A question is given followed by two Statements I and II. Consider the Question and the Statements and mark the correct option.
Question:
In a football match, team P playing against Q was behind by 3 goals with 10 minutes remaining. Does team P win the match?
- Statement I: Team P scored 4 goals in the last 10 minutes.
- Statement II: Team Q scored a total of 4 goals in the match.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above Question and the Statements?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (d) The Question cannot be answered even using any of the Statements.
Even combined, the statements allow two outcomes. If Q had 3 goals with 10 minutes left, the match ends 4–4; if Q already had 4, P wins 5–4. So whether P won cannot be decided.
- Let Q have g goals with 10 minutes left; P then had g − 3.
- Statement I alone: P ends with g + 1 goals, but Q may also have scored in those 10 minutes. Not sufficient.
- Statement II alone: Q ends with 4 goals, but P's final score is unknown. Not sufficient.
- Together: P ends with g + 1 and Q with 4, where g is 3 or 4 (P had g − 3 ≥ 0, and Q's final 4 ≥ g).
- g = 3 gives a 4–4 draw; g = 4 gives a 5–4 win for P. Both fit, so the question cannot be answered.
- ✗ Statement I P's 4 late goals could be matched by Q's own late goals.
- ✗ Statement II Q's total is known but P's is not; even with I, the result can be 4–4 or 5–4.
Remember · Before choosing 'both together', build two cases that fit both statements; if they give different answers, the data are insufficient.
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper II (2025, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·