SSC CGL 2025 Tier-I · 16 September 2025, Shift 3 · General Intelligence and Reasoning · Question 20 of 75

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.

A shop sells erasers at ₹8 each and folders at ₹25 each. If a customer buys 5 erasers and 3 folders, what’s the total bill?

(a)₹99
(b)₹115
(c)₹105
(d)₹111

Answer

Why

Correct — B.
Rule: cost of each item = number × price, then add the items.

Erasers: 5 × ₹8 = ₹40
Folders: 3 × ₹25 = ₹75
Total: ₹40 + ₹75 = ₹115 → option (b).

Why the others are wrong

(a)
₹99 — ₹99 is 24 + 75, the cost of 3 erasers and 3 folders. The customer buys 5 erasers, which cost ₹40, not ₹24.
(c)
₹105 — ₹105 is ₹10 short. With ₹75 for the folders it leaves ₹30 for the erasers, which is ₹6 each, not ₹8.
(d)
₹111 — ₹111 is ₹4 short. After ₹75 for the folders it leaves ₹36, and 36 is not a multiple of 8, so no whole number of ₹8 erasers gives it.

Concept

A bill is the sum of quantity × unit price for each item. Work each item out on its own line, then add.

Keeping the two products apart stops a count from being paired with the wrong price: 5 goes with ₹8, and 3 goes with ₹25.

Each option can be checked backwards: take away ₹75 for the folders and see whether what is left is 5 × ₹8. ₹115 leaves exactly ₹40, while ₹99, ₹105 and ₹111 leave ₹24, ₹30 and ₹36.

Key facts

A bill is the sum of quantity × unit price for each item.
Here: 5 × ₹8 = ₹40 for erasers and 3 × ₹25 = ₹75 for folders.
Back-check: ₹115 − ₹75 = ₹40 = 5 × ₹8.

Study next

Total cost with a discount or tax addedFinding an unknown unit price from a total billAverage price per item across a mixed purchase

Common traps

Using the folder count for the erasers too: 3 × ₹8 + 3 × ₹25 = ₹99
Swapping the counts: 3 erasers and 5 folders come to ₹149, which is not listed

15 Sep 2025, 09:00, Reasoning Q.17 sets the same kind of bill: 4 apples at ₹18 and 2 melons at ₹35, keyed ₹142.

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