SSC CGL VS UPSC:-UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) conducts exams for Civil Services. There are three stages in the UPSC exam, i.e. Preliminary, Mains and Interview. However, SSC (Staff Selection Commission) conducts exams for Group B and C (Gazetted and non-Gazetted) posts. And for group C posts, there is no interview; the rest of the process is the same.Many of the aspirants ask this question very often- Can I prepare for UPSC or SSC together? Before answering a yes or no, let us analyze. UPSC’s process is year-long and consistent; you will get a chance every year. While this might not be the case with SSC-CGL, it has been seen in the past that it took 2-3 years to wind up a single exam. Here is the secret, Let us tell you how to crack UPSC and SSC simultaneously; if you are good with mathematics, give more time to general science and vice versa. In this way, you can keep along both the syllabuses. And usually, there is a gap of one month between both the exams.
SSC CGL VS UPSC
You can also prepare for UPSC and SSC simultaneously.
No.-1. Identify your strength and weaknesses. Develop your strength and work on your weaknesses. Do not run from your weaknesses. Try, try and try again until it becomes your strength. At the same time, do not forget your strength. They will be the driving force behind your success.
No.-2. Do practice questions. Search for previous year questions. Practice these. If you get any question wrong, try to find out where you went wrong and re-do it.
No.-3. YouTube videos by We Focus Classes and Online Guruji will be of colossal aid for a Civil Service aspirant. You can search for more channels on YouTube or online. There are many online and offline classes available to make your dream a reality.
No.-4. Create an exam schedule. It can be weekly, monthly or daily. Weekly is preferred, though. Jot down any critical or upcoming dates. Fill in your study time accordingly. Set achievable goals in comparison to ideal goals.
No.-5. Remain calm. Yoga is an excellent method to stay calm. Invest some time to meditate and exercise. Eat healthy, as well.
No.-6. Discover which topics are essential. Focus more on them.
No.-7. Find common links between both of the civil service exams. Sort them by importance and strength. Do them first before going on to others.
Is SSC CGL Examination Tough
03-04 million candidates appeared in the SSC CGL exams. This gives the feeling to candidates that there is a lot of competition and hard competition between the aspirants in this exam. But, the truth is the opposite to it. The exam is a simple one that needs a lot of practice, the SSC CGL Exam can be tackled with the right guidance and good access to the right sources. The candidates who have a plan and study with a focus can clear the examination.
SSC CGL Examination – Data Point
Let’s look into some data and try to analyse the data related to the past three examinations.
| S.No | Exam -Year | Total No. of Students Applied | Appeared Candidates | The Overall Attendance % | No of the Candidates Cleard Tier1 | Tier 1 Cleard % | Remarks |
| 01. | 2018-19 | 25,97,000 | 8,37, 000 | 32.33% | 1,50,396 | 17.96% | The competition was 6% as compared to applied students. |
| 02 | 2019-20 | 21,59,512 | 9,78,103 | 45.29% | 1,25,279 | 12.8% | The competition was 5.80% (Almost 6%) as compared to applied students. |
| 03 | 2020-21 | 2189791 | 8,26,457 | 37.74% | 1,14,135 | 13.8% | The competition was 5.21% (Almost 6%) as compared to applied students. |
SSC CGL VS UPSC
The number of candidates is approx 1,50,000 lakh students who have cleared the SSC CGL Pre Exam every year. If 10 lakh students have cleared this exam then we can say that the competition level is very high. The general competition in the is low for genuine candidates.
The paper is usually divided into four sections:
No.-1. General Intelligence and Reasoning
No.-2. General Awareness
No.-3. Quantitative Aptitude
No.-4. English Comprehension
On the other hand, UPSC Prelims consist of two papers: Paper one and Paper Two. The portion of Paper one consists of:
No.-1. Current Event of National and International Importance
No.-2. History of India
No.-3. History of Indian National Movement
No.-4. Indian and World Geography-Physical, Social and Economic Geography of India and the World
No.-5. Indian Policy and Governance- Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues etc.
No.-6. Economic and Social Development- Sustainable development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives etc.
No.-7. General Issues on Environmental Ecology, Biodiversity and Climate Change that do not require subject specialisation
No.-8. General Science
Paper two is full of aptitude reasoning questions.
No.-1. Comprehension
No.-2. Interpersonal Skills including Communication skills
No.-3. Logical Reasoning
No.-4. Analytical Ability
No.-5. Decision Making
No.-6. Problem Solving
No.-7. General Mental Ability
No.-8. Basic Numeracy of Class X level (numbers and their relations, the order of magnitude etc.)
No.-9. Data Interpretation of Class X level (charts, graph, table, data sufficiency)
No.-10. English Language Comprehension Skills of Class X level
No.-11. Questions related to English Language Comprehension Skill of Class C level. You will be given English language passages without Hindi translation.
An individual can get a government job in a variety of ways, but the two most popular ways have been through the IAS/Civil Services Exam or the SSC Exam.
Let’s have a look at both of these exams.
SSC CGL VS UPSC
No.-1. What is a Civil Service Exam?
Civil Services Examinations (CSE) are national competitive examinations conducted by the Union Public Service Commission in India for recruitment to higher civil service positions, including the Indian Administrative Service, the Indian Foreign Service, and the Indian Police Service.
The UPSC examination is held in three stages: a preliminary examination consisting of two objective-type papers and the main examination consisting of nine conventional (essay) papers, of which two are qualifying, and only seven marks are counted, followed by a personality test (interview). Throughout the entire process, successful candidates spend 32 hours taking tests which takes years of UPSC preparation.
No.-2. Roles and Responsibilities
As the backbone of the Indian government, the Civil Service carries out a multitude of functions. This is the primary service that oversees all of the large departments running the state and central administration.
There are three types of services recruited through the Civil Services Examination: All India Services, Central Services, and State Services. Salaries also vary according to the position and category of the Services.
No.-3. What is the Staff Selection Commission Exam?
In India, the SSC CGL examination (Combined Graduate Level) is considered to be one of the most important examinations conducted for graduate students. This exam is conducted by the Staff Selection Commission each year to recruit staff for various departments and ministries of the Indian government, including its subsidiary offices.
Students looking for jobs under the central government will have an excellent opportunity with SSC CGL 2021. The SSC fills thousands of vacancies in government departments each year.
SSC CGL VS UPSC
No.-4. Roles and Responsibilities
While government jobs offer stable careers, they also come with a lot of responsibilities. In the SSC, candidates are hired to work as part of the government machinery and to help with the general administration and day-to-day operations of a department or ministry.
No.-5. Do Civil Services Aspirants Get Benefits Over the SSC CGL exam?
To get the answer to this question, let us compare both the exams:
No.-6. Marking Scheme
SSC exams are typically conducted online in a computer-based test (CBT) format, while UPSC exams are largely conducted offline. A single exam is conducted in multiple shifts because of the number of applicants and the use of computer-based testing. Following its examination, the SSC asks for different question papers in each shift; it normalises the marks according to the level of difficulty of the papers.
Fortunately, with UPSC, the exam is conducted on the same day throughout the nation, and the same question paper is used, so there is no normalization of the marks.
No.-7. The Time Factor
Time is an extremely important determinant from the UPSC aspirant’s point of view. Most of the time, SSC exams are postponed, and recruitment can take longer than two years (in some cases). Although UPSC schedules the exams one year in advance, it conducts the examinations according to that schedule. The UPSC does not postpone exams in normal circumstances.
No.-8. Process of Recruiting
According to the latest announcement made by India’s Prime Minister in 2015, the interview process will no longer be part of the Group C recruitment process. So in most cases, no interviews are conducted with SSC candidates. Interviews are conducted by the SSC during recruitment for certain Grade B (Gazetted, Non-Ministerial) posts throughout the year, such as Assistant Audit Officers and Assistant Section Officers.
Since UPSC conducts the recruitment for Group A and Group B posts, the interview for most of these posts happens before the UPSC Board.
SSC CGL VS UPSC
No.-9. Region of the Posting
The UPSC is a federal agency, and all parts of the UPSC examination are administered by it. It notifies the candidates of everything from the notification of the exam to the issue of recommendation lists. UPSC can post the candidate anywhere in the country if they pass the exam.
On the other hand, the SSC has multiple regional headquarters, so each exam is held based on its region. Candidates apply to the exam in their respective regions, and the admit cards are also mailed regionally. After being selected, the candidates are posted in the region of their choice.
No.-10. Salary Scale
The UPSC typically recruits for posts where the basic pay scale (starting) is equal to or higher than Rs 9300. In cases of disciplinary actions in professional conduct and the discharge of duties, the UPSC is periodically consulted by the President for recommendations.
Under executive directions, the Staff Selection Commission’s functions are expanded from time to time, and it now performs recruitment to all Group “B” posts on a pay scale of Rs 9300 to 34800 (grade pay of Rs 42000). While disciplinary actions are taken against officers, the SSC is not consulted.
No.-11. UPSC’s Special Powers
Thirty-three per cent of all vacancies in IAS officers are filled by promotion each year. Officers of the state civil services who have served an appropriate length of time may be eligible for promotion to the IAS. Besides state officers passing the written exam (some states), the UPSC interview that is conducted by the UPSC board is also necessary to qualify. As the ranking state civil service officer, the PCS becomes the senior IAS officer upon recommendation by UPSC.
No.-12. So, What’s the Answer?
By comparing both the exams, it is pretty clear that UPSC aspirants do have some benefits over SSC CGL.
Even with these major differences, some candidates who have exhausted all their possibilities or have failed the civil services exam several times may appear for SSC exams as an alternative to becoming part of the government’s administrative infrastructure, but they will not be placed on the same level as those who have cleared the civil service exam.