Seven Mistakes To Avoid While Preparing For SSC CGL Exam

Every year, Staff Selection Commission (SSC) conducts Staff Selection Commission Combined Graduate Level Exam commonly known as SSC CGL exam. Through this, SSC  offers graduate candidates a golden opportunity to be a part of different offices and departments under the Central Government of India.

Candidates in lakhs appear each year for this exam, where some are able to get through and many fall short of the goal. The reason behind this is a lot of candidates commit some common mistakes during preparation as well as during attempting the exam. Candidates who have appeared for SSC CGL exam in the past or are appearing for the first time can improve their SSC CGL marks by avoiding some major common mistakes mentioned below.

• Not Examining Previous Year CGL Question Papers And Cut Off Properly

Smart work is as important as hard work. With this said, candidates should analyse previous years data regarding SSC CGL exam like previous year papers and minimum cut off pertaining to different posts in Tier-I and Tier-II. Solving and examining previous year papers will give you an idea and trend of the weightage of different topics and number of questions that one should expect from each in the upcoming SSC CGL exam. Likewise, a casual look at the trend of previous years’ cut off will give you an estimate of the expected cut off this year. For instance, if we look at the general cut off of the last four years (2014-2018) in both Tier-I and Tier-II, we can notice an upward trend i.e., an increase in the minimum cut off in almost all categories for different posts. As per, their assessment of the above mentioned trends, candidates must design their preparation strategy.

• Not Giving Equal Importance To All Subjects

A candidate must not make a mistake of taking any subject for granted, as each section carries equal weightage in both Tier-I and Tier-II. Though a candidate can put more effort and time in subject he/she is weak in, but should keep in mind to give enough time to each subject for successfully cracking the SSC CGL exam.

• Not Rectifying Loopholes In Preparation Strategy

Candidates preparing for SSC CGL exam often make a common mistake of planning their preparation strategy without having in-depth knowledge of the SSC CGL syllabus and exam pattern. Not only this, they stick with an inefficient study plan with poor time management and multiple loopholes in it. Candidates need to understand the vitality of a good preparation strategy that lets you manage your time efficiently between different subjects and topics, starting from basic and moving to advance level in each topic. A good preparation strategy must incorporate timely revision along with regular mock tests and quizzes.

• Not Being Aware Of The Notifications and Updates Regarding The Exam

This happens at times with candidates who alongside having a part time or full time job are preparing for SSC CGL exam. Also, candidates commit this mistake sometimes out of carelessness and lack of awareness regarding updates pertaining to the Vacancies, Closing date of online registration, Exam date, Exam pattern, Syllabus and more. Here, awareness is the key. Candidates must remain vigilant of the above mentioned updates and notifications that are imperative in preparation of SSC CGL exam.

• Preparing For More Than One Exam

Candidates, if preparing for SSC CGL exam must solely put their effort and focus towards cracking it rather than keeping an eye out for multiple upcoming exams like Banking exam, RRB etc and burdening themselves with multiple preparations. This can lead to candidates failing in each one of them. Dedicated preparation and focus is required for cracking SSC CGL exam. Candidates can appear in multiple exams, but should prepare for only the one they intend to crack.

• Learning Short-Tricks And Formulas Without Learning The Fundamental Concepts Behind Them –

Candidates must know that SSC exams are all about checking one’s knowledge and understanding of fundamental concepts in each subject. Muggling up of formulas and tricks is useless, if you don’t know the basic concepts behind them. It can work with simple questions, but in case of complex questions, candidates need to have a sound knowledge of concepts to break through the complexities in these questions with ease, especially in Tier-II exam.

About Author