Combined Graduated Level Examination (In short known as 'CGL Exam' or 'CGLE') is an examination conducted by the

Staff Selection Commission Staff Selection Commission is an organisation under Government of India to recruit staff for various posts in the various ministries and departments of the government of India and in subordinate offices. This commission is an attached office ...

to recruit Group B and C officers to various posts in top ministries, departments and organisations of

Government of India The Government of India ( ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, ...

. The Staff Selection Commission was established in 1975.

Prerequisites

Candidates applying for the various posts need to have a bachelor degree from a recognised university at the time of applying. The age requirements are between 20 and 30 years. The age limits may vary depending on the position applied. For instance, the position for Inspector of

Central Bureau of Narcotics Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN : केंद्रीय नारकोटिक्स ब्यूरो) is affiliated with India's Department of Revenue (IRS) and regulated by the country's Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs. ...

which had an age range from 18 to 27 years, was extended to 30 years in September 2018. The application fee for 2017 is Rs. 100. All women candidates and candidates belonging to Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, Physically Handicapped, and Ex-Servicemen eligible for reservation are exempted from paying application fee.

Structure

The examination has several tiers which are conducted over different days with results posted after each tier. Previous exams also included an interview tier, but following a government order, interviews have been dispensed with for all non-gazetted posts in the central government as of 1 January 2016. A computer proficiency test or a skill test was also added as a tier for some posts. There are four major tiers of examination.

Tier I: Preliminary

The Tier I exam consists of a written objective multiple-choice exam with four sections, covering the subjects of: * General Intelligence and Reasoning * General Awareness * Quantitative Aptitude * English Comprehension The exam was typically scored with maximum 50 Marks per section for a total of 200 Marks. The latest versions of this exam such as with 2018 have been conducted online. Based on results from Tier I, qualified candidates can then take the Tier II and Tier III exams.

Tier II: Mains Exam

Also known as the Mains Exam, the Tier II exam consists of written objective multiple-choice exam, in three sections (also called "Papers"), covering the subjects of: Paper-1 Section-1: Module-1:Mathematical Abilities Module-2:Reasoning and General Intelligence Section-2: Module-1:English Language and Comprehension Module-2:General Awareness Section-3: Module-1:Computer Knowledge Module Module-2:Data Entry Speed Test Module Paper-2 Statistics Paper-3 General Studies(Finance and Economics) Most positions required the candidate to take only the first three sections but certain positions require the third or fourth section. The latest versions of this exam such as the 2018 edition have been conducted online. * Data Entry Speed Test (DEST): candidates enter data at the rate of 2000 key presses in 15 minutes. This is mainly for positions such as Tax Assistant. (Central Excise & Income Tax) * Computer Proficiency Test (CPT): covering the topics of

word processing A word is a basic element of language that carries an objective or practical meaning, can be used on its own, and is uninterruptible. Despite the fact that language speakers often have an intuitive grasp of what a word is, there is no consen ...

spreadsheet A spreadsheet is a computer application for computation, organization, analysis and storage of data in tabular form. Spreadsheets were developed as computerized analogs of paper accounting worksheets. The program operates on data entered in ce ...

s, and making slides.

Other exams

Other exams are required for certain positions. The types included: * Personality Test / Interview (discontinued starting 2016) * Physical Endurance Test / Medical Examination for Central Police Organization (CPO)

Logistics

The 2016 exam was held in 44 batches across 96 cities. There were 3.8 million applicants, of which 1.48 million took the Tier 1 exam. 149,319 candidates passed Tier 1, and 35,096 candidates passed Tier 2. The final number of positions for the 2016 exam was estimated to be about 10,661. Candidates were allowed to view their answer sheets and point out errors in the grading of answers for a fee of Rs. 100 per question. For the 2017 exam, the SSC said about 3,026,598 candidates filled in the online application, of which 1,543,418 candidates took the exam. 226,229 candidates passed Tier 1, and 47,003 candidates passed Tier 2.

Controversies

On 21 February 2018, it was reported that the screenshots of the question paper of the 2017 SSC Tier 2 exam appeared on social media before the exam began. This led to massive protests. The authorities canceled the exam, and

Central Bureau of Investigation The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is the premier investigating agency of India. It operates under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions. Originally set up to investigate bribery and governme ...

conducted an investigation, releasing a

First information report __NOTOC__ A first information report (FIR) is a document prepared by police organisations in Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asian countries including Myanmar, India, Bangladesh and Pakistan when they receive information about the commi ...

that named several entities including employees at Sify Technologies that allegedly participated in the leak. The Tier-III exam for that year was also postponed. SSC CGLE 2018 which was supposed to be held in 2018 got delayed multiple times. CGL 2018 final result was declared in early 2021 after delay of almost 3 years.

Exam delays

Postponements in exam dates and/or results have been a regular occurrence. In addition to the delays in launching the 2017 Tier 1 exams, the 2016 exam final appointments were delayed. The 2014 exam was also delayed and the 2018 Tier 1 exams are being postponed.

References

{{Indian military academies and colleges Civil service tests in India Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions