Percentage is one of the most common and high-scoring topics in Quantitative Aptitude. Whether it’s SSC, Banking, RRB, or State-level exams, questions on percentages appears in all exams and form the basis for many other topics like Profit & Loss, Simple Interest, Data Interpretation, and Mixture Problems. In this blog, we have provided all the details about percentage concepts, formulas, tricks, types of questions, solved examples, and more.
Important Percentage Questions PDF
Struggling with Percentage questions in SSC, Railways exams? You are not alone as it is one of the most commonly tested and often misunderstood topics in the Quantitative Aptitude section. That is exactly why we have created this FREE e-book with important Percentage questions, carefully selected based on the latest SSC exam trends.
Whether you’re preparing for SSC CGL, CHSL, MTS, or any other SSC exam, this e-book will give you the targeted practice you need. The questions range from basic to advanced levels, with a special focus on concepts that repeatedly appear in the actual exams.
Practice Percentage Questions Live
Percentage is an important topic in competitive exams. Below are some questions to help you practice live and improve your score.
1. A is 150% of B and B is 40% of C. If A + B + C = 20, then the value of 2B + 3C – 4A is:
2. The population of a town increased by 15% in 2018 and 10% in 2019. Due to a pandemic, it decreased by 10% in 2020. What was the percentage increase in the population of the town in 3 years?
3. One-third of 1206 is what percent of 134?
4. In an examination, 80% of candidates passed in English and 85% in Mathematics. If 73% passed in both, then what percent failed in both?
5. The population of a town increases every year by 4%. If its present population is 50,000, then after 2 years it will be:
6. Mr Ajay spends 50% of his monthly income on household items and out of the remaining, he spends 25% on travelling, 30% on entertainment, 15% on shopping and saves Rs. 900. What is his monthly income?
7. In a class of 60 students and 5 teachers, each student got sweets equal to 20% of total students and each teacher got sweets equal to 30% of total students. Total sweets were:
8. In a school, 40% students play football and 50% play cricket. If 18% play neither, then the percentage playing both is:
9. In a garden, 60% trees are coconut, 25% of coconut trees are mango, and 20% of mango trees are apple. If apple trees are 1500, total trees are:
10. The number that is to be added to 10% of 320 to make the sum equal to 30% of 230 is:
11. In an examination, A got 25% more marks than B, B got 10% less than C, and C got 25% more than D. If D got 320 marks, then A got:
12. If 30% of A is added to 40% of B, the answer is 80% of B. What percentage of A is B?
13. A number is divided into two parts such that 80% of first part is 3 more than 60% of second part and 80% of second part is 6 more than 90% of first part. The number is:
14. If 80% of A = 50% of B and B = X% of A, then X =:
15. On a test of 250 questions, Johnny answered 40% of first 125 correctly. What percent of remaining 125 must she answer correctly to score 60% overall?
16. In a school of 100 students, 60% are boys, 40% of boys play hockey, girls don’t play hockey, and 75% girls play badminton. Number of students who play no game is:
17. If 125% of x is 100, then x is:
18. A candidate scoring 30% fails by 5 marks, while another scoring 40% gets 10 marks more than pass marks. Minimum pass marks are:
19. 65% of a number is more than its 25% by 160. What is 20% of that number?
20. If the radius of a cone is decreased by 50% and height increased by 50%, then volume decreases by:
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What Is Percentage in Quantitative Aptitude?
A percentage is a way of expressing a number as a fraction of 100. It is denoted by the symbol %.
In Quantitative Aptitude, percentage questions test your ability to compare values, calculate changes, and apply ratios in real-life and problem-solving scenarios.
Why it appears in exams:
- Forms the base for multiple Quant topics (Profit & Loss, SI-CI, DI).
- Tests calculation speed and accuracy.
- Frequently integrated into mixed-concept questions.
Skills required to solve Percentage problems:
- Quick mental arithmetic
- Strong ratio and proportion understanding
- Ability to link changes in percentage with real values
Why Is Percentage Important in Competitive Exams?
Questions on percentage appear in almost every competitive exam because they are easy to set, easy to solve, and can be integrated with many other topics.
| Exam | No. of Questions | Difficulty |
| SSC CGL / CHSL | 1–2 | Easy |
| IBPS PO / SBI PO | 1–2 | Moderate |
| RRB NTPC / Group D | 1 | Easy |
| State PSC / Police | 1–2 | Moderate |
Percentage Quantitative Aptitude Short Notes
Terms used for the percentage topic are as follows:
| Term | Explanation |
| Percentage (%) | Number expressed as per 100 |
| Percentage Change | Increase or decrease in value in percentage terms |
| Percentage Point | Difference between two percentage values |
| Successive Percentage | Multiple percentage changes applied one after another |
| Base Value | The original value from which percentage is calculated |
| Relative Percentage | Comparison of percentages between two entities |
Percentage Questions Short Tricks
Short tricks that are useful while solving percentage questions are as follows:
| Concept | Explanation |
| % to Fraction | Divide by 100 |
| Fraction to % | Multiply by 100 |
| % Increase Formula | (Increase ÷ Original) × 100 |
| % Decrease Formula | (Decrease ÷ Original) × 100 |
| Successive % Change | Total % Change = x + y + (xy/100) |
| Value from % | (Percentage × Total) ÷ 100 |
What Are the Types of Percentage Questions in Quantitative Aptitude?
The types of percentage questions being asked are as follows:
- Direct Percentage Calculation – Finding a percentage of a given number.
- Percentage Change – Increase or decrease problems.
- Successive Percentage – Applying multiple percentage changes.
- Comparison Percentage – Relative % differences.
- Application-Based – In Profit & Loss, SI-CI, DI, and Mixture problems.
Percentage Formulas for Quantitative Aptitude
The key formulas to solve percentage problems quickly:
- Percentage value = (Value ÷ Total) × 100
- Value from percentage = (Percentage × Total) ÷ 100
- % Increase = [(New – Old) ÷ Old] × 100
- % Decrease = [(Old – New) ÷ Old] × 100
- Successive % Change = x + y + (xy/100)
- % to fraction = Divide by 100
Percentage Tricks for SSC CGL and Other Exams
Tricks that are mostly used while solving questions from this topic are as follows:
- Memorise fraction–percentage equivalents (e.g., 1/2 = 50%, 1/3 = 33.33%).
- Use the x + y + (xy/100) formula for successive changes instead of step-by-step calculation.
- For quick DI calculations, break percentages into sums of easy parts (e.g., 18% of 200 = 10% + 5% + 3%).
- In exam pressure, work with ratios when dealing with percentage comparison.
- Always double-check extreme percentage changes (over 100%) for logic.
Solved Percentage Questions from 2024–25 Exams
Q1. Asked in SSC CGL 2024 Tier 1 (Shift 2)
If the price of a commodity increases by 20%, by what % should its consumption be reduced so that the expenditure remains the same?
Answer: 16.67%
Explanation: Reduction % = [x / (100 + x)] × 100 = (20/120) × 100 = 16.67%
Q2. From IBPS PO Prelims 2024 – Memory-Based
A student scores 480 marks out of 600. What is the percentage score?
Answer: 80%
Explanation: (480 ÷ 600) × 100 = 80%
Q3. RRB NTPC 2024 Shift 1
If a number is increased by 25%, it becomes 500. Find the original number.
Answer: 400
Explanation: 125% = 500 → 1% = 4 → 100% = 400
Percentage Concepts for Bank Exams
Bank exams often twist percentage questions into Data Interpretation or Coded Arithmetic formats. For example:
Example:
The number of employees increased from 240 to 300 in a company. Find the percentage increase.
Solution: [(300 – 240) ÷ 240] × 100 = 25%
Common Mistakes to Avoid while Solving Percentage
Common mistakes to avoid while solving questions on percentage are as follows:
- Confusing percentage change with absolute change.
- Forgetting to use original value as base.
- Wrong application of successive percentage formula.
- Mixing up percentage points and percentage change.
- Not simplifying fractions before calculation.
FAQs
Learn common fraction–percentage conversions and use mental math shortcuts.
Yes, usually in DI or arithmetic-based word problems.
Use formula [(New – Old) ÷ Old] × 100.
Yes, for calculating gains and losses.
Work backwards using base = new × 100 / (100 ± change%).
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