SSC Exam Details and Paper Pattern

SSC Exam Details

The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) conducts various exams for recruitment to different posts in government ministries and departments. Below are the paper patterns for some popular SSC exams, such as the SSC CGL (Combined Graduate Level), SSC CHSL (Combined Higher Secondary Level), and SSC JE (Junior Engineer) exams.

SSC CGL (Combined Graduate Level) Exam Pattern

Tier 1 Exam (Preliminary)

Section Number of Questions Maximum Marks Duration
General Intelligence and Reasoning 25 50 60 Minutes
General Awareness 25 50 60 Minutes
Quantitative Aptitude 25 50 60 Minutes
English Comprehension 25 50 60 Minutes

The Tier 1 exam consists of 100 questions for 200 marks, and the time duration is 60 minutes.

Tier 2 Exam (Main)

The Tier 2 exam consists of the following papers:

Paper Number of Questions Maximum Marks Duration
Paper 1 (Quantitative Abilities) 100 200 2 Hours
Paper 2 (English Language and Comprehension) 200 200 2 Hours
Paper 3 (Statistics) 100 200 2 Hours
Paper 4 (General Studies – Finance and Economics) 100 200 2 Hours

The total duration for Tier 2 exams is 6 hours, and each paper has a different focus depending on the post applied for.

Tier 3 (Descriptive)

Tier 3 is a descriptive paper for English/Hindi writing, where candidates need to write an essay, letter/application, etc., based on the topic. It is worth 100 marks.

Tier 4 (Skill Test)

For some posts (like Tax Assistants), a computer proficiency test or a skill test may be required.

SSC CHSL (Combined Higher Secondary Level) Exam Pattern

Tier 1 Exam (Preliminary)

Section Number of Questions Maximum Marks Duration
General Intelligence 25 50 60 Minutes
English Language 25 50 60 Minutes
Quantitative Aptitude 25 50 60 Minutes
General Awareness 25 50 60 Minutes

The Tier 1 exam consists of 100 questions for 200 marks, and the time duration is 60 minutes.

Tier 2 Exam (Descriptive)

The Tier 2 exam is a descriptive paper in English or Hindi (for candidates who have opted for Hindi). It consists of writing an essay and letter/application, and it is worth 100 marks.

Tier 3 (Skill Test)

The Tier 3 exam is a typing test for Data Entry Operators and a skill test for LDC (Lower Divisional Clerk) posts. The test is qualifying in nature and is conducted on a computer.

SSC JE (Junior Engineer) Exam Pattern

Tier 1 Exam (Preliminary)

Section Number of Questions Maximum Marks Duration
General Intelligence and Reasoning 50 50 2 Hours
General Awareness 50 50 2 Hours
Technical Subject (Civil, Mechanical, Electrical) 100 100 2 Hours

Explanation:

SSC CGL (Combined Graduate Level):

Tier 1 includes four sections: Reasoning, General Awareness, Quantitative Aptitude, and English.

Tier 2 includes multiple papers, including a descriptive paper (Tier 3) and a skill test for certain posts (Tier 4).

SSC CHSL (Combined Higher Secondary Level):

Tier 1 includes Reasoning, English, Quantitative Aptitude, and General Awareness.

Tier 2 is a descriptive paper for writing essays and letters.

Tier 3 is a skill test for specific posts.

SSC JE (Junior Engineer):

Tier 1 includes Reasoning, General Awareness, and a Technical Subject (based on specialization).

Tier 2 is a detailed technical paper.