ExamShortcut
high importance~2 Q in Tier 120 formulas⚡ 15 shortcuts5 subtopics

The language of the whole arithmetic section — profit-loss, interest, discount and DI are all percentage questions in disguise. Tier 1 asks 1–2 direct questions per shift (successive change, more/less flips, election and population problems) and Tier 2 leans on it heavily.

Track record in the exam

avg 1.5 Q / shift2024: 1–2 Q2025: 1–2 Q

Questions per shift in recent SSC CGL papers.

Test difficulty mix (66 questions)

21 easy35 medium10 hard

Question patterns exams keep repeating

Taken from previous-year papers. If a pattern is marked "very common", expect to see it in your exam.

Find a % of a number

very common

"What is 35% of 480?"

Find 10% first (move the dot one place left).

Build your % from pieces of 10% and 5%.

Example

What is 35% of 480?

10% of 480 = 48

5% = half of 48 = 24

35% = 48 + 48 + 48 + 24 = 168

Learn this in “Percentage meaning & conversions” →

Goes up by some %, then down

very common

A price or number rises, then falls (or the reverse). Asks the final change.

Start with 100.

Apply the changes one at a time.

Example

Price rises 20%, then falls 20%. Net change?

Start: 100

Up 20% → 120

Down 20% of 120 (that is 24) → 96

100 became 96, so 4% less

Learn this in “Percentage increase / decrease & successive change” →

"A is more than B" — so B is less than A

very common

"A is 20% more than B. B is what % less than A?"

Start with B = 100 and find A.

Compare the gap with A (the bigger one), not B.

Example

A is 20% more than B. B is how much % less than A?

B = 100, so A = 120

Gap = 20

Gap out of A: 20 ÷ 120 = 16⅔% less

Learn this in “'x% more than' ↔ 'x% less than' & chains” →

Population growing or falling

common

Population changes by some % each year. Find the number after 2–3 years.

Do one year at a time.

Never add the % of different years.

Example

Population 40,000. Up 10% in year 1, down 5% in year 2. Final?

Year 1: 10% of 40,000 = 4,000 → 44,000

Year 2: 5% of 44,000 = 2,200 → 44,000 − 2,200 = 41,800

Learn this in “Population growth, depreciation & elections” →

Election votes

common

Some votes are invalid. Winner's % and winning margin are given.

Use only the valid votes.

The winner's lead = gap between the two % × valid votes.

Example

20% of votes are invalid. Winner gets 60% of valid votes and wins by 1,200. Total votes?

Winner 60%, loser 40% → lead = 20% of valid votes

20% of valid = 1,200 → valid = 6,000

Valid is 80% of total → total = 6,000 ÷ 80 × 100 = 7,500

Learn this in “Population growth, depreciation & elections” →

Pass marks

common

One student fails by some marks, another passes with extra. Find full marks.

The % gap between the two scores = the marks gap between them.

Example

33% fails by 45 marks. 45% gets 15 above pass marks. Full marks?

33% → 45% is a gap of 12%

Marks gap = 45 + 15 = 60

12% of full marks = 60 → full marks = 60 ÷ 12 × 100 = 500

Learn this in “Marks, income–expenditure–savings & price–consumption” →

Price changes, so you buy more or less

common

"Price falls 20%, now you can buy 5 kg more for the same money."

Work out how much money the price cut saves.

That saved money buys the extra kg.

Example

After a 20% price cut, ₹400 buys 5 kg more. Old price per kg?

Cut saves 20% of 400 = ₹80

₹80 buys 5 kg → new price = 80 ÷ 5 = ₹16

₹16 is 80% of old price → old = 16 ÷ 80 × 100 = ₹20

Learn this in “Marks, income–expenditure–savings & price–consumption” →

Income, spending and savings

occasional

Income and spending both rise. Asks how much savings change.

Start with income = 100.

Find new spending, then new savings.

Example

Spends 80% of income. Income +15%, spending +10%. Savings up by what %?

Income 100, spends 80, saves 20

New income 115, new spending 88, saves 27

Savings rose 7 on 20 → 35%

Learn this in “Marks, income–expenditure–savings & price–consumption” →

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