SSC CGL 2021 Syllabus & Exam Pattern : Candidates preparing for SSC CGL 2021 must be aware of the syllabus & exam pattern to ease the preparation. SSC CGL 2021 exam pattern includes stages of examinations, no. & type of questions in each tier, marking scheme, etc. SSC CGL 2021 syllabus & exam pattern of each tier is given here. SSC CGL 2021 exam will be held in 4 tiers, Tier I CBT, Tier II CBT, Tier III Descriptive Test, and Tier IV Skill Test/ CPT.
- Tier I will have 4 subjects, General Intelligence and Reasoning, General Awareness, Quantitative Aptitude, and English Comprehension. Each subject has 25 questions for 50 marks to be solved in 1-hour duration.
- Tier II will have Paper I Quantitative Abilities and Paper-II English Language and Comprehension, common for all posts and Paper III Statistics for JSO/ Prog Implementation & Statistical Investigator and Paper IV GS (Finance & Economics) for Assistant Audit Officer/ Assistant Accounts Officer.
- Tier III will be a Descriptive test either in Hindi/ English to be conducted in Pen and Paper mode for 100 marks in 60 minutes duration contains Writing of Essay, Precis, Letter, Application
- Tier IV is DEST/ CPT for certain posts that are qualifying in nature, conducted for 100 marks. Candidates need to score 33% to qualify the Tier IV. Candidates need to attend Document Verification.
| Tier | Name of Exam | Type of Questions |
|---|---|---|
| I | CBT | Objective/ MCQs |
| II | CBT | Objective/ MCQs |
| III | Descriptive Test (Pen and Paper Mode) | Descriptive |
| IV | Skill Test/ CPT | Data Entry Skill Test/ Computer Proficiency Test |
| Document Verification | - |
Candidates have to appear in Tier I CBT and candidates securing the prescribed cut off in Tier I will be called to appear in Tier II and Tier III. A separate cut off will be decided for appearing in Paper III of Tier II and Paper IV of Tier II and all other posts. Tier-II Paper I and Paper II are common for all the posts.
On the basis of the aggregate performance of candidates in Tier I and Tier II examinations, they will be shortlisted for evaluation of the Tier III examination. SSC CGL Tier 1 and Tier 2 CBT if conducted in multiple shifts, marks scored by the candidates will be normalized, and such obtained score will be considered for merit and cut off marks.
On the basis of the aggregate performance of candidates in Tier I, Tier II, and Tier III examinations, they will be shortlisted to appear in Document Verification and Skill tests. For final selection, aggregate marks scored by candidates in Tier I, Tier II, and Tier III examinations along with the preference of posts given by them will be considered.
Candidates will be assigned post after considering their merit and post-preferences that will be treated as final, irreversible, and cannot be changed under any reasons/circumstances.
SSC CGL 2021 Exam Pattern
SSC CGL 2021 exam consists of the following tiers/stages.
- Tier I – CBT (Computer Based Exam)
- Tier II – CBT (Computer Based Exam)
- Tier III – Descriptive paper (Pen and Paper Mode)
- Tier IV – CPT / Data Entry Skill Test / Document Verification
SSC CGL 2021 Tier –I
- Candidates who have successfully applied for SSC CGL 2021 will be eligible to appear for SSC CGL 2021 Tier I examination.
- It will be a computer-based examination of a total of 60 minutes (80 minutes for VH / OH).
- There will be a total of 100 MCQs and each MCQ will be of 2 marks and the total marks will be 200.
- The question paper will be divided into 4 subjects: General Intelligence & Reasoning, General Awareness, Quantitative Aptitude, and English Comprehension.
- Negative marking will be applicable. Candidates will lose 0.50 marks for each incorrect answer.
| Subject | No. of MCQs | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Intelligence Reasoning | 25 | 50 | 60 Min (1 hr 20 min for candidate using scribe) |
| General Awareness | 25 | 50 | |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 25 | 50 | |
| English Comprehension | 25 | 50 | |
| Total | 100 | 200 |
SSC CGL 2021 Tier –II
- Candidates who score minimum cut-off marks to be decided by the Commission in the Tier I CBT will be considered qualified and invited to appear for Tier II and Tier III examinations.
- It will be also a computer-based test of total of 120 minutes for each paper (160 minutes for VH / OH).
- There will be four papers in the Tier-II examination, Paper I and Paper II is common for all the posts. Paper III Statistics is for the post of JSO / Program Implementation & Statistical Investigator and Paper IV GS (Finance & Economics) for Assistant Audit Officer/ Assistant Accounts Officer.
- Negative marking will be present in the Tier-II examination. In Paper I, III & IV, 0.50 marks will be deducted for each incorrect answer. Whereas, in Paper II 0.25 marks will be deducted for each incorrect answer.
| Paper no. | Paper Name | No. of questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | Quantitative Abilities | 100 | 200 | 120 min for each paper (2 hr 40 min for candidate using scribe) |
| II | English Language & Comprehension | 200 | 200 | |
| III | Statistics | 100 | 200 | |
| IV | General Studies (Finance and Economics) | 100 | 200 |
SSC CGL 2021 Tier-III
- Tier III will be conducted in pen & paper mode. It will be a descriptive paper in Hindi/English (writing of Essays/Precis/Letter/Applications )
- Total marks will be 100 and the time duration will be 60 minutes (80 minutes for VH / OH). There will be no negative marking.
| Tier | Exam Mode | Scheme of Exam | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| III | Pen and Paper Mode | Descriptive Test either in Hindi/ English (Writing of Essay/ Precis/ Letter/ Application) | 100 | 60 min (1 hr 20 min for candidate using scribe) |
SSC CGL 2021 Tier –IV
Tier IV will be a skill test/computer proficiency test (wherever applicable)/document verification. The skill test will be conducted by the Commission for the post of Tax Assistants (Central Excise & Income Tax). The Skill Test will be of qualifying nature.
There will be also a physical test for the post of Inspector (Examiner/Preventive Officer/Central Excise/Inspector & Sub-Inspector in CBN). Physical test standards and requirements are given in the official notification.
- Data Entry Speed Test will be held for the post of ‘Tax Assistants post in Central Excise & Income Tax’
- The computer proficiency test will be held for the post of Assistant Section Officer in MEA & AHFQ), CSS, SFIO, Inspector (Examiner, Preventive Officer & Central Excise) in CBIC, and Assistant (GSI) in the ministry of mines
- Document verification will be held for all the posts; candidates qualified for DV will have to appear for DV otherwise they will not be considered for any post at the time of final selection
SSC CGL Syllabus 2021
SSC CGL Syllabus of Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 3, and Tier 4 has been given below.
SSC CGL Tier I Syllabus
| Section name | Syllabus |
|---|---|
| General Intelligence Reasoning | Verbal and non-verbal type MCQs - problem solving, analysis, judgment, decision making, similarities & differences, space visualization, non-verbal series, coding and decoding, statement conclusion, spatial orientation, relationship concepts, arithmetical reasoning & figural classification, discrimination, observation, visual memory, analogies, arithmetic number series, syllogistic reasoning etc. MVQs also will be from the following topics semantic analogy, symbolic/number analogy, number series, figural series, problem solving, classification of centre codes/roll numbers, figural analogy, space orientation, space visualization, semantic classification, semantic series, word building, trends, Venn diagrams, drawing inferences, figural pattern – folding & completion, indexing, address matching, date & city matching, decoding & classification, embedded figures, critical thinking, small & capital letters/numbers coding, emotional/social intelligence, other sub-topics, if any. |
| General Awareness | MCQs in this section will be designed for testing a candidate’s general awareness/knowledge of the things around him. MCQs will also be designed for testing candidate’s knowledge of current events & things of every day observations. The test will also include MCQs relating to India and its neighboring nations especially pertaining Economic Scene, History, Culture, Geography, Scientific Research & General Policy. |
| Quantitative Aptitude | This section may include MCQs on the calculation of whole numbers, decimals, percentage. ratio & proportion, square roots, averages, interest, profit & loss, mixture & allegation, time & work, time and distance, basic algebraic identities of School Algebra & Elementary surds, Graphs of Linear Equations, Triangle and its various kinds of centres, congruence & similarity of triangles, circle & its chords, tangents, angles subtended by chords of a circle, common tangents to two or more circles, , circle, right prism, right circular cone, regular right pyramid with triangular or square base, triangle, quadrilaterals, regular polygons, trigonometric ratio, degree & radian measures, standard identities, Complementary angles, bar diagram & pie chart etc. |
| English Comprehension | This section will have the MCQs for judging candidate’s capability to understand proper English, writing ability & basic comprehension skills. |
SSC CGL Tier-II Syllabus
| Paper no. | Paper name | Indicative syllabus |
|---|---|---|
| I | Quantitative Abilities | Questions will be based on the following topics: computation of whole numbers, percentage, decimals, fractions & relationships between numbers, profit & loss, discount, averages, interest, mixture & allegation, partnership business, congruence & similarity of triangles, basic algebraic identities of school algebra & elementary surds, graphs of linear equations, triangle & its several types of centres, circle & its chords, common tangents to two or more circles, quadrilaterals, regular polygons, degree & radian measures, heights & distances, standard identities, complementary angles, bar diagram, pie chart, histogram, frequency polygon and so on. |
| II | English Language & Comprehension | Questions in this paper will be based on the following topics: improvement of sentences, active/passive voice of verbs, idioms & phrases, one word substitution, spot the error, fill in the blanks, conversion into direct/indirect narration, shuffling of sentence parts, synonyms, antonyms, spelling/detecting mis-spelt words, cloze passage, comprehension passage & shuffling of sentences in a passage |
| III | Statistics | This paper will have the questions from several topics such as collection classification & presentation of statistical data, statistical inference, analysis of variance, time series analysis, index numbers, sampling theory, probability distributions & random variable, probability theory, regression & correlation, Moments, Skewness & Kurtosis, measures of dispersion, measures of central tendency and so on. |
| IV | General Studies (Finance and Economics) | This paper will have the questions from several important topics like Fundamental principles and basic concept of Accounting, Comptroller & Auditor General of India, Finance Commission (role & functions), theory of demand & supply, theory of production & cost, Indian economy, money & banking, economic reforms in India and so on. |
Tier III Syllabus
- Essay
- Precis
- Application
- Letter
Tier IV Syllabus
- CPT – Generation of Slides, SpreadSheet, Word Processing
- DEST – Tax Assistants (Central Excise & Income Tax): 8000 key depressions per hour on the computer
- DEST Skill Test for passage of about 2000 key depressions for the time duration of 15 minutes
Download SSC CGL Syllabus 2021 Pdf
SSC CGL 2021 Selection Process
Candidates will have to qualify each stage separately. After conducting all Tiers of SSC CGL 2021, the commission will prepare a final category-wise merit list. The final merit list will be prepared on the basis of marks obtained by candidates in Tier-I, Tier-II, and Tier-III examinations. SSC will make a national level merit list for each category to recommend candidates for various posts.
Later, appointment letters will be given to the shortlisted candidates on the basis of their post preferences and overall rank obtained in SSC CGL 2021. The selection process of each tier is given below.
Tier –I
- To be selected for Tier II and Tier III examinations, candidates will have to qualify Tier–I examination by scoring cut-off decided by the Commission.
- A separate cut off will be decided in Tier I for Tier II Paper III (Statistics – post of JSO / Program Implementation & Statistical Investigator) and Tier II paper IV (GS – Finance & Economics – post of Assistant Accounts Officer / Assistant Audit Officer). A separate cut off will be decided for all other posts (Paper 1 & 2 common for all posts).
- A negative marking of 0.5 marks will be deducted for each wrong answer.
Tier –II
- Tier – I qualified candidates will get a chance to appear in Tier-II examinations.
- Negative marking is applicable. For paper II 0.5 marks and for the remaining papers 0.25 marks will be deducted for each wrong answer.
- Tier-II and Tier III will be conducted simultaneously.
Tier-III
- On the basis of performance in the Tier I & II examination, candidates will be shortlisted for the Tier III examination
- On the basis of aggregate performance in Tier I & II examination, candidates will be shortlisted for evaluation of Tier III examination
- Those who fail to qualify Tier-II CBE will not be considered for evaluation of Tier III
Tier –IV
- It will be Document Verification and Data Entry Skill Test (DEST) /Computer Proficiency Test (CPT) test of qualifying nature
- Candidates who qualified in Tier I, II & III examinations in aggregate will be shortlisted to appear in DV and Skill tests
SSC CGL Exam Date 2021
SSC CGL Tier I exam will be held between 29th May 2021 and 7th June 2021. The Tier II, III, and IV exam dates will be notified later.
SSC CGL 2021 – Important Books
Below we have listed a few important books that can be useful for an aspirant of SSC CGL 2021.
| Subject | Book name | Publications / Author |
|---|---|---|
| Quantitative Aptitude | Advance Maths for General Competitions | Rakesh Yadav (KD Publications) |
| Arithmetic for General Competitions | Neetu Singh (KD Publications) | |
| English | English for General Competitions: from Plinth to Paramount (Volume 1 & Volume 2) | |
| General Awareness | India Year Book | Several Authors |
| Comprehensive Guide for Tier 1 | Master Guide SSC Combined Graduate Level Tier-I Examination | Arihant Experts |
| Comprehensive Guide for Tier 2 | SSC CGL TIER-II Exam Practice Work Book Including Solved Papers | Kiran Publications |
| All Subjects | Kiran’s SSC CGL Combined Graduate Level Exams Question bank 1999-2016 |
SSC CGL Exam FAQs
Q. What Will Be The Type Of Questions In Tier I Of SSC CGL 2021?
A. Tier I of SSC CGL 2021 will have 100 multiple choice questions for 200 marks.
Q. How Much Time Will Be Given To Solve Paper Of Tier I Examination?
A. 60 minutes (80 minutes for OH / VH).
Q. What Will Be The Mode Of Examination Of Tier II?
A. Tier-II examination of SSC CGL 2021 will be conducted in online mode i.e. computer-based test.
Q. Is There Any Interview In SSC CGL Exam?
A. No, there will no interview in SSC CGL 2021.
Q. Is There Negative Marking In SSC CGL Exam?
A. Yes, there will be negative marking in both Tier I & Tier II CBTs. In Tier I, 0.25 marks will be deducted for every incorrect answer whereas in Tier II, 0.25 marks for every incorrect answer in Paper I and 0.50 marks for every incorrect answer in Paper I, Paper III, and Paper-IV will be deducted.
Q. What Are The Criteria To Evaluate Tier III Paper?
A. Tier III Paper will be evaluated only if the candidate score prescribed aggregate marks in Tier I and Tier II.