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CSAT

CSAT · 140 questions

Number system

Every UPSC CSAT question on this topic, 2016–2026, newest first. Tap an option to check yourself; the answer and explanation open below it.

Number system questions per year: 2016: 3, 2017: 7, 2018: 5, 2019: 13, 2020: 19, 2021: 10, 2022: 13, 2023: 21, 2024: 15, 2025: 22, 2026: 12 Asked in 11 of 11 years · most in 2025 (22)

UPSC syllabus: “Basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude, etc.) (Class X level), Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency etc. — Class X level);” See the full syllabus →

Showing 31–60 of 140, newest first.

Let p + q = 10, where p, q are integers.

  1. Value-I: Maximum value of p × q when p, q are positive integers.
  2. Value-II: Maximum value of p × q when p ≥ −6, q ≥ −4.

Which one of the following is correct?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (c) Value-I = Value-II

For a fixed sum of 10, the product p × q is largest when p = q = 5, giving 25. Allowing some negative values only adds negative products, so both maxima are 25 and the two values are equal.

  1. Value-I: with p + q = 10 and both positive, p × q = p(10 − p) is largest at p = q = 5, giving 25.
  2. Value-II: p ≥ −6 and q ≥ −4 allow p from −6 to 14. The product p(10 − p) still peaks at p = 5 (25).
  3. The extra cases give negative products, e.g. (−6) × 16 = −96 and 14 × (−4) = −56.
  4. So Value-II = 25 = Value-I.

Remember · For a fixed sum, the product is greatest when the two numbers are equal (or as close as possible).

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). Permalink ·

Consider a set of 11 numbers:

  1. Value-I: Minimum value of the average of the numbers of the set when they are consecutive integers ≥ −5.
  2. Value-II: Minimum value of the product of the numbers of the set when they are consecutive non-negative integers.

Which one of the following is correct?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (c) Value-I = Value-II

The lowest allowed set, −5 to 5, is balanced around 0, so its average is 0. The product of 0, 1, …, 10 is 0, the smallest possible for non-negative integers. Both values are 0.

  1. Value-I: the lowest possible set is −5, −4, …, 4, 5. Its average is 0; any later set has a larger average. So Value-I = 0.
  2. Value-II: the set 0, 1, …, 10 has product 0; any set starting above 0 has a positive product. So Value-II = 0.
  3. Value-I = Value-II.

Remember · Consecutive integers balanced around 0 average 0; a product of non-negative numbers is smallest (0) when it includes 0.

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). Permalink ·

Let x be a real number between 0 and 1. Which of the following statements is/are correct?

  1. I.x² > x³.
  2. II.x > √x.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Answer & explanation

Answer: (a) I only

For a number between 0 and 1, higher powers get smaller and square roots get larger. So x² > x³ is true, but x > √x is false.

  1. Take x = 0.25 as a test value.
  2. I: x² = 0.0625 and x³ = 0.015625, so x² > x³. In general x² − x³ = x²(1 − x) > 0 for 0 < x < 1. True.
  3. II: √0.25 = 0.5, which is larger than 0.25, so x > √x is false. For 0 < x < 1, √x is always larger than x.
  4. Only statement I is correct.
  • ✓ I x² − x³ = x²(1 − x) is positive when 0 < x < 1, so x² > x³.
  • ✗ II For a fraction between 0 and 1 the square root is larger: √0.25 = 0.5 > 0.25.

Remember · Between 0 and 1: x³ < x² < x < √x. Test with x = 0.25 to confirm quickly.

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). Permalink ·

The difference between any two natural numbers is 10. What can be said about the natural numbers which are divisible by 5 and lie between these two numbers?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (c) There can be more than one such number.

Two natural numbers 10 apart have nine numbers strictly between them. These contain one multiple of 5 when both ends are multiples of 5 (5 and 15) and two otherwise (3 and 13). So there can be more than one such number, as (c) says.

  1. Take 5 and 15: the only multiple of 5 strictly between them is 10 — one number.
  2. Take 3 and 13: the multiples of 5 between them are 5 and 10 — two numbers.
  3. The nine numbers between the two always include at least one multiple of 5, so the count is 1 or 2, never 0.
  4. Only (c), 'There can be more than one such number', holds in general.
  • ✗ (a) True only when both numbers are multiples of 5 (e.g. 5 and 15); 3 and 13 have two such numbers between them.
  • ✗ (b) True only when neither number is a multiple of 5; 5 and 15 have just one (10) between them.
  • ✓ (c) The count can be 2 (3 and 13 give 5 and 10), so more than one such number is possible.
  • ✗ (d) Nine consecutive numbers always include a multiple of 5, so at least one always exists.

Remember · When a count depends on the case, test a boundary case and a general case; pick the option true in every case.

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). Permalink ·

How many consecutive zeros are there at the end of the integer obtained in the product 1² × 2⁴ × 3⁶ × 4⁸ × ⋯ × 25⁵⁰?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (d) 200

The product is n raised to the power 2n for n = 1 to 25. Twos are plentiful, so count the fives: only 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 contribute, giving 10 + 20 + 30 + 40 + 100 = 200.

  1. Each zero at the end needs one 2 and one 5; there are far more 2s than 5s here, so count the 5s.
  2. Only multiples of 5 carry a 5: 5¹⁰ gives 10 fives, 10²⁰ gives 20, 15³⁰ gives 30, 20⁴⁰ gives 40.
  3. 25 = 5², so 25⁵⁰ = 5¹⁰⁰ gives 100 fives.
  4. Total fives = 10 + 20 + 30 + 40 + 100 = 200, so there are 200 zeros at the end.
  5. Check: forgetting that 25 holds two 5s gives 150, which is not even an option.

Remember · Trailing zeros = number of 5s (2s are always more). Remember 25 = 5², so its power counts double.

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). Permalink ·

On January 1st, 2023, a person saved ₹1. On January 2nd, 2023, he saved ₹2 more than that on the previous day. On January 3rd, 2023, he saved ₹2 more than that on the previous day and so on. At the end of which date was his total savings a perfect square as well a perfect cube?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (b) 8th January, 2023

He saves 1, 3, 5, 7, … rupees, so the total after n days is n². A number that is both a square and a cube is a sixth power, so n must be a perfect cube; n = 8 gives 64 = 8² = 4³.

  1. Daily savings are the odd numbers 1, 3, 5, …; the sum of the first n odd numbers is n².
  2. n² is also a perfect cube only when it is a sixth power, i.e. when n itself is a perfect cube.
  3. The first cube after 1 is 8: total after 8 days = 64 = 8² = 4³.
  4. So the date is 8th January, 2023.
  5. Check: 7 days give 49 and 9 days give 81, neither a cube. (The ₹1 at the end of 1st January is trivially 1² = 1³, but that date is not among the options.)

Remember · Sum of the first n odd numbers = n². A number that is both a square and a cube is a sixth power.

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). Permalink ·

222³³³ + 333²²² is divisible by which of the following numbers?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (b) 3 and 37 but not 2

222 = 2 × 3 × 37 and 333 = 3² × 37, so both terms, and hence their sum, are divisible by 3 and 37. But 222³³³ is even and 333²²² is odd, so the sum is odd and not divisible by 2.

  1. Factorise the bases: 222 = 2 × 3 × 37 and 333 = 3 × 3 × 37.
  2. Both 222³³³ and 333²²² contain the factors 3 and 37, so their sum is divisible by 3 and by 37.
  3. 222³³³ is even; 333²²² is odd (a power of an odd number stays odd). Even + odd = odd.
  4. So the sum is divisible by 3 and 37 but not by 2.

Remember · Factorise the bases first: a sum is divisible by any factor common to both terms. Even + odd is always odd.

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). Permalink ·

What is the rightmost digit preceding the zeros in the value of 30³⁰?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (d) 9

30³⁰ = 3³⁰ × 10³⁰, so the digit just before the zeros is the unit digit of 3³⁰. Powers of 3 end in 3, 9, 7, 1 in a cycle of 4, and 30 leaves remainder 2 on division by 4, giving 9.

  1. 30³⁰ = 3³⁰ × 10³⁰; the factor 10³⁰ supplies the 30 zeros at the end.
  2. The unit digits of 3¹, 3², 3³, 3⁴ are 3, 9, 7, 1, and then they repeat every 4 powers.
  3. 30 = 4 × 7 + 2, so 3³⁰ ends like 3², i.e. in 9.
  4. So the rightmost digit before the zeros is 9.

Remember · Split off the powers of 10 first; then use the four-step unit-digit cycle (remainder 0 means the fourth digit).

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). Permalink ·

421 and 427, when divided by the same number, leave the same remainder 1. How many numbers can be used as the divisor in order to get the same remainder 1?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (c) 3

If both numbers leave remainder 1, the divisor divides 420 and 426, and hence their HCF, 6. The divisors of 6 that are greater than 1 are 2, 3 and 6, so three numbers work (1 cannot leave a remainder of 1).

  1. Remainder 1 means the divisor divides 421 − 1 = 420 and 427 − 1 = 426.
  2. HCF(420, 426) = HCF(420, 6) = 6.
  3. Divisors of 6 are 1, 2, 3 and 6. A divisor must be larger than the remainder, so 1 is ruled out.
  4. Possible divisors: 2, 3 and 6, i.e. 3 numbers.
  5. Check: 421 = 6 × 70 + 1 and 427 = 6 × 71 + 1.

Remember · Same remainder r: the divisor divides each number minus r. Count the HCF’s divisors that are larger than r.

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). Permalink ·

A can X contains 399 litres of petrol and a can Y contains 532 litres of diesel. They are to be bottled in bottles of equal size so that whole of petrol and diesel would be separately bottled. The bottle capacity in terms of litres is an integer. How many different bottle sizes are possible?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (b) 4

A bottle size must divide both 399 and 532 exactly, i.e. it must divide their HCF, 133 = 7 × 19. The number 133 has four divisors: 1, 7, 19 and 133.

  1. 399 = 3 × 7 × 19 and 532 = 2² × 7 × 19.
  2. HCF(399, 532) = 7 × 19 = 133.
  3. Every common divisor divides 133: 1, 7, 19 and 133.
  4. So 4 different bottle sizes are possible.
  5. Check: 532 − 399 = 133, and 399 = 3 × 133, 532 = 4 × 133.

Remember · ‘Equal bottles for both’ means common divisors; their number equals the number of divisors of the HCF.

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). Permalink ·

Consider the following statements in respect of the sum S = x + y + z, where x, y and z are distinct prime numbers each less than 10:

  1. 1.The unit digit of S can be 0.
  2. 2.The unit digit of S can be 9.
  3. 3.The unit digit of S can be 5.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (c) 1 and 3 only

The primes below 10 are 2, 3, 5 and 7, and three distinct ones can be chosen in only four ways, giving sums 10, 12, 14 and 15. Unit digits 0 and 5 occur; 9 does not.

  1. Primes less than 10: 2, 3, 5, 7. Choosing 3 distinct ones gives just 4 cases.
  2. 2 + 3 + 5 = 10; 2 + 3 + 7 = 12; 2 + 5 + 7 = 14; 3 + 5 + 7 = 15.
  3. Possible unit digits: 0, 2, 4, 5.
  4. So statements 1 (0) and 3 (5) are correct; statement 2 (9) is not.
  • ✓ 1. 2 + 3 + 5 = 10 ends in 0.
  • ✗ 2. None of the four possible sums (10, 12, 14, 15) ends in 9.
  • ✓ 3. 3 + 5 + 7 = 15 ends in 5.

Remember · When the set is tiny, list every case (four sums here) instead of reasoning in general.

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). Permalink ·

Let X be a two-digit number and Y be another two-digit number formed by interchanging the digits of X. If (X + Y) is the greatest two-digit number, then what is the number of possible values of X?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (d) 8

X + Y = 11 × (sum of the digits), and it must equal 99, so the digits add up to 9. Both numbers must be two-digit, so neither digit can be 0: X can be 18, 27, 36, 45, 54, 63, 72 or 81, which is 8 values.

  1. Let X = 10a + b and Y = 10b + a; then X + Y = 11(a + b).
  2. The greatest two-digit number is 99, so 11(a + b) = 99 and a + b = 9.
  3. Y must also be a two-digit number, so b cannot be 0; this rules out X = 90 (its reverse is 09).
  4. a = 1 to 8 gives X = 18, 27, 36, 45, 54, 63, 72, 81, i.e. 8 values.

Remember · A number plus its reverse is 11 × digit sum. Watch for a 0 digit that makes the reverse a one-digit number.

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). Permalink ·

Let p, q, r and s be distinct positive integers. Let p, q be odd and r, s be even. Consider the following statements:

  1. 1.(p − r)²(qs) is even.
  2. 2.(q − s)q²s is even.
  3. 3.(q + r)²(p + s) is odd.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (d) 1, 2 and 3

With p, q odd and r, s even, statement 1 contains the even factor qs and statement 2 the even factor s, so both are even. In statement 3, q + r and p + s are both odd, so the product is odd. All three are correct.

  1. Parity rules: odd ± even = odd; any product with an even factor is even; odd × odd = odd.
  2. Statement 1: (p − r)² is odd, but qs = odd × even is even, so the product is even. Correct.
  3. Statement 2: s is even, so (q − s)q²s is even. Correct.
  4. Statement 3: q + r is odd, so (q + r)² is odd; p + s is odd; odd × odd = odd. Correct.
  5. Check with p = 1, q = 3, r = 2, s = 4: (−1)² × 12 = 12 (even); (−1) × 9 × 4 = −36 (even); 5² × 5 = 125 (odd).
  • ✓ 1. qs is odd × even = even, so the whole product is even whatever (p − r)² is.
  • ✓ 2. The factor s is even, so the product is even.
  • ✓ 3. q + r and p + s are each odd + even = odd, and a product of odd numbers is odd.

Remember · For parity questions, plug in small numbers of the right parity and test each statement; it is faster than algebra.

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). Permalink ·

What is the number of fives used in numbering a 260-page book?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (b) 56

Count the digit 5 place by place in 1 to 260. It appears 26 times in the units place and 30 times in the tens place (50–59, 150–159, 250–259), a total of 56.

  1. Units place: 5, 15, 25, …, 255, which is 26 numbers.
  2. Tens place: 50–59, 150–159 and 250–259, 10 each, 30 in all.
  3. Hundreds place: there is no page from 500 upwards, so 0.
  4. Total fives = 26 + 30 = 56.
  5. Check: 55, 155 and 255 each use two fives; they are counted once in the units count and once in the tens count, as they should be.

Remember · Count a digit place by place (units, tens, hundreds); numbers like 55 are then automatically counted twice.

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). Permalink ·

What is the sum of the first 28 terms in the following sequence?

1, 1, 2, 1, 3, 2, 1, 4, 3, 2, 1, 5, 4, 3, 2, ⋯

Answer & explanation

Answer: (b) 84

After the first 1, the sequence runs in blocks 1 | 2, 1 | 3, 2, 1 | 4, 3, 2, 1 | …. The first 28 terms are the lone 1, the full blocks up to 6 (21 terms, sum 56) and the first 6 terms of the block 7, 6, …, 1 (sum 27): 1 + 56 + 27 = 84.

  1. Group the terms: 1 | 1 | 2, 1 | 3, 2, 1 | 4, 3, 2, 1 | 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 | …; after the first 1, block k is k, k − 1, …, 1.
  2. Blocks 1 to 6 have 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 = 21 terms; with the first 1 that makes 22 terms.
  3. Their sum = 1 + (1 + 3 + 6 + 10 + 15 + 21) = 1 + 56 = 57.
  4. Terms 23 to 28 are the first 6 terms of block 7: 7 + 6 + 5 + 4 + 3 + 2 = 27.
  5. Sum of the first 28 terms = 57 + 27 = 84.

Remember · In block sequences, count terms block by block (1, 2, 3, … terms) and handle the last, partial block separately.

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). Permalink ·

If the sum of the two-digit numbers AB and CD is the three-digit number 1CE, where the letters A, B, C, D, E denote distinct digits, then what is the value of A?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (a) 9

Two two-digit numbers add up to at most 197, so the leading 1 of 1CE is a carry. In the tens column A + C + carry = 10 + C, which forces A = 9 with a carry of 1 from the units column.

  1. AB + CD ≤ 99 + 98 = 197, so the sum 1CE lies between 100 and 197.
  2. Tens column: A + C + c = C + 10, where c (0 or 1) is the carry from the units column.
  3. So A + c = 10. A is a single digit, so c = 1 and A = 9.
  4. Check: 97 + 35 = 132 fits, with A = 9, B = 7, C = 3, D = 5, E = 2 all different.

Remember · In digit-sum puzzles, write each column as an equation with its carry; the leftmost column usually fixes a digit at once.

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). Permalink ·

32⁵ + 2²⁷ is divisible by

Answer & explanation

Answer: (c) 10

32⁵ = (2⁵)⁵ = 2²⁵, so the sum is 2²⁵ + 2²⁷ = 2²⁵ × (1 + 4) = 5 × 2²⁵. It has the factors 2 and 5, so it is divisible by 10.

  1. 32 = 2⁵, so 32⁵ = 2²⁵.
  2. 32⁵ + 2²⁷ = 2²⁵ + 2²⁷ = 2²⁵ × (1 + 2²) = 5 × 2²⁵.
  3. This contains 2 × 5 = 10, so it is divisible by 10.
  4. Its only prime factors are 2 and 5, so it is not divisible by 3, 7 or 11.

Remember · Write every term with the same base, take out the common power, and read off the factors.

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). Permalink ·

Let p and q be positive integers satisfying p < q and p + q = k. What is the smallest value of k that does not determine p and q uniquely?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (c) 5

For k = 3 and k = 4 there is only one pair with p < q: (1, 2) and (1, 3). For k = 5 there are two, (1, 4) and (2, 3), so 5 is the smallest k that does not fix p and q.

  1. k = 3: only (1, 2). Unique.
  2. k = 4: only (1, 3), since (2, 2) breaks p < q. Unique.
  3. k = 5: (1, 4) and (2, 3). Not unique.
  4. So the smallest such k is 5.

Remember · For a ‘smallest value’ question, test the options in increasing order and stop at the first that works.

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). Permalink ·

What will come in place of in the sequence 3, 14, 39, 84, , 258?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (b) 155

The terms are n³ + n² + n for n = 1, 2, 3, …: 3, 14, 39, 84, 155, 258. So the missing term is 125 + 25 + 5 = 155.

  1. First differences: 11, 25, 45. Second differences: 14, 20, rising by 6, so the next second difference is 26.
  2. Next first difference = 45 + 26 = 71, so the missing term = 84 + 71 = 155.
  3. Check the last term: next second difference 32, so the next first difference is 71 + 32 = 103, and 155 + 103 = 258.
  4. Formula view: n³ + n² + n gives 3, 14, 39, 84, 155, 258.

Remember · If first differences don’t settle a series, take second differences; a steady rise in them points to a cubic pattern.

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). Permalink ·

What is the remainder when 85 × 87 × 89 × 91 × 95 × 96 is divided by 100?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (a) 0

85 and 95 each supply a factor 5, and 96 supplies several factors of 2, so the product contains 5 × 5 × 2 × 2 = 100. A multiple of 100 leaves remainder 0.

  1. 85 = 5 × 17 and 95 = 5 × 19, which give 5 × 5 = 25.
  2. 96 = 2⁵ × 3, which gives at least 2 × 2 = 4.
  3. So the product has 25 × 4 = 100 as a factor; the remainder on division by 100 is 0.
  4. Check: 85 × 96 × 95 = 775200, already ending in 00.

Remember · Before any remainder working, look for factors 2 and 5: enough of them make the product a multiple of 10 or 100.

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper II (2023, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

What is the unit digit in the expansion of (57242)^(9×7×5×3×1)?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (a) 2

Only the last digit of the base, 2, matters, and the unit digits of powers of 2 repeat every 4. The exponent 9 × 7 × 5 × 3 × 1 = 945 leaves remainder 1 on division by 4, so the unit digit is that of 2¹, which is 2.

  1. The base ends in 2 and the exponent is 9 × 7 × 5 × 3 × 1 = 945, so we need the unit digit of 2^945.
  2. Unit digits of powers of 2 run 2, 4, 8, 6 and then repeat (cycle of 4).
  3. 945 ÷ 4 leaves remainder 1.
  4. So the unit digit is the first in the cycle: 2.

Remember · Unit digit of a power: keep the base's last digit, find its cycle (2, 3, 7, 8 repeat every 4), use exponent mod 4.

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper II (2023, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

If ABC and DEF are both 3-digit numbers such that A, B, C, D, E and F are distinct non-zero digits such that ABC + DEF = 1111, then what is the value of A + B + C + D + E + F?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (d) 31

Add column by column. With non-zero digits the units must give C + F = 11 with a carry, then B + E + 1 = 11 and A + D + 1 = 11. So the six digits add up to 11 + 10 + 10 = 31.

  1. Units column: C + F must end in 1. C + F = 1 is impossible with non-zero digits, so C + F = 11 and 1 is carried.
  2. Tens column: B + E + 1 must end in 1, so B + E + 1 = 11, i.e. B + E = 10, and 1 is carried.
  3. Hundreds column: A + D + 1 must give 11 (the leading '11' of 1111), so A + D = 10.
  4. A + B + C + D + E + F = 10 + 10 + 11 = 31.
  5. Check: 124 + 987 = 1111, and 1 + 2 + 4 + 9 + 8 + 7 = 31.

Remember · In digit-addition puzzles, work column by column from the units, tracking carries; the digit sum then follows without finding the digits.

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper II (2023, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

D is a 3-digit number such that the ratio of the number to the sum of its digits is least. What is the difference between the digit at the hundred's place and the digit at the unit's place of D?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (c) 8

The ratio (number ÷ digit sum) is smallest when the hundreds digit is as small as possible and the tens and units digits are as large as possible. 199 gives 199/19 ≈ 10.47, lower than 189/18 = 10.5 or any other, so D = 199 and the difference between 9 and 1 is 8.

  1. Write D = 100a + 10b + c. Raising a adds 100 to the number but only 1 to the digit sum, so a should be 1; b and c should be as large as possible.
  2. Take a = 1, b = 9, c = 9: 199/19 ≈ 10.47.
  3. Compare the nearest rivals: 189/18 = 10.5, 179/17 ≈ 10.53, 198/18 = 11 — all larger.
  4. So D = 199: hundreds digit 1, units digit 9, difference 9 − 1 = 8.

Remember · To minimise a number divided by its digit sum, keep the high-place digit smallest and push the digit sum into lower places; test close rivals.

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper II (2023, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

Three of the five positive integers p, q, r, s, t are even and two of them are odd (not necessarily in order). Consider the following:

  1. 1.p + q + r − s − t is definitely even.
  2. 2.2p + q + 2r − 2s + t is definitely odd.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (a) 1 only

Subtracting a number changes odd/even exactly as adding it does, so p + q + r − s − t has the same parity as the sum of all five, which is even (it contains two odd numbers). In 2p + q + 2r − 2s + t the doubled terms are even, leaving the parity of q + t, which may be even.

  1. Adding or subtracting a number has the same effect on parity, so signs can be ignored.
  2. Statement 1: parity of p + q + r − s − t = parity of p + q + r + s + t. Two odds make an even and evens stay even, so the result is always even. Correct.
  3. Statement 2: 2p, 2r and 2s are even, so the parity equals that of q + t.
  4. Example: p = 1 and s = 1 are the odd ones, q = r = t = 2. Then 2 + 2 + 4 − 2 + 2 = 8, which is even. So statement 2 is not always true.
  • ✓ 1. Its parity is that of the sum of all five numbers: three evens and two odds add up to an even number, whatever the order.
  • ✗ 2. Only q and t decide the parity; if both are even (or both odd) the expression is even, so it is not definitely odd.

Remember · For parity, treat minus as plus and ignore every term multiplied by an even number.

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper II (2023, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

Consider the following in respect of prime number p and composite number c.

  1. 1.(p + c)/(p − c) can be even.
  2. 2.2p + c can be odd.
  3. 3.pc can be odd.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (d) 1, 2 and 3

Each statement says 'can be', so one example proves it. p = 11, c = 9 gives (p + c)/(p − c) = 20/2 = 10, which is even; p = 2, c = 9 gives 2p + c = 13, which is odd; p = 3, c = 9 gives pc = 27, which is odd. All three statements hold.

  1. A 'can be' statement is proved by a single example.
  2. Statement 1: p = 11, c = 9 → (11 + 9)/(11 − 9) = 20/2 = 10, which is even. True.
  3. Statement 2: 2p is always even, so take an odd composite: p = 2, c = 9 → 4 + 9 = 13, odd. True.
  4. Statement 3: an odd prime times an odd composite: 3 × 9 = 27, odd. True.
  • ✓ 1. p = 11, c = 9 gives 20/2 = 10, an even number.
  • ✓ 2. 2p is even, so 2p + c is odd whenever c is an odd composite, e.g. 2 × 2 + 9 = 13.
  • ✓ 3. Both odd: p = 3, c = 9 gives 27.

Remember · 'Can be' needs one working example; 'must be' needs proof. Remember odd composites like 9, 15 and 21.

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper II (2023, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

A 3-digit number ABC, on multiplication with D gives 37DD where A, B, C and D are different non-zero digits. What is the value of A + B + C?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (a) 18

37DD = 3700 + 11D must be a multiple of D, so D must divide 3700; that allows D = 1, 2, 4 or 5. Only D = 4 gives a 3-digit ABC with all four digits different: 3744 ÷ 4 = 936, so A + B + C = 9 + 3 + 6 = 18.

  1. 37DD = 3700 + 11 × D. Since ABC × D = 37DD, D divides 3700 + 11D, so D divides 3700 = 2² × 5² × 37.
  2. Possible non-zero digits: D = 1, 2, 4 or 5.
  3. D = 1 gives ABC = 3711 and D = 2 gives 3722 ÷ 2 = 1861: neither is a 3-digit number.
  4. D = 5 gives 3755 ÷ 5 = 751, but then B = 5 = D, which is not allowed.
  5. D = 4 gives 3744 ÷ 4 = 936: A = 9, B = 3, C = 6, D = 4, all different. A + B + C = 18.
  6. Check: 936 × 4 = 3744.

Remember · In digit puzzles, write the unknown number algebraically (3700 + 11D), shortlist digits by divisibility, then apply the 'different digits' condition.

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper II (2023, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

For any choices of values of X, Y and Z, the 6-digit number of the form XYZXYZ is divisible by:

Answer & explanation

Answer: (d) 7, 11 and 13

XYZXYZ = XYZ × 1000 + XYZ = XYZ × 1001, and 1001 = 7 × 11 × 13. So every such number is divisible by 7, 11 and 13.

  1. XYZXYZ = XYZ × 1000 + XYZ = XYZ × 1001.
  2. 1001 = 7 × 11 × 13.
  3. So the number is always divisible by 7, 11 and 13.
  4. Check: 123123 = 123 × 1001 = 123 × 7 × 11 × 13.

Remember · A repeated 3-digit block (abcabc) is a multiple of 1001 = 7 × 11 × 13; abab is a multiple of 101.

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper II (2023, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

Let x be a positive integer such that 7x + 96 is divisible by x. How many values of x are possible?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (c) 12

7x is always a multiple of x, so x divides 7x + 96 exactly when x divides 96. Since 96 = 2⁵ × 3, it has (5 + 1)(1 + 1) = 12 divisors, so x can take 12 values.

  1. 7x is divisible by x, so x divides 7x + 96 only when x divides 96.
  2. 96 = 2⁵ × 3.
  3. Number of divisors = (5 + 1) × (1 + 1) = 12: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, 16, 24, 32, 48, 96.

Remember · If x divides kx + N, then x divides N; the number of divisors of 2^a × 3^b is (a + 1)(b + 1).

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper II (2023, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

If p, q, r and s are distinct single digit positive numbers, then what is the greatest value of (p + q)(r + s)?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (b) 225

Use the four largest digits 9, 8, 7 and 6, which add up to 30. For a fixed total, the product of two parts is greatest when the parts are equal, so split 30 as 15 and 15: (9 + 6)(8 + 7) = 225.

  1. To make the product large, use the four largest distinct digits: 9, 8, 7, 6 (total 30).
  2. Split 30 into two sums as equal as possible: 9 + 6 = 15 and 8 + 7 = 15.
  3. Greatest value = 15 × 15 = 225.
  4. Check: the other splits give 17 × 13 = 221 and 16 × 14 = 224, both smaller.

Remember · With a fixed total, a product of parts is largest when the parts are as equal as possible.

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper II (2023, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

A number N is formed by writing 9 for 99 times. What is the remainder if N is divided by 13?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (a) 11

999999 (six 9s) = 999 × 1001 is divisible by 13, so each block of six 9s leaves nothing over. 99 nines are 16 such blocks followed by 999, so N leaves the same remainder as 999, which is 11.

  1. 999999 = 999 × 1001 = 999 × 7 × 11 × 13, so it is divisible by 13.
  2. 99 = 6 × 16 + 3, so N is sixteen blocks of 999999 followed by 999.
  3. The first 96 nines form a multiple of 999999 (and so of 13), shifted three places; hence N leaves the same remainder as 999.
  4. 999 = 13 × 76 + 11, so the remainder is 11.

Remember · Six identical digits (aaaaaa) are always divisible by 7, 11 and 13; remove blocks of six and work with the digits left over.

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper II (2023, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·