In this guide
SSC GD candidates prepare for two exams at once: an 80-question written paper and a timed run. Most plans you find online cover only the first. This one gives both a fixed place in every day, because a high written score is wasted if you cannot finish the race.
The plan assumes about four to five hours of study and 45–60 minutes of physical training a day, six days a week. If you have less time, the section on working candidates shows how to stretch it.
Before day 1: find your starting point
Spend the first two days measuring, not studying. You cannot plan well without knowing where you stand.
- Take one full mock of 80 questions in 60 minutes. Do not prepare for it. Note your score in each section.
- Time your run. Men: try 5 km (or as far as you can in 24 minutes). Women: try 1.6 km. Walk if you must, but note the time.
- Read the syllabus once and copy the topic list into a notebook. The notification prints the full list.
Suppose an aspirant scores 12 right and 6 wrong in maths on this first mock. That is 12 × 2 − 6 × 0.25 = 24 − 1.5 = 22.5 out of 40. Now they know maths needs the biggest daily slot. Your own numbers will tell you the same about your weak section.
The shape of three months
| Month | Written exam | Physical training |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Foundations in all four sections | Build a base: walk–jog, then easy continuous runs |
| 2 | Finish the syllabus; one mock a week | Longer easy runs; one speed session a week |
| 3 | Mocks, revision, weak topics | Race-pace practice; a timed trial every week |
Month 1: foundations
The aim is to learn the methods, not to be fast yet. Speed comes later, from practice.
| Section | Daily time | Topics |
|---|---|---|
| Maths | 1.5 hours | Tables and squares, number system, simplification, fractions, percentage, ratio, average |
| Reasoning | 1 hour | Analogy, classification, number and letter series, coding–decoding |
| GK | 45 minutes | School science (NCERT Class 6–10), ancient and medieval history |
| English or Hindi | 45 minutes | Grammar basics (tenses, subject–verb agreement), 10 new words a day |
Why percentage in month 1? Because profit and loss, discount, interest and many data questions all use it. Learn it once, properly, and four later topics become easier.
Checkpoint at the end of month 1: about 70% accuracy on untimed practice in every section. If one section is well below that, give it 30 extra minutes a day in month 2.
Month 2: full coverage
| Section | Topics |
|---|---|
| Maths | Profit, loss and discount; simple and compound interest; time and work; time and distance; mensuration |
| Reasoning | Blood relations, directions, ranking, Venn diagrams, mirror images, counting figures, missing numbers |
| GK | Modern history and the freedom struggle, geography, polity, economy, sports, awards; monthly current affairs |
| Language | Idioms, one-word substitution, error spotting, comprehension |
Take one full mock every Saturday and spend at least 30 minutes checking it. Keep a notebook of every question you got wrong, with the correct method or fact. The mock test guide shows a simple way to do this.
Checkpoint at the end of month 2: every topic on your list has been studied once, and your mock score is higher than on day 1 in at least three sections.
Month 3: mocks and revision
- Two or three full mocks a week, always in 60 minutes with no pauses.
- Revise, don't start new books. Go through your formula sheet, GK notes, vocabulary list and mistake notebook.
- Fix weak topics. Pick the two topics that cost you most in the last three mocks and practise 30 questions of each.
- Previous years' papers. Solve them as full mocks; they show the real level best.
Checkpoint at the end of month 3: your last five mock scores are steady, not jumping up and down, and you finish all 80 questions with a few minutes to review.
A daily routine
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| Early morning (45–60 min) | Running and exercise |
| Morning (2 hours) | Maths, then reasoning |
| Afternoon (1.5 hours) | GK |
| Evening (1 hour) | English or Hindi |
| Night (20 min) | Re-read the day's mistakes |
Keep maths and reasoning for the morning, when your mind is fresh. Take Sunday as a rest day from running and use it to revise the week.
Running alongside study
Build the run slowly. Too much too soon causes shin pain, and an injury can cost you three weeks.
| Month | Men (target 5 km in 24 minutes) | Women (target 1.6 km in 8½ minutes) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Walk–jog, rising to 20–25 minutes of easy running | Walk–jog, rising to 15–20 minutes of easy running |
| 2 | 3–4 km easy runs; one interval session a week | 2–3 km easy runs; one interval session a week |
| 3 | One timed 5 km trial a week; aim under 24 minutes | One timed 1.6 km trial a week; aim under 8 minutes |
The target pace for men is 24 ÷ 5 = 4.8 minutes per km, or 4 minutes 48 seconds. For women it is 8.5 ÷ 1.6 ≈ 5 minutes 19 seconds per km. For full week-by-week schedules, see the 5 km plan for men and the 1.6 km plan for women.
The PET comes after the CBE result, so keep running after the written exam. Do not stop.
If you fall behind
You will lose some days to illness, family events or tiredness. Plan for it.
- Missed one or two days: carry on. Do not try to do double work the next day.
- Missed a week: drop the least important topic of that week (usually one GK area) and keep the mock on Saturday.
- Mock scores not rising after three weeks: you are probably reading more than practising. Cut reading time and do more timed questions.
If you are working
- Study two to three hours on weekdays and five or six on Sundays.
- Run before work, when the day has not yet taken over.
- Stretch the plan to five or six months: month 1 becomes months 1–2, and so on.
Your checklist for this week
- Take a baseline mock and note section-wise scores.
- Time your run (5 km for men, 1.6 km for women).
- Copy the syllabus into a notebook as a tracker.
- Write your daily routine on paper and put it where you can see it.
- Mark every Saturday for the next 12 weeks as a mock day.
A note on dates and numbers. Exam patterns, vacancies and schedules change from year to year. Always confirm the current details in the latest notification on the Staff Selection Commission website .
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