Exam Pattern
SSC CGL Exam Pattern
Staff Selection Commission: Combined Graduate Level
The SSC CGL exam pattern below is checked stage by stage, so one stage cannot inherit another stage's scoring rules.
Tier 1
Official 2026 pattern| Questions | 100 |
| Total marks | 200 |
| Duration | 60 minutes |
| Negative marking | 0.5 per wrong answer |
| Sections | General Intelligence and Reasoning, General Awareness, Quantitative Aptitude, English Comprehension |
Timing: 15 minutes per subject.
Official source · checked 30 July 2026The SSC CGL Tier 1 exam pattern is 100 questions carrying 200 marks, to be answered in 60 minutes. That works out to about 36 seconds per question on average, before any time spent reading instructions or revisiting marked answers. The 4 sections are General Intelligence and Reasoning, General Awareness, Quantitative Aptitude and English Comprehension. All sections share one composite timer, so you are free to move between them and spend your time where it earns most.
SSC CGL Tier 1 marking scheme
- Each correct answer is worth 2 marks.
- A wrong answer deducts 0.5 marks; an unattempted question scores zero.
- A guess therefore breaks even at 20% accuracy: above that it gains you marks on average, below it loses them. A blind guess between four options is right 25% of the time, which is already above that line, so an educated guess is clearly worth making rather than leaving the question blank.
- Worked example: attempt 80 of the 100 questions and get 60 right and 20 wrong, and you score 110 out of 200.
Practising against the same clock is the point of a mock test: at 36 seconds a question, the difference between a good score and an average one is usually pacing rather than knowledge. Attempt a free SSC CGL mock test to see where your time actually goes.
Tier 2
Official 2026 pattern| Questions | 150 |
| Total marks | 450 |
| Duration | 135 minutes |
| Negative marking | 1 per wrong answer |
| Sections | Mathematical Abilities, Reasoning and General Intelligence, English Language and Comprehension, General Awareness, Computer Knowledge Test, Data Entry Speed Test |
| Test | Qs | Marks | Min |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematical Abilities | 30 | 90 | 30 |
| Reasoning and General Intelligence | 30 | 90 | 30 |
| English Language and Comprehension | 45 | 135 | 40 |
| General Awareness | 25 | 75 | 20 |
| Computer Knowledge Test | 20 | 60 | 15 |
Timing: Paper I uses sectional timers; the 15-minute DEST is a separate task.
The totals above cover the five objective modules of compulsory Paper I; the separate 15-minute DEST is qualifying.
Official source · checked 30 July 2026The SSC CGL Tier 2 exam pattern is 150 questions carrying 450 marks, to be answered in 135 minutes. That works out to about 54 seconds per question on average, before any time spent reading instructions or revisiting marked answers. The 6 sections are Mathematical Abilities, Reasoning and General Intelligence, English Language and Comprehension, General Awareness, Computer Knowledge Test and Data Entry Speed Test. All 5 sections are separately timed, so time saved in one cannot be carried into another. You cannot bank minutes by rushing an easy section.
SSC CGL Tier 2 marking scheme
- Each correct answer is worth 3 marks.
- A wrong answer deducts 1 mark; an unattempted question scores zero.
- A guess therefore breaks even at 25% accuracy: above that it gains you marks on average, below it loses them. That is exactly the 25% a blind guess between four options gives you, so guessing at random is neither gaining nor losing marks over a long paper. The moment you can rule out even one option, it starts paying.
- Worked example: attempt 120 of the 150 questions and get 90 right and 30 wrong, and you score 240 out of 450.
Practising against the same clock is the point of a mock test: at 54 seconds a question, the difference between a good score and an average one is usually pacing rather than knowledge. Attempt a free SSC CGL mock test to see where your time actually goes.
SSC CGL exam pattern: frequently asked questions
Is there negative marking in SSC CGL?
SSC CGL Tier 1 deducts 0.5 marks for a wrong answer; SSC CGL Tier 2 deducts 1 mark for a wrong answer. An unattempted question always scores zero, so the choice is only ever between guessing and leaving it blank.
How many questions are there in SSC CGL?
SSC CGL Tier 1 has 100 questions, SSC CGL Tier 2 has 150 questions. That leaves about 36 seconds per question in SSC CGL Tier 1 and 54 seconds per question in SSC CGL Tier 2.
What are the total marks in SSC CGL?
SSC CGL Tier 1 is out of 200 marks, SSC CGL Tier 2 is out of 450 marks.
How long is the SSC CGL exam?
SSC CGL Tier 1 runs for 60 minutes, SSC CGL Tier 2 runs for 135 minutes.
Does SSC CGL have a sectional time limit?
Yes. SSC CGL Tier 2 times its sections separately, so time left over in one section cannot be spent on another. Plan a per-section budget before you sit it.
How many stages does SSC CGL have?
This site covers 2 objective stages: Tier 1, Tier 2. Each stage is checked against the official notification separately, because scoring rules routinely differ between stages of the same exam.