SSC CGL Syllabus 2026

What is SSC CGL?

SSC CGL (Staff Selection Commission Combined Graduate Level) is one of the largest government recruitment exams in India, conducted by SSC to fill Group B and Group C posts in various central government ministries, departments and organisations.

Popular posts recruited through CGL: Income Tax Inspector, Central Excise Inspector, Assistant Audit Officer, Sub-Inspector (CBI), Statistical Investigator, Junior Statistical Officer, Compiler, Divisional Accountant, Assistant Section Officer.

Eligibility: Any graduation degree from a recognised university. Age: 18–27 years for most posts (relaxation for OBC/SC/ST/PwBD). Nationality: Indian citizen.

SSC CGL 2026 Notification: Typically released in April–May 2026. Tier 1 exam: September–October 2026. Approximately 25–35 lakh candidates appear each year.

SSC CGL Exam Pattern 2026

SSC CGL from 2023 onwards has two tiers (Tier 3 abolished for most posts):

Tier 1 (Computer Based Exam): 4 sections × 25 questions = 100 questions. 2 marks per question. Total: 200 marks. Duration: 60 minutes. Negative marking: 0.5 marks per wrong answer. Subjects: General Intelligence and Reasoning, General Awareness, Quantitative Aptitude, English Comprehension.

Tier 2 (Computer Based Exam): Paper I (Mandatory for all posts): Module 1 — Mathematical Abilities (30 questions, 90 marks), Module 2 — Reasoning and General Intelligence (30 questions, 90 marks), Module 3 — English Language and Comprehension (45 questions, 135 marks), Module 4 — General Awareness (25 questions, 75 marks), Module 5 — Computer Knowledge (20 questions, 60 marks). Total: 150 questions, 450 marks. Time: 2 hours 30 minutes (with section-specific time limits).

Paper II (For JSO/Statistical Investigator posts): Statistics — 100 questions, 200 marks. Paper III (For AAO/Assistant Audit Officer post): Finance and Economics — 100 questions, 200 marks.

General Intelligence and Reasoning Syllabus

This section tests logical and analytical ability. No subject-specific knowledge required — pure reasoning.

Tier 1 topics: Analogies, Similarities and Differences, Space Visualization, Spatial Orientation, Problem Solving, Analysis, Judgement, Decision Making, Visual Memory, Discrimination, Observation, Relationship Concepts, Arithmetical Reasoning, Verbal and Figure Classification, Arithmetic Number Series, Non-Verbal Series.

Specific question types frequently appearing: Blood Relations, Coding-Decoding, Series (Number, Alphabet, Figure), Direction Sense, Matrix Questions, Word Building, Seating Arrangement, Syllogisms, Venn Diagrams, Paper Folding/Cutting.

Tier 2 additions: Statement and Conclusions, Statement and Assumptions, Analytical Reasoning, Input-Output (Machine Input), Data Sufficiency, Critical Reasoning.

Quantitative Aptitude Syllabus

Tests numerical ability at approximately Class 10 Maths level.

Arithmetic (high weightage): Number System (HCF, LCM, factors, divisibility), Percentage, Profit and Loss, Simple and Compound Interest, Ratio and Proportion, Mixture and Alligation, Time and Work, Time, Speed and Distance, Pipes and Cisterns, Average.

Algebra: Basic algebraic identities, linear equations, quadratic equations, polynomials.

Geometry: Lines and angles, triangles (properties, similarity, congruence), circles, quadrilaterals, polygons. Area and perimeter.

Mensuration: Area/volume of cylinder, cone, sphere, hemisphere, cuboid, cube, prism, pyramid.

Trigonometry: Trigonometric ratios, complementary angles, heights and distances, trigonometric identities.

Data Interpretation: Tables, bar charts, pie charts, line graphs — reading and calculating from data.

Statistics (Tier 2 Paper II): Mean, median, mode, standard deviation, variance, probability distributions, sampling, hypothesis testing, correlation, regression.

English Language and Comprehension Syllabus

Tests English language proficiency at graduate level.

Vocabulary: Synonyms, Antonyms, One-word substitution, Idioms and Phrases, Spelling/Detecting misspelt words, Fill in the blanks (vocabulary).

Grammar: Error Spotting (identifying grammatical errors in sentences), Sentence Improvement (choosing the best version of an underlined sentence), Active/Passive Voice, Direct/Indirect Speech, Para Jumbles (rearranging sentences into a coherent paragraph), Sentence Completion.

Comprehension: Unseen passage followed by questions testing inference, comprehension and vocabulary.

Tier 2 additions: Cloze test, Reading Comprehension (longer passages), Sentence/Para Completion, Summary Writing.

General Awareness Syllabus

Tests awareness of current events, history, geography, economics and general science.

Current Affairs: National and international events of the last 6–12 months. Awards and honours, sports, summits, government schemes, appointments.

History: Ancient India, Medieval India, Modern India (Indian National Movement). Art and Culture.

Geography: Indian geography (rivers, mountains, states, resources), World geography (continents, countries, climate).

Polity: Indian Constitution, Parliament, Judiciary, Panchayati Raj, State government structure, Fundamental Rights and Duties, Directive Principles.

Economy: GDP, inflation, Five-Year Plans, government budget concepts, banking (RBI, functions), tax system, economic organisations (WTO, IMF, World Bank).

Science (General): Physics and Chemistry basics — fundamental concepts, common phenomena, inventions. Biology — human body, diseases, nutrition. Computer basics — hardware, software, internet, MS Office.

Preparation Strategy for SSC CGL 2026

Timeline: 6–8 months of focused preparation is typically sufficient for a first attempt. Begin by September 2025 for a 2026 exam.

Quantitative Aptitude: This is the highest differentiator. Practice daily — at least 30 problems per day. Start with NCERT Class 9–10 Maths for foundation, then move to Rakesh Yadav or R.S. Aggarwal for CGL-specific practice. Speed and accuracy both matter.

Reasoning: Can be learnt quickly with practice. 30–45 minutes of daily reasoning problems is sufficient. Focus on Coding-Decoding, Blood Relations, Number Series and Analogies — these appear most frequently.

English: Read one English newspaper daily (The Hindu or Indian Express). Focus on vocabulary (10 new words daily) and grammar rules (error spotting requires knowing grammar). Practice RC passages under timed conditions.

General Awareness: Follow a monthly GK capsule for current affairs. For static GK (History/Geography/Polity/Economy), use Lucent's General Knowledge book — it is the standard reference for SSC GK.

Mock Tests: Start sectional mocks from month 3; full mock tests from month 5 onwards. Analyse wrong answers carefully — most CGL aspirants repeat the same types of mistakes.