How to Crack SSC CGL in First Attempt? - Expert Tips, Books and Toppers Advice

The Staff Selection Commission conducts the Combined Graduate Level (CGL) exam to recruit candidates in various Group B posts under Govt. of India ministries/departments. While preparing for the SSC CGL exam, several candidates ask a very common question, “how to crack SSC CGL in first attempt?” The best way to get this done is to devise a solid preparation strategy for both SSC CGL Tier-I and Tier-II stages with confidence and determination. 

• In this article, we’ll provide important SSC CGL preparation tips, study resources and strategies to help you know how to crack SSC CGL in first attempt without coaching.
• Candidates must also fulfill official SSC CGL Eligibility Criteria to start preparing and gain more chances to crack SSC CGL 2023 exam in first attempt. 
• You can also access the best books for SSC CGL preparation along with expert preparation tips and other study materials in the article. 
• At the end of this article, we have also compiled important toppers’ advice to help you crack SSC CGL in first attempt without any kind of hesitation. 

Enroll in the best SSC CGL Online Coaching to clear the exam in 1st attempt today!

SSC CGL Exam Pattern 2023

Before knowing how to crack SSC CGL in first attempt, it is quite essential to check the official SSC CGL Exam Pattern for both Tier-I and Tier-II to prepare for the exam in full flow. Check out the official SSC Combined Graduate Level exam pattern 2023 below. 

As you know, candidates who are selected in Prelims will proceed to Tier-II Mains exam. Thus, if you want to know how to crack SSC CGL in first attempt without coaching, check out the Tier-II SSC CGL exam pattern which will determine your final cutoff. 

Check detailed SSC CGL Tier 2 Exam Analysis for both tiers here!

SSC CGL Free Tests

How to Crack SSC CGL in First Attempt?

When a candidate begins studying for the exam, the first question that comes to his/her mind is "How to Crack SSC CGL in First Attempt?", of course, there are many factors to this but the #1 factor is having a clear understanding of the exam. You need to have an in-depth knowledge of the SSC CGL Syllabus, expert preparation strategy, good reference books, and rigorous practice. In this article, we will provide you with tips and strategies that will help you pass the SSC CGL Exam 2023 without much burden. 

Expert Tips to Crack SSC CGL in First Attempt

As you know, the SSC CGL Selection Process consists of Tier 1, Tier 2, and a DV Round. Thus, if you want to clear all these stages of the exam in the first attempt, you must follow dedicated preparation tips and strategies by industry experts and toppers. Thus, let’s go through the tips and tricks that will really help you know how to crack SSC CGL in first attempt without coaching below. 

• Understand the Syllabus and Topics in Depth

If you want to clear the SSC CGL exam in the first attempt you should first go over the SSC CGL Syllabus. After you have gone through the syllabus, analyze the important topics that have the most weightage in the exam. Then, using expert SSC CGL Study Materials, begin practicing those topics. You must first finish studying the topics that have been repeatedly asked in the respective sections before moving on to others.

• Devise a Study Timetable

As the exam syllabus is comprehensive, you must prepare a customized SSC CGL Study Plan to enhance your preparation strategies to the fullest. The purpose of making this study plan is to strategize your preparation based on key topics, strengths and weaknesses, and time left. Your study timetable can take at least 3-4 hours to complete per day, with daily priorities on studying chapters/topics while solving at least one mock or previous paper. 

Download SSC CGL 60 Days Study Plan in PDF

• Choose Limited Study Materials and Books

To know how to crack SSC CGL in first attempt is to also know how to use lesser study references and books for preparation. Sort your study resources as per expert recommendations and topper suggestions to practice from the same book in multiple ways. The goal is to cover the entire syllabus and to use relevant materials that cover the latest topics concisely. One such extensive resource platform is Testbook’s Smartbook Series of SSC Books, where you will get 4500+ questions, expert study notes and chapter-wise questions for best preparation. Check out the smartbooks below. 

• SSC SmartBook General Knowledge 
• SSC SmartBook General Reasoning
• SSC SmartBook Quantitative Aptitude
• SSC SmartBook English Language 

• Attempt Latest Mock Tests

To finish the SSC CGL paper in 60 minutes, you need to improve your speed and accuracy. To simultaneously brush up on your time-management skills, solving mock tests is the key. Thus, attempt the latest SSC CGL Mock Test to practice for the real exam comfortably with chapter-wise topics and their questions as per the latest trend. 

Also, practice from SSC CGL Tier 2 Quant Revision Mock Test here!

Practice Previous Year Question Papers

Once you have completed the mock tests, it’s time to solve model question papers to understand the exam difficulty level. Try solving at least one or two SSC CGL Previous Year Papers to understand the question pattern, weightage of topics, and repetitive question trend easily. 

• Prepare Short Notes

As you know, objective-type questions or MCQs will be asked in the SSC CGL Tier-I exam. Thus, there is no point in preparing long and descriptive notes for preparation. Try to prepare short notes while revising any chapter or topic for good last-minute preparation. You can prepare short GK & Current Affairs notes, Reasoning solutions as well as Quant formulas and technique notes in your notebook to best know how to crack SSC CGL in first attempt. 

• Focus on your Weak Areas First

As you know, the SSC CGL is a competitive exam and your SSC CGL Result will be compared on an All-India basis. It means candidates who have scored exceptionally in both tiers will make it to the final merit list. To do that, you need to first assess your strengths and weaknesses of preparation. Then, you need to solve topic-wise questions, quizzes, and tough chapters to move ahead in the lion’s race. 

You can check out the following study resources to know better how to crack SSC CGL in first attempt without coaching. 

Best SSC CGL Books 2023

We hope by now you have understood how to crack SSC CGL in first attempt. However, to make it more refined, we have compiled the list of best SSC CGL Books as recommended by experts in the table below. 

SSC CGL English Books

Check out the list of best SSC CGL Books for English preparation below:

SSC CGL Maths Books

To score well in Quant section in both Tier 1 and Tier 2 exam, check out the list of best SSC CGL Books for Maths below. 

SSC CGL Reasoning Books

The reasoning section of the SSC CGL is critical and may be difficult at first, but some several tips and strategies can help applicants succeed. Candidates can use the table below to find the best SSC CGL books for Reasoning below.

SSC CGL General Knowledge Books

Here’s a compilation of the best SSC CGL Books for General Knowledge section below. 

Toppers Advice to Score Good in SSC CGL 2023 Exam

There is a common misconception that the Combined Graduate Level exam is the most difficult SSC exam and that you need to study 8-9 hours daily to know how to crack SSC CGL in the first attempt. This exam can be easily aced with the right strategy shared by past toppers and aspirants who qualified for the prestigious SSC CGL Job Profile. 

• The toppers’ formula for success in the exam consists of following the right approach, targeted study materials, less planning and more preparation, and consistent revision.
• Assess the previous years’ SSC CGL Cut Off to know your qualifying marks and category-wise score to prepare accordingly. 
• Clear basic fundamentals of Grammar and Vocabulary by practising questions on Synonyms & Antonyms, Comprehension, and Para Jumbles. 
• Solve practice sets and previous model papers to improve your preparation in the Reasoning Ability section. 
• Be proficient in calculation methods and implement new stepwise methods to solve Maths problems. 
• Try to solve at least previous papers from the last 8-9 years and try to solve each practice paper within 60 mins to get a real feel of the exam. 
• While attempting mocks, write down the difficult questions, concepts and solutions in a notebook and revise it on a daily basis.
• Read Daily Current Affairs and practice key quizzes to ace the General Knowledge scoring section. 
• Try to note down year-wise repetitive questions and include them in your study plan to prepare thoroughly. 

Discover necessary information on Life after Clearing SSC CGL exam in detail here. 

We hope this informative article could clear your doubts about how to crack SSC CGL in the first attempt without coaching quite lucidly. If you have any questions, contact our expert team or download the Testbook App right now to get the right guidance and prep strategy on clearing SSC and other PSC govt. exams in the first attempt.