Most candidates lose marks in the SSC GD written exam not because they studied too little, but because they never worked out what the paper actually rewards. The pattern is simple, fixed, and it should decide your entire attempt strategy.
The paper at a glance
The Computer Based Test (CBT) is 80 questions for 160 marks in 60 minutes, split into four parts of exactly 20 questions each. Every part carries equal weight.
| Part | Subject | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | General Intelligence & Reasoning | 20 | 40 |
| B | General Knowledge & General Awareness | 20 | 40 |
| C | Elementary Mathematics | 20 | 40 |
| D | English / Hindi | 20 | 40 |
| Total | 80 | 160 |
There is no sectional time limit. You get 60 minutes for the whole paper and can move between parts freely.
The marking scheme decides your strategy
+2 marks for every correct answer. −0.25 marks for every wrong answer. Nothing for a question left blank.
Work out what that ratio means, because most candidates get it backwards. A correct answer is worth eight times what a wrong answer costs.
That has a direct consequence. If you can eliminate even one of the four options, guessing is mathematically in your favour. Eliminate two and it is clearly worth attempting.
The practical rule: never leave a question blank when you can rule out two options. Only a pure blind guess — where all four options look equally possible — is worth skipping, and even then the penalty is small. Candidates who leave twenty questions untouched out of caution routinely score below candidates who attempted them with partial knowledge.
Time per question
Sixty minutes across 80 questions is 45 seconds per question on average. That average is misleading, though, because the parts are not equally fast.
- Reasoning and English questions can be answered in 20–30 seconds each once you recognise the type.
- Maths questions take longer — often 60–90 seconds.
- General Awareness is instant: you either know it or you don’t. Never spend more than 15 seconds on a GK question.
A workable plan is General Awareness first (8 minutes), then Reasoning (12 minutes), then English (12 minutes), leaving roughly 25 minutes for Maths and a final sweep.
Which language you sit it in
The CBT is conducted in English, Hindi and 13 regional languages, including Punjabi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Odia, Assamese, Konkani, Manipuri and Urdu.
If you read faster in Hindi or Punjabi than in English, sitting the paper in that language is not a fallback — it is worth several marks in a 60-minute paper. Note that Part D is the exception: that part is a language test, and you choose English or Hindi for it.
What comes after the written exam
Clearing the CBT is only stage one. Next is the Physical Efficiency Test and Physical Standard Test, then a detailed medical examination. The physical stage is qualifying only — it adds nothing to your merit position, which comes entirely from your CBT score.
That is worth internalising: your rank is decided in these 60 minutes.
Before you plan around this
Vacancies, dates and relaxations change every cycle. This article describes the exam structure, which has been stable, but always check the official SSC notification for the year you are applying in.