The question, whether to get into the private sector or the government sector can be easily answered: the government sector, of course. Especially, in these days of uncertainty, the one thing that can guarantee everything for a successful and secure career is a government job, the most coveted job these days.
Well, the following are a few advantages, in brief:
- Job Security – Unlike a job in the private sector, which is easily affected by recession and in which layoffs are very common, a government job is secure by its very definition.
- Salary – Thanks to the 7th Pay Commission, the pay structure of government jobs is now on par with the corporate private sector. This, coupled with the job security, makes any government job irresistable.
- Additional Benefits – Unlike the private sector, the governent sector gives you a guaranteed pension, a must after retirement. Other benefits include attractive financial services, low-interest-rate loans, etc.
- Stability – One quality of a job that everyone dreams of is stability. This is synonymous to a government job.
- Promotions – Promotions in the government sector are easier and guaranteed.
- Holidays – National and state holidays are compulsorily observed. Leave time for vacations, etc., is freely permitted.
- Further Studies – What more! For those who want to enhance their knowledge or improve their skills, the government sector facilitates fully paid higher studies.
Exams Conducted by SSC
SSC Conducts the following exams.
- Combined Graduate Level Examination (CGLE) for posts of Inspector in IT/Central Excise/Dept of post, SI in CBI, Assistant, Divisional Accountant, Auditor, UDC, Junior Accountant, UDC etc.
- Combined Higher Secondary level examination
- Sub-Inspector in CPO (BSF, CRPF, CISF, ITBP, SSB)
- Section Officer (Audit & Commercial)
- Junior Engineers Examination
- SSC conducted exams for recruitment to FCI, Prasar Bharati in 2013
Test Takers and vacancies
The number of test takers is increasing every year. In 2011 about 6 lakh candidates took the CGLE. This number rose to 9 lakh in 2012, 12 lakh in 2013, 14 lakh in 2014, 17.8 lakh in 2015 and to 14.82 lakh in 2016. About 65,000+ vacancies were announced under CGLE from 2011 to 2016.
- About Staff Selection Commission – Combined Graduate Level Exam (SSC CGLE)
Staff Selection Commission conducts Combined Graduate Level Examination (SSC – CGL) for recruitment to different Central Civil posts – Assistant Section Officer / Assistant / Inspector / SI / Divisional Accountant / Junior Statistical Officer / Auditor / Accountant / Junior Accountant / UDC / Tax Assistant, for which Graduation from a recognized University is the minimum Educational Qualification required. The recruitment for these posts is done in departments of Central Secretariat Service / Intelligence Bureau / Ministry of Railways / Ministry of External Affairs / Ministry of Defence / CBI and a few other Ministries / Departments / Organisations of the Central Govt.
Posts Under SSC CGLE
Posts have been placed in two groups, Group – B and Group – C. The Pay Level for the posts under Group – B are Pay Level – 8 (Rs. 47600 – 151100), Pay Level – 7 (Rs. 44900 – 142400), Pay Level – 6 (Rs. 35400 – 112400) and for Group – C are Pay Level – 5 (Rs. 29200 – 92300), Pay Level – 4 (Rs. 25500 – 81100). Posts have been categorised into two groups based on the pay scale and the papers in Tier-II.
Posts Under Group B
- Assistant Audit Officer and Assistant Accounts Officer in Indian Audit & Accounts Department under C & AG
- Assistant Section Officer: In office of Central Secretariat Service, Intelligence Bureau, Ministry of Railways, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), AFHQ, other Ministries / Department / Organizations
- Inspector: For CBDT, CBIC, Department of Post and Central Bureau of Narcotics
- SI in CBI
- Assistant Enforcement Officer in Directorate of Enforcement, Department of Revenue
- Divisional Accountant: For Offices under CAG
- Junior Statistical Officer: For Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation
- Statistical Investigator Grade – II: Registrar General of India
Posts Under Group C:
- Auditor: Offices under C & AG, CGDA, CGA and others
- Accountant / Junior Accountant: Offices under C & AG and other Ministry/Departments
- Tax Assistant: CBDT, CBIC
- Senior Secretariat Assistant / Upper Division Clerks in Central Govt. Offices/Ministries other than CSCS cadres
- Sub Inspector: Central Bureau of Narcotics
Eligibility :
Age:
- Junior Statistical Officer: Max 32 years
- Statistical Investigator Grade – II: Max 30 years
- Assistant Section Officer (CSS,Railways, MEA, AFHQ)/SI in CBI: 20 – 30 Years
- Assistant Audit Officer/Assistant Enforcement Officer/SI in NIA/Divisional Accountant/Assistant Accounts Officer/Income Tax Inspector/Assistant Section Officer in IB/Inspector CBIC (Central Excise/Preventive Officer/Examiner) / Assistant/Superintendent in Other Ministries/Departments/Organizations : Max : 30 years
- Inspector of Posts: 18 – 30 Years
- Tax Assistant CBIC: 20 – 27 Years
- All Other posts: 18 – 27 Years
Educational Qualification:
- For post of Assistant Audit Officer/Assistant Accounts Officer:
- For post of Junior Statistical Officer: Bachelor’s Degree in any subject from a recognized university or institute with at least 60% in Mathematics at 12th standard level OR Bachelor’s Degree in any subject with Statistics as one of the subjects at degree level
- Statistical Investigator Grade – II: Bachelor’s Degree in any subject with Statistics as one of the subjects from a recognized University or Institute. The candidates must have studied Statistics as a subject in all the three years of the graduation course.
- All other Posts: Degree from a recognized University or equivalent.
Indicative Syllabus of Tier-I of the Examination
- General Intelligence & Reasoning:
It would include questions of both verbal and non-verbal type. This component may include questions on analogies, similarities and differences, space visualization, spatial orientation, problem solving, analysis, judgment, decision making, visual memory, discrimination, observation, relationship concepts, arithmetical reasoning and figural classification, arithmetic number series, non-verbal series, coding and decoding, statement conclusion, syllogistic reasoning etc. The topics are, Semantic Analogy, Symbolic/Number Analogy, Figural Analogy, Semantic Classification, Symbolic/Number Classification, Figural Classification, Semantic Series, Number Series, Figural Series, Problem Solving, Word Building, Coding & de-coding, Numerical Operations, symbolic Operations, Trends, Space Orientation, Space Visualization, Venn Diagrams, Drawing inferences, Punched hole/pattern – folding & unfolding, Figural Pattern – folding and completion, Indexing, Address matching, Date & city matching, Classification of centre codes/roll numbers, Small & Capital letters/numbers coding, decoding and classification, Embedded Figures, Critical thinking, Emotional Intelligence, Social Intelligence, Other sub-topics, if any. - General Awareness:
Questions in this component will be aimed at testing the candidates general awareness of the environment around him and its application to society. Questions will also be designed to test knowledge of current events and of such matters of every day observations and experience in their scientific aspect as may be expected of any educated person. The test will also include questions relating to India and its neighbouring countries especially pertaining History, Culture, Geography, Economic Scene, General Policy & Scientific Research. - Quantitative Aptitude:
The questions will be designed to test the ability of appropriate use of numbers and number sense of the candidate. The scope of the test will be computation of whole numbers, decimals, fractions and relationships between numbers, Percentage. Ratio & Proportion, Square roots, Averages, Interest, Profit and Loss, Discount, Partnership Business, Mixture and Alligation, Time and distance, Time & Work, Basic algebraic identities of School Algebra & Elementary surds, Graphs of Linear Equations, Triangle and its various kinds of centres, Congruence and similarity of triangles, Circle and its chords, tangents, angles subtended by chords of a circle, common tangents to two or more circles, Triangle, Quadrilaterals, Regular Polygons, Circle, Right Prism, Right Circular Cone, Right Circular Cylinder, Sphere, Hemispheres, Rectangular Parallelepiped, Regular Right Pyramid with triangular or square base, Trigonometric ratio, Degree and Radian Measures, Standard Identities, Complementary angles, Heights and Distances, Histogram, Frequency polygon, Bar diagram & Pie chart - English Comprehension:
Candidates’ ability to understand correct English, his basic comprehension and writing ability, etc. would be tested.
Indicative Syllabus of Tier-II of the Examination
Paper-I:
Quantitative Ability: The questions will be designed to test the ability of appropriate use of numbers and number sense of the candidate. The scope of the test will be the computation of whole numbers, decimals, fractions and relationships between numbers, Percentage. Ratio & Proportion, Square roots, Averages, Interest, Profit and Loss, Discount, Partnership Business, Mixture and Alligation, Time and distance, Time & Work, Basic algebraic identities of School Algebra & Elementary surds, Graphs of Linear Equations, Triangle and its various kinds of centres, Congruence and similarity of triangles, Circle and its chords, tangents, angles subtended by chords of a circle, common tangents to two or more circles, Triangle, Quadrilaterals, Regular Polygons, Circle, Right Prism, Right Circular Cone, Right Circular Cylinder, Sphere, Hemispheres, Rectangular Parallelepiped, Regular Right Pyramid with triangular or square base, Trigonometric ratio, Degree and Radian Measures, Standard Identities, Complementary angles, Heights and Distances, Histogram, Frequency polygon, Bar diagram & Pie chart
Paper-II:
English Language & Comprehension: Questions in this components will be designed to test the candidate’s understanding and knowledge of English Language and will be based on spot the error, fill in the blanks, synonyms, antonyms, spelling/detecting mis-spelt words, idioms & phrases, one word substitution, improvement of sentences, active/passive voice of verbs, conversion into direct/indirect narration, shuffling of sentence parts, shuffling of sentences in a passage, cloze passage & comprehension passage.
Paper-III: Statistics for Investigator Grade-II:
Collection Classification and Presentation of Statistical Data – Primary and Secondary data, Methods of data collection; Tabulation of data; Graphs and charts; Frequency distributions; Diagrammatic presentation of frequency distributions.
Measures of Central Tendency – Common measures of central tendency – mean median and mode; Partition values- quartiles, deciles, percentiles.
Measures of Dispersion – Common measures dispersion – range, quartile deviations, mean deviation and standard deviation; Measures of relative dispersion.
Moments, Skewness and Kurtosis – Different types of moments and their relationship; meaning of skewness and kurtosis; different measures of skewness and kurtosis.
Correlation and Regression – Scatter diagram; simple correlation coefficient; simple regression lines; Spearman’s rank correlation; Measures of association of attributes; Multiple regression; Multiple and partial correlation (For three variables only).
Probability Theory – Meaning of probability; Different definitions of probability; Conditional probability; Compound probability; Independent events; Bayes’ theorem.
Random Variable and Probability Distributions – Random variable; Probability functions; Expectation and Variance of a random variable; Higher moments of a random variable; Binomial , Poisson, Normal and Exponential distributions; Joint distribution of two random variable (discrete).
Sampling Theory – Concept of population and sample; Parameter and statistic, Sampling and non-sampling errors; Probability and non-probability sampling techniques(simple random sampling, stratified sampling, multistage sampling, multiphase sampling, cluster sampling, systematic sampling, purposive sampling, convenience sampling and quota sampling); Sampling distribution(statement only); Sample size decisions.
Statistical Inference – Point estimation and interval estimation, Properties of a good estimator, Methods of estimation (Moments method, Maximum likelihood method, Least squares method), Testing of hypothesis, Basic concept of testing, Small sample and large sample tests, Tests based on Z, t, Chi-square and F statistic, Confidence intervals.
Analysis of Variance – Analysis of one-way classified data and two-way classified data.
Time Series Analysis – Components of time series, Determinations of trend component by different methods, Measurement of seasonal variation by different methods.
Index Numbers – Meaning of Index Numbers, Problems in the construction of index numbers, Types of index number, Different formulae, Base shifting and splicing of index numbers, Cost of living Index Numbers, Uses of Index Numbers.
Paper IV: General Studies (Finance and Economics) for the post of Assistant Audit Officer:
- Fundamental principles and basic concept of Accounting. Financial Accounting: Nature and scope, Limitations of Financial Accounting, Basic concepts and Conventions, Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. Basic concepts of accounting: Single and double entry, Books of original Entry, Bank Reconciliation, Journal, ledgers, Trial Balance, Rectification of Errors, Manufacturing, Trading, Profit & loss Appropriation Accounts, Balance Sheet Distinction between Capital and Revenue Expenditure, Depreciation Accounting, Valuation of Inventories, Non-profit organisations Accounts, Receipts and Payments and Income & Expenditure Accounts, Bills of Exchange, Self Balancing Ledgers.Part B: Economics and Governance-(120 marks)
- Comptroller & Auditor General of India- Constitutional provisions, Role and responsibility
- Finance Commission-Role and functions
- Basic Concept of Economics and introduction to Micro Economics Definition, scope and nature of Economics, Methods of economic study and Central problems of an economy and Production possibilities curve
- Theory of Demand and Supply Meaning and determinants of demand, Law of demand and Elasticity of demand, Price, income and cross elasticity; Theory of consumer’s behaviour-Marshallian approach and Indifference curve approach, Meaning and determinants of supply, Law of supply and Elasticity of Supply.
- Theory of Production and cost Meaning and Factors of production; Laws of production- Law of variable proportions 22 and Laws of returns to scale.
- Forms of Market and price determination in different markets Various forms of markets-Perfect Competition, Monopoly, Monopolistic Competition and Oligopoly ad Price determination in these markets
- Indian Economy Nature of the Indian Economy Role of different sectors-Role of Agriculture, Industry and Services-their problems and growth; National Income of India-Concepts of national income, Different methods of measuring national income Population-Its size, rate of growth and its implication on economic growth Poverty and unemployment- Absolute and relative poverty, types, causes and incidence of unemployment Infrastructure-Energy, Transportation, Communication
- Economic Reforms in India Economic reforms sice 1991; Liberalisation, Privatisation, Globalisation and Disinvestment
- Money and Banking Monetary/ Fiscal policy- Role and functions of Reserve Bank of India; functions of commercial Banks/RRB/Payment Banks Budget and Fiscal deficits and Balance of payments Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act, 2003
- Role of Information Technology in Governance
SSC CGLE Tier I – Cut off marks and No of students qualified
Cut off marks for Tier I – Candidates qualified in Tier-I for appearing in Tier-II (Paper-I and Paper-II) and Tier-III
| 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SC | 140.11 | 103 | 114 | 80.25 | 77 | 77 | 64 | 63.5 |
| ST | 129.56 | 93 | 103 | 74.25 | 69.5 | 69 | 62 | 63.25 |
| OBC | 162.35 | 115 | 125.5 | 89.5 | 82 | 85 | 70 | 70.25 |
| Ex.S | – | 73.5 | 92 | 67.75 | 62 | 25 | 25 | 60 |
| OH | 112.48 | 87 | 97 | 69 | 68.75 | 67 | 60 | 50 |
| HH | 51.99 | 40 | 20 | 20 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 50 |
| VH | 64.57 | 89.5 | 68 | 51 | 40 | 61 | 25 | 50 |
| UR | 165.96 | 131 | 137 | 102.25 | 96.5 | 102 | 82 | 86.75 |
Candidates qualified in Tier I – Candidates qualified in Tier-I for appearing in Tier-II (Paper-I and Paper-II) and Tier-III
| 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SC | 1421 | 25052 | 24227 | 23624 | 24910 | 19570 | 18960 | 12726 |
| ST | 891 | 12358 | 11352 | 11087 | 11109 | 8973 | 8816 | 6323 |
| OBC | 2008 | 58633 | 56192 | 58137 | 59581 | 47432 | 43257 | 30101 |
| Ex.S | – | 6290 | 4965 | 4648 | 4466 | 3906 | 7934 | 2564 |
| OH | 333 | 2327 | 2742 | 2859 | 2310 | 2135 | 1944 | 2286 |
| HH | 333 | 1709 | 2008 | 2021 | 1328 | 575 | 682 | 169 |
| VH | 364 | 559 | 1411 | 1412 | 1390 | 470 | 861 | 308 |
| UR | 3177 | 43476 | 46422 | 41084 | 37548 | 31860 | 30148 | 17083 |
| Total | 8578 | 150404 | 149319 | 144871 | 142642 | 114921 | 112602 | 71560 |
Cut off marks (Tier I + Tier II)
Cut off marks (Tier I + Tier II) for interview posts (Other than Statistical Investigator / Compiler and all non interview posts)
| 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SC | 389 | 373 | 365.5 | 359.25 | 284 | 281.25 |
| ST | 370 | 359.25 | 349.75 | 345.75 | 282 | 295.75 |
| OBC | 424.5 | 411 | 398.75 | 395.75 | 319 | 323.75 |
| Ex.S | – | 358 | 361 | 345 | 308 | 293 |
| OH | 366.5 | 344.75 | 340 | 345 | 274 | 246 |
| HH | 262 | 253 | 231 | 228 | 191 | 200 |
| VH | 364.5 | 332 | 359 | 315.25 | 261 | 246 |
| UR | 449 | 430.75 | 426 | 424.5 | 349 | 354.75 |
Cut off marks (Tier I + Tier II) for all non interview posts only
| 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SC | 363.25 | 345 | 331.5 | 334 | 251 | 247.25 |
| ST | 341 | 327.5 | 308.5 | 314 | 242 | 251.75 |
| OBC | 397 | 387 | 365 | 368.5 | 281.5 | 283.75 |
| Ex.S | 287.5 | 255 | 288 | 226 | 211 | 180 |
| OH | 333 | 323.5 | 307 | 305.75 | 227 | 208 |
| HH | 216 | 210.5 | 182 | 201.5 | 123 | 150 |
| VH | 336 | 259 | 307 | 300.25 | 225 | 150 |
| UR | 422 | 410.25 | 397.25 | 401 | 313 | 315.25 |
Scheme of Exam :
The Examination comprises of four stages as explained below.
| Tier – I | Written Examination (Objective Multiple Choice Type) (Computer Based) |
| Tier -II | Written Examination (Objective Multiple Choice Type) (Computer Based) |
| Tier -III | Descriptive Paper in English / Hindi ( Pen and paper mode) |
| Tier -IV | Skill Test/Computer Proficiency Test (Wherever Applicable ) |
Pattern of Tier -I Examination (Computer Based):
| Part | Subject | No of Qs | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | General Intelligence & Reasoning | 25 | 50 | 60 Minutes (80 Minutes for VH candidates) |
| B | General Awareness | 25 | 50 | |
| C | Quantitative Aptitude | 25 | 50 | |
| D | English Language | 25 | 50 | |
| TOTAL | 100 | 200 |
- Tier –I of the CGLE will be common for all categories of posts
- There will be negative marking of 0.5 marks for each wrong answer in Tier-I.
- Questions will be of Objective Type Multiple Choice , set both in Hindi and English in respect of Parts A, B and C.
- The questions in Reasoning, GA and English will be of a level commensurate with the Essential Qualification viz graduation and questions in Quantitative Aptitude will be of 10th standard level.
Pattern of Tier -II Examination (Computer Based):
This is the second stage of the exam and only those candidates who qualify the first stage (Tier -I) , will be allowed to sit in this exam . It is also a objective type test and Paper I and Paper II are compulsory for all the posts.
| Paper No. | Subject / Paper | Max . Marks | No. of questions | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | Quantitative Ability | 200 | 100 | 2 hours (2 hours and 40 minutes for VH candidates) |
| II | English Language and Comprehension | 200 | 200 | 2 hours (2 hours and 40 minutes for VH candidates) |
| III | Statistics | 200 | 100 | 2 hours (2 hours and 40 minutes for VH candidates) |
| IV | General Studies ( Finance & Economics) | 200 | 100 | 2 hours (2 hours and 40 minutes for VH candidates) |
| Note : Paper-I & II are compulsory for all the categories of posts . | ||||
| Paper-III is only for those candidates who apply for the post of Junior Statistical Officer. | ||||
| Paper-IV is only for those candidates who apply for the post of Assistant Audit Officer and Assistant Accounts Officer |
- There will be negative marking of 0.25 marks in Paper-II and 0.50 marks in Paper-I and Paper-III for each wrong answer
- Questions will be of Objective Type Multiple Choice, set both in Hindi and English in respect of Paper I and III.
- Questions in Paper-I will be of 10th standard level, Paper-II of 10+2 level and Paper-III of graduation level.
Pattern of Tier – III Examination:
The Commission has also decided to introduce a Descriptive Paper ( (writing of Essay/Precis/Letter /Application Writing etc) of English/Hindi as Tier-III. The Question Paper will be bilingual. The candidates will have the option to choose any one medium. This will be in Pen & paper Mode.
The maximum marks for this section (Tier III) is 100 and the duration is 60 minutes.
Pattern of Tier -IV Examination:
1. DEST (Data Entry Speed Test): FOR THE POST OF TAX ASSISTANTS (Central Excise & Income Tax): The “Data Entry Speed” Skill Test at 2000 (two thousand) key depressions for a duration of 15 (fifteen) minutes will be of qualifying nature
2. CPT (Computer Proficiency Test): The Commission will hold CPT, comprising three modules – Word Processing, Spread Sheet and Generation of Slides, for applicants for the post of Assistants of CSS. CPT will be of a qualifying nature.
IBPS Vs SSC CGL
| Test Area | Bank Exams | SSC CGLE | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Awareness | Banking, Current Affairs and Indian Economy forms about 90% of the test area | Very few questions from current affairs. Majority of the questions are from Physics, Chemistry, History, Geography, Polity etc | No comparison. GA section is very vast and difficult in SSC CGLE. |
| Quantitative Aptitude | DI is very important. Other important topics include ERPV, PPL, TW, TD, G&M | Hardly any questions on DI.Indices & Surds,Numbers,Alg Exp are very important topics | Quant is more difficult in SSC CGLE. About 50% of question types are common. |
| Reasoning Ability | Analytical puzzles and Critical Reasoning are important | Least Important : Analytical puzzles and Critical Reasoning are important. Basic Qs on General Reasoning & Intelligence are asked. | Easy when compared to Bank Exams. 75% syllabus is common |
| English Language | RC forms 50% of the section. | Vocab is more important (Spelling,one word substitue) | Very Easy |
| Summary of comparison of difficulty level | |
|---|---|
| Difficulty Level of Quant | Quant is more difficult in SSC CGLE. About 50% of question types are common for both the exams |
| Difficulty level of English Language | Preparation for Bank PO will take care of the preparation for SSC CGLE |
| Difficulty Level of General Awareness | Cannot be compared. Questions in SSC CGLE are asked form a variety of topics, most of which are not asked in Bank PO. Indian Economy, Banking, Current Affairs, which are most important for PO are least important for SSC CGLE |
| Difficulty Level of Reasoning | Reasoning is more difficult in Bank PO because 50 % of paper comprises of Puzzles ,Critical Reasoning & DS. Where as in SSC CGLE, 50% of questions are from Analogies, OMO, Series, Coding and very very less weightage for Puzzles and CR. Hence easy and scoring in CGLE. |