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DIMAPUR — Driven by the prospect of securing a good and stable job, Raju Kumar, who hails from Sitamarhi, Bihar, wrote the SSC CHSL (Staff Selection Commission Combined Higher Secondary Level) exam in 2022 and cracked it. He is currently employed as an LDC (Lower Division Clerk) at the Directorate of Census Operations, Nagaland.
The SSC CHSL is a combined competitive examination conducted to recruit higher secondary (10+2) qualified aspirants for various central government agencies and ministries. This exam encompasses positions like Lower Division Clerk, Junior Secretariat Assistant, Postal Assistant, Sorting Assistant and Data Entry Operator.
In an interview with Eastern Mirror, the 23-year-old shares the exam pattern of SSC CHSL and more.
How can candidates plan their study schedule for the SSC CHSL exam?
Daily 6 to 8 hours study schedule is sufficient. In which,
English - (Vocabulary) - One hour
(Grammar) - One hour
Mathematics - Two hours
Reasoning - One hour
General Knowledge and Current Affairs - One to two hours
Whatever you read in Tier-1 will be useful in Tier- 2, so you have to study everything thoroughly.
What are the stages involved in the SSC CHSL selection process?
Stage-I
Tier -1
100 questions – 200 marks. Each question carries 2 marks.
| English | 25 questions | 50 marks | 60 minutes |
| Mathematics | 25 questions | 50 marks | |
| Reasoning | 25 questions | 50 marks | |
| GK & GA | 25 questions | 50 marks |
100 questions = 200 marks ( negative marking is 0.5 marks). You have to prepare for at least 150 marks.
Tier – 2
Session – I
| Section - 1 | |||
| Mathematics | 30 questions | 90 marks | 60 minutes Negative marking - 1 mark |
| Reasoning | 30 questions | 90 marks | |
| 60 questions = 180 marks (each question carries 3 marks) |
| Section - 2 | |||
| English | 40 questions | 120 marks | 60 minutes Negative marking - 1 mark |
| GK & GA | 20 questions | 60 marks | |
| 60 questions = 180 marks (each question carries 3 marks) |
| Section - 3 | |||
| Computer | 15 questions | 45 marks | 15 minutes Negative marking - 1 mark |
The computer section is qualifying in nature.
Candidates will have to score the maximum score out of 360 (Section-1 and Section-2).
And finally, Session-II consists of Skill test.
Which books and study materials do you recommend for exam preparation?
I recommend these books and some YouTube channels to the aspirants for exam preparation:
For English – Neetu Singh Volume- 1 and ‘English With Rani ma’am’ on YouTube, Vocabulary- Blackbook of English Vocabulary, Maths – Rakesh Yadav Sir's Class Notes of Maths, Reasoning – any book, General Knowledge – Lucent, Current affairs – Speedy Current Affairs, Computer – YouTube channels RBE Revolution by Education and Radhika ma’am lecture.
Would you recommend joining a coaching class, or is self-study sufficient?
Self-study is sufficient. But by joining a coaching class, the syllabus will be completed in minimum time as opposed to self-study.
How important are mock tests and previous years’ question papers?
Mock tests and previous years’ questions are very important. The knowledge you garner here will not be enough though. You will have to give a lot of tests so that your speed will not be affected because you have to attempt 100 questions in only 60 minutes in the Tier-1 examination.
In what ways can aspirants keep themselves updated with current affairs?
‘Speedy Current Affairs’ book and any YouTube lecture of current affairs are sufficient.
Do you have any tips for improving speed and accuracy when tackling reasoning questions?
I suggest taking numerous mock tests to improve speed and accuracy in solving reasoning questions.
Can you share tips on improving speed during the exam?
If you see any lengthy question or you don’t know anything about the question, you have to skip. For improving speed and accuracy, daily you should practice squares (up to 50), cubes (up to 30) and tables.
Could you provide details about the typing test requirements and offer tips for improving typing speed?
In CHSL, the only skill test is typing and here, candidates have to type 35 WPM (Words per minute). You will be given a passage of 1750 key depressions and you have to type in 10 minutes.
If your basics are good then you can spare half an hour daily for typing from now onwards then you will not face any problem in the typing test. Some people start learning after Tier-1, and are still able to do it.
What advice would you give to someone starting their SSC CHSL preparation?
My suggestions would be:
RAPID INSIGHTS
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Samosa
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