Clearing SSC CGL is rarely about one big breakthrough. For most aspirants, it is a gradual process of understanding the exam pattern, improving weak areas, and becoming more comfortable with the paper. Prateek Pawar’s journey reflects exactly that kind of steady progress. In this article, you’ll discover how Prateek Pawar cracked SSC CGL and secured the GST Inspector post through dedication and persistence.
Prateek belongs to Balotra in Barmer district of Rajasthan. In SSC CGL 2024, he secured the post of GST Inspector in Ahmedabad. Interestingly, SSC CGL was not the first government exam he cleared. Before this, he had already joined AIIMS Jodhpur as an Administrative Assistant after clearing the AIIMS CRE exam.
By the time he cracked SSC CGL, it had become the fourth competitive exam he had successfully cleared, which gave him confidence that his preparation strategy was working.
From Engineering to Government Exams
GST Inspector Prateek studied at Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya from class 9 to 12 and later pursued Mechanical Engineering from MBM Engineering College, Jodhpur. Like most engineering students, he initially planned to sit for campus placements.
However, things changed during the COVID period. When most classes shifted online, technical learning became difficult and he gradually lost interest in pursuing a technical career.
Around that time, some seniors suggested that he explore SSC CGL, explaining the career opportunities available through the exam. That advice stayed with him and he eventually decided to start preparing seriously.
As he began his preparation, he chose to rely mostly on one platform for his study resources, which helped him maintain consistency throughout his journey.
Learning From the First Attempt
Prateek’s first attempt at SSC CGL was a learning experience. He managed to clear the prelims and even performed reasonably well in the mains, but he narrowly missed the final selection.
Instead of feeling discouraged, he focused on improving his preparation strategy. During this time, he also appeared for other exams with similar patterns such as EPFO and AIIMS recruitment.
He eventually cleared the AIIMS CRE exam and joined AIIMS Jodhpur as an Administrative Assistant. Preparing alongside a job was challenging, but it also gave him financial stability and confidence.
During this phase, he streamlined his preparation and started using Oliveboard for most of his preparation resources, including classes, practice questions, and mock tests.
Building a Strong Preparation Base
Prateek’s SSC CGL preparation strategy revolved around three key things: concept clarity, previous year questions, and consistent practice.
He started with Quantitative Aptitude, especially advanced mathematics. Since he had an engineering background, he was comfortable with calculations and logical problem-solving.
To build his concepts properly, he referred to video lectures and classes available on Oliveboard. Once the basics were clear, he started solving previous year questions and topic-wise practice sets to understand the exam pattern.
Gradually, he moved from topic-wise practice to mixed question sets and sectional tests. Practicing regularly on Oliveboard’s practice platform helped him track his performance and identify areas where he needed more revision.
Strategy for General Awareness
General Awareness often feels overwhelming because of its vast syllabus. Instead of trying to cover everything in detail, Prateek focused on understanding the core subjects properly.
He started with Polity, which he found relatively interesting, and then moved on to History and Geography. Rather than memorizing too many isolated facts, he focused on understanding the important concepts and events.
For revision and practice, he regularly attempted topic quizzes and tests on Oliveboard, which helped him stay connected with the subjects he had already studied.
For current affairs, he followed a simple strategy and revised current affairs compilations during the last month before the exam.
This approach worked well for him. In the SSC CGL 2024 prelims, he scored 34 out of 50 in the General Awareness section, which is considered a strong score.
Improving English Gradually
When Prateek began preparing for SSC exams, he felt that vocabulary was one of his weaker areas in English. Instead of trying to improve everything at once, he started with small daily targets.
He regularly practiced vocabulary and grammar questions and gradually built his confidence in the subject. Practicing English questions and previous year papers available on Oliveboard helped him become more comfortable with the exam pattern.
For reading comprehension, he relied heavily on practice passages similar to those asked in previous SSC exams. Over time, this consistent practice improved both his accuracy and reading speed.
Mock Tests Made the Biggest Difference
One of the biggest changes Prateek made compared to his earlier attempt was increasing the number of mock tests he attempted.
He started taking regular full-length mock tests on Oliveboard, which helped him simulate the actual exam environment. After every mock test, he spent significant time analyzing his performance.
During analysis, he carefully reviewed the questions he got wrong and noted them in a separate notebook. This helped him identify recurring mistakes and avoid repeating them.
In the final month before the exam, he increased his practice further and started attempting two mock tests daily, which significantly improved his speed, accuracy, and confidence.
His Advice to Aspirants
Looking back, Prateek believes that many aspirants struggle not because they lack knowledge but because they do not practice enough in exam-like conditions.
Mock tests help candidates become comfortable with the pressure and time limits of the real exam.
He also believes that consistency matters more than studying extremely long hours occasionally. Regular practice, proper analysis, and steady improvement are what eventually make the difference.
For Prateek, success came from staying patient and continuously improving his strategy. His journey shows that with consistent effort and the right preparation approach, clearing SSC CGL is definitely achievable.
I started my journey with storytelling and journalism, and somewhere along the way, I discovered how much I truly love writing. Words have always been my way of connecting with people.
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