Minimalist IAS
CSAT 2024 paper

UPSC CSE CSAT 2024 · Question 47 · Arithmetic: percentage, ratio, averages, time & work

A person buys three articles P, Q and R for ₹3,330. If P costs 25% more than R and R costs 20%…

A person buys three articles P, Q and R for ₹3,330. If P costs 25% more than R and R costs 20% more than Q, then what is the cost of P?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (d) ₹1,350

Take Q’s cost as 100: R costs 120 and P costs 150, a total of 370 units. As 370 units = ₹3,330, one unit = ₹9, so P costs 150 × 9 = ₹1,350.

  1. Let Q = 100. R is 20% more: 120. P is 25% more than R: 150.
  2. Total = 100 + 120 + 150 = 370 units = ₹3,330, so 1 unit = ₹9.
  3. P = 150 × 9 = ₹1,350.
  4. Check: Q = ₹900, R = ₹1,080, P = ₹1,350, and 900 + 1,080 + 1,350 = 3,330.

Remember · Chain the percentages from the cheapest item taken as 100, then scale to the given total.

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper II (2024, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·

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