CGGE Exam

What is CGGE Exam?

Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts a Combined Geo-Scientist and Geologist Examination (CGGE) for recruitment and selection to the post of Geologist, Geophysicist and Chemist Group 'A' in GSI and Junior Hydro-geologist (Scientist 'B'), Group 'A' for Central Ground Water Board.

Every year, the Commission releases the Combined Geo-Scientist and Geologist Examination notification in September to shortlist the candidates for the posts. The selection will be based on a competitive examination. Their admission at all the stages of the examination will be purely provisional subject to satisfying the prescribed eligibility conditions.

Candidates who want to apply online for this entrance exam will have to check all the required details available on our website and the notification released by the official website.

The examination shall be conducted according to the norms and conditions of the UPSC. Candidates competing for selection to the particular posts of Combined Geo-Scientist and Geologist Examination will be required to appear in all the subjects mentioned against the respective category.

Aspirants should note that UPSC has revised scheme, pattern and syllabus of the Combined Geo-Scientist and Geologist Examination from 2020, onwards. The CGGE examination will be held in three stages - Preliminary, Main and Personality Test. To know more take a look at the exam pattern on our website.

Combined Geo-Scientist And Geologist Exam Highlights 

UPSC CGGE 2020

The UPSC has released the dates of CGGE 2020. According to the UPSC calendar 2020, the CGGE Stage-I will take place on January 19, 2020. The Stage-II will be held from June 27 to 28, 2020. 

Combined Geo-Scientist And Geologist Notification 2020

The UPSC has released the Combined Geo-Scientist And Geologist Exam (CGGE) notification on September 25, 2019. Candidates who are aiming for the CGGE can register online until October 15, 2019. Aspirants should explore the official notification to check the total number of vacancies.

Click here to download CGGE notification 2020

Combined Geo-Scientist And Geologist Number Of Vacancies 2020

Annually, the UPSC releases the CGGE notification for shortlisting the candidates to the posts in the Geological Survey of India under the Ministry of Mines and the Central Ground Water Board under the Ministry of Water Resources. The total number of vacancies released for CGGE 2020 are given below. 

Candidates have to note that the above vacancies also include the reservation for Persons with Benchmark Disability. The above numbers of vacancies are liable to alteration. Reservation will be provided to candidates belonging to SC, ST, OBC, EBC and PWD based on the vacancies as may be fixed by the Government. 

Combined Geo-Scientist And Geologist Examination Application Form 2020

Interested candidates can register online for the UPSC CGGE exam through the official website. The online application window will be activated from September 25 to October 15, 2019. Candidates are advised to refer the CGGE application form page for complete information. 

• Visit the UPSC's website – www.upsc.gov.in 
• Go to online applications for various examinations of UPSC
• Find the CGGE application link
• Start filling-up all the application details
• Upload the scanned photograph and signature
• Pay the application fee 
• Submit the application details 
• Download the CGGE application form and take a printout of the same for future reference. 

Combined Geo-Scientist Application Fee 

Candidates should pay the prescribed application fee to complete the application process. The application form is not successful without payment. However, the fee is relaxed for certain categories. 

• No application fee for Female/SC/ST/Persons with Benchmark Disability candidates 
• Rs 200 for all others

Combined Geo-Scientist And Geologist Exam Pattern 

The CGGE exam pattern along with syllabus got changed for the examination from this year. The selection of the candidates will be based on three stages. We have described the detailed CGGE exam pattern for Preliminary and Main in this page. 

Combined Geo-Scientist Examination will be conducted in three stages as follows:

1. Stage I: Preliminary Examination
2. Stage II: Main Examination
3. Stage III: Personality Test

The Preliminary examination will screen the aspirants for taking the Main examination. It will be a Computer Based Examination and consists of objective type questions having two papers. Marks secured in this examination will be counted for deciding the final merit. General English Paper will be discontinued. Candidates can know more about the Combined Geo-Scientist exam pattern and revised scheme here. 

Eligibility Criteria

1. Nationality:

   A candidate must be either:

   (a) a Citizen of India, or
   (b) a subject of Nepal, or
   (c) a subject of Bhutan, or
   (d) a Tibetan refugee who came over to India before January 1, 1962, with the intention of permanently settling in India, or
   (e) a person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka or East African Countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, and Ethiopia or from Vietnam with the intention of permanently settling in India.

   Note:

   • Provided that a candidate belonging to categories (b), (c), (d) and (e) above shall be a person in whose favor a certificate of eligibility has been issued by the Government of India
   • A candidate in whose case a certificate of eligibility is necessary may be admitted to the examination but the offer of appointment may be given only after the necessary eligibility certificate has been issued to him/her by the Government of India

2. Educational Qualification:

   1. For Geologists Gr 'A' in Geological Survey of India: Candidates should have obtained Master’s degree in Geological Science or Geology or Applied Geology or Geo-Exploration or Mineral Exploration or Engineering Geology or Earth Science and Resource Management or Marine Geology or Oceanography and Geochemistry or Geological Technology or Coastal Area Studies or Petroleum Geosciences or Petroleum Exploration or Geophysical Technology from a recognized university.
   
   2. For Geophysicists Gr 'A' in Geological Survey of India: Candidates should have obtained M.Sc. in Physics or Applied Physics or M.Sc. (Geophysics) or Integrated M.Sc. (Exploration Geophysics) or M.Sc (Applied Geophysics) or M.Sc. (Marine Geophysics) Or M.Sc. (Tech.) (Applied Geophysics) from a recognized university.
   
   3. For Chemists Group ‘A‘: in Geological Survey of India: Candidates should hold M.Sc. in Chemistry or Applied Chemistry or Analytical Chemistry from a recognized university.
   
   4. For Junior Hydrogeologists (Scientist B), Group 'A' in Central Ground Water Board: Master’s degree in Geology or Applied Geology or Marine Geology from a recognized university.
   
   Note:

   • The candidates possessing common qualifications in (i) (a) & (ii) (a) can apply for both the categories
   • The candidates who will be eligible but who has taken a degree from a foreign university recognized by the government may also apply to the Commission and may be admitted to the examination

3. Age Limit :

   The candidates for this examination must have attained the age criteria as prescribed below:
   
   (a) For Geologist and Geophysicist and Chemist (Group 'A') in the Geological Survey of India, an attached office of Ministry of Mines, Government of India: The candidates must have attained the age of 21 years and must not have attained the age of 32 years as on January 1, 2020, i.e. he/she must have been born not earlier than January 2, 1988, and not later than January 1, 1998.
   
   (b) For Jr. Hydrogeologist (Scientist B) (Group A) in Central Ground Water Board, Ministry of Water Resources: The candidates must have attained the age of 21 years and must not have attained at the age of 35 years as on January 1, 2019, i.e. he/she must have been born not later than January 2, 1984, and not later than January 1, 1999.
   
   Note:
   
   There is age relaxation of five years for ex-servicemen category candidates and Scheduled Caste/Scheduled tribal. For OBC category, it is three years while for deaf-mute, blind and orthopedically disabled category applicants, it is 10 years.

Roles and Responsibilities

Geo-Scientists and Geologists typically do the following:

• Geoscientists often supervise the work of technicians and coordinate work with other scientists, both in the field and in the lab
• Their main aims are to plan and conduct the field studies, in which they visit locations to collect samples and conduct surveys
• Analyze aerial photographs, detailed records of geologic formations found during drilling, rock samples, and other data sources to locate natural resource deposits and estimate their size
• Make geologic maps and charts
• Prepare written scientific reports
• Present their findings to clients, colleagues, and other interested parties
• Review reports and research are done by other scientists
• Geologists study the materials, processes, and history of the Earth. They investigate how rocks were formed and what has happened to them since their formation. There are sub-groups of geologists as well, such as stratigraphers, who study stratified rock, and mineralogists, who study the structure and composition of minerals

Combined Geo-Scientist And Geologist Test Centres 

The competitive examination will be conducted by the Union Public Service Commission for the recruitment to the posts for a total of three days. The examination will be held at 19 test centres across the country. Aspirants have to note that test centres and the dates of holding the examination are liable to be changed at the discretion of the Commission. 

Combined Geo-Scientist And Geologist Examination Admit Card 2020

The Commission releases the CGGE admit card for Preliminary and Main Exam at least three weeks before the exam date. To download the CGGE admit card 2020, candidates need to enter their roll number and other details. After downloading the CGGE admit card, aspirants should take a printout of the admit card and carry the same to the examination centre.

Note: Candidates cannot appear for the examination without a valid CGGE admit card along with other supporting documents.

CGGE Syllabus 

The Commission has revised the entire Combined Geo-Scientist And Geologist Examination syllabus. The revised syllabus along with exam pattern will be effective from 2020 onwards. The selection will be based on the Preliminary and Main Exam. 

CGGE Preliminary Syllabus: It consists of two papers. The General Studies paper is common for all streams. The GS syllabus in CGGE is similar to IAS Preliminary General Studies Paper-I. While Paper-II is specific about the stream. 

CGGE Main Examination Syllabus: The Main Exam is a descriptive paper and comprises of three papers. Candidates have to appear for the Main Exam based on the stream. There is no common paper in Main Exam. 

Note: Candidates who qualify in the Main Exam are called for the Personality Test.