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

Concept: Fix the person whose position is defined by two others.

1. Jogi sits between Vikrant and Saroj → Vikrant, Jogi, Saroj form one complete line of three.
2. Shrikant is just behind Vikrant → Shrikant is in the other line, with Tripti and Vaani (Vaani immediate right of Tripti).
3. So the same-line trio is Jogi, Vikrant and Saroj.

Trick: 'Between' in a 3-person line fixes the whole line at once.

Answer: (B) Jogi, Vikrant and Saroj

Concept: Check the gap between consecutive letters (circular alphabet).

1. QTWZC: Q→T→W→Z→C, each $+3$.
2. HKNQT and BEHKN: each $+3$.
3. RUXAE: R→U→X→A are $+3$, but A→E is $+4$ → odd one.

Trick: After Z, continue with A (Z + 3 = C).

Answer: (D) RUXAE

Concept: Each option must be traced in figure (X) with the same size and orientation – no rotation.

1. Options (A), (C) and (D) can be located inside (X): their rectangles, the trapezium of the triangle and the lower boxes match lines of (X) exactly.
2. In option (B) the long bar with the trapezium has an extra end-box/line arrangement that does not exist in (X) in that orientation.
3. Hence (B) is not embedded.

Trick: Match one distinctive corner or slanting line first, then check the rest.

Answer: (B)

Concept: Write the word in reverse and move each letter one step forward (+1).

1. PORCH reversed = HCROP → +1 → IDSPQ.
2. MOIST reversed = TSIOM → +1 → UTJPN.
3. UTJQO (A) wrongly uses +2 for the last two letters.

Trick: If the code starts with a letter near the word's last letter, suspect reversal.

Answer: (D) UTJPN

Concept: Share in a ratio: one part = total ÷ sum of ratio terms.

1. Sum of ratio $=9+11+13=33$
2. One part $=\frac{2871}{33}=87$
3. C − A $=(13-9)\times 87=4\times 87=348$

Trick: For a difference, multiply only the difference of ratio terms by one part.

Answer: (B) ₹$348$

Concept: With a vertical mirror on the right, the order of characters reverses and each character is flipped left–right (top and bottom stay the same).

1. Order becomes h, r, w, m, d, f, t.
2. Each letter is laterally inverted: h, r, d, f, t face the other way; w and m look the same because they are symmetric left–right.
3. Only (D) shows all letters flipped sideways without turning any of them upside down.

Trick: Vertical mirror: left ↔ right only; up–down never changes.

Answer: (D)

Concept: Code = sum of alphabetical positions of the letters + number of letters.

1. SOGGY: $19+15+7+7+25=73$, $73+5=78$
2. PLINTH: $16+12+9+14+20+8=79$, $79+6=85$
3. DEVOTION: $4+5+22+15+20+9+15+14=104$, $104+8=112$

Trick: If the codes are a little above the letter-sum, add the word length.

Answer: (A) $112$

Concept: Match common words with common codes.

1. 'get up now' & 'he will get': common word get = max.
2. 'he will get' & 'will it stop': common word will = zax.
3. Left in 'he will get' (max dax zax): he = dax.

Trick: Eliminate known words one by one; the last unknown pair is the answer.

Answer: (C) he

Concept: Substitute each option and solve by BODMAS.

1. Option (B): $16-35÷5+20\times 4=89$
2. $=16-7+80=89$ ✓
3. Option (A): $16\times 35-5+20÷4=560-5+5=560\ne 89$

Trick: Check the option whose division gives a whole number first (35 ÷ 5).

Answer: (B) $-,÷,+,\times ,=$

Concept: Decode each symbol from left to right and build the family tree.

1. P % R: P is the sister of R. R & Y: R is the daughter of Y.
2. Y @ Z: Y is the wife of Z → Z is the father of P and R.
3. Z # M: Z is the brother of M; M % N: M is a sister (female). So M is the sister of P's father.

Trick: Father's sister = paternal aunt (bua); mother's sister = maternal aunt (mausi).

Answer: (A) Paternal aunt

Concept: Male judges = numbers lying inside both the rectangle (judges) and the triangle (males).

1. Regions common to rectangle and triangle: 8 (also golf players) and 26.
2. Total $=8+26=34$
3. 17 is judges + golf players but outside the triangle, so it is not counted.

Trick: Shade the common region of the two named shapes, ignoring the third shape.

Answer: (D) $34$

Concept: Each position increases by +1, +2, +3, +4.

1. 1st: P→Q→S→V→Z (+1, +2, +3, +4).
2. 2nd: Z→A→C→F→J (+1, +2, +3, +4).
3. 3rd: X→Y→A→D→H (+1, +2, +3, +4). So ZJH.

Trick: Same increasing step in all three positions – find one, apply to all.

Answer: (B) ZJH

Concept: Differences increase by 4.

1. Differences: $11,15,19,23,27$
2. Next difference $=31$
3. $?=120+31=151$

Trick: Constant second difference → keep adding the same increase.

Answer: (B) $151$

Concept: Vowels move 3 steps back (−3) and consonants move 3 steps forward (+3).

1. EAGER: E−3=B, A−3=X, G+3=J, E−3=B, R+3=U → BXJBU. MARKS → PXUNV fits too.
2. LOCUST: L+3=O, O−3=L, C+3=F, U−3=R, S+3=V, T+3=W.
3. Code = OLFRVW.

Trick: When the same letter (E) gets the same code (B) everywhere, the rule is letter-wise, often vowel vs consonant.

Answer: (D) OLFRVW

Concept: Check the backward steps between letters.

1. KFBY: K→F (−5), F→B (−4), B→Y (−3).
2. TOKH and BWSP also follow −5, −4, −3.
3. ZUQO: Z→U (−5), U→Q (−4), Q→O (−2) → breaks the pattern.

Trick: Count backwards circularly: B − 3 = Y.

Answer: (C) ZUQO

Concept: Place the eight people at the eight compass points in anticlockwise order.

1. G is at South-east.
2. Moving anticlockwise (on a map, from SE upwards): H at East, A at North-east.
3. So A sits in the North-east.

Trick: Anticlockwise on a map: S → SE → E → NE → N → NW → W → SW.

Answer: (C) North-east

Concept: Figure (X) is a tilted square (diamond) with a vertical line from its top corner running down through it, and a slanted parallelogram hanging below its left half; find it in the same orientation.

1. In (C), the diamond with the central vertical line and the parallelogram below its left half appear exactly as in (X).
2. In (A), (B) and (D) the diamond and the vertical line exist, but the parallelogram below the left half does not match in position or direction.
3. Hence (X) is embedded in (C).

Trick: Look for the most unusual part of (X) (here the parallelogram below the diamond) first.

Answer: (C)

Concept: Number the five positions: 1 top-left, 2 top-right, 3 centre, 4 bottom-left, 5 bottom-right. Every shape moves two positions forward each step.

1. 4-point star: 1 → 3 → 5 → next 2 (top-right).
2. Oval: 2 → 4 → 1 → next 3 (centre); hexagram: 3 → 5 → 2 → next 4.
3. Square: 4 → 1 → 3 → next 5; triangle: 5 → 2 → 4 → next 1. This is option (C).

Trick: Follow one shape at a time; once the step size is found, it applies to all shapes.

Answer: (C)

Concept: Arrange the body parts from bottom to top.

1. Knee (lowest) → Waist → Navel → Chin → Eyebrows (highest).
2. This gives 1, 4, 2, 5, 3.

Trick: For body parts, check whether options start from the bottom (knee) or the top (eyebrows).

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

Concept: Differences are consecutive perfect squares.

1. $62\to 71\to 87\to 112\to 148$: differences $9,16,25,36$ $=3^2,4^2,5^2,6^2$
2. So the first two differences are $1^2=1$ and $2^2=4$
3. $57+1=58$, $58+4=62$ ✓

Trick: Differences 9, 16, 25… instantly signal squares.

Answer: (C) $58$