tangents, angles subtended
- Quadrilaterals, regular polygons, prism, cone, cylinder, sphere, hemispheres, parallelepiped, pyramid
- Trigonometric ratios, standard identities, complementary angles, Heights and Distances
- Histogram, frequency polygon, bar diagram, pie chart
English Comprehension (Tier-I)
- Understanding correct English
- Basic comprehension
- Writing ability
Mathematical Abilities (Tier-II)
- All Tier-I Quantitative Aptitude topic families in more depth
- Statistics & Probability — tables and graphs
- Mean, median, mode, standard deviation
- Calculation of simple probabilities
English Language & Comprehension (Tier-II)
- Vocabulary, grammar and sentence structure
- Synonyms, antonyms and their correct usage
- Spot the error, fill in the blanks
- Spellings / detecting mis-spelt words
- Idioms and phrases, one-word substitution
- Improvement of sentences
- Active / passive voice, direct / indirect narration
- Shuffling of sentence parts and of sentences in a passage
- Cloze passage, comprehension passage
Computer Knowledge (Tier-II Paper-I)
- Computer basics — organisation, CPU, input/output devices, memory and backup devices, PORTs, Windows Explorer, keyboard shortcuts
- Software — Windows OS; MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint
- Internet and e-mails — browsing, downloading/uploading, e-mail account, e-banking
- Basics of networking and cyber security — networking devices and types, security tools, viruses, hacking
Statistics (Tier-II Paper-II)
- Collection, classification and presentation of statistical data
- Measures of central tendency (mean, median, mode, partition values)
- Measures of dispersion (range, quartile deviation, mean deviation, standard deviation)
- Moments, skewness and kurtosis
- Correlation and regression (incl. Spearman's rank correlation)
- Probability theory (conditional and compound probability, Bayes' theorem)
- Random variables and probability distributions
- Sampling theory and sampling techniques
- Statistical inference — estimation and hypothesis testing
- Analysis of Variance, Time Series Analysis
General Studies — Finance & Economics (Tier-II Paper-III)
- Part A — Financial Accounting (80 marks): accounting concepts, principles and conventions; double entry; journals, ledgers, trial balance; rectification of errors; final accounts; depreciation; single entry; cash book
- Part B — Economics and Governance (120 marks): CAG and Finance Commission; demand, supply and elasticity; theory of production and cost; market forms and price determination; Indian Economy and reforms since 1991; Money and Banking (RBI, monetary and fiscal policy); national income and census topics
Sources (official documents)
Checked: Pattern and syllabus verified from the official SSC CGL 2026 notice dated 21 May 2026 (ssc.gov.in). Always confirm with the latest notification before applying.
Disclaimer: NaukriHelp is not associated with any government organisation. All information is based on the official notification — candidates must verify details from the official notification/website before applying. We are never responsible for any inadvertent error.