Ankit Saxena’s SSC CGL Success, From IT to Banking to AIR 168 JSO

Mahima Khurana

4 hours ago

Hello everyone! Today, we will meet Ankit Saxena. He is a manager in a bank and also did very well in the SSC CGL exam, getting All India Rank 168 (AIR 168) for the JSO post. Let’s hear about his journey.

Ankit’s Introduction

Meet Ankit Saxena from Agra, Uttar Pradesh — currently serving as a Scale 2 Manager in a Regional Rural Bank (RRB). His inspiring journey began with SSC CGL exam preparation through Oliveboard, where dedication and strategic learning paved the way for his success.

Name: Ankit Saxena
From: Agra, Uttar Pradesh
Current Job: Scale 2 Manager in a Regional Rural Bank (RRB)
Background: Started his SSC CGL Exam preparation journey with Oliveboard.

The Exciting News

Ankit found out about his SSC CGL Result in a funny way and memorable way. He was peacefully sleeping at his hometown during a holiday when his friend, who is also a Junior Statistical Officer (JSO), tried calling him multiple times. Upon waking up, Ankit was surprised to see a flood of congratulatory messages on his phone, celebrating his remarkable achievement of securing AIR 168. Among the messages was one from his wife, a banker, who had also shared the exciting news. Needless to say, Ankit was overjoyed with the unexpected surprise!

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Ankit’s Background and Motivation

Ankit Saxena describes himself as an average but hardworking student. He pursued his B.Tech in Computer Science from 2011 to 2015 and worked in an IT company in Gurgaon for 1.5 years. However, inspired by his mother’s dream of seeing him in a government job, Ankit decided to shift his focus toward government exam preparation. After leaving the IT sector, he began preparing for competitive exams like IBPS, which he successfully cleared, and SSC CGL, aiming to secure a stable and respected position in the public sector.

His SSC CGL Journey

Ankit began preparing for both Banking and SSC exams while still working in the IT sector. Initially, he focused more on Banking exams as the results were declared more quickly, providing faster feedback. His first attempt at the SSC CGL exam was in 2017, where he successfully cleared the Preliminary stage but couldn’t clear the Mains, mainly due to the challenging Mathematics paper that year. Despite the setback, he remained determined and continued his preparation. His perseverance paid off in his sixth attempt when he finally cracked the exam with an impressive All India Rank (AIR) of 168. Ankit is open and honest about the long and difficult journey he undertook to achieve success.

Challenges Faced

Ankit’s journey to cracking SSC CGL wasn’t without hurdles. Along the way, he encountered personal and professional challenges that tested his determination. Here are some of the key struggles he faced during his preparation:

After getting the first job (banking): It’s easy to relax and forget the main goal. Ankit’s main dream was always SSC CGL, so he had to remind himself to keep working towards it.
Marriage Pressure: His family fixed his marriage, and there was pressure to be settled. He thanks his wife for supporting his preparation journey.

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Advice for Beginners

Ankit shares important tips for people starting their SSC CGL Preparation:

Information Overload: There is too much study material online (YouTube, websites). It’s hard for beginners to know what to study and what to ignore.
Focus is Key: First, decide clearly if you want SSC or Banking.
Concept Clarity: For SSC, focus on understanding the basic concepts first.
Mock Tests: Take regular mock tests.
Perseverance: Keep trying and don’t give up. This is very important for SSC exams.
Single Source: Trust one good study source. Believing in your source makes studying easier and helps you feel confident.
6 Months Enough? Ankit thinks it’s difficult for an average student to clear CGL in just 6 months. 6 months might be enough to learn concepts, but winning the race (getting selected) usually takes 1-2 years of dedicated effort.

Preparing for Tier 1 and Tier 2

Before 2022: The pattern was different. After Tier 1 (pre), students focused only on Math and English for Tier 2 (mains).
Now (Post-2022): The SSC CGL Exam Pattern is similar for Tier 1 and Tier 2. Preparation should be done together from day one.
Pre is the Backbone: Getting good marks in Tier 1 boosts confidence for Tier 2.

Time Management with a Job

Ankit managed his studies while working as a bank manager:

He studied 4 hours in the morning before work.
He studied 1-2 hours at night after work.
Consistency is key: Doing this daily helps manage preparation with a job.

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Subject-wise Strategy

Maths, Reasoning, English: Focus on these three first. If you study them well, you can be sure to answer questions in the exam.
General Studies (GS): This subject is vast and uncertain. You can study a lot but still not be sure of getting marks. Ankit suggests giving it less priority compared to the other three.
English: Read newspapers daily (30-40 mins). This helps with current affairs and vocabulary. For SSC, vocabulary often repeats from Previous Year Questions (PYQs).
Math & Reasoning: First, clear all concepts. Then, practice regularly.
Weekend: Ankit used weekends to study GS.

Tips for CGL 2024 Tier 1

Focus on Arithmetic: Nowadays, TCS (the exam conducting agency) focuses more on Arithmetic than Advanced Math.
Speed & Calculation: These are important for scoring well in Math.
English: Focus on grammar rules and reading. Vocabulary is often repeated.
Reasoning: Practice with mock tests to get familiar with SSC patterns.

Role of Mock Tests (Oliveboard)

Ankit found Oliveboard’s mocks very helpful:

He started using them seriously after his Tier 1 exam.
He took live mocks and bought the test series.
He often took mocks after coming home from work, even when tired.
Scores Varied: Sometimes he scored 155-160, sometimes less.
Key is Adaptability: Mocks help you adapt and persevere.
Realistic Feel: He felt Oliveboard mocks were very similar to the actual exam.
Specific Help: He found Raja Sir’s classes on Assumption and Reasoning very helpful for the mains exam.

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Final Message

Ankit’s journey shows that with hard work, perseverance, the right strategy, and good support (like from his wife and reliable resources like Oliveboard), you can achieve your goals, even if it takes time.