SSC CHSL General Intelligence Syllabus
General Intelligence carries 140 marks across the two CHSL tiers. It rewards practice more directly than any other subject in the exam, because the question forms are finite and they repeat.
Where it sits in the exam
Stage | Questions | Marks |
Tier 1, General Intelligence | 25 | 50 |
Tier 2, Reasoning and General Intelligence module | 30 | 90 |
Tier 1 deducts 0.50 per wrong answer. Tier 2 deducts a full mark. In Tier 2 the module shares its hour with Mathematical Abilities.
SSC CHSL General Intelligence syllabus, topic wise
Analogy and classification
Semantic, symbolic, number and figural forms of both. Relationship spotting in three different presentations.
Series
Semantic series, number series and figural series.
Coding and decoding
Letter coding, number coding and mixed coding, along with symbolic operations where standard mathematical symbols are replaced.
Space orientation and visualisation
Direction sense, spatial orientation, spatial visualisation, mirror and water images, cubes and dice.
Venn diagrams and inference
Venn diagrams, syllogism, statement and conclusion and drawing inferences.
Non-verbal reasoning
Punched hole and pattern folding and unfolding, figural pattern folding and completion, embedded figures and figure counting.
Other topics
Problem solving, word building, numerical operations, trends, critical thinking, emotional intelligence and social intelligence. Blood relations, seating arrangement, ranking and matrix questions also appear regularly without being named individually in the notification.
What changes between the tiers
The topic list does not change. The questions get longer and carry more variables, and the penalty for a wrong answer doubles in real terms.
In Tier 1 you have 25 questions inside a free 60 minute paper, so a slow question can be parked. In Tier 2 you have 30 questions inside an hour shared with 30 maths questions, and every minute spent here is a minute maths does not get.
How to prepare
Work by question type until each is automatic. The Commission publishes headings, not question forms, so previous years’ papers are the real syllabus.
Give non-verbal reasoning proper attention. It is the block most candidates skim, it is worth predictable marks in every shift and it improves faster than anything else with focused practice.
For Tier 2, practise reasoning and maths against one shared clock. The skill being tested is not reasoning alone, it is knowing when to leave a reasoning question and go back to the maths module.
Frequently asked questions
How many reasoning questions are asked in SSC CHSL?
25 in Tier 1 for 50 marks and 30 in the Tier 2 module for 90 marks.
Is non-verbal reasoning part of the SSC CHSL syllabus?
Yes, in both tiers.
What is the negative marking for this section?
0.50 in Tier 1 and one full mark in Tier 2.
Is the CHSL reasoning syllabus the same as CGL?
The topic headings are close, but CHSL is set at higher secondary standard and CGL at graduate standard, and the marks and question counts differ.
Which reasoning topics repeat most in CHSL?
Analogy, classification, series, coding and decoding and non-verbal reasoning.