What Profit & Loss Questions Test
- Profit/loss percentage on cost vs selling price
- Marked price, discount and discount chains
- Successive discounts as a single effective discount
- False-weight (dishonest dealer) problems
- Combined transactions — two items, one profit one loss
Question bank coverage by sub-pattern
How Profit & Loss Appears in IBPS PO
Profit & Loss is part of the Quantitative Aptitude section (20% of the IBPS PO syllabus). See the full IBPS PO Prelims breakdown.
Profit & Loss Solved Examples for IBPS PO
12 exam-pattern profit & loss questions from the practice bank, each with a full solution.
A trader mixes 26 kg of rice at Rs 20 per kg with 30 kg of rice of other variety at Rs 36 per kg and sells the mixture at Rs 30 per kg. His profit percent is:
- A.5%Correct
- B.8%
- C.10%
- D.12%
Solution
C.P. of 26 kg of rice = Rs. (20 x 26) = Rs. 520 C.P. of 30 kg of rice = Rs. (36 x 30) = Rs. 1080 Total C.P. = Rs. (520 + 1080) = Rs. 1600 Total S.P. = Rs. (30 x 56) = Rs. 1680 Profit = Rs. (1680 - 1600) = Rs. 80 Profit % = (80/1600) x 100 = 5%
A shopkeeper sells an article at a profit of 15%. If he had sold it for Rs. 27 more, he would have gained 20%. The cost price of the article is:
- A.Rs. 500
- B.Rs. 540Correct
- C.Rs. 550
- D.Rs. 600
Solution
Let the cost price be x. Selling price at 15% profit = 1.15x Selling price at 20% profit = 1.2x Therefore, 1.2x - 1.15x = 27 0.05x = 27 x = 27/0.05 = 540
A shopkeeper offers successive discounts of 15% and 10% on an article. If the selling price is Rs. 765, what is the marked price?
- A.Rs. 900
- B.Rs. 1000Correct
- C.Rs. 1100
- D.Rs. 1200
Solution
Let the marked price be x. After the first discount of 15%, the price becomes x - 15% of x = 0.85x. After the second discount of 10%, the price becomes 0.85x - 10% of 0.85x = 0.85x - 0.085x = 0.765x. Given, 0.765x = 765. Therefore, x = 765/0.765 = Rs. 1000.
Puneet buys 240 articles and labels each with the same marked price. He sells 160 articles initially at 20% discount on the labelled price. Then he sells rest articles at an additional discount of 25% on the discounted price. Thus, he gets total of `Z, and makes profit of 10%. When he offered no discount find its profit %.
- A.50%Correct
- B.25%
- C.20%
- D.33%
- E.None of these
Solution
Let, marked price per article be M. Total revenue (Z) = 176M. Given 10% profit, Cost Price = 160M. Total selling price without discount = 240M. Profit = 240M – 160M = 80M. Therefore Profit % = 50%
If marked price of T is `80 less than cost price of R, which is sold after discount of `400 or 5L/14 %. Find the value of L.
- A.100/7
- B.40
- C.250
- D.2/5
- E.None of theseCorrect
Solution
First find the values of a, b, m, and n. Then calculate the marked price of T and the cost price of R. Use the discount information to find the selling price of R. Then solve for L. The value of L is not in the options.
If the discount given on article T is (b – a)% and sold at a profit of L%, while the marked price of S is `400 less than that of P, and S sold after giving a discount of D%. Find (L% – D%).
- A.30%
- B.20%Correct
- C.25%
- D.40%
- E.None of these
Solution
First find the values of a, b, m, and n. Then calculate the discount percentage on article T and the profit percentage L%. Then calculate the marked price of S and the discount percentage D%. The difference is 20%.
If profit% given on article Q is thrice as that of discount %, then find difference between cost price of Q and S.
- A.160
- B.80Correct
- C.120
- D.240
- E.None of these
Solution
First find the values of a, b, m, and n. Then calculate the discount percentage and profit percentage on article Q. Use this information to find the cost price of Q. Then calculate the cost price of S. The difference is 80.
If cost price of P is 87.5% more than that of T, and P is sold after discount of (2L – 210) %, then which of the following is/are possible value of L? I. 1.5 m II. (b – n – 8) III. 2.4(b – a) IV. 240
- A.I and III only
- B.II and IV only
- C.I, II, and III only
- D.I, II, III, and IVCorrect
- E.None of these
Solution
First find the values of a, b, m, and n. Then calculate the cost price of P and T. Use the discount percentage to find the selling price of P. Then check each option to see if it is a possible value of L. All options are possible.
Direction: In the following question, three quantities I, II and III are given. Compare quantity I, quantity II and quantity III on its basis. (Only quantity is to be considered) Two equations (a) and (b) are given below: (a) 3x – 4y = 2 (b) x – 2y = 8 Quantity I: Find the value of 'x' by solving both the equations? Quantity II: Find the value of 'y' by solving both the equations? Quantity III: An article is marked up by `250 and sold by giving a discount of `200 on marked price. If the marked up percent is P%, discount given is Q% and marked price of the article is `1000, then find the value of (Q – P)?
- A.Quantity I > Quantity III > Quantity IICorrect
- B.Quantity II > Quantity III > Quantity I
- C.Quantity III < Quantity II < Quantity I
- D.Quantity II < Quantity I < Quantity III
- E.Quantity I = Quantity II < Quantity III
Solution
Solving equations, x = -14, y = -11. P = 25%, Q = 20%, Q-P = -5. Q1 = -14, Q2 = -11, Q3 = -5. Thus, Q1 > Q3 > Q2.
A man sells an article at a loss of 10%. If he had received Rs. 9 more, he would have gained 12 1/2 %. Find the cost price of the article.
- A.Rs. 40Correct
- B.Rs. 45
- C.Rs. 50
- D.Rs. 55
Solution
Let the cost price be Rs. x. Selling price at 10% loss = 0.9x Selling price at 12.5% gain = 1.125x Therefore, 1.125x - 0.9x = 9 0.225x = 9 x = 9/0.225 = 40
A vendor sells apples at ₹15 per apple and makes a profit of 20%. If he increases the price to ₹18 per apple, what is his new profit percentage?
- A.35%
- B.40%
- C.44%Correct
- D.50%
Solution
Let the cost price of one apple be x. Selling price = ₹15. Profit = 20%. So, 1.2x = 15 => x = 15 / 1.2 = ₹12.5. New selling price = ₹18. New profit = 18 - 12.5 = ₹5.5. New profit percentage = (5.5 / 12.5) * 100 = (550 / 12.5) = 44%.
A person buys some pencils at 5 for a rupee and sells them at 3 for a rupee. His profit percent is:
- A.66 2/3%Correct
- B.76 2/3%
- C.56 2/3%
- D.46 2/3%
Solution
Cost Price of 1 pencil = Rs. 1/5 Selling Price of 1 pencil = Rs. 1/3 Profit per pencil = (1/3) - (1/5) = (5 - 3)/15 = 2/15 Profit % = ((2/15) / (1/5)) * 100 = (2/15) * 5 * 100 = (2/3) * 100 = 66 2/3%
Profit & Loss — Frequently Asked Questions
What is the quickest framework for profit & loss questions?
Treat everything as multipliers on cost price: a 20% profit is ×1.2, a 10% discount is ×0.9. Chaining multipliers avoids equation-setting for most exam-pattern questions.
Are successive discount questions common?
Yes — the classic trap is adding the discounts. Two discounts of a% and b% equal a single discount of a + b − ab/100 percent, which is always less than a + b.
How many Profit & Loss practice questions does Parikshala have for IBPS PO?
43 exam-pattern Profit & Loss questions for IBPS PO Quantitative Aptitude, each with a step-by-step solution. Practice is free — no sign-up needed to start.