Question 1

A student's grades dropped significantly after he started spending 6 hours daily on social media instead of studying. Which of the following is the CAUSE in this scenario?

Accepted Answer

The cause is the action that produces an effect. Here, spending 6 hours on social media is the action that leads to the consequence of dropping grades.

Question 2

Heavy rainfall in the region caused flooding in low-lying areas, which resulted in crop damage and loss of livestock. What is the EFFECT of the heavy rainfall?

Accepted Answer

The effect is the consequence or result that follows from a cause. Heavy rainfall is the cause; the flooding and subsequent damage are the effects.

Question 3

Heavy rainfall in the mountains caused flooding in the nearby villages. Which of the following is a direct effect of this flooding?

Accepted Answer

This question tests the ability to identify a direct cause-and-effect relationship. Heavy rainfall → flooding is the cause. The effect must be a direct consequence of flooding.

Question 4

Because the factory released untreated waste into the river, fish populations in the river declined sharply. What is the cause in this cause-and-effect relationship?

Accepted Answer

This question directly tests identification of the cause in an explicitly stated cause-and-effect sentence.

Question 5

Statement I: The government declared a complete lockdown in the city due to a sudden outbreak of a contagious disease.
Statement II: All schools, offices, and markets in the city were closed immediately.

Which of the following best describes the relationship between the two statements?

Accepted Answer

Step 1: Read Statement I — the government declared a lockdown because of a disease outbreak. This is a clear action with a reason.
Step 2: Read Statement II — schools, offices, and markets closed. This is a direct consequence of a lockdown being declared.
Step 3: A lockdown by definition means closure of public places. So Statement I (lockdown declaration) is the CAUSE and Statement II (closure of establishments) is the EFFECT.
Step 4: The relationship is straightforward — Statement I causes Statement II. Options suggesting they are independent or reversed are incorrect.

Question 6

A student studied for 8 hours every day for two weeks before the exam. As a result, the student scored 95% on the exam. Which statement correctly identifies the effect?

Accepted Answer

This question tests the ability to identify the effect (the result or outcome) in a cause-and-effect relationship.

Question 7

The company reduced its product prices significantly. Which of the following is a likely effect of this action?

Accepted Answer

This question tests the ability to predict a logical effect based on a given cause, using common sense reasoning.

Question 8

A company's sales increased by 40% after it launched a new advertising campaign on social media. Which statement correctly identifies the cause-effect relationship?

Accepted Answer

The cause is the action taken (launching the campaign); the effect is the result observed (increased sales).

Question 9

Because the factory increased its production capacity, it was able to meet the rising demand from customers. In this statement, what is the CAUSE?

Accepted Answer

The cause is the action or event that brings about a result. The factory's action of increasing production capacity is what enabled it to meet demand.

Question 10

A student attended extra coaching classes regularly, which helped her understand difficult concepts better and score higher marks in exams. What is the EFFECT of attending extra coaching classes?

Accepted Answer

The effect is what results from the action. Attending coaching is the action; better understanding and higher marks are the results.

Question 11

Because the school implemented a strict attendance policy, student absenteeism decreased. In this scenario, what is the effect?

Accepted Answer

This question tests direct identification of the effect in a clearly stated cause-and-effect relationship using the word 'because.'

Question 12

A study found that students who attended extra coaching classes scored higher on average than those who did not. Therefore, attending extra coaching classes causes higher test scores. Which of the following, if true, would most weaken this conclusion?

Accepted Answer

This question tests critical reasoning about causation versus correlation and the identification of confounding variables.

Question 13

A factory's production decreased by 20% after the manager implemented a new shift system. However, worker morale improved significantly. Which of the following best explains the cause-and-effect relationship in this scenario?

Accepted Answer

This question tests understanding of how to identify the actual cause-and-effect relationship versus correlation. The new shift system is the cause, and the 20% production decrease is the direct effect. Worker morale improvement is a separate effect, not the cause of production decrease.

Question 14

A city experienced heavy rainfall for three consecutive days. As a result, the municipal water supply increased, and flooding occurred in low-lying areas. Which statement correctly identifies the cause and its effects?

Accepted Answer

This question requires students to distinguish between a single cause producing multiple effects, versus confusing one effect as a cause of another.

Question 15

A student's test scores improved significantly after she joined a coaching institute. Her parents attributed the improvement to the coaching. However, the student also started studying 3 hours daily on her own. Which conclusion about causation is most accurate?

Accepted Answer

This question tests the ability to recognize multiple contributing causes versus attributing improvement to a single cause, and to identify the logical fallacy of incomplete cause analysis.

Question 16

A company's employee turnover rate increased from 10% to 25% after the CEO announced a salary freeze. The CEO claimed the turnover was caused by external market competition for talent, not the salary freeze. Which statement best evaluates the CEO's claim?

Accepted Answer

This question tests critical evaluation of cause-effect claims by examining whether the stated cause adequately explains the observed effect, and whether alternative causes are being dismissed without evidence.

Question 17

A restaurant's customer complaints increased significantly after it switched to a new supplier for ingredients. The manager concluded that the new supplier provided lower-quality ingredients. However, the restaurant also reduced its kitchen staff by 30% at the same time. Which of the following best explains why the manager's conclusion may be incomplete?

Accepted Answer

This question tests the ability to recognize confounding variables and identify when a conclusion attributes an effect to one cause while ignoring other simultaneous changes that could also explain the effect.

Question 18

Because the monsoon rains arrived late this year, the water level in the reservoir dropped significantly. As a result of the low water level, the irrigation department had to reduce water supply to farms by 30%. Which of the following is a direct effect of the reduced water supply?

Accepted Answer

This question tests identification of direct cause-effect relationships versus indirect or coincidental relationships.

Question 19

The city implemented stricter traffic rules and increased fines for traffic violations. Following this policy change, the number of traffic accidents decreased by 15% within six months. Which of the following best explains this cause-effect relationship?

Accepted Answer

This question tests understanding of how policy changes lead to behavioral changes, which then produce measurable outcomes.

Question 20

A pharmaceutical company noticed that patients who took their new medication experienced side effects. Upon investigation, they discovered that the side effects occurred only in patients who consumed alcohol while taking the medication. Which of the following is the most accurate statement about the cause of the side effects?

Accepted Answer

This question tests understanding of conditional causation and the identification of necessary versus sufficient conditions.

SSC CHSL Cause & Effect

Cause & Effect— Rules & Concept

Key Points to Remember

Exam-Specific Tips

Cause & Effect — Practice Questions

60-Second Revision — Cause & Effect