SSC CGL 2025 PYQs

Concept: Simple present passive: is/am/are + V3; object becomes subject.

1. Object 'this method' → subject.
2. 'consider' → 'is considered'.
3. 'This method is considered highly effective in research by academics.'

Trick: Check the subject first: passive must start with the object ('This method') – (b) and (d) are out; (c) has 'is considers' – wrong.

Answer: (A) This method is considered highly effective in research by academics.

Concept: Homonym = same word, different meaning.

1. In the given sentence, tau is a letter/symbol drawn on a text.
2. (a), (c), (d) use tau as a letter or written sign – same meaning.
3. (b) uses tau as a physical quantity in rotational mechanics (torque) – a different meaning.

Trick: Find the odd sense: three options are 'a mark you can draw', only one is 'a value you calculate'.

Answer: (B) The scientist calculated the value of tau in rotational mechanics.

Concept: Passive 'might have been + V3' ⇒ active 'might have + V3'.

1. No doer given ⇒ use 'someone'.
2. 'might have been smuggled' → 'might have smuggled'.
3. 'Someone might have smuggled the stolen artwork out of the country.'

Trick: Modal is always followed by the base form – 'might has' (b) is wrong at sight.

Answer: (D) Someone might have smuggled the stolen artwork out of the country.

Concept: Clear = easy to understand, lucid.

1. Perspicuous = clearly expressed, easily understood – synonym.
2. Confused, muddled = opposite; precarious = risky/unstable.

Trick: Two options (confused, muddled) are antonyms – eliminate them first.

Answer: (B) Perspicuous

Concept: Plentiful = present in large amounts.

1. Exiguous = very small in amount, scanty – opposite.
2. Abundant, ample, bountiful all mean plentiful (synonyms).

Trick: When three options mean the same thing, the remaining odd word is the antonym.

Answer: (B) Exiguous

Concept: Yeoman service = excellent, loyal and very useful work.

1. He gave the team valuable, dependable help.
2. Not trivial, dishonest or foolish – all other options are negative.

Yaad rakhein: Yeomen were English small landholders famed as loyal foot soldiers – hence 'faithful service'.

Answer: (D) An exceptionally loyal and useful service

Concept: Use the proper compound adjective/adverbial form.

1. 'bare head' is a noun phrase; we need a descriptor of the man.
2. 'bare headed' (bareheaded) = without a hat or covering.
3. 'bearshead', 'bareheadly' are not words; 'with naked head' is unidiomatic.

Yaad rakhein: Similar forms: barefoot, bare-handed, bareheaded – no '-ly' added.

Answer: (B) bare headed

Concept: The reason after 'criticise/blame/praise' takes 'for'.

1. Correct: 'criticised for making false promises'.
2. 'on', 'of', 'with' don't collocate with criticise.

Yaad rakhein: Accused of, charged with, but criticised/blamed/praised for.

Answer: (B) for making false promises

Concept: 'advised … to + verb' in indirect speech becomes an imperative in direct speech.

1. 'to work on the project carefully' → imperative 'Work carefully on the project'.
2. Keep the reporting verb 'advised' to retain the sense of advice.
3. (b) adds 'should', (c) uses 'They must' (wrong pronoun/mood), (d) turns advice into a plain statement with 'said'.

Trick: Indirect 'advised/ordered/requested … to' ⇒ direct speech starts with the bare verb (Work, Go, Please…).

Answer: (A) 'Work carefully on the project,' the manager advised.

Concept: In indirect speech, past perfect remains past perfect.

1. Reporting verb 'said' is past ⇒ backshift, but past perfect cannot shift further.
2. 'I' → 'he'.
3. 'He said he had never seen such a beautiful painting before.'

Trick: Backshift ladder: present → past → past perfect → (stops). Already at the bottom, so no change.

Answer: (A) He said he had never seen such a beautiful painting before.

Concept: Correct spelling: RE-SUR-REC-TION (single s, double r).

1. Resurrection = bringing back to life / restoring – fits the restoration of an old manuscript.
2. (B) doubles the e, (C) ends in -sion with single r, (D) has -racction – all wrong.

Trick: Think 'RE + SURRECT': re (again) + surgere (rise) – the double r comes from 'sur + r'.

Answer: (A) resurrection

Concept: Match the definition with the exact field of study.

1. Archaeology = study of past/ancient human societies through excavated remains.
2. Sociology = present-day society; Anthropology = humans and cultures in general; Paleontology = fossils of ancient life forms.

Trick: 'Archae-' = ancient (as in archaic); 'paleo-' also means old but '-ontology' points to living beings/fossils.

Answer: (A) Archaeology

Concept: A word placed between 'her' and a noun must be an adjective.

1. Blank describes the noun 'investigation' → adjective needed.
2. meticulous (adj.) = very careful about details ✓.
3. meticulously = adverb; meticulousness/meticulosity = nouns.

Trick: Determiner + ___ + noun → always pick the adjective form (often ending in -ous, -ful, -ive).

Answer: (A) meticulous

Concept: Feasible = possible / practicable; spelt F-E-A-S-I-B-L-E.

1. Starts with 'fea' (as in feat) and ends with '-sible'.
2. Options with 'fee', 'fie' or '-able' are misspellings.

Trick: Link with 'feat' (an achievement) – a feasible task is one that can be achieved.

Answer: (C) Feasible

Concept: 'Biblio' = book, '-phile' = lover.

1. Bibliophile = one who loves and collects books ✓.
2. Calligrapher – artistic handwriting; Archivist – keeper of records; Philatelist – stamp collector.

Yaad rakhein: Opposite: bibliophobe (one who dislikes books). Numismatist = coin collector.

Answer: (B) Bibliophile

Concept: Deception = misleading someone; tricking.

1. Chicanery = use of tricks to deceive – same meaning ✓.
2. Veracity (truthfulness), honesty and loyalty are opposite in sense.

Trick: Three options are 'positive' virtues and one is negative – the odd negative word matches 'deception'.

Answer: (B) Chicanery

Concept: Open (of a person/action) = not hidden, frank.

1. Furtive = secret, sly, done so as not to be noticed – opposite ✓.
2. Overt, frank and transparent all mean 'open' – synonyms, not antonyms.

Trick: Overt ↔ covert; for 'open' look for a word meaning 'secretive': furtive, clandestine, covert.

Answer: (C) Furtive

Concept: Idiom: pretending to be unafraid or hopeful in a frightening situation.

1. A scared person in the dark whistles to feel brave – the courage is only on the surface.
2. So it means showing a brave face while actually afraid.

Trick: Picture the scene literally – whistling alone in the dark = hiding fear.

Answer: (A) Put on a brave front despite fear

Concept: Idiom from Shakespeare's Macbeth: loud excitement with no real meaning or result.

1. 'Sound and fury' = much noise and anger that achieves nothing.
2. Options about truth, lasting impact or confession do not fit.

Yaad rakhein: Close cousins: 'much ado about nothing', 'a storm in a teacup'.

Answer: (A) Great uproar that signifies nothing

Concept: Prevaricate = avoid giving a direct/true answer; spelt P-R-E-V-A-R-I-C-A-T-E.

1. Prefix 'pre' + 'varic' + 'ate' – single r after va.
2. (A) uses 'veri', (B) 'pri', (C) doubles the r – all wrong.

Trick: Break it: PRE-VA-RI-CATE (4 syllables, each with one consonant start).

Answer: (D) Prevaricate