If you are preparing for RBI Assistant, SBI Clerk/PO, IBPS, SSC, or other Government exams, then Profit and Loss is one topic you simply cannot ignore. From our topper’s and my own preparation experience, we would like to tell you that this chapter looks easy at first, but it can become tricky if concepts are not crystal clear. In this article, we are sharing everything a serious aspirant needs i.e. concepts, formulas, common traps, exam-level practice questions, and preparation tips. You will also be able to attempt the questions live in this blog.
Download Profit and Loss Questions PDF
To access the complete set of Profit & Loss questions, you must download the PDF given below. This PDF includes some of the questions with solutions to help you prepare effectively for the upcoming exams.
Live Profit and Loss Practice Questions
Practice the profit & loss questions for RBI Office Attendant, SBI Clerk and other exams live. This quiz will help you identify your score as per the exam marking scheme.
Profit & Loss Questions Quiz
1. Selling price of an article is Rs. 2220 and the percent profit earned is 20%. What is the cost price of the article?
2. A shopkeeper purchased 15 kg of variety “A” rice and 10 kg of variety “B” rice. Had the two varieties been mixed and sold at an overall profit of 20%, what would have been the selling price (per kg)?
3. The cost price of a calculator is Rs. 5,000 and he loses 25%. Find his selling price.
4. Find the cost price of an article which is sold at INR 720, at profit of 12.5%.
5. Profit earned by selling an article for Rs. 1450 is same as the loss incurred by selling the article for Rs. 1280. What is the cost price of the article?
6. Shyam buys laptops from two vendors and sells all at Rs. 50,000 per unit. What is the profit percentage?
7. A company marks up a plan by 60%, offers a discount of 20%, and pays 15% service tax itself. Find his profit percentage.
8. Two merchants sell an article for Rs. 1,000 each. Both make a profit of 25%, but compute it differently. By how many rupees is the actual profit made by B more than that made by A?
9. If the ratio of cost price to selling price is 10:11, then the rate of profit is?
10. If the cost price of 25 chairs is equal to the selling price of 30 chairs, then find the loss percentage.
Quiz Summary
Final Score: 0.0
Profit & Loss Questions Asked in Actual Exams
One of the best ways to master Profit & Loss is by practising questions that were actually asked in real banking and government exams. These Previous Year Questions (PYQs) help you understand the exam pattern, difficulty level, and common question types that examiners prefer. Below are some of the real exam Profit & Loss questions, along with the exam name and detailed solutions.
| Question (Overview) | Exam in which this question is asked | Key Concept Tested | Detailed Solution |
| Anikesh sold two chairs, one at 20% profit and another at 10% loss | SBI Clerk Prelims | Equal Selling Price | View Solution |
| Three shopkeepers dealing in two stationery items | RBI Grade B Phase 1 | Data Interpretation + Profit & Loss | View Solution |
| Table showing total imports of goods of five companies | SSC CGL Tier I | Tabular Data + Profit Analysis | View Solution |
| Article sold for ₹6400 gives profit which is 20 times | IBPS RRB PO Prelims | Profit Ratio Concept | View Solution |
| Shopkeeper sold two pens at ₹45 each with 25% profit | SBI Clerk Prelims | Same SP – Different CP | View Solution |
| Merchant sells part of sugar at profit and part at loss | SSC CGL Tier I | Mixed Profit & Loss | View Solution |
| Total profit earned by P and Q after investments | SBI Clerk Prelims | Partnership + Profit | View Solution |
| Selling price given with 15% profit on marked price | SBI Clerk Prelims | Marked Price & Discount | View Solution |
| Find profit percent when cost price is a fraction of SP | SBI Clerk Prelims | Fraction-based Profit | View Solution |
| Hemant bought a watch and sold it at 24% profit | IBPS Clerk Prelims | Direct Profit Calculation | View Solution |
Sneak-peak into the Profit and Loss Questions PDF
Profit and Loss Concepts & Formulaes
This topic is asked in almost all Government exams like RBI Grade B, SBI Clerk/PO, IBPS, SSC, RRB NTPC, and State-level exams. Profit and Loss questions are usually easy to moderate, but only if the concepts are clear.
| Topic | Concept/ Condition | Formula |
| Cost Price (CP) | Price at which article is purchased | CP |
| Selling Price (SP) | Price at which article is sold | SP |
| Profit (Gain) | SP > CP | Profit = SP − CP |
| Loss | CP > SP | Loss = CP − SP |
| Profit Percentage | Profit calculated on CP | (Profit ÷ CP) × 100 |
| Loss Percentage | Loss calculated on CP | (Loss ÷ CP) × 100 |
| SP (Profit %) | When profit percentage is given | SP = CP × (100 + Profit %) ÷ 100 |
| SP (Loss %) | When loss percentage is given | SP = CP × (100 − Loss %) ÷ 100 |
| CP (Profit %) | When profit percentage is given | CP = SP × 100 ÷ (100 + Profit %) |
| CP (Loss %) | When loss percentage is given | CP = SP × 100 ÷ (100 − Loss %) |
| Marked Price (MP) | Printed price on article | MP |
| Discount | Reduction on MP | Discount = MP − SP |
| Discount Percentage | Discount on MP | (Discount ÷ MP) × 100 |
| SP after Discount | Discounted selling price | MP × (100 − Discount %) ÷ 100 |
| Successive Profit/Loss | Two successive changes | Net % = a + b + (a × b) ÷ 100 |
| Successive Rule | Profit positive, loss negative | Use sign carefully |
| Same SP (Gain & Loss) | One gain x%, one loss x% | Always a loss |
| Same SP Formula | Equal SP case | Net Loss % = (x × x) ÷ 100 |
| Dishonest Shopkeeper | Less quantity, same price | Always gain |
| False Weight Formula | x g less per kg | Gain % = x ÷ (1000 − x) × 100 |
| Multiple Articles | More than one article sold | Total CP, Total SP |
| Profit/Loss (Multiple) | Compare totals | Profit/Loss = Total SP − Total CP |
| Profit/Loss % (Multiple) | On total CP | (Profit or Loss ÷ Total CP) × 100 |
| Exam Rule 1 | Percentage always on CP | Never on SP |
| Exam Rule 2 | Gain & loss don’t cancel | Concept trap |
| Exam Rule 3 | Assume CP = 100 | Simplifies calculation |
| Exam Rule 4 | Dishonest shopkeeper | Always profit |
Hi, I’m Tripti, a senior content writer at Oliveboard, where I manage blog content along with community engagement across platforms like Telegram and WhatsApp. With 3+ years of experience in content and SEO optimization related to banking exams, I have led content for popular exams like SSC, banking, railways, and state exams.
