General Science for SSC CGL:

SSC CGL Tier 1 exam consists of 4 sections and General awareness is one of them. General Science forms a major chunk of this section. Hence, the question that nags most aspirants now is how to prepare General Science for SSC CGL.

SSC has reduced the time limit to an hour now. You can take SSC CGL mock to adapt yourself to the test environment.

This section comprises 25 questions, each carrying 2 marks. SSC penalises wrong answers with a negative score of 0.5 marks. General Science for SSC CGL is as vast as it can get. Candidates can prepare for SSC CGL online to maximise their scores.

Questions vary from Indus Valley civilisation to Brexit, the discovery of fire to Higgs Boson, the Himalayas to Mariana trench – or simply put anything that happens to be not just under the Sun but even around it (There was a question on Proxima Centauri and Oort cloud somewhere down the line).

100 SSC CGL (latest pattern mocks) – Rs. 199

SSC CGL Free Study Material – 18000 Questions

SSC repeats some questions (even in general sciences) from their past papers. Hence, aspirants must go through the previous year papers of SSC CGL.

Tier 1 exam has a time limit of an hour. Candidates can answer 25 questions in general awareness in about 6-8 minutes. Hence, any mark lost in this section will be very hard to claw back using other sections.

One of the major advantages of studying General Science for SSC CGL is that you know the answer or not. Hence, you can choose to attempt a question or not within 15 seconds of looking at the question. No other section even comes close to the benefit-cost ratio this section provides during the test.

Sadly, during the preparation phase, the benefit-cost ratio for this section is small. Since you have a humongous syllabus to cover, It is recommended to start preparing early for this section.

How to prepare General Science for SSC CGL:

SSC CGL general science questions are usually from the NCERTs. Hence, It is always recommended to prepare from NCERTs, provided one has enough time. However, if there is a dearth of Time, then referring consolidated books such as Lucent’s general knowledge or various sections in a yearbook will help.

Topics under General Science for SSC CGL can be divided into

1.Physics
2.Chemistry
3.Biology
4.History
5.Geography
6.Economics
7.Polity

Note: The topics given under each topic are just indicative and not exhaustive. Terms provided in the brackets are examples.

Physics:

Aspirants must brush up the fundamentals from Class 6th to Class 12th Physics. Read about breakthrough inventions like the telescope, steam engine and their inventors.

Understand the basic concepts in topics like optics (refraction, reflection, total internal reflection), thermodynamics (first law, second law) and mechanics (Newton’s laws of motion, projectile, conservation of energy, equations of motion).

Also, know about who’s who well.

Chemistry:

Read about important reactions, catalysts, commercial application of chemicals (POP, PET). Know about the chemical names of commonly used chemicals ( Sodium Carbonate, Sodium bicarbonate, sodium hydroxide).

Also, learn about various processes of commercial use such as Haber’s process, Ostwald’s process, etc. Commercial applications are crucial.

Biology:

Start from the basics. Learn about binary classification, phylum, class, etc.
Vaccines (very important), breakthrough inventions (Pasteurization, Vaccination). Major commercial applications of plant and animal derivatives (Penicillin, anti-venom, quinine) are also important.

Also, learn about differences between bacteria and viruses, vectors, parasites, transmission mechanisms, cell structures, nutrient requirement, systems of the body, functions of various organs, etc.

Try SSC CGL Free Mock Test 2018

Download SSC CGL Important Questions PDF

History:

Mostly questions are asked from Indian History only in general science for SSC CGL. Learn from Indus valley civilisation to the latest happenings. History mainly comprises three subtopics.

1.Ancient History (Civilisations)
2.Medieval History (Delhi sultanates, Guptas, Maghadhas, Mughals, Marathas – till the advent of colonialism)
3.Modern History (Colonial Period – present)

Among these sub-topics, modern history carries maximum weightage. So, read well about the advent of the colonial powers, wars with local kings, the great revolt, lords, reforms, freedom fighters, movements, unification of India, etc.

Read about to how to prepare for history section of SSC CGL

Geography:

Again, the emphasis is mainly on Indian geography. Read about the plains, plateaus, topology, cultivation seasons and patterns, rivers and their origins, etc.

Also, read about mountains in India, national parks and sanctuaries, deserts, coastlines, etc.

Apart from these, read about rock formation mechanisms ( Igneous, metamorphic, sedimentary), the structure of Earth, Atmosphere, Planets, their day lengths, axis and direction of rotations, the time period for completing revolution, natural satellites, artificial satellites, missions (Managalyaan, Chandraayan, Voyager, Viking) etc.

Economics:

Be thorough with basic definitions like GDP, GNP, NDP, NNP, Per-capita income, poverty line, BPL DPL limits, etc.

Learn about India’s rankings, projected growth rates, some recent happenings of importance like the devaluation of Yuan, Demonetization, Brexit, trade pacts, etc.

Usually, SSC asks 2 or 3 questions from this section. Hence, candidates must be thorough at least with the fundamentals of this topic.

Polity:

Polity is a topic of importance. Candidates must study about fundamental rights and duties of citizen enriched in the constitution, the preamble to the Constitution, Unicameral and Bicameral systems, democracy, autocracy, theocracy, etc.

Also, learn about the types of bills, the power of Lok Sabha, discretionary powers of President/ Governor, methods of electing Governor, C.M, P.M, President, etc.

Apart from the topics mentioned above, candidates must read static GK. This topic is very vast and contains Sobriquets, superlatives, who’s who, states in India, their capitals, important cities on river banks, major ports, airports, dams in the world, etc.

Static G.K:

Also, read about power plants, National parks, sanctuaries, heritage sites, biospheres, global hot spots, Banks and their headquarters, important organisations in the world, etc.

Download GK Capsule PDF

Current Affairs:

Though current affairs do not come under the ambit of general science, it is an important topic for general awareness section.

It covers topics like recent changes at the helm, C.Ms of various states, Presidents of different countries, agreements and trade pacts signed, persons and places in the news, etc.

Download Current Affairs Capsule PDF

Download Daily/Monthly Current Affairs PDF

Download SSC CGL 2018 Syllabus PDF

General Studies for SSC CGL is really huge. So, Candidates must avoid mastering this section and try to get above 25 marks. Free SSC GK tests will help you to score high.

Candidates must not get disheartened if they are not making considerable progress. Remember, Rome was not built in a day. Since SSC is conducted over 20 days with 4 shifts a day, luck plays a minor role in this section. However, leave as little as possible to luck.

For more read about how to prepare for General awareness of SSC CGL.

You can read more about a good timetable for SSC CGL in this blog.

Reasoning tips and type of Questions asked in Reasoning section of SSC CGL