SSC CPO Paper I 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024 PYQs

Concept: A collective noun acting as one unit takes a singular verb; simple present singular adds -s.

1. 'The committee' acts as one body → works.
2. 'is work', 'has work' are wrong verb forms.
3. 'worked' is past tense, but present tense is asked.

Trick: Singular subject (he/she/it/committee) + V₁+s in simple present.

Answer: (B) The committee works diligently to ensure fair and unbiased decision.

Concept: Disappear = dis + appear: one 's' (from dis-) and double 'p' (from appear).

1. Dissapear → Disappear.
2. Entrepreneur, Supersede, Vicinity are correct.
3. Similar: disappoint (one s, double p).

Trick: dis + appear → disappear: just join the two parts.

Answer: (C) Dissapear

Concept: Incinerate = destroy by burning. Its opposite is extinguish = put out a fire.

1. Incinerate (burn) ↔ Extinguish.
2. Blaze, Combust = burn – synonyms.
3. Oxidise – burning is oxidation, so it is related, not opposite.

Trick: Incinerator = machine that burns waste; extinguisher puts out fire.

Answer: (C) Extinguish

Concept: Bite off more than you can chew = take on a task that is too big or beyond one's ability.

1. 'difficult tasks beyond his capabilities' → bite off more than he can chew.
2. Pull someone's leg = tease; No pain no gain = effort brings reward.
3. Miss the boat = lose an opportunity.

Trick: Too big a bite to chew = too big a task to handle.

Answer: (B) Bite off more than you can chew

Concept: Foot has the irregular plural feet (never 'feets/foots'); a plural subject takes 'were' in the past.

1. The accident was yesterday → past tense.
2. 'feet' is plural → were, so her feet were burnt.
3. 'feet was' – number disagreement; 'foots' – wrong plural.

Trick: foot → feet, tooth → teeth, goose → geese (vowel change, no -s).

Answer: (C) her feet were

Concept: The correct idiom is a bird's eye view = a view from a high position, or a general overview.

1. Birds see the land from above → bird's eye view.
2. 'goose's', 'dog's', 'hornet's', 'fool's' eye view are not idioms.
3. (Compare 'hornet's nest' and 'fool's errand', which are different idioms.)

Trick: View from the sky = bird's eye view.

Answer: (D) bird's

Concept: Have one's head in the clouds = to be daydreaming, not paying attention to what is happening.

1. (A) Not paying attention during an important meeting – correct figurative use.
2. (B) A pilot is literally in the clouds; the use is literal/confusing.
3. (C) and (D) use it literally (looking at the sky, a cloud-shaped hat).

Trick: Idioms are figurative – reject options that use the words literally.

Answer: (A) He had his head in the clouds during an important meeting.

Concept: Vanquish = defeat thoroughly, conquer and subdue. The best opposite among the options is liberate = set free.

1. To vanquish is to overpower and bring under control; to liberate is to free from control.
2. Measure, Engage, Instill have no opposite relation to vanquish.
3. Context: the knight sets out to defeat the dragon.

Trick: Conquer/subdue ↔ liberate/free.

Answer: (A) Liberate

Concept: Nepotism = favouritism shown to relatives (especially in jobs or patronage) rather than on merit.

1. Patronage based on family ties → nepotism (Latin nepos = nephew).
2. Egotism = excessive self-importance.
3. Mannerism = habitual gesture; Neologism = a newly coined word.

Trick: nepos = nephew → favouring nephews/relatives = nepotism.

Answer: (D) Nepotism

Concept: Sacred cow = an idea, custom or institution held to be above criticism, i.e. unquestionable.

1. Derived from the cow being sacred and untouchable in Hinduism → cannot be questioned → unquestionable.
2. Interrogate is a verb meaning to question – opposite idea.
3. Harmful, Hateful are unrelated.

Trick: Sacred = cannot be touched or criticised.

Answer: (B) Unquestionable

Concept: Strength is spelt s-t-r-e-n-g-t-h ('g' before 't-h').

1. 'strenght' → strength; error in 'as the strenght'.
2. The first 'strength' in 'My strength is' is correct.
3. The line is from Tennyson's poem Sir Galahad.

Trick: strong → strength, long → length: 'ng' + 'th'.

Answer: (C) as the strenght

Concept: Upright (of a person) = honest, morally correct. Opposite: immoral.

1. Upright = moral, honest ↔ Immoral.
2. Ethical is a synonym.
3. Stout = fat/strong; Brave = courageous – unrelated.

Trick: Upright citizen = honest citizen; opposite = immoral.

Answer: (B) Immoral

Concept: Strike – struck – struck; the older past participle stricken is used as an adjective (grief-stricken).

1. strike (V₁), struck (V₂/V₃), stricken (adjective/old V₃) – all valid.
2. strucken is not an English word.
3. So the incorrect form is 'strucken'.

Trick: strike → struck → struck/stricken; never 'strucken'.

Answer: (D) strucken

Concept: Ebullient = cheerful and full of energy. Opposite: weary = tired, lacking energy.

1. Energetic, enthusiastic ↔ weary.
2. Deciduous = (trees) shedding leaves.
3. Clamant = noisy/urgent; Rude = impolite – not opposites.

Trick: Ebullient = 'boiling over' with energy; weary = drained of energy.

Answer: (D) Weary

Concept: Atheist = a person who does not believe in the existence of God (a- = without, theos = God).

1. Does not believe in God → atheist.
2. Catholic = a member of the Roman Catholic Church; Priest = religious minister.
3. Reverent = showing deep respect.

Trick: theist = believes in God; a + theist = atheist; theology = study of God.

Answer: (D) Atheist

Concept: Tight = firmly stretched or fixed. Opposite: slack = loose, not tight.

1. A tight rope ↔ a slack rope.
2. Cordial = warm and friendly.
3. Comfortable, Resilient (able to recover) are not opposites.

Trick: Tight ↔ slack/loose.

Answer: (B) Slack

Concept: Bind = tie or fasten something tightly; to make secure.

1. Bind = fasten → secure.
2. Disengage = release – opposite.
3. Amuse = entertain; Flourish = grow well – unrelated.

Trick: Bind/secure/fasten/tie – same family.

Answer: (A) Secure

Concept: Arsenal = a place where weapons and ammunition are made or stored.

1. Storage of arms → arsenal.
2. Mint = where coins are made.
3. Monastery = residence of monks; Scullery = room for washing dishes.

Trick: Arsenal football club got its name from Royal Arsenal (a weapons factory).

Answer: (B) Arsenal

Concept: A promise to give something 'if…' must depend on gaining power; also 'came in power' is wrong – the phrase is 'come to power'.

1. Logical condition: if his party forms the government.
2. Losing the election (A, B) cannot let him fulfil a promise.
3. 'he comes to a party' changes the meaning.

Trick: Election promise → 'if we form the government / come to power'.

Answer: (C) party forms the government

Concept: Leave someone high and dry = leave someone in a difficult situation without help.

1. Abandoned by partners in difficulty → high and dry.
2. Hard and fast = (rules) fixed, strict.
3. Head and shoulders above = far better; Heart and soul = with full devotion.

Trick: A ship stranded on the shore (high and dry) is stuck with no help.

Answer: (A) High and dry