SSC CGL 2025 Tier-I · 19 September 2025, Shift 3 · General Intelligence and Reasoning · 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 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 '×' = '−', '−' = '+', '/' = '×', '+' = '÷', which equation is correct?

(a)12 × 4 − 2 + 8 / 4 = 11
(b)18 − 6 × 3 + 2 / 2 = 13
(c)14 + 7 − 3 / 2 × 1 = 16
(d)20 − 4 + 8 / 2 × 1 = 20

Answer

Why

Correct — D.
Rule: swap × → −, − → +, / → ×, + → ÷, then apply BODMAS.

Option (d): 20 − 4 + 8 / 2 × 1 becomes 20 + 4 ÷ 8 × 2 − 1
Divide: 4 ÷ 8 = 0.5
Multiply: 0.5 × 2 = 1
Then: 20 + 1 − 1 = 20 ✓

The left side equals the stated 20 → option (d).

Why the others are wrong

(a)
12 × 4 − 2 + 8 / 4 = 11 — 12 × 4 − 2 + 8 / 4 becomes 12 − 4 + 2 ÷ 8 × 4. Since 2 ÷ 8 × 4 = 1, it equals 9, not 11.
(b)
18 − 6 × 3 + 2 / 2 = 13 — 18 − 6 × 3 + 2 / 2 becomes 18 + 6 − 3 ÷ 2 × 2. Since 3 ÷ 2 × 2 = 3, it equals 21, not 13.
(c)
14 + 7 − 3 / 2 × 1 = 16 — 14 + 7 − 3 / 2 × 1 becomes 14 ÷ 7 + 3 × 2 − 1 = 2 + 6 − 1, which is 7, not 16.

Concept

In a which-equation-is-correct item, convert each option's left side with the new meanings, evaluate it by BODMAS, and compare it with the number on the right.

Here / stands for ×, while the printed × now means −. Write the four swaps once before touching any option, so no symbol is converted twice.

Option (d) passes through a fraction, 4 ÷ 8 = 0.5, before landing on a whole number. A fraction mid-way is not a sign of a wrong option.

Key facts

Under this legend / means × and × means −.
Division and multiplication run left to right: 4 ÷ 8 × 2 = 1.
Only the left side is converted, and the number after = is the target.

Study next

Symbol-substitution items that ask for a valueSign-interchange equation itemsBODMAS with intermediate fractions

Common traps

Doing × before ÷ in 4 ÷ 8 × 2, which gives 4 ÷ 16 = 0.25 and makes (d) look false
Rejecting an option because a step produces a fraction

15 Sep 2025, 12:30, Reasoning Q.24 uses the identical legend and keys 16 / 2 + 4 − 1 × 3 = 6, which becomes 16 × 2 ÷ 4 + 1 − 3 = 6 (keyed c).

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.