SSC CGL 2025 PYQs

Concept: When first gaps grow unevenly, look at the gaps of the gaps.

1. Gaps: 31−9 = 22, 73−31 = 42, 141−73 = 68, 241−141 = 100.
2. Gaps of gaps: 20, 26, 32 → increase by 6, next 38.
3. Next gap = 100 + 38 = 138.
4. Term = 241 + 138 = 379.

Trick: The series is clearly growing fast, so the answer must exceed 241 + 100 = 341 — only 379 fits.

Answer: (B) 379

Concept: A strong argument rests on a sound, practical reason, not on a broad unproven claim.

1. I assumes that all of today's youth are politically aware — a general opinion, so it is weak.
2. II gives a solid reason: maturity of judgement at 16 is limited, which is why 18 was fixed as the voting age.
3. So only II holds.

Trick: Arguments using words like 'today's youth' as a blanket statement are usually weak.

Answer: (B) Only argument II is strong

Concept: An assumption is what the speaker must take for granted before making the statement.

1. Announcing a target to double renewables presumes the means to do it exist → I implicit.
2. The move is meaningful only if reliance on coal/oil should come down → II implicit.
3. Renewables are promoted mainly because they are cleaner → III implicit.

Trick: Ask 'Why would the government say this?' — resources, need and benefit are all hidden reasons.

Answer: (D) All assumptions are implicit

Concept: Sort the letters, pick the required ones, then count letters strictly between them.

1. ORANGE sorted: A E G N O R.
2. 4th from left = N; 1st from right = R.
3. Between N(14) and R(18): O, P, Q → 3 letters.

Trick: Letters between = difference of positions − 1 = 18 − 14 − 1 = 3.

Answer: (C) Three

Concept: Sort all 11 letters (repeats kept), then count alphabet letters between the chosen two.

1. CELEBRATION in dictionary order: ABC EE IL NORT (11 letters).
2. 1st from left = A (1); 4th from right = N (14).
3. Letters between = 14 − 1 − 1 = 12.

Trick: Use positions: gap = (bigger − smaller − 1); no need to write B to M.

Answer: (A) 12

Concept: Compare only the parts that can change — numbers are the usual traps.

1. Given: Sector 49, PIN 142005.
2. Set 2: Sector 39 ✗; Set 3: Sector 59 ✗; Set 4: PIN 142006 ✗.
3. Set 1 matches fully.

Trick: Scan numbers first (house no., sector, PIN); names rarely change in such sets.

Answer: (B) 1 Only

Concept: Each letter is replaced by its opposite letter (position sum = 27).

1. Check: A(1)→Z(26), E(5)→V(22), K(11)→P(16), Q(17)→J(10) ✓.
2. C(3)→X(24), F(6)→U(21), G(7)→T(20), L(12)→O(15).
3. Answer: XUTO.

Trick: Opposite pairs mnemonic: 'AZ, BY, CX, DW, EV, FU, GT, HS, IR, JQ, KP, LO, MN'.

Answer: (B) XUTO

Concept: Pair 1 is a word and its opposite; repeat the same relation.

1. Knowledge ↔ Ignorance are opposites.
2. Opposite of Truth = Lie.
3. Fact and Proof are close to truth, not opposite; Decision is unrelated.

Trick: Eliminate options that are synonyms of the given word — Fact and Proof go at once.

Answer: (A) Lie

Concept: Group words by meaning; one will carry the opposite sense.

1. Speechless, Silent, Quietness, Calm — all suggest absence of sound/disturbance.
2. Noise = loud, unwanted sound — opposite idea.

Trick: When four words are near-synonyms, the antonym is the odd one.

Answer: (D) Noise

Concept: Track where each position moves in the example and copy it.

1. ERODES (1-6) → ORESED: new order = 3, 2, 1, 6, 5, 4.
2. So letters 1-3 reverse and letters 4-6 reverse.
3. EXCUSE: EXC → CXE, USE → ESU.
4. Result: CXEESU.

Trick: Split the 6-letter word into two halves and reverse each half.

Answer: (B) CXEESU

Concept: Decode the chain from E step by step.

1. E's father's wife = E's mother.
2. Mother's only daughter = D → D is E's sister.
3. E is male → E is D's brother.

Trick: 'Father's wife' in such questions is simply 'mother'; replace it at once.

Answer: (C) Brother

Concept: All terms except one are perfect cubes.

1. $1^3=1,2^3=8,3^3=27,4^3=64$ and $6^3=216$ — all cubes.
2. $169={13}^2$ — a square, not a cube ($5^3=125$ would fit the pattern).

Trick: Learn cubes 1–10: 1, 8, 27, 64, 125, 216, 343, 512, 729, 1000.

Answer: (B) 169

Concept: Translate each symbol into a relation and join them.

1. M × N → M is mother of N.
2. N + R → N is husband of R.
3. M is the mother of R's husband → mother-in-law of R.

Trick: Husband's mother = mother-in-law (saas).

Answer: (A) M is mother-in-law of R

Concept: Compare the number with the letter's position.

1. O = 15 → 16 (= 15 + 1).
2. P = 16 → 17 (+1); V = 22 → 23 (+1).
3. J = 10 but number is 13 (+3) → odd.

Trick: Remember 'EJOTY' = 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 for quick positions (J = 10, O = 15).

Answer: (B) (13, J, !)

Concept: Find the rule from the given examples.

1. 3 @ 4 = $(3+4{)}^2=49$ ✓.
2. 4 @ 5 = $(4+5{)}^2=81$ ✓.
3. 6 @ 7 = ${13}^2=169$.

Trick: 49 and 81 are perfect squares of 7 and 9 — instantly suggests $(a+b{)}^2$.

Answer: (A) 169

Concept: Each letter shifts one place forward.

1. BOOK → CPPL: each letter is the next one in the alphabet (+1).
2. READ → R+1 = S, E+1 = F, A+1 = B, D+1 = E.
3. Code = SFBE.

Trick: Order of letters is unchanged, so the code must start with S and end with E — only SFBE.

Answer: (A) SFBE

Concept: If amount = $n\times P$, then SI = $(n-1)\times P$.

1. Amount = $3P$ → $\text{SI}=2P$ = 200% of P.
2. Rate = 200% ÷ 10 years = 20% p.a.

Trick: Rate = $\frac{(n-1)\times 100}{T}=\frac{2\times 100}{10}=20\%$.

Answer: (D) 20%

Concept: Place everyone in generations.

1. A is father of P; P and Q are brothers → A is father of Q too.
2. R is Q's wife; B is R's daughter → B is Q's daughter.
3. Son's daughter → B is A's granddaughter.

Trick: Count generations: A (top) → Q → B: two levels down = grandchild.

Answer: (B) Granddaughter

Concept: Put each pair (a, b) into $b^2-a$ and look for 2.

1. (2, 2): $4-2=2$ ✓.
2. (8, 1): $1-8=-7$ ✗; (4, 5): $25-4=21$ ✗; (9, 6): $36-9=27$ ✗.

Trick: $b^2$ must be just 2 more than a — only $4=2+2$ fits.

Answer: (A) 2, 2

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

1. $41+41=82$.
2. $82\times 4=328$.

Trick: $41\times 2\times 4=41\times 8=328$ in one step.

Answer: (A) 328