SSC CGL 2025 Tier-I · 17 September 2025, Shift 3 · General Intelligence and Reasoning · Question 4 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.

Consider the following statement and choose the option that follows. Problem: Frequent breakdown of ATM machines in remote areas. Course of: Action I. Banks should deploy mobile ATMs in these areas. Action II. Banks should shut down ATMs that face regular issues.

(a)Only I follows
(b)Only II follows
(c)Both follows
(d)Neither follows

Answer

Why

Correct — A.
Rule: a course of action follows if it is practical and reduces the stated problem.

The problem: people in remote areas lose cash access when ATMs break down.
Action I, mobile ATMs, brings cash service to those areas while fixed machines fail. It follows.
Action II, shutting the faulty ATMs, takes the service away. It does not follow.

Only I follows → option (a).

Why the others are wrong

(b)
Only II follows — Shutting down the faulty ATMs leaves remote areas with fewer machines, so the people the problem affects lose access. That makes the problem worse, not smaller.
(c)
Both follows — Both follows needs Action II too. Closing machines removes the service rather than restoring it, so II fails and Both fails with it.
(d)
Neither follows — Neither follows would mean mobile ATMs do not help. They carry cash service to the very areas where fixed machines keep failing, so I follows.

Concept

In course-of-action items, first restate the problem in plain words: here, remote areas keep losing ATM service. Then test each action with one question: does it reduce that problem in a practical way?

An action that removes the failing service and puts nothing in its place leaves the affected people worse off. Shutting ATMs is that kind of action. Mobile ATMs do the opposite.

Action II is not absurd in itself: a bank might retire an unreliable machine. It fails here because the statement offers no replacement, so closing machines in remote areas cuts access further.

Key facts

A course of action should be practical and should reduce or solve the stated problem.
An action that withdraws the very service the problem is about, with nothing in its place, does not follow.
Judge each action on its own first, then match the pair to Only I, Only II, Both or Neither.

Study next

Statement and assumption items with Only I / Only II / Both / Neither optionsStatement and conclusion itemsCause and effect reasoning

Common traps

Choosing Both because shutting faulty machines sounds decisive
Treating any action aimed at the faulty machines as a solution, even one that removes the service

The same opener and option wording, Only I / Only II / Both follows / Neither follows, asks about conclusions at 19 Sep 2025, 09:00, Reasoning Q.4 (organic vegetable subscriptions, keyed Only I).

18 Sep 2025, 12:30, Reasoning Q.4 uses the same opener for assumptions about cheaper long-distance train tickets (keyed 'Only I is implicit').

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.

Topic: Critical thinking — all 9 SSC CGL questions on it, every solved shift.