Daily Habits for SSC CGL Success: A Beginner’s Guide

The Combined Graduate Level Exam (CGL) is one of the most competitive government exams in India conducted by the Staff Selection Commission (SSC). The SSC CGL  Exam recruits eligible and suitable candidates in various Group B and C posts across various ministries and departments of the central government.

Lakhs of participants take part in this selection process every year and the nature of the exam has become very dynamic in nature. To succeed in this exam and secure their dream job, the candidates need to have a clear-cut plan that they should follow on a daily basis until the exam date.

Daily Habits for SSC CGL Success

In recent years, the Staff Selection Commission has made many changes in the exam pattern and syllabus of the CGL Exam. According to the latest SSC CGL Notification 2024, the selection process consists of two stages i.e. Tier 1 and Tier 2. The candidates preparing for the SSC CGL Exam should follow a daily schedule in a disciplined manner to succeed in this era of high competition.

There are generally two categories of candidates preparing for the SSC CGL Exam. They are divided on the basis of the amount of experience they possess in such kinds of exams. Someone who has appeared for any of the exams conducted by the Staff Selection Commission would be well-versed in the way the commission handles these recruitments. Such kind of candidates are already aware of the various aspects of the exam and are capable of crafting their preparation strategies by themselves.

In the following section, let us look at some of the habits that a beginner candidate should follow on a daily basis to prepare for the Tier 1 and Tier 2 Exams in an efficient manner. However, the candidates should keep in mind that these preparation tips and tricks should be adapted according to the candidate’s strengths and weaknesses.

1. Make a To-Do List for the Day

The preparation of SSC CGL is a very long-term process and can become burdensome and monotonous for the candidates. The key to maintaining the required level of energy and enthusiasm throughout the complete preparation process is to break down the various dimensions of the preparation into smaller formats that they will be able to handle and finish on a daily basis.

• The various topics mentioned in the SSC CGL Syllabus should be summarised and categorized according to the monthly and weekly targets.
• The weekly targets should be further divided for each day of the week.

2. Revise the concepts learned on the previous days

The topics mentioned in the Syllabus section of the official notification contain a large number of concepts that the candidates need to prepare for before appearing in the exam. One of the ways to retain all these concepts is to integrate revision from an early stage. As a part of the daily routine, the candidates should start their day by quickly going through the concepts learned on the previous day.

3. Follow the 3:3:2 Rule

It is generally observed that the candidates preparing for the SSC CGL Exam on a full-time basis, dedicate 8 hours per day to their studies on average. At the beginning of the preparation period, the candidates need to spend most of their time learning and practicing new concepts. The table below shows how much time they should spend on each aspect of the preparation on a daily basis.

4. Regular Coverage of Current Affairs

In recent years, the Commission has been inclined to ask more questions based on Current Affairs in the General Awareness section of both Tier 1 and Tier 2 Exams. Candidates generally tend to ignore this aspect of the paper and try to cover it towards the last phase of the preparation.

This creates a lot of pressure on them in the end and also affects their exam performance. To tackle this aspect, current affairs should be covered every day since the beginning of the preparation journey.

• Dedicated at least 30 to 45 minutes every day to cover the exam-level national and international news.
• This time has to be kept apart from the 3 hours of learning.
• It should also include a quick revision of the previous day’s current affairs.

 5. Attempt Quizzes and Tests

During the day, the candidates get a lot of time apart from their studies in which they can do a lot of things. However, there are multiple gaps of 10-15 minutes that go untapped. These gaps can be utilized by attempting quizzes and short tests which take 5 to 10 minutes to solve and are a great way to revise the concepts that the candidates have already learned.

• Quizzes available on many different platforms are framed in section-wise or topic-wise formats. Solving these helps the candidates identify the areas that still need more work.
• Mock tests should be incorporated at a later stage and the candidates should also solve these on a regular basis to sharpen their preparations.

6. Take Regular Breaks during Study Hours

The preparation of SSC CGL is a long-term process and depends largely on how a candidate manages himself/herself every single day. One of the biggest ways of maintaining consistency in preparation is the habit of giving your mind and body during the study schedule. The candidates should follow the strategy of taking a 5-minute break for each hour of study.

7. Do Regular Exercise and Follow a Proper Diet

The process of long-term preparation takes a huge toll on the bodies and minds of the candidates. They should make sure that they keep themselves in optimum health to give their best performance on the exam day. The best way to do so is to do regular physical and breathing exercises and have clean food and plenty of fluids.

The candidates should remember that these points are mere suggestions and the candidates should adapt these according to their strengths and weaknesses.