SSC GD Constable CBE Syllabus
The computer based examination is the only stage of SSC GD Constable that produces marks. Everything after it, the Physical Efficiency Test, the Physical Standard Test and the detailed medical examination, is pass or fail. Your rank comes entirely from this paper.
SSC GD Constable CBE exam pattern
Section | Questions | Marks |
General Intelligence and Reasoning | 20 | 40 |
General Knowledge and General Awareness | 20 | 40 |
Elementary Mathematics | 20 | 40 |
English or Hindi | 20 | 40 |
Total | 80 | 160 |
Sixty minutes for the paper with no sectional timing. Two marks for a correct answer and 0.25 deducted for a wrong one. Objective multiple choice, set at matriculation level.
The paper is available in English, Hindi and thirteen regional languages, chosen at the application stage.
What 0.25 negative marking means for strategy
This is the mildest penalty in the SSC system. Four wrong answers cost you one correct answer, against a 2 mark question.
Run the arithmetic on a two option guess. Half the time you gain 2 marks and half the time you lose 0.25, which is strongly positive. Even a blind four option guess breaks close to even.
So the attempt strategy for SSC GD is different from every other exam on this site. Where CGL Tier 2 and MTS Session 2 punish guessing hard, this paper rewards eliminating one or two options and answering. Leaving a question you have narrowed down is a mistake here.
Section by section
General Intelligence and Reasoning
Analogies, similarities and differences, spatial visualisation and orientation, visual memory, discrimination, observation, relationship concepts, arithmetical reasoning and figural classification, arithmetic number series, non-verbal series, coding and decoding. Both verbal and non-verbal questions, with a higher non-verbal share than the graduate level papers.
General Knowledge and General Awareness
Sports, history, culture, geography, the economic scene, general polity, the Indian Constitution, scientific research and current events. Questions test awareness of the environment around the candidate and its application to society.
Elementary Mathematics
Number systems, computation of whole numbers, decimals and fractions and relationships between numbers, fundamental arithmetical operations, percentage, ratio and proportion, averages, interest, profit and loss, discount, mensuration, time and distance, ratio and time, time and work.
English or Hindi
Chosen at the application stage. The section tests basic comprehension and writing ability, with error spotting, fill in the blanks, vocabulary, grammar, one word substitution, sentence improvement and a comprehension passage.
How to use the sixty minutes
There is no sectional timer, so the whole hour is yours to allocate. Eighty questions in sixty minutes is 45 seconds each, which is workable if you do not get stuck.
A sensible order banks the fast marks first. General Knowledge and the language section take the least time per question. Reasoning is next. Elementary Mathematics is slowest and should not be allowed to eat the time the other three need.
All four sections carry exactly 40 marks. There is no section worth over-investing in and none you can afford to abandon.
Frequently asked questions
How many questions are in the SSC GD Constable CBE?
80 questions for 160 marks in 60 minutes.
What is the negative marking in SSC GD Constable?
0.25 marks for each wrong answer.
Is there sectional timing in the SSC GD CBE?
No. The full 60 minutes can be spent across the four sections in any order.
In which languages is the SSC GD exam held?
English, Hindi and thirteen regional languages, selected during the application.
What level is the SSC GD Constable paper set at?
Matriculation, so Class 10 standard.
Marks, timings and negative marking on this page follow the scheme of examination in the latest SSC GD Constable notification published on ssc.gov.in.