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

Concept: Substitute the signs and apply BODMAS.

1. $35+68÷34-16\times 1$.
2. $68÷34=2$, $16\times 1=16$.
3. $35+2-16=21$.

Trick: Do ÷ and × first, then go left to right with + and −.

Answer: (A) 21

Concept: The given figure is a small flag: a vertical line with a triangle pointing left at its top. It must appear in the same orientation.

1. Look in the small inner part of each pentagon where short vertical lines and small triangles are drawn.
2. In option (D) a vertical line with a left-pointing triangle at its top end is present exactly as given.
3. In the other options the triangle points the other way, is missing, or the line is cut short.

Trick: Search for the smallest distinctive piece (the little triangle) first.

Answer: (D)

Concept: Each letter becomes two letters: (letter − 2) followed by (letter + 3).

1. DUNE: D→B,G; U→S,X; N→L,Q; E→C,H ⇒ BGSXLQCH ✓.
2. NEED: N→LQ, E→CH, E→CH, D→BG ⇒ LQCHCHBG ✓.
3. KING: K→I,N; I→G,L; N→L,Q; G→E,J.
4. Code = INGLLQEJ.

Trick: Check the first pair only (D→BG) to find the rule, then apply it.

Answer: (C) INGLLQEJ

Concept: Third number = (difference of the first two)${}^4$.

1. $(23,25,16)$: $(25-23{)}^4=2^4=16$.
2. $(21,17,256)$: $(21-17{)}^4=4^4=256$.
3. Option (C): $(18-15{)}^4=3^4=81$ ✓.
4. Others: $5^4=625\ne 125$, $4^4=256\ne 64$, $2^4=16\ne 12$.

Trick: 16, 256, 81 are all perfect fourth powers – look at the difference.

Answer: (C) (18, 15, 81)

Concept: Substitute the signs and use BODMAS.

1. $17\times 6-21+93÷3+35-12$.
2. $17\times 6=102$, $93÷3=31$.
3. $102-21+31+35-12=135$.

Trick: Group positives and negatives: $(102+31+35)-(21+12)=168-33=135$.

Answer: (A) 135

Concept: Unfold in reverse order; each unfolding gives a mirror image across the fold line.

1. The paper was folded top-to-bottom, then right-to-left; the cut is in the bottom-left quarter.
2. Undo the second fold: the bottom-right quarter gets the left–right mirror of the cut.
3. Undo the first fold: both top quarters get the up–down mirror of the bottom designs (arrows point down).
4. Option (B) shows exactly this four-fold symmetric pattern.

Trick: Adjacent quarters across a fold are always mirror images of each other.

Answer: (B)

Concept: For a person facing south, the right hand is towards the west; for a person facing north, the right hand is towards the east.

1. U is at the right end of the south-facing row, i.e. the west end; X sits opposite U.
2. T is next to U (middle) and Z sits opposite T, so S is at the east end and Y is opposite S.
3. North-facing row from west to east: X, Z, Y.
4. Its right end (east) is occupied by Y.

Trick: Draw both rows on one page with West–East marked; opposite-facing rows have opposite “right ends”.

Answer: (B) Y

Concept: Compare the denominators of each pair.

1. $97-63=34$ and $89-55=34$: the second denominator is 34 less than the first.
2. For $\left[\frac{1}{114}\right]$: $114-34=80$.
3. Required term $=\left[\frac{1}{80}\right]$.

Trick: Numerators stay 1, so only the denominators carry the pattern.

Answer: (A) $\left[\frac{1}{80}\right]$

Concept: The given figure is a slanted quadrilateral (a thin kite-like shape pointing left, with its right side sloping down-left). It must be found unchanged inside the option.

1. Look at the left-middle part of each square, where a left-pointing wedge is drawn.
2. In option (B) the wedge together with the slanting line on its right closes exactly into the given quadrilateral.
3. In the other options the closing line is missing or meets the wedge at a different angle.

Trick: Match the sharpest corner of the given figure first, then check the remaining sides.

Answer: (B)

Concept: Draw the least-overlap Venn diagram: Backpack ⊂ Suitcase ⊂ Trolley, and Luggage overlaps Backpack.

1. I: The backpacks that are luggage are also suitcases ⇒ “Some suitcases are luggage” follows.
2. II: All backpacks are trolleys ⇒ “Some backpacks are trolley” follows.
3. III: Luggage may lie largely outside Trolley, so “All trolleys are luggage” does not follow.

Trick: “All A are B” always gives “Some A are B” and “Some B are A”.

Answer: (A) Both Conclusions I and II follow.

Concept: Each term is multiplied by successive multiples of 6.

1. $2\times 6=12$, $12\times 12=144$, $144\times 18=2592$.
2. Next multiplier $24$: $2592\times 24=62208$.

Trick: Divide each term by the previous one: 6, 12, 18 – the pattern appears.

Answer: (B) 62208

Concept: All words start with “Inter”; compare from the 6th letter onwards.

1. Interd- words come before Intere- and Inters-: Interdependent, Interdict, Interdisciplinary.
2. Interde- (e) comes before Interdi-; Interdic- (c) comes before Interdis- (s).
3. Then Interest (e) and finally Intersect (s).
4. Order: 4, 3, 2, 1, 5.

Trick: Strip the common prefix and sort what remains: dep, dic, dis, est, sec.

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

Concept: Two changes run together: the chevrons rotate and the dots move alternately.

1. Chevrons turn ${45}^{\circ }$ anticlockwise each step: up → up-left → left → down-left → so next pointing down. This removes (A) and (C).
2. Black dot appears in figures 1, 3, 5 …: top-left, bottom-right, so in figure 5 it returns to top-left.
3. White dot appears in figures 2 and 4 only, so figure 5 has a black dot, not a white one – this removes (B).
4. Option (D): chevrons pointing down with a black dot at top-left.

Trick: When two elements change, solve them separately and eliminate.

Answer: (D)

Concept: Check which classes are parts of which.

1. Lenses are a part of spectacles, so the Lens circle lies inside the Spectacles circle (taken as the class of things making up spectacles).
2. A mirror is a separate object; it is neither a lens nor spectacles.
3. So: one circle inside another, and a third circle completely apart.

Trick: Part-of relation → circle inside circle; unrelated item → separate circle.

Answer: (D)

Concept: The positions of the three symbols (star, dot, S) repeat after every four figures.

1. Fig 1: star top, dot left, S bottom; Fig 2: S left, star right, dot bottom.
2. Fig 3: S top, dot right, star bottom; Fig 4: star left, dot top, S right.
3. Fig 5 is identical to Fig 1, so Fig 6 must be identical to Fig 2.
4. Fig 2 = S left, star right, dot bottom → option (A).

Trick: If a figure repeats, the series is cyclic – just copy the figure that followed it.

Answer: (A)

Concept: A vertical mirror MN on the right swaps left and right but keeps top and bottom unchanged.

1. Given: two flag-shaped triangles pointing left; the upper one has the black (shaded) tip, the lower one has a plain tip with a small line.
2. In the image both triangles point right and the curved arcs move to the left side.
3. The upper triangle still has the black tip and the lower one the plain tip – this is option (A).
4. (D) swaps top and bottom (water image); (B) and (C) are not reversed.

Trick: Vertical mirror: what is on top stays on top.

Answer: (A)

Concept: Unfold step by step; each unfolding mirrors the cut across that fold line.

1. Folds: top half down onto the bottom, then the right half onto the left. The cut is in the bottom-left quarter.
2. Opening the second fold gives a left–right mirror in the bottom-right quarter.
3. Opening the first fold gives an up–down mirror in both top quarters (triangles flipped vertically).
4. Only option (A) shows mirror images in all four quarters.

Trick: Check one pair of neighbouring quarters at a time – they must be mirror images.

Answer: (A)

Concept: Find the gaps between the letters using alphabet positions.

1. XTZ: $24\to 20\to 26$ ($-4$, $+6$).
2. PLR: $16\to 12\to 18$ ($-4$, $+6$); GCI: $7\to 3\to 9$ ($-4$, $+6$).
3. IFK: $9\to 6\to 11$ ($-3$, $+5$) – different.

Trick: Write the position numbers below each letter; the odd gap stands out.

Answer: (B) IFK

Concept: The block “wellngk” repeats three times.

1. Block 1: w e l l n g k
2. Block 2: w e l l n g k
3. Block 3: w e l l n g k
4. Missing letters: e, n, k, l, g, w, l, n.

Trick: 21 letters = 3 blocks of 7; the letter “k” before each “w” marks the block end.

Answer: (B) e n k l g w l n

Concept: Each letter is replaced by its position in the alphabet.

1. GOA: G = 7, O = 15, A = 1 → 7151 ✓; DOG → 4 15 7 → 4157 ✓.
2. MAN: M = 13, A = 1, N = 14 → 13114.

Trick: Positions written side by side – no addition.

Answer: (A) 13114