Why is SSC CHSL a Challenge? How to Prepare for the Exam Without Coaching

SSC CHSL is a very popular recruitment exam in our country. The exam offers good job opportunities, and has a minimum eligibility criterion of just Class 12, which makes it so popular amongst the youth of the country.

Huge number of applicants apply for the exam every year. Although it might not be amongst the toughest in the country, but the level of competition is fierce. However, anyone can crack this exam if he/she is fully dedicated and consistent.

While some applicants attend coaching classes to crack this exam, some try to get through it on their own. Acing it without coaching is definitely not impossible, but one needs to be aware of the relevant plan and study material required. Today, we bring you a complete guide on ‘How to crack SSC CHSL without coaching?’ We assure you that if you apply these tips properly, you can definitely ace the exam. So, let us not waste any time and move straight on to the matter: -

Why SSC CHSL is a challenge?

SSC CHSL may not feel like a tough paper in the first instance, but there are a lot of factors that make it a tough nut to crack. Take a look at some features of this paper that make it a highly competitive exam in nature: -

Huge Competition: - Last year, around 30 laccandidates applied for the exam, which shows how big the craze is for SSC CHSL. This year, there are 3259 posts and if 15 lac people appear for it, this would mean that success rate is going to be only 0.21%. Isn’t that a big challenge?

3 Tiers to clear: - SSC CHSLis conducted in three tiers. First is the preliminary exam or tier 1, which will have 100 MCQs to be done in just 60 minutes. Then there is tier 2, the descriptive test. And lastly there is tier 3, which is computer proficiency test. This long selection process adds up to the difficulty.

Huge syllabus to cover: - The syllabus of SSC CHSL is a pretty long one. You have 4 subjects, Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning Ability, English Language and General Awareness. The syllabus does take some considerable time to complete, and somehow is even larger than Preliminary exams of PO (Probationary Officer) post of some banks.

High level of proficiency required: - SSC CHSL has huge cutoffs, which means that one needs to be really good with the syllabus of the paper. Last year, the cutoff for general category was 127, which means at least 64 attempts (with 100% accuracy) are needed to crack the exam. This translated into less than 1 minute per questions, which signifies the level of practice one needs to crack this exam.

SSC CHSL 2018: Ready to face it?

SSC CHSL is tough to crack, but is surely not impossible. There are some simple tips to keep in mind which will take you forward in your journey. Here are some preparation tips for SSC CHSL: -

Get familiar with syllabus: - First of all, you need to be familiar with SSC CHSL examination pattern, and its syllabus. Ideally, you should note down the topics which you need to study for this exam.

Have a plan in mind: - According to the time you have till the exam, you should make a plan regarding your preparation. Normally, you should be able to complete in the first 40-45% of your days, next 30-35% percent of days should go in practice and mocks, and rest all of the time in only mocks.

Be good at basics: - You cannot jump straight onto practicing. First, you need to be completely comfortable with the basic concepts, only then you will be able to crack this exam successfully. YouTube is a very good source to learn the basics, however, you can refer to apps such as ‘Unacademy’ as well, for lessons on basics.

Take mocks: - Mock tests help a lot in cracking any exam, and so in SSC CHSL. These replicate the actual exam like conditions and thus make you ready for the pressure of exam. You should take a least 10 mocks for SSC CHSL.

Do not ignore GK: - GK is one section in which you can score high without spending a lot of time. Therefore, being good at GK not just boost your score of this section, but can be of immense help in increasing your overall score as well. Therefore, never ignore GK, rather put some extra efforts on it.

SSC CHSL 1-MonthPlan

One can accomplish a lot of things in one month, if prepared properly. Also, even if you have been preparing for a year, it is very important that you utilize your last month in the best possible manner. This is of high significance as this is time when you turn yourself from a good candidate to a successful one.

Here is a strategy of each section of the paper for the last 4 weeks. Take a look: -

Quantitative Ability

Quantitative Ability is often regarded as the toughest section of SSC CHSL, as it has a very huge syllabus. You really need to do a lot of topics for this section. QA will have 25 questions from which around 10-11 will be from Arithmetic, 6-7 from Geometry & Trigonometry and 4-5 will be from Algebra. Here is how you should target the last month revision of your paper: -

Week 1: - Target Arithmetic for this week (Ratio, Percentage, Averages, Time Speed Distance, Time and Work, Profit & Loss, Interest).

Week 2: - Geometry and Trigonometry should be the focus.

Week 3: - Algebra (Equations), along with leftover topics like Progressions and Simplification.

Week 4: - Revise everything and take mock tests.

English Language

English is one subject which cannot be aced in a short period, if someone is not comfortable with the language. Therefore, one needs to be a regular reader as well, along with being consistent with test preparation. This section will comprise cloze test, sentence improvement, antonyms synonyms, fill in the blanks and other such topics. Here is what you can do in last 1 month before the exam: -

Week 1: - Go through all the grammar rules you have noted. It includes tenses, voice, articles, prepositions, subject verb agreement and punctuation.

Week 2: - Do active passive voice, direct indirect speech, cloze test, error spotting, sentence improvement and grammar-based fill in the blanks.

Week 3: - Focus on things which require good memory, i.e. Antonym Synonyms, Idioms, Phrases, and Spellings etc.

Week 4: - Take full size mocks.

Reasoning Ability

Reasoning is more about practice. The concepts are not that tough, but you do need a good amount of practice to build speed in this subject. In the last month, it is better to go with random practice of all the concepts. However, if you want to go topic wise, here is what you can do: -

Week 1: - Analogies (both numerical and verbal), Syllogisms, coding decoding,

Week 2: - Odd one out, Alphabetical & Numerical Series, Missing terms

Week 3: - Blood Relations, Direction sense, Arrangements

Week 4: - Take mocks and practice as much as possible.

General Awareness

General Awareness in SSC CHSL is very different from other exams. It is majorly dominated by static GK, and there are rare questions based on current affairs. Also, being good at GK is very important to ace the exam. If you do this section properly, you can solve 15-20 questions is just 5 minutes, which is a huge bonus. Here is how you can revise GK section in last 4 weeks: -

Week 1: - Science, Indian Polity, Sports

Week 2: - Geography, Economics, Books and authors

Week 3: - History, Computer Awareness

Week 4: - Left over topics + Revision

How to Attempt the Paper?

In such a short duration of time, it becomes very difficult to manage time and decide a proper order of sections to be attempted. Well, a basic strategy is to start by what you are strongest at. However, if you are not able to create a perfect strategy to attempt the paper, we have prepared one for you. Here is what you can do: -

Start with GK, you should be able to do this section quickly. In 7-8 minutes one can go through all 25 questions (you do need to be speedy with reading). Then move on to English, again, most probably you would not have any RC here, so go through questions quickly. Do not rush too fast, but don’t waste any too much time. Ideally, this section should not take more than 12 minutes, and you can manage 15-20 attempts in 12 minutes.

Then move on to any of the remaining sections, and attempt the sitters first. After doing easiest questions of one section (be in reasoning or mathematics), move to other one. Again, do only sitters first, do not spend a lot of time. In about 25 minutes or so, you should be able to go through both the sections and should have done the easiest possible questions. Now, in remaining 12-15 minutes, go through the paper again (with more focus on reasoning and mathematics); and whichever questions you feel like a doable one, do it.

This way, you should be able to utilize your time in best possible manner.

Best Mobile Apps for SSC CHSL

There are a lot of apps on the Google Play Store and Apple Store for preparing for SSC CHSL. We have listed the most reliable apps for SSC CHSL available on the play store. Take a look below: -

SSC CHSL Exam Prep
Rating: 4.1/5

Key Features of SSC CHSL 2017 Exam Prep:
1. App comprises a plethora of mock tests, covering all sections.
2. It also consists of separate section wise and topic wise tests.
3. Reports to reflect accuracy and speed.
4. The app has discussion forums to interact with other aspirants.
5. Review all the attempted questions.

ADDA247 App

RATING: - 4.5/5

Adda 247 is definitely the best app for SSC CHSL preparation. The app covers a whole range of things you need for preparation. From practice material to concept videos, this app has got it all.

Key Features of this app:

• Study material available in both Hindi and English.
• The app has offline support too.
• You get daily GK and current affairs alerts.
• The team provides articles and bankersadda magazine, which is very helpful.
• Tons of study material available is for use.