SSC CGL 2025 Tier-I · 16 September 2025, Shift 3 · General Intelligence and Reasoning · Question 22 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.

If ‘×’ = ‘−’, ‘+’ = ‘÷’, ‘−’ = ‘+’, ‘÷’ = ‘×’, then which is valid?

(a)12 − 4 × 2 + 1 = 7
(b)10 + 2 − 4 × 1 = 8
(c)16 ÷ 4 + 2 − 2 = 10
(d)8 × 2 − 2 + 2 = 1

Answer

Why

Correct — B.
Rule: replace each printed sign with the one it stands for, then apply BODMAS.

Printed + means ÷, − means +, × means −, ÷ means ×.

10 + 2 − 4 × 1 becomes 10 ÷ 2 + 4 − 1
Division first: 10 ÷ 2 = 5
5 + 4 − 1 = 8, equal to the right side → option (b).

Why the others are wrong

(a)
12 − 4 × 2 + 1 = 7 — 12 − 4 × 2 + 1 = 7 becomes 12 + 4 − 2 ÷ 1. That is 12 + 4 − 2 = 14, not 7.
(c)
16 ÷ 4 + 2 − 2 = 10 — 16 ÷ 4 + 2 − 2 = 10 becomes 16 × 4 ÷ 2 + 2. That is 64 ÷ 2 + 2 = 34, not 10.
(d)
8 × 2 − 2 + 2 = 1 — 8 × 2 − 2 + 2 = 1 becomes 8 − 2 + 2 ÷ 2. Division first gives 8 − 2 + 1 = 7, not 1.

Concept

In a sign-substitution question the printed signs are code. Rewrite the whole expression with the real operators before doing any arithmetic, then apply BODMAS: division and multiplication before addition and subtraction.

With four equations to test, decode each option once and compare it with its right-hand side. The equals sign is not part of the code.

Option (b) balances even with its printed signs read at face value: 10 + 2 − 4 × 1 = 10 + 2 − 4 = 8. The decoded version, 10 ÷ 2 + 4 − 1 = 8, is the check the question asks for, and it holds as well.

Direction matters: '×' = '−' means the printed × is read as −. Read the other way round (printed − as ×), none of the four equations balances.

Key facts

The code: printed × is −, + is ÷, − is +, ÷ is ×.
BODMAS: brackets, then division and multiplication, then addition and subtraction.
Option (b) decodes to 10 ÷ 2 + 4 − 1 = 8.

Study next

Equations where two signs are interchanged before evaluatingChoosing which two signs to swap to make an equation correctLetters or symbols standing for operators, such as A for −

Common traps

Reading the code backwards, taking printed − as ×, after which no option balances
Checking the printed signs instead of the decoded ones: it happens to land on (b) here, but it is not the method the question sets

9 Sep 2024, 09:00, Reasoning Q.8 swaps + with − and × with ÷ before evaluating 5 – 4 ÷ 9 + 80 × 10, which becomes 5 + 4 × 9 − 80 ÷ 10 and is keyed 33.

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.

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