Whenever you might be faced with a dilemma in choosing the right path towards a respected and secure job in Various ministries in India, Staff Selection Commission (SSC) pops out as one of the most desirable alternatives. It provides a perfect gateway to organizations within the Government sector and provides opportunities to secure a better position right after you’ve completed high school.
SSC CHSL (Staff Selection Commission – Combined Higher Secondary Level) exam is conducted for several ministries and departments within the government of India, for enlisting varied posts such as data entry operators, lower divisional clerks, Junior Secretariat Assistant, postal assistants, sorting assistants and more. And in order to score a fighting chance at any of the aforementioned posts, candidates should be readily aware of the SSC CHSL admit card release, exam centre, course of study and exam structure to prepare appropriately.
The Exam Diagram: The journey begins right from the moment the notification for SSC CHSL is released. To perform well in the exam, the candidate must be aware of the pattern of SSC CHSL, which is broadly classified into the three sections described below:
Tier-I: It is an online computer-based exam consisting of objective type multiple choice questions (MCQ) conducted for 60 minutes. Tier-I also consists of negative marking and contains 100 questions amounting for 200 marks. This exam incorporates four main sections in General Awareness, Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning and General English.
Tier-II: This is an offline exam directed towards descriptive test writing, vocabulary and grammar skills. This phase does not impose any negative marking for wrong answers, but the performance of this test is factored in while preparing the final merit list. It integrates essay and letter/application writing for 60 minutes. As Tier-II is a bilingual test, pretenders have the right to choose the language they are comfortable in i.e. Hindi or English, and are expected to score a minimum of 33% marks in order to move ahead.
Tier-III: This part of the exam comprises DEST (Data Entry Speed Test) and CPT (Computer Proficiency Test) which are both of qualifying nature. During the DEST test, applicants should have a speed of 8000 key depressions per hour, for which a document of 2000 key depressions is given to be completed in 15 minutes.
Syllabus: The syllabus of the exam you’re preparing for, plays a vital role, as it acts as a bridge between you and your dream job. Understand the syllabus properly so that you can cover it efficiently and effectively.
- General Intelligence and Reasoning: The purpose of including this part in the exam is to test the analytical and problem-solving skills of aspiring candidates. It covers topics like Analogies, Semantic Series, Similarities and Differences, Problem-solving & Analysis, Word Building, Judgment & Decision making, Discrimination & observation, Numerical Operations, Relationship concepts, Venn Diagrams, Drawing inferences, Coding and Decoding, Non-verbal series, Statement conclusion, Critical thinking etc.
- General Awareness: This section checks the candidate’s general awareness about the surroundings and society activities. Some subjects are History, Geography, Economy, Biology, Polity, Chemistry, Physics, Scientific Research, Awards and Honors, Books and Authors, Culture etc.
- Arithmetic Aptitude: This portion is incorporated to test the applicant’s mathematical proficiency. Some of the topics covered in this section are Number System, Fractions and Decimals, Circle and its chords, tangents, Ratio & Proportion, Triangle, Square roots, Quadrilaterals, Averages, Interest, Profit and Loss, Right Prism, Discount, Mixture and Alligation, Time and distance, Time & Work, Degree and Radian Measures, Bar diagram & Pie chart etc.
- English Language and Comprehension: This is a scoring section which analyses the understanding of correct usage of grammar, vocabulary and comprehension skills. Synonyms, Antonyms, One Word Substitution, Sentence Completion, Spotting Errors, Cloze Passage, Sentence improvement, Idioms & Phrases, Spelling Test, Reading comprehension, Active/ Passive Voice of Verbs, Shuffling of Sentences in a passage, etc. are some of the topics you can expect.
Preparation strategy: After collection of information concerning the exam, preparation tactics are next in line. Keeping some essential pointers in mind could turn the end results in your favour. Make sure to use E-Learning resources and attempt mock tests regularly. Work on your weaknesses and improve your score gradually. Stressing will induce exam anxiety, so make sure to drink enough water and meditate regularly for increased focus.
