Candidates preparing for SSC CGL should plan their preparation strategy strictly according to the syllabus & Exam pattern. For this, they need to be aware of the SSC CGL Exam Pattern 2023 and then only proceed with the actual study for the exam. SSC CGL is expected to release the application form in the 1st week of May 2023. With the help of Exam pattern, candidates will get an idea on the overall structure of the exam i.e. how many sections will be there in the exam, what would be marking scheme, what will be the mode of the exam, the time duration and much more. In this article, we’ll leave no stone unturned to provide you complete and authentic information on the SSC CGL Exam Pattern for the year 2023. Candidates are advised to read the featured article completely to get the crucial details on the Exam pattern of SSC CGL exam 2023.
SSC CGL Exam Pattern 2023
SSC CGL Exam will be conducted in four different modes out of which one mode will be qualifying in nature. Here are the mentioned modes –
| Mode | Description |
| Tier- 1 | Computer Based Examination |
| Tier- 2 | Computer Based Examination |
| Tier-3 | Pen and Paper Based (Descriptive Examination) |
| Tier-4 (Qualifying) | Computer Proficiency Test (CPT) / Data Entry Skill Test (DEST) / Document Verification |
Note: The CPT and DEST will be applicable to some posts only. For others, Document Verification will be done.
SSC CGL Tier-1 Exam Pattern
Candidates can refer the table given below for SSC CGL Tier-1 Exam Pattern –
| Subjects | Number of Questions | Maximum Marks | Duration |
| General Intelligence & Reasoning | 25 | 50 |
1 Hour (60 Minutes) |
| General Awareness | 25 | 50 | |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 25 | 50 | |
| English Comprehension | 25 | 50 |
Note:
- Visually Handicapped (VH) & orthopedically handicapped (OH) candidates (other than a candidate afflicted by Cerebral Palsy) will get a total time of 80 Minutes to finish the exam.
- Negative Marking:50 Marks will be deducted for each wrong answer.
SSC CGL Tier-2 Exam Pattern
Candidates can check the SSC CGL Tier-2 Exam pattern from the table mentioned below –
| Subjects | Number of Questions | Maximum Marks | Duration |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 100 | 200 |
2 Hour (120 Minutes) |
| English Language & Comprehension | 200 | 200 | |
| Statistics | 100 | 200 | |
| General Studies (Finance & Economics) | 100 | 200 |
Note:
- Visually Handicapped (VH) & orthopedically handicapped (OH) candidates (other than a candidate afflicted by Cerebral Palsy) will get a total time of 160 Minutes to finish the exam.
- Negative Marking:
0.25 marks will be deducted for each wrong answer in Paper II.
0.50 marks will be deducted for each wrong answer in Paper I, Paper III and Paper IV respectively.
- Compulsory Papers: Paper I (Quantitative Aptitude) and Paper II (English Language and Comprehension) will be compulsory for all candidates.
- Paper III (Statistics) will be compulsory for those candidates who will apply for the post of Junior Statistical Officer (JSO).
- Paper-IV will be for only those candidates who are shortlisted in SSC CGL Tier-I for the posts of Assistant Audit Officer/ Assistant Accounts Officer.
Tier-3 Exam Pattern
| Exam Mode | Type of Exam | Maximum Marks | Exam Duration |
| Pen and Paper Based | Descriptive Paper in Hindi/English | 100 | 1 Hour (60 Minutes) |
Note: Visually Handicapped (VH) & orthopedically handicapped (OH) candidates (other than a candidate afflicted by Cerebral Palsy) will get a total time of 80 Minutes to finish the exam.
Tier-4 Exam Pattern
The SSC CGL Tier-4 Exam will be Skills Based Test , where a candidate’s Typing Skills on the Computer will be tested through Data Entry Skill Test (DEST) and certain presentation skills on computer like slides generation, word processing etc will be tested through Computer Proficiency Test (CPT).
However, candidates must note that this exam will be of qualifying nature and only applicable for some posts. For other posts, document verification will be done instead of DEST or CPT.