Study Material — 2 PYQs (2020–2020) · Concept Notes · Shortcuts
SSC CPO Work & Wages is a frequently tested subtopic — 2 previous year questions from 2020–2020 papers are included below with concept notes, key rules and shortcut tricks.
2 questions from actual SSC CPO papers · all shown free · click option to reveal solution
Exam Q 12020Previous Year Pattern
A worker is paid ₹500 per day. If he works for 12 days and completes a job, what is his total wage for the job?
Exam Q 22020Previous Year Pattern
Three workers are paid in the ratio 2:3:5 for a job. If the total payment is ₹10,000, how much does the worker with the highest share receive?
Concept Notes
Work & Wages— Rules & Concept
Core ConceptRead this first — the foundation of the topic
Core Concept
When multiple people work together and complete a job, their wages should be divided in the ratio of their work rates or efficiency. If A can do work in 10 days and B in 15 days, A is more efficient and deserves higher wages
Key Rules
(1) Wages ∝ Work Rate (2) Wages ∝ 1/Time taken (3) Total wages = Sum of individual wages (4) If workers work for different durations, wages depend on both efficiency and time worked.
Formula BlockMemorise — at least one formula appears in every paper
Wage Ratio = Work Rate Ratio = 1/Time Ratio
A's wage : B's wage = (1/A's time) : (1/B's time)
If working together: Combined rate = 1/A + 1/B
Wage distribution = (Individual rate / Combined rate) × Total wages
Exam PatternsWhat examiners ask — read before attempting PYQs
SSC CGL frequently asks wage distribution problems with 2-3 workers having different efficiencies. Common variations include workers joining/leaving at different times, and finding individual wages from total payment.
ShortcutsUse these to save 30–60 seconds per question
For time-based problems, flip the time values to get wage ratios directly. If A takes 6 days and B takes 9 days, wage ratio = 9:6 = 3:2 (notice the flip).
Worked ExampleSolve this step-by-step before moving on
1
Step 1
Find work rates
A's rate = 1/12 work per day
B's rate = 1/15 work per day
2
Step 2
Calculate wage ratio
Wage ratio = Rate ratio = (1/12) : (1/15)
Taking LCM of 12 and 15 = 60
(1/12) = 5/60 and (1/15) = 4/60
So ratio = 5:4
3
Step 3
Distribute wages
Total parts = 5 + 4 = 9
A's wage = (5/9) × 1350 = Rs 750
B's wage = (4/9) × 1350 = Rs 600
Verification: 750 + 600 = 1350 ✓
Shortcut for this: Time ratio = 12:15 = 4:5, so wage ratio = 5:4 (flipped)
Exam TrapsCommon mistakes students make — avoid these
Students often forget to flip time ratios when calculating wage ratios. Remember: higher efficiency (less time) means higher wages. Also, when workers work for different durations, multiply efficiency by time worked to get actual work contribution.
Key Points to Remember
Wages are always proportional to work rate or efficiency of workers
Wage ratio = 1/Time ratio (flip the time values to get wage ratio)
If A takes 'm' days and B takes 'n' days, wage ratio = n:m
Combined work rate = sum of individual work rates
When workers work different hours, multiply rate by time for wage calculation
Total wages distributed = sum of all individual wages
Higher efficiency worker gets larger share of wages
Wage distribution formula: (Individual rate/Total rate) × Total wages
Exam-Specific Tips
Work rate is always reciprocal of time taken (Rate = 1/Time)
Wage ratio equals work rate ratio in direct proportion
LCM method used to compare fractions in work rate calculations
Combined efficiency = sum of individual efficiencies when working together
Time ratio and wage ratio are inverse to each other
Proportion formula: A:B = x:y means A/B = x/y
Work done = Rate × Time for individual contribution calculation
Practice MCQs
Work & Wages — Practice Questions
6graded MCQs · easy to hard · full solution & trap analysis
A worker's daily wage is increased by 20%. If his original daily wage was ₹400, what is his new daily wage?
Practice 2easy
A job is divided between two workers in the ratio 3:2. If the first worker is paid ₹3,000, how much is the second worker paid?
Practice 3medium
A contractor hires workers for a construction project. 8 workers can complete the project in 24 days. If the contractor wants to complete the project in 16 days, how many additional workers must be hired, assuming all workers have equal efficiency and wages are ₹400 per worker per day?
Practice 4hard
Two workers, X and Y, are paid in the ratio of their work rates. X can complete a job in 10 days and Y can complete it in 15 days. If the total payment for the job is ₹5000, and they work together to complete it, how much does X receive?
Practice 5hard
Three workers are paid daily wages in the ratio 2:3:4. They work together on a project for 5 days and earn ₹4500 total. If the worker with the highest wage works for 2 additional days alone at the same rate, how much extra does he earn?
Practice 6hard
A job requires 120 worker-days to complete. If 5 workers start the job and after 10 days, 3 more workers join, and after another 8 days, 2 workers leave, how many more days are needed to finish the job?
60-Second Revision — Work & Wages
Remember: Wage ratio = 1/Time ratio (always flip time values)
Formula: Individual wage = (Own rate/Combined rate) × Total wages
Trick: For times a:b, wages will be b:a
Trap: Don't forget to multiply by working hours if different
Quick check: Sum of distributed wages = Total wages given
Pattern: Higher efficiency = Less time = More wages