SSC CGL 2025 PYQs

Concept: Three options belong to one historical group; one does not.

1. Dholavira (Gujarat), Kalibangan (Rajasthan) and Mohenjodaro (Sindh) are Indus Valley (Harappan) sites.
2. Vikramashila is a Buddhist monastic university in Bihar founded by Pala king Dharmapala — much later.

Yaad rakhein: Vikramashila was founded by Dharmapala (Pala dynasty), c. 8th–9th century CE.

Answer: (D) Vikramashila

Concept: Group instruments by how they produce sound.

1. Guitar, Violin, Sarangi — sound from vibrating strings (string instruments).
2. Tabla — struck with hands; a percussion (membrane) instrument.

Yaad rakhein: Sarangi and violin are bowed; guitar is plucked — all are still string instruments.

Answer: (D) Tabla

Concept: Find the common multiplier in each group.

1. 5, 10, 20 → ×2 each step.
2. 2, 4, 8 → ×2; 3, 6, 12 → ×2.
3. 6, 18, 54 → ×3 each step — different.

Trick: Check last ÷ first: $\frac{20}{5}=\frac{8}{2}=\frac{12}{3}=4$, but $\frac{54}{6}=9$.

Answer: (A) 6, 18, 54

Concept: Find a rule that fits both examples, then apply it.

1. 7 ∗ 3: (7+3) × 3 = 30 ✓
2. 5 ∗ 4: (5+4) × 4 = 36 ✓
3. 6 ∗ 5 = (6+5) × 5 = 55

Trick: Results are multiples of the second number (30 of 3, 36 of 4) → answer must be a multiple of 5: only 50 or 55; 50 needs sum 10, but 6+5 = 11 → 55.

Answer: (C) 55

Concept: Words common to two sentences share the common codes.

1. Lines 1 & 2 differ only in tall/short: co = tall, do = short.
2. Lines 1 & 3 share "The … tall": to, po, co are common; ko = plants, bo = grass.
3. "The grass grows short" = to, po (common) + bo + do → bo to po do.

Trick: Answer must contain both "bo" (grass) and "do" (short) — only option (A).

Answer: (A) bo to po do

Concept: $\text{Boat speed}=\frac{\text{downstream speed}+\text{upstream speed}}{2}$.

1. Upstream = $\frac{60}{2}=30$ km/h
2. Downstream = $\frac{60}{1}=60$ km/h
3. Boat speed = $\frac{60+30}{2}=45$ km/h

Trick: Still-water speed is the average of the two speeds; stream speed is half their difference (15 km/h).

Answer: (C) 45 km/h

Concept: Relations through one's wife are in-law relations; their children are nephews/nieces.

1. Ram's wife's brother = Ram's brother-in-law.
2. The son of a brother-in-law is one generation below Ram → nephew.

Yaad rakhein: Wife's brother = brother-in-law (saala); his son = nephew; his daughter = niece.

Answer: (B) Nephew

Concept: Replace symbols first, then solve using BODMAS.

1. $18+9\times 3-6\to 18÷9-3+6$
2. Division first: $18÷9=2$
3. $2-3+6=5$

Trick: Rewrite the whole expression on paper before calculating — most errors come from mixing old and new signs.

Answer: (A) 5

Concept: Follow the order stated: add first, then multiply.

1. $27+15=42$
2. $42\times 8=336$

Trick: Unit digit check: $2\times 8=16$ → result ends in 6; only 336 does.

Answer: (D) 336

Concept: Split alternate terms into two series and test each rule.

1. Odd positions: 4, 14, 34, 74 → each = previous × 2 + 6 ✓.
2. Even positions: 5, ?, 32, 68 → $32\times 2+4=68$, so rule is ×2 + 4.
3. $5\times 2+4=14$, and $14\times 2+4=32$ ✓. So 12 should be 14.

Trick: Apply the rule backwards from the end: $\frac{68-4}{2}=32$, $\frac{32-4}{2}=14\ne 12$.

Answer: (C) 12

Concept: Each group is three letters in a row; the starting letter drops by 3 every time.

1. Starting letters: P(16) → M(13) → J(10) → G(7), i.e. −3 each.
2. Next start = 7 − 3 = 4 = D.
3. Group = D, E, F.

Trick: Look only at the first letter of each group; the rest just follow alphabetically.

Answer: (C) DEF

Concept: Compare the given address part by part: number, road name, city, state, PIN.

1. (A): road is 'Raj Ghat' – mismatch.
2. (B): PIN ends in 2 – mismatch.
3. (D): house number 21 – mismatch.
4. (C) agrees in every part.

Trick: Check numbers first (house no., PIN) – two options fall out instantly.

Answer: (C) 20, Rani Ghat Road, Jaipur, Rajasthan - 302001

Concept: An identical address must match every word, spelling, space and digit.

1. (B): 'Villa 204' (no 'No.') and 'Lakeview' joined – differs.
2. (C): 'Estates' has an extra s – differs.
3. (D): number 240 instead of 204 – differs.
4. Only (A) is a perfect copy.

Trick: Watch for tiny traps: dropped abbreviations, joined words, plural s, swapped digits.

Answer: (A) Villa No. 204, Lake View Estate, Lajpat Nagar, New Delhi, Delhi - 110024

Concept: A valid course of action should reduce the problem practically, without causing a bigger new one.

1. I: frequent, good buses/metro pull commuters out of cars → fewer vehicles at peak hours. Practical – follows.
2. II: a total ban on private vehicles is extreme; office-goers, patients etc. would suffer. Not feasible – does not follow.

Trick: Words like 'ban' / 'completely stop' usually mark an impractical action.

Answer: (A) Only I follows

Concept: Find one rule that fits all three examples, then apply it.

1. Guess the rule a @ b = ab + (a − b). Test: 21 + 4 = 25 ✓
2. Also 45 + 4 = 49 ✓ and 20 + 8 = 28 ✓
3. So for 8 and 6: product 48, difference 2, total 50.

Trick: When the result is a little more than a×b, check whether the extra equals a − b.

Answer: (A) 50

Concept: Decode the letters into signs, then solve each bracket using BODMAS.

1. Q=+, C=−, R=×, U=÷.
2. Bracket 1: $48÷8+25-6\times 4+3=6+25-24+3=10$
3. Bracket 2: $25÷5\times 3-4\times 3=15-12=3$
4. $10-3=7$

Trick: Rewrite the whole expression with real signs before calculating – avoids mix-ups.

Answer: (D) 7

Concept: Link B and F through a common term and read the definite sign.

1. F = A (given) and A > B.
2. So F > B, i.e. B < F.
3. I (B = F) false; II (B > F) false.

Trick: When the chain gives a strict '<', both '=' and '>' are false.

Answer: (D) Neither conclusion I nor II is true

Concept: Fix generations: D at top, B and C one level below, A two levels below.

1. C is a son of D; B, being C's brother, is also a son of D.
2. A is a son of B, so A belongs two generations below D.
3. A male two generations down is a grandson.

Trick: Count generation gap: 2 levels down and male → grandson.

Answer: (C) Grandson

Concept: The terms are cubes of 11, 22, 33, … .

1. $1331={11}^3,10648={22}^3(=8\times 1331),35937={33}^3(=27\times 1331)$.
2. Missing = ${44}^3=64\times 1331=85184$.
3. Check: ${55}^3=125\times 1331=166375$ ✓

Trick: n-th term = $n^3\times 1331$; only $85184=64\times 1331$ among the options.

Answer: (B) 85184

Concept: An assumption is an unstated belief the writer takes for granted; it cannot contradict the statement.

1. I: the writer praises RTI for transparency – clearly taken for granted. Implicit.
2. III: exemptions exist for security/privacy, so the writer accepts that access must be balanced with safety. Implicit.
3. II: 'completely ineffective' goes against the statement calling it a landmark law. Not implicit.

Trick: Extreme words like 'completely', 'only', 'never' usually make an assumption invalid.

Answer: (B) Only I and III are implicit