March 27, 20268 min read

SSC CGL Syllabus 2026: Complete Tier I and Tier II Topic-Wise Syllabus with Weightage

Detailed SSC CGL 2026 syllabus covering every topic in Tier I and Tier II with year-wise weightage analysis, priority topics, and a smart preparation sequence.

SSC CGL SSC CGL syllabus SSC CGL syllabus 2026 Tier I syllabus Tier II syllabus topic-wise weightage

A lot of aspirants confuse the SSC CGL exam pattern with the syllabus. The pattern tells you how many sections, how many questions, and how many marks. The syllabus tells you exactly which topics to study within each section — and more importantly, which ones actually show up in the exam year after year.

If you want to score 180+ in Tier I and crack Tier II comfortably, you need topic-level clarity. Here's the complete SSC CGL 2026 syllabus broken down by subject and topic, with weightage data from the last three years.

Quick Overview: SSC CGL Tiers

Tier	Sections	Total Questions	Total Marks	Duration
Tier I (Screening)	Quant, Reasoning, English, GK	100	200	60 min
Tier II (Merit)	Paper I (Compulsory) + Paper II/III (Post-specific)	Varies	390+	Paper-wise

Tier I is qualifying — you need to clear the cutoff to sit for Tier II. Tier II determines your final rank and post allocation. Both tiers matter, but your Tier II score is what decides whether you get Tax Assistant, Auditor, or the coveted AAO post.

Tier I Syllabus: Topic-Wise Breakdown

Quantitative Aptitude (25 Questions, 50 Marks)

This section is the biggest scoring opportunity if you know where the questions actually come from.

Topic	Avg. Questions (Last 3 Years)	Priority
Number System (LCM, HCF, Divisibility)	1–2	Medium
Percentage	2–3	High
Ratio and Proportion	2–3	High
Profit and Loss	1–2	High
Simple and Compound Interest	1–2	High
Time, Speed, and Distance	2–3	High
Time and Work (Pipes & Cisterns)	1–2	High
Algebra (Linear/Quadratic Equations, Identities)	2–3	High
Geometry (Triangles, Circles, Quadrilaterals)	3–4	Very High
Trigonometry (Identities, Height & Distance)	2–3	High
Mensuration (Area, Volume, Surface Area)	2–3	High
Data Interpretation (Bar, Line, Pie, Table)	2–3	High
Statistics (Mean, Median, Mode)	1	Low

Key insight: Geometry and Trigonometry together account for 5–7 questions in most shifts. If you're weak here, you're leaving 10–14 marks on the table. Prioritize triangles (congruence, similarity, centers), circles (chord-tangent theorems), and trigonometric identities.

General Intelligence and Reasoning (25 Questions, 50 Marks)

Topic	Avg. Questions (Last 3 Years)	Priority
Analogy (Word, Number, Figure)	3–4	Very High
Classification (Odd One Out)	2–3	High
Series (Number, Alphabet, Figure)	3–4	Very High
Coding-Decoding	2–3	High
Matrix Arrangement	1	Medium
Venn Diagram	1–2	Medium
Seating Arrangement	1–2	Medium
Puzzle	1–2	Medium
Statement-Conclusion / Syllogism	1–2	Medium
Mirror and Water Image	1–2	High
Paper Folding and Cutting	1–2	High
Embedded Figures	1	Low
Dice and Cube	1	Medium

Key insight: Analogy + Series + Classification = 8–11 questions consistently. These are pattern-based, and daily practice of 20 questions for two weeks will get you comfortable. Non-verbal reasoning (mirror image, paper folding) is easy marks once you learn the techniques — don't skip these.

English Comprehension (25 Questions, 50 Marks)

Topic	Avg. Questions (Last 3 Years)	Priority
Reading Comprehension	5–7	Very High
Cloze Test	4–5	Very High
Error Spotting / Sentence Correction	2–3	High
Sentence Improvement	2–3	High
Synonyms and Antonyms	2–3	High
One-Word Substitution	1–2	Medium
Idioms and Phrases	1–2	Medium
Active-Passive Voice	1	Medium
Direct-Indirect Speech	1	Medium
Spelling Correction	1	Low

Key insight: RC + Cloze Test = 9–12 questions. If your reading speed is good, this section becomes your highest-scoring area. Practice 2 RC passages daily and 1 Cloze Test. For vocabulary, learn 10 new words daily from previous year papers — SSC repeats vocabulary heavily.

General Awareness (25 Questions, 50 Marks)

Topic	Avg. Questions (Last 3 Years)	Priority
Indian History (Ancient, Medieval, Modern)	3–4	High
Indian Geography	3–4	High
Indian Polity and Constitution	3–4	High
Indian Economy	2–3	High
General Science (Physics, Chemistry, Biology)	5–6	Very High
Current Affairs (Last 6 Months)	3–5	Very High
Static GK (Awards, Books, Capitals, Days)	2–3	Medium

Key insight: General Science alone gives 5–6 questions. Focus on Physics (mechanics, optics, heat), Chemistry (acids-bases, metals, chemical reactions), and Biology (human body, diseases, nutrition). Lucent GK covers almost everything SSC asks in this section.

Tier II Syllabus: Paper I (Compulsory for All Posts)

Paper I in Tier II has three sessions tested on the same day. This is the main merit-deciding paper.

Session I — Mathematical Abilities (30 Questions, 90 Marks, 60 min) + Reasoning and General Intelligence (30 Questions, 90 Marks, 60 min)

The topics are the same as Tier I but at a significantly higher difficulty level. Expect:

Multi-step Geometry problems involving 2–3 theorems

DI sets with 5 questions each (table-based and caselet)

Algebra questions involving surds and indices combined with identities

Seating arrangements with 7–8 people and multiple conditions

Session II — English Language and Comprehension (45 Questions, 135 Marks, 60 min)

Topic	Questions	Marks
Reading Comprehension (2 passages)	10	30
Cloze Test	5	15
Error Detection	5	15
Sentence Improvement/Rearrangement	5	15
Vocabulary (Synonym, Antonym, Idiom, One-word)	10	30
Grammar (Active-Passive, Direct-Indirect, Narration)	5	15
Para Jumbles	5	15

Session III — General Awareness (25 Questions, 75 Marks, 30 min)

Same topics as Tier I but more in-depth — especially current affairs and economy. Government schemes, recent appointments, and international events from the last 8–10 months are heavily tested.

Topics to Prioritize (80/20 Rule)

If time is limited, these topics across all sections will fetch you 60–70% of total marks:

Section	Priority Topics
Quant	Geometry, Trigonometry, Percentage, Ratio, Time-Speed-Distance, DI
Reasoning	Analogy, Series, Coding-Decoding, Mirror/Water Image
English	RC, Cloze Test, Error Spotting, Vocabulary
GK	General Science, Current Affairs (last 6 months), Polity

Official Syllabus Document

SSC publishes the official syllabus along with each CGL notification on ssc.gov.in. Always cross-check with the latest notification PDF — while the core syllabus hasn't changed in years, minor additions (like the inclusion of Data Science basics in Tier II for certain posts) can appear.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is SSC CGL syllabus different from SSC CHSL? Tier I syllabus is almost identical — same four sections, same topics. The difference is in difficulty level (CGL is harder) and Tier II structure (CGL has multiple sessions while CHSL has a different format). If you're preparing for CGL, you're automatically prepared for CHSL Tier I. Q: How long does it take to complete the full CGL syllabus? For someone starting from scratch with 6–8 hours of daily study, 4–5 months is a realistic timeline. For working professionals with 3–4 hours daily, 7–8 months. The key is covering all topics at least once and then doing 3 months of revision and mock tests. Q: Should I study from the official syllabus or rely on coaching material? Both. The official syllabus gives you the topic list, but coaching material (Kiran, Rakesh Yadav for Quant; SP Bakshi for English) organizes it better for exam preparation. Use the official syllabus as a checklist to ensure nothing is missed. Q: Do questions repeat from previous years? Exact questions rarely repeat, but the concepts and difficulty patterns do. Solving SSC CGL previous year papers from 2019–2025 will give you a very clear picture of what to expect. Many Geometry theorems and Vocabulary words have been repeated across different shifts.