SSC CGL 2020 Tier I- Quantitative Aptitude Preparation Strategy

With the SSC CGL 2020 notification being out long back, government job aspirants must have started its preparation. The selection process for this exam is Computer Based Examination (Tier I) followed by Computer Based Examination (Tier II) followed by Descriptive Paper (Tier III) and finally Computer Proficiency Test/ Data Entry Skill Test (wherever applicable). This year, the tentative number of vacancies is 6,506 for the below posts:

• Assistant Audit Officer
• Assistant Accounts Officer
• Assistant
• Assistant Section Officer
• Inspector of Income Tax
• Inspector (Central Excise)
• Inspector (Preventive Officer)
• Inspector (Examiner)
• Assistant Enforcement Officer
• Sub Inspector
• Inspector Posts
• Inspector
• Assistant/ Superintendent
• Divisional Accountant
• Junior Statistical Officer
• Accountant
• Accountant/ Junior Accountant
• Senior Secretariat
• Assistant/ Upper Division Clerks

Remember, the competition for these vacancies is going to be very tough since this unlike the banking jobs in Public Sector Undertakings, this a central government job and therefore the earlier you start your preparation, the better it is. Start slow and steady and maintain a consistent pace and you will surely achieve success. Before starting your preparation, why not take a free mock test of SSC CGL 2020 Tier I and check your preparation level. In this article, we have come up with a preparation strategy for the Quantitative Aptitude section. Before proceeding further, let’s have a look at the exam pattern of SSC CGL 2020 Tier I & II.

SSC CGL 2020 Tier I Exam Pattern

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SSC CGL 2020 Tier I Quantitative Aptitude Syllabus

Travelling without a clear plan in your mind will not necessarily lead you to your destination. Similarly, studying without knowing the complete syllabus will put you astray. When it comes to the syllabus of Quantitative Aptitude for SSC CGL 2020 Tier I, you need to be familiar with each of the topics mentioned here. And at the same time, understand all the concepts one by one and practise solving questions on them. Have a look at the syllabus now:

Angles subtended by chords of a circle	Triangle	Quadrilaterals
Averages	Triangle and its various kinds of centres	Rectangular Parallelepiped
Bar diagram & Pie chart.	Trigonometric ratio	Regular Polygons
Basic algebraic identities of School Algebra & Elementary surds	Frequency polygon	Regular Right Pyramid with triangular or square base
Circle	Graphs of Linear Equations	Right Circular Cone
Circle and its chords	Heights and Distances	Right Circular Cylinder
Common tangents to two or more circles	Hemispheres	Right Prism
Complementary angles	Histogram	Sphere
Computation of whole numbers	Interest	Square roots
Congruence and similarity of triangles	Mixture and Alligation	Standard Identities
Decimals	Partnership Business	Tangents
Degree and Radian Measures	Percentage. Ratio & Proportion	Time & Work
Discount	Profit and Loss	Time and distance
Fractions and relationships between numbers

Know Your Weak Areas by taking a Free Mock Test of SSC CGL

As you must have noticed, the syllabus of SSC CGL Quantitative Aptitude is a little bit different from the quants section of banking exams. There are additional topics like Geometry in this exam. So, you need to prepare & practice accordingly on topics like Complementary angles, Hemisphere etc. 

Strategy for Quantitative Aptitude Preparation

Assess Your Current Preparation Level

This step is extremely important from the preparation point of view. And the best way to know your preparation level is to take a free mock test of SSC CGL. When you take the free mock test, you get used to the time-bound environment of the actual test. You also get the list of those areas in which you need improvement. Once you know your preparation level, you know exactly which areas you need to focus more in terms of conceptual clarity and which areas you need to practice more questions.

Time Management is Important

After taking the free mock test, you must have got a hang of your weak areas. You need to start working on them. Let’s say, you are not very good in Geometry. So, you need to go through the concepts of Graphs of Linear Equations, Triangle and its various kinds of centres, Congruence and similarity of triangles, Circle and its chords, tangents, angles subtended by chords of a circle, common tangents to two or more circles, Triangle, Quadrilaterals, Regular Polygons, Circle, Right Prism, Right Circular Cone, Right Circular Cylinder, Sphere, Hemispheres, Rectangular Parallelepiped, Regular Right Pyramid with triangular or square base, Trigonometric ratio, Degree and Radian Measures, Standard Identities, Complementary angles, Heights and Distances. Once you are through with the concepts, start solving questions without any time limit. As you gain proficiency in different topics, try taking less than a minute to answer a question. Obviously, you need to allocate more time to the topics of Geometry if that is your weak area. But, at the same time keep practising question on topics which are your forte. This way, you will balance time management between your strong and weak areas.

Take a Free Mock Test of SSC CGL & Compare Your Score with Toppers

Don’t Learn Shortcuts First

It’s important to learn the concepts properly first and then learn the shortcuts. Whenever you try to use any shortcut, remember to understand the methodology behind it. If you know the logic of the shortcuts, tricks etc. it will not only help you in memorizing the respective shortcut, trick but even if the question comes in a little twisted format, you can modify the shortcut/ trick accordingly and get your answer in less time.

Remember: The more you practice, the better grip you get on the concepts, shortcuts, tricks etc.

Make Your own notes of Shortcuts

Once you get hold of any shortcut, trick etc. note it down somewhere. And while taking the mock test, try applying the trick. Later, review your attempt and check the answers. If the answers are incorrect, check the concept & shortcut again. This way, not only will you avoid the mistake happening in the actual exam but you will also revise the shortcut/ tricks.

Speed is Your Foremost Friend

SSC CGL 2020 Tier I is all about speed. The more concepts you have clarity on, the better you will be able to answer questions of different types. And similarly, the more different types of questions you are exposed to, the quicker you will be able to understand and answer the questions. So, to cut a long story short, practice as many questions as you can and review your performance periodically. This is a sure-shot way to improve your speed and to gain precious marks in this exam.

Be Mindful of Negative Marking

SSC CGL 2020 Tier I has a negative marking of 0.50 mark. So keep guessing to a minimum of questions. Too many incorrect answers can really affect your score. Mark the answer only if you are sure of it.

Following the above-mentioned points will definitely help you with better preparation of Quantitative Aptitude section for SSC CGL exam. Remember, practice is the key to succeed in this exam.

Wishing you good luck with your preparation!