SSC CGL 2025 Tier-I · 16 September 2025, Shift 2 · General Intelligence and Reasoning · Question 23 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.

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.

"If the given symbols mean: '+' means 'divided by' '-' means 'multiplied by' 'x' means 'minus' '÷' means 'plus' Then, find the value of the following expressions: 60 + 5 - 4 x 10 ÷ 2=?

(a)35
(b)40
(c)55
(d)65

Answer

Why

Correct — B.
Rule: replace each symbol by its meaning, then apply BODMAS.

Given: 60 + 5 − 4 × 10 ÷ 2
Decoded: 60 ÷ 5 × 4 − 10 + 2

Divide, then multiply: 60 ÷ 5 = 12, 12 × 4 = 48
Then left to right: 48 − 10 + 2 = 40 → option (b).

Why the others are wrong

(a)
35 — 35 falls 5 short. The decoded order gives 60 ÷ 5 × 4 = 48 first, and 48 − 10 + 2 = 40.
(c)
55 — 55 is 15 too high. After 48, the decoded tail is − 10 + 2, a net fall of 8, which leaves 40.
(d)
65 — 65 is 60 + 5 taken at face value. Under the code, + means divided by, so the expression opens 60 ÷ 5 = 12.

Concept

Symbol-substitution items change what each sign means but keep the ordinary order of operations. Decode the whole expression first, then solve it as normal arithmetic.

Write the decoded line out in full before any working. Solving while decoding is where signs get mixed up.

Key facts

Here + means ÷, − means ×, × means − and ÷ means +.
BODMAS: division and multiplication before addition and subtraction, left to right within each level.
60 + 5 − 4 × 10 ÷ 2 decodes to 60 ÷ 5 × 4 − 10 + 2 = 40.

Study next

Symbol substitution where two signs are interchangedPicking the equation that balances after a sign swapBODMAS with division and multiplication side by side

Common traps

Working the printed signs before decoding them
Adding before subtracting at the end: 48 − (10 + 2) = 36

The same four-symbol legend is printed at 15 Sep 2025, 12:30, Reasoning Q.23, where 48 × 8 ÷ 12 + 4 − 7 decodes to 61, keyed, and at 19 Sep 2025, 16:00, Reasoning Q.20, where 12 + 3 − 8 × 2 ÷ 1 decodes to 31, keyed.

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.

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