Profit and loss questions

Aptitude Updated 11 Oct 2026

These profit and loss questions cover cost price, selling price, profit and loss percent, marked price, discounts, successive discounts and dishonest dealer problems. Every question has four options, the answer and a short worked solution.

The set moves from easy formula questions to medium and hard aptitude questions of the kind asked in SSC, bank, railway and campus placement tests. Solve each one on paper before you look at the answer, then compare your method with the steps shown.

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Easy profit and loss questions

Q1. An article bought for Rs 500 is sold for Rs 600. What is the profit percent?
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Answer: A. 20%
Profit = 600 - 500 = 100. Profit % = 100/500 x 100 = 20%.
Q2. A watch costing Rs 800 is sold for Rs 680. What is the loss percent?
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Answer: C. 15%
Loss = 800 - 680 = 120. Loss % = 120/800 x 100 = 15%.
Q3. A trader buys a fan for Rs 1200 and sells it at a profit of 25%. What is the selling price?
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Answer: D. Rs 1500
SP = CP x (100 + profit%)/100 = 1200 x 125/100 = Rs 1500.
Q4. By selling a chair for Rs 900, a man loses 10%. What was the cost price?
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Answer: B. Rs 1000
SP is 90% of CP, so CP = 900 x 100/90 = Rs 1000.
Q5. A bicycle is sold for Rs 1440 at a profit of 20%. What is its cost price?
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Answer: D. Rs 1200
SP is 120% of CP, so CP = 1440 x 100/120 = Rs 1200.
Q6. A shopkeeper buys 12 pens for Rs 96 and sells each pen for Rs 10. What is his profit percent?
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Answer: A. 25%
CP of one pen = 96/12 = Rs 8. Profit = 10 - 8 = Rs 2, so profit % = 2/8 x 100 = 25%.
Q7. An article costing Rs 2500 is sold at a loss of 12%. What is the selling price?
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Answer: B. Rs 2200
SP = 2500 x (100 - 12)/100 = 2500 x 88/100 = Rs 2200.
Q8. A profit of Rs 75 is 15% of the cost price. What is the cost price?
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Answer: C. Rs 500
15% of CP = 75, so CP = 75 x 100/15 = Rs 500.
Q9. If the cost price of 10 articles equals the selling price of 8 articles, what is the profit percent?
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Answer: B. 25%
Let CP of one article be Rs 1. SP of 8 articles = Rs 10, so SP of one = 10/8 = 1.25. Profit % = 0.25/1 x 100 = 25%.
Q10. A book bought for Rs 250 is sold for Rs 275. What is the gain percent?
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Answer: A. 10%
Gain = 275 - 250 = 25. Gain % = 25/250 x 100 = 10%.

Marked price, discount and medium level questions

Q11. The marked price of a jacket is Rs 2000. The shop gives a 15% discount. What is the selling price?
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Answer: C. Rs 1700
Discount = 15% of 2000 = 300. SP = 2000 - 300 = Rs 1700.
Q12. An article marked at Rs 1500 is sold at a 20% discount and the seller still makes a 20% profit. What is the cost price?
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Answer: D. Rs 1000
SP = 80% of 1500 = 1200. CP = 1200 x 100/120 = Rs 1000.
Q13. A shopkeeper marks an item costing Rs 600 at 40% above cost and allows a 10% discount. What is his profit percent?
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Answer: D. 26%
MP = 600 x 1.4 = 840. SP = 840 x 0.9 = 756. Profit % = 156/600 x 100 = 26%.
Q14. Two successive discounts of 20% and 10% are equal to a single discount of what percent?
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Answer: C. 28%
Price after both discounts = 100 x 0.8 x 0.9 = 72. Single discount = 100 - 72 = 28%.
Q15. A man sells a radio at a loss of 5%. Had he sold it for Rs 60 more, he would have gained 5%. What is the cost price?
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Answer: A. Rs 600
The change from 5% loss to 5% gain is 10% of CP. 10% of CP = 60, so CP = Rs 600.
Q16. The cost price of 16 articles equals the selling price of 20 articles. What is the gain or loss percent?
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Answer: B. 20% loss
Let CP of one article be Rs 1. SP of 20 = Rs 16, so SP of one = 0.8. Loss = 0.2 on 1, which is a 20% loss.
Q17. Two mobile covers are sold for Rs 990 each, one at a 10% profit and the other at a 10% loss. What is the overall result?
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Answer: A. 1% loss
CPs are 990 x 100/110 = 900 and 990 x 100/90 = 1100, total 2000. Total SP = 1980, so loss = 20, which is 1% of 2000.
Q18. A dishonest shopkeeper sells rice at cost price but uses a 900 g weight instead of 1 kg. What is his gain percent?
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Answer: B. 11 1/9%
He gives 900 g but charges for 1000 g, so gain = 100 g. Gain % = 100/900 x 100 = 11 1/9%.
Q19. By selling a lamp for Rs 450, a man loses 10%. At what price should he sell it to gain 20%?
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Answer: D. Rs 600
CP = 450 x 100/90 = 500. SP for 20% gain = 500 x 1.2 = Rs 600.
Q20. After a discount of 25%, a sofa is sold for Rs 1800. What is its marked price?
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Answer: C. Rs 2400
SP is 75% of MP, so MP = 1800 x 100/75 = Rs 2400.
Q21. A sells a cycle to B at a 20% profit and B sells it to C at a 10% profit. If C pays Rs 1320, what did A pay for it?
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Answer: B. Rs 1000
1320 = A's CP x 1.2 x 1.1 = A's CP x 1.32. So A's CP = 1320/1.32 = Rs 1000.

Hard profit and loss aptitude questions

Q22. A shopkeeper marks his goods 25% above cost price and allows a discount of 12%. What is his profit percent?
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Answer: C. 10%
Take CP = 100. MP = 125, SP = 125 x 0.88 = 110. Profit = 10%.
Q23. Oranges are bought at 6 for Rs 10 and sold at 4 for Rs 8. What is the profit percent?
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Answer: D. 20%
CP of one = 10/6 = Rs 5/3; SP of one = 8/4 = Rs 2. Profit = 1/3 on 5/3, which is 20%.
Q24. A man sells an article at a 20% profit. If he had bought it 10% cheaper and sold it for Rs 18 less, he would have gained 30%. What is the cost price?
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Answer: A. Rs 600
Let CP = x. Then 1.2x - 18 = 1.3 x 0.9x = 1.17x, so 0.03x = 18 and x = Rs 600.
Q25. By selling 20 articles, a trader gains the selling price of 4 articles. What is his gain percent?
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Answer: D. 25%
Gain = SP of 4, so CP of 20 = SP of 20 - SP of 4 = SP of 16. Gain % = 4/16 x 100 = 25%.
Q26. By selling 25 articles, a seller loses the selling price of 5 articles. What is his loss percent?
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Answer: A. 16 2/3%
Loss = SP of 5, so CP of 25 = SP of 30. Loss % = 5/30 x 100 = 16 2/3%.
Q27. A shopkeeper claims to sell at a 10% loss, but uses an 800 g weight in place of 1 kg. What is his actual gain percent?
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Answer: C. 12.5%
For goods costing Rs 80 (800 g) he charges Rs 90 (90% of the price of 1 kg). Gain = 10 on 80, which is 12.5%.
Q28. Three successive discounts of 10%, 20% and 25% are equal to a single discount of what percent?
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Answer: B. 46%
Price left = 100 x 0.9 x 0.8 x 0.75 = 54. Single discount = 100 - 54 = 46%.
Q29. By how much percent above cost must an article be marked so that after a 10% discount the seller gains 26%?
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Answer: A. 40%
Take CP = 100, so SP = 126. MP x 0.9 = 126 gives MP = 140, which is 40% above cost.
Q30. The profit earned by selling an article for Rs 1320 equals the loss incurred by selling it for Rs 1080. What is the cost price?
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Answer: B. Rs 1200
1320 - CP = CP - 1080, so 2 CP = 2400 and CP = Rs 1200.
Q31. Two articles are sold at the same price, one at a 25% gain and the other at a 25% loss. What is the overall result?
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Answer: C. 6.25% loss
When equal SPs give x% gain and x% loss, there is always a loss of x²/100 %. Here 25 x 25/100 = 6.25% loss.

How to prepare

Most profit and loss aptitude questions need only three ideas. Profit or loss percent is always taken on the cost price. Selling price = CP x (100 + gain%)/100 or CP x (100 - loss%)/100. Discount is always taken on the marked price, so SP = MP x (100 - discount%)/100. Taking CP as 100 turns most questions into simple percentages.

Learn a few shortcuts too. Successive discounts of a% and b% equal a + b - ab/100. If the CP of x articles equals the SP of y articles, gain % = (x - y)/y x 100. When two items sell at the same price with x% gain and x% loss, the net result is a loss of x²/100 %. Practise the easy section first, then time yourself on the hard section at about one minute per question.

Study tips

Always take profit or loss percent on the cost price and discount on the marked price.
Assume CP = 100 whenever the question gives only percentages.
Memorise the fractions of common percentages, such as 12.5% = 1/8 and 16 2/3% = 1/6, to calculate faster.

Questions people ask

What is the formula for profit and loss percent?

Profit % = (SP - CP)/CP x 100 and loss % = (CP - SP)/CP x 100. Both are always calculated on the cost price, not on the selling price.

How do I solve profit and loss questions quickly?

Take the cost price as 100 when only percentages are given, and use multiplying factors such as 1.2 for a 20% gain or 0.9 for a 10% discount. This turns most questions into one or two quick multiplications.

What is the difference between discount and loss?

Discount is a reduction on the marked price, while loss is when the selling price is below the cost price. A seller can give a discount and still make a profit if the marked price is set well above the cost.

How do dishonest dealer questions work?

The dealer gives less weight than he charges for. Gain % = error/(true value - error) x 100, so a dealer who uses 900 g for 1 kg gains 100/900 x 100 = 11 1/9%.

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