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

Concept: Successive discounts multiply; then CP $=\frac{\text{SP}\times 100}{100+\text{profit}\%}$.

1. SP $=500\times 0.9\times 0.8=₹360$
2. CP $=\frac{360\times 100}{125}$
3. CP $=₹288$

Trick: $10\%$ and $20\%$ successive = $28\%$ single discount ($10+20-\frac{10\times 20}{100}$).

Answer: (C) ₹288

Concept: BODMAS: divisions and multiplications first, then additions and subtractions left to right.

1. $72÷8=9$, $210÷15=14$, $2\times 5=10$
2. $9-14-5+10$
3. $=0$

Trick: Group positives and negatives: $(9+10)-(14+5)=19-19=0$.

Answer: (B) 0

Concept: In a triangle $A+B+C={180}^{\circ }$, so $\frac{B+C}{2}={90}^{\circ }-\frac{A}{2}$ and $\text{cosec}\frac{B+C}{2}=\sec \frac{A}{2}$.

1. Expression $=(\tan \frac{A}{2}+\sec \frac{A}{2})(\tan \frac{A}{2}-\sec \frac{A}{2})$
2. $={\tan }^2\frac{A}{2}-{\sec }^2\frac{A}{2}$
3. $=-1$ (since ${\sec }^{2}x-{\tan }^{2}x=1$)

Yaad rakhein: $(a+b)(a-b)=a^2-b^2$ with ${\sec }^2-{\tan }^2=1$.

Answer: (A) −1

Concept: 'Added' means the 'New' column; sum it for 2019–2022 for both categories.

1. Professors added $=100+150+180+200=630$
2. Associate professors added $=110+140+190+220=660$
3. Difference $=660-630=30$

Trick: Subtract year-wise: $10-10+10+20=30$ — no need for full totals.

Answer: (A) 30

Concept: Write the percentage as a fraction: $S=\frac{75}{100}T$.

1. $S=\frac{3}{4}T$
2. $\frac{S}{T}=\frac{3}{4}$
3. $S:T=3:4$

Yaad rakhein: $75\%=\frac{3}{4}$ — memorise common percentage-fraction pairs.

Answer: (D) 3 : 4

Concept: Solve the innermost bracket first (multiplication before subtraction).

1. $1.5\times 3.02=4.53$; $4.78-4.53=0.25$
2. $0.25\times 0.25=0.0625$; $15+0.0625=15.0625$
3. $22.0625-15.0625=7.0$

Trick: Notice the matching decimal tails $\mathrm{.0625}$ — they cancel to give a whole number.

Answer: (D) 7.0

Concept: Meshing gears move the same arc length (teeth) at the contact point, so diameter × revolutions is equal.

1. $15\times 105=21\times n$
2. $n=\frac{15\times 105}{21}$
3. $n=75$

Trick: Revolutions are inversely proportional to diameter: $105\times \frac{15}{21}=105\times \frac{5}{7}=75$.

Answer: (B) 75

Concept: Innermost bracket first, then multiplication, then the outer subtraction.

1. $9-3\times 2=3$
2. $0.5\times 3=1.5$; $5+1.5=6.5$
3. $13.5-6.5=7$

Trick: Inside the bracket, multiply before subtracting: $9-6$, not $6\times 2$.

Answer: (B) 7

Concept: Canvas for a tent = curved surface area $=\pi rl$, with $l=\sqrt{r^2+h^2}$.

1. $2\pi r=30\pi \Rightarrow r=15$ ft
2. $l=\sqrt{{15}^2+{20}^2}=\sqrt{625}=25$ ft
3. CSA $=\pi \times 15\times 25=375\pi$ sq. ft.

Trick: 15–20–25 is the 3–4–5 triplet scaled by 5.

Answer: (A) $375\pi$ sq. ft.

Concept: 'Twice as good' means double efficiency. Total work = combined efficiency × days.

1. Tarun $=2$ units/day, Tripti $=1$ unit/day
2. Work $=(2+1)\times 16=48$ units
3. Tripti alone $=\frac{48}{1}=48$ days

Trick: Tripti's share is $\frac{1}{3}$ of combined rate → she takes $3\times 16=48$ days.

Answer: (A) 48

Concept: A one-word substitute must carry the full sense of the phrase: something old AND of high quality.

1. Vintage = something from the past that is of high, lasting quality (vintage car, vintage wine).
2. Epoch = a period of time; Outdated = old and no longer useful (negative sense, so not 'high quality').
3. Culture = customs and arts of a society.

Yaad rakhein: Old + valued = Vintage; old + useless = Outdated.

Answer: (B) Vintage

Concept: Accolade means praise, honour or an award given for an achievement.

1. Opposite of praise = Criticism (finding fault).
2. Tribute is a synonym (praise/honour), so it is a trap.
3. Promotion and Assurance are unrelated in meaning.

Yaad rakhein: Accolade = applause/award; its opposite is blame/criticism.

Answer: (A) Criticism

Concept: Eagerly means with strong interest and enthusiasm.

1. Keenly = with great eagerness or interest – same meaning.
2. Stringently = strictly; Dubiously = doubtfully (opposite feeling).
3. Playfully = in a fun, joking way.

Yaad rakhein: Eager = Keen (a keen student = an eager student).

Answer: (C) Keenly

Concept: The method, practice or style of teaching is called Pedagogy.

1. Pedagogy (Greek paidagogos = teacher of children) = art/science of teaching.
2. Philology = study of the history of languages.
3. Media and Platform are means of communication, not teaching style.

Trick: Peda-gogy = guiding the pupil; Philo-logy = love of words.

Answer: (A) Pedagogy

Concept: An action that will be completed before a definite point in the future takes the Future Perfect: will have + V3.

1. Time marker 'by this time next week' fixes a future point.
2. Finishing the painting must be complete before that point, so 'will have finished'.
3. 'will finish' (simple future) gives no sense of completion before the point; 'finishes'/'finished' are present/past.

Trick: 'By + future time' → will have + V3.

Answer: (A) will have finished

Concept: Entail means to involve something as a necessary part or result.

1. Necessitate = make necessary – same meaning (The job entails/necessitates travel).
2. Eliminate = remove (nearly opposite).
3. Assume = suppose; Flaw = defect (a noun).

Yaad rakhein: Entail = 'comes with as a must' = Necessitate.

Answer: (B) Necessitate

Concept: Keep a level head = to stay calm and think clearly, especially in difficult situations.

1. Context: 'even in the most challenging situations' – a captain must not panic.
2. So the meaning is 'remains calm and composed'.
3. Options about caps, helmets or number of players take the words literally.

Trick: Level head = balanced mind, not a tilted one.

Answer: (C) Remains calm and composed

Concept: Hypothesis = an idea or explanation that is proposed but not yet proved.

1. Speculation = forming a theory without firm evidence – closest meaning.
2. Breakthrough = an important discovery; Trepidation = fear.
3. Encounter = an unexpected meeting.

Yaad rakhein: Hypothesis = guess-work theory = speculation.

Answer: (A) speculation

Concept: Check each word for standard spelling; remember the rule 'i before e except after c'.

1. Correct form: Receipt (after 'c' comes 'ei').
2. 'Reciept' breaks the rule, so it is misspelt.
3. Irritate, Necessitate and Hindrance are correctly spelt.

Trick: i before e, except after c: receipt, receive, deceive.

Answer: (C) Reciept

Concept: Grisly = causing horror or disgust, usually because of violence or death (a grisly murder).

1. Atrocious = horrifyingly wicked or cruel – same sense.
2. Pleasant and Glorious are opposite in tone.
3. Dire = extremely serious/urgent, but not 'horrifying'.

Yaad rakhein: Grisly crime = Atrocious crime.

Answer: (B) Atrocious