SSC CGL Tier 1 Syllabus 2026: Topic-wise List for All Four Sections

SSC published the Combined Graduate Level Examination 2026 notice on 21 May 2026. The Tier 1 syllabus is in that notice, under the heading "Indicative Syllabus (Tier-I)". This page lists every topic from it, section by section, in plain words. It also explains the 2026 time rule and what the syllabus does not tell you.

SSC CGL Tier 1 exam pattern 2026

Tier 1 is a computer-based test with four sections. Each section has its own 15-minute timer.

A few rules from the notice that matter while you study:

• Every wrong answer costs 0.50 marks. A right answer gets 2.
• Questions come in both English and Hindi, except the English Comprehension section.
• Candidates eligible for a scribe get 20 minutes per section (15 + 5).
• Reasoning, GA and English are set at graduation level. Quant is set at Class 10 level.

The 15-minute timer changes how you should plan. Time saved in one section does not carry over. Read our sectional timing guide for a section-by-section plan.

Is there an official SSC CGL syllabus PDF?

There is no separate syllabus PDF. The syllabus is part of the full notice of examination, which you can download from ssc.gov.in. In the 2026 notice it is paragraph 13.10 for Tier 1 and 13.11 for Tier 2. Any "syllabus PDF" on other websites is a copy or a summary of that section.

Topic-wise SSC CGL Tier 1 syllabus

The table below groups the official topics so they are easier to plan around. Nothing has been added that is not in the notice, except in English, where the notice gives only a one-line description.

What each section really tests

Reasoning

The official list is long, but the questions are short. Most items are one-step: find the pattern, apply it, pick the option. Figure-based questions (mirror images, paper folding, embedded figures) need practice with images, not just reading about them. Use mocks for these.

General Awareness

The GA syllabus is the vaguest. "India and its neighbouring countries" plus "current events" covers almost anything. Two habits help. First, cover static topics once properly: history, polity, geography, economy and basic science. Second, read current affairs for the 12 to 18 months before your exam date, not just the last month.

Quantitative Aptitude

Quant is set at Class 10 level, but the time limit makes it the hardest section in 2026. 25 questions in 15 minutes is 36 seconds each. So learn methods that are short. Arithmetic topics and data reading are usually quicker to solve. Geometry, mensuration and trigonometry need formulas you know without thinking.

English Comprehension

The notice gives only one line for English. In practice, recent papers have used vocabulary (synonyms, antonyms, idioms, one-word substitution, spelling), grammar (error spotting, sentence improvement, voice and narration, fill in the blanks), sentence rearrangement, and a cloze test or reading passage. A passage takes longer, so most aspirants leave it for the end of the 15 minutes.

What about topic-wise weightage?

SSC does not publish topic-wise weightage. It only fixes 25 questions per section. Any "topic-wise weightage" table you see online comes from coaching institutes counting questions in past shifts. Those counts change from shift to shift and from year to year, and different sources give different numbers for the same topic. We have not printed a question-count table here because we could not find figures that agree across sources.

A better approach is to measure your own weak areas. After each full mock, note which topics you got wrong or skipped. Three or four mocks will show you more about where your marks go than any average weightage table.

Tier 1 only gets you to Tier 2

Tier 1 is a screening stage. As per the 2026 notice, the final merit list is made on Tier 2 marks only. But you still need a strong Tier 1 score, because SSC shortlists for Tier 2 category-wise using Tier 1 marks. The minimum qualifying marks in Tier 1 are 30% for UR, 25% for OBC and EWS, and 20% for other categories. The actual cutoff is usually much higher than these minimums. See the past SSC CGL cutoff figures by category.

How to turn the syllabus into a study plan

1. Print the topic table above and mark each topic as strong, average or weak.
2. Start with weak topics that appear in every paper type, such as percentage, ratio and grammar rules.
3. Practise each section with a 15-minute timer from the start, not just in the last month.
4. Take a full mock every week. Use the score report to update your strong, average and weak list.
5. Keep a short notebook of GA facts and formulas you keep forgetting, and read it every few days.

Try a full mock on the 2026 pattern

The fastest way to see where you stand against this syllabus is a timed paper. You can take SSC CGL Full Mock 1 free. It has four sections of 25 questions, each with its own 15-minute timer, and the report shows your score and time by section.