SSC CGL Quant Preparation: Tips and strategy [Updated]

SSC CGL Quant Preparation

SSC CGL Quant Preparation – The Quantitative Aptitude section of the Staff Selection Commission Combined Graduate Level (SSC CGL) exam is one of the most challenging sections for many candidates. This section is designed to test a candidate’s ability to solve mathematical problems quickly and accurately. To excel in this section, candidates need to have a strong foundation in mathematics, along with excellent problem-solving skills. In this article, we will discuss some useful tips and strategies to help candidates prepare for the SSC CGL Quantitative Aptitude section and improve their chances of scoring well in the exam.

SSC CGL Quant Preparation – Tier I and Tier II

SSC CGL Quant is considered one of the toughest paper to clear and prepare. So to ease the preparation journey of the candidates. We broke down the entire syllabus into easy to tough chapters section-wise. To get clear understanding follow up the entire blog.

Easy Chapters to Prepare Quant for SSC CGL Tier-I and Tier-II Exam

You must begin your preparation with the simple topics listed below. These take less time, are easier to solve, and have a score. Your primary attention should be on increasing calculating speed. This will save up time for difficult subjects.

Topics	Preparation Strategy
Simplification	Learn Simplification Techniques based on BODMAS Rule, Fractions, Surds, and Indices, etc. It is very important for you to learn fast calculation techniques.
Interest	Most importantly, you should be well versed with the formulae. But avoid mugging them up, instead understand their derivation. This will definitely enhance your problem-solving techniques.
Percentage	Try to use short tricks once you understand the concept. It will improve your calculation speed.
Average
Ratio & Proportion
Age-Based Problems	Practice all types of questions in this section varying from basic to difficult.

Moderate Chapter to Prepare Quant for SSC CGL Tier I and Tier-II Exam

You can ace the topics with a moderate difficulty level with a little more effort.

Topics	Preparation Strategy
Speed Time And Distance	Start with the basic formulas for this topic. Solve not only the basic problems but also cover the complex sections like the speed of the boat, upstream & downstream.
Profit and Loss	Learn the basic concepts & then solve the problem based on Dishonest/Successive dealings, Partnerships, etc
Number Series	Try to understand the pattern of the number series. It can be in addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, square form, etc.
Number System	Solve the problems based on LCM & HCF, Irrational or Rational Numbers.
Mensuration	Learn the basic formulas of mensuration & then solve the problems related to Square, Rectangle, Circles, Cone, Cylinder, etc by using fast tricks of solving it.
Data Interpretation	Practice problems on Bar Graphs, Pie Charts, Tables, etc.

Difficult Chapters to Prepare Quant for SSC CGL Tier-I and Tier-II Exam

You must exert all of your energies in this part. All of us will find these subjects challenging. You will gain an advantage over the competitors by making extra efforts.

Topics	Preparation Strategy
Time & Work	Learn Shortcut Tricks for Time & Work, Shortcut for Pipes and Cistern, Work & Efficiency, and practice problems based on these topics.
Mixture Problems	Solve problems based on two or more entities/mixtures.
Algebra	Practice algebra problems by making Linear Equations in one or two variables. Remember all the identities to faster your speed.
Geometry	Solve problems related to triangle congruency, Similarity theorems, Circle chords & tangent theorems, Co-ordinate geometry, etc. Remember all the theorems.
Trigonometry	Make sure, you learn all the Trigonometric Identities & also practice their application

SSC CGL Quant Preparation – General Preparation Tips

The Staff Selection Commission Combined Graduate Level (SSC CGL) exam is a highly competitive exam, and the Quantitative Aptitude section can be challenging for many candidates. Here are some tips and strategies to help you prepare for the SSC CGL Quantitative Aptitude section:

1. Understand the syllabus: The first step in preparing for any exam is to understand the syllabus. Go through the SSC CGL Quantitative Aptitude syllabus thoroughly and make a list of all the topics you need to cover.
2. Plan your study: Once you have a clear understanding of the syllabus, create a study plan. Allocate time for each topic and make sure you cover all the topics before the exam.
3. Practice regularly: Practice is the key to success in the Quantitative Aptitude section. Solve as many practice papers and mock tests as possible. This will help you understand the exam pattern and improve your speed and accuracy.
4. Focus on basics: SSC CGL Quantitative Aptitude questions are usually based on the basics of mathematics. So, focus on building a strong foundation in arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and trigonometry.
5. Learn shortcuts: Along with mastering the basics, also learn shortcuts and tricks to solve problems quickly. This will help you save time during the exam.
6. Revise regularly: Regular revision is essential to retain what you have learned. Go through the formulas, shortcuts, and solved examples regularly.
7. Analyze your performance: After solving practice papers and mock tests, analyze your performance. Identify your weak areas and work on improving them.
8. Stay positive: Lastly, stay positive and confident. Believe in yourself and your abilities. Avoid stress and anxiety and stay motivated throughout your preparation.

SSC CGL Quant Preparation – Best Book for SSC CGL Quant Preparation

Here are some great books that are referred by many SSC CGL toppers. The best books for SSC CGL Quant Preparation is given in the table below.

Books Name	Author/Publication
Advance Maths	Rakesh Yadav
Magical Book on Quicker Maths	M Tyra
Data Interpretation Decoded	Oliveboard
SSC Elementary and Advanced Maths	Kiran
NCERT Maths from Grade 6 to Grade 11	NCERT
Quantitative Aptitude	Dr. R.S Agarwal

SSC CGL Preparation – Quantitative Aptitude: Weightage in Tier-1 and 2

Tier	Questions	Maximum Marks	Duration	Negative Marking
Tier-I	25	50	All sections combined: 60 minutes	0.50 marks
Tier-II	30	90	Paper I (Quant + Reasoning): 60 minutes	1 mark

SSC CGL Preparation – Quantitative Aptitude: Syllabus

Ratio & Proportion	Time and distance	Right Circular Cone & Cylinder
Square roots	Time & Work	Sphere and Hemispheres
Averages	Basic algebra	Rectangular Parallelepiped
Interest	Surds	Regular Right Pyramid with triangular or square base
Profit and Loss	Graphs of Linear Equations	Trigonometric ratio
Discount	Triangles, Circles	Degree and Radian Measures
Partnership Business	Quadrilaterals, Regular Polygons	Standard Identities
Mixture and Alligation	Circle & Right Prism	Complementary angles
Heights and Distances	Histogram	Frequency polygon
Bar diagram & Pie chart

SSC CGL Preparation: Previous Year Paper Analysis of Quantitative Aptitude

Let’s go through the Previous Year Paper Analysis of Quantitative Aptitude of Tier-I and II

Analysis of Tier – I

Topic	No of Questions
Partnership	5
Speed, Time and Distance	3
Mixture and Allegation	2
Ratio and Proportion	1
Compound Interest and Simple Interest	2
Average	1
Number System	2
Mensuration	1
Percentage	1
Profit, Loss and Discount	2 – 3
Time and Work	2
Geometry	1
DI	5
Overall	25

Analysis of Tier- II (Old Pattern)

Topic	No of Questions
Partnership	5
Speed, Time and Distance	3
Mixture and Allegation	2
Ratio and Proportion	2
Compound Interest and Simple Interest	2
Average	2
Number System	2
Mensuration	2
Percentage	2
Profit, Loss and Discount	1
Time and Work	1
Bar Chart	1
Overall	25

SSC CGL Preparation: Tips for Quantitative Aptitude

Some important tips for SSC CGL Quantitative Aptitude that will help you score well include :

• Prepare for Quant topics based on trends of previous years’ question papers.
• Solve previous 5 year’s question papers
• SSC CGL preparation for the Quant section should be based on practice, practice and practice.
• Master the basic formulas of Maths in your SSC CGL preparation
• Once the basics are good, then practice the Shortcut tricks for Maths
• Give as many mock tests as possible.
• Identify your weak zones as quickly as possible and work extra hard on them during your SSC-CGL Preparation.
• Do not be afraid of Maths. Practice during your SSC CGL preparation will help you master the subject easily.
• Most importantly, do not take Maths for granted. Even if you are good with it, you need to practice during your SSC CGL preparation. Otherwise, during exam time, you would fail to perform under pressure.

Preparation Time

If your fundamentals in math are in place, i.e., your knowledge of 8th to 10th class maths is strong, you can allot 10 hours per week for the Quant section. If you need to brush up on your basics before moving to advanced concepts, give it 20 hours per week. If you’re average in Math, allot 15 hours per week.

Quant preparation will require a minimum of 2 ½ to 3 months. Allot 1 or 2 days per topic for topics under the Arithmetic section since it is concept based. You would require about 20 days to master the Arithmetic topics. In advanced mathematics, practice at least 100 questions from every topic per day. This should take you about 3 to 4 hours per day. You’d require around 15 to 18 days to master the Advanced mathematics section.

Order of Topics

Arithmetic

It’s more important to understand the concepts of the topics under the Arithmetic section than to rigorously practice it. The three topics that form the base of the Arithmetic section are Percentage, Interest, and Profit & Loss. Understand the concepts of these and practice a little, to master them. Most of the Quant topics will require you to apply the concepts of Percentage, Interest, and Profit & Loss.

While it is important to learn each and every Quant topic, it is equally important to learn them in the right order. Start with the topics that form the base or foundation of Quantitative Aptitude and then move on to the higher-level topics, which require you to have a knowledge of the base topics.

Follow this order for your Quant preparation:

• Percentage
• Interest (Simple Interest & Compound Interest)
• Profit & Loss
• Ratio and Proportion
• Number System
• Average
• Time and Work
• Mixture & Alligation
• Pipes & Cisterns
• Partnership
• Time & Distance
• Boats & Streams
• Train
• Geometry
• Mensuration
• Indices and Surds
• Algebra
• Trigonometry
• Stats and DI
• Data Interpretation

Advance Mathematics

The advanced Mathematics section is regarded as ‘difficult’ but isn’t. Advanced Mathematics might seem intimidating, but it is just a complex version of the topics you learned in your high school mathematics textbooks.

The four major topics of the advanced mathematics section of SSC CGL’s Quantitative Aptitude are Geometry, Mensuration, Trigonometry, and Algebra. After a thorough analysis of the Previous year’s SSC CGL question papers, we discovered that questions from topics under Advanced Mathematics are repeated year after year. So, it’s a good idea to refer to the Previous Year’s SSC CGL Question Papers and solve all the Quant questions.

SSC CGL Quantitative Aptitude Preparation Material

What you need:

• Practice Sets
• Previous Year SSC CGL Question Papers (organized chapter-wise)
• Books

Note on books: It has been noticed time and again, that a lot of books containing SSC CGL practice sets and previous year question papers have a lot of errors. Therefore, one needs to be extremely careful when it comes to choosing books for exam preparation. Make sure you pick the best and the most recommended preparation material with the least errors.

Oliveboard provides Concept Lessons, Video lectures, Comprehensive Quantitative Aptitude Sectional Tests, and Topic Tests to practice questions and understand the concept better. These questions are created by exam toppers & experts after thorough research and analysis.

SSC CGL Quant Preparation – Previous Year Questions

Question 1: By selling an article at a certain price and 170% profit is earned. If CP is 20% increased, then what will be the profit?

(a) 130%

(b) 125%

(c) 100%

(d) 150%

Answer: Option (b)

Explanation:

Let CP = 100

Then SP = CP + Profit

SP = 100 + 170

SP = 270

New CP = 120

New profit = 270−120/120 × 100

= 150/120 × 100

= 125%

Question 2 : The ratio of income of A, B and C is 3 : 7 : 4 and the ratio of their expenditure is 4 : 3 : 5 respectively. If A saves Rs. 300 out of Rs. 2400, find the savings of C.

(a) Rs. 565

(b) Rs. 570

(c) Rs. 575

(d) Rs. 580

Answer: Option (c);

Salary of A = 3x = Rs. 2400

Salary of B = 7x = Rs. 5600

Salary of C = 4x = Rs. 3200

Expenditure of A, B and C = 4y, 3y & 5y respectively.

Saving of A is 300 Expenditure = 4y = (2400 – 300) = 2100

4y = 2100

y = 525

Expenditure of B = 3y = 1575

Savings of B = 4025

Expenditure of C = 5y = 2625

Savings of C = 575

Use the above as a guideline to formulate your own preparation strategy for the Quantitative Aptitude section of the SSC CGL Exam, based on your strengths and weaknesses. Here’s hoping the above tips help you prepare better.

Conclusion

We hope the above information is helpful in your SSC CGL Quant preparation. We will continue to assist your SSC CGL preparation through our blogs.

---

• 
  How Many Candidates Have Applied for SBI PO 2024-25 Till Now?
• 
  Idioms and Phrases for SBI PO 2025
• 
  UGC NET Paper 1 Exam Analysis 2024, December Cycle Live, 16 Jan 2025, Shift 1
• 
  SSC GD Shift Timing 2025, Reporting Time For The CBT Exam
• 
  SSC GD Preparation Strategy 2025, Last Minute Tips, Tricks
• 
  NPS Trust Recruitment 2025 Out, Apply for 19 Grade A & B Posts

---

SSC CGL Quant Preparation – Frequently Asked Questions