Staff Selection Commission — Combined Graduate Level Examination
The graduate-level SSC exam for Group B and Group C posts across central government ministries and departments.
SSC CGL is live on Kitabey for institutes — coaching centres can run SSC CGL-pattern tests for their students using their own questions or an uploaded PDF. Kitabey's own SSC CGL question bank is still being built, so self-serve practice and mock tests for students will open up as it grows.
SSC CGL is a two-tier computer-based recruitment exam for graduates. Tier-I is a qualifying screening test; merit is decided in Tier-II, and the final post allotment depends on your Tier-II score and post preferences.
Tier-I tests four areas with equal weight — reasoning, general awareness, quantitative aptitude and English — so a single weak section can hold back an otherwise strong attempt.
| Stage covered | Tier-I — computer-based, qualifying (Tier-II decides merit) |
| Duration | 60 minutes |
| Sections | General Intelligence & Reasoning, General Awareness, Quantitative Aptitude, English Comprehension — 25 questions each |
| Total questions | 100 questions, 200 marks — single-correct MCQs with 4 options |
| Sectional timing | 15 minutes per section, as per the 2026 notification |
| Tier-II (Paper-I) | Mathematical Abilities, Reasoning, English Language & Comprehension, General Awareness (+3 / −1), plus qualifying Computer Knowledge and Data Entry Speed Test modules |
| Medium | English and Hindi, plus regional-language mediums as notified by SSC; the English section is set in English only |
Marking scheme
Correct
+2 for every correct answer
Incorrect
−0.5 for every incorrect answer
The 2026 notification introduces a fixed 15-minute window for each Tier-I section, so time can no longer be moved from one section to another. Tier-II Paper-I uses +3 / −1.
With a fixed window per section, you can't borrow time from your strongest area. Run 15-minute drills per section and learn when to move on from a question.
Every wrong answer costs a quarter of what a right one earns. Attempt what you can eliminate down to one or two options; skip pure guesses.
GA can't be crammed in the last month. A short daily routine of static GK plus current affairs adds up over a preparation cycle.
Tier-I only qualifies you. Keep the Tier-II syllabus — deeper maths, longer English, computer knowledge — in your plan from the start.
After each full-length mock, log where you lost marks by topic and fix those before the next one. Untargeted mocks plateau quickly.
What's live today for SSC CGL, and what's coming next.
Note: This guide covers the evergreen pattern, syllabus, and preparation framework. Registration dates, exam dates, and category-wise cutoffs change every cycle — always verify the latest details on the official Staff Selection Commission (SSC) notification before you act on timelines.