The Staff Selection Commission conducts numerous exams. A critical examination for students after Bachelors is the SSC Combined Graduate Level Examination CGL Exam. In other words, also known as the SSC CGL Exam. In short, the Staff Selection Commission was established in 1975, with great significance in providing jobs in the government. Firstly, the Selection Commission conducts exams and recruits for the Government of India. Secondly, this recruitment is for the various departments and ministries in the Central System. Above all, recruitment is based on filling posts for Group ‘B’, ‘C’, and ‘D’ categories of the system. In the article, the various topics of SSC Exam Online, SSC CGL Eligibility, and the SSC CGL syllabus are covered collaboratively.
SSC CGL Exam
The SSC-Combined Graduate Level Exam can be given by all those who have completed graduation from an accredited college. In addition to that, graduation can be from any stream. The SSC-CGL examination is conducted every year. Furthermore, the entire process has four stages or in other words, tiers. However, more details on the eligibility, syllabus, and important dates regarding the exams are given below.
This article gives you detailed information on the SSC Combined Graduate Level CGL exam. Firstly, the exam eligibility, secondly the SSC Exam online, thirdly, the conduction and essential information of the exam, and lastly the most important being the SSC CGL syllabus. To sum up, after reading this article you will have all the required information for attempting the SSC Combined Graduate Level Exam.
Eligibility for SSC-CGL
Above all, these criteria must be met for the fulfillment of the SSC Combined Graduate Level CGL exam eligibility. In addition to that, the Staff Selection Commission has a set of eligibility criteria for different posts too, which are part of the SSC exam online too. To clarify, the SSC CGL eligibility criteria are:
- Must be a citizen of India
- The applicant must complete a Bachelors Degree( in other words, Should be a graduate). Degree attained must be from a recognized University/ College
- Students who are in the final year can apply as well.
- There is an age limit for appearing in the examination. The minimum age is 20 years and the maximum is 30 presently. Previously, the minimum age was 18 and the maximum was 27. However, age relaxation is applied according to the Government rules.
- Reservation for women belonging to scheduled caste, scheduled tribe, ex-servicemen, or physically handicapped is applicable. Therefore, they have an added advantage.
These are the most important and basic criteria. The SSC CGL Exam eligibility must be checked before applying. However, if eligibility criteria are not met, the candidate’s application could get rejected. In addition, to the basic criteria, furthermore, there are specific criteria for some posts.
SSC CGL Exam Eligibility (Age limit) for various departments
- Age limit for the departments of Central Secretariat Service, Ministry of Railway, Ministry of External Affairs, AFHQ, and the Central Bureau of Investigation is 20-30 years.
- Departments of Intelligence Bureau, CBDT, Officers under CAG, National Investigation Agency, Directorate of Enforcement, and Department of Revenue the age limit is up to 30 years similarly, not exceeding 30 years of age.
- Furthermore, the department of M/O Statistics of Prog. & Implementation, the age limit is up to 32 years of age.
Age Relaxation – Eligibility
The Central Government provides for age relaxation on some basis. Therefore, this gives them an additional advantage of attempting for the examination. The eligibility according to age relaxation is as follows.
| Category | Age Relaxation |
|---|---|
| OBC, Ex-Servicemen | 3 years |
| ST/SC, Central Govt. Civilian Employees (Gen. Group B posts ) – who have not less than 3 years of service | 5 years |
| Applicants of J & K domicile ( Gen.) | 5 years |
| Defence Individuals disabled in any hostility against a foreign country ( Gen.) | 5 years |
| Ex- servicemen (OBC) | 6 years |
| Ex- servicemen ( ST & SC) | 8 years |
| Applicants of J & K domicile ( OBC) | 8 years |
| Defense Individuals disabled in any hostility against a foreign country ( OBC) | 8 years |
| Central Govt. Civilian Employees ( OBC Group – B posts ) – who have not less than three years of service | 8 years |
| Applicants who are physically handicapped | 10 years |
| Applicants of J & K domicile ( ST & SC) | 10 years |
| Defense individuals disabled in any hostility against a foreign country ( ST & SC) | 10 years |
| Applicants who are physically handicapped ( OBC) | 13 years |
| Applicants who are physically handicapped ( ST & SC) | 15 years |
| Divorced women, widows& women who are legally separated and not remarried ( Gen. – Group C posts) | Till 35 years |
| Divorced women, widows & women who are legally separated and have not remarried ( OBC – Group C posts) | Till 38 years |
| Central Govt. Civilian Employees ( Gen. – Group C ) – who have not less than three years of service | Till 40 years |
| Divorced women, widows & women who are legally separated and have not remarried ( ST & SC – Group C posts) | Till 40 years |
| Central Govt. Employees ( OBC – Group C posts ) – who have not less than three years of service | Till 43 years |
| Central Govt. Employees ( ST & SC – Group C posts) – who have not less than three years of service | Till 45 years |
Nationality – Eligibility
- An applicant applying for the CGL exam must be a Citizen of India
- The applicant can be a citizen of Nepal & Bhutan
- He can be a Tibetan refugee who has come to India that is, settled here before 1962.
- The applicant can be a migrant from Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Burma, African countries of Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Zaire, Malawi, and Vietnam, but the migrants must be of Indian origin. To clarify and verify the candidates must have documents ready.
Physique requirements – Eligibility
There are certain requirement and criteria which need to met by the Central Government. The requirements for the physique eligibility are as follows.
| Basis | Male | Female |
| Weight | – | 48 kg |
| Height | 157.5 cm | 152 cm |
| Chest | 81 cm, with the least expansion of 5 cm | – |
| Vision | With or without spectacles Distant vision – 6/6 in one eye & 6/9 in the other one Near vision – 0.6 in one eye and 0.8 in the other | same as the males |
Exceptions
- 5 cm of height relaxation for the Assamese, Gorkha, and Garwali members of the ST & SC tribes for male candidates.
- Height is relaxable by 2.5 cm and weight by 2 kg for the Assamese, Gorkha, and Garwali members of the ST & SC tribes, female candidates.
Requirements of Physical test
- Males – Walking 1600 meters in 15 minutes. Cycling – 8 km in a duration of 30 mins.
- Females – Walking 1 km in 20 mins. Cycling – 3 km in 25 mins.
Education Qualification – SSC CGL Eligibility
- Compiler – Bachelor’s degree from an accredited University or College. In addition, those applying for this post must study Economics/Mathematics/Statistics as one of their subjects.
- Statistical Investigator – Group B – Bachelor’s Degree from a recognized University/ College. Must have at least 60% in Mathematics in twelfth standard. OR Candidate must have a Bachelors’s degree with Statistics as one of the subjects.
- Assistant Audit Officer – Bachelor’s degree with any subject as specialization from an accredited University/ College. OR Masters in Commerce, CA/CA/MBA, Master in Bussiness Studies, Cost & Management Accounting.
- Assistant Section Officer – Bachelor’s degree from an accredited University/ College. In addition to that, candidates must mandatorily qualify for the Computer Proficiency Test.
SSC Combined Graduate Level CGL Exam Online
Candidates have to apply for the SSC CGL Exam online only. Candidates applying must check their CGL Exam eligibility criteria before registering for the exam. Above all, registration and filling of application can be done from home itself. Furthermore, the Staff Selection Commission notifies the dates and deadlines on the official website regularly.
- Candidates must make sure that they have the required scanned documents of important documents, for instance, Adhaar card, PAN card, education qualification. Most importantly, these need to be uploaded when applying online.
- Candidates must write their date of birth and name according to the previous important documents, for instance, the tenth mark sheet or twelfth mark sheet.
- However, uploading a blurred image of photograph & signature can result in rejection of the application.
- Moreover, each candidate is allowed to apply/ submit only one application.
The initial two tiers ( Tier 1 & Tier 2) of the selection procedure are online mode. Furthermore, the SSC exam online is MCQ based. Above all, there are plenty of mock tests and books for the preparation of the SSC exam online.
Process of Selection
There are four stages or in other words tiers. The candidate is selected only if he/ she clears all four tiers with excellence.
- Firstly, Tier 1 & 2 consist of online examination. Questions are Multiple choice questions.
- Secondly, Tier 3 test the writing skills of applicants. A descriptive format of questions. The paper can be written in Hindi/ English.
- Thirdly, the last tier which is Tier 4, has a computer-based test. This test mainly focuses on computer proficiency. In this tier, document verification is also done.
- However, Tier 4 examination needs to given by only those who have applied for jobs like typewriting.
Tier 1: Preliminary examination
The first tier has objective questions completely. Each and every candidate who has applied for the SSC-CGL exam is allowed to attempt it. Furthermore, the various aspects that are covered under this paper are as follows:
| Paper Section | Subject | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Part A | General Awareness | 50 marks |
| Part B | General Intelligence & Reasoning | 50 marks |
| Part C | English Comprehension | 50 marks |
| Part D | Quantitative Aptitude | 50 marks |
The duration of the exam is two hours. In addition to that, applicants who are visually or physically handicapped get an extra 40 minutes. The question for Part A, B &, C is in Hindi and English. Furthermore, the candidate can choose the preferred medium of language for the exam. Therefore, those who excel in Tier 1 exams qualify for the Tier 2 mains examination.
Tier 2: Mains examination
The Tier 2 examination of the SSC CGL Exam online is also a multiple-choice based question paper. This stage is segregated into different subjects or in other words, divided into different sections. The Tier 2 examination differs according to the post you are applying for. The two main categories are as follows.
- Arithmetic Ability
- English Comprehension
Papers for Inspectors, Excise duty posts
For the post of Assistants, Inspector of Income-tax, Sub- Inspector in the CBI, Assistant of Enforcement Officer, Divisional Accountant, Auditors, Tax assistants. For the mentioned posts, moreover, there are two papers, which are:
- Arithmetic Ability: 200 marks ( 100 questions) , Duration – 2 hours
- English Comprehension: 200 marks, Duration – 2 hours
Furthermore, the duration of exams for Virtually and physically handicapped applicants is 2 hours and 40 minutes.
But, on the other hand, only one paper for the post for Sub- Inspectors in Central Police Organisation, which is English Language and Comprehension. The number of questions is 200. The maximum marks are 200. The exam on a time basis is 2 hours.
Paper for Compilers & Statistical Investigators GR.II
Those who have applied for these posts are required to give three papers which are as follows:
- Paper I: Arithmetic Ability- 200 marks ( 100 questions), Duration – 2 hours
- Paper II: English Comprehension- 200 marks( 200 questions). Duration – 2 hours
- Paper III: Commerce/ Mathematics/ Economics/ Statistics: 200 marks( 200 questions) Duration – 2 hours.
Above all, an extra 40 minutes is given to virtually handicapped students giving the exam.
Tier 3: Descriptive Paper
This stage of examination tests the candidates’ essay writing skills. Tier 1 & 2 are SSC exam online, however, Tier 3 is an offline examination. Essay writing and letter writing are both tested. That is, vocabulary, as well as essay writing, is examined.
Tier 4 : Skills Test
This test applies to only a few specific posts. Above all, the Data Entry Speed Test and Computer Proficiency Test come under this category.
Syllabus for SSC-CGL Exam
The Staff Selection Commission ( SSC) sets the exam pattern and SSC Combined Graduate Level CGL Exam syllabus. Moreover, this helps candidates study strategically. The exam pattern and syllabus gives the candidate an overview of the paper and prepares accordingly.
SSC CGL Exam Syllabus for Tier 1 ( Stage 1)
The SSC Combined Graduate Level CGL Exam syllabus for the first stage consists of four sections, which include firstly, general awareness, secondly, general intelligence and reasoning, thirdly, English comprehension, and lastly, quantitative aptitude questions. Therefore, the four sections, along with allocations of marks are below:
- General Awareness consisting of 25 questions & quantifying it by 50 marks.
- General Intelligence and reasoning – consisting of 25 questions & quantifying it by 50 marks.
- English comprehension – consisting of 25 questions & quantifying it by 50 marks
- Quantitative aptitude – consisting of 25 questions & quantifying it by 50 marks.
Therefore, there are 100 questions for 200 marks. Furthermore, the duration of the exam is 60 minutes.
General Awareness Syllabus
- General knowledge, current affairs, and updates (for instance, new happenings) regarding various subjects for the last five years.
- Questions based on important dates, new policies, and schemes, books published, people in various fields, for instance, Sports, Politics & the awards they have won.
- History (for instance, Indian history and India’simportant milestones)
- Economics ( The current state of Indian economy, new policies, and changes, people involved in making important monetary decisions [ for instance, current RBI Governor], the budget as well as related information to it)
- Geography (For example, the study of different places, including their latitude and longitudes, sea links, ports, and how these countries influence India. )
- Polity ( The specifics on the duties and responsibilities of the Government officials, for instance, Speaker, the laws and amendments of the Constitution, the details on the legislative, judiciary, and administrative sections of our country. )
- Culture ( for instance, information on subjects like Literature, Music. Dance )
- Science and scientific research ( for instance, inventions, new and important discoveries across the globe, the fundamental aspects of Biology and Chemistry)
General Intelligence and Reasoning Syllabus
- Coding- decoding and problem solving
- Analogies, similarities, space orientation & visualization
- Drawing inferences, statement conclusion, and syllogism reasoning
- Figural series and word building
- Age questions, arithmetic number series, and figural classification
- Date city matching, address matching and indexing
- Semantic series, Venn diagrams, classification, observation, number analogy
- Critical problem solving and thinking, emotional and social intelligence.
English Comprehension Syllabus
- Comprehension Passage
- Antonyms and synonyms
- Grammatical rules and errors
- Active and passive sentences
- Rearrangement of sentences, idioms, and phrases
Quantitative Aptitude Syllabus
- Time and Work, basic algebra and Graph related questions( for instance, linear and quadratic equations )
- Ratio & Proportion, Interest ( for instance, Simple interest and Compound interest), Number systems, Percentage
- Profit and Loss, Discount
- Data analysis, height, and distance
- Area and circumference of various shapes(for instance, triangle, cuboid so on)
- Spheres, hemispheres, triangles
- Similarity and congruence.
SSC CGL Exam Syllabus for Tier 2 (Stage 2)
The SSC exam online has two papers. Firstly, English Comprehension, Secondly, Arithmetic ability. Besides, there is a third paper only for a few specific posts. It tests Statistics/Economics/Mathematics/Commerce. To clarify, the syllabus for each paper is given below separately.
Arithmetic ability
- Fundamental Arithmetic Operations(for instance, Number systems, fractions, decimals)
- Ratio & proportion, Percentage, the relation between numbers.
- Profit & Loss, Discount, Interest
- Mensuration, the usage of tables and graphs
- Time & Distance ( furthermore, other sub-topics under all these )
English Comprehension
- Vocabulary, error check, fill in the blanks
- Idioms and phrases, sentence completion
- Passage Comprehension
- Antonyms & synonyms, grammar sentence structure.
Statistics
Concepts, for instance, binomial distribution, Exponential, Poison, Normal, Probability & Probability Distribution are important.
- Concepts of Population ( for instance, Random sampling, Parameter & statistics), estimation of confidence intervals, the sampling distribution of x properties of estimators.
- Compilation – tabulation and graphic presentation of data
- Measures of Central tendency, dispersion, association & contingency
- Scatter diagram and linear regression analysis
- Correlation Coefficient and rank correlation Coefficient
- Principles of Sampling( for instance, Simple, Stratifies, Systematic), Non-Sampling Errors
- Hypothesis concept( that is, Null & Alternate)
- Testing a Hypothesis for all kinds of samples. Besides, to that is Chi-Square tests.
Economics
There is a segregation of syllabus for economics. Firstly, General Economics. Secondly, Indian Economics & General Statistics. The syllabus for General Economics is:
- Demand & Supply Analysis
- Theory of Factor Pricing, Theory of Employment
- Keynesian Theory of Employment
- Production Function and Laws of Returns
- Commodity Pricing- Market Forms and Price Determinism
- Functions and Nature of Money (For example, Inflation, Deflation)
- International Trade ( that is, Theories), Foreign Exchange (PPP and Balance of Payment Theory)
- Public Finance (For instance, Nature, Scope & Importance), Deficit Financing
- Fiscal Policy
Syllabus for Indian Economics and General Statistics:
- Indian Banking and Currency system. Indian Public Finance ( for instance, revenue, foreign aid, and other sub-topics)
- The new economic policies and welfare schemes.
- Economic development in India. Problems related to Indian planning ( that is, Poverty and other related topics)
- Profile of Human Resources. Nature of Population Problem
- Measures of Central tendency. Accounting and National Income. For instance, estimation and trends of National income.
- Agriculture section- (for instance, rural finance/credit, development, Panchayati Raj)
- Statistical Investigation ( for instance, meaning and planning)
- Sampling types, schedules, and questionnaires ( that is, formats and usage)
- Tabulation and classification of statistical data.
Mathematics
- Analytic geometry: the system of circles, hyperbola parabola and ellipse, in standard form and their elementary properties. Furthermore, circles, and straight lines, classification of curves second degree.
- Algebra ( for instance, sets, relations, and functions. System of simple and complex numbers. De Moivere’s Theorem ( that is, what it is and its applications). Furthermore, the relation between roots and coefficients of a polynomial equation.
- Algebra of matrices: determinants ( so that includes simple properties and multiplication of 2 & 3 orders). Secondly, rank matrix and application of it for the solutions of a linear equation. Thirdly, Root and Gauss tests. Lastly, the convergence of series and sequences.
- Statistics: measures of central tendency. Distribution of frequencies. Kurtosis and Skewness. Concepts of Regression and correlation. Variables and distribution functions, for instance, discrete, binomial, Poisson, continuous, rectangular, exponential, and normal. Sampling and related concepts, Tests of significance.
- Differential Equation: first and second-order differential equations.
- Differential and Integral Calculus: Rolle’s and Mean-value Theorems, Maxima and Minima of functions of one and two variables. Secondly, Continuity, differentially, and limit of various functions. Thirdly, Euler’s theorem for homogeneous function. Curve tracing and partial differentiation. Furthermore, basic Concepts of Integral calculus, basic fundamental theorems. Lastly, Riemann’s definition of a definite integral.
Commerce
- Cost Accounting ( for instance, cost analysis, profits, budgeting)
- Accountancy ( for instance, the conceptual framework, hire purchasing accounting). Corporate and firm partnership accounting.
- Management
- Company Law ( for instance, shares, transfer different kinds of companies). Business Law( For instance, acts that affect businesses, Sales of Good Act, 1930)
- Auditing
- Income Tax ( for instance, important and basic concepts)
- Micro-economics ( for instance, consumer behavior, different types of markets, price determinism)
- Indian Economics- ( for instance, five-year plans, development, planning, trade, and foreign exchange.)
SSC CGL Exam Syllabus for Tier 3 (Stage 3)
Writing essays, letters, and application. Similar to the English comprehension test but, the addition of writing details elaborately.
Candidates who apply for a few selective posts such as Compilers have to give this exam.
SSC CGL Exam Syllabus for Tier 4 ( Stage 4)
This consists of skill set tests.
Data Entry Speed Test: This test is for those applying for the post of Tax Assistants. Firstly, a total of 8000 key depressions per hour on the computer is required. In addition to that, the passage of 2000 key depressions for a time limit of 15 minutes is tested.
Computer Proficiency Test: this test is taken for the post of assistants in CSS, MEA, SFIO, and GSI. They are tested on three skill sets. Firstly, Spreadsheet, secondly, word processing and thirdly, generation of slides.
In conclusion, we hope you have received the required and important details for the SSC CGL Exam. To sum up, the above article gives you detailed information on the SSC online exam information, exam pattern, eligibility, and syllabus. We hope you have received insights on the exam.
FAQ | SSC Combined Graduate Level Exam
It is compulsory for a candidate applying to finish their Graduation or in other words, Bachelors’s Degree. Graduation in any subject, for instance, a BE, B.COM, or BA is acceptable.
Yes. In Tier 1, the negative mark is 0.5. Above all, in Tier 2, 0.50 marks for every wrong answer in all papers apart from English.
No, there is no interview. To sum up, the interview process has been replaced by a 100 marks descriptive paper.
There is no such limit to attempting for the exam. However, there is an age limit. Each category has an age limit. For instance, in the General category, the age limit is 18-27 years. Relaxation of age limit from 3 years to 15 years applies to candidates belonging to the reservation category.
Editor’s Note | SSC Combined Graduate Level CGL Exam
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, exams have been delayed. Therefore, the Staff Selection Commission has announced new dates for the conduction of the SSC CGL Exam. The CGL (Tier 2 – 2019) Exam will be conducted between 14th October 2020- 17th October 2020 (Official Website). Similarly, all the exams conducted by the SSC are postponed. Meanwhile, the candidates who have applied for the exam are studying in the lockdown from their home itself. Furthermore, the Commission has decided to continue the recruitment process after August 2020. To sum up, the COVID-19 pandemic has postponed the government exams. Therefore, SSC CGL is also delayed.
