SSC CGL 2025 Tier-I · 22 September 2025, Shift 1 · Quantitative Aptitude · Question 11 of 98

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.

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A man buys a set of 3 identical watches at a total cost of Rs. 4,500. He sells them at Rs. 1,800, Rs. 1,700, and Rs. 1,600, respectively. What is the overall profit or loss?

(a)Rs. 100 loss
(b)Rs. 100 profit
(c)Rs. 600 profit
(d)Rs. 600 loss

Answer

Why

Correct — C. Overall profit or loss compares the total selling price with the total cost price.

Total cost price (given) = Rs. 4,500
Add the three selling prices: 1,800 + 1,700 + 1,600 = Rs. 5,100
Subtract: 5,100 − 4,500 = Rs. 600

Selling price is above cost, so this is a profit of Rs. 600 → option (c)

Why the others are wrong

(a)
Rs. 100 loss — Every watch sells above its Rs. 1,500 cost, so a loss is impossible. Together the three bring in Rs. 5,100 against Rs. 4,500 spent.
(b)
Rs. 100 profit — Rs. 100 is the gain on the Rs. 1,600 watch alone (1,600 − 1,500). Adding the Rs. 300 and Rs. 200 gains on the first two watches gives Rs. 600.
(d)
Rs. 600 loss — The amount is right, the direction is wrong. Total SP (Rs. 5,100) exceeds total CP (Rs. 4,500), and SP above CP is a profit, not a loss.

Concept

Overall profit or loss on several items is total SP minus total CP. A positive result is a profit, a negative one a loss.

The watches are identical, so each costs 4,500 ÷ 3 = Rs. 1,500. Item by item, the gains are 300, 200 and 100, and they add to the same Rs. 600.

The per-item route works only because 'identical' fixes each watch's cost at Rs. 1,500.

The falling prices, 1,800 then 1,700 then 1,600, can read like a slide into loss. Even the lowest is above the Rs. 1,500 that one watch cost.

Key facts

Overall profit = total SP − total CP.
Cost of one of n identical items = total cost ÷ n: 4,500 ÷ 3 = 1,500.
Profit % = profit ⁄ CP × 100, so this sale earns 600 ⁄ 4,500 × 100 ≈ 13.33%.

Study next

Overall profit or loss percentage when parts of a lot are sold at different ratesLots where some items are given away free or donatedTwo items sold at the same price, one at a gain and one at a loss

Common traps

Reading the falling prices as a loss: even Rs. 1,600 is above the Rs. 1,500 cost of one watch.
Stopping at one watch's gain, Rs. 100 on the last sale, instead of adding all three.
Getting Rs. 600 and then attaching the wrong sign: SP above CP is a profit.

Here every price is given, so only the totals need comparing. 12 Sep 2025, 09:00, Quant Q.13 sets up the same total-revenue-against-total-cost comparison around donated and free toy cars, and it ends in a 4% loss.

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.

Topic: Profit and Loss — all 87 SSC CGL questions on it, every solved shift.