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

Concept: Spelling rule: i before e except after c.

1. decease, decibel, decency – correct.
2. After c the order is ei: deceive (like receive, conceive).
3. So decieve is wrongly spelt.

Yaad rakhein: 'i before e, except after c' – receive, deceive, perceive.

Answer: (B) decieve

Concept: Prodigal = spending money or resources freely and recklessly; extravagant.

1. wasteful = using more than needed – same sense.
2. Do not confuse with prodigy (a talented child) – so talented, intelligent are traps.
3. modest is unrelated. Synonym = wasteful.

Yaad rakhein: The Prodigal Son wasted his father's wealth.

Answer: (C) wasteful

Concept: Usurp = to take (power, a position or property) illegally or by force.

1. wrest, annex, assume all involve seizing or taking over – similar sense.
2. The opposite is to give up / let go = release.
3. So the antonym is release.

Trick: Usurp the throne = seize it; release = let it go.

Answer: (D) release

Concept: Get your money's worth = to get full value for the money you spend.

1. Example: The buffet was huge – we really got our money's worth.
2. Being cheated, poor quality or something too expensive is the opposite idea.
3. So it means: to pay and get something of good value.

Yaad rakhein: Worth of money = value equal to the money paid.

Answer: (A) to pay and get something of good value

Concept: Admonish = to warn or reprimand someone firmly.

1. scold, chide, warn – all synonyms of admonish.
2. The opposite is to praise = applaud.
3. So the antonym is applaud.

Trick: Admonish ↔ applaud / praise / commend.

Answer: (D) applaud

Concept: Fact-based question – locate the leading producing states named in the passage.

1. Passage: '... with Tamil Nadu ($20\%$), Karnataka ($13.5\%$), West Bengal ($12.2\%$) having gone ahead of other producing states ...'
2. Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Gujarat, Assam, Chhattisgarh are listed among the other states.
3. So the three major cultivators are Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and West Bengal.

Trick: Pick the states with percentages – they are the leaders.

Answer: (D) Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and West Bengal

Concept: Look for the cause the passage directly links to export-oriented floriculture.

1. Passage: 'The liberalisation of industrial and trade policies paved the way for development of export-oriented production of cut flowers.'
2. Greenhouse technology and the seed policy are mentioned as supporting factors, and the importing countries are only listed – not given as the trigger.
3. So the major fillip came from liberalisation of industrial and trade policies.

Trick: 'paved the way' = gave the major push (fillip).

Answer: (D) The liberalisation of industrial and trade policies by the government

Concept: The main theme covers the whole passage, not just one paragraph.

1. The passage traces floriculture's giant steps after liberalisation – area, production, states, government status, exports, future growth.
2. Commercialisation, government policy and exports are each only parts of this story.
3. So the theme is the rise of the floriculture industry in India.

Trick: Main idea = the umbrella topic that every paragraph supports.

Answer: (A) the rise of floriculture industry in India

Concept: Fact-based question – distinguish area (hectares) from production (tonnes).

1. Passage: 'The area under floriculture production in India is around 249 thousand hectares'.
2. 1659 thousand and 484 thousand are production figures in tonnes; 571 relates to export value.
3. So the area is about 249 thousand hectares.

Trick: Check the unit: area → hectares, production → tonnes.

Answer: (C) 249 thousand hectares

Concept: For a NOT-true question, match each statement with the passage and find the one that changes a fact.

1. Passage: export was ₹571.38 crores / $81.94 million in 2018-19 – so '$571.38 million' mixes the rupee figure with the dollar unit – not true.
2. Sunrise industry, $100\%$ export-oriented status and 'more than $50\%$ units in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu' are all stated in the passage.
3. Hence statement (B) is NOT true.

Trick: In data questions, check the unit (₹ crore vs $ million) as well as the number.

Answer: (B) India's total export of floriculture was $571.38 million in 2018-19.

Concept: An action that started in the past and is still continuing, with a period of time (for two hours), takes the Present Perfect Continuous: has/have + been + V-ing.

1. Subject She is singular → has been.
2. She is the one who is waiting (active), so the verb must be waiting, not passive being waited.
3. Correct: She has been waiting for you for two hours.
4. had wait is a wrong form; have been waited is passive and plural.

Trick: for + period / since + point of time with an ongoing action → has/have been + V-ing.

Answer: (B) has been waiting

Concept: Suave means smooth, polished and charming in manner (especially a man).

1. Opposite of polished, gracious behaviour = rude (impolite, ill-mannered).
2. charming and polite are close to synonyms of suave.
3. brisk means quick and active – unrelated.

Yaad rakhein: Suave ≈ sophisticated, urbane; its antonyms: rude, crude, boorish.

Answer: (B) rude

Concept: Coveted means greatly wanted or longed for (e.g. a coveted award).

1. Closest meaning = desired.
2. despised (hated) and renounced (given up) are opposite in sense.
3. covered is only a look-alike word (trap).

Trick: Covet = to desire strongly what someone else has – so coveted = much desired.

Answer: (A) desired

Concept: Before a noun (an accident) we need a prepositional phrase of cause such as owing to / due to / because of. In order to shows purpose and takes a verb.

1. an accident is a noun phrase, not a clause.
2. since and because are conjunctions – they need a full clause (subject + verb) after them.
3. So only owing to fits: The train was delayed owing to an accident.

Trick: Cause + noun → owing to / because of; cause + clause → because / since; purpose + verb → in order to.

Answer: (B) owing to

Concept: Bear the brunt of = to receive the worst or main part of an attack, anger or difficulty.

1. Brunt = the chief force or shock of something unpleasant.
2. Example: The coastal villages bore the brunt of the cyclone.
3. So the meaning is ‘bear the maximum fury’; the other options do not match.

Yaad rakhein: Brunt = main impact; bear the brunt = suffer the heaviest blow.

Answer: (D) bear the maximum fury

Concept: After a preposition (of) a verb takes the -ing (gerund) form. Been is a past participle and cannot follow of directly.

1. of been stationary ✗ → of being stationary ✓.
2. Correct: The two trains gave the illusion of being stationary.
3. Other segments are correct.

Trick: Preposition + verb → always V-ing (of being, without going, before leaving).

Answer: (B) of been stationary

Concept: Shove means to push roughly or suddenly.

1. Among the options, the closest is poke (to push/prod sharply).
2. pull is the opposite direction of force; halt = stop; shout = cry loudly.

Yaad rakhein: Shove ≈ push, thrust, jostle, poke.

Answer: (B) poke

Concept: Lofty means very tall / of great height (also: noble, elevated).

1. Closest meaning = towering (very high).
2. humble and plain are nearly opposite; silent is unrelated.

Trick: Loft = upper storey → lofty = high up.

Answer: (D) towering

Concept: The sword of Damocles = a danger that may strike at any moment; an impending threat.

1. From a Greek tale: Damocles sat on a throne with a sword hanging above him by a single hair.
2. It shows that power and good fortune carry constant danger.
3. So it means ‘an impending threat’, not a real or rare sword.

Yaad rakhein: Sword hanging by a hair over the head = ever-present danger.

Answer: (C) an impending threat

Concept: A person or thing well known for something bad is notorious.

1. famous and renowned mean well known for good reasons.
2. icon = a person admired as a symbol.
3. Evil reputation → notorious (e.g. a notorious criminal).

Trick: Famous = good fame; notorious = bad fame (infamous).

Answer: (B) notorious