Dreaming of a prestigious government job through the SSC Combined Graduate Level (CGL) examination? Cracking this highly competitive exam requires dedication, strategy, and a crystal-clear understanding of the syllabus. Consider this guide your compass, navigating you through the intricacies of the SSC CGL syllabus, empowering you to prepare effectively and confidently step towards your goal.

Understanding the syllabus isn’t just about listing topics; it’s about grasping the depth and breadth of knowledge expected. It’s the blueprint upon which your preparation strategy will be built. Let’s break down the syllabus tier by tier, transforming confusion into clarity and apprehension into motivation!

(Before diving deep, you might want to understand the overall SSC CGL Exam Pattern and Selection Process to see how this syllabus fits into the bigger picture.)

SSC CGL Tier-I Syllabus: The Foundation Stone

Tier-I serves as the initial screening stage, testing your fundamental aptitude across various domains. The questions are designed to assess your general intelligence, awareness, quantitative skills, and English comprehension, generally at a level commensurate with Graduation (except for Quantitative Aptitude, which is at the 10th standard level). Subject wise list of topics is as under:

General Intelligence & Reasoning

This section gauges your logical and analytical thinking abilities through both verbal and non-verbal questions. Expect to encounter:

Analogies: Semantic, Symbolic/Number, Figural.
Classification: Semantic, Symbolic/Number, Figural.
Series: Semantic, Number, Figural.
Problem Solving & Analysis: Includes judgment, decision making, critical thinking.
Coding & Decoding: Including letters and numbers.
Spatial Reasoning: Space visualization, orientation, Venn diagrams, figural pattern folding/unfolding/completion, embedded figures.
Other Key Areas: Relationship concepts, arithmetical reasoning, arithmetic number series, statement conclusion, syllogistic reasoning, word building, numerical/symbolic operations, trends, drawing inferences, address/date/city matching, emotional/social intelligence.

General Awareness

Stay updated! This section tests your awareness of the world around you, focusing on current events and matters of everyday observation with a scientific perspective. Key areas include:

Current Events: National and international importance.
India and its Neighbours: History, Culture, Geography, Economic Scene.
General Polity & Scientific Research.

Quantitative Aptitude

This section assesses your numerical ability and number sense. The scope covers computation of whole numbers, decimals, fractions, and relationships between numbers. Topics include:

Category	Topics	Standard Level
Arithmetic	Percentages, Ratio & Proportion, Square roots, Averages, Interest (Simple & Compound), Profit & Loss, Discount, Partnership Business, Mixture & Alligation, Time & Distance, Time¹ & Work.	10th Standard
Algebra	Basic algebraic identities (School Algebra), Elementary surds, Graphs of Linear Equations.	10th Standard
Geometry	Triangle (including centres, congruence, similarity), Circle (chords, tangents, angles), Quadrilaterals, Regular Polygons.	10th Standard
Mensuration	Triangle, Quadrilaterals, Regular Polygons, Circle, Right Prism, Right Circular Cone, Right Circular Cylinder, Sphere, Hemispheres, Rectangular Parallelepiped, Regular Right Pyramid (triangle/square base).	10th Standard
Trigonometry	Trigonometric ratios, Degree/Radian Measures, Standard Identities, Complementary angles, Heights & Distances.	10th Standard
Data Interp.	Histogram, Frequency polygon, Bar diagram & Pie chart.	10th Standard

English Comprehension

Your ability to understand correct English, basic comprehension, and writing ability is tested here. Focus on grammar, vocabulary, and reading comprehension skills.

SSC CGL Tier-II Syllabus: The Decisive Stage

Tier-II dives deeper, demanding specialized knowledge and advanced application skills. It consists of multiple papers, with Paper-I being compulsory for all posts.

Paper-I (Compulsory for all posts)

Section-I:

Module-I: Mathematical Abilities: This builds upon Tier-I quant but requires deeper understanding.
- Number Systems: Whole numbers, Decimals, Fractions, Relationships.
- Fundamental Arithmetical Operations: Percentages, Ratio, Proportion, Square roots, Averages, Interest (SI & CI), Profit & Loss, Discount, Partnership, Mixture & Alligation, Time & distance, Time & work.
- Algebra: Basic identities, Elementary surds, Graphs of Linear Equations.
- Geometry: Triangles (centres, congruence, similarity), Circles (chords, tangents, angles, common tangents).
- Mensuration: Triangles, Quadrilaterals, Polygons, Circle, Prism, Cone, Cylinder, Sphere, Hemispheres, Parallelepiped, Pyramid.
- Trigonometry: Ratios, Complementary angles, Heights & distances (simple), Standard Identities (like sin2θ+cos2θ=1).
- Statistics & Probability: Tables/Graphs (Histogram, Frequency polygon, Bar-diagram, Pie-chart), Measures of central tendency (mean, median, mode), standard deviation, simple probabilities. (Note: Questions are Matriculation Level )
Module-II: Reasoning and General Intelligence: Similar topics as Tier-I but potentially with increased complexity. Includes Semantic/Symbolic/Figural Analogy, Symbolic operations, Trends, Space Orientation, Semantic/Symbolic/Number/Figural Classification, Venn Diagrams, Drawing inferences, Pattern folding/unfolding, Series (Semantic, Figural, Number), Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, Emotional/Social Intelligence, Word Building, Coding/Decoding, Numerical operations.

Section-II:

Module-I: English Language and Comprehension: Focuses on advanced grammar, vocabulary, and comprehension skills (10+2 Level).
- Core Skills: Vocabulary, grammar, sentence structure, synonyms, antonyms, correct usage.
- Question Types: Spot the Error, Fill in the Blanks, Synonyms/Homonyms, Antonyms, Spellings/Mis-spelt words, Idioms & Phrases, One-word substitution, Sentence Improvement, Active/Passive Voice, Direct/Indirect Narration, Sentence/Passage Shuffling, Cloze Passage, Comprehension Passages.
- Comprehension: Expect multiple paragraphs (at least three), including one simple one (book/story based) and others on current affairs (report/editorial based).
Module-II: General Awareness: Similar scope as Tier-I but requires deeper knowledge. Tests awareness of the environment, current events, everyday science, India and neighbours (History, Culture, Geography, Economy), General Policy, and Scientific Research.

Section-III:

Module-I: Computer Proficiency: Assesses basic computer literacy.
- Computer Basics: Organization (CPU, I/O devices), Memory, Backup devices, PORTS, Windows Explorer, Keyboard shortcuts.
- Software: Windows OS, MS Office basics (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
- Internet & Email: Browse, Searching, Downloading/Uploading, Email Account Management, e-Banking.
- Networking & Cyber Security: Devices, protocols, threats (hacking, virus, worms, Trojan), preventive measures.

Paper-II: Statistics (Only for JSO/Statistical Investigator Grade-II posts)

This paper tests specialized knowledge in Statistics (Graduation Level). Key areas include:

Data Collection, Classification, Presentation.
Measures of Central Tendency (Mean, Median, Mode, Partition Values).
Measures of Dispersion (Range, Deviations).
Moments, Skewness, Kurtosis.
Correlation and Regression (Simple, Spearman’s rank, Multiple/Partial for 3 variables).
Probability Theory (Definitions, Conditional, Compound, Independent Events, Bayes’ theorem).
Random Variables & Probability Distributions (Expectation, Variance, Binomial, Poisson, Normal, Exponential, Joint distribution).
Sampling Theory (Population, Sample, Parameter, Statistic, Errors, Sampling Techniques, Sampling distribution, Sample size).
Statistical Inference (Estimation, Hypothesis Testing using Z, t, Chi-square, F statistics, Confidence intervals).
Analysis of Variance (ANOVA – one-way and two-way).
Time Series Analysis (Components, Trend, Seasonal Variation).
Index Numbers (Meaning, Construction, Types, Formulae, Base Shifting, Cost of Living Index).

Paper-III: General Studies – Finance and Economics (Only for AAO posts)

This paper requires graduation-level knowledge in Finance, Accounts, Economics, and Governance.

Part A: Finance and Accounts (80 Marks)

Fundamental Principles: Financial Accounting (Nature, scope, limitations, concepts, conventions, GAAP).
Basic Concepts: Single/double entry, Books of Original Entry, Bank Reconciliation, Journal, Ledgers, Trial Balance, Error Rectification, Manufacturing/Trading/P&L Appropriation A/c, Balance Sheet, Capital vs Revenue Expenditure, Depreciation, Inventory Valuation, NPO Accounts, Bills of Exchange, Self-Balancing Ledgers.

Part B: Economics and Governance (120 Marks)

Constitutional Bodies: Comptroller & Auditor General (CAG) – Role, responsibility; Finance Commission – Role, functions.
Micro Economics: Definition, scope, nature, methods, central problems, PPC.
Demand & Supply: Meaning, determinants, Law of Demand/Supply, Elasticity (price, income, cross), Consumer Behaviour (Marshallian & Indifference curve).
Production & Cost: Factors of production, Laws of production (Variable Proportions, Returns to Scale).
Market Forms: Perfect Competition, Monopoly, Monopolistic Competition, Oligopoly – Price determination.
Indian Economy: Nature, Sectoral roles (Agri, Industry, Services – problems, growth), Population (size, growth, implication), Poverty & Unemployment (types, causes, incidence), Infrastructure (Energy, Transport, Communication).
Economic Reforms: Since 1991 (Liberalisation, Privatisation, Globalisation, Disinvestment).
Money & Banking: Monetary/Fiscal policy, RBI role/functions, Commercial Banks/RRB/Payment Banks functions, Budget, Fiscal Deficits, Balance of Payments, FRBM Act 2003.
Governance: Role of IT in Governance.

(Note: The level of questions in Paper-I’s Mathematical Abilities module is Matriculation, English is 10+2 level, while Paper-II and Paper-III are Graduation Level.)

Your Preparation Strategy Starts Now!

Knowing the syllabus is the first victory. Now, strategize!

Analyze: Identify your strengths and weaknesses across sections.
Prioritize: Allocate study time based on topic weightage and your proficiency.
Practice: Solve previous years’ question papers and mock tests religiously.
Stay Updated: Keep abreast of current affairs, especially for General Awareness.
Revise: Regular revision is key to retention.

You can also Download the Detailed SSC CGL Syllabus PDF for offline reference.

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Embark on your SSC CGL preparation journey with a clear understanding of the syllabus and unwavering determination. Success awaits those who prepare diligently!