Home Newsroom SSC CGL Exam Syllabus, Eligibility, Pattern, And Age Limit

Table of content:

SSC CGL Eligibility Criteria
SSC CGL Syllabus & Exam Structure
SSC CGL Marking Pattern
What happens after SSC CGL Examination?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

SSC CGL Exam Syllabus, Eligibility, Pattern, And Age Limit

Prepare for the SSC CGL exam with a guide that outlines its pattern, sections, and question types, providing everything you need for effective exam preparation.

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SSC CGL Exam Syllabus, Eligibility, Pattern, And Age Limit

The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) conducts the SSC CGL exam to recruit candidates for Group B and Group C positions in various government ministries, departments, and organizations across India.

SSC CGL Eligibility Criteria

A candidate must be a citizen/subject of India or have migrated from anyone in the country, as mentioned in the official notification.
Bachelor’s degree from a recognized university.
Between 18 to 32 years. Age relaxation is provided as per government norms.

Candidates belonging to General/OBC are required to pay INR 100. Women, SC, ST, PwD, and Ex-servicemen candidates are exempted from paying the fee.

Post-Wise SSC CGL Age Limit

Age Limit	Name of Post	Ministry/ Department/ Office/ Cadre
Up to 32 years	Junior Statistical Officer	Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation
Not exceeding 30 years	Assistant Audit Officer	Indian Audit & Accounts Department under C&AG
Not exceeding 30 years	Assistant Accounts Officer	Indian Audit & Accounts Department under C&AG
Not exceeding 30 years	Inspector of Income Tax	CBDT
Not exceeding 30 years	Inspector (Central Excise)	CBIC
Not exceeding 30 years	Inspector (Preventive Officer)	CBIC
Not exceeding 30 years	Inspector (Examiner)	CBIC
Not exceeding 30 years	Inspector	Central Bureau of Narcotics
Not exceeding 30 years	Assistant	Other Ministries/ Departments/ Organizations
Not exceeding 30 years	Assistant/ Superintendent	Other Ministries/ Departments/ Organizations
Not exceeding 30 years	Divisional Accountant	Offices under C&AG
Not exceeding 30 years	Sub-Inspector/ Junior Intelligence Officer	Narcotics Control Bureau (Ministry of Home Affairs)
Up to 30 years	Assistant Enforcement Officer	Directorate of Enforcement, Department of Revenue
Up to 30 years	Sub Inspector	National Investigation Agency (NIA)
20–30 years	Assistant Section Officer	Central Secretariat Service, Intelligence Bureau, Ministry of Railway, Ministry of External Affairs, AFHQ
20–30 years	Sub Inspector	Central Bureau of Investigation
18–27 years	Auditor	Offices under C&AG, Other Ministries/ Departments, Offices under CGDA
18–27 years	Accountant	Offices under C&AG
18–27 years	Accountant/ Junior Accountant	Other Ministries/ Departments
18–27 years	Postal Assistant/ Sorting Assistant	Department of Posts, Ministry of Communication
18–27 years	Senior Secretariat Assistant/ Upper Division Clerks	Central Government
18–27 years	Senior Administrative Assistant	Military Engineering Services, Ministry of Defence
18–27 years	Tax Assistant	CBDT, CBIC
18–27 years	Sub-Inspector	Central Bureau of Narcotics
18–27 years	Upper Division Clerks	Directorate General Border Roads Organisation (Ministry of Defence)

SSC CGL Syllabus & Exam Structure

SSC CGL Examination will be conducted in 2 tiers, as indicated in the table below:

SSC CGL Tier- I

Qualifying in nature

(Candidates must qualify for tier- I in order to take tier- II)

Key subject topics

Duration

General Intelligence & Reasoning
General Awareness
Quantitative Aptitude
English Comprehension

1 hour

Computer-Based Exam (MCQs)

SSC CGL Tier- II

Paper	Subject	Duration
Paper- I Compulsory for all posts	Mathematical Abilities	2 hours MCQ Computer-Based Exam (MCQs)
	Reasoning & General Intelligence
	English Language & Comprehension
	General Awareness
	Computer Knowledge Test	30 minutes
	Data Entry Speed Test	30 minutes
Paper- II Junior Statistical Officer (JSO)	Statistic	2 hours Computer-Based Exam (MCQs)
Compensatory extra time will be allotted for those who opted for scribe

It must also be noted that only those who applied and qualified for the cut-off for Junior Statistical Officer (JSO) in Tier- I will be eligible to take Paper- II of Tier- II.

SSC CGL Marking Pattern

The SSC CGL syllabus and marking pattern for Tier- I & II are as follows:

SSC CGL Tier- I

Subject	Syllabus	Number of questions	Total marks
General Intelligence & Reasoning	Analogies, Classification, Series, Problem-Solving, Word Building, Coding & de-coding, Operations, Space Orientation, Venn Diagrams, Inference, Patternfolding, Embedded figures, Emotional intelligence etc.	25 (2 marks for every correct answer; 0.50 mark deduction for every wrong answer)	200
General Awareness	History, Culture, Geography, Economic Scene, General Policy & Scientific Research, People in News, Sports, Static GK, Important Schemes, Portfolio, Books and Authors, Current Affairs etc.	25 (2 marks for every correct answer; 0.50 mark deduction for every wrong answer)
Quantitative Aptitude	Whole Numbers, Decimals, Fractions, Percentages, Ratio & Proportion, Square roots, Averages, Interest, Profit and Loss, Discount, Partnership Business, Mixture and Alligation, Time and Distance, Time & Work, Basic algebraic identities, Surds, Graphs of Linear Equations, Triangle, Circle, Quadrilaterals, Regular Polygons, Right Prism, Right Circular Cone, Right Circular Cylinder, Sphere, Hemispheres, Rectangular Parallelepiped, Regular Right Pyramid with triangular or square base, Trigonometric ratio, Heights and Distances, Histogram, Frequency polygon, Bar diagram & Pie chart, etc.	25 (2 marks for every correct answer; 0.50 mark deduction for every wrong answer)
English Comprehension	Reading Comprehension, Idioms and Phrases, One-word Substitution, Sentence Correction, Active Passive, Spellings Correction, Fill in the Blanks, Sentence Rearrangement, Synonyms-Antonym, Cloze test, Sentence Improvement, Error Spotting	25 (2 marks for every correct answer; 0.50 mark deduction for every wrong answer)

SSC CGL Tier- II

Paper- I	Subject	Syllabus (Main topics)	Number of questions	Total marks
	Mathematical Abilities	Number Systems, Fundamental arithmetical operations, Algebra, Geometry, Mensuration, Trigonometry, Statistics and probability	30 (3 marks for every correct answer; 1 mark deduction for every wrong answer)	90
	Reasoning and General Intelligence	Semantic Analogy, Symbolic operations, Symbolic/ Number Analogy, Trends, Figural Analogy, Venn Diagrams, Drawing inferences, Pattern-folding, Number Series, Embedded figures, including other subtopics, if any.	30 (3 marks for every correct answer; 1 mark deduction for every wrong answer)	90
	English Language & Comprehension	Vocabulary, Sentence structure, Synonyms, Antonyms, Homonyms, Spot the error, Fill in the Blanks, Spellings/ Detecting misspelt words, Idioms & Phrases, Improvement of Sentences, Active/ Passive Voice, etc.	45 (3 marks for every correct answer; 1 mark deduction for every wrong answer)	135
	General Awareness	History, Culture, Geography, Economic Scene, General Policy & Scientific Research, People in News, Sports, Static GK, Important Schemes, Portfolio, Books and Authors, Current Affairs etc.	25 (3 marks for every correct answer; 1 mark deduction for every wrong answer)	75
	Computer Proficiency (Qualifying in nature)	Computer Basics, Software, Working with the Internet and e-mails, Basics of Networking and Cyber Security, etc.	20 (3 marks for every correct answer; 1 mark deduction for every wrong answer)	60
	Data Entry Speed Test Module (Qualifying in nature)	One Data Entry Task	A passage of about 2000 (two thousand) key depressions for a duration of 15 (fifteen) minutes
Paper- II	Statistics	Collection, Classification & Presentation of Statistical Data, Measures of Central Tendency & Dispersion, Skewness, Kurtosis, Correlation, Regression, Probability Theory, etc.	100 (2 marks for every correct answer; 0.50 mark deduction for every wrong answer)	200

To effectively prepare for the SSC CGL exam after grasping the syllabus, which covers verbal and non-verbal reasoning, quantitative aptitude, and more, click here to explore a variety of courses designed to help you succeed in this competitive exam.

What happens after SSC CGL Examination?

On completion of SSC CGL, the Commission makes final allotment of posts on the basis of merit-cum preferences of posts given by the candidates. Listed below are some of the key posts to be allotted to all the successful candidates:

Group B Posts

Assistant Section Officer (ASO)

Pay Scale: Level 7 (INR 44,900 - 1,42,400)

Departments: CSS, Railways, AFHQ, IB, and others

Role: Administrative work, noting, drafting, and handling files.

Inspector of Income Tax

Pay Scale: Level 7 (INR 44,900 - 1,42,400)

Department: CBDT

Role: Assessing, verifying, and processing IT records, assisting in raids.

Inspector (Central Excise)

Pay Scale: Level 7 (INR 44,900 - 1,42,400)

Department: CBIC

Role: Collection of excise duty, prevention of smuggling activities.

Inspector (Preventive Officer)

Pay Scale: Level 7 (INR 44,900 - 1,42,400)

Department: CBIC

Role: Prevention of smuggling, assessment of customs duty.

Inspector (Examiner)

Pay Scale: Level 7 (INR 44,900 - 1,42,400)

Department: CBIC

Role: Examine and assess goods imported/exported and conduct audits.

Group C Posts

Assistant/Clerk

Pay Scale: Level 4 (INR 25,500 - 81,100)

Departments: Various Ministries/Departments

Role: Clerical work, maintaining files and records, data entry.

Tax Assistant

Pay Scale: Level 4 (INR 25,500 - 81,100)

Departments: CBDT and CBIC

Role: Data processing of tax returns and clerical tasks in the tax department.

Sub Inspector (SI)

Pay Scale: Level 6 (INR 35,400 - 1,12,400)

Department: CBI, NIA

Role: Investigation and law enforcement, conducting raids, and collecting evidence.

Junior Statistical Officer (JSO)

Pay Scale: Level 6 (INR 35,400 - 1,12,400)

Department: Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation

Role: Collection and analysis of data, statistical surveys.

Auditor

Pay Scale: Level 5 (INR 29,200 - 92,300)

Departments: C&AG, CGDA, CGA

Role: Audit financial documents, compliance checks, and verification.

Promotions and Career Growth

The candidates selected through SSC CGL have ample opportunities for career advancement and promotions, which are primarily based on their performance, seniority, and departmental exams. Over the years, consistent performers can progress through various hierarchical levels, gaining both responsibilities and benefits at each stage.

With time and experience, they can rise to prestigious positions such as Deputy Commissioner, Joint Commissioner, and eventually Commissioner, depending on the post and department. These roles not only come with higher pay scales but also offer greater decision-making authority and scope for policy-level contributions, making SSC CGL a gateway to a stable and rewarding government career.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is the SSC CGL exam?

SSC CGL (Combined Graduate Level) exam is conducted by the Staff Selection Commission to recruit candidates for various Group B and Group C posts in government departments and organizations.

2. What are the eligibility criteria for SSC CGL?

Candidates must have a bachelor's degree from a recognized university, and the age limit varies based on the post. The general age range is 18 to 32 years.

3. How many tiers are there in the SSC CGL exam?

The SSC CGL exam has four tiers: Tier I (computer-based), Tier II (computer-based), Tier III (descriptive), and Tier IV (skill test/document verification).

4. Is there negative marking in SSC CGL?

Yes, there is negative marking in Tier I and Tier II exams. For every incorrect answer, 0.5 marks are deducted in Tier I, and 1 mark is deducted in Tier II for certain sections.

5. Can final-year students apply for SSC CGL?

Yes, final-year students can apply for SSC CGL, provided they have completed their degree by the date of document verification.

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Edited by

Kaihrii Thomas

Senior Associate Content Writer

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