SSC CGL 2024 Tier-I · 11 September 2024, Shift 2 · General Intelligence and Reasoning · Question 22 of 100

Text as printed on a candidate's response sheet for this shift; answer per SSC's tentative key as marked on that sheet. Solution last reviewed 6 September 2026.

Where this paper and its answers come from

SSC does not publish CGL question papers or a public answer key. The questions and options here are reproduced as printed on a candidate's own response sheet for this shift — the Commission's text, unchanged. Each answer is SSC's tentative key as marked on that sheet; SSC allowed challenges to it and never publishes a final key. The solutions are written by UnlockIAS.

Select the number that will come in the place of the question mark(?), if ‘+’ and ‘ – ‘ are interchanged and ‘×’ and ‘÷’ are interchanged 41 – 54 × 6 ÷ 9 + 7 = ?

(a)119
(b)108
(c)115
(d)104

Answer

Why

Correct — C. Rule: rewrite the line with the symbols swapped, then apply BODMAS to the new line.

Given: 41 – 54 × 6 ÷ 9 + 7
Swap + with – and × with ÷:
41 + 54 ÷ 6 × 9 – 7

Division and multiplication first, left to right:
54 ÷ 6 = 9
9 × 9 = 81

Then addition and subtraction, left to right:
41 + 81 = 122
122 – 7 = 115 → option (c)

Why the others are wrong

(a)
119 — 119 would need the middle block to be 85, since 41 + 85 – 7 = 119. After the swap that block is 54 ÷ 6 × 9 = 81.
(b)
108 — 108 needs a middle block of 74. Dividing before multiplying gives 81, and multiplying first gives 54 ÷ 54 = 1, so 74 has no source in this line.
(d)
104 — 104 needs a middle block of 70, but the swapped chain fixes it at 54 ÷ 6 × 9 = 81, and 41 + 81 – 7 = 115.

Concept

In a symbol-interchange question the swap is a rewriting step, not permission to change the order of operations. Rewrite the whole line on paper, then solve it normally.

Multiplication and division rank equally and run left to right, so 54 ÷ 6 × 9 is (54 ÷ 6) × 9 = 81, not 54 ÷ (6 × 9) = 1. That single point decides the question.

Addition and subtraction also rank equally and come afterwards, again left to right. Swapping symbols mentally as you go is where most errors enter, so write the new line out.

Both swaps must be applied. Doing only the + and – swap gives 70, and only the × and ÷ swap gives −33 — neither is on the option list, which is a useful signal that a step was skipped.

Key facts

Swapping + with – and × with ÷ turns 41 – 54 × 6 ÷ 9 + 7 into 41 + 54 ÷ 6 × 9 – 7.
Division and multiplication have equal precedence and are worked left to right.
54 ÷ 6 × 9 = 81, whereas 54 ÷ (6 × 9) = 1.

Study next

Symbol-interchange questions solved by rewriting then BODMASThe left-to-right rule for operators of equal precedenceInterchange items that swap two numbers as well as two symbols

Common traps

Multiplying before dividing and getting 1 for the middle block
Swapping only one of the two symbol pairs
Forgetting that the final + becomes a – after the swap

The same shift asks the interchange again with a different pairing at 11 Sep 2024, 12:30, Reasoning Q.24, where ÷ swaps with – and × swaps with +.

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.