SSC CHSL Profit and Loss Questions with Answers

SSC CHSL Profit and Loss Questions with Answers: Quick Answer

This page solves 9 official SSC CHSL profit and loss questions with answers, every one taken from the SSC CHSL 2025 Tier-1 Quantitative Aptitude section papers held on 15 and 18 November 2025. The count is 9 because that is how many questions in those two official shift papers belong to profit and loss, discount, or partnership profit-sharing. No question has been added from practice papers, memory-based papers, or any other source, and no count has been rounded up or down. Each question below is labelled with its sub-topic, shows the original options, the correct answer, a shortcut, and full step-by-step working. As of 2 November 2026, these 9 questions are the complete profit, discount and partnership set from the two official 2025 Tier-1 section papers held on this site.

The 9 questions split into three sub-topics. Two questions are straight profit and loss: one mixes a gain on one item with a loss on another, and one mixes a profit on part of a batch with a loss on the rest. Four questions are discount questions: one single discount, one mark-up followed by a discount, and two successive-discount questions. Three questions are partnership questions, where profit is shared in the ratio of capital multiplied by time. The same three formulas answer almost every question in this topic, so the formula box below is short on purpose: learn it, then practise recognising which question needs which line.

For the full shift papers these questions came from, read the SSC CHSL previous year question paper note. To attempt a complete 100-question paper under time pressure, try the SSC CHSL 2025 Tier 1 Question Paper 15 November Shift 1 test. For a short timed quant drill, try the SSC CHSL Maths Mini Mock Test 01 test.

Profit, Discount and Partnership Formulas Used in These Questions

Keep this box open while you work through the questions. Three ideas cover all 9 questions.

Profit and loss. Cost price is CP, selling price is SP, and marked price is MP. Profit = SP − CP, and profit percentage is always calculated on CP: profit % = (SP − CP) ÷ CP × 100. Loss % = (CP − SP) ÷ CP × 100. The single most common error in this topic is calculating profit percentage on SP instead of CP. If a question gives you a profit percentage, convert it to a multiplier at once: a 20% profit means SP = 1.20 × CP, and a 10% loss means SP = 0.90 × CP. Multipliers keep multi-step questions to one line each.

Discount. Discount is calculated on the marked price, never on the cost price: discount % = (MP − SP) ÷ MP × 100, and SP = MP × (1 − discount rate). For two successive discounts d1 and d2, apply them one after the other: SP = MP × (1 − d1) × (1 − d2). The single equivalent discount is d1 + d2 − (d1 × d2 ÷ 100), which is always less than d1 + d2. A 10% discount followed by a 20% discount is a 28% discount in total, not 30%, because the second discount applies to the already-reduced price. Question 8 and Question 9 below both test exactly this point.

Partnership. When partners invest different amounts for different periods, profit is shared in the ratio of capital × time. Work out capital × months for each partner, cancel the common factors, and share the profit in that reduced ratio. A partner who invests for only part of the year gets credit only for those months, however large the investment. If no time difference is given, the ratio is simply the ratio of the capitals. Working partners who receive a separate payment or management share are a different pattern and do not appear in this set.

Question 1 — Profit and Loss: Gain on One Item, Loss on Another

Previously asked in SSC CHSL 2025 Tier-I, 15 November 2025, Shift 1.

A dealer bought two antique items. On the first item, he gained 25%, and on the second, he lost 10%. The cost price of the first item was 60% more than the second. If the overall profit from both items was ₹225, find the cost price of each item.

1. ₹1,250 and ₹800
2. ₹1,200 and ₹750
3. ₹1,100 and ₹700
4. ₹1,300 and ₹850

Answer: ₹1,200 and ₹750 (option 2).

Shortcut. Let the second item cost x. The first costs 1.6x. Net profit is 0.25 × 1.6x − 0.10x = 0.30x = 225, so x = 750 and the first item costs 1,200. One equation, no separate profit figures needed.

Full working. Let the cost price of the second item be x. The first item costs 60% more, so its cost price is x + 0.60x = 1.6x. The profit on the first item is 25% of 1.6x, which is 0.25 × 1.6x = 0.40x. The loss on the second item is 10% of x, which is 0.10x. Overall profit is profit minus loss: 0.40x − 0.10x = 0.30x. This equals ₹225, so 0.30x = 225, giving x = 225 ÷ 0.30 = 750. The second item costs ₹750, and the first costs 1.6 × 750 = ₹1,200. The answer is ₹1,200 and ₹750.

Check. Profit on the first item is 25% of 1,200 = ₹300. Loss on the second is 10% of 750 = ₹75. Net profit is 300 − 75 = ₹225, which matches the question. If you had set the first item's cost to 0.6x instead of 1.6x, the net profit would come out negative, which is an immediate sign that "60% more than" was misread.

Question 2 — Profit and Loss: Part of a Batch at a Profit, Rest at a Loss

Previously asked in SSC CHSL 2025 Tier-I, 15 November 2025, Shift 1.

A dealer buys a batch of 25 pressure cookers at ₹800 each. He sells 15 of them at 20% profit and the remaining at 10% loss. Find the overall profit or loss percentage.

1. 6% Profit
2. 8% Profit
3. 10% Profit
4. 12% Loss

Answer: 8% Profit (option 2).

Shortcut. Work with totals, not with one cooker at a time. Total cost is 25 × 800 = ₹20,000. Selling prices are 960 and 720, so total sales are 15 × 960 + 10 × 720 = ₹21,600. Profit is ₹1,600 on ₹20,000, which is 8%.

Full working. Total cost price is 25 × ₹800 = ₹20,000. Each cooker sold at 20% profit sells for 800 × 1.20 = ₹960, so 15 cookers bring 15 × 960 = ₹14,400. Each cooker sold at 10% loss sells for 800 × 0.90 = ₹720, so the remaining 10 cookers bring 10 × 720 = ₹7,200. Total selling price is 14,400 + 7,200 = ₹21,600. Profit is 21,600 − 20,000 = ₹1,600. Profit percentage is 1,600 ÷ 20,000 × 100 = 8%. The answer is 8% profit.

Why the weighted average matters. Fifteen cookers at +20% and ten at −10% do not average to +5%, because the two groups are different sizes. The weighted result is (15 × 20 − 10 × 10) ÷ 25 = (300 − 100) ÷ 25 = 8%. That weighted-average line is a useful cross-check: if your total-based answer and your weighted-average answer disagree, one of the two multiplications is wrong.

Question 3 — Discount: Books Sold Below the Marked Total

Previously asked in SSC CHSL 2025 Tier-I, 15 November 2025, Shift 1.

12 books, each of ₹360, are sold at ₹3,600. What is the percentage of the discount given?

1. 16.67%
2. 18%
3. 15.5%
4. 14.57%

Answer: 16.67% (option 1).

Shortcut. The marked total is 12 × 360 = ₹4,320. The discount is 4,320 − 3,600 = ₹720. As a percentage of the marked total, that is 720 ÷ 4,320 = 1/6 = 16.67%.

Full working. The total marked price of 12 books is 12 × ₹360 = ₹4,320. The books are actually sold for ₹3,600, so the discount allowed is 4,320 − 3,600 = ₹720. Discount percentage is always calculated on the marked price: 720 ÷ 4,320 × 100 = 16.666…%, which is 16.67% to two decimal places. The answer is 16.67%.

The trap in this question. The discount is ₹720, and 720 is exactly one-sixth of 4,320. Candidates who divide by the selling price instead, 720 ÷ 3,600, get 20%, which is not among the options, but candidates who divide by a single book price, or who forget to multiply by 12, land on the wrong options. Always build the total marked price first when a question gives a per-item price and a total selling price.

Question 4 — Discount: Mark-Up Followed by a Discount

Previously asked in SSC CHSL 2025 Tier-I, 15 November 2025, Shift 1.

A vintage clock was bought for ₹10000. Its price was marked up by 40%. Thereafter, it was sold at a discount of 10% on the marked price. What was the percentage profit on the transaction?

1. 18%
2. 22%
3. 26%
4. 20%

Answer: 26% (option 3).

Shortcut. Chain the multipliers: marked price is 1.40 × cost, selling price is 0.90 × marked, so selling price is 1.40 × 0.90 = 1.26 × cost. That is a 26% profit, with no rupee figure needed at any step.

Full working. The cost price is ₹10,000. A 40% mark-up gives a marked price of 10,000 × 1.40 = ₹14,000. A 10% discount on the marked price gives a selling price of 14,000 × 0.90 = ₹12,600. Profit is 12,600 − 10,000 = ₹2,600. Profit percentage is calculated on cost price: 2,600 ÷ 10,000 × 100 = 26%. The answer is 26%.

Why 40 − 10 = 30 is wrong. Adding the percentages ignores the fact that they apply to different bases: the mark-up applies to cost price, while the discount applies to the higher marked price. The discount of ₹1,400 is larger than 10% of cost, so the net gain is 26%, not 30%. Whenever a question chains a mark-up and a discount, multiply the factors (1.40 × 0.90) instead of adding or subtracting the percentages.

Question 5 — Partnership: Three Partners, One Joins Late

Previously asked in SSC CHSL 2025 Tier-I, 15 November 2025, Shift 1.

A and B invest ₹30,000 and ₹50,000 respectively. After 6 months, C joins with ₹60,000. What will be the ratio of their profits at the end of the year?

1. 5:3:2
2. 6:5:4
3. 2:4:5
4. 3:5:3

Answer: 3:5:3 (option 4).

Shortcut. Capital × months: A = 30,000 × 12 = 3,60,000; B = 50,000 × 12 = 6,00,000; C = 60,000 × 6 = 3,60,000. Divide all three by 1,20,000 and the ratio is 3:5:3. C's larger investment is exactly balanced by the shorter time.

Full working. A invests ₹30,000 for the full 12 months, so A's capital-time product is 30,000 × 12 = 3,60,000. B invests ₹50,000 for 12 months, giving 50,000 × 12 = 6,00,000. C joins after 6 months, so C's money works for the remaining 6 months: 60,000 × 6 = 3,60,000. Profit is shared in the ratio 3,60,000 : 6,00,000 : 3,60,000. Cancelling 1,20,000 from each term gives 3 : 5 : 3. The answer is 3:5:3.

What to watch. C invests the most money but for half the time, so C ends level with A. Any answer that puts C ahead of A has ignored the joining date, and any answer that uses only the capitals (3:5:6) has ignored time altogether. In partnership questions, always write the months next to each capital before doing any division.

Question 6 — Partnership: Sharing a Fixed Profit by Capital Ratio

Previously asked in SSC CHSL 2025 Tier-I, 15 November 2025, Shift 1.

A, B, and C invest ₹20,000, ₹30,000, and ₹50,000, respectively, in a business. The profit at the end of the year is ₹50,000. What is B's share of the profit?

1. ₹15,000
2. ₹16,000
3. ₹17,000
4. ₹18,000

Answer: ₹15,000 (option 1).

Shortcut. The capital ratio is 2:3:5, with 10 parts in total. B has 3 parts of a ₹50,000 profit, so B gets 3/10 × 50,000 = ₹15,000.

Full working. All three partners invest for the full year, so profit is shared in the ratio of capitals: 20,000 : 30,000 : 50,000. Dividing by 10,000 gives 2 : 3 : 5, with 2 + 3 + 5 = 10 parts. Each part is worth 50,000 ÷ 10 = ₹5,000. B has 3 parts, so B's share is 3 × 5,000 = ₹15,000. For completeness, A receives ₹10,000 and C receives ₹25,000, and 10,000 + 15,000 + 25,000 = 50,000, which checks against the total profit. The answer is ₹15,000.

Exam tip. When every partner invests for the same period, skip the capital × time step and reduce the capitals directly. The "one part" method used above, finding the value of a single ratio part and then multiplying, is faster than setting up fractions for each partner separately, and it gives you all three shares for a free total check.

Question 7 — Partnership: Finding One Capital from the Ratio

Previously asked in SSC CHSL 2025 Tier-I, 18 November 2025, Shift 1.

In a partnership, the capital ratio between A and B is 5:7. If A invested ₹50,000, how much did B invest?

1. ₹60,000
2. ₹70,000
3. ₹75,000
4. ₹80,000

Answer: ₹70,000 (option 2).

Shortcut. One ratio part is worth 50,000 ÷ 5 = ₹10,000, and B has 7 parts, so B invested 7 × 10,000 = ₹70,000.

Full working. The ratio A : B = 5 : 7 means that for every 5 units A invests, B invests 7. A's investment of ₹50,000 corresponds to 5 parts, so each part is 50,000 ÷ 5 = ₹10,000. B's investment is 7 parts: 7 × 10,000 = ₹70,000. Equivalently, B = 50,000 × 7/5 = ₹70,000. The answer is ₹70,000.

Why this question is included. It is the simplest partnership pattern in the set, and it is the one candidates most often overcomplicate by bringing in time or profit figures that the question never gives. No period and no profit are mentioned, so neither is needed. If a partnership question gives you only a ratio and one capital, the one-part method is the entire solution.

Question 8 — Discount: Two Successive Discounts on One Article

Previously asked in SSC CHSL 2025 Tier-I, 18 November 2025, Shift 1.

A shopkeeper offers a 20% discount on the marked price of an article. If the marked price of the article is ₹2,500 and the shopkeeper further gives a 10% discount on the already reduced price, what is the final selling price of the article?

1. ₹1,850
2. ₹1,800
3. ₹1,600
4. ₹1,700

Answer: ₹1,800 (option 2).

Shortcut. Apply the multipliers in turn: 2,500 × 0.80 = 2,000, then 2,000 × 0.90 = ₹1,800. Two multiplications, no percentage-of-percentage confusion.

Full working. The first discount is 20% of ₹2,500, which is ₹500, leaving 2,500 − 500 = ₹2,000. The second discount is 10% of the reduced price, not of the original price: 10% of 2,000 = ₹200, leaving 2,000 − 200 = ₹1,800. The final selling price is ₹1,800. As a check, the single equivalent discount is 20 + 10 − (20 × 10 ÷ 100) = 28%, and 2,500 × 0.72 = ₹1,800, which agrees. The answer is ₹1,800.

The trap. Adding the discounts to 30% gives 2,500 × 0.70 = ₹1,750, which is not an option, but subtracting 30% from the wrong base or applying both discounts to ₹2,500 gives ₹1,700, which is option 4. The question stresses "on the already reduced price" precisely because the second discount has a smaller base. Read that phrase as an instruction, not as decoration.

Question 9 — Discount: Successive Discounts on a Laptop

Previously asked in SSC CHSL 2025 Tier-I, 18 November 2025, Shift 1.

A shopkeeper offers two successive discounts of 10% and 20% on a laptop priced at ₹40,000. What is the final selling price after both discounts?

1. ₹30,000
2. ₹31,600
3. ₹28,800
4. ₹32,000

Answer: ₹28,800 (option 3).

Shortcut. The combined multiplier is 0.90 × 0.80 = 0.72, so the final price is 40,000 × 0.72 = ₹28,800. The order of the two discounts does not matter: 0.80 × 0.90 gives the same result.

Full working. After the 10% discount, the price is 40,000 × 0.90 = ₹36,000. After the further 20% discount on that reduced price, the final selling price is 36,000 × 0.80 = ₹28,800. The total discount is 40,000 − 28,800 = ₹11,200, which is 28% of the marked price, matching the equivalent-discount formula 10 + 20 − (10 × 20 ÷ 100) = 28%. The answer is ₹28,800.

Comparing Questions 8 and 9. Both questions test the same idea with different numbers and different discount orders, and both have a tempting wrong option built from adding the percentages. In Question 8 the added-percentage error gives ₹1,750, just below the correct ₹1,800; here it gives ₹28,000 (30% off), which is not listed, while ₹32,000 (option 4) is the result of applying only the 20% discount. If your answer equals the price after one discount only, you have stopped a step early.

How to Practise These 9 Questions

Attempt the 9 questions again without looking at the solutions, with a 10-minute timer, and write the multiplier line for each question before touching any rupee figure. For profit questions the multiplier acts on cost price; for discount questions it acts on marked price; for partnership questions there is no multiplier, only capital × time. Mixing up the base is the error behind most wrong answers in this topic, so naming the base out loud, or writing "on CP" or "on MP" beside each step, is a habit worth building.

Then attempt a full paper. The SSC CHSL 2025 Tier 1 Question Paper 15 November Shift 1 test puts these profit, discount and partnership questions back among the other quant topics, which is the real test of whether you still pick the right formula when the topic is not announced in advance. After the paper, re-solve every question you missed from the formula box alone, without re-reading the full solution first. If the formula box cannot get you to the answer, the gap is in the formula, not in the question.

SSC CHSL Profit and Loss Questions with Answers FAQs

How many profit and loss questions are solved on this page?

9 official questions are solved on this page: 2 on profit and loss, 4 on discount (including one mark-up followed by a discount), and 3 on partnership. All 9 come from the two official SSC CHSL 2025 Tier-1 Quantitative Aptitude section papers held on 15 and 18 November 2025. No practice or memory-based question has been added, and the count has not been rounded up.

What is the difference between profit percentage and discount percentage?

Profit percentage is calculated on cost price: (SP − CP) ÷ CP × 100. Discount percentage is calculated on marked price: (MP − SP) ÷ MP × 100. Using the wrong base is the most common error in this topic. A ₹2,600 profit on a ₹10,000 cost price is 26%, as in Question 4, while a ₹720 discount on a ₹4,320 marked total is 16.67%, as in Question 3, even though both involve subtracting one price from another.

How do successive discounts work in SSC CHSL questions?

Apply each discount to the price left by the previous one. Two successive discounts of 10% and 20% multiply the price by 0.90 and then by 0.80, giving 0.72 of the marked price, which is a single equivalent discount of 28%, not 30%. Questions 8 and 9 on this page both test this, with different prices and discount orders, and both are solved by chaining the multipliers.

How is profit shared in a partnership question?

Profit is shared in the ratio of capital × time. Multiply each partner's investment by the number of months it stayed in the business, reduce the resulting ratio, and share the profit in that ratio. In Question 5, C invests the most money but for only 6 months, so C's share equals A's. When all partners invest for the same period, the ratio is simply the ratio of the capitals, as in Question 6.

Where can I practise more SSC CHSL profit and loss questions?

Attempt the full shift paper through the SSC CHSL previous year question paper note, which links the official 2025 Tier-1 shift papers, or take the short timed drill in the SSC CHSL Maths Mini Mock Test 01 test. The full paper is the better test, because it does not announce the topic in advance and you must recognise a profit, discount or partnership question from its wording alone.

Sources

• This site's own test files, verified 2 November 2026: 2 official SSC CHSL 2025 Tier-1 Quantitative Aptitude section papers (15 November Shift 1; 18 November Shift 1), each 25 questions with the official answer key. The 9 questions on this page are drawn only from those files, and every numeric answer was re-solved independently before publishing.
• Staff Selection Commission portal, ssc.gov.in — examination notices and answer key information for the SSC CHSL 2025 Tier-1 examination.

Last checked: 2 November 2026. This page will be updated if further official SSC CHSL 2025 Tier-1 shift papers are added to this site.