Preparing for a Government Job is a tedious task. But what’s more daunting is gathering all the information related to the Exams like dates, subject materials, eligibility, and other criteria. Not to mention the pressure of Preparation – the how what and when to study questions and also whether or not one should take coaching or self-study. These can be a lot of Instructions to keep in mind as well as apply.
Thus to make your Life Simple and save you the time to Research instead of Studying, we have a master post that takes care of all these queries and more.
Types of Government Exams
- Staff Selection Commission (SSC)
- Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)
- Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS)
- State Bank of India (SBI)
There are other Government Exams too such as for Indian Railways, RBI, SEBI, NICL but for this post we will be mainly focused on the above examinations.
Also read – UPSC CDS Notification 2021 – UPSC CDS 1 Exam Dates And Vacancy
Positions & Designations
- Staff Selection Commission Multi-Tasking Staff (SSC MTS)
- SSC Combined Higher Secondary Level Exam (SSC CHSL)
- SSC Combined Graduate Level Examination (SSC CGL)
- UPSC (Civil Services Examination)
- UPSC (Engineering Services Examination – IES)
- UPSC (Indian Administrative Service – IAS)
- IBPS Clerk
- IBPS PO (Probationary Officer)
- SBI Clerk
- SBI PO (Probationary Officer)
Also read – Government Jobs For 8th, 10th, and 12th Pass Students.
Eligibility Criteria
- SSC MTS: Applicant must have cleared 10th Standard from a Recognized Board
- SSC CHSL: Applicant must have cleared 12th Standard or from a recognized Board or University
- SSC CGL: Applicant must be a Bachelor’s degree holder from a recognized University or Institution
- UPSC: Applicant must hold a degree from Government recognized Universities or an equivalent qualification. (including those who are in their final year or awaiting results)
- IBPS Clerk: Applicant must be a Bachelor’s degree holder from a recognized University or Institution
- IBPS PO: Applicant must be a Bachelor’s degree holder from a recognized University or Institution
- SBI PO: Applicant must be a Bachelor’s degree Holder or a Final Year/Semester Student
- SBI Clerk: Applicant must be a Bachelor’s degree Holder or a Final Year/Semester Student
Age Restrictions:
- SSC MTS: Applicant must be aged between 18 – 25 years
- SSC CHSL: Applicant must be aged between 18 – 27 years
- SSC CGL: Applicant must be aged between 20 – 32 years
- UPSC: Applicant must be aged between 21 – 32 years
- IBPS Clerk: Applicant must be aged between 20 – 28 years
- IBPS PO: Applicant must be aged between 20 – 30 years
- SBI PO: Applicant must be aged between 21 – 30 years
- SBI Clerk: Applicant must be aged between 21 – 28 years
| SL. No | Government Job | Apply Link |
| 1 | SSC MTS | Click Here |
| 2 | SSC CHSL | Click Here |
| 3 | SSC CGL | Click Here |
| 4 | UPSC | Click Here |
| 5 | IBPS Clerk | Click Here |
| 6 | IBPS PO | Click Here |
| 7 | SBI PO | Click Here |
| 8 | SBI Clerk | Click Here |
Age Relaxation (Upper Age Limit):
| Exam | Category | Upper Age |
| SSC MTS | Scheduled Castes (SC) | 30 years |
| Scheduled Tribes (ST) | 30 years | |
| Other Backward Classes (OBC) | 28 years | |
| SSC CHSL | Scheduled Castes (SC) | 32 years |
| Scheduled Tribes (ST) | 32 years | |
| Other Backward Classes (OBC) | 30 years | |
| SSC CGL | Scheduled Castes (SC) | 37 years |
| Scheduled Tribes (ST) | 37 years | |
| Other Backward Classes (OBC) | 35 years | |
| UPSC | Scheduled Castes (SC) | 37 years |
| Scheduled Tribes (ST) | 37 years | |
| Other Backward Classes (OBC) | 35 years | |
| IBPS Clerk | Scheduled Castes (SC) | 33 years |
| Scheduled Tribes (ST) | 33 years | |
| Other Backward Classes (OBC) | 31 years | |
| IBPS PO | Scheduled Castes (SC) | 35 years |
| Scheduled Tribes (ST) | 35 years | |
| Other Backward Classes (OBC) | 33 years | |
| SBI PO | Scheduled Castes (SC) | 35 years |
| Scheduled Tribes (ST) | 35 years | |
| Other Backward Classes (OBC) | 33 years | |
| SBI Clerk | Scheduled Castes (SC) | 33 years |
| Scheduled Tribes (ST) | 33 years | |
| Other Backward Classes (OBC) | 31 years |
Subjects and Categories:
- General Intelligence and Reasoning : This Section tests the Applicant’s General Cognitive Ability, which is the ability to solve problems using reasoning.
- English Language: This Section includes Basic Grammar which constitutes everything that the Applicant has learned throughout their 10th and 12th Standard.
- Quantitative Aptitude: This section tests the Applicant’s problem-solving skills in Mathematical Subjects like Arithmetic, Geometry, Statistics, and more. All of which has already been covered till the 12th standard.
- General Awareness: This Section tests the Applicant’s knowledge about Environmental and Societal Issues. It includes questions from Current Affairs and also from History, Geography and Science.
This is the Basic Pattern of overall Government Exams. Each Exam has their own separate syllabus. Kindly refer to them.
Type of Questions: Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ)
Total Marks: 200
Total Time: 2 Hours
Preparation Tips
Stay updated with News & Syllabus:
Time can be a real issue when it comes to Preparation and thus each minute should be used wisely. Don’t spend hours scrolling through articles on the Internet. Simply stay updated with changes in the Syllabus, Exam Pattern, or other related News using our Website. We keep up-to-date with all the latest happenings related to Government Examinations and Government Job News.
Timetable Practice:
Now that all the basic information related to Government Exams have been covered, let’s focus on the Preparation Part. Get into the habit of following a Studying Timetable. Divide your Subject Matters into Days and days into Hours. Keep a track of how much time each subject is taking for you to understand and gradually be more effective with Time Management.
Making Notes & Memorising:
The best way to learn is by making Notes. Whichever subject you sit to study with, sit with a separate notebook for that. Make notes in your own language and once you have completed a Chapter, go through the Notes to make changes. Most people recollect what they had written in their notebooks rather than what was printed on the subject book, because notes contain simple languages that explain complex problems. You may also use Highlighters or Colorful pens to mark the most important areas.
Solve Model Question Papers:
There are tons of Mock Tests and Online Papers available on the Internet pertaining to various Government Exams. You may even find Model Question Papers in your Local stores. The idea is not to only gather knowledge, but also to test yourself as to how much of it is contained and understood. Get into a habit of weekly and/or monthly question paper solving practice. This will help you to be more adaptable with the Question Pattern and point out areas where you need more improvement.
Timer for solving papers :
Another important tip is to keep the Time Factor in mind. The entire set of MCQs needs to be completed within 2 hours. This means that you have to be quick and at the same time correct while answering them. You may use a Timer to test your speed on a daily basis and use it as a must while solving model papers.
Dedication Tips To Crack Government Exam
Self Motivation
The most important ingredient for cracking Government Examinations is perhaps Motivation. In 2018, 3 Million People appeared for the IBPS Examinations. Each year the number of Candidates are increasing, yet the vacancies continue to be around 3000-4000. People spend quite a number of years preparing and appearing for these Government Exams, and only those who stay the course, reap the benefits.
Discipline & Dedication:
Many times throughout these years, Self Motivation may fail. That’s completely natural through the course of the Journey. That is when Discipline and Dedication come into play. You may not feel like studying, but you need to drag yourself up from the bed and sit with your books. You have to be dedicated enough to continue putting the effort even when you are not as energetic as you used to be.
Planning & Time Management:
In the earlier sections of this post, we had discussed Timetable Practice. That was a part of overall over Planning. Through the course of your preparations, you may have certain events that cannot be missed – Family functions, Holidays, or Sick Days. Plan your Calendar beforehand so you can still have a life, yet not hamper the flow of your studies.
Health
Pay really close attention to your Health. Once you fall sick and cannot be up from the bed for a couple of days, the flow of learning is lost. And once the flow is lost, it becomes more and more difficult to find dedication again. Avoid junk and unhealthy food and drink lots of water.
Concentration & Over Studying
A lot of people feel that sitting with the book for straight 5,6 or 8 hours means that they have studied. They couldn’t feel more wrong. Your mind needs rest too. Please allow yourself to take occasional breathers and do not overburden your brain with excessive information. Adequate sleep is very essential. Whether you study for 2 hours or 5 hours, the quality should be the indicator and not the number of hours.
Myths & Reality
Coaching or Not:
There are a lot of coaching centers that help students prepare and crack Government Examinations. A lot of aspirants seem confused about whether they should join or not. And the answer is ‘Yes’. Do your research and shortlist the best Education Centre depending upon Results and other criteria which suit you. But no doubt, you will need their guidance to swim through. A lot of these Institutes have been in the field for more than a decade and are well versed with question patterns. Besides there are concepts that you may not be able to understand and get stuck at, it’s always a good choice to have support.
Mugging up:
Most Students have a habit of mugging up answers. Not only do they mug up facts and figures but some even memorize every answer word by word. Please forget the way you have studied during your school or college days. Cracking a Government Examination is one of the toughest things to do and it is not as simple as quick learning tricks.
Clearing in the first attempt:
Historical Data shows that most people are not able to crack Government Examinations in their first attempt. There can be a number of reasons – people need time to adapt to the pattern, they haven’t prepared well enough, other attendees have been preparing much earlier than them, and so on. It’s recommended to be optimistic about your first attempt, but with that add a little practicality and take it as a learning lesson if you don’t.
We hope this article cleared most of the Foundational Doubts one has when they think of appearing for Government Examinations.