SSC CGL Tier-1 General Awareness Practice Set: 25 Questions with Answers
SSC CGL Tier-1 General Awareness Practice Set: 25 Questions with Answer Key
Answer: This is a free 25-question SSC CGL Tier-1 General Awareness mock test designed exactly on the SSC pattern — 15 static GK questions (60%) covering History, Polity, Geography, Science and Economy, and 10 current affairs questions (40%) covering national and international events, sports, awards and government schemes. A full answer key with one-line revision facts follows the questions, so you can attempt, score, and analyse your performance in under 30 minutes.
- SSC CGL Tier-1 General Awareness Practice Set: 25 Questions with Answers
- Exam Pattern & Weightage: How GA Is Tested in SSC CGL Tier-1
- Practice Set: Questions 1–15 (Static GK — History, Polity, Geography, Science, Economy)
- Practice Set: Questions 16–25 (Current Affairs)
- Answer Key with Brief Explanations
- Topic-wise Performance Analysis
- How This Set Compares to Actual SSC CGL Tier-1 Difficulty
- Relevance for UPSC, Banking, and Other Competitive Exams
- High-Yield Topics for SSC CGL General Awareness 2024–25
- Revision Strategy: How to Attempt This Mock Test Effectively
- Frequently Asked Questions
- How many questions are asked from General Awareness in SSC CGL Tier-1?
- What is the static GK vs current affairs ratio in SSC CGL GA?
- Which current affairs sources are best for SSC CGL?
- Can this practice set help with UPSC or Banking exams?
- How much time should I take to complete this 25-question set?
Exam Pattern & Weightage: How GA Is Tested in SSC CGL Tier-1
The General Awareness (GA) section in SSC CGL Tier-1 is one of the four sections in the Computer Based Examination, alongside General Intelligence & Reasoning, General Awareness, Quantitative Aptitude, and English Comprehension. Key facts you must internalise before attempting this mock:
- Number of questions: 25 questions from General Awareness.
- Marks: 2 marks per question, totalling 50 marks.
- Negative marking: 0.50 marks deducted for every wrong answer — guesswork without elimination is costly.
- Time: The entire Tier-1 paper (100 questions) must be completed in 60 minutes, giving you roughly 15 minutes for GA — though strong aspirants finish in 8–10 minutes.
The GA section divides broadly into static GK (~60%) and current affairs (~40%). Static GK includes Indian History, Polity, Geography, General Science (Physics, Chemistry, Biology), Economics, and Static Awareness (books, dances, festivals, important days). Current affairs typically draws from the last 6–12 months: government schemes, sports events, awards, appointments, summits, and reports. Aspirants should verify the latest notified pattern on the official SSC website (https://ssc.gov.in) before the exam.
Practice Set: Questions 1–15 (Static GK — History, Polity, Geography, Science, Economy)
Attempt these 15 static GK MCQs without looking anything up. Each question carries 2 marks.
Q1. Which of the following Vedas is the oldest?
(a) Samaveda (b) Rigveda (c) Yajurveda (d) Atharvaveda
Q2. The Dandi March of 1930 was associated with which movement?
(a) Non-Cooperation Movement (b) Quit India Movement (c) Civil Disobedience Movement (d) Swadeshi Movement
Q3. Who was the first Governor-General of independent India?
(a) C. Rajagopalachari (b) Lord Mountbatten (c) Lord Wavell (d) Lord Canning
Q4. The concept of a Directive Principles of State Policy in the Indian Constitution has been borrowed from which country?
(a) USA (b) Ireland (c) UK (d) Canada
Q5. Which Article of the Indian Constitution deals with the abolition of untouchability?
(a) Article 14 (b) Article 17 (c) Article 19 (d) Article 21
Q6. The Tropic of Cancer does NOT pass through which of the following Indian states?
(a) Rajasthan (b) Chhattisgarh (c) Uttar Pradesh (d) Mizoram
Q7. Which is the longest river in the world?
(a) Amazon (b) Nile (c) Yangtze (d) Mississippi
Q8. The SI unit of electric current is:
(a) Volt (b) Ohm (c) Ampere (d) Watt
Q9. Which vitamin’s deficiency causes scurvy?
(a) Vitamin A (b) Vitamin B12 (c) Vitamin C (d) Vitamin D
Q10. Which gas is primarily responsible for the greenhouse effect on Earth?
(a) Oxygen (b) Nitrogen (c) Carbon dioxide (d) Hydrogen
Q11. Which of the following is the apex body that regulates the securities market in India?
(a) RBI (b) SEBI (c) IRDAI (d) NABARD
Q12. Repo rate in India is decided by:
(a) Ministry of Finance (b) NITI Aayog (c) Monetary Policy Committee of RBI (d) SEBI
Q13. Who wrote the book ‘Arthashastra’?
(a) Kalidasa (b) Kautilya (Chanakya) (c) Banabhatta (d) Harsha
Q14. The Battle of Plassey was fought in the year:
(a) 1757 (b) 1764 (c) 1761 (d) 1767
Q15. Fundamental Duties were added to the Indian Constitution by which amendment?
(a) 42nd Amendment (b) 44th Amendment (c) 73rd Amendment (d) 86th Amendment
Practice Set: Questions 16–25 (Current Affairs)
These 10 questions cover recent current affairs themes — national events, international developments, sports, awards, and government schemes — of the type repeatedly seen in SSC CGL papers across recent cycles. Note: always cross-check current affairs against trusted sources such as PIB (Press Information Bureau) and The Hindu for the latest exam cycle.
Q16. Which country hosted the G20 Leaders’ Summit in 2023?
(a) Indonesia (b) India (c) Italy (d) Brazil
Q17. Chandrayaan-3, launched by ISRO, achieved a soft landing near which region of the Moon?
(a) North Pole (b) South Pole (c) Equatorial region (d) Far side
Q18. The Padma Vibhushan is which position in the order of precedence of Indian civilian awards?
(a) First (b) Second (c) Third (d) Fourth
Q19. The ‘PM Vishwakarma’ scheme is associated with support for:
(a) Farmers (b) Traditional artisans and craftspeople (c) Startups (d) Fishermen
Q20. Who became the first Indian to win the Japan Open badminton women’s singles title (July 2026)?
(a) Saina Nehwal (b) PV Sindhu (c) Lakshya Sen (d) Kidambi Srikanth
Q21. The ‘Bharat Atta’ initiative is related to the sale of wheat flour at:
(a) Export markets (b) Subsidised prices (c) Premium prices (d) Free of cost
Q22. The Asian Games 2026, opening on 19 September, are hosted at:
(a) Doha, Qatar (b) Hangzhou, China (c) Aichi-Nagoya, Japan (d) Bangkok, Thailand
Q23. Which country chairs BRICS after India, per the New Delhi Declaration (September 2026)?
(a) Brazil (b) Russia (c) China (d) South Africa
Q24. The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) aims to:
(a) Provide digital health IDs and integrate healthcare records (b) Digitise land records (c) Provide direct cash transfers to farmers (d) Digitise school education
Q25. Which Indian became the first woman to be appointed as an officer on a frontline warship of the Indian Navy under a new progressive posting policy?
(a) Sub Lieutenant Riti Singh (b) Sub Lieutenant Kumudini Tyagi (c) Both (a) and (b) (d) None of the above
Answer Key with Brief Explanations
| Q. No. | Correct Answer | One-Line Fact for Revision |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | (b) Rigveda | Rigveda is the oldest Veda, composed roughly 1500–1200 BCE. |
| 2 | (c) Civil Disobedience Movement | Gandhi marched 240 miles from Sabarmati to Dandi to break the salt law. |
| 3 | (b) Lord Mountbatten | C. Rajagopalachari was the first and last Indian Governor-General. |
| 4 | (b) Ireland | DPSPs were inspired by the Irish Constitution; Fundamental Rights came from the USA. |
| 5 | (b) Article 17 | Article 17 abolishes untouchability; Article 15 prohibits discrimination. |
| 6 | (c) Uttar Pradesh | The Tropic of Cancer passes through 8 states — UP is not among them. |
| 7 | (b) Nile | The Nile (~6,650 km) is conventionally the longest; the Amazon is the largest by volume. |
| 8 | (c) Ampere | Ampere measures current; volt measures potential difference. |
| 9 | (c) Vitamin C | Scurvy results from Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) deficiency. |
| 10 | (c) Carbon dioxide | CO₂ is the primary anthropogenic greenhouse gas; methane is more potent per unit. |
| 11 | (b) SEBI | SEBI, established in 1988 (statutory in 1992), regulates India’s securities market. |
| 12 | (c) Monetary Policy Committee of RBI | The 6-member MPC, led by the RBI Governor, sets the repo rate. |
| 13 | (b) Kautilya (Chanakya) | Arthashastra is an ancient treatise on statecraft and economics. |
| 14 | (a) 1757 | Plassey (1757) established British dominance; Buxar followed in 1764. |
| 15 | (a) 42nd Amendment | Fundamental Duties (Article 51A) were added on SWaran Singh Committee recommendation in 1976. |
| 16 | (b) India | India hosted the G20 Summit in New Delhi (September 2023); Brazil takes over in 2024. |
| 17 | (b) South Pole | Vikram lander touched down near the lunar south pole on 23 August 2023 — now celebrated as National Space Day. |
| 18 | (b) Second | Bharat Ratna is first; Padma Vibhushan is the second-highest civilian award. |
| 19 | (b) Traditional artisans and craftspeople | PM Vishwakarma offers credit, skill training, and toolkit support to 18 traditional trades. |
| 20 | (b) PV Sindhu | Sindhu beat Akane Yamaguchi 21-17, 21-17 to become the first Indian Japan Open champion; she also won the Singapore Open 2026. |
| 21 | (b) Subsidised prices | Bharat Atta was sold at subsidised rates through cooperatives like NAFED and NCCF. |
| 22 | (c) Aichi-Nagoya | The Asian Games 2026 run 19 September–4 October 2026 at Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. |
| 23 | (c) China | New Delhi Declaration para 140: China takes the 2027 BRICS chairship and hosts the XIX Summit. |
| 24 | (a) Digital health IDs and integrated records | ABDM creates ABHA health IDs for interoperable digital health records. |
| 25 | (c) Both (a) and (b) | Sub Lieutenants Riti Singh and Kumudini Tyagi became the first women airborne tacticians on Navy warships. |
Topic-wise Performance Analysis
Score yourself honestly: 2 marks per correct answer, minus 0.50 per wrong answer. Then map your errors to subjects:
- History (Q1, 2, 3, 13, 14): If you lost 3+ marks here, revisit Modern Indian History and Ancient Vedic literature — these are the highest-frequency history areas.
- Polity (Q4, 5, 15): Errors indicate weak constitutional fundamentals — revise amendments, Articles, and borrowed features.
- Geography (Q6, 7): Mapwork and river systems are repeat offenders; practise the Tropic of Cancer states and world rivers monthly.
- Science (Q8, 9, 10): NCERT Class 6–10 basics cover 90% of asked science questions.
- Economy (Q11, 12): Know all regulators and the MPC’s monetary policy framework.
- Current Affairs (Q16–25): Below 12/20 means your monthly current affairs revision cycle is too slow — tighten it to fortnightly.
How This Set Compares to Actual SSC CGL Tier-1 Difficulty
This set is calibrated to moderate difficulty, mirroring recent SSC CGL Tier-1 shifts (2022–2024). In actual papers, roughly 17–20 of 25 GA questions are answerable from standard preparation, 3–5 are tricky or obscure, and 1–2 are genuinely uncertain. A fair benchmark:
- 36–44 marks (18–22 correct): Excellent — GA becomes your rank-booster section.
- 28–34 marks: Competitive; consistent with the GA portion needed for safe overall Tier-1 cutoffs, which have historically ranged between ~140–160 for general category UR posts (varies by year and post).
- Below 24 marks: GA is likely dragging your overall score; commit to daily 30-minute GK slots.
Because of 0.50 negative marking, the optimal attempt range for most aspirants is 20–23 questions, using elimination on uncertain ones.
Relevance for UPSC, Banking, and Other Competitive Exams
The overlap across exams is significant, making this set multi-purpose:
- UPSC Prelims: Polity questions (Articles, DPSP sources, amendments) and economy questions (regulators, monetary policy) map directly to the UPSC Prelims GS Paper-I syllabus. Current affairs items like Chandrayaan-3 and COP28 have appeared in UPSC-style framing too.
- Banking (IBPS/SBI PO & Clerk): The banking GA section emphasises schemes, RBI policy, and appointments — Q11, 12, 19, 21, and 24 fit perfectly.
- CLAT and other law exams: Static GK and current affairs carry direct weight in CLAT’s GK section; the awards and international relations questions here are ideal revision material.
- Other SSC exams (CHSL, MTS, CPO): Nearly identical GA patterns apply, so this set doubles as revision for those too.
High-Yield Topics for SSC CGL General Awareness 2024–25
Based on repeated patterns in recent shifts, prioritise these static topics:
- Modern Indian History: freedom struggle movements, governors-general/viceroys, battles (Plassey, Buxar)
- Ancient India: Vedas, Buddhist and Jain councils, Mauryan and Gupta administration
- Polity: Fundamental Rights and Duties, DPSP, key Articles, constitutional amendments, borrowed features
- Geography: rivers and their tributaries, national parks, passes, Tropic of Cancer states, world capitals
- General Science: human physiology, vitamins and deficiency diseases, SI units, acids-bases, common chemical names
- Economy: RBI and monetary policy, regulators (SEBI, IRDAI), budget basics, GDP/inflation definitions
Current affairs themes to prioritise for 2024–25: government schemes (PM Vishwakarma, Ayushman Bharat, PMAY), space missions (ISRO launches), sports events (Olympics, ICC tournaments), major awards (Padma, Nobel, Bharat Ratna), international summits (G20, COP), and key appointments.
Revision Strategy: How to Attempt This Mock Test Effectively
- Simulate exam pace: Set a timer for 8–10 minutes for all 25 questions. In the real Tier-1 paper, you have ~15 minutes per section, but finishing GA early frees time for Quant.
- Apply elimination: Mark questions you can narrow to two options; skip blind guesses entirely — the 0.50 negative marking punishes them.
- Maintain an error log: After the test, record every wrong or skipped question in a notebook or spreadsheet with the fact tested. This becomes your personal revision sheet and typically covers 60–70% of repeat topics.
- Revise at spaced intervals: Re-attempt this set after 7 days, then after 21 days. Current affairs questions should be refreshed with monthly compilations from the last 6–12 months.
- Follow authoritative sources: For ongoing preparation, rely on PIB releases, official SSC notifications, and NCERT textbooks for static grounding.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many questions are asked from General Awareness in SSC CGL Tier-1?
SSC CGL Tier-1 contains 25 General Awareness questions worth 50 marks (2 marks each), with negative marking of 0.50 marks per wrong answer.
What is the static GK vs current affairs ratio in SSC CGL GA?
The split is roughly 60:40 in favour of static GK. This practice set mirrors it exactly — 15 static questions and 10 current affairs questions.
Which current affairs sources are best for SSC CGL?
The last 6–12 months of PIB summaries, government schemes, national and international awards, sports events, and important appointments cover most of what SSC asks.
Can this practice set help with UPSC or Banking exams?
Yes. The polity, economy, and current affairs questions here overlap substantially with UPSC Prelims GS Paper-I and the General Awareness sections of banking exams like IBPS and SBI PO.
How much time should I take to complete this 25-question set?
Aim for 8–10 minutes to simulate real exam pace, then spend about 15 minutes reviewing the answer key and logging your mistakes for revision.
Quick revision
- Number of questions: 25 questions from General Awareness.
- Marks: 2 marks per question, totalling 50 marks.
- Negative marking: 0.50 marks deducted for every wrong answer — guesswork without elimination is costly.
- Time: The entire Tier-1 paper (100 questions) must be completed in 60 minutes, giving you roughly 15 minutes for GA — though strong aspirants finish in…
- History (Q1, 2, 3, 13, 14): If you lost 3+ marks here, revisit Modern Indian History and Ancient Vedic literature — these are the highest-frequency history areas.
- Polity (Q4, 5, 15): Errors indicate weak constitutional fundamentals — revise amendments, Articles, and borrowed features.
Have a doubt on this topic?
