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IBPS RRB PO Basic Percentage

Study Material — 14 PYQs (2021–2021) · Concept Notes · Shortcuts

IBPS RRB PO Basic Percentage is a frequently tested subtopic — 14 previous year questions from 2021–2021 papers are included below with concept notes, key rules and shortcut tricks.

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2021–2021
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Previous Year Questions

IBPS RRB PO Basic Percentage — Past Exam Questions

14 questions from actual IBPS RRB PO papers · all shown free · click option to reveal solution

Exam Q 12021Previous Year Pattern

A student scored 72% marks in an exam. If the total marks were 150, how many marks did the student score?

Exam Q 22021Previous Year Pattern

A discount of 15% is offered on an item marked at ₹800. What is the selling price after discount?

Exam Q 32021Previous Year Pattern

A shopkeeper sells an item for ₹450, which is 125% of its cost price. What is the cost price of the item?

Exam Q 42021Previous Year Pattern

In a school, 40% of students are boys. If there are 480 boys, what is the total number of students in the school?

Exam Q 52021Previous Year Pattern

A product's price increased from ₹200 to ₹250. What is the percentage increase in price?

Exam Q 62021Previous Year Pattern

If 35% of a number is 140, what is 60% of that number?

Exam Q 72021Previous Year Pattern

A company's revenue increased from ₹80 lakhs to ₹100 lakhs. What is the percentage increase in revenue?

Exam Q 82021Previous Year Pattern

The price of a commodity was ₹250. After a 10% increase followed by a 10% decrease, what is the final price?

Exam Q 92021Previous Year Pattern

A student's marks increased from 60 to 75. What is the percentage increase in marks?

Exam Q 102021Previous Year Pattern

A shopkeeper marks a product at ₹500. He offers a discount of 12% on the marked price. What is the selling price of the product?

Exam Q 112021Previous Year Pattern

In an examination, a student scored 65% marks and obtained 325 marks. What are the total marks for the examination?

Exam Q 122021Previous Year Pattern

A number is increased by 25% and then decreased by 20%. What is the net percentage change in the number?

Exam Q 132021Previous Year Pattern

A shopkeeper marks up goods by 60% above cost price. He then offers a discount of 25% on the marked price. If the cost price of an item is ₹800, what is his profit percentage?

Exam Q 142021Previous Year Pattern

A student scores 65% in English and 72% in Mathematics. If English has a weight of 40% and Mathematics has a weight of 60% in the final grade, what is the student's weighted percentage?

Concept Notes

Basic Percentage— Rules & Concept

Core ConceptRead this first — the foundation of the topic

Basic Percentage is the foundation of all percentage problems in SSC CGL. It measures parts per hundred. The word 'percent' comes from Latin 'per centum' meaning 'by hundred'. Understanding this concept is crucial as it appears in 2-3 questions in every SSC CGL paper. Core Concept: Percentage is a way to express a fraction with denominator 100. When you say 25%, it means 25 out of 100 parts. Think of it as cutting a pie into 100 equal slices and taking some of them.

Key RulesCore rules you must know cold

First, percentage is always calculated on a base value. Second, 100% means the complete quantity. Third, percentages can exceed 100% when the part is larger than the whole. Fourth, percentage change and percentage of a number are different concepts.

Formula BlockMemorise — at least one formula appears in every paper
• Percentage = (Part/Whole) × 100
• Part = (Percentage/100) × Whole
• Whole = (Part × 100)/Percentage
• Percentage to Fraction: x% = x/100
• Percentage to Decimal: x% = x/100 = 0.0x
Exam PatternsWhat examiners ask — read before attempting PYQs
Powerful Shortcuts for Quick Calculation

Shortcut 1 - Common Percentage Conversions: • 50% = 1/2, 25% = 1/4, 20% = 1/5, 10% = 1/10 • 33.33% = 1/3, 66.67% = 2/3, 12.5% = 1/8, 16.67% = 1/6 Memorize these to solve faster without calculations

Shortcut 2 - Quick Mental Math Trick

• For 15% of any number: Take 10% + 5% • For 35% of any number: Take 30% + 5% • Break complex percentages into easier chunks

Worked ExampleSolve this step-by-step before moving on
1
Step 1

Convert percentage to decimal: 24% = 24/100 = 0.24

2
Step 2

Multiply: 850 × 0.24

3
Step 3

Break it down: 850 × 0.24 = 850 × (20/100 + 4/100)

4
Step 4

Calculate: 850 × 0.20 = 170, and 850 × 0.04 = 34

5
Step 5

Add: 170 + 34 = 204 Answer: 24% of 850 = 204 Worked Example 2: What percentage is 156 of 240?

1
Step 1

Use formula: Percentage = (Part/Whole) × 100

2
Step 2

Substitute values: (156/240) × 100

3
Step 3

Simplify fraction: 156/240 = 13/20 (dividing by 12)

4
Step 4

Convert to decimal: 13/20 = 0.65

5
Step 5

Multiply by 100: 0.65 × 100 = 65% Answer: 156 is 65% of 240 Shortcut 3 - The Unitary Method for Percentages: If x% = y, then 1% = y/x, and 100% = (y × 100)/x This eliminates complex calculations in competitive exams.

Exam TrapsCommon mistakes students make — avoid these

- The #1 Trap: Students confuse 'percentage of' with 'percentage more than'. For example, if A is 20% of B, it does NOT mean A is 20% more than B. '20% of B' means A = 0.20 × B. But '20% more than B' means A = B + 0.20 × B = 1.20 × B.

This confusion costs precious marks in exams. Another frequent error is forgetting to convert percentage back to the required form. Always check if the answer needs to be in percentage, decimal, or fraction format.

Key Points to Remember

  • Percentage means parts per hundred, always calculated on a base value
  • Quick conversion: 50% = 1/2, 25% = 1/4, 20% = 1/5, 10% = 1/10
  • Formula: Percentage = (Part/Whole) × 100
  • Memorize: 33.33% = 1/3, 66.67% = 2/3, 12.5% = 1/8
  • To find x% of a number, multiply the number by x/100
  • Shortcut: Break complex percentages into easier chunks (15% = 10% + 5%)
  • Part = (Percentage/100) × Whole gives the actual quantity
  • Whole = (Part × 100)/Percentage when base value is unknown
  • Never confuse 'percentage of' with 'percentage more than'
  • Always check if final answer needs percentage, decimal, or fraction form

Exam-Specific Tips

  • 100% represents the complete quantity or whole
  • 0.5% equals 1/200 in fractional form
  • Percentage formula: (Part/Whole) × 100
  • 12.5% conversion: 12.5/100 = 1/8
  • 16.67% (rounded) equals exactly 1/6
  • 37.5% equals 3/8 in simplest fraction form
  • To convert percentage to decimal: divide by 100
  • 87.5% equals 7/8 when expressed as a fraction

60-Second Revision — Basic Percentage

  • Remember: Percentage = (Part/Whole) × 100 for all basic problems
  • Formula: Part = (Percentage/100) × Whole for finding quantities
  • Trap: 'x% of y' ≠ 'x% more than y' - completely different meanings
  • Shortcut: Use fraction conversions (25% = 1/4) for faster calculations
  • Quick check: 50% should always give exactly half the original number
  • Mental math: Break percentages (15% = 10% + 5%) for speed
  • Always verify if answer format should be percentage, decimal, or fraction
Percentage Change→
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