A preparation plan should follow the exam as SSC has actually defined it. This page works from the official scheme rather than general advice, and ends in a routine you can run weekly. The "why" for every rule is in the marks and timers.
1. Know where the marks are
Tier-I only shortlists. The merit list for most posts is decided by Tier-II Paper-I, Sections I and II, out of 390 marks, with the Computer Knowledge Test and the Data Entry Speed Test as qualifying hurdles. From the notice:
| Part of Paper-I | Questions | Marks | Share of the 390 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematical Abilities | 30 | 90 | 23% |
| Reasoning and General Intelligence | 30 | 90 | 23% |
| English Language and Comprehension | 45 | 135 | 35% |
| General Awareness | 25 | 75 | 19% |
English is the largest block by some distance, and it is the only subject where the notice names question types (grammar, cloze, shuffling, comprehension). Many aspirants treat it as the subject to "do later". On the numbers, that is a mistake. General Awareness is the smallest block but its marks are the cheapest per hour if you build a daily habit.
Note that Section-I (Maths plus Reasoning, out of 180) is also the first tie-break for most posts, so being strong there helps twice.
2. Know your time per question
Each section has its own timer. You cannot move spare time between sections.
| Section | Questions | Timer | Seconds per question |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tier-I, each subject | 25 | 15 min | 36 |
| Tier-II Section-I, Maths | 30 | 30 min | 60 |
| Tier-II Section-I, Reasoning | 30 | 30 min | 60 |
| Tier-II Section-II, English | 45 | 40 min | about 53 |
| Tier-II Section-II, General Awareness | 25 | 20 min | 48 |
| Tier-II Section-III, Computer Knowledge | 20 | 15 min | 45 |
Tier-I gives 36 seconds a question, which is tight for multi-step Quantitative Aptitude. That is why Tier-I rewards a fast first pass: take the questions you can finish in under a minute and leave the rest.
3. Decide when to guess
The marking scheme sets a break-even point:
- Tier-I: +2 right, −0.5 wrong. Attempting pays if your chance of being right is above 20% (1 in 5).
- Tier-II Sections I to III: +3 right, −1 wrong. Break-even is 25% (1 in 4).
This is arithmetic from the scheme, not a rule of thumb from SSC. In practice it means: a pure blind guess among four options (25%) is roughly neutral in Tier-II and slightly positive in Tier-I, while guessing after eliminating two options is clearly positive in both. Track "guess accuracy" in your mock log (see section 6) and adjust from your own data.
4. A four-phase plan
Move between phases on mock results, not on calendar dates.
Phase 1: Foundation. Go through the syllabus subject by subject. For Maths, start with arithmetic (percentage, ratio, profit and loss, time and work), because it is the largest part of the paper and the base for data handling. For English, build grammar rules and vocabulary in parallel with reading. For General Awareness, start the daily current-affairs habit now and keep it.
Phase 2: Topic practice. Do untimed sets by topic, then lightly timed ones. Your goal is accuracy first. Use Pareeksha's topic-wise practice (Pro) or any set that tags questions by topic, so you can see which topic leaks marks.
Phase 3: Sectional timing. Switch to the real timers: 15 minutes for 25 questions (Tier-I) and 30, 40, 20 and 15 minutes for the Tier-II sections. Practise one section at a time against its own clock. This is the phase most plans skip, and it is where the scheme's separate timers matter.
Phase 4: Full mocks and analysis. Sit full papers in the real format, then spend as long analysing each mock as you spent sitting it. Take Tier-II-pattern mocks as well, including the Computer Knowledge section, since Tier-II decides the merit.
5. Subject tactics from the syllabus
- Quantitative Aptitude: the notice names school-level geometry (triangle centres, circles, mensuration of solids) and simple trigonometry (heights and distances, identities). These are formula-driven, so keep a one-page formula sheet and revise it on a schedule. Tier-II adds standard deviation and simple probability.
- Reasoning: the list is long but it is mostly pattern recognition. Separate verbal topics (analogy, series, coding, syllogism) from figural ones (folding, embedded figures, visualisation); figural topics improve with volume.
- English: practise the Tier-II question types listed in the notice (error spotting, cloze, para-jumbles, narration, voice). For comprehension, read editorials and reports as well as stories, because the notice says two of the three passages are current-affairs based.
- General Awareness: the notice names History, Culture, Geography, Economic Scene, General Policy and Scientific Research, with India and its neighbours emphasised. Read daily current affairs in short, spaced sessions; revise weekly.
- Computer Knowledge: four areas only (basics, software and MS Office, internet and e-mail, networking and cyber security). A short, focused revision is enough for most candidates, but it is qualifying, so do not skip it.
- Typing (DEST): about 2,000 key depressions in 15 minutes, with a maximum error percentage of 20% (UR), 25% (OBC and EWS) or 30% (others). Practise on our typing test a few times a week once you start Tier-II preparation. Some posts set higher standards.
6. A weekly mock-analysis routine
After each mock, write each wrong or skipped question into a log with one of these tags:
- Concept gap: I did not know the idea. Fix: study the concept, then do 10 questions on it.
- Formula or fact slip: I knew it but misremembered. Fix: put it on the revision sheet.
- Time: I ran out of time on a section. Fix: practise that section against its own timer.
- Careless: misread the question or option. Fix: slow the first read, not the whole paper.
- Bad guess: I guessed and lost marks. Fix: only guess after elimination (see section 3).
Count the tags weekly. The largest tag is next week's work. Compare your percentile, not just your marks: on Pareeksha every candidate in a cohort sits the same fixed paper, so your percentile shows where you stand against others on identical questions. See how it works.
7. Free and paid practice on Pareeksha
- Free: a 10-question mini-mock to try the format, and the Daily Dangal quiz.
- Pro: full CBT-pattern mocks, previous-year papers and topic-wise practice.
For longer plans, see our 90-day plan and 3, 6 and 12 month strategy. If you are working full time, read the working professionals guide.
Related: Syllabus · Exam pattern · Cut-offs