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

Concept: A systematic list of items, such as books in a library, is a catalogue.

1. A list of books (with details) = catalogue.
2. Bibliography = list of books/sources referred to in a particular work or on a subject; Lexicon = vocabulary/dictionary; Manuscript = handwritten or unpublished text.
3. For the general 'list of books', catalogue is the best answer.

Yaad rakhein: Library catalogue = list of books; bibliography = list of references used.

Answer: (D) Catalogue

Concept: Context: a beggar says he is not begging by choice – if someone employs him he would gladly work.

1. 'Like to eat' does not fit 'if someone could employ him'; employment is about work.
2. 'Love to work' completes the logic: given a job, he would happily work.
3. 'Listen to me', 'linger at work' and 'live to work' do not fit the sense.

Trick: Match the result with the condition: employ → work.

Answer: (A) love to work

Concept: Beat around the bush = avoid coming to the main point; talk indirectly.

1. The idiom means avoiding talking about what is important.
2. 'Go around the bush' and 'live around the bush' are literal meanings.
3. 'Talk about something important' is the opposite.

Yaad rakhein: Stop beating around the bush = come to the point.

Answer: (C) To avoid talking about what is important.

Concept: Sit on the fence = delay making a decision; not take a clear side.

1. He cannot decide on a career and delays strong decisions – he sits on the fence.
2. Clean as a whistle = completely clean/innocent; Turn a blind eye = deliberately ignore; Spill the beans = reveal a secret.
3. Sentence: He sits on the fence.

Trick: On a fence you are on neither side → undecided.

Answer: (A) sits on the fence

Concept: First conditional: If + simple present, will + verb for a likely future condition.

1. The result 'I will start going… from tomorrow' is future, so the if-clause takes simple present.
2. Correct: If I recover from fever, I will start going for swimming classes from tomorrow.
3. So the error lies in 'If I have recovered from fever'.

Yaad rakhein: If + V1/V5 …, will + V1.

Answer: (D) If I have recovered from fever

Concept: Baffled = totally confused; unable to understand or explain.

1. Tremors without plate movement are puzzling – geologists are perplexed.
2. Angered, Irritated = made annoyed; Amused = entertained – none means confused.
3. So baffled = perplexed.

Yaad rakhein: Baffle = perplex = puzzle = bewilder = confound.

Answer: (C) Perplexed

Concept: Confidential = secret, private, meant to be kept hidden.

1. Both words of the set must be opposite: Familiar (well known) and Revealed (made known) – both fit.
2. C: Public is opposite but Concealed is a synonym. D: Hushed is a synonym. B: Offstage, Sneaking – both suggest secrecy.
3. So the right set is 'Familiar, Revealed'.

Trick: In 'set' questions, reject an option if even one word is wrong.

Answer: (A) Familiar, Revealed

Concept: Voracious = wanting or eating great quantities; very eager, greedy.

1. Greedy = having an excessive desire (for food etc.) – synonym.
2. Quenched = satisfied (thirst) – opposite sense; Appreciate, Compensated – unrelated.
3. Example: a voracious reader / a voracious appetite.

Trick: Voracious ≈ ravenous ≈ insatiable ≈ greedy.

Answer: (D) Greedy

Concept: Check each underlined option word in the sentence.

1. 'pretintious' is wrong; the correct spelling is pretentious (showing off, trying to seem important).
2. essential, cannot, articles – correctly spelt.
3. So option D is the incorrectly spelt word.

Yaad rakhein: preTENtious – from 'pretend/pretence'.

Answer: (D) pretintious

Concept: Spot the misspelt word among common words.

1. 'Programe' is wrong; correct spelling: Programme (British) or Program (American).
2. Unexpected, Pilgrimage, Campaign – all correct (note the silent 'g' in campaign).
3. So option A is incorrect.

Yaad rakhein: programME (double m + e) or program – never 'programe'.

Answer: (A) Programe

Concept: The verb must combine with 'at her scornfully' – the phrasal verb look at.

1. 'Looked at her scornfully' = gave her a mocking glance – natural and correct.
2. 'Observed', 'saw', 'watched' are transitive and do not take 'at' (we say 'watched her', not 'watched at her').
3. So blank 1 = looked.

Yaad rakhein: look AT someone; see/watch/observe someone (no 'at').

Answer: (A) looked

Concept: Fishing as an activity/pastime is called a sport.

1. 'Fishing is a man's sport' – the brother means it is an outdoor activity for men only.
2. 'Matches' (plural) and 'competition' suggest contests; 'gaming' means video/gambling games.
3. So blank 2 = sport.

Trick: Fishing, hunting, angling → field sports.

Answer: (D) sport

Concept: The fixed collocation is good at (skilful in something).

1. 'Girls are not good at fishing' = girls are not skilled in fishing.
2. 'Sound at', 'likeable at', 'acceptable at' are not used for skill.
3. So blank 3 = good.

Yaad rakhein: good at / bad at / clever at + activity.

Answer: (A) good

Concept: 'After a while' = after some time – a standard time phrase.

1. Millie persuaded her brothers after some time – 'After a while, however, Millie managed…'.
2. 'Before a while', 'Then a while', 'Nearly a while' are not idiomatic.
3. So blank 4 = After.

Yaad rakhein: after a while / for a while / once in a while.

Answer: (B) After

Concept: Take someone along = take someone with you.

1. 'Persuade her brothers to take her along' – along is an adverb completing the phrasal verb.
2. 'with them' would be repetitive and is less idiomatic after 'her brothers to take her'; 'among them' and 'within' do not fit the sense.
3. It also echoes Millie's request 'Can I come along with you'.

Yaad rakhein: come along / take someone along = accompany.

Answer: (C) along

Concept: Customise = modify something to suit a particular person's needs or taste.

1. The passage says new media 'can be customised to users' preferences' – i.e. personalised.
2. Realise = understand; Generalise = make general (opposite idea); Ritualised = made into a ritual.
3. So the synonym is Personalise.

Trick: Custom-made = made for one person = personalised.

Answer: (A) Personalise

Concept: Find the line that gives the reason with 'because'.

1. The passage: 'It is not very easy to draw a line between the new and old media because the so-called old media has found new ways of representation in digital forms'.
2. Options A and B describe new media but are not given as the reason; C is not stated.
3. So option D is correct.

Trick: In 'why' questions, look for 'because / since / as' in the passage.

Answer: (D) Because old media has found new ways of representation in digital forms

Concept: Look for the contrast the passage itself draws between new and old media.

1. Old media is called 'non-interactive'; new media 'has introduced user interaction, rather than simply consuming media'.
2. B (addiction) and D (larger audience) are not mentioned; C is wrong because old media has moved to digital forms.
3. So option A is correct.

Trick: Interactive (new) vs non-interactive (old) – the key contrast.

Answer: (A) New media includes user interaction, whereas, through old media, we only consume information.

Concept: Separate the two lists given in the passage.

1. Old media: newspapers, magazines, books, television and other non-interactive media.
2. New media: websites, online video/audio streams, emails, web advertisements, etc.
3. So Television is NOT new media.

Trick: 'NOT' questions – tick each option against the list and pick the odd one.

Answer: (B) Television

Concept: A catch-all term is a general term that covers many different things.

1. The passage calls new media 'a catch-all term used for various kinds of electronic communications'.
2. A says 'all the types of media' – wrong, it covers only new (electronic) media; B and C limit it to information or entertainment.
3. So option D is correct.

Yaad rakhein: Catch-all = umbrella term = covers many varied items.

Answer: (D) A category which includes many different things