SSC Scientific Assistant IMD 2026 Preparation Strategy – 3-Month Study Plan

SSC SA IMD has a single-stage CBT, making it more straightforward than multi-stage exams. Since Part B (Physics/CS) carries 100 marks and is BSc-level, it is the primary scoring opportunity. Part A (100 marks) is at SSC standard level – a known preparation track for most candidates.

Phase 1: Part B Foundation (Month 1)

• Physics candidates: Revise NCERT Physics Class 11 & 12 fully. Then begin H.C. Verma Vol. 1 (Mechanics, Waves, Thermodynamics). Focus: 4 hours Part B daily.
• CS candidates: Revise computer architecture, OS basics (Silberschatz), and C/C++ fundamentals. Begin data structures (arrays, linked lists, stacks).
• Part A (parallel): 1 hour daily on Part A – rotate through GI&R, QA, English, and GK on alternate days.
• Solve 20 Part A MCQs per day from any SSC standard practice book.

Phase 2: Advanced Part B + Part A Intensive (Month 2)

• Physics: Complete H.C. Verma Vol. 2 (Electromagnetism, Optics, Modern Physics). Begin Atmospheric Physics topics (pressure, humidity, lapse rate, weather phenomena).
• CS: Complete networking (Tanenbaum – OSI, TCP/IP, subnetting), databases (SQL queries, normalization), and Boolean algebra / logic gates.
• Part A intensive: Increase to 50 MCQs per day across all 4 sections. Target: 80%+ accuracy in Practice.
• Begin solving SSC SA IMD 2017 and 2022 PYQ papers to calibrate difficulty.

Phase 3: Full Mock Tests (Month 3)

• Take 3 full CBT mock tests per week (200 questions, 2 hours). Time management: allocate 30 minutes for Part A (100 Q) and 60 minutes for Part B (100 Q).
• Target: 140+ out of 200 consistently in mocks before exam.
• Revise Atmospheric Physics / CS Networking from mock analysis weak areas.
• GK: Cover last 6 months of current affairs; focus on Science, IMD/Earth sciences news, government schemes.

Daily Schedule Template