A student has to get 40% marks to pass in an examination. Suppose he gets 30 marks and fails by 30 marks, then what are the maximum marks in the examination?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (c) 150
Scoring 30 and falling 30 short means the pass mark is 60. If 60 is 40% of the maximum, the maximum is 60 ÷ 0.4 = 150.
- Pass mark = marks scored + shortfall = 30 + 30 = 60.
- 40% of maximum = 60, so maximum = 60 × 100 ÷ 40 = 150.
- Check: 40% of 150 = 60, and 60 − 30 = 30.
Remember · Pass mark = marks scored + shortfall; divide it by the pass percentage to get the maximum marks.
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper II (2018, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·