Guide
SSC CGL Tier 1 Exam Pattern and Marking Scheme
Sections, number of questions, marks, duration and negative marking in SSC CGL Tier 1 — and what they mean for your attempt strategy.
By the SSC Rank editorial team · Updated
SSC CGL Tier 1 is a computer-based objective test. It is a screening stage: you must clear the cut-off to sit Tier 2, where the final merit is decided.
Pattern at a glance
| Section | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| General Intelligence and Reasoning | 25 | 50 |
| General Awareness | 25 | 50 |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 25 | 50 |
| English Comprehension | 25 | 50 |
| Total | 100 | 200 |
- Duration: 60 minutes for all four sections together. There is no sectional time limit, so you decide how to divide the hour.
- Marking: 2 marks for each correct answer.
- Negative marking: 0.50 marks are deducted for each wrong answer. Unattempted questions carry no penalty.
What this means in practice
You have 36 seconds per question on average. General Awareness questions take a few seconds each, which frees time for Quantitative Aptitude. A common split is 15 minutes for Reasoning, 8 for General Awareness, 22 for Quant and 15 for English.
A wrong answer costs a quarter of a right one. If you can eliminate two of the four options, guessing between the remaining two is worthwhile on average. Blind guessing is not.
Section order is your choice. Start with the section you are quickest in to build momentum, and leave your slowest section for the middle rather than the end.
How to practise the pattern
Attempt full previous year papers under a 60-minute timer rather than section by section. After each paper, look at the time you spent per section and the questions that took longer than a minute — those are where marks are being lost.
Always check the latest official notification for any change to the pattern before your examination.