How to Prepare for SSC CGL | Preparation Tips & Tricks

The SSC CGL exam is competitive. It is conducted every year to select the candidates for different Grade ‘B’ and ‘C’ posts in different departments and ministries under the Indian government. You have to prepare a plan to crack the exam. 

Preparation tips and tricks for the SSC CGL exam

A few tips are given here that will help you to prepare for the SSC CGL exam, one of the in-demand upcoming government exams:

Regular practice

Regular practice makes a man perfect. Practice previous year’s paper and mock tests daily. This will improve your speed and accuracy.  Usually, some questions are repeated from the previous year’s papers. 

Make a study plan

Make a proper study plan and timetable. Divide your time so that you can practice different sections of question paper each day. 

Practice important topics

You can do a chapter-wise analysis and focus on the important topics first. Though it is necessary to practice all topics, your main focus should be on the important topics. You can visit the official website of SSC CGL to find the detailed syllabus of the SSC CGL exam.

Focus on your weak points

You should focus on your weak topics and spend more time improving them. It will help you to get a good hold on all topics. 

Rule of elimination

Read the complete question and see what is being asked. You can make mistakes by reading incomplete questions. Use a method of elimination for confusing questions and this will help you to find the correct answer. 

Avoid guesswork

If you are not sure about an answer, avoid doing guesswork. It will lead to marking wrong answers and will reduce your score. If you are not sure about the answer, you can leave it and move on to the next question. Do not waste too much time on one question. 

Time management

During the exam, it is important to manage your time. Spend more time on the topics or sections on which you have a strong hand. There is no time limit for each section but you can increase your score by doing the best ones first. 

Important points to follow when preparing for the SSC CGL exam

Keep the following points in mind when preparing for the SSC CGL exam:

• You should have detailed knowledge and information on the exam pattern and syllabus. Make sure you have correct knowledge of both. 
• Find out your weak and strong points and make a study plan accordingly. The study plan should be practical and it should meet your needs. 
• Spend enough time for exam preparation. You should spend at least 8-10 hours on exam preparation. 
• Practice is important. Practice as much as you can. This will not only increase your speed but will also help manage your time.  Solve previous year’s papers as much as you can. 

Things to avoid when preparing for SSC CGL

 You should avoid a few things when preparing for the SSC CGL exam:

• Avoid doing guesswork when attempting free mock tests. Mark only those questions for which you are sure. Some candidates do a lot of guesswork to increase their score but it does more harm than good. 
• All sections of the exam are equally important. Avoid giving much importance to any particular topic. Each section carries equal marks. You can crack the paper only if you score well in all sections. 
• Avoid using shortcut methods. You should know the basics. Use the right strategy for solving each question. Using short-cut methods can lead you into trouble. 
• Many candidates fail to use their time properly. They waste a lot of time on a particular section which is not good. You should try to spend equal time on each section to score high in the exam. 

Exam pattern for SSC CGL

SSC CGL exam is conducted in four levels : Tier I, Tier II, Tier III, and Tier IV. The first Tiers are held in online mode and Tier III is in offline mode. Tier IV is a computer proficiency test or data entry skill test.  In Tier I, there are a total of 4 sections having 100 questions. The total marks for Tier I are 200 and the time assigned is 60 minutes. 

What to prepare for the SSC CGL exam?

In this part, we will discuss how to prepare subject-wise for the SSC CGL exam. 

English preparation

Many people find this part difficult. For English preparation, revise grammar rules, make your vocabulary strong, and take tests. In English, you will get vocabulary questions, grammar, and reading comprehension. 

Quantitative Aptitude Preparation

Some people fear this section the most. Some candidates who practice it daily have a good understanding of this part but others who do not know the basic concepts find it difficult to comprehend. Study the topics in detail to score good marks in this part. 

General Intelligence and Reasoning preparation

The reasoning is easy and helps to score well. Try to attempt easy questions first and then move to the difficult ones. Practice it daily and analyze your score. Learn the tricks used to solve the questions. 

General awareness preparation

It is best to analyze the previous year’s papers for preparing this section.  Read the newspaper to stay updated with the latest news. Focus on more important topics such as polity, economics, and modern history in this section. 

SSC CGL is an entrance exam. You need proper planning and effective strategies to crack this exam. Hard work, dedication, practice, time management, and consistency can help you achieve success. If you study for 6-7 hours daily, you can finish the entire syllabus in 3-4 months.