SSC CGL 2024 Tier-I · 19 September 2024, Shift 2 · General Intelligence and Reasoning · Question 3 of 99

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 figure from among the given option that can replace the question mark (?) in the following series.

Answer

Why

Correct — D.

Every box holds the same seven characters — 6, 2, =, 1, P, C, M — in the same slots: one alone at the top right, then two rows of three. Only which character sits where changes.

Rule: two moves alternate. Boxes 1→2 and 3→4 use move A, box 2→3 uses move B, so 4→5 is move B again.

Move B: the middle row shifts one place right; in the bottom row the left character rises to the top, the other two shift left, and the old top character joins at the right.

Box 4 is top 2, middle C 1 =, bottom 6 M P.
Middle shifts right → = C 1
Bottom drops its 6 and takes the 2 → M P 2
The 6 rises → top 6

That is option (d).

Why the others are wrong

(a)
Option (a) puts C in the top slot and rebuilds the middle row as 1 = 2. The character that rises to the top is the one leaving the bottom row on its left, which in box 4 is 6, not C.
(b)
Option (b) has the middle row right — = C 1 — but tops it with P and writes the bottom as 2 6 M. The bottom row keeps its own characters in order, M P, with the old top 2 joining at the right.
(c)
Option (c) keeps the top 6 but scrambles both rows into M = 1 and P C 2. Under move B the middle row only shifts, so C 1 = becomes = C 1 and never M = 1.

Concept

Character-series boxes look like coding but are pure position tracking. Nothing is added, removed or altered — the same seven characters are shuffled between the same seven slots.

The reliable method is to follow one character across all four boxes instead of reading each box whole. Track the 6: top slot, middle-centre, middle-right, bottom-left.

Move A (boxes 1→2 and 3→4): the middle and bottom rows swap places, each reversed left to right, except that the bottom-centre character rises to the top slot and the old top character takes the middle-centre.

A single rule appears to break at box 3 because there is no single rule. Two moves alternate, and the step you are asked for repeats the move that produced box 3.

Key facts

The seven characters 6, 2, =, 1, P, C, M appear in every box — nothing enters and nothing leaves.
Move B shifts the middle row one place to the right.
Under move B the top character enters the bottom row at its right end and the bottom-left character rises to the top slot.

Study next

Character-position series where one symbol is added or dropped at each stepFigure series driven by rotation of a whole shape rather than by moving elementsTracking a single element across a series instead of reading every frame whole

Common traps

Assuming one rule links every pair of boxes when 1→2 and 2→3 are different moves
Matching an option on its top character alone — options (c) and (d) both carry 6 there

Position-shuffle boxes reward tracking one character rather than reading each frame. Picture reasoning of another kind, paper folding and cutting, is set at 19 Sep 2024, 12:30, Reasoning Q.6.

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.