SSC CGL 2025 Tier-I · 17 September 2025, Shift 2 · General Intelligence and Reasoning · Question 5 of 99

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.

Find the two signs to interchange to correct the equation. 30 − 12 ÷ 3 × 2 + 4 = 122

(a)÷ and −
(b)− and ×
(c)× and +
(d)÷ and +

Answer

Why

Correct — B.
Rule: swap the two signs, rewrite the line, then solve it by BODMAS (÷ and × before + and −).

Swap − and ×: 30 × 12 ÷ 3 − 2 + 4
30 × 12 = 360
360 ÷ 3 = 120
120 − 2 + 4 = 122 ✓

The line balances → option (b).

Why the others are wrong

(a)
÷ and − — ÷ and − gives 30 ÷ 12 − 3 × 2 + 4 = 2.5 − 6 + 4 = 0.5, nowhere near 122.
(c)
× and + — × and + gives 30 − 12 ÷ 3 + 2 × 4 = 30 − 4 + 8 = 34, not 122.
(d)
÷ and + — ÷ and + gives 30 − 12 + 3 × 2 ÷ 4 = 30 − 12 + 1.5 = 19.5, not 122.

Concept

Read the printed line first: 30 − 12 ÷ 3 × 2 + 4 = 30 − 8 + 4 = 26, far short of 122.

A target that large needs a multiplication acting on a big number. Swapping − and × turns 30 − 12 into 30 × 12 = 360, and the rest of the line brings it down to 122. Estimating like this tells you which option to check first.

× and ÷ share a rank, so 30 × 12 ÷ 3 is 120 whichever you do first: 360 ÷ 3 and 30 × 4 both give 120.

Key facts

BODMAS: brackets, then orders, then ÷ and × left to right, then + and − left to right.
The printed line, 30 − 12 ÷ 3 × 2 + 4, equals 26.
After the swap, 30 × 12 ÷ 3 − 2 + 4 = 122.

Study next

Equations where two numbers, not signs, must be interchangedEvaluating a line after given signs are substituted, such as + for ÷BODMAS order when ÷ and × sit side by side

Common traps

Working left to right without BODMAS, doing 30 − 12 before 12 ÷ 3
Swapping the signs in your head instead of rewriting the whole line

10 Sep 2024, 09:00, Reasoning Q.16 asks the same question and keys the same pair, − and ×: 18 × 23 − 455 ÷ 7 + 28 = 414 − 65 + 28 = 377.

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.

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