SSC CGL 2025 Tier-I · 19 September 2025, Shift 3 · English Comprehension · Question 7 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.

Choose the correct one-word substitute for: 'A system of government where priests rule in the name of God'.

(a)Plutocracy
(b)Theocracy
(c)Autocracy
(d)Aristocracy

Answer

Why

Correct — B. Theocracy joins Greek theos, god, with -cracy, rule. It names a state governed by priests or religious authorities who rule in the name of God.

The definition's triggers are priests and in the name of God → option (b).

Plutocracy, Autocracy and Aristocracy are also -cracy words, so the suffix decides nothing. The first half of each word does.

Why the others are wrong

(a)
Plutocracy — Plutocracy is rule by the wealthy, from Greek ploutos, wealth. The definition names priests and God, not money.
(c)
Autocracy — Autocracy is rule by one person with absolute power, from Greek autos, self. The power rests on that person, not on a claim to rule for God.
(d)
Aristocracy — Aristocracy is rule by a privileged class, usually a hereditary nobility, from Greek aristos, best. Its rulers hold power by birth and rank, not as priests.

Concept

-cracy means rule or government, and -crat names the ruler: democracy and democrat, autocracy and autocrat.

The first half says who rules. Theo- is god, pluto- is wealth, auto- is self, aristo- is best, demo- is people.

In a theocracy, religious law and religious leaders hold political power, and the government claims its authority from God.

The stem gives two triggers, priests and God. Either one is enough, since none of the rival -cracy words involves religion.

Key facts

Theocracy is government by priests or religious authorities in the name of God.
The suffix -cracy means rule, and -crat names the ruler.
Plutocracy is rule by the wealthy, autocracy by one person, aristocracy by a privileged class.
Theo- comes from Greek theos, god, as in theology and atheist.

Study next

More government words: kleptocracy, gerontocracy, meritocracy and bureaucracyThe -archy family, where the suffix also means rule: monarchy, oligarchy and anarchyGreek prefixes that name who rules: theo-, pluto-, auto-, aristo-, demo-

Common traps

Matching on the -cracy ending, when all four options carry it
Confusing theocracy with autocracy because a theocratic ruler may also hold absolute power

The definition is given in full and all four options share the -cracy ending, so the prefix decides.

-cracy one-word substitutes are also asked at 19 Sep 2025, 9:00, English Q.8 (keyed Kleptocracy, with Plutocracy and Oligarchy as wrong options) and 10 Sep 2024, 9:00, English Q.2 (A government by the officials, keyed Bureaucracy).

Theocracy itself turns up in the reading passage at 19 Sep 2025, 9:00, English Q.16 to Q.20: 'it would risk descending into authoritarianism or theocracy'.

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.