SSC CGL 2025 Tier-I · 15 September 2025, Shift 1 · Quantitative Aptitude · Question 4 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 13 September 2026.

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Simplify:((1.5 + 3⁄4) ÷ (2.25−1⁄2)) + 0.6

(a)1.8857
(b)2.8857
(c)3.8857
(d)4.8857

Answer

Why

Correct — A. Clear each inner bracket, divide, then add 0.6.

Numerator: 1.5 + 3⁄4 = 1.5 + 0.75 = 2.25
Denominator: 2.25 − 1⁄2 = 2.25 − 0.5 = 1.75
Divide: 2.25 ÷ 1.75 = 9⁄4 ÷ 7⁄4 = 9⁄7 ≈ 1.2857

Add 0.6: 1.2857 + 0.6 = 1.8857 → option (a)

Why the others are wrong

(b)
2.8857 — 2.8857 needs the quotient to be 2.2857. But 2.25 ÷ 1.75 is below 2, because 2 × 1.75 = 3.5 is already more than 2.25.
(c)
3.8857 — 3.8857 needs a quotient of 3.2857. But 1.75 goes into 2.25 once with 0.5 left over, so the quotient is 1 + 0.5⁄1.75 = 1.2857.
(d)
4.8857 — 4.8857 needs a quotient of 4.2857 = 30⁄7, which would require a numerator of 30⁄7 × 1.75 = 7.5. The numerator is 2.25.

Concept

Innermost brackets first, then the division between them, then the addition outside. The 0.6 joins after the division, not inside either bracket.

Both brackets land on quarters: 2.25 = 9⁄4 and 1.75 = 7⁄4. Dividing quarters by quarters cancels the 4s, so the quotient is 9⁄7, and 9⁄7 = 1 + 2⁄7 ≈ 1.2857.

All four options end in .8857, the decimal part of 9⁄7 + 0.6, so the ending decides nothing. What separates them is the whole-number part of 2.25 ÷ 1.75, which is 1.

Key facts

2.25 = 9⁄4 and 1.75 = 7⁄4, so 2.25 ÷ 1.75 = 9⁄7.
Sevenths cycle through the digits 142857: 1⁄7 ≈ 0.142857, 2⁄7 ≈ 0.285714.
For positive numbers, a ÷ b lies between 1 and 2 whenever b < a < 2b.

Study next

Sevenths as decimals and the 142857 cycleBODMAS with nested brackets and a term added outsideCommon fractions as decimals by sight: 1⁄2, 3⁄4, 1⁄8, 3⁄8

Common traps

Dividing the brackets the wrong way round: 1.75 ÷ 2.25 ≈ 0.7778, giving 1.3778 after adding 0.6.
Adding 0.6 inside the first bracket: (2.25 + 0.6) ÷ 1.75 ≈ 1.6286.

Brackets that mix decimals and fractions also decide 15 Sep 2025, 16:00, Quant Q.1: (3.2 − 1 3⁄5) + (2 1⁄4 ÷ 0.5) = 1.6 + 4.5 = 6.1.

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.

Topic: Basic algebraic identities of School Algebra & Elementary surds — all 182 SSC CGL questions on it, every solved shift.