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. Where something is our advice and not SSC's, we say so.
1. Know where the marks are
Tier-I only shortlists. The merit list is decided by Tier-II Sections I and II, out of 360 marks, with the Computer Knowledge Test and the typing or skill test as qualifying hurdles. From the notice:
| Part of Tier-II merit marks | Questions | Marks | Share of the 360 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematical Abilities | 30 | 90 | 25% |
| Reasoning and General Intelligence | 30 | 90 | 25% |
| English Language and Comprehension | 40 | 120 | 33% |
| General Awareness | 20 | 60 | 17% |
(Shares are our arithmetic.) English is the largest block, and it is the only subject where the notice names question types (grammar, cloze, shuffling, comprehension). General Awareness is the smallest block, but its marks are the cheapest per hour if you build a daily habit.
Section-I (Maths plus Reasoning, out of 180) is also the first tie-break, and Tier-I marks are the second. In SSC's first allocation round for CHSL 2025, the last-selected UR candidates for the larger LDC/JSA posts had Tier-II totals of 294 to 317 out of 360, and Section-I marks of 157 to 176 out of 180 (see cut-offs). Those are history, not a target for 2026, but they show how much of the merit sits in Sections I and II.
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 | 40 | 40 min | 60 |
| Tier-II Section-II, General Awareness | 20 | 20 min | 60 |
| Tier-II Section-III, Computer Knowledge | 15 | 15 min | 60 |
Tier-I gives 36 seconds a question, which is tight for multi-step Quantitative Aptitude. Tier-II gives 60 seconds a question everywhere. The jump matters: Tier-I rewards a fast first pass where you take what you can finish in about half a minute, while Tier-II lets you read a passage or a figure properly. Practise both clocks, not just one.
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. 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 (section 6) and adjust from your own data. Remember that the qualifying sections have a floor too: 30% for UR, 25% for OBC and EWS, 20% for others, per section.
4. A four-phase plan
Move between phases on mock results, not on calendar dates. Per SSC's proposed schedule, Tier-I is planned for 30 November to 31 December 2026, so count backwards from whatever date you finally see on the admit card.
Phase 1: Foundation. Go through the syllabus subject by subject. For Maths, start with arithmetic (percentage, ratio, profit and loss, time and work, averages), then algebra, geometry and mensuration. 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) even in Tier-I. 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-style inference) from figural ones (folding, embedded figures, orientation); figural topics improve with volume.
- English: practise the question types listed in the notice (error spotting, cloze, para-jumbles, narration, voice, one-word substitution). For comprehension, read editorials and reports as well as stories, because the Tier-II list says one passage is 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.
6. Typing and the skill test
This is where CHSL differs most from other SSC exams, because it is a gate you must clear in addition to the marks.
- LDC/JSA: 10-minute typing test, 35 words per minute in English or 30 in Hindi (Hindi in Mangal font only). You choose the language in the form and cannot change it.
- DEO / DEO Grade A: 15-minute skill test, 8,000 key depressions per hour, or 15,000 in the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, the Staff Selection Commission and the Ministry of Culture. It is mandatory for all DEOs, with no exemption.
- In SSC's CHSL 2025 allocation notice, the maximum mistakes allowed were 7% for UR and 10% for other categories in the LDC/JSA typing test, and 5% for UR and 7% for others in the DEO Grade A skill test. These change by cycle.
Our advice, not SSC's: because 35 wpm is a qualifying bar and not a scoring target, the right goal is to type comfortably above it with low errors, not to chase speed. Practise on the typing test a few times a week once your Tier-I topics are underway, and do not leave typing until after Tier-I results, since Tier-II and the typing test fall on the same day. Candidates choosing Hindi should practise in the Mangal font specifically.
7. 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.
8. 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.
You can also see previous-year papers for CHSL (Pro).
Related: Syllabus · Exam pattern · Cut-offs