Below is the detailed syllabus for all four Tier 1 sections. Tier 2 Paper 1 covers the same subjects in greater depth, so your preparation serves both stages at once.
1. General Intelligence & Reasoning
Nothing here has to be memorised — it is pure logic. With enough practice this becomes the highest-scoring section of the paper.
- Analogy and Classification (odd one out)
- Series — number, alphabet and figure
- Coding-Decoding
- Blood Relations
- Direction Sense
- Seating Arrangement — linear and circular
- Syllogism
- Statement & Conclusion / Assumption
- Ranking and Order
- Venn Diagram
- Mathematical Operations
- Word Formation, Matrix, Missing Number
- Non-verbal — Mirror & Water Image, Paper Folding & Cutting, Embedded Figures, Cube & Dice, Figure Series
2. General Awareness
This is the fastest section — 25 questions can be finished in 8 to 10 minutes if you know the material. It rewards recall, not reasoning.
- History — Ancient, Medieval and Modern India; the freedom struggle
- Geography — India and the world; rivers, mountains, soils, crops, climate
- Polity — Constitution, fundamental rights, Parliament, judiciary, constitutional bodies
- Economics — Basic concepts, budget, banking, government schemes
- General Science — Physics, Chemistry and Biology up to Class 10 level
- Static GK — Awards, books and authors, sports, dances, festivals, headquarters of organisations
- Current Affairs — National and international events of the last 6 to 8 months
3. Quantitative Aptitude
The most time-consuming section. Knowing the formulas matters less than calculation speed.
- Arithmetic — Percentage, Profit & Loss, Discount, Simple & Compound Interest, Ratio & Proportion, Average, Partnership, Mixture & Alligation, Time & Work, Pipes & Cisterns, Time-Speed-Distance, Boats & Streams, Problems on Ages, Problems on Trains
- Algebra — Linear equations, Quadratic equations, Algebraic identities, Surds & Indices
- Geometry — Lines & Angles, Triangles, Circles, Quadrilaterals, Polygons, Coordinate Geometry
- Mensuration — 2D and 3D: area, perimeter, volume, surface area
- Trigonometry — Ratios, Identities, Heights & Distances
- Data Interpretation — Bar graph, Pie chart, Line graph, Table
- Number System, HCF & LCM, Simplification, Approximation
4. English Comprehension
This section needs both grammar rules and vocabulary. Daily reading improves it faster than anything else.
- Reading Comprehension
- Spotting Errors and Sentence Improvement
- Fill in the Blanks
- Synonyms and Antonyms
- Spelling correction
- Idioms & Phrases
- One Word Substitution
- Active and Passive Voice
- Direct and Indirect Speech
- Para Jumbles
- Cloze Test
What is different in Tier 2
Tier 2 Paper 1 covers the same subjects in greater depth and at greater length, and adds Computer Knowledge (hardware, software, MS Office, internet, networking and basic cyber security) along with a Data Entry Speed Test.
Paper 2 (Statistics) and Paper 3 (Finance & Economics) apply only to the relevant posts.
