SSC CGL preparation starts with the examination scheme for your year. A mock with the wrong timer can teach the wrong pacing. The 2026 notice gives each Tier-I section its own 15-minute limit; you cannot plan to borrow English time for Quant.
Source check: 20 September 2026. Use the SSC CGL 2026 examination notice. The filename says 2025, but the document heading identifies the 2026 examination. The 12 September schedule sets Tier-I for 30 September–30 October 2026. Your admission certificate supplies your individual date and shift.
What to prepare first
Tier-I covers Reasoning, General Awareness, Quantitative Aptitude and English, with 25 questions in each section. It totals 200 marks; a wrong answer costs 0.50 marks. Use the sectional-timing guide to build a practice session that matches the current scheme, including applicable compensatory-time rules.
Tier-II has Paper-I for all posts. Its Maths, Reasoning, English and General Awareness sections need sustained preparation alongside the Computer Knowledge Test and DEST requirements. Additional Statistics or Finance and Economics papers apply to specified posts. Check your post requirements in the notice before deciding which papers to study. The computer and DEST guide explains why qualifying components still need practice.
A six-month plan you can adjust
This is a study framework, not a selection promise. If your test is close, use the same sequence over the time available and reduce scope rather than pretending that every chapter can be mastered at once.
Months 1–2: repair the basics. Take a diagnostic set in each subject. For every wrong answer, record whether the cause was a missing concept, a calculation error, a misread question or a guess. Study one weak topic at a time, then try new questions without looking at the solution. Start a short General Awareness revision notebook organised by subject.
Months 3–4: practise within section limits. Use 15-minute Tier-I sections. A target that requires 22 minutes for Quant does not fit the 2026 timer. Review unfinished questions separately: some need faster calculation, while others should have been skipped. Add Tier-II work for your selected posts so that clearing Tier-I does not leave every later component untouched.
Months 5–6: simulate and review. Use full papers with the correct section structure. Spend a separate session checking errors, attempted questions and skipped opportunities. Repeat a weak topic with a different set; remembering an old answer is not the same as fixing the method.
General Awareness needs revision, not just more reading
Keep static topics and current developments in separate notes. For a news item, record what changed, which institution is involved and the source date. Revisit older notes before adding another compilation. A daily routine is useful only if you can recall the material later; a large question count alone does not establish readiness.
How to judge progress
Track correct answers, wrong answers and time spent by section. Use the negative-marking examples to calculate raw marks. Do not treat a fixed mock score as a safe cutoff: category, post, vacancies and the official scoring process matter.
A six-month plan may suit one learner and not another. Adjust it using your diagnostic results and available study time. For official papers and next steps, use the SSC paper collection, result guide and exam-guide directory.