ExamShortcut
🔍Log in

SSC CGL Exam Analysis 1 October 2026 — Shift 1

SSC CGL 2026 Tier 1 · 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM IST · Updated 1 Oct, 5:45 pm IST

Overall difficulty
Easy to Moderate
Good attempts
79–83 / 100
Shift timing
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM IST

Candidates called the morning paper easy to moderate, in line with the shifts held on 30 September. Reasoning and English were the easier sections. GA was moderate, with more static GK than current affairs. Quant was mostly Advanced Maths (mensuration, geometry, algebra) with some calculation-heavy arithmetic, and it was the section where the timer hurt most. Candidates also described a few questions as repeats of previous-year patterns. Reports about a few out-of-syllabus statistics questions come from one survey video and are not confirmed.

Section-wise difficulty and good attempts

SectionQsDifficultyGood attempts
General Intelligence & Reasoning25Easy to Moderate21–22
General Awareness25Moderate19–20
Quantitative Aptitude25Moderate19–20
English Comprehension25Easy to Moderate20–21

Topics asked, section by section

General Intelligence & Reasoning

Easy to Moderate

Mostly standard types, with coding-decoding, analytical reasoning and series. A few questions were long. Non-verbal reasoning had a large share (about 5–6 questions), and analogy and classification had about 4–5.

Topics with an arrow link to our free notes and practice questions for that topic.

Questions asked (memory-based)

What candidates recalled after the shift, reworded. Exact wording and options may differ from the real paper.

General Awareness

  1. Who was the first Indian to win a Grand Slam title? (as recalled by candidates)
    answerMahesh Bhupathi, 1997
  2. Questions on IMEC (the India–Middle East–Europe corridor) — about 2 questions.
  3. A question on Chapchar Kut, the festival of Mizoram.
  4. A question on the Booker Prize.
  5. Questions on Article 243 and Article 131A.
  6. A question on the 97th Constitutional Amendment (cooperative societies).
  7. Questions on the BNS / BNSS, including zero FIR.
  8. A question on the year of the Fatawa-e-Alamgiri.
  9. A question on the Digboi refinery.
  10. A question on the 18 Puranas.
  11. A question on Manu Bhaker.
  12. A question on Kho Kho at the South Asian Games.
  13. A question on the novel 'Train to Pakistan'.
  14. A question on the vegetation of the Eastern Ghats.

Quantitative Aptitude

  1. 3–4 questions on circles (chords, tangents), a centroid question and an alternate-day work problem.

What candidates noticed

  • Quant is where the timer hurt most: time lost on calculation-heavy arithmetic cannot be recovered after the 15-minute lock.
  • Candidates mentioned no systemic technical problems. One video reported that some candidates were turned away at entry because of an Aadhaar biometric lock issue.
  • A candidate survey (275 responses) reported an average of about 87 attempts and an average score near 148. The sample is small and skewed to engaged test-takers.

Where reviews disagree

  • Overall difficulty: Moderate on CareerPower and Mission Gyan, Easy to Moderate on Testbook, PW and most candidate videos.
  • Good attempts: 79–83 on CareerPower and in candidate interviews, 75–82 in one video and 74–84 on one listing. All are unofficial.
  • Quant topics: one reviewer said there was no statistics or probability, while another recalled a statistics (median) question. The sources do not separate shifts clearly.
  • Some sources mix up shifts, since a few sites call the 1:30 PM paper 'Shift 1' for 30 September. The reports used above are the ones labelled 1 October.

Other shifts on 1 October

Shift 2
1:30 PM – 2:30 PM IST
Easy to Moderate
Shift 3
5:00 PM – 6:00 PM IST
Coming soon

Sources

Compiled and cross-checked from candidate reviews and coaching-institute analyses. Figures are unofficial until SSC releases the answer key.

Your shift is still ahead?

Take a free full-length mock in the real CBT interface, then check where you stand.

Free mock testsScore calculatorPrevious cutoffsFormula sheet

FAQs

How was the SSC CGL 1 October 2026 Shift 1 paper?

Candidates rated the 1 October 2026 Shift 1 paper Easy to Moderate overall. Candidates called the morning paper easy to moderate, in line with the shifts held on 30 September. Reasoning and English were the easier sections. GA was moderate, with more static GK than current affairs. Quant was mostly Advanced Maths (mensuration, geometry, algebra) with some calculation-heavy arithmetic, and it was the section where the timer hurt most. Candidates also described a few questions as repeats of previous-year patterns. Reports about a few out-of-syllabus statistics questions come from one survey video and are not confirmed.

What are good attempts for SSC CGL 1 October 2026 Shift 1?

Around 79–83 out of 100 questions, going by candidate and coaching-institute reviews. Accuracy matters more than raw attempts because of the 0.50 negative marking.

Which General Intelligence & Reasoning topics were asked in SSC CGL 1 October 2026 Shift 1?

General Intelligence & Reasoning was Easy to Moderate. Topics reported: Non-verbal: mirror and water images, paper cutting and folding, embedded figures (5–6), Analogy and classification (number, letter, word) (4–5), Coding-decoding, Linear seating arrangement, Syllogism, Mathematical operations.

Which General Awareness topics were asked in SSC CGL 1 October 2026 Shift 1?

General Awareness was Moderate. Topics reported: Articles of the Constitution (243, 131A) and the 97th Amendment (3–4), 1991 economic reforms and Five-Year Plans (2–3), BNS / BNSS and zero FIR (2–3), Current affairs (about the last 8 months).

Which Quantitative Aptitude topics were asked in SSC CGL 1 October 2026 Shift 1?

Quantitative Aptitude was Moderate. Topics reported: 3D mensuration, Trigonometry (simplification), Geometry: circles, chords and tangents, centroid (3–4 on circles), Algebra, Time and work (alternate days) (2).

Which English Comprehension topics were asked in SSC CGL 1 October 2026 Shift 1?

English Comprehension was Easy to Moderate. Topics reported: Active and passive voice, Direct and indirect speech, Cloze test, Vocabulary (previous-year words).

What was the difficulty level of SSC CGL 2026 Tier 1 on 1 October?

Shift 1 was reported as easy to moderate, with 79–83 good attempts. Shift 2 was mostly called easy to moderate, with some mixed reports. The Shift 3 analysis will be added after the 5 PM paper ends.

How many good attempts were there on 1 October 2026?

For Shift 1, about 79–83 out of 100. Shift 2 reports range from about 80 to 90, though some listings say lower. These are unofficial estimates.

Which Shift 1 General Awareness questions were asked on 1 October?

Candidates recalled questions on IMEC, Chapchar Kut, the Booker Prize, Articles 243 and 131A, the 97th Amendment, the BNS/BNSS and zero FIR, and the first Indian Grand Slam winner. These are memory-based and unofficial.

Is the 15-minute sectional timer still in force?

Yes. Each section locks after 15 minutes and you cannot return to it, so skipping long questions early is important, especially in Quant.

Will a tougher shift lower my final score?

No. SSC normalises scores across shifts, so candidates in a harder shift are not penalised compared with those in an easier one.