SSC CGL Tier 2 Most Tricky Questions with Shortcuts & Explanations

Cracking SSC CGL Tier 2 requires more than just basic practice. Many questions are deliberately tricky, testing both conceptual clarity and speed. This article provides a collection of tricky MCQs from Quantitative Abilities, English, and Reasoning, along with shortcuts and explanations to help you solve them quickly for SSC CGL Exam.

SSC CGL Tier 2 Quantitative Aptitude MCQs

SSC CGL Tier 2 English MCQs

11. Choose the correctly punctuated sentence:
    a) He said I am coming.
    b) He said, “I am coming.”
    c) He said “I am coming”.
    d) He said “I am coming”.
    Shortcut: Reported speech rules.
12. Fill in the blank: “Had I known, I ___ him.”
    a) will help b) would have helped c) helped d) had helped
    Shortcut: Use third conditional: “If + past perfect, would have + V3”.
13. Find the synonym of “Pernicious”:
    a) Harmless b) Deadly c) Minor d) Small
    Shortcut: Pernicious = extremely harmful.
14. Identify the error: “Neither of the boys were present.”
    a) Neither b) of the boys c) were d) present
    Shortcut: Subject-verb agreement → ‘Neither…was’.
15. Correct sentence:
    a) Each of the players have a chance.
    b) Each of the players has a chance.
    c) Each players has a chance.
    d) Each players have a chance.
    Shortcut: ‘Each’ → singular verb.
16. Choose antonym of “Obdurate”:
    a) Stubborn b) Flexible c) Hard d) Rigid
    Shortcut: Obdurate = stubborn → antonym = flexible.
17. Fill in the blank: “She is proficient ___ mathematics.”
    a) at b) in c) on d) with
    Shortcut: Proficient → in.
18. Idiom: “Bite the bullet” means
    a) Avoid problem b) Face difficulty bravely c) Run away d) Complain
    Shortcut: Common idioms for SSC.
19. Correct the sentence: “He suggested to go there.”
    a) suggested to go b) suggested going c) suggested go d) suggested went
    Shortcut: Verb after suggest = gerund.
20. Fill the correct phrasal verb: “They had to ___ the plan due to rain.”
    a) call off b) call on c) call up d) call in
    Shortcut: ‘Call off’ = cancel.

Check out detailed SSC CGL Syllabus to know more about other subjects.

SSC CGL Tier 2 Reasoning MCQs

21. Find missing number: 2, 6, 12, 20, 30, ?
    a) 42 b) 44 c) 46 d) 48
    Shortcut: Pattern: n2+nn^2 + nn2+n.
22. Odd one out: 121, 144, 169, 196, 225, 240
    a) 121 b) 144 c) 225 d) 240
    Shortcut: Perfect squares.
23. Series: Z, X, U, Q, L, ?
    a) H b) I c) K d) M
    Shortcut: Alphabet pattern backward, decreasing gaps.
24. Cube painted all sides, cut into 27 smaller cubes. How many cubes have 2 faces painted?
    a) 12 b) 8 c) 6 d) 0
    Shortcut: Corner, edge, and face cubes.
25. Coding: If CAT = 3120, DOG = 4157, code BAT = ?
    a) 2120 b) 2130 c) 2140 d) 2150
    Shortcut: Letter → position → pattern recognition.
26. Direction puzzle: A walks 5 km north, 3 km east, 2 km south. Distance from start?
    a) 4 km b) 5 km c) 6 km d) 7 km
    Shortcut: Use Pythagoras: √(Δx² + Δy²).
27. Family puzzle: P × Q − R + S ÷ T. If × = father, − = sister, + = brother, ÷ = mother. Relation of P to T?
    a) Grandfather b) Uncle c) Father d) Brother
    Shortcut: Map operations carefully.
28. Find next number: 5, 9, 17, 33, 65, ?
    a) 127 b) 129 c) 131 d) 135
    Shortcut: Pattern: Multiply by 2 and add 1.
29. Analogy: Bird : Nest :: Bee : ?
    a) Hive b) Flower c) Sting d) Honey
    Shortcut: Home/produced thing analogy.
30. Odd one: Triangle, Square, Circle, Hexagon, Sphere
    a) Triangle b) Square c) Circle d) Sphere
    Shortcut: Sphere is 3D, others 2D.

Check out SSC CGL Tier 2 Weightage of English and Quant

General Awareness – Tricky MCQs

31. Who among the following is known as the “Father of Indian Nuclear Program”?
a) Homi Bhabha b) Vikram Sarabhai c) A.P.J. Abdul Kalam d) Satyendra Nath Bose
Answer: a) Homi Bhabha
Explanation: Homi Bhabha laid the foundation for India’s nuclear program.

32. The smallest planet in the Solar System is:
a) Mercury b) Mars c) Venus d) Pluto
Answer: a) Mercury
Explanation: Mercury is the smallest planet after Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf planet.

33. Which Article of the Indian Constitution deals with the Right to Equality?
a) Article 14 b) Article 19 c) Article 21 d) Article 32
Answer: a) Article 14
Explanation: Article 14 guarantees equality before law.

34. Who invented the first programmable digital computer?
a) Charles Babbage b) Alan Turing c) Konrad Zuse d) John von Neumann
Answer: c) Konrad Zuse
Explanation: Konrad Zuse built Z3, the first programmable digital computer.

35. Which river is called the “Sorrow of Bihar”?
a) Ganga b) Kosi c) Brahmaputra d) Yamuna
Answer: b) Kosi
Explanation: Frequent floods cause widespread devastation in Bihar.

36. Which country has the highest number of time zones?
a) USA b) Russia c) France d) China
Answer: c) France
Explanation: Including overseas territories, France spans 12 time zones.

37. Who is the author of “The Discovery of India”?
a) Mahatma Gandhi b) Jawaharlal Nehru c) B.R. Ambedkar d) Rabindranath Tagore
Answer: b) Jawaharlal Nehru
Explanation: Written during Nehru’s imprisonment in 1942–46.

38. Which gas is most abundant in Earth’s atmosphere?
a) Oxygen b) Nitrogen c) Carbon dioxide d) Hydrogen
Answer: b) Nitrogen
Explanation: Nitrogen constitutes ~78% of the atmosphere.

39. Which Indian state has the highest literacy rate as per 2021 data?
a) Kerala b) Maharashtra c) Tamil Nadu d) Goa
Answer: a) Kerala
Explanation: Kerala consistently tops literacy rankings in India.

40. Who is known as the “Missile Man of India”?
a) Homi Bhabha b) A.P.J. Abdul Kalam c) Vikram Sarabhai d) Satish Dhawan
Answer: b) A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
Explanation: Developed India’s missile and space technology.

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