The Staff Selection Commission - Combined Graduate Level Examination, or SSC, is a national level examination held to recruit personnel for various jobs in India's ministries, departments, and organizations.

SSC CGL Exam is conducted covering 4 tiers. Tiers I and II are completed entirely online. Tiers III and IV, on the other hand, are done in an offline format. To advance further in this test, the individual must pass each tier and achieve the SSC board's cutoff scores. The final merit list of passed applicants is used to determine the job profiles.

Guide to a 1 Year Study Plan for SSC-CGL

If you are new to this subject, you must be pretty unsure of how to begin the preparations and emerge victoriously. With the current scenario and the difficulty level of the exam, a minimum of 1 year is required for SSC-CGL preparation.

Set a goal:

The first is to set a goal. For example, to secure a job, you need to score a minimum of 550 marks out of 700. So, you need to be aware of your requirements. Set your goal accordingly.

Take Mock Tests:

Mock tests are considered to be even more important than coaching. Attempt a recent SSC-CGL mock test in the beginning to understand the level of difficulty. Don't be underwhelmed if you don't do well, and try to use that fact to your advantage. Try to analyze the weak subjects and practice them more.

Before taking the tier 1 exam, you should have at least attempted 70-80 mock tests. Mock tests should be taken every ten days, even during the early stages of preparations, as it might help you afterward.

Finding the suitable study material:

Collect all the study material and make sure it's recent and updated. Find out all the information about the exam from various sources before kickstarting your preparation.

Here is a study plan with some strategies and pieces of advice you can follow to clear SSC-CGL:

The Study Plan

All 365 days must be well planned. It would be best if you put out genuine efforts to achieve success. Patience is the essential thing to have during the preparation for SSC-CGL.

  • For a period of the first 09 months, complete the fundamentals and the basics. Take help from others in case of difficulties.
  • Try to solve two practice sets every day for the next 03 months, and the routine for General Studies and Current Affairs should continue as it usually does.
  • You should stick to this schedule until the PT test if you have. Once the PT test is completed, you are required to study two hours of Math, two hours of English, 1 hour of Reasoning and current affairs, and two mock tests every day until the Mains exam.

The study plan for each day for the first 09 months should include all four components. English, Maths, General Studies, and Reasoning are the four subjects. Usually, a minimum of 11 hours of study each day is required to reach the target. 4 hours of Mathematics, 3 hours of English, 2 hours of General Studies, 1 hour of Current Affairs, and 1 hour of Reasoning are required.

You will need to prepare and diligently follow a well-thought study schedule with time allotted to different topics depending upon your skills and grasping power for that subject and the amount of marks the subject is worth in the exam. For example, In tier 1, Maths and English are worth more marks than GS and Reasoning. Hence, prioritize both the subjects and daily preparation is necessary.

Here is a subject-wise guide to study for Tier 1:

Mathematics (1st priority)

The basics must be straightforward in this subject. Take notes and write formulas for help at the time before the final. Start with any of these books: Kiran's Maths, Rakesh Yadav 7300, or find Youtube channels like Gagan Pratap or various apps, to begin with. These books contain previous year's question papers, solve the questions and then look at the solutions. SSC exams usually have the questions repeated from these books. After you're done with both the books at least once, move on to youtube channels or apps. In the end, start with mock tests for the maths part.

English (2nd priority)

Make reading a regular habit; start reading The Hindu newspaper daily. Try to understand and paraphrase the different articles. Please do not ignore the vocabulary section, and circle the problematic words and find out their meanings. Read the different books prescribed for English comprehension, jumbles, etc. This prepares you for the first two tiers, and you can start taking mock tests more efficiently.

General Awareness

General awareness potentially makes or breaks your result. Do not take this subject lightly. General Studies is a vast subject and comprises 25 questions in the tier 1 examination. Keep track of current affairs and read daily. Mobile apps and books like Lucents can be read for further assistance.

Reasoning

Before studying Reasoning, you can take the Full Tier 1 mock examination; if you score less than 45 after 15–20 mock tests, you can refer to any accessible source to clarify your Reasoning ideas. You can learn from tutors for Reasoning four months before the exam. As a result, everything remains fresh in your mind throughout the exam. Otherwise, start giving mock tests and analyzing them two months before the exam.

For following this 1-year study, regularity and persistence are mandatory. Staying away from social media is recommended as various distractions come in the way of your preparation, and the internet hoaxes may lead to confusion on the current events. You need to complete your preparation a minimum 1 month before the exam date. Every person has their abilities and skills, so you remember to make modifications in the study schedule regarding your weaknesses and strengths.

SSC requires a lot of patience, it might seem like a lot, but remember, in the end, it will be worth the wait and patience and hard work. All the best!