SSC CGL 2025 Tier-I · 21 September 2025, Shift 1 · General Intelligence and Reasoning · Question 22 of 99

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.

If ‘×’ = ‘+’, ‘+’ = ‘−’, ‘−’ = ‘×’, and ‘/’ = ‘÷’, then which equation is correct?

(a)10 × 2 + 4 − 1 = 21
(b)8 − 2 × 3 + 1 = 15
(c)12 + 6 − 2 × 2 = 28
(d)14 − 3 + 5 × 2 = 39

Answer

Why

Correct — D.
Rule: swap each sign for its meaning, then apply BODMAS: × means +, + means −, − means ×.

14 − 3 + 5 × 2 becomes 14 × 3 − 5 + 2
Multiply: 14 × 3 = 42
Subtract: 42 − 5 = 37
Add: 37 + 2 = 39, the printed value → option (d).

Why the others are wrong

(a)
10 × 2 + 4 − 1 = 21 — 10 × 2 + 4 − 1 becomes 10 + 2 − 4 × 1 = 10 + 2 − 4 = 8, not the printed 21.
(b)
8 − 2 × 3 + 1 = 15 — 8 − 2 × 3 + 1 becomes 8 × 2 + 3 − 1 = 16 + 3 − 1 = 18, not the printed 15.
(c)
12 + 6 − 2 × 2 = 28 — 12 + 6 − 2 × 2 becomes 12 − 6 × 2 + 2 = 12 − 12 + 2 = 2, not the printed 28.

Concept

A sign-substitution item redefines the operators. Rewrite the whole expression with the real signs first, then calculate by BODMAS: × and ÷ before + and −, each pair worked left to right.

Calculating with the printed signs is the slip to avoid. As printed, 14 − 3 + 5 × 2 is 21; only after the swap does it reach 39.

The rule '/' = '÷' never comes into play, because no option uses /.

Reading the table the other way round, with + standing for × and so on, makes no option balance: option (d) would give 14 + 3 × 5 − 2 = 27.

Key facts

Under the given table, 14 − 3 + 5 × 2 becomes 14 × 3 − 5 + 2 = 39.
BODMAS: multiplication and division come before addition and subtraction.
As printed, 14 − 3 + 5 × 2 equals 21, not 39.

Study next

Sign interchange with 'which equation is correct' optionsBODMAS with division and multiplication worked left to rightLetter-coded operators, such as P for + and Q for ÷

Common traps

Calculating with the printed signs before substituting.
Substituting in the reverse direction (+ standing for ×), which balances no option.

16 Sep 2025, 09:00, Reasoning Q.22 uses the same first two meanings (× = +, + = −) with − = ÷ and ÷ = ×, and keys 14 ÷ 2 − 2 + 4 = 10, which becomes 14 × 2 ÷ 2 − 4.

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.

Topic: Numerical Operations — all 148 SSC CGL questions on it, every solved shift.