SSC CGL 2024 Tier-I · 26 September 2024, Shift 2 · English Comprehension · Question 1 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 10 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 INCORRECTLY spelt word.

(a)Accessibility
(b)Apparatus
(c)Aptitude
(d)Atrocios

Answer

Why

Correct — D. Atrocios is not a word. The adjective is spelt atrocious, ending in -cious like ferocious and precocious.

Option (d) drops the u of that ending — the letter that gives the word its /shuhs/ sound. Accessibility, apparatus and aptitude are all printed exactly as a dictionary has them, so (d) is the spelling that fails.

Why the others are wrong

(a)
Accessibility — Accessibility is correct as printed: double c, double s, then -ibility from accessible. Its length makes it look risky, but nothing in it needs changing.
(b)
Apparatus — Apparatus is correct: double p, single r, and a Latin -us ending kept intact in English. Candidates who expect a double r mark this one by mistake.
(c)
Aptitude — Aptitude is correct: apt plus -itude, the ending it shares with attitude and gratitude. There is no letter to add or remove.

Concept

The format is four words: three spelt exactly as a dictionary has them, one deviating by a letter or two. In this set the deviation sits in the suffix, not the root.

Here the suffix is -cious, which English attaches to give the /shuhs/ sound: atrocious, ferocious, precocious, vicious. Learn the ending as a block and the wrong option announces itself — no common English adjective ends -cios.

The instruction is bare: no sentence, no meaning glossed. You are being asked to recognise a shape, so read each word ending-first rather than sounding it out, since all four options sound right when spoken.

Key facts

Atrocious means shockingly bad or cruel, and is spelt with -cious.
The -cious ending is shared by ferocious, precocious and vicious.
Accessibility keeps the double c and double s of access.
Aptitude is apt plus the ending -itude, as in gratitude.

Study next

The -cious, -tious and -ious adjective endingsDouble-letter roots: access, apparatus, occurrence-ible versus -able adjectives (accessible, accountable)

Common traps

Reading the root and stopping — atroc- is fine, the error is in the ending.
Assuming the longest, least familiar word must be the misspelt one.
Expecting a double r in apparatus and marking it wrong.

SSC prints the instruction 'Select the INCORRECTLY spelt word' with four unglossed words and no sentence — also at 12 Sep 2024, 09:00, EC Q8 and EC Q9, and at 09 Sep 2024, 09:00, EC Q12.

A sentence-based cousin asks you to repair the word instead, as at EC Q12 of this 26 Sep 2024, 12:30 paper, where acknowlege has to become acknowledge.

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.