SSC Discount and Marked Price Questions with Solutions

Discount and Marked Price is an important part of the profit and loss family in SSC Quantitative Aptitude. One or two questions on discount appear in almost every shift of CGL, CHSL, MTS and GD. The formulas are short, and with the multiplier method each question takes less than 40 seconds. This practice paper gives you 30 discount questions with answers and short solutions, from direct questions to profit-after-discount and successive discounts.

Practice Paper at a Glance

What Are Discount and Marked Price? Basic Concept in Simple Words

A shopkeeper writes a price on the article. This is the marked price (MP), also called list price. If he reduces this price, the reduction is the discount, and the price the customer pays is the selling price (SP).

• Discount = Marked price - Selling price.
• Discount percentage is always calculated on the marked price.
• Profit or loss percentage is always calculated on the cost price (CP).
• Marked price is fixed by the shopkeeper. Discount is given by him. Selling price is what the customer pays.

Formulas and Shortcut Tricks for SSC Discount Questions

• SP = MP x (100 - Discount %) / 100 and MP = SP x 100 / (100 - Discount %).
• Discount % = (Discount / MP) x 100.
• Successive discounts of a% and b%: single equivalent discount = a + b - ab/100.
• Multiplier method: a 20% discount means multiplying by 0.8. Two discounts of 20% and 10% give a multiplier of 0.8 x 0.9 = 0.72, so the discount is 28%.
• Marked up and discounted: if the marked price is x% above cost and the discount is y%, then profit factor = (1 + x/100)(1 - y/100).
• To find the marking that gives a profit p% after discount d%: MP = CP x (1 + p/100) / (1 - d/100).
• Buy a get b free: discount % = b / (a + b) x 100.
• Discount is not profit: a shopkeeper can still make a profit after giving a discount because the MP was above cost.

Set 1: Basic Discount Questions (Q1–Q10)

Q1. The marked price of an article is Rs 500. If a discount of 20% is allowed, find the selling price.
Answer: Rs 400
Solution: SP = 500 x 0.8 = Rs 400.

Q2. After a 10% discount, an article is sold for Rs 720. Find its marked price.
Answer: Rs 800
Solution: MP = 720 / 0.9 = Rs 800.

Q3. An article marked at Rs 1,200 is sold for Rs 1,020. Find the discount percentage.
Answer: 15%
Solution: Discount = 180. Discount % = 180 / 1,200 x 100 = 15%.

Q4. Find the discount on an article marked at Rs 2,500 if a 12% discount is given.
Answer: Rs 300
Solution: Discount = 12% of 2,500 = Rs 300.

Q5. Find the single discount equal to two successive discounts of 20% and 10%.
Answer: 28%
Trick: 20 + 10 - (20 x 10)/100 = 28%.

Q6. Find the single discount equal to two successive discounts of 10% and 10%.
Answer: 19%
Trick: 10 + 10 - 1 = 19%.

Q7. Find the single discount equal to two successive discounts of 20% and 25%.
Answer: 40%
Trick: 20 + 25 - (20 x 25)/100 = 45 - 5 = 40%.

Q8. An article marked at Rs 800 is sold at a 25% discount. Find the selling price.
Answer: Rs 600
Solution: SP = 800 x 0.75 = Rs 600.

Q9. A shopkeeper marks an article at Rs 1,000 and gives a 10% discount. What is the selling price?
Answer: Rs 900
Solution: SP = 1,000 x 0.9 = Rs 900.

Q10. After a 30% discount, an article is sold for Rs 1,400. Find the marked price.
Answer: Rs 2,000
Solution: MP = 1,400 / 0.7 = Rs 2,000.

Set 2: Profit and Loss with Discount (Q11–Q20)

Q11. A shopkeeper buys an article for Rs 400, marks it 25% above the cost price and gives a 10% discount. Find his profit percentage.
Answer: 12.5%
Solution: MP = 500. SP = 450. Profit = 50. Profit % = 50 / 400 x 100 = 12.5%.

Q12. A shopkeeper marks his goods 40% above the cost price and allows a 20% discount. Find his profit percentage.
Answer: 12%
Trick: Factor = 1.4 x 0.8 = 1.12. Profit = 12%.

Q13. A shopkeeper marks his goods 50% above the cost price and allows a 20% discount. Find his profit percentage.
Answer: 20%
Trick: Factor = 1.5 x 0.8 = 1.2. Profit = 20%.

Q14. By what percentage above the cost price should an article be marked to gain 20% after allowing a 10% discount?
Answer: 33.33%
Trick: MP = CP x 1.2 / 0.9 = 1.3333 CP. So it should be marked 33.33% above the cost.

Q15. An article marked at Rs 1,500 is sold at a 20% discount and gives a 20% profit. Find the cost price.
Answer: Rs 1,000
Solution: SP = 1,500 x 0.8 = 1,200. CP = 1,200 / 1.2 = Rs 1,000.

Q16. An article marked at Rs 600 is sold at a 25% discount and the shopkeeper suffers a loss. If the cost price is Rs 500, find the loss percentage.
Answer: 10%
Solution: SP = 450. Loss = 50. Loss % = 50 / 500 x 100 = 10%.

Q17. What discount percentage should be given on an article marked at Rs 2,000 to sell it for Rs 1,700?
Answer: 15%
Solution: Discount = 300. Discount % = 300 / 2,000 x 100 = 15%.

Q18. A television marked at Rs 20,000 is sold at a 15% discount, followed by an additional 10% discount. Find the final price.
Answer: Rs 15,300
Solution: Price = 20,000 x 0.85 x 0.9 = Rs 15,300.

Q19. The cost price of an article is Rs 1,200. To gain 25% after allowing a 20% discount, at what price should it be marked?
Answer: Rs 1,875
Solution: SP = 1,200 x 1.25 = 1,500. MP = 1,500 / 0.8 = Rs 1,875.

Q20. A shopkeeper gives "buy 2, get 1 free" on an article. What is the effective discount percentage?
Answer: 33.33%
Trick: Discount = 1 / (2 + 1) x 100 = 33.33%.

Set 3: Mixed and Exam-Level Questions (Q21–Q30)

Q21. By what percentage is the marked price above the cost price if a 20% discount still gives a 20% profit?
Answer: 50%
Solution: (1 + x)(0.8) = 1.2, so 1 + x = 1.5. The marking is 50% above the cost.

Q22. A 25% discount is allowed on the marked price and then a further 20% discount on the discounted price. Find the overall discount.
Answer: 40%
Solution: 25 + 20 - (25 x 20)/100 = 45 - 5 = 40%.

Q23. Find the selling price of an article marked at Rs 2,000 after two successive discounts of 10% and 20%.
Answer: Rs 1,440
Solution: SP = 2,000 x 0.9 x 0.8 = Rs 1,440.

Q24. What is the difference between a single discount of 30% and two successive discounts of 20% and 10% on an article marked at Rs 1,000?
Answer: Rs 20
Solution: Successive discount = 28% = Rs 280. Single discount = Rs 300. Difference = Rs 20.

Q25. A retailer marks an article 30% above the cost price and gives a 10% discount. If the selling price is Rs 1,170, find the cost price.
Answer: Rs 1,000
Solution: SP = CP x 1.3 x 0.9 = 1.17 CP. So CP = 1,170 / 1.17 = Rs 1,000.

Q26. The price of an article is Rs 800. It is reduced by 25% and then increased by 25%. Find the final price.
Answer: Rs 750
Trick: Price = 800 x 0.75 x 1.25 = Rs 750.

Q27. An article costing Rs 500 is marked at Rs 800 and sold for Rs 600. Find the discount percentage.
Answer: 25%
Solution: Discount = 200. Discount % = 200 / 800 x 100 = 25%.

Q28. An article marked at Rs 1,200 is sold at a 15% discount, and 5% tax is charged on the sale price. Find the amount the customer pays.
Answer: Rs 1,071
Solution: Sale price = 1,200 x 0.85 = 1,020. With tax = 1,020 x 1.05 = Rs 1,071.

Q29. Shop A gives successive discounts of 20% and 10% and shop B gives a single discount of 30%. For an article marked at Rs 1,000, which shop is cheaper and by how much?
Answer: Shop B by Rs 20
Solution: Shop A price = 1,000 x 0.8 x 0.9 = 720. Shop B price = 700. Shop B is cheaper by Rs 20.

Q30. The marked price of an article is 125% of its cost price. What discount percentage on the marked price gives neither profit nor loss?
Answer: 20%
Trick: Let CP = 100, MP = 125. For SP = 100, discount = 25 / 125 x 100 = 20%.

Common Mistakes in Discount Questions

• Calculating the discount percentage on the cost price instead of the marked price.
• Adding successive discounts directly instead of using a + b - ab/100.
• Calculating profit on the marked price instead of the cost price.
• Forgetting to find the selling price before finding the profit or loss.
• Mixing up the effect of an increase and decrease of the same percentage.
• Not converting "buy a get b free" into an effective discount.

How to Practice These 30 Questions

1. Memorise the three main formulas and the multiplier method.
2. Solve Set 1 in 6 minutes to build your speed.
3. In Set 2, always write MP, SP and CP in a small table before solving.
4. Try each question in two ways (formula and multiplier) to check your answer.
5. Revise the paper after one week and note your time.

Related Topics to Study Next

• SSC Profit and Loss Questions
• SSC Percentage Questions
• Ratio and Proportion Questions
• Partnership Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

What is marked price?

Marked price (list price) is the price written on the article before any discount is given. The selling price is the marked price minus the discount.

How do you calculate discount percentage?

Discount percentage = (Discount / Marked price) x 100. The discount is the difference between the marked price and the selling price.

What is the formula for successive discounts?

For two successive discounts of a% and b%, the single equivalent discount is a + b - (a x b)/100 percent. For more discounts, multiply the multipliers.

How is profit calculated after a discount?

First find the selling price after the discount, then profit = SP - CP and profit percentage = (profit / CP) x 100. The profit is always calculated on the cost price.

What is the difference between discount and profit?

Discount is the reduction given on the marked price. Profit is the extra amount over the cost price. A shopkeeper can give a discount and still earn a profit.

How do I find the marked price when profit and discount are given?

Marked price = CP x (1 + profit %) / (1 - discount %). For example, to earn 20% profit after a 10% discount, MP = CP x 1.2 / 0.9.

What does "buy 2 get 1 free" mean in terms of discount?

The customer gets 3 articles for the price of 2, so the discount is 1 out of 3 articles, which is 33.33 percent.

How many discount questions come in SSC exams?

Generally one or two discount or marked price questions come in each shift of SSC CGL, CHSL and MTS, apart from the profit and loss questions.

Is a 20% discount followed by a 10% discount the same as a 30% discount?

No. The successive discount is 20 + 10 - 2 = 28%, which is less than 30% because the second discount is on the reduced price.

How should I prepare discount questions for SSC exams?

Learn the formulas and the multiplier method, solve one set daily, practise mixed profit and discount questions and take sectional tests for speed.