Profit, Loss and Discount — Study Notes

Overview

Profit, Loss and Discount is a cornerstone topic in SSC CGL Tier-1 Quantitative Aptitude, typically yielding 2–4 questions per exam. This chapter tests your ability to work with Cost Price (CP), Selling Price (SP), Marked Price (MP), profit percentages, loss percentages, and various discount schemes. The key is understanding the relationships between these values and converting word problems into simple equations.

Mastery here requires two skills: (1) instant recall of basic formulas, and (2) the ability to handle successive discounts and markup-discount combinations without confusion. Questions range from straightforward one-step calculations to multi-layered problems involving false weights, successive transactions, or combined profit-loss scenarios. Because the formulas are interconnected, a single conceptual error can cascade through an entire problem—so precision matters.

Strong performance on this topic directly boosts your overall Quantitative Aptitude score, as these questions are generally faster to solve than geometry or trigonometry once you have the formulas locked in.

Key Concepts

• **Cost Price (CP)** is the price at which an article is purchased or manufactured. **Selling Price (SP)** is the price at which it is sold. Profit occurs when SP > CP; loss occurs when SP < CP.