SSC CGL Exam Analysis 30 September 2026 — Shift 2

SSC CGL 2026 Tier 1 · 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM IST · Updated 30 Sept, 10:45 pm IST

Some coaching sites and YouTube channels call this the 'Shift 1' paper, because it was the first shift actually held on 30 September. It is the same exam.

Overall difficulty

Easy to Moderate

Good attempts

80–85 / 100

Shift timing

1:30 PM – 2:30 PM IST

The paper leaned heavily on previous-year question patterns. Reasoning and English were comfortable for most candidates. General Awareness felt harder than its content because of statement-based and chronology questions. Quant was mostly direct formula work in advanced maths. The 15-minute lock, not the questions, is what set the pace: several candidates had solvable questions still open when the Quant timer ran out.

Section-wise difficulty and good attempts

Section	Qs	Difficulty	Good attempts
General Intelligence & Reasoning	25	Easy to Moderate	22–23
General Awareness	25	Moderate	15–18
Quantitative Aptitude	25	Easy to Moderate	20–23
English Comprehension	25	Easy to Moderate	22–24

Topics asked, section by section

General Intelligence & Reasoning

Easy to Moderate

Most questions were standard types. There were one or two unfamiliar coding questions, and two statement-conclusion items that were not syllogisms and took time.

General Awareness

Moderate

Many questions were statement-based, assertion-reason or order-the-events items, and those made the section feel tougher than its facts were. There were about 4–5 current-affairs questions.

Quantitative Aptitude

Easy to Moderate

About 14–16 of the 25 questions were advanced maths. Most could be solved with a formula in one or two lines. A few arithmetic questions were calculation-heavy, and those are where the 15-minute timer hurt.

English Comprehension

Easy to Moderate

Candidates found this section long rather than hard. The reading passage came first, and several reviewers said it closely resembled a passage from CGL 2025. Almost all the vocabulary had appeared in earlier papers.

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.

Quantitative Aptitude

If tan A + cot A = 2, find the value of tanⁿA + cotⁿA for a high power n.
answer
2 (tan A = 1, so every power is 1 + 1)
A simple-interest question comparing the amount after 3 years with the amount after 5 years, where you work back to the principal and rate.
Two equal parallel chords of a circle a given distance apart: find the radius or the chord length.
Volume of a pyramid with a square base, given the base side and slant height.
Length of the direct or transverse common tangent between two circles, given their radii and the distance between centres.

General Awareness

Put in chronological order: setting up of the Inter-State Council, the 73rd Constitutional Amendment, and the launch of GST.
answer
Inter-State Council (1990) → 73rd Amendment (1992) → GST (2017)
Which pollutants are counted in India's National Air Quality Index?
answer
Eight: PM10, PM2.5, NO₂, SO₂, CO, O₃, NH₃ and lead
An assertion-reason pair on Humayun's Tomb and its charbagh (four-part garden) layout.
A question on the Gandhara school of art and the influences that shaped it.
answer
Greco-Roman style fused with Buddhist themes
Which layer of the Earth lies directly below the lithosphere and is partly molten?
answer
Asthenosphere
Which four countries make up the QUAD grouping?
answer
India, the USA, Japan and Australia

English Comprehension

Meaning or synonym items on previous-year words such as 'logorrhoea' (excessive talk), 'supercilious' (arrogantly superior) and 'equanimity' (calmness).
Meaning of the idiom 'keep one's head above water'.
answer
To just manage to survive, especially financially

What candidates noticed

The locked 15-minute timer for each section was the main talking point after the exam. Some called it fair because it applies to everyone. Others said it cut off solvable Quant questions.
The section order most candidates reported was Reasoning, then GA, then Quant, then English, with no choice. One candidate said Quant came first at their centre.
No technical glitches were reported from this shift.
Across all four sections the paper stayed close to previous-year question types, so candidates who had practised past papers were rewarded.

Where reviews disagree

GA good attempts: coaching tables put them at 22–23, but most video reviews suggest 12–18 is more realistic. We show 15–18.
Quant: some reviewers called it easy and formula-based, with 22–25 possible. Others called it calculation-heavy and put average attempts at 15–18. We show 20–23 for a well-prepared candidate.
Overall difficulty: one live analysis page changed its overall rating from Easy-Moderate to Moderate during the evening. Most other sources said Easy-Moderate.

Other shifts on 30 September

Shift 1

10:00 AM – 11:00 AM IST

Not held

Shift 3

5:00 PM – 6:00 PM IST

Moderate

Sources

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

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FAQs

How was the SSC CGL 30 September 2026 Shift 2 paper?

Candidates rated the 30 September 2026 Shift 2 paper Easy to Moderate overall. The paper leaned heavily on previous-year question patterns. Reasoning and English were comfortable for most candidates. General Awareness felt harder than its content because of statement-based and chronology questions. Quant was mostly direct formula work in advanced maths. The 15-minute lock, not the questions, is what set the pace: several candidates had solvable questions still open when the Quant timer ran out.

What are good attempts for SSC CGL 30 September 2026 Shift 2?

Around 80–85 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 30 September 2026 Shift 2?

General Intelligence & Reasoning was Easy to Moderate. Topics reported: Letter & number series (3–5), Statement & conclusion (2), Syllogism (~2), Address / detail matching (2), Analogy (2–3), Coding-decoding (2–3), Circular seating (8 people) (1), Blood relations (~2), Rank in a row, Odd one out (1–2), Mathematical operations (2), Word formation / dictionary order, Non-verbal (figures) (3–4).

Which General Awareness topics were asked in SSC CGL 30 September 2026 Shift 2?

General Awareness was Moderate. Topics reported: Five-Year Plans & 1991 reforms, Chronology: Inter-State Council, 73rd Amendment, GST, HDI & AQI pollutants, Gandhara art & temple architecture, Taj Mahal, Humayun's Tomb, Mauryas & Buddhism, Ozone layer, asthenosphere, Booker Prize / books & authors, Sports & appointments (2–3), QUAD.

Which Quantitative Aptitude topics were asked in SSC CGL 30 September 2026 Shift 2?

Quantitative Aptitude was Easy to Moderate. Topics reported: Trigonometry (~3), Geometry – circles, chords, common tangents (~3), Algebra (x + 1/x type) (~2), Mensuration – pyramid, cone, hexagon in circle (3+), Coordinate geometry (section formula) (1), Simple & compound interest (1–2), Percentage, Profit, loss & successive discount (2–3), Partnership (~2), Mixture & alligation (~2), Time & work (alternate days), Simplification & surds.

Which English Comprehension topics were asked in SSC CGL 30 September 2026 Shift 2?

English Comprehension was Easy to Moderate. Topics reported: Reading comprehension (5), Active & passive voice (2–4), Direct & indirect speech (2–4), Error spotting (3–4), Para-jumbles (PQRS) (2–3), Spelling (2–3), Synonyms & antonyms, Idioms, One-word substitution.

Was SSC CGL Shift 1 held on 30 September 2026?

No. The 10 AM slot had no exam at almost all centres. The first paper actually held was at 1:30 PM, which is why many sites call it 'Shift 1'.

Is there sectional timing in SSC CGL 2026 Tier 1?

Yes. Each of the four sections gets 15 minutes and locks when its time is up, so you cannot go back to it. On day 1 the order reported was Reasoning, GA, Quant, then English.

What is a safe score for SSC CGL 2026 Tier 1 after day 1?

Early estimates put a safe raw score for the general category at around 135–140 out of 200. This is only coaching-channel chatter. Tier 1 scores are normalised across all shifts, and SSC has not published any cut-off.

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.