General Awareness is a crucial section of the SSC CGL (Staff Selection Commission Combined Graduate Level) exam, which requires candidates to have a broad understanding of various subjects like History, Geography, Science, Polity, Current Affairs, and others. It is designed to evaluate the candidate’s knowledge of current events and their ability to analyze and comprehend information from diverse sources.
SSC CGL General Awareness
A well-prepared candidate can do well in this section, which can greatly boost their chances of success in the SSC CGL Exam 2025 scheduled between June to July 2025. So, it is important to have a good SSC CGL Preparation Strategy covering all the General Awareness Topics for the Exam. This plan should include studying different subjects thoroughly and practicing regularly to better understand and remember the topics. This article will give some helpful tips and strategies for effective SSC CGL General Awareness preparation.
SSC CGL General Awareness Syllabus
The SSC CGL General Awareness Syllabus covers a wide range of topics designed to test candidates’ understanding of current affairs, basic scientific principles, and knowledge about India and its neighboring countries. This section aims to evaluate how well candidates stay informed about ongoing events and their implications for society.
| SSC CGL GA Syllabus |
| History: 1. Indus Valley and Civilization 2. Buddhism and Jainism In India 3. The Magadha Empire 4. Gupta Dynasty 5. Delhi Sultanate and Mughal Empire 6. India and its Independence. |
| Geography: 1. The Universe and the Solar System 2. Earth 3. Mountains and Rivers 4. Hydrosphere, Lithosphere, Atmosphere 5. Wind Cyclone 6. Climate 7. Geological Survey Of India 8. Indian Climate, Natural Vegetation And Soil |
| Economic: 1. General Economics 2. Economic Planning 3. National Income Of India 4. Budget 5. Market 6. Demand and Supply 7. Economic Concept 8. Population of India, Mortery Rate, Unemployment |
| Polity: 1. Constitutional Development of India 2. State, Union Territory 3. Fundamental Rights 4. Directive Principals of State Policy 5. Executive, Legislation, Judiciary 6. Constitution of India |
| Physics: 1. Unita and Measurement 2. Waves and Motion 3. Light 4. Work and Energy 5. Heat and Temperature |
| Chemistry: 1. Chemical Symbol and Formulae 2. Atomic Structure 3. Periodic Classification 4. Chemical Bonding 5. Oxidation and Reduction 6. Acid, Bases and Salts 7. Carbon and its Compounds 8. Fuels 9. Metals and Non Metal 10. Man Made Substances |
| Biology: 1. Living and Non-Living 2. Cell and Its Structure 3. Genetics 4. Organic Evaluation 5. Plant Morphology 6. Plant Diseases 7. Nitrogen Cycle 8. Animal Kingdom 9. Animal Tissue 10. Human Diseases |
| Current Affairs |
| Books and Authors |
| Sports |
| Important Schemes |
| Important Days & Dates |
| Portfolio |
| People in News |
SSC CGL General Awareness Topic Wise List
It is essential to be familiar with the comprehensive SSC CGL Syllabus for the upcoming SSC CGL Tier 1 Exam.
SSC CGL Science
General science consists of three topics-
- Physics
- Chemistry
- Biology
| Physics | Chemistry | Biology |
| Gravity | Uses, Common Names, and Composition of Various Chemicals | Parts of Plants & their Functions |
| Motion | Alloys | Parts of the Human Body & their Functions |
| Work | Definition Based Questions (Heat, Oxidation, Reduction, etc.) | Basics of Animal Kingdom. |
| Pressure | SI units | Diseases, Prevention & Cure |
| Units of Measurement | Chemical Change & Physical Change | Nutrients & Deficiency Diseases |
| Sound | Chemistry in Everyday Life | Blood circulation |
| Heat | Hydrocarbons | Human Brain |
| Electricity | Mole Concept | Digestive System |
| Magnetism | Basic Concept of Chemistry | Respiration |
SSC CGL History
- Ancient History
- Medieval History
- Modern History
| Ancient History | Medieval History | Modern History |
| Indus Valley Civilization | Establishment & Expansion of the Delhi Sultanate | European Penetration & British Conquest of India |
| Buddhism & Jainism | Religious Movements in the Fifteenth & Sixteenth Centuries | Major Battles |
| The Mauryans | Mughal Dynasty | Social & Cultural Awakening in India |
| Post-Mauryan Kingdoms | Later Mughals | The Great Revolt of 1857 |
| The Gupta Period | The Maratha State | Indian National Congress |
| – | – | Nationalist Movement, 1905-1918: Growth of Militant Nationalism |
| – | – | Struggle for Swaraj – I, 1919 – 1927 |
| – | – | Struggle for Swaraj – II, 1927-1947 |
| – | – | Governors-General of India |
| – | – | The Indian Princely States |
SSC CGL Geography
The important topics under geography are mentioned in the table below-
| Movement Of Earth | Winds | Soils In India |
| Interior Of Earth | Ocean & Ocean Currents | Agriculture In India |
| Latitudes & Longitudes | Volcanoes & Earthquakes | Transportation In India |
| Solar System | Habitats | Mineral Resources In India |
| Atmosphere | Physical Features Of India | Forests In India |
| All you need to know about the States of India | Rivers In India | World Geo. Facts I.E. Continents in the World. |
SSC CGL Political Science
The important topics under political science involve the following topics below and also candidates can check the SSC CGL Eligibility on the linked article here.
| Framing Of The Constitution | President | Governor |
| Sources Of Indian Constitution | Vice President | Vidhan Sabha |
| Schedules & Articles Of Indian Constitution | Attorney General Of India | Vidhan Parishad |
| Chief Ministers | Comptroller Auditor General | Panchayats |
| Citizenship | Lok Sabha | Parliamentary Funds |
| Article 370 | Rajya Sabha | Supreme Court |
| Emergency In India | Bills | High Court |
| Commissions | Prime Minister & Cabinet Ministers | Writs |
You should also check the detailed SSC CGL Exam Pattern here.
SSC CGL Computer & Mobile Technology
- Development of Computers
- Input & Output Devices
- Memory
- Abbreviations
Miscellaneous
- Latest Population Census
- Union Budget, Demonetization, and Economic Survey
- Important Books & Authors
- Oscar Winners
- First in Sports for India and the World like the First Olympics, First Asian Games, etc.
- Famous Sea Ports, Airports, and their locations
- State Animals and Symbols
- Important Institutions of India and the World & their locations (like BRICS, World Bank, IMF, RBI, etc.)
- Indian Art & Culture, Awards & their Significance
- Nobel Laureates & their Fields
SSC CGL General Awareness Preparation
The first step in starting your preparation for General Awareness is to :
Know the complete syllabus
Questions in this section will be aimed at testing the candidates’ general awareness of the environment around them and its application to society. Some topics include current events, History, Culture, Geography, Economic Scene, General Policy & Scientific Research. In current events, you can expect questions on Sports, Books and Authors, Important Schemes, etc.
Go through Previous Year’s Questions
SSC CGL Previous Year Papers will help you understand the level of difficulty of questions and the type of questions. Yes, Reasoning, General Awareness, and Computer modules are newly added in Tier-2, you can go through Tier-1 papers to know the type of questions and practice questions at a level higher than them for Tier-2, or to clear all your confusion here is a Tier 2.
Quality Study Material
There are ample amounts of books and study materials available in the market in the form of hard copies as well as soft copies. Excessive amount of study material can overwhelm you. So make sure to pick quality study material and stick to that throughout your preparation. Jumping from one source to another will be of no use. Some important books are provided below :
| Subject | Recommended Books | Comments |
| Economy | – “India Economy” by Sanjiv Verma | Comprehensive and concise, easy to understand. |
| – Economy NCERT for Class 11th and 12th | Alternative option. | |
| Geography | – General Knowledge books by Lucent or Arihant Publications | Good for basic preparation. |
| – Social Sciences NCERT books from Class 7th to 10th | For extensive preparation. | |
| – Geography NCERT for Classes 11th and 12th | For extensive preparation. | |
| History | – NCERT Books for Classes 6th to 12th | Comprehensive coverage of relevant information. |
| – Lucent’s or Arihant’s Book | Additional reference. | |
| Polity | – “Indian Polity” by M. Laxmikant | Best comprehensive book for the polity. |
| – NIOS Material for Polity | Alternative option. | |
| – Lucent or Arihant books | Good for revision. | |
| Science | – Science NCERTs | Comprehensive and foundational. |
| – “SSC General Science” by McGraw Hill Education Publication | Additional reference. | |
| Miscellaneous | – Lucent GK book | Good for miscellaneous topics. |
| – Arihant GK book | Good for miscellaneous topics. | |
| – Any other GK book you consider appropriate | Alternative option. |
Read Newspapers
Reading newspapers can help you improve your vocabulary. By reading a newspaper daily, you can cover two sections simultaneously i.e. English and General Awareness. The questions asked in the SSC CGL Current Affairs mainly revolve around the issues mentioned in the newspaper. You can refer to some of the best newspapers available in the market like The Indian Express and The Hindu.
Attempt Mock Tests/Sectional Tests
Solving SSC CGL Mock Test 2025 can help you improve speed and accuracy which is extremely necessary in a competitive exam like SSC CGL. Even in the case of the General Awareness section, you will be able to retain the facts easily, if you keep attempting sectional tests on a daily basis.
Make short notes
With so many subjects and a lengthy syllabus for each subject, it gets really difficult to recollect information when necessary. To avoid this, make short and crisp notes, especially on topics that you find difficult. It will help you revise easily before the actual exam.
Monthly Current Affairs Magazine
General Awareness is one such section that needs daily reading. You can’t memorize everything at the last minute as the exam approaches. To ace this section, you have to read regularly and update yourself regularly. For this, you can refer to Oliveboard’s Monthly magazine BOLT. In BOLT, you can get all the monthly news.
Click here to download Monthly BOLT.
Make Study Plan
Doing things without a proper plan will make you waste your time without realizing this. Planning is the first step in doing anything properly. You can make daily/weekly/monthly plans according to your schedule. Check SSC CGL Study Plan 2025 and customize it based on your preparation
This was all from us in this blog of SSC CGL General Awareness Preparation. We hope that you like the content provided in this blog for SSC CGL General Awareness Preparation. After you are done with the learning part of preparations, don’t forget to take SSC CGL Mock Tests for your practice. Take a free mock test by clicking the link below and check the level of your preparation.
Books to Prepare for SSC CGL General Awareness
Check out the books to prepare for the SSC CGL General Awareness section in the table mentioned below.
| Book name | Publisher |
| GK Blast | Oliveboard |
| THE GIST OF NCERT (GEOGRAPHY) (THE GIST OF NCERT) Paperback – 2023 | YOU WIN PUBLICATION |
| Environment And Ecology – A Complete Guide – by R. Rajagopalan | Lexis Nexis |
| Indian Economy Paperback | McGraw Hill Education; Ninth edition |
| Indian Polity (Latest Edition) | McGraw Hill Education; Fifth edition |
Ebooks
You can download 200+ ebooks important for SSC, Banking, Railway, Insurance, and other government exams here.
SSC CGL General Awareness Preparation – FAQs
General Awareness carries 50 marks in SSC CGL Tier-1
The syllabus includes current events, History, Culture, Geography, Economic Scene, General Policy & Scientific Research. In current events, you can expect questions on Sports, Books and Authors, Important Schemes
Check the important books mentioned in the blog above.
General Awareness preparation needs to be done everyday. Memorizing all facts is not possible at the last minute. Check Oliveboard’s Free Ebooks and Monthly Magazines.
In the SSC CGL exam, the General Awareness section typically consists of 25 questions in Tier-I. In Tier-II, General Awareness is tested as part of the General Studies paper.
- SSC CGL Reasoning Questions with Solutions, Download Now
- How to Clear SSC CGL in First Attempt 2025? Check Details
- SSC CGL Vs SSC CHSL, Which Is Better, Check All Differences
- SSC CGL Tier 2 Previous Year Paper, Download Free PDF
- SSC CGL Previous Years’ History Questions with Solutions, Check
- SSC CGL 2025 Alert, 14,582 Govt Vacancies Announced, Are You Eligible?
Hello, I’m Aditi, the creative mind behind the words at Oliveboard. As a content writer specializing in state-level exams, my mission is to unravel the complexities of exam information, ensuring aspiring candidates find clarity and confidence. Having walked the path of an aspirant myself, I bring a unique perspective to my work, crafting accessible content on Exam Notifications, Admit Cards, and Results.
At Oliveboard, I play a crucial role in empowering candidates throughout their exam journey. My dedication lies in making the seemingly daunting process not only understandable but also rewarding. Join me as I break down barriers in exam preparation, providing timely insights and valuable resources. Let’s navigate the path to success together, one well-informed step at a time.