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UPSC CSE CSAT 2023 · Paper II (CSAT) · Question 20 · Arithmetic: percentage, ratio, averages, time & work

A, B, C अलग-अलग काम करते हुए किसी काम को क्रमशः 8, 16 और 12 दिनों में पूरा कर सकते हैं । अकेला A…

UPSC Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2023, General Studies Paper II (CSAT), Question 20 — Arithmetic: percentage, ratio, averages, time & work.

A, B, C अलग-अलग काम करते हुए किसी काम को क्रमशः 8, 16 और 12 दिनों में पूरा कर सकते हैं । अकेला A सोमवार को काम करता है, अकेला B मंगलवार को काम करता है, अकेला C बुधवार को काम करता है; A फिर से अकेला बृहस्पतिवार को काम करता है और इसी तरह यह क्रम जारी रहता है । निम्नलिखित कथनों पर विचार कीजिए :

  1. 1.यह काम बृहस्पतिवार को पूरा हो जाएगा ।
  2. 2.यह काम 10 दिनों में पूरा हो जाएगा ।

उपर्युक्त कथनों में से कौन-सा/से सही है/हैं ?

Read this question in English

A, B, C working independently can do a piece of work in 8, 16 and 12 days respectively. A alone works on Monday, B alone works on Tuesday, C alone works on Wednesday; A alone, again works on Thursday and so on. Consider the following statements:

1. The work will be finished on Thursday.

2. The work will be finished in 10 days.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

(a) 1 only · (b) 2 only · (c) Both 1 and 2 · (d) Neither 1 nor 2

उत्तर और व्याख्या · explanation in English

Answer: (a) केवल 1

Take the work as 48 units: A does 6, B 3 and C 4 units a day, so each 3-day round finishes 13 units. After 9 days 39 units are done; A adds 6 on day 10 and B completes the last 3 on day 11. Counting from Monday, day 11 is a Thursday.

  1. Total work = LCM(8, 16, 12) = 48 units. A does 6, B does 3 and C does 4 units a day.
  2. One round (A, B, C) = 6 + 3 + 4 = 13 units in 3 days. After 3 rounds (9 days): 39 units, so 9 units remain.
  3. Day 10 (A): 39 + 6 = 45 units. Day 11 (B): 45 + 3 = 48 units — the work is complete.
  4. Day 1 is Monday, so day 8 is Monday again and day 11 is Thursday.
  5. Statement 1 is correct; statement 2 is not, because the work takes 11 days.
  • ✓ 1. The work ends on day 11, and day 11 counted from a Monday is a Thursday.
  • ✗ 2. After 10 days only 45 of the 48 units are done; B needs day 11 to finish.

Remember · Take the LCM of days as total work, add round by round, then day by day; convert day numbers to weekdays using remainders by 7.

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). ·

Cite this question: UPSC CSE CSAT 2023, Q20 — minimalistias.com/pyqs/csat/2023/q20

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