You sit with the question paper. You read an MCQ. And you don’t know the answer.
What do you do next? Panic? Guess blindly? Skip? Solving SSC CGL MCQs using elimination.
If you’ve been through enough mocks—or followed enough SSC toppers—you’ll know that most of them don’t always know the exact answer to every question. But they do know how to eliminate what’s definitely wrong, narrow it down, and then play the odds smartly.
1. Start by Flipping the Goal
Instead of asking, “Which one is correct?”, ask, “Which ones are definitely not?”
It shifts the mental burden instantly. You no longer feel the pressure to know—it’s enough to spot what doesn’t make sense. And SSC CGL papers are full of options added just to confuse. Your job is to clear the fog.
Let’s say the question is from History and you’re clueless about the answer. If two of the four options are from an entirely different era or don’t match the context of the question, strike them out. Now you’re already down to a 50-50.
That’s not guesswork. That’s precision narrowing.
2. English: Let Grammar Do the Job
You may not remember every rule, but SSC English loves inserting “slightly wrong” grammar options to trip you.
Take this sentence:
Choose the grammatically incorrect option:
(A) He has been working since morning.
(B) She did not went to the class.
(C) They are arriving soon.
(D) I will meet you tomorrow.
Even if you didn’t revise verb rules this week, your eye instantly catches (B). “Did not went” just feels off.
This is exactly how most students keep scoring consistently in English—even when they don’t know the textbook rule. That’s the trick to solving SSC CGL MCQs efficiently: recognize the obvious error and strike it.
3. Reasoning: Options Talk If You Listen
In reasoning MCQs, the answer is usually hiding in the structure. You often don’t need to “solve” it if you just pay attention.
Take this example:
Which option doesn’t belong to the group?
(A) 64
(B) 100
(C) 125
(D) 81
You see:
- 64 = 4³
- 100 = not a perfect cube
- 125 = 5³
- 81 = not a cube
Two are cubes, two aren’t. But only 100 stands out for being both not a cube and not related to others numerically. Even if you’re unsure, that logic helps you eliminate effectively.
This method of solving SSC CGL MCQs is how you stay accurate even under pressure.
4. In Quant, Look at Options Before Solving
If the question asks you something like:
What is the square root of 5776?
And the options are:
(A) 74
(B) 76
(C) 78
(D) 80
Don’t start calculating from scratch. Estimate.
74² = 5476
76² = 5776 → Bang on.
This is direct solving through the options. Not knowing the answer but reaching it by testing the logic against the choices. Again, a real tactic used by toppers.
5. For General Awareness, Remove the Outlier
Let’s say you’re asked:
Which of the following is related to the Fundamental Rights?
(A) Article 14
(B) Article 19
(C) Article 21
(D) Article 370
Even if you don’t remember everything, you do remember that Article 370 is about Jammu & Kashmir. That stands out. Eliminate it. The other three are core fundamental rights. That narrows your work, even if you weren’t fully sure.
This form of elimination is subtle, but it adds up when you’re solving SSC CGL MCQs rapidly.
6. Trust Logic More Than Memory
The more you train your brain to eliminate, the less you’ll depend on perfect recall.
Here’s a bitter truth: You won’t remember everything. But you don’t have to. SSC MCQs are designed in a way that partial knowledge, combined with smart thinking, beats cramming.
This is especially true in the last 15–20 questions in mocks where the pressure peaks.
Final Thoughts
Solving SSC CGL MCQs without knowing the answer isn’t luck—it’s logic under pressure. The elimination strategy isn’t a backup plan. For many toppers, it’s the primary weapon in mocks and real exams.
So next time you’re in doubt, don’t freeze. Breathe. Start crossing out what doesn’t belong. Even if you don’t land the answer, you’ll often be left with a 50-50—and that’s far better than a blind guess.
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SSC CGL Options Trap: How to Not Get Tricked by Similar Choices