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

Concept: Each fold doubles the cuts; on unfolding, shapes reflect across the fold lines.

1. Fold 1: right half onto left. Fold 2: top half down onto the bottom. Cuts (circle, star, triangle) are made in the bottom-left quarter.
2. Unfolding the vertical fold gives a mirror copy in the bottom-right; unfolding the horizontal fold reflects both into the top half.
3. In the bottom half the triangles sit in the bottom corners and the stars lie below the circles; in the top half triangles are in the top corners and stars lie above the circles.
4. This symmetric pattern matches option (A).

Trick: Reflection across the horizontal fold flips 'below' to 'above' — use the star–circle position to reject (C).

Answer: (A)

Concept: Plot the path on axes with A at the origin; every right turn rotates the direction clockwise.

1. North 10 → $(0,10)$; right (east) 3 → $(3,10)$.
2. Right (south) 15 → $(3,-5)$; right (west) 8 → $(-5,-5)$.
3. Right (north) 5 → P = $(-5,0)$.
4. P is 5 km west of A, so he must drive 5 km towards East.

Trick: Net N–S: $10-15+5=0$; net E–W: $3-8=-5$ → P is 5 km west of A.

Answer: (A) 5 km towards East

Concept: Check the differences and the second differences.

1. Differences: $62-53=9$, $77-62=15$, $98-77=21$.
2. Differences increase by 6: $9,15,21,27$.
3. Next term $=98+27=125$.

Trick: Second difference constant (6) → next difference is simply last + 6.

Answer: (D) 125

Concept: A word common to two sentences has the code common to both coded sentences.

1. 'bring the bags' → nd sm pf; 'bags of gold' → rg tx sm.
2. Common word: bags. Common code: sm.
3. So 'bags' = sm.

Trick: Common word ↔ common code — no need to decode the rest.

Answer: (C) sm

Concept: The code is the sum of the reverse alphabet positions (Z = 1, Y = 2, …, A = 26); reverse value $=27-\text{position}$.

1. SERIES: S 8, E 22, R 9, I 18, E 22, S 8 → $87$ ✓.
2. DISMAY: D 23, I 18, S 8, M 14, A 26, Y 2 → $91$ ✓.
3. SPRINT: S 8, P 11, R 9, I 18, N 13, T 7.
4. $8+11+9+18+13+7=66$.

Trick: If the forward-position sum misses, try reverse positions $(27-n)$.

Answer: (A) 66

Concept: Apply both interchanges first, then solve with BODMAS.

1. Given: $3\times 6+16-8÷2$.
2. Interchange + ↔ − and 8 ↔ 16: $3\times 6-8+16÷2$.
3. $=18-8+8=18$.

Trick: Do the swaps on paper first; mixing swap and calculation causes most errors.

Answer: (A) 18

Concept: When a transparent sheet is folded along the vertical middle line, the design of the folded half is mirrored (left ↔ right) and lies on top of the other half.

1. Left half: an arrow from the bottom (near the fold) pointing up-left — it stays as it is.
2. Right half: an arrow from the lower right pointing up-left to the top near the fold.
3. After folding it is mirrored: it now starts at the left edge (middle) and points up-right towards the top near the fold.
4. Both arrows together: one up-left from the bottom, one up-right to the top — option (C).

Trick: Only the folded half changes; it flips left–right, the vertical positions stay the same.

Answer: (C)

Concept: Compare words letter by letter; the first differing letter decides the order.

1. All start with 'Ju'. Third letters: Jum(p), Jun(ction/cture/gle), Jup(iter) → m < n < p.
2. Among Jun-: Junc-, Junc-, Jung- → c < g, so Junction/Juncture come before Jungle.
3. Junctio- vs Junctur-: 'i' < 'u' → Junction before Juncture.
4. Order: Jump, Junction, Juncture, Jungle, Jupiter → 4, 1, 5, 3, 2.

Trick: Group words by the first letter where they differ, then sort inside each group.

Answer: (D) 4, 1, 5, 3, 2

Concept: All words begin with 'Lar'; compare from the 4th letter onwards.

1. 4th letters: Larc- (Larceners, Larcenist), Larg- (Largely), Lari- (Lariated), Lark- (Larkiness), Lary- (Laryngal).
2. c < g < i < k < y.
3. Larcene-r vs Larceni-st: 'e' < 'i' → Larceners (3) before Larcenist (2).
4. Order: 3, 2, 6, 4, 1, 5.

Trick: Underline the first letter that differs in each word and sort by it.

Answer: (D) 3, 2, 6, 4, 1, 5

Concept: Replace the letters by signs (I = ×, J = +, K = ÷, L = −) and use BODMAS.

1. $(40+32÷4)\times 5-155+7\times 9$.
2. Bracket: $32÷4=8$, $40+8=48$.
3. $48\times 5=240$, $7\times 9=63$.
4. $240-155+63=148$.

Trick: Solve the bracket first, then all × and ÷, and finally + and − from left to right.

Answer: (D) 148

Concept: Find the differences between consecutive terms.

1. Differences: $5,10,15,20$ — multiples of 5.
2. Next difference $=25$.
3. Next term $=72+25=97$.

Trick: Differences in AP $(+5)$ → add the next multiple of 5.

Answer: (A) 97

Concept: Look for a simple relation between the two numbers — here their sum is fixed.

1. Given pair: $50+130=180$.
2. Options: $35+120=155$, $60+120=180$, $30+80=110$, $75+110=185$.
3. Only 60 – 120 gives the same sum 180.

Trick: Try sum, difference, ratio quickly; the one that matches exactly one option is the rule.

Answer: (B) 60 – 120

Concept: The second number is the product of the digits of the first number; we need the number that is related to 18 in this way.

1. $24\to 2\times 4=8$ ✓; $54\to 5\times 4=20$ ✓.
2. We need a number whose digit product is 18.
3. Options: $12\to 2$, $42\to 8$, $63\to 6\times 3=18$, $26\to 12$.
4. So 63 is related to 18 (63 : 18 :: 24 : 8).

Trick: Note the direction: 18 is the second term, so test which option produces 18.

Answer: (C) 63

Concept: Replace each sign as given, then apply BODMAS.

1. $180\times 60-33÷1+50$ becomes $180÷60\times 33+1-50$.
2. $180÷60=3$, $3\times 33=99$.
3. $99+1-50=50$.

Trick: Write the converted expression first; then ÷ and × from left to right.

Answer: (D) 50

Concept: Reverse the word and then move every letter $+2$.

1. ABIDE reversed = EDIBA → $+2$ → GFKDC ✓.
2. CHARM reversed = MRAHC → $+2$ → OTCJE ✓.
3. BLOOM reversed = MOOLB → $+2$ → OQQND.

Trick: The last letter of the word (E → G, M → O) becomes the first letter of the code — a quick sign of reversal.

Answer: (A) OQQND

Concept: Decide for each pair of classes whether they are disjoint, overlapping or one inside the other.

1. Men and Women: no person is both → two separate circles.
2. Painters: some painters are men and some are women → the Painters circle overlaps both.
3. Three circles in a chain with the middle one (Painters) overlapping both ends — option (D).

Trick: Gender classes never overlap; a profession overlaps every gender.

Answer: (D)

Concept: The code is the sum of the alphabet positions of the letters.

1. BYE: $2+25+5=32$ ✓.
2. ANGER: $1+14+7+5+18=45$ ✓.
3. LOVE: $12+15+22+5=54$.

Trick: Memorise EJOTY (5, 10, 15, 20, 25) to get positions fast.

Answer: (A) 54

Concept: Third number = first number − second number.

1. $599-236=363$ ✓; $481-145=336$ ✓.
2. (A) $641-314=327$ ✓.
3. (B) $612-278=334\ne 344$; (C) $547-217=330\ne 310$; (D) $426-159=267\ne 287$.

Trick: Check the units digits first: $1-4\to 7$ matches 327 — instantly picks (A).

Answer: (A) (641, 314, 327)

Concept: Every vowel moves one step forward $(+1)$ and every consonant one step back $(-1)$.

1. DIETY → CJFSX: D−1, I+1, E+1, T−1, Y−1 ✓ (I, E are vowels).
2. GRACE → FQBBF: G−1, R−1, A+1, C−1, E+1 ✓.
3. GLORY: G−1 = F, L−1 = K, O+1 = P, R−1 = Q, Y−1 = X → FKPQX.

Trick: The shifts look random until you mark vowels — then the rule is clear.

Answer: (C) FKPQX

Concept: A conclusion follows only if it is true in every possible Venn diagram.

1. All plastics are fibres → Plastics circle inside Fibres.
2. Some fibres are leathers → Leathers overlaps Fibres, but it may not touch Plastics at all → I (Some plastics are leathers) is not certain.
3. II (Some fibres are plastics) is the conversion of 'All plastics are fibres' → follows.

Trick: Two 'some/all' links through the middle term with 'some' never give a definite relation between the end terms.

Answer: (A) Only conclusion II follows