Study Material — 12 PYQs (2024–2024) · Concept Notes · Shortcuts
SSC MTS Comparison Puzzle is a frequently tested subtopic — 12 previous year questions from 2024–2024 papers are included below with concept notes, key rules and shortcut tricks.
12 questions from actual SSC MTS papers · all shown free · click option to reveal solution
Exam Q 12024Previous Year Pattern
Three containers—A, B, and C—hold different quantities of water. Container A holds more water than Container B. Container C holds less water than Container B. Which container holds the least water?
Exam Q 22024Previous Year Pattern
Five friends—Aman, Bhavna, Chetan, Deepa, and Esha—are sitting in a row. Aman is heavier than Bhavna. Chetan is lighter than Deepa. Bhavna is heavier than Esha. Deepa is lighter than Aman. Who is the second heaviest among them?
Exam Q 32024Previous Year Pattern
Four boxes—Red, Blue, Green, and Yellow—contain different numbers of marbles. The Red box has fewer marbles than the Blue box. The Green box has more marbles than the Yellow box. The Blue box has fewer marbles than the Green box. The Yellow box has more marbles than the Red box. Which box has the second-most marbles?
Exam Q 42024Previous Year Pattern
Six students scored different marks in an exam. Priya scored more than Qasim. Qasim scored more than Ravi. Sana scored less than Tina. Tina scored less than Usha. Ravi scored more than Sana. Who scored the third-highest marks?
Exam Q 52024Previous Year Pattern
Five books—Fiction, Mystery, History, Science, and Poetry—are arranged by thickness. Fiction is thicker than Mystery. History is thinner than Science. Mystery is thicker than Poetry. Science is thinner than Fiction. History is thicker than Poetry. Which book is the thinnest?
Exam Q 62024Previous Year Pattern
Four athletes—Arun, Bhavesh, Chitra, and Diya—have different running speeds. Arun is faster than Bhavesh. Chitra is slower than Diya. Bhavesh is faster than Chitra. Who is the second-fastest?
Exam Q 72024Previous Year Pattern
Five friends—Aman, Bhavna, Chetan, Deepa, and Esha—are sitting in a row. Bhavna is heavier than Aman but lighter than Chetan. Deepa is heavier than Esha but lighter than Aman. Esha is the lightest. Who is the second heaviest among them?
Exam Q 82024Previous Year Pattern
Four boxes—P, Q, R, S—contain different numbers of marbles. R has fewer marbles than P. Q has more marbles than S. P has fewer marbles than Q. R has more marbles than S. Which box has the second-least number of marbles?
Exam Q 92024Previous Year Pattern
Six students—A, B, C, D, E, F—scored different marks. C scored more than A but less than E. D scored more than F. B scored less than A. E scored less than D. F scored more than C. What is the rank of C from the top (highest marks = rank 1)?
Exam Q 102024Previous Year Pattern
Five packages—W, X, Y, Z, V—have different weights. Z is heavier than X. Y is lighter than W. X is heavier than V. W is lighter than Z. Y is heavier than V. What is the heaviest package?
Exam Q 112024Previous Year Pattern
Three friends—Priya, Qasim, Ravi—have different ages. Priya is older than Qasim. Ravi is younger than Priya. Qasim is older than Ravi. If Priya is 30 years old, Qasim is 25 years old, and Ravi is 20 years old, who is the youngest?
Exam Q 122024Previous Year Pattern
Four items—M, N, O, P—are priced differently. M costs more than N. O costs less than P. N costs more than O. M costs less than P. Which item is the second most expensive?
Concept Notes
Comparison Puzzle— Rules & Concept
Core ConceptRead this first — the foundation of the topic
Core Concept
Comparison puzzles work by giving you clues like 'A is taller than B' or 'C scored less than D'. You must use these clues to arrange all items in a line (ascending or descending order). Think of it like solving a chain where each link connects two items
Key Rules
Read all statements carefully before starting.
2
Use symbols to track relationships
> (greater), < (less), = (equal).
3. Combine individual statements to create a complete chain.
4. Check your final answer against all given statements.
5. Watch for indirect comparisons — sometimes you must link multiple statements together.
Formula BlockMemorise — at least one formula appears in every paper
If A > B and B > C, then A > C (Transitive Property). This is the backbone of all comparison puzzles.
Exam PatternsWhat examiners ask — read before attempting PYQs
SSC CGL typically asks:
- Who is the tallest/shortest/oldest/youngest?
- Arrange in increasing/decreasing order.
- Find positions of specific people in the arranged order.
- Handle 5-7 people with 4-6 comparative statements.
Shortcut/Trick:
Draw a simple line or arrow diagram. Write names and connect them with arrows showing the direction of comparison. This visual method solves 90% of puzzles faster than written logic.
Worked ExampleSolve this step-by-step before moving on
1
Step 1
Write statements using symbols.
Raj > Priya ... (1)
Anu > Raj ... (2)
Sita < Priya ... (3)
Mohan > Anu ... (4)
2
Step 2
Link the chain.
From (1): Raj > Priya
From (2): Anu > Raj, so Anu > Raj > Priya
From (4): Mohan > Anu, so Mohan > Anu > Raj > Priya
From (3): Sita < Priya, so Sita is even smaller
3
Step 3
Final order from tallest to shortest.
Mohan > Anu > Raj > Priya > Sita
Answer: Mohan is the tallest.
Exam TrapsCommon mistakes students make — avoid these
Students often ignore indirect relationships. If A > B and C > A, they sometimes forget that C > B as well. Always trace the complete chain before answering.
Also, don't assume anything not stated in the problem.
Key Points to Remember
Comparison puzzles require you to arrange items in order using given statements about relationships.
Use the transitive property: if A > B and B > C, then definitely A > C.
Always draw a visual line or arrow diagram to track relationships clearly.
Read every statement carefully; indirect comparisons are often hidden in the clues.
Check your final answer by verifying it satisfies all given statements.
Common properties compared in SSC CGL: age, height, weight, marks, salary, and speed.
Exam-Specific Tips
Comparison puzzles in SSC CGL typically involve 5-7 persons and 4-6 comparative statements.
The transitive property (if A > B and B > C, then A > C) is the mathematical foundation of all comparison puzzles.
Most SSC CGL comparison puzzles ask for the maximum or minimum person in a specific property.