SSC CGL 2024 Tier-I · 17 September 2024, Shift 3 · General Intelligence and Reasoning · Question 5 of 98

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 set in which the numbers are related in the same way as are the numbers of the following sets. (NOTE: Operations should be performed on the whole numbers, without breaking down the numbers into its constituent digits. E.g. 13 – Operations on 13 such as adding /deleting /multiplying etc. to 13 can be performed. Breaking down 13 into 1 and 3 and then performing mathematical operations on 1 and 3 is not allowed.) (23, 230, 5) (17, 272, 8)

(a)(14, 210, 5)
(b)(18, 648, 9)
(c)(16, 336, 7)
(d)(19, 304, 8)

Answer

Why

Correct — D. Both given sets link their three numbers the same way.

Rule: middle = first × third × 2.

(23, 230, 5): 23 × 5 = 115 → 115 × 2 = 230
(17, 272, 8): 17 × 8 = 136 → 136 × 2 = 272

Option (d): 19 × 8 = 152 → 152 × 2 = 304, which is the middle number printed. So option (d) is the set that belongs.

Why the others are wrong

(a)
(14, 210, 5) — 14 × 5 × 2 = 140, not 210. The printed 210 is 14 × 5 × 3, so the outer numbers are multiplied by 3 instead of 2.
(b)
(18, 648, 9) — 18 × 9 × 2 = 324. The printed 648 is double that, i.e. 18 × 9 × 4, so this set uses a constant of 4.
(c)
(16, 336, 7) — 16 × 7 × 2 = 224, not 336. The printed 336 is 16 × 7 × 3, the same wrong constant that option (a) uses.

Concept

In a three-number set the fastest move is to divide, not to guess operations.

Divide the middle number by the product of the outer two: 230 ÷ (23 × 5) = 2. Repeat on the second given set: 272 ÷ (17 × 8) = 2.

Two agreeing quotients fix the rule, and every option can then be tested with one multiplication. Guessing operation by operation on four options takes several times longer and misses the constant.

The three wrong options are not random: two of them use a constant of 3 and one uses 4.

So checking only that the middle is some multiple of first × third lets every option through. The constant has to be pinned to 2 before any option can be rejected.

Key facts

230 = 23 × 5 × 2 and 272 = 17 × 8 × 2.
The test that exposes the constant is middle ÷ (first × third).
The printed NOTE bars digit-splitting, so 23 stays 23 and is not read as 2 and 3.

Study next

Three-number sets where the middle term is a product of the outer two and a constantDividing out the known terms to expose a constant instead of testing operations one by oneConfirming a candidate rule on the second given set before reading any option

Common traps

Stopping at middle = first × third, which fits none of the four options exactly.
Fitting the rule to one given set only.
Reading 304 ÷ 19 = 16 as unrelated, when 16 is simply 8 × 2 and confirms the rule.

The three-number set stem is set at Reasoning Q.3 on 11 Sep 2024, 12:30 and Q.5 on 12 Sep 2024, 12:30.

Q.3 there runs on first + 2 × second — (34, 15, 64) and (29, 17, 63) — a different rule from this one. Derive the rule from the sets printed in front of you.

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.