SSC is a well-recognized government organisation looking up to recruit candidates from various Ministries under the Government of India. It organises various recruitment exams like SSC CGL, SSC Stenographer, SSC MTS, SSC CHSL etc. which aim to gauge knowledge on multiple parameters like English, Mathematics, General Intelligence and Reasoning. These exams can be your gateway to various Highest Paying Government Jobs in India. However, the job profiles under these exams may seem alluring but it is not easy for candidates to clear these exams. It is important for aspirants to perform well at each step of the exam. In most of the SSC Exams, English Section holds the maximum weightage and number of questions. If you are willing to appear for SSC exams this year, here is a blog to help you with SSC English tips and tricks and preparation strategies.
Important Topics from SSC English
Some topics which frequently appear in the English section of SSC exams such as SSC CGL, GD, CHSL, and CPO, are mentioned below. The strategy is to identify them and prepare them thoroughly.
- Synonym/Antonym
- Error Detection
- Reading Comprehension
- Spelling Mistake
- Idioms and Phrases
- Active and Passive Voice
- Para Jumbles
- Direct and Indirect Speech
These topics along with others are elaborated in the next section below.
Also Read: English Vocabulary Test
Types of Questions in SSC English
It is essential for candidates to go through the exam pattern as well as the syllabus to know about the types of questions before appearing for it. The SSC English section is a blend of Objective and Subjective questions. To ace your preparation for competitive exams let us first know about the variety of questions that are there:
- Cloze Test: The question would consist of a passage with blanks and you have to fill it up in the serial order.
- Synonyms and Antonyms: Synonyms are words which have a similar or almost similar meaning as that of the given word whereas the Antonyms are the words having the opposite meanings. A word would be given and you would be asked to mark its synonym or antonym.
- Spelling Test: A word with wrong spelling would be written and you have to select the appropriate spelling for it. But sometimes students are tricked as the word given has the correct spelling.
- Fill in the blanks: In such questions, usually, there is a one-line question in which you have to fill in the suitable words as per the situations and options given
- One Word Substitution: A group of words or a sentence would be given to you for which you have to select the most suitable option without hampering the meaning of the phrase given.
- Idioms and Phrases: Most of the questions in SSC English are from this section, wherein you have to choose the suitable option for the idiom or phrase given.
- Sentence Correction/ Spotting the Error: A part or group of words in the given sentence would be wrongly placed as per the grammatical rules, you have to identify that part and select the correct replacement for it.
- Sentence or Phrase Improvement: A sentence would be given in which a word/s will be highlighted and you have to find out the suitable correct option for it.
- Indirect or Direct Speech: The questions from this topic will offer a sentence for which you have to choose the correct answer which expresses the sentence best in Direct or Indirect Speech.
- Active/Passive Voice: A sentence in Active/ Passive voice would be given and you have to select the answer which best represents the given sentence in active/ passive voice.
- Reading Comprehension: Around 70-100 words paragraph will be given from which you have to find out the answers based on your inference of the given paragraph.
Also Read: Subject-Verb Agreement
Preparation Strategies and Tips for SSC English
If you are planning to crack a competitive exam, it is of utmost importance to devise a plan of action in which you can bifurcate time by critically analysing the sections where you lack and the ones needing mere revision. But executing the devised timetable is equally important as preparing it, hence regular and timely implementation can be your success mantra for acing the SSC exam. Following are some of the essential tips by Leverage Edu which will help you have a better grip on the varied questions under the English Section of exams.
Read A Lot
The most effective and prominent step for a better hold of the language would be to read, read and read. Reading will enhance your vocabulary and improve your articulation. Daily, spending some reading would also help you have a command over the questions like reading comprehension, cloze test etc which are there in the SSC English section.
The easiest option to brush up on your skills can be reading a newspaper. Invest your time and read the articles, it will help you understand how to formulate your thoughts. Read the headlines carefully, through them, you can learn to express your words in a crisp tone. You can choose The Hindu or The Times of India, underline the new words, look out for their meaning and pen them down.
Word-Meaning
Whenever you come across a new word, check out its meaning and jot it down. That is how you will create a dictionary of yours and make sure you are revising it at regular intervals. There are many questions in the SSC English section like Antonyms, Synonyms, Spell Check and Word Meaning etc which can be targeted with a thorough preparation of vocabulary. Make words your new best friend!
Tip: It is easy to learn the meanings of the word but retaining them is what matters and will make a difference when you are planning to appear for a competitive exam. To apprehend words and their meanings, you need to spend more and more time with them. You can cut out pieces of an A4 sheet and make flashcards with the words and its meaning written on two separate sides. You can paste them around your room, study table, refrigerator, desktop etc. If you can see them all the time you can easily evaluate your progress and take a quick rapid fire. For help, read our blog on 50 difficult words with meaning.
Write It Out
To ace the subjective type of questions, candidates must have a good hand at writing. Just pick out some random topic and start writing your thought on it. Writing a letter and an essay would be a part of the SSC English section in the CGL examination. With a daily practice of writing, you will be able to overcome the basic problem of improper articulation which can ultimately lead to losing some marks. Thus, it is important to adopt a practice of writing. By the end of the day, you can write down the incidents, happenings that took place.
Tip: You can pick out 4-5 flashcards that you made for word meaning and can write a story using those words. It will help you recall the meaning as well. Also, stay updated with current affairs, most of the time essay topics are picked up from the latest issues happening in the country.
Additional Ssc English Preparation Tips
Along with the aforementioned, the below points further help students with SSC English Preparation.
- Solve previous year’s papers and improve your reading speed which will help you in reading comprehension
- Take mock tests as they help you prepare as well as familiarise you with questions which could likely appear in the exam
- Practice quizzes
- Don’t ponder over only one question in the exam if you get stuck. Rather, move to another and come back to it later
- Analyse your mistakes to perform better the next time
Also Read: Improve Your Pronunciation with These Tongue Twisters
Best SSC English Preparation Books
SSC English Preparation books that can help students in their examinations are mentioned below.
- Perfect Competitive English by V.K. Sinha
- Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis
- Quick learning Objective General English by RS Aggarwal & Vikas Aggarwal
- Objective General English by S P Bakshi
- Competitive General English by Kiran Prakashan
FAQs
Start SSC preparation at home by first starting with solving previous years’ exam papers.
First and foremost, devote at least 2 hours every day to preparing the English language for SSC CGL.
SSC stands for Staff Selection Commission.
Thus, we hope that this blog about the SSC English preparation strategy has provided you with some important key points to kick-start your preparation. Although the SSC exams provide recruitment under a plethora of job profiles if you are confused about which course to pursue after the 10th or 12th, Contact us at Leverage Edu and we will resolve all your career-related queries through our free career counselling sessions.
The post SSC English Preparation Strategy 2023 appeared first on Leverage Edu.
