The Staff Selection Commission Combined Graduate Level (SSC CGL) examination is a gateway to most of the central government jobs in India. The CGL Tier 2 stage is the most significant as it assesses candidates on their expertise in subjects like Quantitative Ability, English Language, Statistics, Reasoning, and General Studies. In case of SSC CGL Tier 2, speed is the most important factor that plays an important role, in Tier 2 the number of questions are more as well as the difficulty level is high, these have to solved in lesser time. Along with speed, candidates have to focus on accuracy also. In the previous post we have discussed in detail about the SSC CGL tier 1 preparation strategies. Through this article we will discuss in detail the SSC CGL Tier 2 Preparation Strategy for 2025.
The SSC CGL Tier 2 exam is designed to test a candidate’s proficiency in advanced subjects. As this exam is the deciding one for most of the positions, it demands in-depth preparation, a clear understanding of the syllabus, and effective time management.
Aspirant’s preparation strategy must cover the syllabus thoroughly while aligning with the SSC CGL’s exam pattern and difficulty level. Before proceeding to SSC CGL Tier 2 Strategies, let’s have a brief overview of CGL Tier 2 exam pattern.
SSC CGL Paper 1 Exam Pattern Overview
Paper |
Subject |
Number |
Marks |
Duration |
Paper |
Quantitative Ability |
30 |
90 |
2 hours Minutes |
Reasoning and General Intelligence |
30 |
90 |
||
English Language and Comprehension |
45 |
135 |
||
General Awareness |
25 |
75 |
||
Computer Knowledge Module |
20 |
60 |
SSC CGL Tier 2 Paper 2 Exam Pattern overview
Paper |
Paper 1 SSC CGL Tier II Exam |
No. of Questions |
Total Marks |
Time |
Paper 2 |
Statistics |
100 |
200 |
2 hours and for all those who are eligible for scribe the time is 2 hrs and 40 mins |
SSC CGL Tier 2 Paper 3 overview
Paper |
Paper 1 SSC CGL Tier II Exam |
No. of Questions |
Total Marks |
Time |
Paper 3 |
General Studies (Finance & Economics) |
100 |
200 |
2 hours and for all those who are eligible for scribe the time is 2 hrs and 40 mins |
Key Points:
Clear understandings of the pattern helps in prioritizing topics and prepare study time effectively.
To score high and attain qualifying marks in the exam, candidates have to prepare a strategy, whether you have prepared for SSC CGL Tier 1 or Tier 2 in class or online courses or on your own, preparing a strategy is quite important to attain success. In the successive paragraphs we will read about the topic wise SSC CGL Tier 2 strategies but first let’s discuss some general guidelines to help you prepare at the best.
Firstly, it is important to know the syllabus of CGL Tier 2 exam pattern and syllabus. This is the most important thing that you need to keep in mind before starting SSC CGL Tier 2 preparation. Without knowing the SSC CGL syllabus and exam pattern you will not get an insight about the exam and help you in making the SSC CGL Tier 2 preparation strategy. Aspirants have to know the important topics and focus on preparation accordingly.
After knowing the syllabus, second most important thing is to analyze your weak and strong areas topic wise and make a SSC CGL Tier 2 study plan accordingly. Allot more time to the weak topics. Prepare your timetable accordingly and ensure that you are not neglecting the other areas that you are confident.
Success in exams depends on both mastering the concepts and simultaneously practicing mock exams. So first thing is to attempt as many mock tests as possible of different difficulty levels and keep practicing them until you get confident and get good score. Practicing regular mocks also gives you feedback of your SSC CGL Tier 2 preparation strategy, and you can check & boost your speed by minimizing the time used to solve the questions. In this way you can achieve command over your weak areas.
Secondly, practice SSC CGL Tier 2 Previous Year Question Papers, which will help you get the actual feel of the exam. This will also help you in understanding the changing trends to exam over the years. There are handfuls of resources today to get free content of previous years papers, try solving them as many as possible.
Thirdly, you must prepare a handbook or notes on your own for last minute revision. This handbook should contain all the important formulas, tricks and vocabulary words, which will help you at the time of the revision. Do not write any unnecessary stuff; write only the important things in this book.
After knowing the basic strategy for the CGL tier 2 preparation, let us now know the section wise preparation tips.
A good preparation strategy is a key to crack the SSC CGL Tier 2 exam in 2025. Candidates must focus on fully understanding concepts, attempting mock tests, and practicing previous year’s papers.
Time is a important factor during both preparation and the exam.
A strong foundation in concepts is essential for solving complex problems.
Mock tests are provided with analysis report to tracking your progress.
Regular revision ensures retention of concepts.
A targeted preparation strategy for SSC GL Tier 2 for each subject can significantly boost your performance. The subjects for Tier 2 are Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning & General Intelligence, English Language, General Awareness, and Computers. For post with specialization exam on additional subjects is conducted like Statistics, Finance, and Economics. Let us learn the SSC CGL Tier 2 preparation strategy for each subject.
Quantitative Section seems to be difficult for many candidates. As per the SSC CGL previous year’s trends also it is seen that the Quant section gave a tough call to the aspirants. The only way to overcome the fear about this section is only by having a good understanding of concepts and thereafter applying these concepts to the question asked, all this can only happen if you revise the topics and apply the tricks while practicing the questions. The main topics for quant section are:
Let us check SSC CGL Tier 2 Maths topic-wise weightage asked in previous years, this will help you immensely in chalking out preparation strategy for CGL Tier 2.
SSC CGL Tier 2: Topic Wise Quantitative Aptitude Questions asked in previous years |
||||
S. |
Topic |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
1 |
Number System / HCF & LCM |
2 |
1 |
1-2 |
2 |
Percentage, Average |
2 |
2 |
2-3 |
3 |
Partnership |
1 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
Time & Work, Pipe & Cistern |
2-3 |
2 |
2 |
5 |
Profit & Loss, Discount |
2 |
2 |
2 |
6 |
Ratio, Mixture & Allegation |
3 |
2-3 |
1-2 |
7 |
Time Speed Distance, Boat & Stream Trains |
2 |
1 |
2 |
8 |
Probability |
1 |
1 |
1 |
9 |
Interest (CI & SI) |
1 |
2 |
2 |
10 |
Functional Graphs/DI |
1 |
1 |
1 |
11 |
Mean, Median & Mode |
2 |
1 |
2 |
12 |
Geometry |
3 |
2 |
2 |
13 |
Quadrilaterals, polynomials |
1 |
— |
1 |
14 |
Mensuration |
3 |
1-2 |
2-3 |
15 |
Trigonometry |
3 |
2 |
1 |
16 |
Height & Distance |
2 |
2 |
2 |
17 |
Algebra |
2 |
3 |
1 |
18 |
Surds & Indices |
1 |
1 |
1 |
19 |
Complementary angles |
— |
1 |
1 |
20 |
Standard Identities |
1 |
1 |
1 |
21 |
Miscellaneous |
4-5 |
2-3 |
3 |
By analyzing the above data we can find that certain areas are having high weightage over the other. Therefore, while preparing for the SSC CGL tier 2, topics like Geometry, trigonometry, Algebra and Mensuration from advanced maths area cannot be neglected at any cost. At the same time topics such as Number system, HCF & LCM, Ratios, Percentage & Profit loss, Allegations, and Time & its related topics plays a vital role in clearing the section.
Key to success in this section lies in practicing as many mock tests as possible and while practicing use short tricks to solve the questions.
Preparation Strategy:
SSC CGL Tier II English Language Paper has 45 questions carrying 135 mark. So, we can see that the weightage of the English Module is high. Therefore, if you are not confident about a particular question, it is preferable not to attempt it.
In the English, there are three types of questions: Vocabulary questions, Grammar questions and Reading Comprehension.
The pattern of this section is very similar to that of SSC CGL Tier I but the level of difficulty is much higher. Nearly 40- 50% of the questions are based on grammar. Therefore, if you are adept in the language you will not face difficulty in attempting this paper.
Practice the questions given in the books on grammar and previous year’s question papers. SSC always repeats the questions from past years papers including the one for English section of SSC CGL Tier-2. Main syllabus for SSC CGL Tier 2 for English revolves round the following areas:
Syllabus Highlights:
To have perfect SSC CGL Tier 2 Strategy we need to know what are areas from which questions are asked. Let us check ssc cgl tier 2 English topic wise weightage as asked per previous years trends:
SSC CGL Tier 2: Topic Wise weightage for English Language |
||||
S. No |
Topic |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
1 |
Spot the error |
4 |
2 |
4 |
2 |
Fill In The Blanks |
2 |
2 |
4-5 |
3 |
Sentence Correction |
2 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
Synonyms |
2 |
2 |
2 |
5 |
Antonyms |
2 |
2 |
2 |
6 |
Spelling /detecting mis-spelt |
2 |
2 |
2 |
7 |
Idioms & Phrases |
2 |
2 |
2 |
8 |
One word substitution |
2 |
2 |
2 |
9 |
Improvement of sentences |
2 |
2 |
|
10 |
Active/Passive voice of verbs |
2 |
2 |
2 |
11 |
Direct/Indirect |
2 |
2 |
1 |
12 |
Para Jumbles/Sentence |
4 |
2 |
4 |
13 |
Cloze passage |
4 |
2 |
4 |
14 |
Reading Comprehension |
10 |
10 |
11 |
Preparation Strategy:
Reasoning and General Intelligence are critical sections in the SSC CGL Tier 2 exam. This section tests a candidate’s logical reasoning, problem-solving skills, and ability to interpret patterns and relationships. With consistent practice and the right approach, candidates can excel in this high-scoring section. Here’s a detailed guide on preparing for the Reasoning and General Intelligence section in SSC CGL Tier 2.
Let’s us know the topic-wise weightage of questions asked to previous years to prepare SSC CGL Tier 2 preparation strategy for reasoning and general intelligence section.
SSC CGL Tier 2: Topic-wise weightage of Reasoning questions asked in previous years
|
||||
S. No |
Topic |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
1 |
Analogy |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
Seating Arrangement |
2 |
2-3 |
2-3 |
3 |
Odd One Out |
1 |
2 |
1 |
4 |
Number Series |
2 |
2 |
1 |
5 |
Inequalities |
1-2 |
1-2 |
1 |
6 |
Syllogisms |
2 |
2 |
2 |
7 |
Order – Ranking |
1 |
1 |
1 |
8 |
Coding Decoding |
2 |
2 |
2 |
9 |
Clocks |
1 |
2 |
2 |
10 |
Blood Relations |
2 |
2 |
2-3 |
11 |
Embedded Figures |
1 |
2 |
1 |
12 |
Mirror Images |
1 |
1 |
1 |
13 |
Paper Folding |
1 |
1 |
1 |
14 |
Image based |
2 |
2 |
2-3 |
15 |
Logical Reasoning |
1-2 |
2-3 |
2-3 |
16 |
Miscellaneous |
5-6 |
5-7 |
6-8 |
Before diving into preparation, get familiar with the types of questions asked in the exam. Refer to previous year papers to identify trends and frequently asked topics.
Verbal Reasoning
Non-Verbal Reasoning
Logical Reasoning
Miscellaneous Topics
The Reasoning and General Intelligence section in SSC CGL Tier 2 is a high-scoring opportunity for well-prepared candidates. By mastering verbal and non-verbal reasoning, practicing logical questions, and solving mock tests, you can significantly improve your performance. Stay consistent, focus on weak areas, and keep revising regularly to ace this section.
General Awareness (GA) plays a vital role in SSC CGL, especially in Tier 1 and Tier 2, and indirectly influences the preparation for other stages. Though it wasn’t a part of Tier 2 until recent years but, with the change in exam pattern the General Awarness syllabus was also included into SSC CGL Tier 2. Building a strong foundation in General Awareness can help all stages of the SSC CGL. In tier 2 total 25 questions are asked in GA which carries a 75 marks weightage. Here’s a detailed preparation strategy for excelling in the General Awareness section.
General Awareness Syllabus for SSC CGL
The General Awareness section broadly covers the under-mentioned areas, so the SSC CGL preparation Strategy has to cover all these areas individually.
SSC CGL Tier 2: Previous Years Topic Wise weightage of General Awareness |
||||
S. No |
Topic |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
1 |
History |
2 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
Economics |
2 |
2 |
2 |
Polity |
2 |
2 |
2 |
|
3 |
Geography |
2 |
3-4 |
3 |
4 |
Science |
|||
Physics |
2 |
2 |
2 |
|
Chemistry |
2 |
2 |
2 |
|
Biology |
2 |
2 |
2 |
|
5 |
Current Affairs |
5 |
5-6 |
4-5 |
6 |
Misc |
6 |
4 |
5-6 |
1. Know the Weightage
2. Build a Solid Foundation in Static GK
· Resources: Read all NCERT History books from Classes 6 to 12. Practicing MCQ on History will be the best method to check your knowledge.
Physics: Laws of Motion, Work and Energy, Electricity, and Optics.
Chemistry: Periodic Table, Chemical Reactions, and Basics of Organic Chemistry.
Biology: Human Anatomy, Nutrition, Diseases, and Ecosystems.
3. Stay Updated with Current Affairs (CA)
Key Focus Areas
Resources
4. Practice and Revision
5. Use Visual Aids and Techniques
6. Analyze Mock Tests
§ Drainage system: Major Rivers and Dams in India.
§ National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries.
§ Capitals, Currencies, and International Organizations (UN, WTO).
§ Nobel Prize Winners and other awards.
§ Government Schemes and Policies.
§ Recent Summits and Conferences.
· Human Diseases and Vaccines.
· Renewable Energy Sources.
This paper is essential for candidates applying for the Statistical Investigator role. SSC CGL Tier II Statistics Paper has 100 questions carrying one mark each. The duration of this paper is 2 hours. Each correct answer will fetches 02 marks while 0.5 marks will be deducted for every incorrect answer.
Focus on important topics like Measures of Central tendency and dispersion, skewness and kurtosis, correlation and regression, probability theory, time series analysis, sampling theory, statistical inference, etc. let us check the weight age of questions as per previous years paper. So implement SSC CGL Tier 2 preparation Strategy based upon these. Let us further discuss the topics and their weightage in exam to refine our strategies.
Syllabus Highlights:
Topic |
Weightage |
Measures of Central tendency and dispersion |
21 |
Moments, Skewness and Kurtosis |
10 |
Correlation and Regression |
6 |
Probability Theory |
6 |
Random Variable |
9 |
Sampling Theory |
7 |
Statistical Inference |
15 |
Analysis of Variance |
6 |
Time Series Analysis |
5 |
Index Numbers |
7 |
Theory of Attributes |
8 |
From the above data we can see that three topics have high weightage, if we master these areas then almost half the preparation is done. The three topics are Measures of Central tendency and dispersion; Moments, Skewness and Kurtosis & Statistical Inference, these topics are on the easier side and can be easily covered.
Preparation Strategy:
This section is vital for posts like Assistant Audit Officer (AAO) and Assistant Accounts Officer (AAO) which is held exclusively in SSC CGL Tier 2. The duration of this paper is 120 minutes. It will consist of 100 questions of 2 marks each. 0.5 mark will be deducted for an incorrect answer.
From the exam pattern we can see that, 40% of the paper will be from Finance Subject and 60% will be from Economics. The exam has a huge syllabus but questions are generally of moderate to tough level. Although the syllabus is of graduation level, the questions are based on elementary applications and not on advanced ones.
On the other hand, this paper does not involve the application of formulae and tricks which takes a lot of time. It is easy to learn and score in Economics and Finance with accuracy.
Candidates should have the knowledge of basic topics of class XI and XII like national income and aggregates, foreign exchange demand, supply, economic development, the balance of payment, and national and international financial institutions. Knowing this we can prepare a effective SSC CGL Tier 2 preparation Strategy for this paper.
Based on the previous year’s SSC exam pattern it is observed that 10 to 15 questions are asked from the topics mentioned below:
Syllabus Highlights:
Preparation Strategy:
Cracking the SSC CGL Tier 2 exam requires meticulous preparation, strategic time management, and consistent practice. By following the detailed subject-wise SSC CGL Tier 2 strategies that are given above, can boost the aspirant’s preparation.
Hope you got an insight of how to prepare for SSC CGL tier 2 exam. For SSC CGL Mocks and coaching you can download Rankers Hub App from Google Play Store.
All the best
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