Pariksha SaathiPercentage Questions with Solutions
Percentages show up in some form in every one of these exams’ Quantitative Aptitude sections — and in a lot of General/Banking Awareness questions too, once you count statistics and data interpretation. Here’s the concept, four fully worked examples covering the patterns that actually come up, and a few to try yourself.
The concept, quickly
- "Percent" just means "per hundred" — x% of a number N is (x/100) × N.
- Percentage change (increase or decrease) is always calculated on the original value: (change / original value) × 100.
- For two successive percentage changes of a% and b% (either can be negative, for a decrease), the net change is a + b + (ab/100) — not simply a + b. This is the single most common mistake in percentage questions.
Worked examples
1. What is 35% of 240?
Solution
- 35% of 240 = (35/100) × 240
- = 35 × 2.4
- = 84
Answer: 84
2. The price of an item increased from ₹800 to ₹920. What is the percentage increase?
Solution
- Increase = 920 − 800 = 120
- Percentage increase = (120 / 800) × 100
- = 15%
Answer: 15%
3. A number is first increased by 20%, then the result is decreased by 20%. What is the net percentage change?
Solution
- Using the successive-change formula: net change = a + b + (ab/100)
- = 20 + (−20) + (20 × −20)/100
- = 0 − 4 = −4%
- Check directly: start with 100 → increase 20% → 120 → decrease 20% → 120 × 0.8 = 96, which is 4% less than 100.
Answer: Net decrease of 4% (not 0%, even though +20 and −20 look like they should cancel)
4. In an election between two candidates, the winner received 60% of the votes and won by 4,800 votes. Find the total number of votes polled.
Solution
- Winner: 60%, Loser: 40% → difference = 20% of total votes
- 20% of total = 4,800
- 1% of total = 240
- 100% of total = 24,000
Answer: 24,000 votes
Try these yourself
Work through these the same way, then check against the answer.
1. What is 45% of 160?
Answer: 72
2. A number increased from 250 to 300. Find the percentage increase.
Answer: 20%
3. If 20% of a number is 50, find the number.
Answer: 250
Where this comes up
Percentages are tested directly in the Quantitative/Numerical Aptitude section of every exam Pariksha Saathi covers — SSC CGL, SSC MTS, SSC CHSL, IBPS PO, IBPS Clerk, SBI PO and SBI Clerk — and indirectly in data-interpretation and General/Banking Awareness questions that quote statistics as percentages.
Practice more percentage questions
This page covers the concept and a handful of worked examples. Pariksha Saathi has full topic-wise practice sets for Percentages (and every other Quant/Reasoning/English topic) with instant scoring and explanations — free, no account required.
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