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

Concept: If $12\%$ of the bill $=$ ₹2100, the bill $=\frac{2100}{0.12}$.

1. $\frac{12}{100}\times \text{Bill}=2100$
2. Bill $=\frac{2100\times 100}{12}=17500$

Trick: $1\%=175$, so $100\%=17500$.

Answer: (B) ₹$17500$

Concept: Least number divisible by all $=$ LCM of the numbers.

1. $5$, $6=2\times 3$, $8=2^3$, $10=2\times 5$, $12=2^2\times 3$
2. LCM $=2^3\times 3\times 5=120$

Trick: Check options from smallest: $120$ is divisible by 5, 6, 8, 10, 12.

Answer: (C) $120$

Concept: Let $a=0.325$, $b=0.175$. Check: $25\times 0.00455=0.11375=2ab$; $5\times 0.0065\times 3.25=0.105625=a^2$; $7\times 0.175\times 0.025=0.030625=b^2$.

1. Expression $=\frac{a^2+b^2+2ab}{a^2-b^2}=\frac{(a+b{)}^2}{(a+b)(a-b)}=\frac{a+b}{a-b}$
2. $=\frac{0.5}{0.15}=\frac{10}{3}$
3. $\frac{10}{3}-\frac{0.5}{1.5}=\frac{10}{3}-\frac{1}{3}=3$

Trick: When numbers look odd, test if they are $a^2$, $b^2$, $2ab$ of the visible numbers.

Answer: (B) $3$

Concept: Average $=\frac{\text{sum}}{\text{number of schools}}$.

1. Boys $=600+450+750+700+800=3300$
2. Average $=\frac{3300}{5}=660$

Trick: Deviation from 600: $0-150+150+100+200=300$; $600+\frac{300}{5}=660$.

Answer: (A) $660$

Concept: If $\sec A=\text{cosec}B$ (both acute), then $A+B={90}^{\circ }$.

1. $3x+(3x-{45}^{\circ })={90}^{\circ }$
2. $6x={135}^{\circ }\Rightarrow x={22.5}^{\circ }$

Yaad rakhein: $\sec \theta =\text{cosec}({90}^{\circ }-\theta )$.

Answer: (B) ${22.5}^{\circ }$

Concept: Add the class frequencies on each side and simplify the ratio.

1. Below 60 $\text{km/h}$: $50+70=120$
2. Above 80 $\text{km/h}$: $60+45=105$
3. $120:105=8:7$

Trick: Divide both by 15.

Answer: (A) $8:7$

Concept: If B takes $t$ hours, A takes $t-5$; combined rate $=\frac{1}{6}$.

1. $\frac{1}{t}+\frac{1}{t-5}=\frac{1}{6}$
2. $6(2t-5)=t(t-5)\Rightarrow t^2-17t+30=0$
3. $(t-15)(t-2)=0$; $t=2$ is impossible ($t-5<0$), so $t=15$

Trick: Test options: $t=15$ → A $=10$; $\frac{15\times 10}{25}=6$ ✓.

Answer: (A) $15$

Concept: Convert every average into a total.

1. $A+B+C=3\times 70=210$; with D: $4\times 60=240\Rightarrow D=30$
2. $E=D+5=35$
3. $B+C+D+E=4\times 59=236\Rightarrow B+C=236-65=171$
4. $A=210-171=39$

Yaad rakhein: Total $=$ average $\times$ count, at every stage.

Answer: (C) $39$

Concept: Change in yearly SI $=P\times \frac{\text{rate change}}{100}$.

1. Rate change $=17.5\%-11\%=6.5\%$
2. $P\times \frac{6.5}{100}=1071.20$
3. $P=\frac{107120}{6.5}=16480$

Trick: $1\%=\frac{1071.2}{6.5}=164.8$ → $P=16480$.

Answer: (B) ₹$16480$

Concept: Average speed $=\frac{\text{total distance}}{\text{total time}}$.

1. Let outward speed $=v$: $\frac{300}{v}-\frac{300}{v+10}=5$
2. $3000=5v(v+10)\Rightarrow v^2+10v-600=0\Rightarrow v=20$
3. Times: $\frac{300}{20}=15$ h and $\frac{300}{30}=10$ h
4. Average $=\frac{600}{25}=24\text{km/h}$

Trick: Check: $\frac{2\times 20\times 30}{20+30}=24$.

Answer: (C) $24$

Concept: To show that something is sufficient for a purpose we use adjective/adverb + enough + to-infinitive, not 'so much to'.

1. 'So much' needs a result clause with that (so much that …) or 'as to'; 'so much to make' is incorrect.
2. The idea is sufficiency: earning sufficient money to meet expenses.
3. Correct sentence: Do you earn enough to make both ends meet?
4. 'Do you earn', 'make both', 'ends meet' are correct (idiom: make both ends meet = manage expenses).

Trick: Sufficient for a purpose → enough to; result → so … that.

Answer: (D) so much to

Concept: Catastrophe means a sudden event causing great damage or suffering; a disaster.

1. Calamity = a great misfortune or disaster – same meaning.
2. Restraint = self-control; prosperity = wealth/success (nearly opposite); expansion = growth.

Yaad rakhein: Catastrophe ≈ calamity ≈ disaster ≈ tragedy.

Answer: (D) calamity

Concept: A verb is modified by an adverb, not an adjective.

1. The word describes how somebody 'listened' (a verb).
2. 'Attentive' is an adjective; the adverb is 'attentively'.
3. Correct: Nobody has ever listened to me so attentively.
4. Other parts ('Nobody has', 'ever listened', 'to me') are correct.

Trick: Ask 'how?' about the verb → answer must be an -ly adverb.

Answer: (D) so attentive

Concept: Impudent means rude and disrespectful; shamelessly bold.

1. Arrant, brazen and blatant all suggest shameless or open boldness – close to impudent, not opposite.
2. Modest = humble, polite, not boastful – the opposite of impudent.

Yaad rakhein: Impudent ↔ modest / respectful / courteous.

Answer: (D) modest

Concept: The idiom speak one's mind means to say openly and honestly what one thinks.

1. It is about frankness, not carelessness, so 'to speak without thinking' is wrong.
2. It has nothing to do with an assembly or with writing.
3. Example: She always speaks her mind, even before her seniors.

Yaad rakhein: Speak one's mind = be frank and outspoken.

Answer: (C) to voice one’s thoughts plainly

Concept: A person who is easily deceived or tricked is gullible.

1. Plausible = seeming reasonable or believable (used for statements).
2. Credible = trustworthy, believable; agreeable = pleasant.
3. Gullible fits: A gullible buyer trusted the fake offer.

Trick: Gullible → think 'gull' = to fool someone; a gullible person is easily fooled.

Answer: (D) gullible

Concept: An interjection must match the emotion of the sentence – here surprise/shock at an odd hairstyle.

1. 'Goodness gracious!' expresses surprise or shock – fits 'What have you done to your hair?'
2. Hurrah and Bravo express joy or praise – unsuitable for 'looking so odd'.
3. Bother expresses annoyance at one's own trouble, not surprise at someone's look.

Trick: Match the interjection with the feeling: surprise → Goodness gracious / Oh my God; joy → Hurrah; praise → Bravo.

Answer: (D) Goodness gracious

Concept: A person having the same name as another is a namesake.

1. Alias = a false or assumed name.
2. Imposter = one who pretends to be someone else; ancestor = forefather.
3. Example: My namesake in the class often gets my marks.

Yaad rakhein: Name + sake → same name.

Answer: (C) namesake

Concept: The noun fondness (like the adjective fond) takes the preposition for.

1. Fixed usage: fondness for something; but fond of something.
2. Correct: She has inherited her fondness for tennis from her parents.
3. 'to', 'at', 'by' are not used with fondness.

Yaad rakhein: fond of but fondness for (love for, liking for, passion for).

Answer: (C) for

Concept: Causative make + object + bare infinitive (verb without 'to').

1. Pattern: made + his patients + wait.
2. 'To wait' is used only in the passive: patients were made to wait.
3. 'Waited' and 'waiting' do not fit this pattern.
4. Correct: The doctor often made his patients wait for long.

Trick: make / let / have + object + V1 (no 'to') in active voice.

Answer: (D) wait