SSC CGL Exam Analysis 2026, Difficulty, Good Attempts
The SSC CGL Exam Analysis 2026 has been updated with the latest shift-wise review of the SSC CGL Tier 1 examination, including difficulty level, good attempts, section-wise performance, and important paper trends. The SSC CGL Tier 1 examination is being conducted from 30 September to 30 October 2026 in three shifts each day for 10,731 Group B and Group C vacancies. This page will be updated as each shift is completed so candidates appearing in upcoming shifts can check the latest exam trend.
The SSC CGL Exam Analysis 1 October 2026 currently includes the completed Shift 1 review, while the remaining shifts will be added after reliable candidate feedback is available. The analysis covers General Intelligence and Reasoning, General Awareness, Quantitative Aptitude, and English Comprehension. The Tier 1 examination has 100 questions for 200 marks, with a 15-minute sectional timer for each subject and 0.50 marks deducted for every incorrect answer.
Note: The SSC CGL difficulty level and good-attempt figures in this blog are based on candidate feedback after the respective shift. Good attempts are indicative and should not be treated as an official cutoff.
The SSC CGL 1 October 2026 Shift 1 paper was reported as Moderate overall, with General Intelligence & Reasoning and English Comprehension on the easier side compared with General Awareness and Quantitative Aptitude. The overall good-attempt range for the latest reported shift is 79–83 questions.
| Section | Number of Questions | Difficulty Level | Good Attempts |
| General Intelligence & Reasoning | 25 | Easy to Moderate | 21–22 |
| General Awareness | 25 | Moderate | 19–20 |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 25 | Moderate | 19–20 |
| English Comprehension | 25 | Easy to Moderate | 20–21 |
| Overall | 100 | Moderate | 79–83 |
The good-attempt range depends on the difficulty of the particular shift and the accuracy maintained by the candidate. Since the SSC CGL Tier 1 examination is conducted in multiple shifts, candidates should compare attempts along with paper level rather than treating one attempt range as a fixed target for every shift.
Good attempts in SSC CGL indicate the approximate number of questions a candidate could answer correctly with reasonable accuracy in a particular shift. They are not the same as the cutoff and do not guarantee qualification.
The number of good attempts can change because of:
Candidates with high accuracy may qualify with fewer attempts than someone who attempts more questions but makes several mistakes.
The SSC CGL Exam Analysis 2026 will continue to be updated as more shifts are conducted. The table below provides the latest available day-wise and shift-wise difficulty level and good attempts.
| Exam Date | Shift | Difficulty Level | Good Attempts |
| 30 September 2026 | Shift 1 | Moderate | 82–85 |
| 30 September 2026 | Shift 2 | Moderate | 80–82 |
| 1 October 2026 | Shift 1 | Moderate | 79–83 |
| 1 October 2026 | Shift 2 | To Be Updated | To Be Updated |
| 1 October 2026 | Shift 3 | To Be Updated | To Be Updated |
The SSC CGL shift-wise analysis table will be updated after each completed shift. Candidates appearing later can use the latest completed shift as a reference for understanding the broad level of the paper, but the difficulty and attempt range may vary from one shift to another.
The SSC has issued instructions concerning the discussion, analysis, sharing, circulation, or publication of examination questions and related examination content.
SSC CGL Exam Analysis 2026 blog therefore focuses on difficulty level, good attempts, broad section-wise trends, exam pattern, and candidate-reported observations rather than publishing or reproducing exact examination questions.
Candidates should rely on the latest verified shift-level information and avoid unverified question lists circulating during an ongoing examination.
The 30 September SSC CGL Tier 1 paper was reported as Moderate overall, with General Intelligence and Reasoning and English Comprehension comparatively easier, while General Awareness and Quantitative Aptitude required more attention.
The overall good attempts on the SSC CGL 30 September paper reported for the day were 82–85 questions.
| Section | Difficulty Level | Good Attempts |
| General Intelligence & Reasoning | Easy to Moderate | 22–23 |
| General Awareness | Moderate | 22–23 |
| Quantitative Aptitude | Moderate | 23–25 |
| English Comprehension | Easy to Moderate | 22–25 |
| Overall | Moderate | 82–85 |
The SSC CGL attempt range should be interpreted with the difficulty level of the particular shift. A higher attempt count does not automatically indicate better performance because accuracy and negative marking also affect the final raw score.
The first completed SSC CGL examination day provides a useful baseline for candidates appearing in the upcoming shifts.
The SSC CGL 30 September Shift 1 paper was reported as Moderate overall, with an estimated good-attempt range of 82–85 questions. Reasoning was comparatively easier, while General Awareness and Quantitative Aptitude required more attention.
The SSC CGL 30 September Shift 2 paper was reported as Moderate overall, with an estimated good-attempt range of 80–82 questions. This indicates some variation in the attempt level between shifts, which is normal in a multi-shift examination.
The SSC CGL Tier 1 shift-wise numbers should therefore be used for comparison and paper-level understanding rather than as an official score benchmark.
The SSC CGL Tier 1 examination consists of 100 objective questions carrying 200 marks. The total examination duration is 60 minutes, with a 15-minute sectional timer for each section. A negative marking of 0.50 marks is applicable for every incorrect answer.
| Subject | Questions | Marks | Time |
| General Intelligence and Reasoning | 25 | 50 | 15 Minutes |
| General Awareness | 25 | 50 | 15 Minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 25 | 50 | 15 Minutes |
| English Comprehension | 25 | 50 | 15 Minutes |
| Total | 100 | 200 | 60 Minutes |
The SSC CGL sectional timer means candidates cannot freely move between sections during the examination. Each section has to be completed within its allotted 15-minute period.
The SSC CGL Tier 1 examination is being conducted in three shifts. Candidates should follow the reporting and gate-closing information mentioned for their allotted shift.
| Shift | Reporting Time | Gate Closing Time | Exam Timing |
| Shift 1 | 8:30 AM | 9:30 AM | 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM |
| Shift 2 | 12:00 PM | 1:00 PM | 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM |
| Shift 3 | 3:30 PM | 4:30 PM | 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM |
Candidates should check the SSC CGL shift timings very carefully in their admit card. Also, they should reach the SSC CGL examination centre well before the gate-closing time. The exact shift allotted to an individual candidate should always be checked in the examination information provided by SSC.
The SSC CGL Tier 1 examination is being conducted from 30 September to 30 October 2026 in Computer-Based Examination mode.
The examination is being conducted in multiple shifts, so the SSC CGL Exam Analysis 2026 will continue to change as more shifts are completed. Candidates appearing later should check the latest completed shift rather than relying on an old day-wise review.
The tentative schedule for SSC CGL Tier 2 is December 2026. Candidates who complete Tier 1 should start preparing for Tier 2 instead of waiting for the final Tier 1 result.
SSC CGL Good attempts and safe score are not the same. A good-attempt range shows approximately how many questions candidates were able to attempt with reasonable accuracy, whereas a safe score depends on the final difficulty, accuracy, normalisation, category-wise cutoff, and overall candidate performance.
For example, if a candidate attempts 82 questions with high accuracy, the result can be very different from a candidate who attempts the same number with several incorrect responses.
Therefore, good attempts should not be treated as an official qualifying score or cutoff.
SSC CGL Tier 1 is conducted across multiple shifts, so candidates may receive different question sets. The Commission uses a normalisation procedure for examinations conducted in multiple shifts so that differences in paper difficulty can be accounted for while preparing merit and cutoff-related scores, wherever applicable.
Therefore, candidates should not compare raw marks from two different shifts as though the papers were identical in difficulty.
A candidate who attempted fewer questions in a relatively difficult shift may still perform competitively compared with a candidate who attempted more questions in an easier shift. Accuracy remains important in both cases.
Candidates can calculate their approximate raw score using the SSC CGL Tier 1 marking scheme.
SSC CGL Raw Score = (Correct Answers × 2) − (Incorrect Answers × 0.50)
Suppose a candidate attempts 85 questions, out of which 75 are correct and 10 are incorrect.
Score = (75 × 2) − (10 × 0.50)
Score = 150 − 5
Score = 145 marks
The final SSC CGL score used for the recruitment process should be checked against the official response sheet, answer key, and result information released by SSC.
Candidates appearing in the upcoming SSC CGL shifts should focus on the latest completed shift rather than attempting to predict an exact question paper.
The most useful points to check are:
The objective should be to understand the paper trend, not to copy the attempts of another candidate.
Candidates who have completed their SSC CGL Tier 1 examination should begin Tier 2 preparation without waiting for the final result. SSC has tentatively scheduled Tier 2 for December 2026, so candidates have limited time to build the required speed and accuracy.
PracticeMock’s mock tests, previous year questions, section-wise practice, and regular revision can be used to continue preparation after Tier 1.
The SSC CGL Exam Analysis 2026 provides candidates with the latest shift-wise difficulty level, good attempts, section-wise trends, and examination pattern as the Tier 1 examination progresses. The 1 October Shift 1 paper was reported as Moderate overall, with a good-attempt range of 79–83 questions.
Since SSC CGL Tier 1 is being conducted across multiple shifts from 30 September to 30 October 2026, the analysis will continue to be updated as more shifts are completed. Candidates appearing in upcoming shifts should focus on accuracy, sectional time management, and the broad trends reported from completed shifts rather than relying on unverified information.
After completing SSC CGL Tier 1, candidates should also begin their Tier 2 preparation in view of the tentative December 2026 schedule.
The latest SSC CGL Exam Analysis 2026 on this page includes shift-wise difficulty level, good attempts, section-wise review, examination trends, and updates from completed shifts. The data is updated as reliable information becomes available after individual shifts.
SSC CGL Tier 1 2026 is being conducted from 30 September to 30 October 2026 in Computer-Based Examination mode. The exact date and shift assigned to each candidate should be checked through the examination information issued for that candidate.
The SSC CGL good-attempt range varies according to the difficulty level of a particular shift and the candidate’s accuracy. For the latest reported 1 October Shift 1, the overall good-attempt range is 79–83 questions. This range is indicative and is not an official cutoff.
The latest reported SSC CGL 1 October Shift 1 difficulty level is Moderate. The section-wise level was reported as Easy to Moderate for Reasoning and English, while General Awareness and Quantitative Aptitude were Moderate.
SSC CGL Tier 1 consists of 100 questions carrying 200 marks. General Intelligence and Reasoning, General Awareness, Quantitative Aptitude, and English Comprehension each contain 25 questions.
Yes. 0.50 marks are deducted for every incorrect answer in SSC CGL Tier 1. Candidates should therefore balance the number of attempts with accuracy instead of making uncertain guesses merely to increase the attempt count.
Yes. SSC CGL Tier 1 2026 has a 15-minute sectional timer for each of the four subjects. Candidates have to manage Reasoning, General Awareness, Quantitative Aptitude, and English within their respective time blocks.
SSC CGL Tier 1 2026 is being conducted in three shifts each day. The exam timings are 10:00 AM–11:00 AM, 1:30 PM–2:30 PM, and 5:00 PM–6:00 PM, with separate reporting and gate-closing times for each shift.
SSC CGL good attempts can differ because the difficulty level, calculation requirement, question selection, and time pressure may vary between shifts. Since the examination is conducted in multiple shifts, candidates should compare attempts with accuracy and overall paper difficulty rather than using one fixed range for every shift.
SSC has tentatively scheduled the SSC CGL Tier 2 examination for December 2026. The detailed schedule will be announced separately. Candidates who complete Tier 1 should begin Tier 2 preparation without waiting for the final Tier 1 result.
Candidates appearing in upcoming SSC CGL exam shifts should check the latest completed shift’s overall difficulty, section-wise difficulty, good attempts, and broad examination trends. They should avoid relying on unverified exact-question lists or attempt numbers shared while the examination is still ongoing.
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