The table given below shows the distribution of employees in four different companies in 2022. Company → Number of zones | Average number of employees per zone | Male : Female A — 30 | 300 | 3:5 B — 35 | 400 | 5:3 C — 27 | 500 | 4:5 D — 25 | 450 | 5:4 Find the total number of male employees working in company D in 2022.

Correct — D. Company D's row gives 25 zones at an average of 450 employees per zone.

total employees = 25 × 450 = 11,250

Male : Female = 5 : 4, which is 5 + 4 = 9 equal parts, so males are 5⁄9 of the total.

males = 11,250 × 5⁄9
= 1,250 × 5 = 6,250 → option (d)

Why the others are wrong

• (a)
  6000 — 6,000 males would need a workforce of 6,000 × 9⁄5 = 10,800, but 25 zones at 450 each give 11,250.
• (b)
  6750 — This is 11,250 − 11,250 × 4⁄10: it splits the staff over ten parts. The ratio 5 : 4 has nine parts, so the female share is 4⁄9, not 4⁄10.
• (c)
  6500 — 6,500 implies a workforce of 6,500 × 9⁄5 = 11,700. Company D has 11,250 employees, and 5⁄9 of that is exactly 6,250.

This table hands you no total. It gives a count of zones and an average per zone, and average × count returns the total: 25 × 450 = 11,250.

The second step is a ratio split. A ratio m : f divides a total into m + f equal parts, so the male share is m⁄(m + f) — here 5⁄9, not 5⁄4 and not 50%.

Both steps are one line each. The difficulty SSC builds in is locating the right row and resisting the numbers in the other three.

Key facts

• Company D has 25 zones with an average of 450 employees per zone, so 11,250 employees.
• A ratio of 5 : 4 splits a total into 9 equal parts, giving a male share of 5⁄9.
• 11,250 × 5⁄9 = 6,250 male employees in Company D.

Common traps

• Reading 450 as Company D's total staff instead of its average per zone.
• Dividing by 10 because a 5 : 4 split looks like a percentage.
• Answering with the female count, 11,250 × 4⁄9 = 5,000, which is not even offered.

No directly related past PYQ was found.