2014 CSAT, all questions
UPSC Prelims 2014 · CSAT
Question 23: Basic Numeracy
If Sohan, while selling two goats at the same price, makes a profit of 10% on one goat and suffers a loss of 10% on the other
ahe makes no profit and no loss.
bhe makes a profit of 1%.
che suffers a loss of 1%.
dhe suffers a loss of 2%.
AnswerUPSC’s answer is (c).
Let each goat sell for 100. The goat sold at a 10 percent profit cost 100/1.1 = 90.91; the one sold at a 10 percent loss cost 100/0.9 = 111.11. Total cost is 202.02 against total sales of 200, a loss of 2.02, which is 1 percent of the cost. Shortcut: equal selling prices with equal profit and loss of x percent always give a loss of x squared over 100 percent.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) The profit and the loss are percentages of different costs, so they do not cancel.
- (b) The selling prices are equal but the costs differ; the net result is a loss, not a profit.
- (c) Right. Loss = 10 x 10 / 100 = 1 percent.
- (d) The loss is 2.02 on a total cost of 202.02, which is 1 percent, not 2.
Answer: UPSC’s key. Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.
Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2014, General Studies Paper II (CSAT), Series A. The paper on upsc.gov.in.