All about competitive examination: CGST officer sheds light on Combined Graduate Level (CGL) exam

DIMAPUR — Repeated failure was a hard pill to swallow but perseverance paid off for Vicaleto A Yhokha, Inspector, Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST).

The unsuccessful attempt in the UPSC and NPSC examinations didn’t stop the 33-year-old officer, who is currently posted in Dimapur, from looking for other prospects. He started writing Staff Selection Commission (SSC) Combined Graduate Level (CGL) and Combined Higher Secondary Level (CHSL) examinations, managing to reach the final stage of the CGL 2017 in his first attempt. Though not selected, the experience motivated him to put in more effort in the exam. And he got through in the second attempt.

Yhokha credited his success to his father, for giving him and his siblings the freedom to choose their paths, with the sole condition that they should be the best versions of themselves. He studied in Nagaland till intermediate, before completing bachelor’s degree in Engineering from Malnad College of Engineering in Hassan, Karnataka. He got admission in IIM Kashipur for a degree in MBA, but fate seemed to have something different in store for him. In his free time, he enjoys watching and playing football as well as exploring new places.

In an exclusive interview with Eastern Mirror, Yhokha shares about CGL exam, study tips, challenges, and more, which will give students and aspirants a better insight in the exam and the profession.

Can you share us your experience while preparing for SSC CGL examination and how you cleared it?

Initially, like most aspirants, my main target was UPSC and NPSC exams. I started attempting in 2016 and sat for both exams thrice but I was unable to even clear the prelims. It was a very hard pill to swallow when I had to accept that I just did not have the ability to clear those exams.

My younger sister, who was also appearing for the same exams during this period, introduced me to SSC CGL and CHSL exams. To be very frank, I did not prepare much in my first attempt in 2017 because the examination dates for SSC and NPSC/UPSC were normally always very close. But since I was comfortable with the subject matter, I managed to reach the final stage even though I was eventually not selected.

Through this experience, I put in a lot more effort for CGL 2018, and by God’s grace, I managed to secure a Group C post of Accountant under the Controller General of Accounts. Subsequently, I was posted in Shillong for a year.

My selection as an Inspector was through CGL 2019. Fortunately, I achieved a decent score, and as a result, I was fairly confident that I could get the post I wanted.

What are the most challenging sections of the SSC CGL exam for you?

Mathematics – Not just relearning the concepts but being able to solve the questions in a very limited time frame. 80% of the questions are easy to moderate level but it requires a lot of hard work to jump from solving a question in 4-5 minutes to solving it in a matter of seconds.

General awareness – syllabus is too vast for the amount of marks involved. Most candidates that I have come across keep this section as a bonus round.

Did you have any specific strategies for each tier of the SSC CGL exam?

Questions in SSC are very repetitive. As in, not the exact questions but similar questions with different figures. This is why revision is so important because it enables a candidate to directly start solving the question without wasting time in trying to figure out how to solve it.

The biggest myth I have heard about SSC and banking exams is that mathematics is all about shortcuts. While shortcut methods are useful, it is very question-specific. If the question is altered even a little bit, that method becomes redundant. So, I would advise the aspirants to study the basics instead of trying to take the easy route.

What study materials and resources did you find most helpful during your preparation?

There is a lot of free content on YouTube. Personally, I found it more useful than online classes because you can go about it at your own pace. One channel I found particularly helpful during my preparation was “RBE – Revolution by Education”. Other than that, the best source of preparation is to refer to previous years’ questions.

Online mock tests are a very important tool in cracking the exam. I used the test series available on www.testbook.com during my preparation. Ideally, a candidate should be giving mock tests on a weekly basis and increase that frequency to a daily basis a week or two before the exam.

Could you provide insights into your current job, especially for students who may want to know the practical aspects? 

Without getting into the technicalities of the department, the role of an Inspector can be divided into two aspects – desk job and field work. This will entirely depend on the section you are posted in. I am currently posted in a section where it involves a lot of field work. So a typical day for me would be to analyse the GST data of taxpayers, observe any discrepancies, inform the taxpayer or physically verify the business premises if necessary, record their statement, etc.

Can you share us career growth prospects for an Inspector in the Central Goods and Services Tax department?

Promotion aspects are a little slower in the Northeast zone compared to other zones or commissionerates for Group B officers even though it has been gradually improving over the years. But the normal career progression in this department for my post is Inspector, Superintendent, Assistant Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner, and so on.

What are your thoughts on the perception that there is an inherent fear of mathematics among Naga aspirants?

The difficulty level of mathematics in this exam is only up to 10th standard. So, I think it is more a case of people being misguided and daunted by the task before they even start their own preparation.

Are there any particular challenges or aspects of the job that aspirants should be aware of?

It depends entirely on the individual. For me, personally, being a central government employee, I would say place of posting is the most challenging aspect of the job. Especially if an officer is put in the Customs Division, he/she may be posted to border or sensitive areas.

Do you have any advice or tips for someone aspiring to work in the CGST?

With respect to the examination process, the good thing about SSC is that there is not much variation in the final cut offs for different jobs. So, let’s say the cut off for Inspector, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs was 300/390 this year. You directly have a target score to aim for in the following year. Marks may deviate +/-10 depending on general performance but it more or less stays the same.

RAPID INSIGHTS

If you could be an Arsenal FC player for a day, who would you choose?

Probably Bukayo Saka because he scores a lot of goals. Just scoring a goal and running down the pitch to celebrate with thousands of fans in complete pandemonium (laughs).

Wish list?

Make my loved ones proud and watch an Arsenal game at the Emirates Stadium in London.

Place of comfort

Home. With my parents and my three sisters

Also read: Navigating NPSC exam: The pursuit of civil services and community betterment with Imkongnukla