2020 CSAT, all questions

UPSC Prelims 2020 · CSAT

Question 18: Basic Numeracy

Consider the following data :

Average marks in EnglishAverage marks in Hindi
Girls98
Boys87
Overall average marks8·8x

What is the value of x in the above table?

a7·8
b7·6
c7·4
d7·2

AnswerUPSC’s answer is (a).

Weight each subject's average by the share of girls and boys. For English, girls average 9 and boys 8 with an overall 8.8, so the girls' share g satisfies 8 + g = 8.8, giving g = 0.8 (boys 0.2). The same class sits for Hindi: 0.8 × 8 + 0.2 × 7 = 6.4 + 1.4 = 7.8.

Why each option is right or wrong
  • (a) Right: 0.8 × 8 + 0.2 × 7 = 7.8.
  • (b) 7.6 would need 60% girls, not 80%.
  • (c) 7.4 would need 40% girls.
  • (d) 7.2 would need 20% girls.

Answer: UPSC’s key. Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.

Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2020, General Studies Paper II (CSAT), Series A. The paper on upsc.gov.in.