Profit & Loss for IBPS PO 2025, Check Concept and Tips to Solve

Profit and Loss questions are a part of the Arithmetic topic in the IBPS PO exam quantitative aptitude section. There are different types of Profit and Loss questions asked in the IBPS PO exam every year. Most of the types of questions are generally repeated. 4 to 5 questions are generally asked in the exam from this topic. So, it becomes important to have a complete grasp on this topic. To solve Profit and loss questions, you need to understand the concept and remember the formulas. Below, we have provided a complete guide to solve these questions efficiently in your exam. Additionally, sample questions with detailed solutions free PDF are provided below.

Profit and Loss for IBPS PO 2025: Basic Concepts

To solve the questions from the Profit and Loss topic, you must first understand the key terms associated with it to solve them quickly. The basic concepts of Profit and Loss include: Cost Price (CP), Selling Price (SP), Profit or Gain, Loss, Marked Price (MP), Discount, Profit%, and Loss%. Knowing about the basic terms and their meanings helps in identifying the information provided in the question. Remember the basic terms and their meaning provided below and note them down for reference.

Term	Definition
Cost Price (CP)	The price at which an article is purchased
Selling Price (SP)	The price at which an article is sold
Profit or Gain	When SP > CP ⇒ Profit = SP − CP
Loss	When CP > SP ⇒ Loss = CP − SP
Marked Price (MP)	The price marked on the article (before discount)
Discount	Reduction on MP, often in %
Profit % / Loss %	Calculated on CP unless stated otherwise

Profit and Loss Formulas for IBPS PO Exam

Note down and remember the formulas of Profit and Loss provided below to solve the questions.

Profit and Loss: Various Concepts asked in IBPS PO 2025

Conceptual variety of questions asked in IBPS PO is provided below. These include successive Profit and Loss, dishonest shopkeeper, marked price and discount, cost price/selling price based questions, percentage profit or percentage loss based questions, and articles sold and two different types of profit or losses types of questions.

1. Successive Profit and Loss
   • Use: {(100±a)(100±b)/100} − 100
   • Example:
   • Two successive profits of 10% and 20%
   • ⇒ Net % Profit = {(110×120)/100} − 100 = 32%
2. Dishonest Shopkeeper
   • Mixing cheap item in costly one.
   • Using false weights (selling 900 g instead of 1 kg)
3. Marked Price and Discount
   • Shopkeeper gives discount but still earns profit → SP = MP − Discount, then compare to CP
4. Cost Price/Selling Price based on Profit/Loss
   • SP is given with profit % or loss %, find CP using reverse formulas
5. Article sold at two different profits/losses
   • Find overall gain/loss % using weighted average or allegation method

Profit & Loss Sample Questions with Detailed Solutions for IBPS PO 2025

Profit and loss sample questions will help you practice different types of profit and loss questions. First, try to solve the questions provided here yourself using the formulas provided above. THe solutions for these questions are given in the PDF, and more questions for practice are also given. By solving these questions, you will be able to know the basic concepts of the Profit and Loss topic and understand which types of questions come in the exam. Download a Free PDF with detailed solutions from the link provided below:

Question 1: 

A shopkeeper gave two successive discounts in an article in the ratio of 4:5, respectively and the individual discount is not more than 30%. If the overall discount given by shopkeeper is 40%, then find the selling price of the product, if the shopkeeper would have sold the article by giving only first discount, given the marked price of the article is Rs. 600.

A) Rs. 540

B) Rs. 550

C) Rs. 480

D) Rs. 500

E) None of these

Question 2: 

A shopkeeper marked an article at 60% above the cost price and sold it after two consecutive discounts of 10% and 25%. Had he sold the article at a single discount of 30% instead of two discounts, he would have gained Rs. 272 more. Find the cost price of the article.

A) Rs. 6,200

B) Rs. 6,400

C) Rs. 6,600

D) Rs. 6,800

E) None of these

Question 3: 

An article was sold at 24% profit. If the same article was sold at 24% loss then the shopkeeper would have earned Rs. 576 less. What was the marked price of the article if the shopkeeper marked the article at 87% above the cost price?

A) Rs. 2196

B) Rs. 2084

C) Rs. 2056

D) Rs. 2244

E) Rs. 2142

Question 4: 

A shopkeeper sold an article for Rs. (x – 60) and thereby makes a loss of 20%. Had he sold the same article for Rs. (x + 30), he would have made same percentage of profit. Find the selling price of article to earn a profit of 40%.

A) Rs. 320

B) Rs. 240

C) Rs. 280

D) Rs. 315

E) None of these

Question 5: 

Marked price of an article is Rs. 1008 more than its selling price. If the profit earned by the shopkeeper is 40% and marked price of article is 124% more than the cost price of the article, then find the cost price of the article.  

A) Rs. 1250

B) Rs. 1000

C) Rs. 1200

D) Rs. 1400

E) Rs. 1500

Get detailed solutions in the PDF provided below!

Tips to Solve Profit and Loss Questions in IBPS PO Exam 2025

Below are the expert tips provided to deal with Profit and loss questions in the IBPS PO exam.

1. Memorize All Base Formulas

Use smart substitutions instead of re-calculating formulas in every step.

2. Work with Ratios

Sometimes, representing CP:SP in ratio helps solve without formulas.

3. Use Assumed Values (100 Rule)

Assume CP = 100 to easily calculate SP, Profit/Loss, etc., especially when only % is given.

4. Handle Discounts Carefully

For multiple discounts:
Net Discount% =a + b − {ab/100}
e.g., 20% and 10% ⇒ 28%

5. Avoid Repetition in Calculations

Pre-calculate percentage multipliers (e.g., 20% profit = ×1.2)

6. Watch for Misleading Words

Words like “gain on SP”, “loss on MP”, etc., change the base. Always confirm whether % is on CP or SP.

Profit and Loss Shortcuts

Situation	Shortcut
Profit % known, find SP	SP=CP×{100+P/100}
Loss % known, find SP	SP=CP×{100−L/100}
SP known, Profit % known	CP={SP×100/100+P}
SP known, Loss % known	CP={SP×100/100−L}
Discount + Profit	Net % = {x−y−xy/100}
Two SP equal (Gain and Loss same %)	Net Loss % = (Gain%/10)* (Gain%/10)

IBPS PO Quantitative Aptitude Preparation Resources

We have provided a link to the available preparation resources for complete preparation of the Quantitative Aptitude section of the IBPS PO Prelims and Mains exam.

IBPS PO Quant Tests Series
Quant Topic Tests	Attempt Now
Quant Mini mock Tests	Attempt Now
Quant Sectional Mock Tests	Attempt Now
A Free Full-length Mock Test	Attempt Now
Complete Banking Quant Video Course

Also Read

IBPS PO Exam Pattern	IBPS PO Salary
IBPS PO Previous Year Question Paper	IBPS PO Cut Off

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Profit and Loss for IBPS PO Exam: FAQs