Chapter-wise free SSC CGL 2026 notes — formulas, shortcuts, solved examples and practice questions for Quant, Reasoning, English and General Awareness, with the verified exam pattern.
SSC CGL (Combined Graduate Level) is one of India's biggest graduate-level sarkari exams, conducted by the Staff Selection Commission — roughly 12,256 tentative Group B & C posts in the 2026 cycle. The toppers' edge comes from mastering the high-weightage chapters, not from reading everything.
These free notes are being built chapter by chapter for SSC CGL Tier 1: key formulas, exam-hall shortcuts, fully solved examples and practice questions with explanations — in simple language, scratch se samjhaya hua.
The 2026 notification brought a big change: Tier-1 now has a fixed 15-minute sectional timer for each of the four sections — you cannot carry unused time from one section to another. Plan your attempt strategy around that.
Start with any chapter below. Each chapter lists the formulas to memorise, the traps that cost marks, and practice questions to test yourself.
Last updated: 29 September 2026 • 10 chapters
| Section | Questions | Marks | Time | Negative Marking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Intelligence & Reasoning | 25 | 50 | 15 minutes (fixed sectional timer) | −0.50 per wrong answer |
| General Awareness | 25 | 50 | 15 minutes (fixed sectional timer) | −0.50 per wrong answer |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 25 | 50 | 15 minutes (fixed sectional timer) | −0.50 per wrong answer |
| English Comprehension | 25 | 50 | 15 minutes (fixed sectional timer) | −0.50 per wrong answer |
| Total (Tier-1) | 100 | 200 | 60 minutes | −0.50 per wrong answer |
Paper-I (compulsory for all): Session-I Section-I — Mathematical Abilities 30 Qs + Reasoning 30 Qs, 180 marks, 1 hr (30-min sectional timer per subject); Section-II — English 45 Qs + General Awareness 25 Qs, 210 marks, 1 hr (40 min English + 20 min GA); Section-III — Computer Knowledge 20 Qs, 60 marks, 15 min (qualifying). Session-II: DEST, ~2000 key depressions, qualifying. Paper-II Statistics (100 Qs / 200 marks, JSO & Statistical Investigator only) and Paper-III General Studies: Finance & Economics (100 Qs / 200 marks, new in 2026, AAO/AAO only). Negative marking: −1 in Paper-I Sections I–III, −0.50 in Paper-II & III. Final merit is on Tier-2 performance only.
Each of the four sections gets a fixed 15-minute timer — Reasoning, GA, Quant and English. Time cannot be carried across sections, so once a section's timer ends you must move on, whether or not you finished it.
Yes — Tier-1 marks are used only for category-wise shortlisting for Tier-2. Final merit is prepared on Tier-2 performance only. Minimum qualifying marks in Tier-1: UR 30%, OBC/EWS 25%, all other categories 20%.
Tier-1: 0.50 marks per wrong answer. Tier-2 Paper-I (Sections I–III): 1 mark per wrong answer. Tier-2 Paper-II and Paper-III: 0.50 marks per wrong answer.
Everyone takes Paper-I. Paper-II (Statistics) is only for Junior Statistical Officer and Statistical Investigator Grade-II. Paper-III (General Studies: Finance & Economics, new in 2026) is only for Assistant Audit Officer / Assistant Accounts Officer.
Yes — the DEST in Session-II is mandatory for all posts but qualifying in nature: about 2000 key depressions in 15 minutes. Higher qualifying standards apply to posts like Tax Assistant and UDC/SSA.
Yes — every chapter, formula sheet and practice question on this page is 100% free, no signup needed.
Official SSC website — ssc.gov.in All Free Study Notes SSC CGL Syllabus — official topics