Study Material — 4 PYQs (2023–2023) · Concept Notes · Shortcuts
SSC GD Constable Cause & Effect is a frequently tested subtopic — 4 previous year questions from 2023–2023 papers are included below with concept notes, key rules and shortcut tricks.
SSC GD Constable Cause & Effect — Past Exam Questions
4 questions from actual SSC GD Constable papers · all shown free · click option to reveal solution
Exam Q 12023Previous Year Pattern
A disease spreads such that the number of infected people doubles every week. However, due to vaccination, 40% of the infected population recovers each week (after the doubling). If after 2 weeks there are 432 infected people, how many were infected initially?
A student's performance in a test is affected by two factors: (1) For every hour of study, the score increases by 2 points, and (2) For every hour of sleep lost, the score decreases by 3 points. If a student studied for 10 hours, lost 2 hours of sleep, and scored 76 marks, what would be the baseline score (with 0 hours of study and normal sleep)?
Exam Q 32023Previous Year Pattern
A water tank loses 30% of its water due to evaporation each month. However, every month 500 liters are added as rainfall. After 2 months, if the tank contains 1,100 liters, how much water was in the tank initially?
Exam Q 42023Previous Year Pattern
A company's revenue increased by 25% in Year 1 due to market expansion. In Year 2, due to increased competition, revenue decreased by 20%. In Year 3, a new product launch caused revenue to increase by 40%. If the final revenue in Year 3 is ₹1,68,000, what was the original revenue before Year 1?
Concept Notes
Cause & Effect— Rules & Concept
💡
Core Concept
Read this first — the foundation of the topic
→CORE CONCEPT
A cause is the reason something happens. An effect is what happens because of that reason
✏️Example
Rain (cause) makes the ground wet (effect)
💡KEY RULES
Cause always comes first in time. Effect comes after.
2. One event must directly lead to the other—there must be a real connection.
3. Correlation is NOT causation.
Just because two things happen together doesn't mean one caused the other.
4
→Look for trigger words
because, since, caused by, due to, as a result, therefore, consequently, led to.
5. A single cause can have multiple effects. A single effect can have multiple causes.
📊
Exam Patterns
What examiners ask — read before attempting PYQs
SSC CGL asks cause-effect questions in two main ways:
- Find the cause of a given effect
- Identify what effect follows from a given cause
- Distinguish between real cause-effect and mere coincidence
- Spot faulty cause-effect reasoning
SHORTCUT/TRICK:
Use the "IF-THEN" test: If [cause happens], then [effect should happen]. If this sounds logical and the connection is direct, it's likely correct. If the connection feels forced or needs extra steps, it's probably wrong.
✏️
Worked Example
Solve this step-by-step before moving on
1
Step 1
Identify the claimed cause—new machinery installation.
2
Step 2
Identify the claimed effect—40% productivity increase.
3
Step 3
Check if cause came before effect—YES, machinery installed first, then productivity increased.
4
Step 4
Check if there's a direct connection—The passage assumes machinery automatically increases productivity, but doesn't prove it. Workers might be working harder due to new job expectations, or the month itself could be naturally busy.
5
Step 5
Look for alternative causes—Training on machinery, worker motivation, seasonal demand, management changes.
Conclusion: The reasoning is WEAK. It shows correlation but not proven causation. Other factors could explain the effect.
COMMON MISTAKE:
Students assume that because Event A happened before Event B, A caused B. This is wrong. Sequence alone doesn't prove causation. You need a logical, direct connection. Also, students miss alternative explanations. Always ask: "Could something else have caused this effect?"
Key Points to Remember
Cause is the reason something happens; effect is what happens as a result.
Cause must come BEFORE effect in time—this is essential.
Use trigger words (because, since, due to, therefore, as a result) to spot cause-effect statements.
Correlation ≠ Causation: Two things happening together doesn't prove one caused the other.
Apply the IF-THEN test: If [cause], then [effect] should logically follow.
Always look for alternative causes before accepting a cause-effect claim as proven.
Exam-Specific Tips
Cause-effect reasoning in SSC CGL focuses on identifying faulty logic and weak connections between events.
Trigger words for cause-effect: because, since, caused by, due to, as a result, therefore, consequently, led to.
Correlation means two things happen together; causation means one directly causes the other—they are NOT the same.
Valid cause-effect requires: (1) Cause occurs before effect in time, (2) Direct logical connection, (3) No better alternative explanation.
SSC CGL typically asks students to identify which statement represents a faulty cause-effect relationship in critical reasoning passages.
The IF-THEN test is a quick validation tool: If the claimed cause happens, does the claimed effect necessarily follow?
Multiple causes can produce one effect (overdetermined causation), and one cause can produce multiple effects (branching causation).
Temporal sequence alone (A before B) is insufficient to prove A caused B—you need evidence of direct connection.
Practice MCQs
Cause & Effect — Practice Questions
14graded MCQs · easy to hard · full solution & trap analysis
The plants died because the gardener forgot to water them for two weeks. Which statement is TRUE?
Practice 2easy
Heavy rainfall in the mountains caused flooding in the nearby villages. Which of the following is the EFFECT in this statement?
Practice 3easy
Because the factory reduced its working hours, the workers' productivity decreased. What is the CAUSE of decreased productivity?
Practice 4easy
The student studied hard for the exam. As a result, she scored 95%. Which statement correctly identifies the cause and effect?
Practice 5easy
The road was wet because it rained heavily last night. Which of the following is the CAUSE?
Practice 6easy
Since the company invested in new technology, its production increased by 40%. What is the EFFECT of this investment?
Practice 7medium
A factory installed new pollution control equipment. Within three months, the air quality in the surrounding area improved significantly. The factory manager claims the equipment caused the improvement. What additional information would be MOST important to verify this claim?
Practice 8medium
A student's exam performance declined sharply after he started working part-time. Which of the following is a valid conclusion about the cause of the decline?
Practice 9medium
Heavy rainfall in the region led to flooding in low-lying areas. As a result, several families lost their homes. Which statement correctly identifies the chain of cause and effect?
Practice 10medium
A school introduced a new teaching method in Class A. After one semester, Class A's test scores increased by 15%, while Class B (using the old method) showed no improvement. The principal concludes the new method is effective. Which assumption is the principal making?
Practice 11medium
A company's sales dropped 20% after launching an aggressive advertising campaign. The marketing director claims the campaign was poorly executed. Which of the following, if true, would MOST weaken the director's claim?
Practice 12medium
A city implemented stricter traffic rules and increased police patrols on highways. Within two months, the number of traffic accidents decreased by 30%. The traffic commissioner attributes this to the stricter rules. What is the MOST critical flaw in this reasoning?
Practice 13hard
A factory's production decreased by 20% after installing new machinery. However, after retraining workers for 3 months, production increased by 30% from the decreased level. If the original production was 1000 units per day, what is the current production level, and what is the net change from the original?
Practice 14hard
A student's exam score improved by 15% after attending coaching classes. However, due to illness, the student's score then decreased by 10% from the improved level. If the final score is 414 marks, what was the original score before coaching?
60-Second Revision — Cause & Effect
Remember: Cause comes FIRST in time, effect comes AFTER. Always check this order.
Trap: Just because X happened before Y doesn't mean X caused Y. Look for direct logical connection.
Formula: Valid Cause-Effect = Temporal Order + Direct Connection + No Better Alternative Explanation.
Spot trigger words instantly: because, since, due to, therefore, as a result, consequently.
Use IF-THEN test in 10 seconds: If [cause], does [effect] HAVE to happen? If yes, likely valid; if no, likely faulty.
Watch for: Alternative causes hiding in the passage. Always ask 'What else could explain this effect?'
Correlation ≠ Causation—this is the #1 trick used in SSC CGL critical reasoning to trap students.