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

Concept: Replace each letter by its operation, then use BODMAS (brackets, division/multiplication, addition/subtraction).

1. Expression becomes $74+(31\times 2)\times 2-(68-4)÷(4\times 2)$.
2. Brackets: $31\times 2=62$, $68-4=64$, $4\times 2=8$.
3. $74+62\times 2-64÷8=74+124-8$.
4. $=190$.

Trick: Solve brackets first, then $÷$ and $\times$, last $+$ and $-$.

Answer: (B) 190

Concept: In embedded-figure questions the given figure (X) must appear inside an option with the same size, shape and orientation (no rotation).

1. Figure (X) has a small flag/triangle on top of a vertical bar, the bar turns right at the bottom and ends in a small two-cell box.
2. In option (B), the slanted edge comes from a diagonal of the crossed rectangle, the vertical strip runs down below it, and the two small cells sit on the step at its lower right — the same outline in the same orientation.
3. In (A) and (C) the small two-cell box sits in a different orientation/size, and in (D) the top part is not a closed flag of the same shape.

Trick: Pick the most distinctive part of (X) (here the two small cells) and look for it first in each option, then check the rest.

Answer: (B) Option (B)

Concept: At sunrise the Sun is in the East, so every shadow falls towards the West.

1. Diksha and Arpita sit back to back, so they face opposite directions.
2. Diksha’s shadow points West, and this is to the right of Arpita.
3. A person whose right hand is West is facing South (facing South: right = West, left = East).
4. So Arpita faces South (and Diksha faces North).

Trick: Facing North → right is East; facing South → right is West.

Answer: (D) South

Concept: Put each option’s signs in order and evaluate with BODMAS; the side values must become equal.

1. Option (B): $24\times 12+35-24÷6=319$.
2. $24÷6=4$ and $24\times 12=288$.
3. $288+35-4=319$ ✓ — both sides equal.
4. Other options do not give 319, e.g. (A): $24+12-35÷24\times 6$ is not even an integer.

Trick: Look for a product near the answer: $24\times 12=288$ is close to 319, so ‘$\times$’ comes first.

Answer: (B) $\times ,+,-,÷,=$

Concept: Write the alphabet positions and check the gaps between consecutive letters (count cyclically after Z).

1. YNID: Y(25)→N(14) is $+15$ (cyclic), N→I $-5$, I→D $-5$.
2. JYTO: J(10)→Y(25) $+15$, Y→T $-5$, T→O $-5$.
3. IXSN: I(9)→X(24) $+15$, X→S $-5$, S→N $-5$.
4. CSMH: C(3)→S(19) $+16$, S→M $-6$, M→H $-5$ — pattern broken.

Trick: Last three letters of the alike groups each drop by 5: N-I-D, Y-T-O, X-S-N; S-M-H does not.

Answer: (A) CSMH

Concept: Decode the chain step by step from Dev’s wife.

1. Wife’s sister’s mother = wife’s mother (Dev’s mother-in-law).
2. Her only son = wife’s brother.
3. The girl is the daughter of wife’s brother.
4. Girl’s paternal grandfather = father of wife’s brother = wife’s father. So the wife is his daughter.

Yaad rakhein: ‘Sister’s mother’ is simply one’s own mother.

Answer: (C) Daughter

Concept: Track the 1st, 2nd and 3rd letters of the clusters separately.

1. 1st letters: A, E, I, ?, U — the vowels, so the missing one is O.
2. 2nd letters: G, K, O, ?, W — each $+4$, so S.
3. 3rd letters: M, N, O, ?, Q — each $+1$, so P.
4. Missing cluster = OSP.

Trick: A, E, I, O, U appearing in a row is a vowel pattern.

Answer: (B) OSP

Concept: The correct option must be traceable inside figure (X) with the same size and orientation (no rotation).

1. Look at the upper-right block of (X): a rectangle divided by horizontal lines, joined on its right to a tall double vertical strip that runs down.
2. Option (A) shows exactly this shape — horizontal strips at the top with a long double vertical strip on the right going down — so it fits in (X).
3. In (B) the extra closed cell on the right, in (C) the inner pattern, and in (D) the pattern of strips do not match any part of (X) in the same orientation.

Trick: Compare the number of lines and the corner where the long strip turns; that settles it quickly.

Answer: (A) Option (A)

Concept: For people sitting around a table facing the centre, ‘right’ means moving anticlockwise.

1. Order clockwise: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H (equal gaps).
2. The direction D faces (south-west) does not change the order.
3. From H move anticlockwise: 1st = G, 2nd = F, 3rd = E.
4. So the third person to the right of H is E.

Trick: Facing centre: right = anticlockwise, left = clockwise.

Answer: (B) E

Concept: Find the differences; when they are not constant, check the second differences.

1. Known differences: $85-65=20$, $112-85=27$, $305-215=90$, $430-305=125$.
2. Second differences grow as 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, so the differences are 20, 27, 41, 62, 90, 125.
3. Missing term $=112+41=153$.
4. Check: $153+62=215$ ✓.

Trick: Second differences are multiples of 7.

Answer: (A) 153

Concept: A word common to two sentences takes the code common to those two codes.

1. ‘is’ is in sentences 1 and 2; common code = kam.
2. ‘it’ is in sentences 2 and 3; common code = ram.
3. ‘dish’ is in sentences 1 and 3; common code = dam.
4. So tasty = lam (sentence 1) and sweet = sam (sentence 2). ‘tasty sweet’ = sam lam (order of codes need not match).

Trick: Compare sentences in pairs and cancel known words.

Answer: (B) sam lam

Concept: Swap the two signs of each option and evaluate with BODMAS.

1. Option (D): swap $÷$ and $-$: $4\times 7+36÷12-6$.
2. $36÷12=3$ and $4\times 7=28$.
3. $28+3-6=25$ ✓.
4. E.g. (A) gives $4\times 7-36+12÷6=-6$, not 25.

Trick: A clean division like $36÷12$ hints which signs to swap.

Answer: (D) $÷$ and $-$

Concept: Split the word into two halves and reverse each half.

1. ZODIAC = ZOD | IAC.
2. Reverse each: DOZ | CAI → DOZCAI.
3. MISTER = MIS | TER.
4. Reverse each: SIM | RET → SIMRET.

Trick: When the same letters reappear in a jumbled order, test reversing halves first.

Answer: (C) SIMRET

Concept: All words begin with ‘Mar’, so compare from the 4th letter onwards.

1. 4th letters: Margin (g), Marking (k), Martial (t), Martyr (t), Marvel (v).
2. Order g, k, t, t, v → Margin, Marking, then the two ‘t’ words, then Marvel.
3. Martial vs Martyr: 5th letters i and y; i comes first.
4. Order: Margin, Marking, Martial, Martyr, Marvel = 2, 4, 1, 3, 5.

Trick: Skip the common prefix and compare only the first differing letter.

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

Concept: Look at the differences of consecutive terms.

1. Known differences: $78-61=17$, $97-78=19$, $120-97=23$, $149-120=29$.
2. These are consecutive prime numbers 17, 19, 23, 29, so the earlier ones are 11 and 13.
3. Missing term $=37+11=48$.
4. Check: $48+13=61$ ✓.

Trick: Differences 17, 19, 23, 29 → think primes.

Answer: (A) 48

Concept: In each row, (1st number × 2nd number) ÷ 4 = 3rd number.

1. Row 1: $\frac{14\times 28}{4}=\frac{392}{4}=98$ ✓.
2. Row 2: $\frac{7\times 48}{4}=\frac{336}{4}=84$ ✓.
3. Row 3: $\frac{?\times 60}{4}=60$ ⇒ $?\times 60=240$.
4. $?=4$.

Trick: Third number divides neatly into the product of the first two — check the ratio.

Answer: (D) 4

Concept: Second number $=3\times (\text{first number}{)}^2$.

1. $5:75$ → $3\times 5^2=75$ ✓.
2. (A) $8:192$ → $3\times 8^2=192$ ✓.
3. (B) $3\times 7^2=147\ne 83$; (C) $3\times 6^2=108\ne 36$.
4. (D) $3\times 9^2=243\ne 343$.

Trick: Divide the second number by the first: $75÷5=15=3\times 5$; same for $192÷8=24=3\times 8$.

Answer: (A) 8 : 192

Concept: Each letter is moved 3 places forward.

1. TORCH → T+3=W, O+3=R, R+3=U, C+3=F, H+3=K → WRUFK ✓.
2. WINTER → W+3=Z, I+3=L, N+3=Q, T+3=W, E+3=H, R+3=U.
3. Code = ZLQWHU.

Trick: Check just one or two letters (W→Z, R→U) to eliminate options quickly.

Answer: (C) ZLQWHU

Concept: Track each element (arrow, shaded square, circle) separately across the figures.

1. Arrow in the top row moves: left → middle → right → middle, so next it returns to the left cell.
2. Circle in the bottom row moves: right → middle → left → middle, so next it returns to the right cell.
3. The shading of the central square alternates between two forms; figures 1 and 3 match, so figure 5 matches figure 1.
4. Thus figure 5 is the same as figure 1 — option (A).

Trick: Elements bouncing back and forth make figure 5 = figure 1.

Answer: (A) Option (A)

Concept: Decide which classes overlap, are contained, or are separate.

1. Some sisters are mothers and some mothers are sisters → Sisters and Mothers overlap.
2. Nephews are males, so no nephew is a sister or a mother → a separate circle.
3. Two intersecting circles + one separate circle = option (C).

Trick: Gender splits classes: male groups never meet female groups.

Answer: (C) Option (C)