SSC CGL fills approx 10,000–12,000 posts in a typical year (reports for the 2026 cycle range from about 10,700 to 12,250) across 40 posts in central ministries. The most important thing to understand about the current pattern is simple: Tier-I is only a qualifying screen; your final rank comes from Tier-II. Plan your preparation around that.
SSC CGL 2027 dates are not announced yet; the notice is expected in the usual cycle. Check ssc.gov.in and our Jobs page.
Current pattern (SSC CGL 2026)
Tier-I (qualifying, 60 minutes)
| Section | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| General Intelligence & Reasoning | 25 | 50 |
| General Awareness | 25 | 50 |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 25 | 50 |
| English Comprehension | 25 | 50 |
| Total | 100 | 200 |
Each section has a 15-minute sectional timer. Negative marking: 0.50 per wrong answer.
Tier-II Paper-I (decides merit for all posts)
| Section | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematical Abilities | 30 | 90 |
| Reasoning & General Intelligence | 30 | 90 |
| English Language & Comprehension | 45 | 135 |
| General Awareness | 25 | 75 |
| Computer Knowledge (qualifying) | 20 | 60 |
| Data Entry Speed Test (qualifying) | – | 15 minutes |
3 marks per question; 1 mark negative in Sections I–III. Paper-II (Statistics) is for JSO and Paper-III (Finance & Economics) for AAO.
Full syllabus: SSC CGL syllabus & exam pattern
The key insight: English and Maths decide your rank
In Tier-II Paper-I, English (135 marks) and Maths (90 marks) together carry 225 of the 390 merit marks. Most toppers are strong in both. Reasoning (90) is the most scoring section with practice, and GA (75) rewards static GK revision.
| Section | Tier-II weight | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| English | 135 marks | Highest |
| Maths | 90 marks | High |
| Reasoning | 90 marks | High (most scoring) |
| General Awareness | 75 marks | Medium |
| Computer | Qualifying | Must clear |
Subject-wise strategy
Mathematics
- Build arithmetic first: percentage, ratio, profit & loss, SI/CI, time & work, TSD.
- Then advanced maths, which carries a big share in CGL: algebra, geometry, trigonometry, mensuration.
- Learn standard values and identities; practise 50 questions a day.
- Tier-II adds statistics and simple probability.
Reasoning
- CGL reasoning is mostly non-verbal and short: analogy, classification, series, coding, paper folding, embedded figures, Venn diagrams.
- Practise the visual topics daily; they are fast marks.
English
- Daily: one editorial + 20 new words + idioms.
- Master error spotting, sentence improvement, voice and narration, one-word substitution, idioms, spellings, cloze and comprehension.
- Previous papers show that vocabulary repeats; revise past-year words.
General Awareness
- Static GK carries most marks: history, polity, geography, economy, science.
- Current affairs: the last 6–12 months.
- Use our 50 must-know static GK facts and the history pages.
Computer Knowledge (Tier-II, qualifying)
- Computer basics, input/output devices, memory, software, MS Office, internet and email, networking, cyber security.
- Two to three weeks of focused study is usually enough.
Data Entry Speed Test (qualifying)
- About 2,000 key depressions in 15 minutes. Practise typing for 15 minutes a day from month 3.
6-month plan
| Month | Focus |
|---|---|
| 1 | Arithmetic basics; reasoning basics; grammar foundation; static GK (polity, history) |
| 2 | Algebra and geometry; non-verbal reasoning; vocabulary; geography and economy |
| 3 | Trigonometry and mensuration; sectional tests; idioms and OWS; science; typing practice begins |
| 4 | Tier-I full mocks (3 a week); current affairs; computer basics |
| 5 | Tier-II level practice: English comprehension and grammar; advanced maths |
| 6 | Tier-II full mocks (2 a week) + revision + DEST practice |
Post preference matters too
Your rank decides which post you get, based on the preferences you fill. Read our guide to the SSC CGL post list, pay levels and job profiles before filling the form.
Related reading
Pattern and marking are from the SSC CGL 2026 notice. Vacancy figures are approx and change every year. Always check the official notice on ssc.gov.in.