SSC CHSL Tier I 2022 – 15 Mar 2023, Shift 3 Question Paper with Answers

“A blessing in disguise” is something that seems bad or unlucky at first but later turns out to be good.

Answer: Bad thing that turns out to be good

In a comparison meaning “more than any other thing”, the affirmative sentence uses “anything”: “more than anything”.

Answer: anything

The active sentence is in the simple present (negative): “does not play”. Its passive is “is not played by”: “Football is not played by Shivam.”

Answer: Football is not played by Shivam.

Cupidity means greed for money or possessions. Largesse means generosity in giving — its opposite.

Greed and avarice are synonyms; hatred is unrelated.

Answer: Largesse

As an adjective, malign means evil or harmful in nature; baleful (threatening harm, menacing) is the closest.

Answer: Baleful

Reversing the indirect speech: “would” → “will”, “had been” → “has been” and “his” → “my”, with the reporting verb “said,” followed by quotation marks.

He said, “I will be taking a leave of absence for two weeks as there has been a death in my family.”

Answer: He said, "I will be taking a leave of absence for two weeks as there has been a death in my family".

“Too” is followed by the positive degree of an adjective, not a superlative: “too sticky”.

Answer: too sticky

The noun “means” (a method) keeps its final -s, and the superlative needs “the”: “is one of the most effectual means of preserving harmony”.

Answer: is one of the most effectual means of

Sorcery is magic or witchcraft — something supernatural. Its opposite among the options is reality.

Spell and devilry are related to sorcery; dismiss is unrelated.

Answer: Reality

The correct spelling is “Artefact” (also “artifact”). Arduous, arrogate and articulate are spelt correctly.

Answer: Artefect

Contempt is the feeling that someone is worthless or deserves scorn. Approbation (approval, praise) is its opposite.

Opprobrium, odium and obloquy all mean public disgrace or hatred.

Answer: Approbation

“The federal government” + P (“currently provides disaster relief for direct impacts”) + Q (“of volcanic eruptions and other natural disasters,”) + R (“but limited or no assistance for the indirect effects”) + S (“experienced from long periods of volcanic unrest”).

Order: PQRS.

Answer: PQRS

The natural expression is “a picture of a witch riding a broomstick” — a picture of something, with the article “a” before the singular noun “witch”.

Answer: picture of a witch riding

“Pedal to the metal” means pressing the accelerator fully — going at full speed (or putting in maximum effort).

Answer: To go full speed, especially while driving a vehicle.

P states the claim (fasting gives rejuvenation and longer life), Q gives a possible reason (detoxification), R introduces the earthworm study, and S describes how the experiment was done, which leads into the final sentence about the isolated worm outliving the others.

Order: PQRS.

Answer: PQRS

“Everyone” is singular and takes a singular verb: “everyone was up and buzzing”. The error is in “everyone were up and buzzing”.

Answer: everyone were up and buzzing.

A (Good) Samaritan is a person who helps people in need. A novice is a beginner, an egotist is self-centred and a highbrow is an intellectual.

Answer: Samaritan

After the preposition “to”, a pronoun must be in the objective case: “given to both Neha and me”, not “I”.

Answer: given to both Neha and I.

“The dog chased the ball into the neighbour’s yard” is a correct simple-past sentence, so no improvement is needed.

Answer: No improvement

The correct spelling is “Aerie” (also “eyrie”), the nest of a bird of prey. Abase, aesthetic and affectation are spelt correctly.

Answer: Arei

The Games stopped after 1936 because of World War II, so they were “interrupted” by the war.

Answer: interrupted

After the break, the Olympics started again in 1948 — they “resumed”.

Answer: resumed

“…and was again held every four years” — the adverb “again” fits before the past participle “held”.

Answer: again

The IOC made a “decision” in 1986 to place the Summer and Winter Games on different cycles.

Answer: decision

The Summer and Winter Games were put on “separate” four-year cycles, alternating in even-numbered years.

Answer: separate

Ramesh is Rani’s only brother, so Ronit (Rani’s brother’s son) is Ramesh’s son.

Ronit’s mother is Ramesh’s wife, who is Mukesh’s sister. So Ronit is Mukesh’s sister’s son, i.e. his nephew (bhanja).

Answer: Nephew (sister’s son)

Cardiology is the study of the heart; similarly seismology is the study of earthquakes.

Selenography studies the Moon’s surface, pathology studies disease and pedology studies soil.

Answer: Seismology

The series is the word “normal” repeated: normal / normal / normal.

Filling the blanks in order gives r, a, n, r, a, o, m → “ranraom”.

Answer: ranraom

The radian is the SI unit of (plane) angle; similarly the ampere is the SI unit of electric current.

Power is measured in watts, voltage in volts and work in joules.

Answer: Electric current

Code = (sum of the alphabet positions of the letters) ÷ 7. N = 14 → 14 ÷ 7 = 2; KAW = 11 + 1 + 23 = 35 → 35 ÷ 7 = 5.

MAN = 13 + 1 + 14 = 28 → 28 ÷ 7 = 4.

Answer: 4

The two halves of the word are swapped: MA|KE → KE|MA and CA|MP → MP|CA.

So ST|AY → AY|ST = AYST.

Answer: AYST

Each term is 38 less than the previous one: 730 − 38 = 692, 692 − 38 = 654, 654 − 38 = 616, 616 − 38 = 578.

Answer: 616

Each consonant moves one letter forward (C→D, L→M, D→E; W→X, H→I, T→U) and each vowel is replaced by the next vowel in A, E, I, O, U (O→U, U→A; I→O, E→I).

WATER: W→X, A→E, T→U, E→I, R→S → XEUIS.

Answer: XEUIS

In each set the numbers increase by 6: 9, 15, 21 and 31, 37, 43.

Only (65, 71, 77) follows the same rule (+6, +6).

Answer: (65, 71, 77)

The differences are consecutive perfect squares: 83 → 119 → 168 is +36 (6²), +49 (7²); 76 → 101 → 137 is +25 (5²), +36 (6²).

(78, 87, 103): +9 (3²), +16 (4²) ✓. The other options give +16/+49, +16/+36 and +4/+16, which are not consecutive squares.

Answer: (78, 87, 103)

Second number = (first number + 2)²: 27 + 2 = 29, 29² = 841; 18 + 2 = 20, 20² = 400.

324 = 18², so the missing number = 18 − 2 = 16.

Answer: 16

In TVX, GIK and LNP each letter is 2 places after the previous one (+2, +2).

In IJK the gap is +1, +1, so it is the odd one.

Answer: IJK

Interchanging × and ÷, and 11 and 7: 13 ÷ 12 × 36 + 7 − 11 = 13 × 3 + 7 − 11 = 39 − 4 = 35 ✓.

The other options do not give 35 (for example, option 1 gives 36 ÷ 12 × 13 + 11 − 7 = 43).

Answer: × and ÷, 11 and 7

All words begin with E. Second letters: c (Ectasia) < m (Emergence) < n (Energetic, Engine, Envelope).

Among En- words: Ene- < Eng- < Env-. Order: Ectasia, Emergence, Energetic, Engine, Envelope = 4, 2, 3, 1, 5.

Answer: 4,2,3,1,5

The Red Fort, Howrah Bridge and Taj Mahal are landmarks in India; the Eiffel Tower is in Paris, France.

Answer: Eiffel Tower

Third number = 2 × √(first number) × second number: 2 × 5 × 13 = 130; 2 × 7 × 32 = 448.

(36, 12, 144): 2 × 6 × 12 = 144 ✓. Option 1 gives 2 × 8 × 16 = 256, option 2 gives 200 and option 3 gives 384.

Answer: (36, 12, 144)

Ziya is taller only than Zena, so Zena is the shortest and Ziya is 2nd shortest. William is shorter only than Uday, so Uday is the tallest and William 2nd tallest. Vikrant is taller than exactly three, so he is 4th from the bottom.

Shortest to tallest: Zena, Ziya, Yasir, Vikrant, William, Uday. The third shortest is Yasir.

Answer: Yasir

All parrots are birds and some birds are butterflies, but those butterflies may be birds that are not parrots.

So neither “All butterflies are parrots” nor “Some parrots are butterflies” definitely follows.

Answer: Neither conclusion I nor II follows from the statements.

In one hour O, T and P together do 1/3 + 1/4 + 1/6 = (4 + 3 + 2)/12 = 9/12 = 3/4 of the work.

Time = 4/3 hours = 1 hour 20 minutes.

Answer: 1 hour 20 minutes

Total of X = 120 + 160 + 240 + 200 + 40 + 220 = 980.

Total of Y = 60 + 280 + 260 + 140 + 180 + 80 = 1000. Ratio = 980 : 1000 = 49 : 50.

Answer: 49 : 50

Let the speed of the stream be s km/h. For the same distance, upstream time is twice downstream time, so downstream speed = 2 × upstream speed.

12 + s = 2(12 − s) ⇒ 3s = 12 ⇒ s = 4 km/h.

Answer: 4 km/h

35° and 55° are complementary, so sin 55° = cos 35°.

sin² 35° + sin² 55° = sin² 35° + cos² 35° = 1, so the value is 4/3 × 1 = 4/3.

Answer: 4/3

Selling n chairs for Rs.24,560 at 20% profit means the cost of those n chairs = 24560 ÷ 1.2.

Cost of one chair = 24560/60, so n = 60 ÷ 1.2 = 50 chairs.

Answer: 50

30² + 40² = 900 + 1600 = 2500 = 50², so the triangle is right-angled and the hypotenuse (50 cm) is the diameter of the circumcircle.

Radius = 25 cm; circumference = 2π × 25 = 50π cm.

Answer: 50π cm

The angles are x, 2x and 6x, so 9x = 180° and x = 20°.

The smallest angle is 20°.

Answer: 20 degrees

sin² 45° = cos² 45° = 1/2.

(1 + 1/2)/(1 − 1/2) = (3/2)/(1/2) = 3.

Answer: 3

A 30% price cut saves 30% of Rs.140 = Rs.42 on the same apples; this saving buys the 5 extra apples.

Reduced price = 42 ÷ 5 = Rs.8.4 per apple.

Answer: Rs.8.4

sin(x − y) = 1/2 ⇒ x − y = 30°; cos(x + y) = 1/2 ⇒ x + y = 60°. So x = 45°.

sin 45° cos 45° + 2 sin² 45° + cos³ 45° sec 45° = 1/2 + 1 + cos² 45° = 1/2 + 1 + 1/2 = 2.

Answer: 2

From the graph, J’s salary = 75 and M’s salary = 100.

Ratio = 75 : 100 = 3 : 4.

Answer: 3 : 4

By BODMAS: 12 × 36 ÷ 4 = 12 × 9 = 108 and 22 ÷ 11 × 3 = 2 × 3 = 6.

32 + 108 + 4 − 6 = 138.

Answer: 138

In an isosceles triangle the median AD to the unequal side BC is also perpendicular to BC.

In right ΔADC: DC = √(5² − 4²) = 3 cm, so BC = 2 × 3 = 6 cm.

Answer: 6

O is the meeting point of the bisectors of the exterior angles at Q and R (an excentre), so ∠QOR = 90° − ∠P/2.

∠QOR = 90° − 44° = 46°.

Answer: 46°

a⁴ + 1/a⁴ = 194 ⇒ (a² + 1/a²)² = 196 ⇒ a² + 1/a² = 14 ⇒ (a + 1/a)² = 16 ⇒ a + 1/a = 4 (taking a > 0).

a³ + 1/a³ = (a + 1/a)³ − 3(a + 1/a) = 64 − 12 = 52.

Answer: 52

Let CP = 100. With a 10% discount the profit is 10%, so 0.9 × MP = 110 ⇒ MP = 1100/9 = 122.22.

Without discount, profit = 22.22%.

Answer: 22.22 percent

Total savings = 400 + 900 + 700 + 400 + 500 = 2900; total expenditure = 200 + 500 + 400 + 300 + 1100 = 2500.

Expenditure is less by (400/2900) × 100 ≈ 13.79%.

Answer: 13.79 percent

C : D = 24 : 13 and D = Rs.1,300, so C = Rs.2,400. Then B = 2400 − 1500 = Rs.900.

A : B = 5 : 9 ⇒ A = 900 × 5/9 = Rs.500.

Answer: Rs.500

On 19 October 2022 Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the first phase of the “Modi Shaikshanik Sankul” educational complex in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, built by the Modh Vanik Modi community.

Answer: Ahmedabad

Under the Poona Pact of September 1932 between Gandhi and B.R. Ambedkar, the depressed classes got reserved seats in the provincial and central legislatures, but were to be elected by the general (joint) electorate instead of separate electorates.

Answer: September 1932

Mother Teresa, a Roman Catholic nun of Albanian origin, founded the Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata (Calcutta) in 1950 and worked in Bengal for most of her life. She received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979.

Answer: Mother Teresa

Java is an object-oriented programming language built around classes and objects. Standard Pascal and BASIC are procedural languages.

Answer: Java

UNCTAD’s Trade and Development Report 2022 (October 2022) projected India’s economic growth to slow from 8.2% in 2021 to 5.7% in 2022, citing higher financing costs and weaker public spending.

Answer: 5.7%

The Green Revolution (from the mid-1960s) relied on high-yielding variety (HYV) seeds of wheat and rice, along with irrigation, chemical fertilisers and pesticides.

Answer: High-yielding variety

Kerala won the 75th Santosh Trophy (national football championship) in May 2022, beating West Bengal on penalties in the final at Manjeri, Malappuram.

Answer: Kerala

A geostationary satellite orbits directly above the equator at about 35,786 km, taking 24 hours per orbit, so it appears fixed over one point on Earth.

Answer: Geostationary orbit

India was ranked 40th in the Global Innovation Index 2022 published by WIPO, up from 46th in 2021.

Answer: 40th

Bihu is the folk dance of Assam, performed during the Bihu festivals. Kalbelia is from Rajasthan, Bhangra from Punjab and Kathak is a classical dance of north India.

Answer: Bihu

A projector displays computer output on a screen, so it is an output device. MICR readers, OCR devices and scanners read data into the computer — they are input devices.

Answer: Projector

West Bengal received the PATWA (Pacific Area Travel Writers Association) International Travel Award 2023 for “Best Destination for Culture”, presented in January 2023 (at the FITUR travel fair, Madrid).

Answer: West Bengal

The Kolar Gold Fields (KGF) are in Kolar district of Karnataka; they were among the deepest gold mines in the world before closing in 2001.

Answer: Karnataka

Australia is the world’s largest producer of bauxite (the main ore of aluminium), followed by Guinea and China.

Answer: Australia

On 16 October 2022 Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated 75 Digital Banking Units (DBUs) in 75 districts to the nation, as announced in the 2022–23 Union Budget.

Answer: Prime Minister of India

Deepika Reddy is a well-known Kuchipudi dancer from Hyderabad and a Sangeet Natak Akademi Award winner.

Answer: Kuchipudi

Kanchenjunga, on the India–Nepal border in Sikkim, is the third-highest peak in the world. Many Indian textbooks (NCERT) give its height as 8,598 m, which is SSC’s answer; the commonly accepted figure today is 8,586 m.

Answer: 8598 metres

At the fifth Assembly of the International Solar Alliance in October 2022, India was re-elected President of the ISA and France Co-President, for two-year terms. The ISA was launched by India and France in 2015.

Answer: India

I is correct: a salt of a strong acid and a weak base (e.g. NH₄Cl) is acidic, with pH less than 7.

II is wrong: electrolysis of brine (aqueous sodium chloride) gives sodium hydroxide, chlorine and hydrogen (chlor-alkali process), not sodium oxide.

Answer: Only I

The International Kite Festival 2023 was held in Ahmedabad, Gujarat (from 8 January 2023, at the Sabarmati Riverfront), around Uttarayan.

Answer: Ahmedabad

The Attorney General of India (Article 76) is the highest law officer of the country and the chief legal adviser to the Government of India. The Solicitor General assists the Attorney General.

Answer: Attorney General of India

Article 26 gives every religious denomination the freedom to manage its religious affairs — to establish institutions, manage its own matters of religion and own and administer property.

Article 27 deals with freedom from paying taxes for promotion of any religion; Article 29 protects interests of minorities.

Answer: Freedom to manage religious affairs

Equinoxes, when day and night are nearly equal everywhere, fall on about 21 March (vernal equinox) and 23 September (autumnal equinox), when the Sun is overhead at the equator.

Answer: 21 March and 23 September

Gujarat Titans, captained by Hardik Pandya, won the TATA IPL 2022 in their debut season, beating Rajasthan Royals in the final at Ahmedabad.

Answer: Gujarat Titans

Sergio Perez of Red Bull won the 2022 Singapore Grand Prix (2 October 2022), ahead of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.

Answer: Sergio Perez