ELIGIBILITY
Eligibility criteria for SSC CGL differs from post to post, as is advertised from time to time.
Broad indicators of eligibility are mentioned below.
Nationality: Candidates must be a citizen of India, Bhutan, Nepal or Tibetan refugees coming to India before January 1962.
Age: Based on the year-wise pattern, here is a list of age requirements, department-wise.
| AGE | DEPARTMENT |
|---|---|
| Not exceeding 30 years | Intelligence Bureau (IB) |
| Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) | |
| Officers under CAG | |
| National Investigation Agency (NIA) | |
| Directorate of Enforcement, Department of Revenue | |
| 20-30 years | Central Secretariat Service |
| Ministry of Railway | |
| Ministry of External Affairs | |
| Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) | |
| Up to 32 years | Ministry of Statistics of Program & Implementation (MoSPI) |
Qualifications: Based on previous year-wise pattern, here is a list of qualifications required for certain posts:
| POST | BASIC QUALIFICATION |
|---|---|
| Statistical Investigator- Grade B | Bachelor’s Degree from any recognized University with a minimum of 60% in Mathematics in Class 12th |
| Assistant Audit Officer | Bachelor’s Degree in any subject from a recognized University OR CA/CS/MBA/Cost & Management Accountant/ Masters in Commerce/ Masters in Business Studies |
| Assistant Section Officer | Bachelor’s Degree from a recognized University/Institute (Depending on the advertised post, candidates may also have to qualify in Computer Proficiency Test) |
| All other posts | Bachelor’s Degree in any discipline from a recognized University or Institute |
However, it is advisable to check current year notification from the official website of SSC to view exact eligibility criteria specified.
EXAM PATTERN
The SSC CGL (Staff Selection Commission Combined Graduate Level) examination consists of three tiers, each with its specific exam pattern:
Tier 1
The first round of the SSC CGL examination is conducted in a computer-based examination (CBE) mode. It comprises four sections: General Intelligence & Reasoning, General Awareness, Quantitative Aptitude, and English Comprehension. In this tier, candidates must answer a total of 100 questions, with a maximum possible score of 200 marks. There is a time limit of 60 minutes to complete the entire paper. Notably, there is a penalty for incorrect responses, with 0.50 marks deducted for each wrong answer. Marks obtained in Tier 1 are used for shortlisting candidates for Tier 2.
Tier 2
Round 2 is also conducted in a Computer-Based Examination (CBE) mode and comprises four papers:
- Paper-I Quantitative Abilities: This paper assesses candidates’ mathematical and quantitative skills.
- Paper-II English Language and Comprehension: This paper evaluates candidates’ proficiency in English and their ability to comprehend written text.
- Paper-III Statistics: This paper is specifically for candidates applying for certain statistical investigator positions and assesses their knowledge of statistics.
- Paper-IV General Studies-Finance & Economics: Reserved for Assistant Audit Officer and Assistant Accounts Officer posts, this paper focuses on finance and economics topics.
Candidates are allowed a duration of 2 hours for each paper. It is important to note that there is negative marking, where 0.25 marks are deducted for each incorrect answer in Paper-I, Paper-II, and Paper-III, while Paper-IV incurs a negative marking of 0.50 marks per incorrect response.
Tier 3
Round 3 is in Pen and Paper mode, and is descriptive in nature. It includes an essay writing paper, in English or Hindi, of 100 marks. Candidates get 60 minutes as the total duration for the paper. This stage evaluates the candidate’s writing skills and language proficiency.
The final selection for SSC CGL is based on the cumulative performance of the candidate in Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3. Depending on the advertised post, candidates may have to appear for a Tier 4 exam, consisting of a Computer Proficiency Test (CPT) which evaluates Data entry skills and typing speeds of candidates.
