SSC CGL 2025 Tier-I · 14 September 2025, Shift 1 · Quantitative Aptitude · Question 3 of 100

We transcribed this text from the pictures on a candidate's response sheet for this shift; the answer is the key SSC colour-marked on that sheet. Solution last reviewed 11 September 2026.

Where this paper and its answers come from

SSC does not publish CGL question papers or a public answer key. From 2025 the candidate response sheet prints every question and option as a picture, so the text here is transcribed from those pictures for this shift and checked against them independently; where the layout carries meaning, the picture is shown as well. Each answer is the key SSC colour-marked on that sheet. SSC released a tentative key for challenge and later its final one, both only to candidates behind a login, and the sheet does not say which of the two it carries. The solutions are written by UnlockIAS.

We doubt SSC's key on this question.

Option (d), 25:25, is the same ratio as the keyed 1:1 before cancelling, so two options are equal in value; this card follows SSC's key, which marks the lowest-terms form.

The answer below is still the option SSC's key marks, and we solve to that option.

The number of students in two sections A and B having different heights is shown in the table given below: Height (in metres) | Section A | Section B 1.55 | 5 | 4 1.60 | 9 | 8 1.62 | 11 | 13 1.65 | 14 | 10 1.68 | 6 | 7 1.71 | 7 | 5 1.75 | 4 | 3 What is the ratio of the total number of students in Section A whose height is less than 1.65 metres to the total number of students in Section B whose height is less than 1.65 metres?

(a)25:26
(b)1:1
(c)26:25
(d)25:25

Answer

Why

Correct — B. "Less than 1.65" keeps the rows 1.55, 1.60 and 1.62. The 1.65 row itself is out.

Add Section A's rows: 5 + 9 + 11 = 25
Add Section B's rows: 4 + 8 + 13 = 25

Ratio A : B = 25 : 25
Divide both terms by 25 = 1 : 1 → option (b)

Why the others are wrong

(a)
25:26 — Section B has 25, not 26, below 1.65 m: 4 + 8 + 13 = 25. Both counts are 25, so a 26 on either side cannot appear.
(c)
26:25 — Section A has 25, not 26, below 1.65 m: 5 + 9 + 11 = 25. With both counts equal, the ratio cannot lean towards Section A.
(d)
25:25 — 25:25 is not in lowest terms. It equals 1:1 in value, the same ratio before dividing both terms by 25, and the key marks the reduced form, (b).

Concept

This is a threshold read off a table. "Less than 1.65" is strict: it takes every height below 1.65 and drops the 1.65 row. "At most 1.65" or "1.65 or less" would take that row too.

Fix the qualifying rows first, then add the same rows in each column. Here both columns sum to 25, so the ratio is 1:1.

Options (b) and (d) are equal in value: 25:25 reduces to 1:1. The key marks (b), the lowest-terms form. If you chose (d), your counting was right and only the last step, cancelling, was skipped.

Key facts

"Less than x" excludes x itself, while "at most x" and "not more than x" include it.
A ratio is reduced by dividing both terms by their HCF: 25 : 25 → 1 : 1.
Adding the 1.65 row as well gives Section A 39 and Section B 35.

Study next

Cumulative "less than" and "more than" frequency tablesReducing ratios to lowest terms with the HCFStrict and inclusive bounds in word problems: less than, at most, at least

Common traps

Counting the 1.65 row: that gives 39 : 35, which is not among the options.
Stopping at 25 : 25 without cancelling to 1 : 1.

A table threshold also decides 12 Sep 2024, 09:00, Quant Q.12, where "at least 40%" of 50 marks means the 20-and-above column, so there the boundary is included.

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.

Topic: Ratio & Proportion — all 64 SSC CGL questions on it, every solved shift.