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

Concept: A title must capture the central idea of the whole passage.

1. The passage begins: reservation is part of action that "seeks to bring equality", then explains how the 2019 Bill extends reservation to economically weaker sections.
2. "Article 15" and "Prohibition of discrimination" cover only one sentence; the Bill name is too narrow.
3. The common thread: reservation as a tool for equality.

Trick: Choose the title that covers the opening idea + all details.

Answer: (D) Reservation for Equality

Concept: Reservation is a form of corrective (affirmative) action — it corrects historical inequality.

1. "seeks to bring equality" → the action corrects an imbalance.
2. Effective/ineffective judge success, not purpose; directive = giving orders.

Trick: Corrective action = action that sets right an injustice.

Answer: (D) corrective

Concept: Article 15 prohibits discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth.

1. A constitution forbids (prohibits) discrimination; "However" then gives exceptions (special provisions).
2. Exhibits/establishes would mean the Constitution promotes discrimination; inhibits = restrains (used for processes, not by law).

Yaad rakhein: Article 15 = Prohibition of discrimination.

Answer: (B) prohibits

Concept: The passage repeatedly speaks of "provide for the advancement" of weaker sections.

1. Special provisions are made for the advancement (upliftment) of backward classes, SCs and STs.
2. The next sentence uses the same word for EWS: "provide for the advancement of economically weaker sections".
3. Containment and postponement are negative; enhancement is used for things, not classes of people.

Trick: Look for a word repeated elsewhere in the passage.

Answer: (C) advancement

Concept: Seats set aside for a section are reserved seats.

1. "up to 10% of the seats may be reserved for such sections" — this is reservation.
2. Preserved (protected), deserved (earned) and conserved (saved from waste) do not fit seats in admission.

Trick: Reservation → seats are reserved.

Answer: (B) reserved

Concept: The subject "A broad definition" is singular and the list that follows is part of the definition.

1. A definition that covers lakes, rivers, swamps etc. → it includes them.
2. Singular subject → verb + s: "includes" (not "omit"/"leave out").
3. "excludes" contradicts the list ("but also human-made sites").

Trick: Singular subject → V+s; listing examples → includes.

Answer: (D) includes

Concept: To introduce examples we use such as.

1. "human-made artificial sites such as fishponds or reservoirs" — fishponds and reservoirs are examples.
2. "as much as"/"much as" express quantity or concession; "more as" is ungrammatical.

Trick: such as = for example (before a list).

Answer: (C) such as

Concept: Subject "they" (wetlands) is plural; the paragraph is in the simple present.

1. Wetlands store carbon — matches "peatlands alone storing" in the same sentence.
2. "has" is singular; "stored" is past; "have more carbon" does not express the ecosystem function.

Trick: Plural subject + base verb in simple present: they store.

Answer: (C) store

Concept: Multiplicative comparison: twice as much as (for uncountable nouns like carbon).

1. "peatlands alone storing twice as much as all the world's forests".
2. "as long as" is about time/condition; "as such as", "as more as" are ungrammatical.

Trick: twice / thrice + as much as (uncountable), as many as (countable).

Answer: (B) as much as

Concept: The verb is "disappearing" → compare speed with the comparative adverb faster than.

1. "Wetlands are disappearing three times faster than forests."
2. "fastest than" mixes superlative with than; "much than" is ungrammatical; "more than" lacks the idea of speed.

Trick: Comparative (-er) + than; superlative (-est) never takes than.

Answer: (A) faster than

Concept: Equal comparison uses as + adjective + as (negative may also use so … as). So … that shows result, not comparison.

1. The sentence compares the exam with what we had expected → a comparison structure is needed.
2. so easy that needs a result clause, not 'we had expected' → wrong.
3. as easy so and such easy as are ungrammatical pairs.
4. Correct: The exam was not as easy as we had expected.

Trick: Comparison of equality = as … as; result = so … that.

Answer: (A) as easy as

Concept: High time means the right time for something has already passed; it should have been done earlier (e.g. It is high time we left).

1. The idiom expresses urgency/lateness, not punctuality → 'well in time' is the opposite.
2. It has nothing to do with flying or celebrating.
3. So it means 'past the appropriate time'.

Yaad rakhein: 'It's high time + past tense' → already late, act now.

Answer: (C) past the appropriate time

Concept: Dare not means 'not brave enough to'. To show lack of ability (because of weak eyesight) we use cannot.

1. A man over eighty is unable to read without glasses – it is a matter of ability, not courage.
2. So dare not read gives the wrong sense; it should be cannot read.
3. The other segments are correct.

Trick: Courage → dare; ability → can/cannot.

Answer: (B) dare not read

Concept: Adverbs after the verb follow the order Manner → Place → Time (MPT).

1. Manner: well; Place: at the festival; Time: yesterday.
2. Correct order: performed well at the festival yesterday.
3. All other options break the MPT order.

Trick: MPT – 'How, Where, When'.

Answer: (B) well at the festival yesterday

Concept: Oblivious = not aware of or not concerned about what is happening around.

1. ignorant = lacking knowledge/awareness → same sense.
2. sensitive, attentive are nearly opposites.
3. obvious (clear) only looks similar in spelling.

Trick: Oblivious ≈ unaware ≈ ignorant.

Answer: (C) ignorant

Concept: Apple of discord = the root cause of a quarrel or dispute (from the Greek myth of the golden apple that led to the Trojan War).

1. 'Discord' means disagreement/conflict.
2. So the idiom means something that causes friction.
3. 'Something very special' is the meaning of 'apple of one's eye' – a trap.

Trick: Apple of discord = cause of fight; apple of one's eye = dearest.

Answer: (B) something that causes friction

Concept: Jaywalk = to cross or walk in a street carelessly, ignoring traffic rules.

1. catwalk = narrow platform for fashion shows.
2. wander, stroll = walk aimlessly/leisurely, not about crossing streets.
3. So the answer is jaywalk.

Yaad rakhein: Jaywalker = careless road-crosser.

Answer: (B) jaywalk

Concept: A positive statement takes a negative tag. For 'I am', the negative tag is aren't I?

1. Statement 'I am suitably dressed…' is positive.
2. So the tag must be negative: aren't I?, not am I?
3. Error lies in segment 'am I'.

Trick: Positive → negative tag; I am → aren't I.

Answer: (A) am I

Concept: Nemesis = a downfall or punishment that is deserved and cannot be escaped (natural justice); named after the Greek goddess of retribution.

1. paradox = self-contradictory statement.
2. climax = highest point; catharsis = release of emotions.
3. Only nemesis fits 'deserved downfall'.

Yaad rakhein: Nemesis – goddess of revenge → deserved ruin.

Answer: (D) nemesis

Concept: To take stock of = to review or assess a situation carefully before deciding what to do.

1. Though 'stock' suggests goods or shares, the idiom is figurative.
2. e.g. After the flood, officials took stock of the damage.
3. So it means 'to assess a situation'.

Trick: Take stock = take a careful look.

Answer: (B) to assess a situation