SSC Previous Year Papers
SSC Previous Year Question Papers — CGL, CHSL, MTS, GD, CPO, JE, Steno
Previous Year Papers - SSC
The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) conducts its biggest recruitment exams - CGL, CHSL, MTS, GD Constable, CPO, JE and Stenographer - entirely in Computer Based Test (CBT) mode. Solving previous year question papers is the single most effective way to prepare for these exams. Past papers reveal the exact exam pattern, the difficulty level, the topic-wise weightage and the tone of questions setter follow year after year. Since every SSC CBT carries 0.50 negative marks for wrong answers, practising on real papers under timed conditions is the only way to build the speed and accuracy that the exam demands. Download the papers below, attempt them shift-wise within the real time limit, and analyse every mistake.
Note on sources: SSC bans the circulation of its official question papers and publishes them selectively through its candidate corner. The official portal is ssc.gov.in/candidate-corner. All download links below point only to official SSC Gov portal pages (no third-party PDF hosting is used, as unofficial copies may carry watermarks or licensing issues).
SSC CGL (Combined Graduate Level)
SSC CGL has a two-tier structure. Tier 1 is qualifying: 100 questions, 200 marks, 60 minutes, across four sections - General Intelligence & Reasoning (25 Q), General Awareness (25 Q), Quantitative Aptitude (25 Q) and English Comprehension (25 Q). Tier 2 carries the merit weightage: Paper I has Mathematical Abilities (30 Q / 90 marks), Reasoning & General Intelligence (30 Q / 90 marks), English Language & Comprehension (45 Q / 135 marks) and General Awareness (25 Q / 75 marks), plus a qualifying Computer Knowledge test and Data Entry Speed Test. Paper II (Statistics) is for JSO/Statistical posts (100 Q / 200 marks). Negative marking is 0.50 per wrong answer in both tiers.
| Exam | Year | Paper | Download |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSC CGL | 2025 | Tier 1 & Tier 2 (12 Sept 2025 - 19 Jan 2026 cycle) — question papers, response sheets and answer keys at the official Candidate Corner | Official SSC Candidate Corner |
| SSC CGL | 2024 | Tier 1 & Tier 2 cycle — answer keys and response sheets at the official Candidate Corner | Official SSC Candidate Corner |
| SSC CGL | 2023 | Tier 1 & Tier 2 cycle — answer keys and response sheets at the official Candidate Corner | Official SSC Candidate Corner |
| SSC CGL | 2022 | Tier 1 & Tier 2 cycle — answer keys and response sheets at the official Candidate Corner | Official SSC Candidate Corner |
| SSC CGL | 2021 | Tier 1 & Tier 2 cycle — answer keys and response sheets at the official Candidate Corner | Official SSC Candidate Corner |
| SSC CGL | All cycles | Official SSC practice mock papers (published by the Commission) | Official Mock Test page |
Full year-wise archive at the official portal: answer keys and response sheets at ssc.gov.in/answer-key, official practice papers at ssc.gov.in/mock-test. SSC rarely re-publishes past exam papers in full; the Candidate Corner and answer-key pages are the authoritative official sources.
SSC CHSL (10+2 Level)
SSC CHSL has Tier 1 (CBT) and Tier 2 (descriptive: letter and essay writing, 100 marks) plus a skill test for some posts. Tier 1 has 100 questions for 200 marks in 60 minutes across Reasoning (25 Q), General Awareness (25 Q), Quantitative Aptitude (25 Q) and English (25 Q), with 0.50 negative marking per wrong answer. Papers are available year-wise on the aggregator and the official SSC candidate corner.
| Exam | Year | Paper | Download |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSC CHSL | All years | Tier 1 official practice papers and answer keys | Official SSC Mock Test page |
| SSC CHSL | Official | Candidate corner - previous papers | Download from official portal |
SSC MTS (Multi Tasking Staff)
SSC MTS Tier 1 is a 90-question CBT for 90 marks in 60 minutes - Numerical & Mathematical Ability (25 Q), Reasoning Ability & Problem Solving (25 Q), General Awareness (20 Q) and English Comprehension (20 Q), with 0.50 negative marking. Tier 2 is a 2-hour descriptive paper (100 marks) covering letter and application writing. No direct official PDFs are circulated; use the official candidate corner and the verified aggregator page.
| Exam | Year | Paper | Download |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSC MTS | All years | Official practice papers and answer keys | Official SSC Mock Test page |
| SSC MTS | Official | Candidate corner - previous papers | Download from official portal |
SSC GD Constable
SSC GD Constable Tier 1 is a 80-question CBT for 160 marks in 60 minutes - General Intelligence & Reasoning (20 Q), General Knowledge & General Awareness (20 Q), Elementary Mathematics (20 Q) and English/Hindi (20 Q), with 0.50 negative marking. It is followed by a Physical Efficiency Test (PET) and Physical Standard Test (PST). Practise past papers to manage the 45-second-per-question pace.
| Exam | Year | Paper | Download |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSC GD | All years | Official practice papers and answer keys | Official SSC Mock Test page |
| SSC GD | Official | Candidate corner - previous papers | Download from official portal |
SSC CPO (Central Police Organisation)
SSC CPO (SI, ASI, Intelligence Officer posts) has Paper 1 - a 200-question CBT for 200 marks in 2 hours - covering Reasoning & General Intelligence (50 Q), General Knowledge & General Awareness (50 Q), Quantitative Aptitude (50 Q) and English Comprehension (50 Q), with 0.50 negative marking. Paper 2 (English, 200 marks, qualifying) and PET/PST and medical rounds follow for SI posts.
| Exam | Year | Paper | Download |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSC CPO | All years | Official practice papers and answer keys | Official SSC Mock Test page |
| SSC CPO | Official | Candidate corner - previous papers | Download from official portal |
SSC JE (Junior Engineer)
SSC JE has Paper 1 - a 200-question CBT for 200 marks in 2 hours - covering General Intelligence & Reasoning (50 Q), General Awareness (50 Q) and Technical (Civil/Electrical/Mechanical, 100 Q), with 0.50 negative marking. Paper 2 is a 300-mark conventional written exam in the candidate's engineering discipline. Technical questions dominate, so use past papers to target frequently repeated technical topics.
| Exam | Year | Paper | Download |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSC JE | All years | Official practice papers and answer keys | Official SSC Mock Test page |
| SSC JE | Official | Candidate corner - previous papers | Download from official portal |
SSC Stenographer
SSC Stenographer has a single CBT of 200 questions for 200 marks in 2 hours - Reasoning (50 Q), General Awareness (50 Q) and English Comprehension (100 Q) - with 0.50 negative marking. Qualifying candidates take a Skill Test: shorthand dictation at 100 wpm (English) or 80 wpm (Hindi) for Grade C, and 80 wpm (English) / 60 wpm (Hindi) for Grade D. Speed on the English section is everything here.
| Exam | Year | Paper | Download |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSC Steno | All years | Official practice papers and answer keys | Official SSC Mock Test page |
| SSC Steno | Official | Candidate corner - previous papers | Download from official portal |
How to Use Previous Year Papers Effectively
- Attempt shift-wise under timed conditions: set a timer for the exact duration (60 minutes for CGL/CHSL Tier 1, 2 hours for CPO/JE/Steno) and solve in one uninterrupted sitting. The goal is to replicate the real exam environment.
- Always follow the negative marking: mark only answers you are reasonably sure of. Practising with 0.50 negative marking teaches you when to guess and when to skip - a skill worth 10-15 marks by itself.
- Analyse, don't just score: after each paper, log every error by section and topic. Track your accuracy rate and time-per-question (ideal average: 35-45 seconds per question for CGL Tier 1).
- Build a topic-weightage map: from 5-6 papers you can see which topics repeat - Arithmetic, Algebra and DI for Quant; Cloze Test and comprehension for English; analogy and series for Reasoning. Allocate revision time to high-weightage topics.
- Reattempt the same paper: a paper you scored 100 on should be reattempted for 150+. Re-solving old papers cements speed and exposes careless errors.
- Fix easy-question mistakes first: if your accuracy on easy questions is below 85%, you are losing marks you cannot afford. Accuracy on easy questions is the cheapest way to raise your score.
FAQ
Are SSC previous year papers available for free?
Yes. The official SSC candidate corner and the official mock-test/answer-key sections on ssc.gov.in are the authoritative sources. We do not link third-party PDF copies on this page to avoid copyright issues.
Why is there no official PDF for some SSC exams?
SSC restricts the circulation of its official question papers and releases them only through its candidate corner. Where no official PDF is available, we link the official portal and verified external archives.
How many previous year papers should I solve?
At least the last 5-10 years of papers for your exam, covering multiple shifts of each year. This gives full coverage of repeated topics and changing trends.
Do previous year papers help with negative marking practice?
Yes - every SSC CBT carries 0.50 negative marks per wrong answer. Timed attempts on real papers are the only realistic way to practise the guess-versus-skip decision.
Are the papers available in Hindi as well?
Yes, most aggregator papers are offered in both English and Hindi, and SSC releases official papers in both languages through its candidate corner.
How often does SSC update the question paper pattern?
Frequently - CGL moved from a single Tier 2 paper to a modular structure, and CHSL dropped the Tier 3. Always solve the most recent 2-3 years of papers first so you practise the current pattern.