SSC CGL Preparation Strategy 2021, Strategies & Study Material

SSC CGL exam is conducted every year for the recruitment of candidates in various Grade‘B’ and ‘C’ posts in different departments and ministries under the Government of India. This article will provide you with information regarding SSC CGL 2021 and help you devise a strategy that shall give you the impetus required to ace the exam. Download SSC CGL Question Papers.

Candidates must check the SSC CGL Syllabus before starting to prepare for the SSC CGL exam. SSC CGL recruitment comprises 4 tiers. While the first two tiers are computer-based objective examinations, the third tier is a descriptive pen and paper-based examination to be conducted in both English and Hindi.

Latest Update:

• August 3, 2021: Improve Your SSC CGL Tier-1 2021 Score,

Table of Contents CGL Tier I Preparation Tips 1.1 General Intelligence & Reasoning 1.2 General Awareness 1.3 Quantitative Aptitude 1.4 English CGL Tier II Preparation Tips 2.1 English 2.2 Statistics 2.3 General Studies CGL Tier III Preparation Tips 3.1 Descriptive Paper CGL Tier IV Preparation Tips 4.1 Computer Proficiency Test 4.2 Data Entry Speed Test CGL Best Books SSC CGL FAQs

There is an additional tier IV consisting of DEST (Data Entry Skill Test) and CPT (Computer Proficiency Test) for selective posts. The aspirants should be aware of the SSC CGL Exam Pattern 2020-21. Candidates can also download the best app for SSC CGL Preparation. Also, check Upcoming SSC Exam Dates 2021

SSC CGL Preparation Tips 2020-21 for Tier I Exam

How to Prepare General Intelligence and Reasoning for SSC CGL Exam 2020-21 Tier I

• Solve SSC CGL Practice Set of last year’s question papers as much as possible.
• Practice GI and Reasoning questions every day.
• Topics like puzzles, figure-based questions, analogy, coding-decoding, series, are particularly scoring. Start solving these and then, move on to more versatile questions. You will witness a significant improvement in your accuracy within a few weeks if you practice regularly.
• Non-verbal reasoning topics like image assembling, figure-counting, etc. demand you to employ visual imagination. Do not skip or ignore these questions as they may seem time-consuming to you initially. Practicing them is the best way to make them less time-consuming.
• While practicing, you should aim at attempting at least 15-20 questions in 20 minutes with reasonable accuracy. In the exam as well, trying to complete this section is not more than 20 minutes.
• If you find any difficulty to solve any particular question on the exam day or if you need much time to solve one question, then you are suggested to move to the next one. Do not waste your precious time solving one question. If time permits, then come back and solve that left one question.

Check SSC CGL Verbal Ability Quiz – Reading Comprehension

How to Prepare General Awareness for SSC CGL 2020-21 Tier I

General Awareness (GA) is observed to be the most scoring section of the exam in recent years.

• If you start preparing this section thoroughly two months before the exam, it will not take you more than 10 minutes to finish this section. You can utilize the time saved here for doing calculations in Quantitative Aptitude.
• This section mostly consists of more questions from Static GK than current affairs. Thus, focus more on static GK and concurrently stay in touch with the current affairs.
• Prepare the subjects in the order of priority mentioned here; it is in accordance with the trends observed in the last few years. Science> Polity> History> Geography> Economy> Miscellaneous
• Static GK is related to Culture, Indian History, Economy, Geography (India + World), Polity, and Environment.
• Avoid cramming. Make notes and mind maps to remember facts, a chronology of historical events, and dates.
• Try attempting at least 75 questions of GA every day in a span of 30 minutes.
• Current Affairs App: At the time of a revision, you can go through the well-structured notes and capsules in this app which can be beneficial for SSC CGL preparation tips. It offers good quality daily/weekly/monthly quizzes to the aspirants.
• When it comes to General Awareness, revision is the key to success.
• The aspirants should make a habit of reading newspapers, blogs, and magazines on a regular basis.
• To memorize the facts and events, the candidates can make notes on the important current affairs.

Go through the following quick links:

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How to Prepare Quantitative Aptitude for SSC CGL 2020-21 Tier I

Quantitative Aptitude (QA) is the toughest and most time-consuming segment of this exam.

• It is recommended to follow SSC CGL study materials for understanding every concept properly and short tricks to save time in exams.
• Begin with topics like percentage; profit and loss; speed, distance and time; boat and stream questions; ratio and proportion; data interpretation, etc.
• Formulate a list of all shortcuts, formulae, concepts, and tips. Shortcut tricks can help you big time in Quantitative Aptitude.
• Focus on topics like simplification, age problems, interest, percentages, ratio, and proportion as they are simple and quite scoring.
• Memorize all important formulae by heart. Solve an array of questions so you are aware of your strong and weak areas.
• The aspirants need to work more on the basics and should learn the short cut methods to increase the calculation speed, so that they can learn the management of time properly.
• Try to allow at least 2 hours every day to practice questions from QA.
• In the exam, do not devote more than 25 minutes to this section.

Read Quantitative Aptitude Quiz for SSC CGL Tier II

How to Prepare English Section for SSC CGL 2020-21 Tier I

• The three key aspects that you need to efficiently prepare for SSC CGL Tier I English test are vocabulary, grammar, and comprehension. Half the battle is won if you achieve proficiency in vocabulary and grammar.
• The aspirants should increase their comprehension skills by reading the featured stories and opinion pieces in editorials and magazines etc.
• The pattern and questions in this exam are repeated time and again. Thus, thorough preparation can help you wrap up this whole section in not more than 20 minutes.
• Practice at least 2 comprehension passages each day. Whenever you come across a new word, look for its meaning, synonyms, and antonyms.
• Skim through the newspapers daily.

SSC CGL Preparation Tips 2020-21 for Tier II Exam

How to Prepare English Language and Comprehension Paper for SSC CGL Tier II

SSC CGL Tier IIEnglish Language Paper has 200 questions carrying 1 mark each. The duration of this paper is 2 hours.

• 0.25 marks will be deducted for every incorrect answer. So if you are not confident about a particular question, it is preferable not to attempt it.
• The pattern of this section is very similar to that of tier Ibut the level of difficulty is much higher.
• Nearly 40- 50% of the question is based on grammar. So, if you are adept in the language you will not face difficulty in attempting this paper.
• Read newspapers with attention to detail.Practice the questions given in the books on grammar and last year’s question papers.

Check how to prepare for Tier II in 30 days.

How to Prepare Statistics Paper for SSC CGL 2020-21 Tier II

SSC CGL Tier II Statistics Paper has 100 questions carrying one mark each. The duration of this paper is 2 hours. Each correct answer will fetch 2 marks while ½ a mark will be deducted for every incorrect answer.

• SSC CGL – Statistics Tier – II (Paper – 3) Practice Work Book is a comprehensive book for students preparing for SSC CGL exams. It is based on the new pattern and comprises solved papers of exams held in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013.
• Focus on important topics like skewness and kurtosis, correlation and regression, probability theory, time series analysis, sampling theory, statistical inference, etc.

How to Prepare General Studies (Finance and Economics) Paper for SSC CGL 2020-21 Tier II

With the introduction of the new post of Assistant Audit Officer (AAO), Paper 4 has been added to CGL Tier II. The duration of this paper is 120 minutes. It will consist of 100 questions of 2 marks each. 0.5 mark will be deducted for an incorrect answer.

1. This paper does not involve the application of formulae and tricks or cramming vocabulary which takes a lot of time. It is easy to learn and score in Economics and Finance with accuracy.
2. Prepare thorough definitions and concepts pertaining to Indian and world economies. It takes hardly 2-3 seconds to answer questions based on them.
3. Candidates should have the knowledge of basic topics of class XI and XII like national income and aggregates, foreign exchange demand, supply, economic development, the balance of payment, and national and international financial institutions.
4. This paper holds maximum weightage in the general awareness section. About 3-5 questions are asked from this section. Here are the topics you should cover at any cost as it is observed that approximately 7-10 questions are based on them in SSC exam:
   • Five Year Plans
   • Indian Tax Structure
   • Money and Banking
   • Economic Terms
   • Economic Reforms in India

Tier III Tips

SSC CGL Preparation Tips for 2020-21 Tier III – Descriptive Paper

SSC CGL Tier III is a newly added tier in lieu of the interview conducted for various posts till last year. It is also aimed at assessing candidates’ ability to manage official communication and correspondence. Candidates have to write an Essay/Precis/Letter /Application Writing in the examination.APPLY NOWCHECK ELIGIBILITYGET UPDATES

Tips to Prepare for SSC CGL 2020-21 Tier III

1. This paper is introduced to assess the writing skills of candidates. The best strategy for this paper is to practice. The more you write, the better you get.
2. Good content and the ability to provide a proper structure to content are significant to write an essay or letter. If you practice, then both these skills can be improved over time.
3. There will be an essay/letter/ application/precise writing in the exam. So, practice writing essays as it will build your confidence.
4. Read the newspaper every day to comprehend the efficacious way of writing and be aware of the latest crucial happenings. Analyze how the paragraphs are connected to each other and the approach that the editor has taken. Some of the useful English Newspapers are highlighted in the following, which are essential for SSC CGL Preparation 2020-21
   1. The Hindu
   2. The Telegraph
   3. The Hindustan Times
   4. The Indian Express
5. Read the editorial section of an established newspaper and try to contrive your own arguments pertaining to the topics.
6. Buy a good book that contains a number of essays as it will provide you good content on important topics and enhance your vocabulary.

Tier IV Tips

SSC CGL Preparation Tips for 2020-21 Tier IV Exam

SSC CGL Tier IV exam is held after the declaration of the Tier III result of the Combined Graduate Level Exam (CGL). Candidates who successfully qualify the Tier III exam are eligible for the Tier IV exam. Hence the aspirants should get the basic SSC CGL Cutoff score to appear for the tier IV exam.

It comprises two types of tests i.e Computer Proficiency Test (CPT) and Data Entry Speed Test (DEST). The objective is to test your ability to do basic tasks such as type correctly at a reasonable speed and your knowledge of fundamental office software tools like Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Computer Proficiency Test (CPT)

CPT includes the following three modules:

1. Word Processing: You will be given an English passage; 2000 key depressions have to be made in 15 minutes. This is not difficultif you practice typing daily.
2. Spread Sheet: In this module, the students will be asked to perform basic mathematical operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division on the Microsoft Excel sheet. For this, they should well-versed with the basic knowledge of Microsoft Excel.
3. Generation of slides: The students will be asked to create slides on Microsoft Powerpoint. To do well, it is necessaryto have an understanding of header, footer, inserting date and time and foundational skills of Microsoft Powerpoint.

Data Entry Speed Test (DEST)

DEST consists of only a typing test wherein the students have to make 2000 key depressions in 15 minutes. It is a speed test that can be cleared without a hitch with regular practice.CGL books

Best Books to Crack SSC CGL exam 2020-21

Books are the best resources to prepare for the exams. It helps the candidates to build in-depth knowledge before appearing for the exam. To crack the SSC CGL exam at one go, the aspirants should pick the right books for study. To know more about the subject wise books for preparing the SSC CGL exam, cgl FAQs

SSC CGL FAQs

Ques. From where can I find the detailed syllabus of the SSC CGL exam?

Ans: Candidates can access the syllabus by visiting the official website of SSC CGL – ssc.nic.in. Tier I and Tier II are online examinations consisting of different subjects, Tier III is a descriptive paper that can be answered in Hindi and English language. Check Detailed SSC CGL Syllabus

Ques. Will I be able to prepare for both the SSC CGL and IBPS simultaneously?

Ans: Yes. You can prepare for both at the same time because the syllabus for these exams is nearly the same.

Ques. I am already preparing for Civil Services. Could I prepare for SSC CGL exam at the same time?

Ans: Yes, in both of these exams, you will have to prepare Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning and Unseen Passages.

Ques. In how many months will I be able to prepare for the SSC CGL exam?

Ans: If you could dedicate 5-6 hours a day, you will be able to cover the entire syllabus in good terms in around 3-4 months.

Ques. What are the sources of best study material for preparing for the SSC CGL exam?

Ans: You may check out the online tutorials, web blogs and papers of previous years. Those are really beneficial.

Ques. How many questions from the General Intelligence section should I practice before attempting the SSC CGL exam?

Ans: It is recommended to practice at least 50 reasoning questions every day and at least 2000 questions before attempting the real exam.

Ques. What are the most scoring topics that I should prepare for Tier I?

Ans: You should focus more on puzzles, analogy, coding-decoding, series, and figure-based questions, but also cover up the remaining topics.

Ques. How much time should I spend in attempting the General Intelligence & Reasoning section of Tier I?

Ans: You should practice well to attempt this section in around 20 minutes.

Ques: How much time should I spend on each question of the General Intelligence & Reasoning section of Tier I?

Ans: You should not spend over a minute on each question in this section.

Ques: How much time should I spend in attempting the Quantitative Aptitude section of Tier I?

Ans: You should practice well to attempt this section is not more than 25 minutes.

Ques. Which section of Tier I should I attempt first?

Ans: You should start attempting the Tier I paper with the easier sections like General Awareness.

Ques. How much time should I spend in attempting the English Language section of Tier I?

Ans: The English Language Section should not take more than 15 minutes.

Ques. What should be the first step while attempting the English Language section of Tier I?

Ans: You must attempt the Reading Comprehension part at the beginning very quickly.

Ques. Does SSC CGL have Negative marking?

Ans: Yes, the exam has a concept of negative marking. Your incorrect attempt would bring your score to a downside.

Ques. What is the most important tip for preparing Tier I and II in SSC CGL?

Ans: You must cover all the topics and work hard on time management.

Ques. Is there a sectional time limit in the Tier I exam?

Ans: There is no sectional time limit.

Ques. Can I switch between sections while attempting Tier I?

Ans: Yes, you can.

Ques. What could I do to be updated on the current affairs?

Ans: Read any English newspaper on a daily basis. Also, subscribe to any monthly GK magazine and go through it.

Ques. I am not very familiar with computers. How could I prepare for the SSC CGL exam, as the first two levels will be online based?

Ans: Try to attempt as many mock tests as you can. This will surely enhance your speed.

*The article might have information for the previous academic years, please refer the official website of the exam.