SSC GD Constable is one of India's largest single recruitment drives, filling Constable (General Duty) posts across BSF, CISF, CRPF, ITBP, SSB, Assam Rifles, Rifleman (GD) in Assam Rifles and Sepoy in Narcotics Control Bureau. The CBT is 80 questions across four sections - Reasoning, General Knowledge & General Awareness, Elementary Mathematics and English/Hindi - in 60 minutes, worth 160 marks. It's followed by a Physical Efficiency Test (PET) and Physical Standard Test (PST), which are as decisive as the written exam.
The CBT has 80 questions worth 160 marks in 60 minutes, split into four equal sections of 20 questions each: General Intelligence & Reasoning, General Knowledge & General Awareness, Elementary Mathematics, and English/Hindi. Wrong answers attract a penalty on this exam (a quarter of that question's marks). Candidates who clear the CBT proceed to PET (a timed run - distances and timing differ by gender and category) and PST (height/chest/weight standards, again category and sometimes state/region-specific), followed by a detailed medical exam - both stages are pass/fail gates, not scored components that add to your CBT marks.
| Section | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| General Intelligence & Reasoning | 20 | 40 |
| General Knowledge & Awareness | 20 | 40 |
| Elementary Mathematics | 20 | 40 |
| English/Hindi | 20 | 40 |
| Total | 80 | 160 |
Elementary Mathematics stays at a Class 10 level - number systems, fractions, percentages, ratio, averages, interest, profit & loss, time-work, time-distance, mensuration and basic data interpretation. Reasoning covers analogies, similarities, spatial visualisation, arithmetic reasoning, coding-decoding, non-verbal series and puzzle-solving at a foundational difficulty. General Knowledge & Awareness leans heavily on current events, sports, history, culture, geography, Indian polity/constitution and general science - since defence-adjacent recruitment tends to weight GK questions on national security, defence current affairs and government schemes more than a typical SSC paper. English/Hindi tests basic grammar and comprehension in whichever language the candidate opts for.
Physical standards and the timed run are non-negotiable gates - a strong CBT score doesn't carry over if PET/PST is failed. Standards vary by category (male/female/ex-servicemen) and sometimes by state/region for height and chest measurements, and the running distance/time cutoff differs by category too - check your specific notification's PET/PST table months in advance, not after the CBT result, since the physical conditioning needed (particularly running time) takes sustained months of training to build safely.
With 60 minutes for 80 questions spread evenly across four sections, pacing (roughly 15 minutes per section without overrunning) is as much a skill as knowing the syllabus. Because General Knowledge here skews toward defence/current-affairs-heavy content, students preparing for GD Constable benefit from following defence-focused current affairs specifically, not just generic GK. Elementary Mathematics and Reasoning are both at a foundational level, so repetition-based topic drilling (rather than advanced theory) is the fastest route to full marks in those two sections.
Reviewed by the Pareeksha Exam Content Team - SSC & RRB pattern specialists. Patterns below reflect recent notification cycles; always cross-check the exact dates, vacancies and marking scheme in your cycle's official notification before applying.
BSF, CISF, CRPF, ITBP, SSB, Assam Rifles (including Rifleman GD) and Sepoy (Narcotics Control Bureau, Gorkha Rifles/Rifleman posts in some cycles) - always confirm the exact list in your notification year.
Yes - wrong answers cost a fraction of that question's marks in the CBT stage.
Candidates who clear the CBT and category-wise cut-off proceed to PET (physical efficiency/running test) and PST (physical standards - height, chest, weight), followed by a medical examination.