SSC CGL 2025 PYQs

Concept: A perfect cube is $n\times n\times n$; find the one strictly inside 5 to 15.

1. Cubes: $1^3=1$, $2^3=8$, $3^3=27$.
2. Only 8 lies between 5 and 15.
3. So the Bengaluru event is on 8th October.

Trick: Only 1, 8 and 27 are cubes up to 31 – any 'cube date' question has just these three choices.

Answer: (B) 8th October

Concept: Compare part by part: number, words, spelling and PIN code.

1. (B) has 'Pooné' instead of Pune.
2. (C) has House No. 26, not 25.
3. (D) has 'Rod' and PIN 511001.
4. (A) matches every part.

Trick: Check numbers first (house no., PIN) – they eliminate most options in seconds; then scan spellings.

Answer: (A) House No. 25, Block B, MG Road, Pune - 411001

Concept: Terms are squares of consecutive natural numbers.

1. $144={12}^2$, $169={13}^2$, $196={14}^2$, $225={15}^2$.
2. Next term = ${16}^2=256$.

Trick: Differences 25, 27, 29 are consecutive odd numbers – add the next odd number 31: $225+31=256$.

Answer: (A) 256

Concept: Find one rule that fits all three given examples.

1. 10 and 3 give 13; 5 and 3 give 8; 8 and 2 give 10.
2. Each result is simply the sum: a @ b = a + b.
3. 6 @ 5 = 6 + 5 = 11.

Trick: Try +, −, × in that order on the first example and confirm with a second – addition clicks at once here.

Answer: (A) 11

Concept: Each next letter gets a value 2 more than the previous one.

1. I = 19, J = 21, K = 23 (step +2).
2. L = 25, M = 27, N = 29.

Trick: Value = 2 × (alphabet position) + 1: N = 14 → $2\times 14+1=29$.

Answer: (B) 29

Concept: A perfect cube can be written as $n^3$.

1. $343=7\times 7\times 7=7^3$ – a cube.
2. $144={12}^2$, $169={13}^2$, $324={18}^2$ – these are squares, not cubes.

Yaad rakhein: Cubes 1–10: 1, 8, 27, 64, 125, 216, 343, 512, 729, 1000 – learn them by heart.

Answer: (A) 343

Concept: Find the group most words share; the item outside it is the answer.

1. Rose, Tulip, Lily – all flowers.
2. Car is a vehicle, not a flower.

Trick: Name the common group in one word ('flowers'); whatever doesn't fit that word is out.

Answer: (D) Car

Concept: Form a 7-letter word from A, D, E, G, I, N, R and convert it to numbers.

1. The letters make READING.
2. R = 7, E = 3, A = 1, D = 2, I = 5, N = 6, G = 4.
3. Code = 7312564.

Trick: An '-ING' word must end in I-N-G = 5-6-4; only option (C) ends in 564.

Answer: (C) 7312564

Concept: Apply the same letter shifts from the first pair to the second.

1. F(6) → H(8): +2; M(13) → P(16): +3.
2. B(2) + 2 = D(4); G(7) + 3 = J(10).
3. Answer pair: DJ.

Trick: First letter must be B + 2 = D – only option (D) starts with D.

Answer: (D) DJ

Concept: Find how 11 becomes 23 and apply it to 13.

1. $11\times 2+1=23$.
2. $13\times 2+1=27$.

Trick: Both given numbers are odd; $2n+1$ always gives odd – so even options 26, 28, 20 are out at once.

Answer: (D) 27

Concept: A valid action should solve the problem in a practical, reasonable way.

1. I: a counsellor finds the causes of absence – useful and practical, so it follows.
2. II: expelling all absent students is too harsh and harms education – does not follow.

Trick: Extreme words like 'all', 'expel', 'ban' usually signal an action that does not follow.

Answer: (A) Only I follows

Concept: Fix the certain floors first, then test the remaining cases.

1. TCS: odd and non-prime → floor 1. Wipro = 7, so Tata (even, not 6/8) = 2.
2. Zomato/Swiggy: 3/5 or 4/6. If 3/5, floors left are 4, 6, 8 and Netflix–Microsoft cannot be one floor apart away from Wipro – so Zomato = 4, Swiggy = 6.
3. Left: 3, 5, 8 → IBM = 8; Netflix and Microsoft take 3 and 5 in either order.
4. Microsoft may have 3 or 5 floors above it – not fixed.

Trick: When two people can swap places with all clues still true, any question about one of them is 'Cannot be determined'.

Answer: (A) Cannot be determined

Concept: Some A are B + No B is C ⇒ Some A are not C.

1. Books that are pens can never be pencils → 'Some books are not pencils' follows.
2. Pens and pencils are fully separate, so 'All pencils are pens' is false.

Trick: 'Some + No' always gives a 'Some … not' conclusion with the first term as subject.

Answer: (A) Only I follows

Concept: Some A are B + All B are C ⇒ Some A are C.

1. Some readers are learners, and all learners are students → some readers are students (II follows).
2. Teachers sit inside readers, but the learner part of readers may lie outside teachers – I is not certain.

Trick: Draw teachers in one corner of 'readers' and learners in another – if a valid diagram breaks a conclusion, it fails.

Answer: (A) Only II follows

Concept: Look for the feature three items share.

1. Sparrow, eagle, parrot – all can fly.
2. Penguin cannot fly; it swims using its flipper-like wings.

Yaad rakhein: Other flightless birds: ostrich, emu, kiwi, cassowary.

Answer: (C) Penguin

Concept: Each term is 3 times the previous term (powers of 3).

1. 3 → 9 → 27 → 81 (×3 each time).
2. $81\times 3=243=3^5$.

Trick: Terms are $3^1$, $3^2$, $3^3$, $3^4$ – next is $3^5=243$; also only 243 among options is divisible by 3.

Answer: (C) 243

Concept: Convert letters to positions and look at the gaps.

1. M13, N14, P16, S19, W23 → gaps +1, +2, +3, +4.
2. W23 + 5 = 28 → 28 − 26 = 2 = B ✓.
3. B2 + 6 = 8 = H.

Trick: After Z, subtract 26 to wrap around (28 → 2 = B).

Answer: (D) H

Concept: Find the shift at each letter position and repeat it.

1. STOOL → RSPNK: −1, −1, +1, −1, −1.
2. Same shifts on C, H, A, I, R give B, G, B, H, Q.
3. So CHAIR is written BGBHQ.

Trick: Last two letters I−1, R−1 give HQ – only option (A) ends with HQ.

Answer: (A) BGBHQ

Concept: Both letters move one step back each time.

1. First letters: O, N, M → L.
2. Second letters: K, J, I → H.
3. Next pair: LH.

Trick: Gap inside each pair stays 4 (O–K, N–J, M–I); L–H also has gap 4.

Answer: (A) LH

Concept: Each letter is written as its place in the alphabet.

1. SUN = 19 | 21 | 14 → 192114.
2. FUN: F = 6, U = 21, N = 14 → 62114.

Trick: SUN and FUN share 'UN' = 2114, so just put F = 6 in front.

Answer: (A) 62114