Staff Selection Commission conducted the CGL Tier 1 exam on April 21 and May 19, 2013. You can check out SSC CGL 2013 Question papers, answer keys, cutoff and results here. There were mixed emotions from candidates about Tier 1 exam. Some felt April 21 exam was tough and some felt that there was not much difference among the both CGL Tier 1 exam.

Whatever it was, now it is time to start preparing for SSC CGL Tier 2(Mains) exam 2013. You can cover up all the marks you’ve lost in Tier 1 exam easily in Tier 2 exam.

SSC CGL Tier 1 exam was of 200 marks. Now the CGL Tier 2 exam would be of 400 marks. There would be only two sections viz. Quantitative Aptitude and English Language. Both the sections would be of 200 marks.

Here’s the paper pattern of SSC CGL Tier 2(Mains) Exam 2013:

1) Numerical/Quantitative Aptitude: 100 Questions, 200 Marks, 2 Hours
2) English Language: 200 Questions, 200 Marks, 2 Hours

In mathematics, the focus should on four sections viz. Algebra, Trigonometry, Geometry and Mensuration. These four sections would carry maximum marks.

If you have opted for Statistical Investigator, there will be a Paper 3(Statistics) also.(200 Marks, 2 Hours)

Read more about SSC CGL 2013 Paper pattern here.

See Also: Best Books for SSC CGL 2014 (Tier 1 & Tier 2) – All Subjects

Check out the Best Books for SSC CGL Tier 2(Mains) Preparation 2013:

1) English Language and Comprehension: There will be 200 questions of English in Tier 2 exam. Best Books for English are:

a) English Language and Comprehension by Kiran Prakashan: It covers the entire syllabus of English language for SSC CGL exam preparation, including previous years’ solved papers and model practice sets.

b) Common Errors in English by Kiran Prakashan: There will be 10-20 questions of common errors in SSC CGL Tier 2 exam. This book would be really helpful.

c) Idioms and Phrases by Kiran Prakashan: More idioms and phrases to prepare to CGL Mains exam 2013.

d) Objective General English by SP Bakshi: Another great book to prepare for Objective English. All the topics are explained in a very structured and clear manner. You can even read reviews on Flipkart to confirm how good this book is.

If the book is not available on Flipkart, purchase on Amazon:

e) SSC English Language Chapterwise Solved Papers 1997-Till Date: More than 4500 questions of previous years conducted by SSC. Great book for practice.

2) Numerical/Quantitative Aptitude: There will be 100 questions of Numerical/Quantitative Aptitude in Tier 2 exam. Best Books for Numerical/Quantitative Aptitude are:

a) Quantitative Aptitude For Competitive Examinations by R. S. Aggarwal One of the best book for basic Quantitative/Numerical Aptitude. It will help you cover all the basics of mathematics.

b) SSC Combined Graduate Level Tier-II Exam, Arithmetical Ability Objective Type by Kiran Prakashan: Certainly, the best for SSC CGL Tier 2(Mains) preparation. This book is specially designed for SSC CGL Tier 2 exam with detailed explanation of topics according to the new syllabus and hundreds of previous years’ question papers. It also provides 20 model practice sets for you to practice and improve your speed.

c) How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for the CAT by Arun Sharma: If you don’t want to leave any stone unturned, and want to read and understand every topic in detail, check out this amazing book which is used by candidates to prepare for Common Admission Test(CAT).

d) Quantum CAT: Quantitative Aptitude Common Admission Test for Admission Into IIMs by Sarvesh K Verma(Arihant): Another great book.

e) Fast Track Objective Arithmetic by Arihant: This is great book for Mathematics to improve your speed and efficiency with thousands of shortcuts. It covers all the topics with so many formulas, concepts, shortcuts, examples and thousands of questions to practice.

If book is not available on Flipkart, buy it on Amazon:

f) SSC All Graduate Level Exams Solved Papers 1997 Upto Date: Great book to practice for Maths section. It contains solved questions from SSC exams from 1997 upto now.

3) SSC Statistics Practice Work Book, Tier – II (Paper – III):

So, these are some of the best books for SSC CGL Tier 2 preparation. Apart from these books, read newspaper everyday to improve you vocabulary and language. In mathematics, the more your practice, the faster you would be able to solve questions during two hours of exam time. There is still lots of time left for the CGL Tier 2 exam. So, start preparing now.
All the best.