Quantitative Aptitude

Profit and Loss questions with solutions

Profit and loss questions test whether you can move quickly between cost price, marked price and selling price. They appear in every SSC paper and in bank arithmetic sets.

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Prepared by the CBTAdda content team · Updated 28 October 2026 · How we check our content

How to solve profit and loss questions

Profit % is always calculated on cost price: (SP − CP)/CP × 100.
Marked price and discount: SP = MP × (100 − discount)/100. Combine with markup as one multiplier, e.g. 1.4 × 0.75 = 1.05 → 5% profit.
If the CP of a articles equals the SP of b articles, profit % = (a − b)/b × 100.

Common trap: Discount is calculated on the marked price, profit on the cost price. Mixing the two bases is the most common mistake.

12 practice questions

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A shopkeeper marks an article 60% above cost price and gives a 10% discount. What is the profit or loss percentage?
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Answer: (D) 44% profit. Selling price = 1.6 × 0.9 = 1.44 times cost, which is 44% profit.
An article is sold for ₹3,180 at a profit of 20%. What is its cost price?
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Answer: (D) ₹2,650. Cost price = ₹3,180 × 100 ÷ 120 = ₹2,650.
A shopkeeper marks an article 30% above cost price and gives a 10% discount. What is the profit or loss percentage?
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Answer: (A) 17% profit. Selling price = 1.3 × 0.9 = 1.17 times cost, which is 17% profit.
A shopkeeper marks an article 40% above cost price and gives a 10% discount. What is the profit or loss percentage?
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Answer: (B) 26% profit. Selling price = 1.4 × 0.9 = 1.26 times cost, which is 26% profit.
An article is sold for ₹3,135 at a profit of 10%. What is its cost price?
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Answer: (C) ₹2,850. Cost price = ₹3,135 × 100 ÷ 110 = ₹2,850.
A shopkeeper marks an article 20% above cost price and gives a 10% discount. What is the profit or loss percentage?
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Answer: (D) 8% profit. Selling price = 1.2 × 0.9 = 1.08 times cost, which is 8% profit.
A shopkeeper marks an article 60% above cost price and gives a 25% discount. What is the profit or loss percentage?
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Answer: (B) 20% profit. Selling price = 1.6 × 0.75 = 1.2 times cost, which is 20% profit.
A shopkeeper marks an article 20% above cost price and gives a 20% discount. What is the profit or loss percentage?
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Answer: (C) 4% loss. Selling price = 1.2 × 0.8 = 0.96 times cost, which is 4% loss.
A shopkeeper marks an article 25% above cost price and gives a 20% discount. What is the profit or loss percentage?
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Answer: (D) No profit, no loss. Selling price = 1.25 × 0.8 = 1 times cost, which is no profit, no loss.
An article is sold for ₹1,105 at a profit of 30%. What is its cost price?
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Answer: (A) ₹850. Cost price = ₹1,105 × 100 ÷ 130 = ₹850.
An article is sold for ₹2,340 at a profit of 30%. What is its cost price?
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Answer: (A) ₹1,800. Cost price = ₹2,340 × 100 ÷ 130 = ₹1,800.
A shopkeeper marks an article 20% above cost price and gives a 15% discount. What is the profit or loss percentage?
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Answer: (C) 2% profit. Selling price = 1.2 × 0.85 = 1.02 times cost, which is 2% profit.