SSC CGL 2025 Tier-I · 17 September 2025, Shift 2 · General Intelligence and Reasoning · Question 9 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.

We doubt SSC's key on this question.

Assumption II says general relativity has been conclusively proven, but the statement claims only strong evidence for it, so on a strict reading II overstates the statement and only I is implicit (option c).

The answer below is still the option SSC's key marks, and we solve to that option.

Instruction: Identify the assumptions that must hold for the statement to be valid, then choose the correct option. Statement: The discovery of gravitational waves has provided strong evidence for Einstein's theory of general relativity, but it also opens up new possibilities for understanding the universe’s most extreme phenomena, such as black holes and neutron stars. Assumptions: I. Gravitational waves offer new insights into the nature of the universe. II. Einstein's theory of general relativity has been conclusively proven by the discovery of gravitational waves. III. The study of gravitational waves will lead to new breakthroughs in astrophysics.

(a)Only I and II are implicit
(b)Only II and III are implicit
(c)Only I is implicit
(d)All I, II, and III are implicit

Answer

Why

Correct — A.
Rule: an assumption is what the statement takes for granted. Deny it and see if the statement still stands.

I is implicit. The discovery 'opens up new possibilities for understanding' the universe, which takes for granted that the waves offer new insights into it.

II is counted implicit by the key. II concerns the statement's first clause, that the discovery 'has provided strong evidence for Einstein's theory'. See the dispute note.

III is not. 'New possibilities' stops short of 'will lead to new breakthroughs'.

I and II → option (a).

Why the others are wrong

(b)
Only II and III are implicit — Only II and III drops I, which the statement's 'new possibilities for understanding' supports, and adds III, a firm prediction of breakthroughs the statement never makes.
(c)
Only I is implicit — Only I leaves out II, which the key counts as implicit alongside I. II concerns the statement's first clause, that the discovery 'has provided strong evidence' for Einstein's theory.
(d)
All I, II, and III are implicit — All three includes III. 'Will lead to new breakthroughs' predicts a certain outcome, and the statement claims only new possibilities.

Concept

An assumption is an unstated premise: something the speaker must take for granted for the statement to make sense. Deny it, and the statement should fall.

Watch the strength of the wording. 'Opens up new possibilities' is weaker than 'will lead to new breakthroughs', so an assumption that turns a possibility into a certainty goes beyond the statement. That is why III fails.

II is the contested assumption. This card follows the key, which counts II as implicit, and the dispute note gives the stricter reading.

Key facts

An assumption is an unstated premise the statement depends on.
Einstein's general theory of relativity predicted gravitational waves, and LIGO first detected them directly in 2015.
'Opens up new possibilities' does not assert that breakthroughs will follow.

Study next

Statement–assumption items where one assumption overstates the statementStatement–conclusion items: what follows versus what is assumedCourse-of-action items built on a policy statement

Common traps

Accepting an assumption because it is true in the real world rather than because the statement needs it
Missing a jump in strength, such as 'new possibilities' to 'will lead to new breakthroughs'

17 Sep 2025, 16:00, Reasoning Q.10 uses the same instruction and rejects an assumption that pushes against its statement, DPSPs having limited significance (keyed Only I and III).

14 Sep 2025, 12:30, Reasoning Q.5 rejects one that goes further than its statement, job losses being temporary and reversed (keyed Only I and II).

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.

Topic: Critical thinking — all 23 SSC CGL questions on it, every solved shift.

Instruction: Identify the assumptions that must hold for the statement to be valid, then choose the correct option. Statement: The discovery of gravitational waves has provided strong evidence for Einstein's theory of general relativity, but it also opens up new possibilities for understanding the universe’s most extreme phenomena, such as black holes and neutron stars. Assumptions: I. Gravitational waves offer new insights into the nature of the universe. II. Einstein's theory of general relativity has been conclusively proven by the discovery of gravitational waves. III. The study of gravitational waves will lead to new breakthroughs in astrophysics.

(a)Only I and II are implicit
(b)Only II and III are implicit
(c)Only I is implicit
(d)All I, II, and III are implicit