How to Solve ‘Odd One Out’ for SSC Exams?

One of the common types of questions in the reasoning section of the SSC exams is the ‘Odd One Out’ question. In this type of question, you are given a group of four or five items, and you have to identify which one does not belong to the group. For example:

Example of Odd One Out

Q. Which of the following is the odd one out?

A) Lion

B) Tiger

C) Leopard

D) Cheetah

The correct answer is D) Cheetah, because it is the only one that does not belong to the genus Panthera.

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Concept of Odd One Out

To solve these questions, you need to look for a common characteristic or a pattern that connects all the items in the group, except for the odd one. The characteristic or pattern can be based on various aspects, such as:

• Shape
• Size
• Color
• Category
• Function
• Origin
• Meaning
• Sound
• Spelling etc.

Tips to solve ‘Odd One Out’ questions

• Read the question carefully and identify the category or topic of the items.
• Eliminate the items that clearly belong to the group based on the common characteristic or pattern.
• Compare the remaining items and look for any differences or exceptions that make one of them stand out.
• If you are not sure, try to eliminate the options using logic and elimination.
• Do not assume or guess based on your personal knowledge or preference.

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Here are some examples of ‘Odd One Out’ questions with explanations:

Q. Which of the following is the odd one out?

A) Square

B) Rectangle

C) Circle

D) Rhombus

The correct answer is C) Circle, because it is the only one that does not have four sides.

Q. Which of the following is the odd one out?

A) Apple

B) Banana

C) Mango

D) Orange

The correct answer is B) Banana, because it is the only one that is not a citrus fruit.

Q. Which of the following is the odd one out?

A) Delhi

B) Mumbai

C) Kolkata

D) Chennai

The correct answer is A) Delhi, because it is the only one that is not located on the coast.

Q. Which of the following is the odd one out?

A) Carrot

B) Potato

C) Onion

D) Tomato

The correct answer is D) Tomato, because it is the only one that is a fruit and not a vegetable.

Q. Which of the following is the odd one out?

A) Cat

B) Dog

C) Cow

D) Horse

The correct answer is C) Cow, because it is the only one that is not a carnivore.

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Extra Examples of Odd One Out for More Practice

Here are some extra examples of ‘Odd One Out’ questions with answers and explanations that are relevant to SSC exams:

Find the odd one out 

a. 127

b. 255

c. 511

d. 729

Answer: d

Explanation: This question is related to number based odd one out. Mostly logic followed in this type of question are Prime number, square/cube, Divisibility, odd even etc. But here logic is a. 127 – 2^7 -1 b. 255 – 2^8 -1 c. 511 – 2^9 -1 d. 729 – 3^6

Find the odd one out 

a. 792

b. 198

c. 973

d. 897

Answer: c

Explanation: This question is related to number based odd one out. Mostly logic followed in this type of question are Prime number, square/cube, Divisibility, odd even etc. Odd even logic will not follow here as two numbers are odd and two are even But here logic is a. 792 is divisible by 3 b. 198 is divisible by 3 c. 973 is not divisible by 3 d. 897 is divisible by 3

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Find the odd one out

a. Despondency

b. Euphoria

c. Melancholy

d. Sorrow

Answer: b

Explanation: All the given words except Euphoria are negative words. Euphoria means a state of being in intense happiness. Despondency, Melancholy and sorrow are synonyms of Sadness.

Find the odd one out

a. Ornithology

b. Ophthalmology

c. Osteology

d. Nephrology

Answer: a

Explanation: The logic here is all except Ornithology are studies related to the body parts. Study of Kidney – Nephrology Study of Bones – Osteology Study of Eyes – Ophthalmology Study of Birds – Ornithology

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Find the odd one out

a) Supplementary angle

b) Complementary angle

c) Right angle

d) Reflex angle

Answer: d

Explanation: Here all except the Reflex angle are giving the exact degree of angle whereas the reflex angle lies between 180 to 360 degrees. a) Supplementary angle – the sum of two angles is 180 degrees. b) Complementary angle – the sum of two angles is 90 degrees. c) Reflex angle – an angle that is more than 180 degrees and less than 360 degrees. d) Right angle – an angle that is equal to 90 degree.

Find the odd one out

a) IF

b) SV

c) KP

d) KO

Answer: c

Explanation: All except KO are having differences between the position of letters in alphabetical series is four.

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Find the odd one out among these words:

a) Apple

b) Mango

c) Banana

d) Grapes

e) Orange

Answer: Grapes (All other fruits have seeds inside them)

Find the odd one out among these words:

a) Cow

b) Goat

c) Sheep

d) Lion

e) Elephant

Answer: Lion (All other animals give milk)

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Find the odd one out among these words: a) Mercury b) Venus c) Earth d) Mars e) Jupiter

Answer: Earth (All other planets have rings around them)

We hope this article helped you understand how to solve ‘Odd One Out’ questions for SSC exams. Practice more questions from previous papers and mock tests to improve your speed and accuracy. All the best!