SSC CGL 2025 Tier-I · 17 September 2025, Shift 3 · General Intelligence and Reasoning · Question 18 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 11 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 4 & 4 = 32 and 5 & 5 = 50, what is 6 & 6?

(a)72
(b)64
(c)84
(d)76

Answer

Why

Correct — A.
Rule: a & b = 2 × a × b (twice the product).

4 & 4 = 2 × 4 × 4 = 32 ✓
5 & 5 = 2 × 5 × 5 = 50 ✓
6 & 6 = 2 × 6 × 6 = 72 → option (a).

Why the others are wrong

(b)
64 — 64 is 32 doubled, or 8 × 8. Neither follows from the examples: the rule doubles 6 × 6 = 36, which gives 72.
(c)
84 — 84 is 2 × 6 × 7, the value for 6 & 7. With both numbers 6, the product is 36 and the result 72.
(d)
76 — 76 is 2 × 38, and 38 is not 6 × 6. The results rise 32 → 50 by 18, and the rule's next rise is 22, landing on 72.

Concept

A symbol-operation puzzle hides an arithmetic rule behind the symbol. Find a rule that fits every example, then apply it.

Both examples here use two equal numbers, so several rules fit them: 2 × a × b, a² + b² and 2a² all give 32 and 50. They also agree on 6 & 6, since 2 × 36 = 36 + 36 = 72, so the answer does not depend on which you pick.

Equal pairs hide which rule the setter meant. The difference would show only on an unequal pair: 6 & 5 is 60 under 2 × a × b but 61 under a² + b².

Key facts

When a = b, 2ab = a² + b² = 2a², so all three rules give the same value.
Doubled squares: 2 × 16 = 32, 2 × 25 = 50, 2 × 36 = 72.
Test a rule on every given example before applying it to the question.

Study next

Symbol operations on unequal pairs, such as a² + b or a × (a + b)Operations that mix squares with a constant, such as a² + b² − 3Operations hiding a power, such as a % b = aᵇ

Common traps

Reading 4 & 4 = 32 as 4 × 8 and carrying × 8 forward, a rule that gives 40 for 5 & 5, not 50
Seeing 32 and doubling it to 64 without checking the rule against 5 & 5 = 50

12 Sep 2025, 16:00, Reasoning Q.19 uses unequal pairs: 5 @ 3 = 28 and 4 @ 2 = 18 fit a² + b, keyed 40 for 6 @ 4.

19 Sep 2025, 09:00, Reasoning Q.20 hides a power: 9 % 2 = 81 and 8 % 2 = 64, keyed 49 for 7 % 2.

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.

Topic: Symbolic/Number Analogy — all 169 SSC CGL questions on it, every solved shift.