PPSC Mathematics Past Paper 2017 Solved MCQs with Answers
Solved Mathematics MCQs from the PPSC 2017 past paper, each with the correct answer and a clear explanation. Ideal practice for PPSC, FPSC, NTS, CSS and PMS. All questions are extracted from the actual 2017 paper and verified before publication.
Javed will be 6-times as old in 50 years as he is now. What is the present age of Javed?
If Javed is n now then n + 50 = 6n, so 5n = 50 and n = 10 years.
Complete the series: 0/1, 2/3, 4/9, 6/27, _?
The numerators run 0, 2, 4, 6 and the denominators are powers of 3: 1, 3, 9, 27. The next term is 8/81.
Average of first 10 multiples of 7 is?
The first ten multiples of 7 run from 7 to 70, evenly spaced, so the average is (7+70)/2 = 38.5.
The average of six numbers is X and the average of three of these is Y. If the average of the remaining three is Z, then?
Six numbers average X, a total of 6X. Three average Y (total 3Y) and the other three average Z (total 3Z). So 6X = 3Y + 3Z, giving 2X = Y + Z.
The salaries of A, B and C are of ratio 2 :3:5. If the increments of 15%, 10% and 20% are made to their respective salaries, then find the new ratio of their salaries?
The salaries 2 : 3 : 5 become 2 x 1.15 : 3 x 1.10 : 5 x 1.20 = 2.3 : 3.3 : 6.0. Multiplying by 10 gives 23 : 33 : 60.
Rs.120 are divided among A, B, C such that A’s share is Rs.20 more than B’s and Rs.20 less than C’s. What is B’s share?
A is 20 more than B and 20 less than C, so B = A – 20 and C = A + 20. Then A + (A-20) + (A+20) = 120 gives 3A = 120, so A = 40 and B = 20.
In a college, the ratio of the number of boys to girls is 8: 5. If there are 200 girls, the total number of students in the college is?
With ratio 8 : 5 and 200 girls, one part is 40. Boys = 8 x 40 = 320, so the total is 520.
If 16 toys cost Rs. 240, then what do 40 toys cost?
16 toys cost 240, so one costs 15. Forty cost 40 x 15 = 600.
If the price of 23 toys is Rs. 276; then what will be the price of 12 toys?
23 toys cost 276, so one costs 12. Twelve cost 144.
If a quarter kg of potato costs 60 paise; how many paise will 200 gm cost?
A quarter kg is 250 g costing 60 paise, so 200 g costs 60 x 200/250 = 48 paise.
An industrial loom weaves 0.128 meter of cloth every second. Approximately, how many seconds will it take for the loom to weave 25 meters of cloth?
Time = 25 / 0.128 = 195.3 seconds, approximately 195.
10 men, working 6 hours a day can complete a work in 18 days. How many hours a day must 15 men work to complete the work in 12 days?
The work is 10 x 6 x 18 = 1,080 man-hours. For 15 men over 12 days, hours per day = 1,080 / (15 x 12) = 6.
Write the fraction of 5%?
5% = 5/100 = 1/20.
A long rope has to be cut to make 23 small pieces. If it is double folded to start with how many times does it need to cut?
To make 23 pieces from a single rope needs 22 cuts. Folded double, each cut passes through two thicknesses and so counts twice, needing only 11 cuts.
In the first 10 overs of a cricket game, the run rate was only 3.2. What should be the run rate in remaining 40 overs to reach the target 282 runs?
In 10 overs at 3.2 the score is 32. The remaining 250 runs over 40 overs need a rate of 250/40 = 6.25.
A train 360 m long is running at a speed of 45 km/h. In what time will it pass a bridge 140 m long?
45 km/h = 12.5 m/s. The train must cover its own length plus the bridge, 360 + 140 = 500 m, taking 500/12.5 = 40 seconds.
A man took loan from a bank at the rate of 12% per annum, Simple interest. After 3 years he had to pay Rs.5400 interest only for the period. The principal amount borrowed by him was?
SI = P x 12 x 3/100 = 0.36P = 5,400, so P = 15,000.
An office has staff of 6 people. A certain project will take regular staff 24 hours to complete. Assuming that all the workers will perform at this rate. How many additional workers must be employed to complete the job in 8 hours?
The project is 6 x 24 = 144 person-hours. To finish in 8 hours needs 18 people, that is 12 more than the 6 on staff.
A is two years older than B which is twice as old as C. If the total of the ages of A, B and C be 27 how old is B?
Let C be c. Then B = 2c and A = 2c + 2. Their total 5c + 2 = 27 gives c = 5, so B = 10.
Find a positive number which when increased by 17 is equal to 60 times the reciprocal of the number?
n + 17 = 60/n gives n^2 + 17n – 60 = 0, that is (n+20)(n-3) = 0. The positive value is 3.
Find the number, if 50 is subtracted from two-third of a number, the result is equal to the sum of 40 and one-fourth of that number?
(2/3)n – 50 = 40 + (1/4)n. Since 2/3 – 1/4 = 5/12, we get (5/12)n = 90, so n = 216.
A player drank 10 bottles of water in a cricket match. The capacity of each bottle is 1.5 Liter. How many liters of water the player drank?
10 bottles x 1.5 litres = 15 litres.
What is the amount of Zakat a person has to pay if he has Rs. 800000 at a rate of 2.5%?
Zakat = 2.5% of 800,000 = 20,000.
If Rs. 60000 is distributed among three boys in the ratio 3:5:7, then find the difference between the largest and smallest share?
The parts total 3 + 5 + 7 = 15, so one part is 60,000/15 = 4,000. The difference between largest and smallest is (7-3) x 4,000 = 16,000.
A square shaped wedding hall has an area of 18m². Find the cost of tile flooring at the rate of Rs. 725 per square meter?
Cost = 18 x 725 = 13,050.
If a man drives his motorcycle 170 Km in 2 days, how many Km will he drive in 15 days?
170 km in 2 days is 85 km a day, so 15 days gives 15 x 85 = 1,275 km.
Amir has 16 marbles in his pocket. He has 8 red ones, 4 green ones, and 4 blue ones. What is the minimum number of marbles he must take out of his pocket to ensure that he has one of each color?
In the worst case he draws all 8 red and all 4 green first, that is 12 marbles, with no blue. The 13th must be blue, so 13 guarantees one of each.
There are 7 packets. Each packet has 12 toffees. Find total number of toffees?
7 x 12 = 84 toffees.
X is midway between Y and Z. The distance between X and Y is 6 cm. Then what will be the distance between Y and Z?
X is the midpoint, so YZ is twice XY, that is 12 cm.
If 1/3 of the liquid contents of a can evaporates on the first day and 3/4 of the remainder evaporates on the second day, the fractional part of the original contents remaining at the close of the second day is?
After the first day 2/3 remains. Losing 3/4 of that leaves 1/4 of 2/3 = 1/6 of the original.
What is the smallest integer divisible by 21 and 18 and 24?
21 = 3 x 7, 18 = 2 x 3^2, 24 = 2^3 x 3. The LCM takes the highest power of each: 2^3 x 3^2 x 7 = 504.
Two angles are supplementary. One angle is 12° less than three times the other. What is the measure of the larger angle?
Let the smaller be x, so the other is 3x – 12. Supplementary means x + 3x – 12 = 180, giving 4x = 192 and x = 48. The larger is 132 degrees.
A class of 30 girls and 40 boys sponsored a ride. If 60 percent of the girls and 25 percent of the boys went on the ride, what percent of the class went on the ride?
60% of 30 girls is 18, and 25% of 40 boys is 10, giving 28 of 70 students, that is 40%.
Your supervisor instructed you to purchase 240 pens and 6 staplers for the office. Pens are purchased in sets of 6 for Rs. 2.35 per pack. Staplers are purchased in sets of 2 for 12.95. How much will the purchasing of these products cost?
Pens: 240/6 = 40 packs at 2.35 = 94. Staplers: 6/2 = 3 sets at 12.95 = 38.85. Total = 132.85.
The average age of 5 members of a family is 21 years. If the age of the grandfather is included, the average age increases by 9 years. What is the age of the grandfather?
Five members average 21, a total of 105. With the grandfather, six average 30, a total of 180. So he is 180 – 105 = 75.
Complete the number series: 15, 31, 63,127,255, -?
Each term is double the previous plus one: 15, 31, 63, 127, 255, so next is 255 x 2 + 1 = 511.
There are 8 mango trees in a straight line. Distance between each tree is 3 meters. What is the distance between the first tree and eighth tree?
Eight trees have seven gaps between them, so the distance is 7 x 3 = 21 metres.
Complete the series 17,19,23,29__?
The terms 17, 19, 23, 29 are consecutive primes, so the next is 31.
A person crosses a 600 m long street in 6 minutes. What is his speed in km/hr?
600 m in 6 minutes is 100 m per minute, that is 6,000 m per hour = 6 km/h.
What comes next in the series, 11, 21, 32, 43, 54, 65, …?
After the first step of 10, the terms rise by 11 each time: 21, 32, 43, 54, 65, so the next is 76.
A soap factory makes 600 units in 9 days with the help of 20 machines. How many units can be made in 12 days with the help of 18 machines?
Rate = 600 / (9 x 20) = 3.33 units per machine-day. For 12 days with 18 machines: 12 x 18 x 3.33 = 720 units.
The square root of 729 is?
27 x 27 = 729, so the square root is 27.
If 100 Kg of meat is divided into packages of 4/7 kg each, the total number of packages will be?
100 / (4/7) = 100 x 7/4 = 175 packages.
On selling 17 balls at Rs. 720, there is a loss equal to the cost price of 5 balls. The cost price of a ball is?
Let one ball cost C. The loss equals the cost of 5 balls, so 17C – 720 = 5C. Then 12C = 720 and C = 60.
If a number is as much greater than 36 as it is less than 86, find the number?
n – 36 = 86 – n gives 2n = 122, so n = 61.
If 36 men can do a piece of work in 25 hours, in how many hours will 15 men do the same work?
The work is 36 x 25 = 900 man-hours, so 15 men need 900/15 = 60 hours.
If A can run 1 Km in 3 minutes and 10 seconds and B can cover the same distance in 3 minutes and 20 seconds, by what distance can A beat B?
A takes 190 seconds and B takes 200 for 1 km. In A's 190 seconds B covers 1,000 x 190/200 = 950 m, so A wins by 50 m.
In the number series insert the missing number 5, 10, 13, 26, 29, 58, 61, ?
The rule alternates doubling and adding 3: 5, 10, 13, 26, 29, 58, 61. Next is 61 x 2 = 122.
A candidate attempted 12 questions and secured full marks in all of them. If he secured 60 per cent marks in the test and all questions carried equal marks, then what is the number of questions in the test?
He scored full marks on 12 questions, which was 60% of the paper. So the total = 12/0.6 = 20 questions.
How many pieces of 0.85 meters can be cut from a rod 42.5 meters long?
42.5 / 0.85 = 50 pieces.
If the cost of an article is 25 per cent of its selling price, then what is the profit in terms of percentage?
If cost is 25% of selling price then SP = 4 x CP, so the profit is 3 x CP, that is 300%.
A fruit seller sells mangoes at the rate of Rs. 9 per Kg and thereby loses 20 percent. At what price per Kg he should have sold them to make a profit of 5 per cent?
Selling at 9 with a 20% loss means cost = 9/0.8 = 11.25. For a 5% profit he needs 11.25 x 1.05 = 11.81.
A rectangular field is to be fenced on 3 sides leaving a side of 20 feet unfenced. If the area of the field is 680 Sq. feet how many feet of fencing will be required?
The unfenced side is 20 ft, so the other dimension is 680/20 = 34 ft. Fencing covers one 20 ft side and two 34 ft sides: 20 + 68 = 88 feet.
If x=3 then find the value of K from the equation 3x² + (K-1)x + 9=0?
Substituting x = 3: 3(9) + 3(K-1) + 9 = 0, that is 27 + 3K – 3 + 9 = 0. So 3K = -33 and K = -11.
3/1000 written as?
3/1000 = 0.003.
If x+y=6, y+z=7 z+x=9 the average (arithmetic) of x, y and z is?
Adding all three equations gives 2(x+y+z) = 22, so x + y + z = 11 and the average is 11/3.
Adil’s daily wage is Rs.250 after increment of 25%. What was his daily wage before increment?
After a 25% rise the wage is 1.25 times the original, so before = 250/1.25 = 200.
Complete the series: 11, 33, 77, 143, 231, 341, ?
The terms are 11 times 1, 3, 7, 13, 21, 31, where those multipliers rise by 2, 4, 6, 8, 10. The next multiplier is 31 + 12 = 43, giving 11 x 43 = 473.
What is the sum of all prime numbers from 60 to 80?
The primes between 60 and 80 are 61, 67, 71, 73 and 79, summing to 351.
If A runs less fast than B and B runs fast but not faster than C; then as compared to A, C runs?
A is slower than B, and B is no faster than C, so C is at least as fast as B and therefore faster than A.
If x is a positive number and x² + 64 = 100, what is the value of x?
x^2 + 64 = 100 gives x^2 = 36, so the positive value is x = 6.
A sum of money is to be distributed among A, B, C and D in the proportion of 5:2:4:3. If C gets Rs. 1000 more than D, what is B's share?
In the ratio 5 : 2 : 4 : 3, C exceeds D by 1 part, which is 1,000. So B receives 2 x 1,000 = 2,000.
The sum of squares of three numbers is 138, while the sum of their products taken two at a time is 131. Their sum is?
(a+b+c)^2 = a^2+b^2+c^2 + 2(ab+bc+ca) = 138 + 2(131) = 400. So the sum is sqrt(400) = 20.
If x² – y² = 28 and x – y = 8, what is the average of x and y?
x^2 – y^2 = (x+y)(x-y) = 28 with x – y = 8, so x + y = 3.5 and the average is 1.75.
Complete the Sequence: 12, 38, 29, 55, 46, 72,?
The pattern alternates +26 and -9: 12, 38, 29, 55, 46, 72. The next step is -9, giving 63.
If the arithmetic mean of 6, 8, 10, x, 7 is 8 the value of x will be?
The five values total 5 x 8 = 40. Since 6 + 8 + 10 + 7 = 31, x = 9.
If 6 + 5x = 30 – x then x?
6 + 5x = 30 – x gives 6x = 24, so x = 4.
In a dairy farm 40 cows eat 40 bags of husk in 40 days, In how many days one cow will eat one bag of husk?
40 cows eat 40 bags in 40 days, so each cow eats one bag in 40 days.
Odd man out 6, 9, 15, 21, 24, 28, 30?
All the numbers are multiples of 3 except 28, which is the odd one out.
If the day before yesterday was Saturday then day after tomorrow will be?
If the day before yesterday was Saturday, today is Monday. The day after tomorrow is therefore Wednesday.
What fraction of a cake remains when its 2/8 part has been eaten?
2/8 = 1/4 has been eaten, so 3/4 remains.
The zoo had some lions and some parrots. The supervisor counted 15 heads and 50 legs. How many lions were there?
Lions have 4 legs and parrots 2. With L + P = 15 and 4L + 2P = 50, substituting gives 4L + 2(15-L) = 50, so 2L = 20 and L = 10.
“A” sold a pen for Rs. 180. This was Rs. 60 less than what “A” paid for it. What was A’s loss as a percentage of his cost price?
The selling price of 180 was 60 below cost, so cost = 240. Loss = 60/240 x 100 = 25%.
Find the odd one out 13, 41, 43, 47, 53, 61, 71, 73, 81?
All the numbers are prime except 81, which is 9 x 9.
329 x 1000 equals to?
329 x 1,000 = 329,000.
Find the odd one out: 10, 25, 45, 54, 60, 75, 80?
All the numbers are multiples of 5 except 54.
What is half way between 103 and 301?
The midpoint is (103 + 301)/2 = 202.
“A” is twice as old as “B”. Three years ago “A” was three times as old as “B”. How old is “A” now?
A = 2B, and three years ago A – 3 = 3(B – 3). So 2B – 3 = 3B – 9, giving B = 6 and A = 12.
Which one of the following shapes has four equal sides and right angles?
A shape with four equal sides and four right angles is a square.
The number, whose 7 percent is 42, is?
7% of n = 42, so n = 42/0.07 = 600.
Complete the number series: 4, 6, 12, 14, 28, 30, _?
The rule alternates +2 and doubling: 4, 6, 12, 14, 28, 30. The next step doubles, giving 60.
Complete the alphabet series: A, B, D, G,_?
The gaps grow by one: A to B is +1, B to D is +2, D to G is +3, so the next is +4, giving K.
Which number can replace both question marks in 2/? =?/50?
2/x = x/50 gives x^2 = 100, so x = 10.
If A can type 10 pages in 5 minutes and B can type 5 pages in 10 minutes then, working together, how many pages can they type in 30 minutes?
A types 2 pages a minute and B types 0.5, together 2.5 a minute. In 30 minutes that is 75 pages.
Complete the series: 3, 5, 10, 12, 24, 26,?
The rule alternates +2 and doubling: 3, 5, 10, 12, 24, 26. The next step doubles, giving 52.
Convert 1100011 from Binary to Decimal?
1100011 = 64 + 32 + 2 + 1 = 99.
A man walks 3 km to his East then turns left and walks 3 km towards North then turns left and walks 3 km towards West. Indicate the correct direction in which he is in relation to his starting point?
Walking east then north then west returns him to the starting line east-west, leaving him 3 km north of where he began.
One Inch is equal to?
One inch equals 2.54 cm.
One yard is equal to how many meter?
One yard equals 0.914 metres.
If 5x-15=50 then find the value of X?
5x – 15 = 50 gives 5x = 65, so x = 13.
If X = 28 and Y = 51, then what is (X + Y) + (X – Y)?
The y terms cancel: (X+Y) + (X-Y) = 2X = 2 x 28 = 56.
About the PPSC Mathematics Past Paper 2017
Every MCQ above is taken from the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) Mathematics papers held in 2017, with the correct answer and a written explanation for each. Past-paper practice is the most dependable way to prepare for PPSC, FPSC, NTS, CSS and PMS, because these papers repeat their themes, and often the questions themselves, from one year to the next.
Questions were checked against reliable sources before publication. Where a circulating source sheet carried a factual or wording error, we corrected it rather than reproducing the mistake. For chapter-wise preparation, work through our Maths MCQs hub, which also lists every other year’s paper. Further reading: Pakistan Movement and the PPSC official website.
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