Introduction

There is a lot of confusion among students regarding the dates of the SSC CGL 2021 exam. We are here to answer all your questions including the expected date for SSC CGL 2021, preparation strategy, and more! SSC CGL 2021 Expected date, books, and more

Table of contents:

• Expected date for SSC CGL 2021
• Preparation strategy for SSC CGL 2021
  • English comprehension
  • General intelligence and reasoning
  • Quantitative aptitude
  • General awareness
• Books for SSC CGL
• Tips from SSC CGL exam toppers
• Frequently asked questions

Expected date for SSC CGL 2021

The Staff Selection Commission conducts the Combined Graduate Level Examination every year to recruit students in various government departments/ ministries/ offices. This exam is conducted on a national scale and almost 30 lakh students sit for the examination every year. The SSC CGL exam is conducted in four stages called tiers.

As you all know, the Staff Selection Commission released a notice back in December 2020 announcing the date for the SSC CGL tier 1 exam.

Tier 1 was set to be conducted in May but it got postponed again due to the surge in covid-19 cases. The Staff Selection Commission is yet to release the new dates for the SSC CGL tier 1 exam.

On the other hand, UPSC has released the date for the IAS preliminary exam 2021. The IAS preliminary exam 2021 was supposed to be conducted on 27 June but was postponed due to the same reasons as SSC CGL. Now, UPSC will organize this exam on October 10, 2021. Students appearing for SSC CGL 2021 are still waiting for the extended date. Hopefully, the staff selection commission will follow suit and release the new dates soon.

Till then we are here to tell you how much delay you can expect and what will the possible exam dates be? Every year almost 10 lakh students appear for the UPSC exam. It is a much smaller number than that of SSC CGL. SSC CGL 2021 may be conducted after UPSC.

We cannot be sure if it will be conducted before or after the UPSC but you can expect a gap of at least three months. Even though the vaccination has started all over the country, it is happening at a slow pace and it will take time to diminish the effects of the COVID-19 virus. So the students should prepare for their exam, keeping in mind that the SSC CGL tier 1 paper will be conducted after three months.

Preparation strategy for SSC CGL 2021

Even though the staff selection commission has not decided on a date for the SSC CGL tier 1 paper, the students can expect three months. And this gives students plenty of time to buckle down and prepare for the exam thoroughly! The delay in competitive exams is a bummer but you can use this to your advantage and get an upper hand on everybody else by studying hard!

The SSC CGL Tier 1 paper is divided into four sections. The four sections carry 50 marks each, which brings the total to 200 marks. Each section has 25 questions. The four sections are:

• English comprehension
• General intelligence and reasoning
• General awareness
• Quantitative aptitude

Let us look at these sections closely and learn how to aptly prepare for each of them.

1. English comprehension

Hindi-medium students face problems in this section of the paper because they do not have an English background. But this problem can be rectified if you follow the steps listed below:

• Start from the beginning- Start studying the basics in-depth and understand all the rules of grammar. This will help you in building sentences.
• Broaden your vocabulary- Make a notebook and add 10 new words to it every day. Make a habit of memorizing these words and their meanings and then use them in sentences. Make similar lists for synonyms, antonyms, and one-word substitution. Start reading newspapers, magazines, books, etc. Attempt previous year’s papers and mock tests to get the gist of the questions asked.
• Divide and conquer- You can ace the English part of the SSC CGL 2021 tier 1 paper by dividing it into three parts. Those parts are grammar, vocabulary, and comprehension.

Some resources that can be helpful for your preparation are listed here:

• English mock test 1
• English mock test 2
• Direct-indirect narration
• Idioms and phrases

Practice is key! Also, keep checking Exam Lounge regularly because we post exciting mock tests, blogs, and puzzles to keep your mind stimulated!

2. General intelligence and reasoning

This section of the SSC CGL tier 1 paper includes questions based on logical thinking. Reasoning questions keep your mind running at all times. It requires you to stay creative. Such questions influence your power to think critically and how to comprehend new information. Learn to solve general intelligence and reasoning in the snap of a finger by following these steps:

• Practice regularly- You should practice reasoning questions daily. If you ever feel tired from studying English or quantitative aptitude then take a break and do some reasoning questions. They will help keep things interesting and you will have so much doing them!
• Attempt lots of mock tests- Mock tests will give you an idea of the type of questions asked in the exam. You will get to know the difficulty level and will be able to improve accordingly.
• Puzzles- Solving puzzles is a great way to keep the mind agile. They are a great way to boost your logical thinking so that you can come up with elegant solutions. They will also improve your deducing powers.

Some mock tests and topic-based tests to help you with general intelligence and reasoning questions are linked below:

• General intelligence mock 1
• Coding-decoding (moderate) quiz
• Syllogism quiz 1
• Series quiz

3. Quantitative aptitude

This section is a very important one. It deals with mathematics so you should be familiar with the basics of math. What are the basics? What do you need to know? What to focus on? Find out the answers to these questions below:

• Focus on fundamentals- First, learn the basics. Recall everything your teacher taught in school. You should know all the tables, squares, cubes, formulae, identities, etc. Memorize them. Revise them. Solve the mathematics NCERT from class 6th to 10th.
• Shortcuts and tricks- Once you learn the basics, you should start learning shortcuts for math. You can learn these by watching YouTube videos. In the exam hall, you do not have the time to do complex multiplications or calculations. Learning the shortcut tricks will save you time.
• Proceed to advance mathematics- After you have learned the basics by heart, you can move on to advance quantitative aptitude. You should have clarity regarding the concepts, which will help you to crack even the most difficult questions.
• Improve accuracy and speed- Many students make silly mistakes in the questions to attempt them quickly. But remember that your goal is to answer the question quickly as well as correctly. If you pay attention to the questions, you can drastically reduce the silly mistakes you make. Attempt mock tests and previous year’s papers to improve your understanding of the questions and to improve the speed as well.
• Practice is key- Practice makes perfect! Solve questions from refreshers to prepare for advanced mathematics. Work on your weak topics and practice extra hard on them. Master the formulas and do as many mock tests as you can.

You can refer to the mock tests and topic-based tests below for practice:

• Ratio and proportion
• Profit and loss
• Simple interest
• Mensuration quiz
• Percentage live test

4. General awareness

There are two types of questions in the general awareness section of the SSC CGL exam. The two types are:

• Static General Awareness- This portion includes the facts that are not going to change in the future. It includes topics like history and culture, economic scene, politics, important dates and years, etc. To prepare for this, you should attempt previous year’s papers and read general awareness books. Collect as many facts as you can and make one-liner quotes to revise them before the exam.
• Current General Awareness- This part contains questions based on the current affairs happening across the globe. You need to be up-to-date with all the things that are popular in the news or the internet.
  1. Newspaper- You can start by reading the newspaper regularly and keeping in touch with the latest news.
  2. YouTube channels- You can follow the channels that show current affairs.
  3. Magazines- You can read the magazines that contain the compilation of current affairs of that year and the previous years as well.
  4. Blogs- Some blogs only contain current affairs. You can find such blogs on Exam Lounge along with other useful content for SSC CGL preparation.
  5. Practice quizzes- Mock tests and quizzes contain questions based on current GK and static GK as well. Attempting them will broaden your knowledge base.

Check out the blogs, mock tests, and quizzes linked below to start your preparation for the general awareness section of the SSC CGL tier 1 paper.

• Sayyid dynasty quiz
• History of India
• General awareness (mock 1)
• General awareness (mock 2)
• Current affairs practice questions
• Current affairs SSC CGL

Books for SSC CGL 2021 tier 1 paper

There are many external sources that you can study for the preparation of SSC CGL. With the whole world going digital, you can find study material anywhere online. You can attempt mock tests, previous year papers, quizzes, etc. online.

But in addition to that, you need to study from refreshers and books as well. They also provide a wide range of questions. They also have theory lessons to help you understand the concepts. Some of the books that you should study before your SSC CGL exam are:

1. English comprehension
   Neetu Singh- From Plinth to Paramount
   Wren & Martin- High School English Grammar and Composition
2. General intelligence and reasoning-
   Dr. R.S. Aggarwal- Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning
3. Quantitative ability
   Rakesh Yadav- SSC Mathematics
   Rakesh Yadav- Advance Mathematics
   R.S. Aggarwal- Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations
   Mathematics NCERT
4. General awareness
   Lucent Publication- General Knowledge
   NCERT Books of Class X, XII- History, Geography, Economics

Tips from SSC CGL exam toppers

Every year, many students face some problems during the preparation for competitive exams. But this is no ordinary year! The uncertainty of current circumstances mixed with the anxiety of preparation is not a pretty picture! You need to put a positive spin on things.

So, don’t be disheartened and see the silver lining in this situation. You get extra time to prepare for this exam! Use this time to master all the topics and eradicate the mistakes you used to make before. To motivate you to study, here are some tips from previous SSC CGL exam toppers:

• Stay upbeat- The SSC CGL process is very long, tedious, and tiresome. At some point, you may start to lose focus but in those moments you have to remind yourself of your goals and your reasons behind attempting the exam.
• Keep hustling- Some people take 2-3 years to crack the exam. But in those frustrating times, you have to show perseverance and keep pushing yourself to achieve your dreams.
• Reduce screen time- Does it ever happen that you check your phone for 2 minutes but then end up spending hours on it? Mobile phones are a boon but they can also be a nuisance. So it is important to use it to your advantage.
• Educational apps- Instead of filling your phone with social media apps, fill it with educational apps. Use these apps to take mock tests and quizzes.
• Educational groups- Join educational WhatsApp and Telegram groups where you can gain some knowledge and get in touch with other aspirants. To get daily updates about practice problems, join our Telegram Channel and WhatsApp group. We daily post puzzles, quizzes, shortcut tricks, etc.!
• Find motivation- In these trying times, you might start to get tired of the process. So, you should turn to your friends and family to support you and keep you motivated. Rely on your family to keep you grounded. Believe in yourself and do not lose sight of the end line!
• Utilize this time to the fullest- Take advantage of the extra time. Attempt mock tests and previous year’s papers. This will help you to improve your calculation speed and reduce silly mistakes.
• Watch motivational videos- You can watch interviews of previous SSC CGL toppers. Listening to some success stories will surely motivate you to succeed as well. If you need help to get out of a slump or if you are looking to get inspired, then check out the interviews linked below:
  • How to crack SSC CGL exam in first attempt?| Sandeep Chaudhary (600/700)
  • How Nirmal Vyas scored 618/700 in SSC CGL?

Frequently asked questions

1. When will SSC CGL 2021 exam be conducted?
   The SSC CGL 2021 exam was set to be conducted from 29-05-2021 to 05-06-2021 but it was postponed due to the ever-increasing covid-19 pandemic. The Staff Selection Commission has not released any further notice regarding the dates for SSC CGL 2021 exam.
2. Is SSC CGL 2021 exam canceled?
   No, the SSC CGL 2021 exam is not canceled. It has been postponed due to the surge in covid-19 patients so that the students are not risked.
3. Are 3 months enough for SSC CGL 2021?
   Yes, 3 months is enough time for SSC CGL 2021 preparation. Attempt as many mock tests as you can. Work on your weak topics. Remember, you aim to do the question correctly and quickly. Doing quizzes regularly will increase your speed and accuracy.
4. How many attempts are there in SSC CGL?
   There is no number of attempts specified by the SSC. It depends on the age group of the job you are applying for. For example, there is a candidate who wants to apply for the position of assistant section officer in the Ministry of Railway. The age limit for this post is less than 30. So the candidate can attempt the exam till he/she turns 30.
5. What is the SSC CGL preparation strategy for beginners?
   • Start from the beginning- Start studying the basics in-depth and understand all the rules. Recall what your teachers taught you in school and memorize it by heart.
   • Attempt mock tests- Mock tests and previous year’s papers will give you the gist of the question. The more questions you solve, the more confidence and accuracy you will gain.
6. Which is the best SSC CGL English textbook?
   Neetu Singh- From Plinth to Paramount
   Wren & Martin- High School English Grammar and Composition
7. Which is the best book for SSC CGL quantitative aptitude section?
   Rakesh Yadav- SSC Mathematics
   Rakesh Yadav- Advance Mathematics
   R.S. Aggarwal- Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations
   Mathematics NCERT from class 6th to 12th
8. Which is the best book for SSC CGL general awareness? Make a habit of reading the newspaper daily. Attempt mock tests and note down all the questions asked before. Refer to these books for GK preparation:
   Lucent Publication- General Knowledge
   NCERT Books of Class X, XII- History, Geography, Economics
9. In which mode is the SSC CGL exam conducted?
   SSC CGL is conducted in four stages. Tiers 1 and 2 are conducted in online mode. Tiers 3 and 4 are conducted in offline mode
10. What is the weightage of all the tiers of the SSC CGL exam?
    The marking scheme of all the tiers of SSC CGL are:
    Tier 1- 200 marks
    Tier 2 (contains 4 paper) - Each paper carries 200 marks
    Tier 3- 100 marks
    Tier 4- skill-based test