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Home » IBPS RRB Clerk » Profit and Loss for RRB Clerk 2025

Are you preparing for the IBPS RRB Clerk 2025 exam and wondering how to prepare for the Arithmetic section? If yes, then Profit and Loss is one topic you simply can’t ignore. It’s not just easy, but also a high-scoring area if you understand the formulas and basics well. 3 to 5 questions are asked every year on this topic. If you have just started or are revising for profit and loss, this blog is for you to learn about profit and Loss in the simplest way possible. We’ll cover what the topic is, all the important formulas, shortcut methods, tricks, its weightage in the exam, and some tips for solving.

What is Profit and Loss?

Profit and Loss is one of the most practical topics in the Numerical Ability section of RRB Clerk exam. It deals with the concepts of buying and selling, helping you understand whether a transaction you made results in a profit or a loss.

  • If the Selling Price (SP) is greater than the Cost Price (CP), you make a profit.
  • If the SP is less than the CP, you make a loss.

Important Profit and Loss Formulas You Must Remember

If you want to score full marks in profit and loss, then learning formulas is important for this topic. Here are the must-know formulas to solve all types of Profit and Loss questions quickly:

  • Profit = SP – CP
  • Loss = CP – SP
  • Profit (%) = (Profit / CP) × 100
  • Loss (%) = (Loss / CP) × 100
  • SP = [(100 + Profit%) / 100] × CP
  • SP = [(100 – Loss%) / 100] × CP
  • CP = [100 / (100 + Profit%)] × SP
  • CP = [100 / (100 – Loss%)] × SP
  • Discount = Marked Price – Selling Price
  • Discount (%) = (Discount / Marked Price) × 100

Importance of Profit and Loss in IBPS RRB Clerk Exam

Profit and Loss is always asked along with other arithmetic topics like Percentage, Simple and Compound Interest, and Discounts. This concept will be used everywhere from Arithmetic to DI, which are the most asked high-weightage topics in RRB Clerk exam. Because it is easily implemented in real-life experience, the questions are easy and formula-based. You can solve them quickly and correctly. If practiced well, this topic can help you score 100% in those 7–10 questions, giving you a major advantage in the overall cut-off. You can take a topic test at PracticeMock platform to solve different types of such questions in a time-bound exam-like setup.

Most Probable Profit and Loss Questions for RRB Clerk 2025

Here we are providing the most expected Profit and Loss RRB Clerk questions. You can click the PDF link and attempt all the questions. Try to solve these questions first by yourself and note the time it took to answer the question. If you don’t know how to solve profit and loss questions, you can download the PDF and start practicing today!

Question 1: A shopkeeper sold two articles, one article at 20% profit and another at 15% profit. If his overall profit is 17%, then find the ratio of the cost price of the articles.

A) 4:5

B) 2:3

C) 1:2

D) 5:6

E) 3:4

Question 2: A shopkeeper marked an article 60% above the cost price and sold it after two consecutive discounts of 10% and 25%. If the difference between the marked price and the selling price of the article is Rs. 3,744, then find the cost price of the article.

A) Rs. 7,000

B) Rs. 7,200

C) Rs. 7,500

D) Rs. 7,800

E) None of these

Question 3: Ramesh bought a car at a certain price and spent Rs. 5000 on its maintenance and sold it for Rs. 54000 and thereby made a profit of 12.5%. At what price Ramesh must have bought the car?

A) Rs. 47000

B) Rs. 44000

C) Rs. 43000

D) Rs. 45000

E) None of these

Question 4: If a dishonest shopkeeper sells his good at the cost price by using a false weight and gains (100/7)%, then find the weight he uses for weighing a kilogram.

A) 900 gm

B) 875 gm

C) 850 gm

D) 800 gm

E) None of these

Question 5: A shopkeeper sold an article for Rs. 288 after offering two successive discounts of ‘x’% and 20%. If the marked price of the article is Rs. 400, then find the value of ‘x’.

A) 5%

B) 10%

C) 15%

D) 8%

E) None of these

Download Profit and Loss Questions with PDF

Profit and Loss questions and answers in PDF format are provided below. There are 10 questions with detailed solutions in English and Hindi. Download now and start solving questions.

How to Download Profit and Loss Questions and Answers Free PDF?

To download profit and loss questions and answers free PDF, you need to sign up using your email ID. After that, the download link will be shown on the screen of your device. If you are an existing user, you can simply download the PDF and start practicing questions for your RRB Clerk exam.

Profit and Loss Shortcut Tricks with Example for RRB Clerk Exam

There are 7 major shortcut methods to solve profit and loss questions in RRB Clerk exam. All shortcut tricks with an example are given below.

Shortcut 1: Successive Profit or Loss

Example: A shopkeeper gives two successive discounts of 10% and 20%. What is the net discount?

Shortcut:
Use formula:
Net % = a + b – (ab/100)
→ 10 + 20 – (10×20)/100 = 30 – 2 = 28%

Shortcut 2: Marked Price Based Profit

Example: Marked Price = ₹500, Discount = 20%, Profit = 25%. Find Cost Price.

Shortcut:
SP = MP – Discount = 500 – 20% = ₹400
Profit = 25% → CP = SP / 1.25 = ₹400 / 1.25 = ₹320

Shortcut 3: Equal CP, Different SPs

Example: Two items sold at ₹100 each, one at 20% profit, other at 20% loss. Find overall % gain/loss.

Shortcut:
Net % = (Profit% – Loss%) / 2
→ (20 – 20)/2 = 0% → No gain, no loss

Shortcut 4: Equal SP, Different CPs

Example: Two items sold at ₹100 each, one at 20% profit, other at 20% loss. Find overall % gain/loss.

Shortcut:
Net % = (Loss% × Profit%) / 100
→ (20×20)/100 = 4% loss

Shortcut 5: Dishonest Dealer (Cheating in Weight)

Example: Dealer sells at cost price but uses 900g instead of 1kg. Find profit%.

Shortcut:
Profit% = (Error / True weight) × 100
→ (100/900) × 100 = 11.11%

Shortcut 6: Profit on Selling Price

Example: Profit is 25% on SP. Find Profit% on CP.

Shortcut:
Let SP = ₹100 → Profit = ₹25 → CP = ₹75
Profit% on CP = (25/75)×100 = 33.33%

Shortcut 7: SP Given, Profit% Asked

Example: SP = ₹240, Profit = 20%. Find CP.

Shortcut:
CP = SP / (1 + Profit%) = 240 / 1.2 = ₹200

Tips to Solve Profit and Loss Questions Quickly

Here are a few tips to solve profit and loss problems easily and with high accuracy 

  1. Understand the question first: look at what is given (CP or SP) and what needs to be found.
  2. Use direct formulas: Don’t overthink that question is tricky because Profit and Loss questions are mostly formula-based.
  3. Percentage conversions: Try to solve questions by calculating % values using mental math or shortcuts.
  4. Practice daily life-based problems: Items like “bought at ₹120 and sold at ₹150” are common patterns.
  5. Discount and marked price questions: Always subtract the discount from the marked price first to get sthe elling price.
  6. Avoid silly mistakes:  Double-check whether it’s asking for % or the actual amount.
  7. Use options for reverse solving:  If you are not sure, get in answer options and see which one fits.

Study Resources to Level Up Your RRB Clerk 2025 Exam Preparation (Based On Latest Pattern)

To nail the IBPS RRB Clerk 2025 exam, candidates can boost their preparation with our study resources, such as mock tests, topic-wise tests, and mini mocks, to improve their accuracy and speed.

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FAQs

Q1. How many questions can I expect from Profit and Loss in RRB Clerk 2025?

Around 35 questions, depending on the paper pattern.

Q2. Is Profit and Loss a difficult topic to study?

Not at all! It’s simple and formula-based.

Q3. Can profit and loss be combined with other topics?

 Yes, sometimes it’s combined with Discounts, Simple Interest, or Percentage

Q4. Do I need to learn all the formulas?

Yes, formulas are the key to solving problems quickly and accurately.

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By Akansha Garg

Hi, I’m Akansha, a post-graduate in Economics with a passion for helping banking aspirants succeed. Having personally cleared multiple banking exams, both Prelims and Mains. I understand what it takes to crack them. Through my blog, I share updated exam information, smart strategies, and practical tips to help you prepare better and achieve your goals.

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