SSC CGL 2025 Tier-I · 19 September 2025, Shift 2 · General Awareness · Question 22 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 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.

In the 2025 Global Firepower (GFP) review, which of the following statements is correct regarding the ranking methodology?

(a)It considers only the number of active military personnel
(b)It ranks nations solely based on nuclear capabilities
(c)It uses over 60 factors including logistics and geography to calculate the PowerIndex
(d)It ranks countries alphabetically within continents

Answer

Why

Correct — C. Global Firepower's own 2025 ranking page says it 'utilizes over 60 individual factors' to set each nation's PowerIndex (PwrIndx) score.

Those factors range from the quantity of military units and financial standing to logistical capabilities and geography. Bonuses and penalties then refine the list.

That is option (c), almost word for word.

Why the others are wrong

(a)
It considers only the number of active military personnel — Manpower is one category among many. The PowerIndex also weighs equipment, finances, logistics and geography, over 60 factors in all.
(b)
It ranks nations solely based on nuclear capabilities — GFP measures conventional fighting capability. Its page says a smaller PwrIndx means a more powerful conventional force, so nuclear arms are not the sole basis.
(d)
It ranks countries alphabetically within continents — The list is a single ranking of 145 countries ordered by PwrIndx, from the United States at 1 to Bhutan at 145, not alphabetical by continent.

Concept

Global Firepower (GFP) publishes an annual military strength ranking. It says its in-house formula lets smaller, technologically advanced nations compete with larger, lesser-developed powers.

Every country gets a PowerIndex score. A perfect score is 0.0000, which GFP calls unattainable, so the smaller the score, the stronger the conventional military. The 2025 review covered 145 countries.

Read the scale the right way round: India's 2025 score of 0.1184 is weaker than the United States' 0.0744. A higher number means a weaker force.

Key facts

GFP 2025 ranks 145 countries by a PowerIndex (PwrIndx) score built from over 60 factors.
A lower PwrIndx means greater conventional military strength, and 0.0000 is the unattainable perfect score.
GFP 2025 top four: United States (0.0744), Russia (0.0788), China (0.0788), India (0.1184).
GFP applies special modifiers, in the form of bonuses and penalties, to refine the list.

Study next

The factor groups behind the PowerIndex: manpower, equipment, finances, logistics and geographySIPRI data on military expenditure and arms imports

Common traps

Reading a higher PwrIndx as stronger: the scale runs the other way, towards 0.0000.
Assuming a nuclear arsenal drives the rank: GFP scores conventional fighting capability.

GFP's method is also asked at 20 Sep 2025, 09:00, GA Q.21, on why it applies bonuses and penalties, and at 12 Sep 2025, 09:00, GA Q.20, which keys defence budget as a factor.

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.

Topic: Economic Scene — all 144 SSC CGL questions on it, every solved shift.