SSC CGL Exam Analysis 5 October 2026 — Shift 1
SSC CGL 2026 Tier 1 · 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM IST · Updated 5 Oct, 7:45 pm IST
Most candidates called the morning paper easy to moderate or moderate, though a few said it felt moderate to hard because of the 15-minute lock on each section. Quant was the section where time ran short. Reasoning was lengthy for some candidates, English leaned on voice and narration, and General Awareness was easy to moderate with mostly one-line questions. A few candidates reported mouse or system lag at their centre.
Section-wise difficulty and good attempts
| Section | Qs | Difficulty | Good attempts |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Intelligence & Reasoning | 25 | Moderate | About 20–21 |
| General Awareness | 25 | Easy to Moderate | About 15–16 comfortable |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 25 | Moderate | 18–23 |
| English Comprehension | 25 | Moderate | Not reliably reported |
Topics asked, section by section
General Intelligence & Reasoning
ModerateAnalytical reasoning had a big share (about 4–8 questions) and some of it was lengthy. There were statement-based questions, 3 addressing-type questions, 2 matrix questions and 2 syllogisms. No calendar or clock questions were reported.
- Analytical reasoning · 4–8
- Statement-based questions →
- Coding-decoding →
- Syllogism · 2 →
- Matrix · 2
General Awareness
Easy to ModerateMostly one-line static questions across the Constitution, economy and history. About 15–16 questions were reported as doable. Current affairs was light, with only 1–2 questions.
Quantitative Aptitude
ModerateTime was the problem. The split between Advanced Maths and arithmetic is disputed: one reviewer counted about 15–16 arithmetic and 10–11 Advanced Maths questions, while candidate interviews described the paper as mostly Advanced Maths.
English Comprehension
ModerateReported as lengthy. Voice and narration had a large share (about 7–8 questions). There were 2 sentence-rearrangement (PQRS) questions, 4 reading-comprehension questions and a cloze test. Vocabulary was from previous-year words.
- Voice and narration · 7–8 →
- Reading comprehension · 4
- Cloze test →
- Vocabulary (previous-year words) →
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
- Questions on Articles 52, 170, 177 and 200 of the Constitution (as recalled by candidates).
- A question on the 1991 balance of payments crisis and the role of the IMF and World Bank.
- A question on the law that replaced the MRTP Act (the Competition Act, 2002).
- A question on which country's model the Five-Year Plans were taken from.
- A question on Aditya L1.
- A question on where the BIMSTEC secretariat is located (Dhaka).
- Questions on the Pallava dynasty, Panini and the Milinda Panha.
- A question on the Hornbill festival.
- A question on Section 20 of the BNS.
- A question on the Kandla and Paradip ports.
- A question on the Indian Ocean Dipole.
Quantitative Aptitude
- Circle and trigonometry questions, 2 time and work questions, and a mix of prism, cone and cylinder mensuration.
What candidates noticed
- Quant is where the timer hurt most: time lost on long questions cannot be recovered after the 15-minute lock.
- A few candidates reported mouse-click or system lag, and some scrolling problems. These are centre-level reports.
- A candidate survey (498 responses) reported an average of about 86 attempts and an average score near 141. 63% said the paper was about the same as last year, 24% said more difficult and 12% said easier. The sample is self-selected.
Where reviews disagree
- Overall difficulty: most candidates said easy to moderate or moderate, while a few called it moderate to hard because of the sectional timer.
- Quant mix: one reviewer said mostly arithmetic, while candidate interviews said mostly Advanced Maths.
- Attempts: individual candidates reported anything from 72 to 91 attempts, so there is no single good-attempts figure.
Other shifts on 5 October
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.
FAQs
How was the SSC CGL 5 October 2026 Shift 1 paper?
Candidates rated the 5 October 2026 Shift 1 paper Easy to Moderate overall. Most candidates called the morning paper easy to moderate or moderate, though a few said it felt moderate to hard because of the 15-minute lock on each section. Quant was the section where time ran short. Reasoning was lengthy for some candidates, English leaned on voice and narration, and General Awareness was easy to moderate with mostly one-line questions. A few candidates reported mouse or system lag at their centre.
What are good attempts for SSC CGL 5 October 2026 Shift 1?
Around 72–91 (individual candidate claims) 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 5 October 2026 Shift 1?
General Intelligence & Reasoning was Moderate. Topics reported: Analytical reasoning (4–8), Statement-based questions, Coding-decoding, Syllogism (2), Matrix (2).
Which General Awareness topics were asked in SSC CGL 5 October 2026 Shift 1?
General Awareness was Easy to Moderate. Topics reported: Constitution: Articles 52, 170, 177 and 200, and amendments (3–4), Economy: the 1991 crisis, MRTP to the Competition Act 2002, Five-Year Plans (3), Ancient history: Pallava, Panini, Milinda Panha (2–3), Current affairs and science (Aditya L1, BIMSTEC secretariat) (1–2).
Which Quantitative Aptitude topics were asked in SSC CGL 5 October 2026 Shift 1?
Quantitative Aptitude was Moderate. Topics reported: Geometry: circles, Trigonometry (2), Mensuration: prism, cone, cylinder, Algebra, Time and work (2), Compound interest, percentage, profit and loss, partnership, pipes and cistern, speed-distance.
Which English Comprehension topics were asked in SSC CGL 5 October 2026 Shift 1?
English Comprehension was Moderate. Topics reported: Voice and narration (7–8), Reading comprehension (4), Cloze test, Vocabulary (previous-year words).
What was the difficulty level of SSC CGL 2026 Tier 1 on 5 October?
Shift 1 was reported as easy to moderate or moderate. Shift 2 was reported as easy to moderate or moderate, though a survey leaned difficult. Shift 3 was reported as moderate to difficult by the reviewers we found, but a small survey disagreed. All of this is unofficial.
How many good attempts were there on 5 October 2026?
For Shift 3 reviewers put it at about 77–85 out of 100. For Shifts 1 and 2 there is no reliable estimate, because individual candidates claimed anything from about 70 to 97 attempts. These are unofficial.
Which Quant topics were asked on 5 October?
Circles and other geometry, trigonometry, mensuration (prism, cone, pyramid, sphere, hemisphere), algebra, time and work and percentage-based arithmetic were reported. Data Interpretation was reported in Shift 3 but not in Shift 2.
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.