SSC CGL 2025 Tier-I · 16 September 2025, Shift 1 · General Intelligence and Reasoning · Question 5 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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If ' Z ' denotes 'addition', ' X ' denotes 'multiplication', ' Y ' denotes 'division', and ' W ' denotes 'subtraction', then what will be the value of the following expression? 3.2 Z (0.56 Y 1.4 X 4) W 5 X 5 Y 25 Z 5.

(a)6.9
(b)8.8
(c)8.6
(d)9.8

Answer

Why

Correct — B.
Rule: swap the letters for signs, then apply BODMAS: Z = +, X = ×, Y = ÷, W = −.

3.2 + (0.56 ÷ 1.4 × 4) − 5 × 5 ÷ 25 + 5
Bracket, left to right: 0.56 ÷ 1.4 = 0.4, then × 4 = 1.6
Next, 5 × 5 = 25, then ÷ 25 = 1

3.2 + 1.6 − 1 + 5 = 8.8 → option (b).

Why the others are wrong

(a)
6.9 — 6.9 is 1.9 below the true total. With the bracket at 1.6 and 5 × 5 ÷ 25 = 1, the sum 3.2 + 1.6 − 1 + 5 comes to 8.8.
(c)
8.6 — 8.6 needs the bracket to equal 1.4. It equals 1.6: 0.56 ÷ 1.4 = 0.4, and 0.4 × 4 = 1.6.
(d)
9.8 — 9.8 is 3.2 + 1.6 + 5. It drops the − 5 × 5 ÷ 25 term, worth 1, instead of subtracting it.

Concept

Symbol-substitution items give you a code for the four operations. Rewrite the whole expression in ordinary signs first, then evaluate it by BODMAS: brackets, then division and multiplication, then addition and subtraction.

Division and multiplication rank equally, as do addition and subtraction. Within a rank, work left to right. A decimal division like 0.56 ÷ 1.4 is easier as 5.6 ÷ 14 = 0.4.

Doing 1.4 × 4 before the division gives 0.56 ÷ 5.6 = 0.1 and a total of 7.3, which is not among the options. The left-to-right rule is what makes the bracket 1.6.

Key facts

Here Z = +, X = ×, Y = ÷ and W = −.
Division and multiplication rank equally and are worked left to right.
0.56 ÷ 1.4 = 0.4, because 1.4 × 0.4 = 0.56.

Study next

Symbol substitution where you choose the sign swap that makes an equation trueBODMAS with decimals and fractions

Common traps

Multiplying 1.4 × 4 before dividing, which breaks the left-to-right rule
Dropping the middle term 5 × 5 ÷ 25 altogether, which lands on 9.8

17 Sep 2025, 16:00, Reasoning Q.6 codes the operations as P, D, S and V and uses two bracketed groups: (48 V 8 P 25 D 6 S 4 P 3) D (25 V 5 S 3 D 4 S 3) comes to 7.

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.

Topic: Numerical Operations — all 148 SSC CGL questions on it, every solved shift.