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

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)

Concept: In each column, (top number${)}^2-$ (middle number${)}^2=$ bottom number.

1. Column 1: $9^2-6^2=81-36=45$ ✓.
2. Column 3: ${12}^2-8^2=144-64=80$ ✓.
3. Column 2: $8^2-3^2=64-9=55$.

Trick: $a^2-b^2=(a+b)(a-b)$: $(8+3)(8-3)=55$.

Answer: (C) 55

Concept: Each term $=2\times (\text{previous term})+3$.

1. $17\times 2+3=37$, $37\times 2+3=77$.
2. $77\times 2+3=157$, $157\times 2+3=317$.
3. Next $=317\times 2+3=637$.

Trick: Differences 20, 40, 80, 160 double each time, so next difference = 320: $317+320=637$.

Answer: (A) 637

Concept: Draw the path; turning left from North points West, from West points South, from South points East.

1. Home → 40 m North.
2. Left (West) 25 m, left (South) 15 m: now $40-15=25$ m north of the home line, 25 m west.
3. Left (East) 25 m: back on the vertical line through home.
4. Point X is 25 m directly North of home, so the shortest distance is 25 m.

Trick: Net North $=40-15=25$, net East–West $=25-25=0$.

Answer: (B) 25 m

Concept: In a straight strip of faces in a net, alternate faces (with one face between them) are opposite.

1. Vertical strip: %, @, #, + → % is opposite #, and @ is opposite +.
2. The remaining two faces, $ and &, are opposite each other.
3. So among the options, + and @ are opposite.

Yaad rakhein: Faces sharing an edge in the net can never be opposite.

Answer: (C) + and @

Concept: Arrange the levels of organisation of the human body from smallest to largest.

1. Cell (2) is the basic unit.
2. Cells form Tissue (1); tissues form an Organ (3).
3. Organs form an Organ System (5); systems make the Human Body (4).
4. Order: 2, 1, 3, 5, 4.

Yaad rakhein: Cell → Tissue → Organ → Organ system → Organism.

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

Concept: Code $=2\times$ (sum of alphabet positions of the letters).

1. CLARITY: $3+12+1+18+9+20+25=88$; $2\times 88=176$ ✓.
2. FROZEN: $6+18+15+26+5+14=84$.
3. Code $=2\times 84=168$.

Trick: If the code is close to twice the letter-sum, test ‘sum × 2’ first.

Answer: (D) 168

Concept: Unfold step by step; each unfolding gives a mirror image of the cuts about the fold line.

1. The sheet is folded twice vertically, so it has 4 layers → each cut appears 4 times in 4 vertical strips.
2. In every strip the order from top stays: small horizontal rectangle, vertical slot, small circle, then a triangle at the bottom.
3. Mirror images about each fold line make the triangles point alternately: ▷ ◁ ▷ ◁.
4. Option (B) shows exactly this; (C) puts the circle above the slot, (D) keeps all triangles the same way.

Trick: Order of holes from top to bottom never changes in a vertical fold; only left–right shapes flip.

Answer: (B) Option (B)

Concept: Find the region that lies inside the square and circle but outside the pentagon.

1. Square = diploma holders, circle = morning-walkers, pentagon = architects.
2. The common part of square and circle is split into 18 (inside the pentagon) and 40 (outside it).
3. Diploma holders who are morning-walkers but not architects = 40.

Trick: ‘but NOT’ means drop every region inside that figure.

Answer: (B) 40

Concept: Follow the three parts of the figure — the ellipse shading, the special box in the row, and the bottom shape.

1. The shaded quarter of the ellipse moves top-left → top-right → bottom-left, so next is bottom-right.
2. The ‘8’-type box moves one place right each time (1st, 2nd, 3rd), so next is the 4th box.
3. Bottom shape gains one side: triangle (3) → square (4) → pentagon (5) → hexagon (6).
4. Only option (A) has all three: bottom-right shading, 4th box, hexagon.

Trick: Count sides of the shape first — it removes (B) and (C) at once.

Answer: (A) Option (A)

Concept: Check the gaps between consecutive letters.

1. BFJM: B→F $+4$, F→J $+4$, J→M $+3$.
2. LPTW: $+4,+4,+3$; FJNQ: $+4,+4,+3$.
3. SVAD: S→V $+3$, V→A $+5$ (cyclic), A→D $+3$ — different.
4. So SVAD is the odd one.

Trick: Pattern $+4,+4,+3$ fits three clusters; find the one that breaks it.

Answer: (B) SVAD