SSC CGL Exam Pattern: Detailed Tier-Wise Structure and Marking Scheme

Understand the SSC CGL Exam Pattern with a detailed tier-wise structure, marking scheme, and time allocation.

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EaseToLearn is providing an exclusive interface for your SSC COMBINED GRADUATE LEVEL EXAMINATION (SSC CGL) 2026. Get the latest updated SSC CGL mock test series, SSC CGL previous year question papers, SSC CGL Question Bank, and SSC CGL Study material. Sign up on Easetolearn-SSC CGL-Course to get the Latest SSC CGL Exam Pattern 2026.

Easetolearn will give students all the information regarding the SSC CGL Exam Pattern 2026. It will make it easier for students to understand the pattern of the SSC CGL exam like the total number of questions, marking scheme, sections of the exam, and duration of the exam.

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SSC CGL Exam Pattern 2026

The SSC CGL examination is structured into two tiers - Tier I and Tier II. Both tiers are conducted through computer-based online exams.

SSC CGL Tier I Exam Pattern 2026

  • The Tier I exam is an objective multiple-choice exam.
  • It consists of 100 questions divided into 4 sections: General Intelligence & Reasoning, General Awareness, Quantitative Aptitude, and English Comprehension.
  • Each section has 25 questions worth 50 marks each, for a total of 200 marks.
  • The exam duration is 60 minutes (80 minutes for candidates eligible for scribe).
  • There is negative marking of 0.50 marks for each incorrect answer.
  • The Tier I exam is a qualifying exam, and the final selection is based on the Tier II exam performance.

SSC CGL Tier 1 Exam Pattern 2026

S.No.

Sections

No. of Questions

Total Marks

Duration

1

General Intelligence and Reasoning

25

50

15 minutes

2

General Awareness

25

50

15 minutes

3

Quantitative Aptitude

25

50

15 minutes

4

English Comprehension

25

50

15 minutes

TOTAL

100

200

1 hour

SSC CGL Tier II Exam Pattern 2026

  • The Tier II exam consists of 3 papers:
    • Paper I (Compulsory for all posts)
    • Paper II (for candidates applying for Junior Statistical Officer posts in the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation and Statistical Investigator Grade-II in the office of Registrar General of India (M/o Home Affairs) and who are shortlisted in Tier-I for these Posts )
  • All papers are objective multiple-choice, except for Module-II of Section-III of Paper-I.
  • There will be negative marking of 1 mark for each wrong answer in Section-I, Section-II and Module-I of Section-III of Paper-I and of 0.50 marks for each wrong answer in Paper-II.

SSC CGL Tier 2 Pattern

Paper

Session

Section

Subject

Number of Questions

Maximum Marks

Time Allowed

Paper-I

Session-I (2 hours and 15 minutes)

Section-I

Mathematical Abilities

30

60*3 = 180

1 hour

Reasoning and General Intelligence

30

Section-II

English Language and Comprehension

45

70*3 = 210

1 hour

General Awareness

25

Section-III

Computer Knowledge Module

20

20*3 = 60

15 Minutes (for each section)

Session-II (15 minutes)

Section-IV

Data Entry Speed Test Module

One Data Entry Task

-

Paper-II

Statistics

100

100*2 = 200

2 hours, (2 hours and 40 minutes for the candidates eligible for scribes as per Para-7.1, 7.2 and 7.3)

SSC CGL Exam Pattern 2026 : FAQs

1. What is the structure of the SSC CGL exam?

The SSC CGL exam consists of two tiers: Tier-I (Computer Based Examination) and Tier-II (Computer Based Examination).

2. What subjects are covered in Tier-I?

Tier-I includes four sections: General Intelligence and Reasoning, General Awareness, Quantitative Aptitude, and English Comprehension.

3. What subjects are covered in Tier-II?

Tier-II includes four papers: Quantitative Abilities, English Language and Comprehension, and Statistics

4. Is there negative marking in the SSC CGL exam?

Yes, there is a negative marking for wrong answers in both Tier-I and Tier-II exams.

5. Can I take the Tier-III exam in Hindi?

Yes, the Tier-III descriptive paper can be written in either English or Hindi.

5. How are the final scores calculated?

Final scores are calculated based on the performance in Tier-I, Tier-II, and Tier-III. Tier-IV is qualifying in nature.

7. Are there any sectional cut-offs in the SSC CGL exam?

No, there are no sectional cut-offs in the SSC CGL exam. The cut-off is applied on the total score of each tier.

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