SSC CPO Quantitative Aptitude Syllabus
Fifty questions in thirty minutes is the hardest ask in SSC CPO Paper 1. Thirty-six seconds a question in a subject where a single geometry problem can eat two minutes, with the section locking whether you are finished or not.
Where it sits in the exam
Detail | Value |
Paper | Paper 1 |
Questions | 50 |
Marks | 50 |
Time | 30 minutes, sectional |
Negative marking | 0.25 |
Note the mark structure. Each question is worth one mark rather than the two or three used elsewhere in the SSC system, and 0.25 comes off for an error. Four wrong answers cost one correct answer.
SSC CPO Quantitative Aptitude syllabus, topic wise
Number system
Whole numbers, decimals, fractions and relationships between numbers, LCM and HCF, square roots, surds and indices.
Arithmetic
Percentage, ratio and proportion, averages, simple and compound interest, profit and loss, discount, partnership business, mixture and alligation, time and distance, plus time and work.
Algebra
Basic algebraic identities of school algebra, elementary surds and graphs of linear equations.
Geometry
Triangles and their various centres, congruence and similarity of triangles, circles and their chords, tangents and angles subtended by chords of a circle.
Mensuration
Triangles, quadrilaterals, regular polygons and circles in two dimensions. Right prisms, right circular cones and cylinders, spheres, hemispheres, rectangular parallelepipeds and regular right pyramids in three dimensions.
Trigonometry
Trigonometric ratios, complementary angles, standard identities, plus heights and distances.
Data interpretation and statistics
Histograms, frequency polygons, bar diagrams and pie charts, along with tables and graphs.
What the clock removes from play
The syllabus is close to CGL Tier 1. The thirty minute lock changes which parts of it are worth preparing for speed.
Arithmetic questions can be answered inside thirty seconds with practice. Data interpretation, once you have read the chart, produces several fast answers in a row. Those are the blocks to secure.
Long geometry constructions and multi step mensuration are where candidates lose the section. Not because they cannot solve them, but because solving three of them costs the time that fifteen arithmetic questions would have taken.
How to prepare
Get the standard formulae automatic first. At this pace there is no time to rebuild anything mid question.
Build calculation speed deliberately. Squares to thirty, cubes to twenty, tables to twenty-five and fraction to percentage conversions save more time here than any advanced shortcut.
Practise only under the thirty minute clock once you know the topics. The skill this section actually tests is triage, and triage cannot be practised untimed.
Set an attempt target and hold it. Most successful candidates answer somewhere between 30 and 40 of the 50 accurately rather than rushing all 50 badly.
Frequently asked questions
How many maths questions are asked in SSC CPO?
50 questions for 50 marks in Paper 1, with 30 minutes for the section.
What is the negative marking for the maths section?
0.25 marks for each wrong answer.
Is trigonometry in the SSC CPO syllabus?
Yes, covering ratios, complementary angles, standard identities and heights and distances.
How much time is given per question?
Thirty-six seconds on average, since the section locks after 30 minutes.
Is CPO maths the same as CGL maths?
The topic list is close, but CPO gives one mark per question with a 30 minute sectional lock, which changes the strategy considerably.
Topics, marks, timing and negative marking on this page follow the scheme of examination in the latest SSC CPO notification published on ssc.gov.in.