✍️ Introduction
Welcome to Part 11 of our Profit and Loss Questions with Answers series. In this segment, we are leveling up to Questions 101–110, bringing you a fresh set of hard-level problems specifically crafted for top-tier banking and competitive exams like IBPS PO, SBI PO, RBI Assistant, and SSC CGL. These problems are designed to challenge your critical thinking and time-management skills. With our step-by-step shortcut methods, you can bypass lengthy traditional equations and solve complex problems in seconds. Let’s keep the momentum going! 🎯
Table of Contents
📌 Question 101
❓ Question
A man bought two articles for a total of ₹1,500. He sold one at a 20% profit and the other at a 10% loss. If the overall profit is 4%, find the cost price of the article sold at a profit.
⚡ Shortcut Method
Use the Alligation Method on profit/loss percentages.
- Profit = +20%
- Loss = −10%
- Overall Profit = +4%
Ratio of cost prices:
CP₁ : CP₂ = (4 − (−10)) : (20 − 4) = 14 : 16 = 7 : 8
Total Cost Price = ₹1,500
Cost price of the profitable article:
= (7 / 15) × 1500
✅ Answer
₹700
📌 Question 102
❓ Question
A shopkeeper marks up his goods such that after giving a 20% discount, he earns a 20% profit. If he increases the markup by 15% (over the original cost price) and instead offers a 25% discount, what will be his new profit percentage?
⚡ Shortcut Method
Initially,
MP / CP = (100 + Profit%) / (100 − Discount%)
= 120 / 80
= 3 : 2
So original markup = 50%
New markup = 65%
New SP / CP
= 1.65 × 0.75
= 1.2375
Profit = 23.75%
✅ Answer
23.75%
📌 Question 103
❓ Question
A person sells an item at a 15% profit. Had he purchased it for 10% less and sold it for ₹40 less, he would have gained 25%. Find the original cost price.
⚡ Shortcut Method
Let original CP = 100x
Original SP = 115x
New CP = 90x
New SP = 90x × 1.25 = 112.5x
Difference in SP
= 115x − 112.5x
= 2.5x
2.5x = ₹40
x = 16
Original CP = 100 × 16
✅ Answer
₹1,600
📌 Question 104
❓ Question
The cost price of 12 articles equals the selling price of 9 articles. Also, the discount on 10 articles equals the profit earned on 5 articles. If the difference between the marked price and the cost price is ₹200, find the marked price.
⚡ Shortcut Method
From
12 CP = 9 SP
⇒ CP : SP = 3 : 4
Profit = 1 unit
Discount on 10 articles = Profit on 5 articles
So per article,
Discount = ½ unit
Therefore,
MP = SP + Discount
= 4 + 0.5
= 4.5 units
Now,
MP − CP
= 4.5 − 3
= 1.5 units = ₹200
Hence,
1 unit = ₹133.33
Marked Price
= 4.5 × 133.33
✅ Answer
₹600
📌 Question 105
❓ Question
A vendor sells a milk-water mixture at its cost price. However, he mixes water into it and earns a 25% profit. What is the percentage of water in the final mixture?
⚡ Shortcut Method
Since water is free,
Water : Milk
= Profit% : 100
= 25 : 100
= 1 : 4
Water percentage
= (1 / 5) × 100
✅ Answer
20%
📌 Question 106
❓ Question
A dealer marks an article 60% above cost price. He gives a 10% discount followed by an additional cash discount of x%, and finally earns 26% profit. Find x.
⚡ Shortcut Method
1.60 × 0.90 × (1 − x/100)
= 1.26
1.44 × (1 − x/100)
= 1.26
1 − x/100
= 1.26 / 1.44
= 7/8
x = 12.5%
✅ Answer
12.5%
📌 Question 107
❓ Question
A man buys 50 pens at ₹20 each. He sells:
- 20 pens at 5% profit
- 15 pens at 10% profit
At what profit percentage should he sell the remaining pens so that his overall profit becomes 15%?
⚡ Shortcut Method
Weighted average:
(20 × 5) + (15 × 10) + (15 × y)
= 50 × 15
100 + 150 + 15y
= 750
15y = 500
y = 33.33%
✅ Answer
33.33%
📌 Question 108
❓ Question
An article is sold at a certain price. If it is sold at 80% of that price, there is a 12% loss. What will be the profit or loss percentage when sold at the original selling price?
⚡ Shortcut Method
Let original SP = 100x
Reduced SP = 80x
Since this is a 12% loss,
80x = 88% of CP
CP = 80x / 0.88
= 90.909x
Profit at original SP
= (100 − 90.909) / 90.909 × 100
= 10%
✅ Answer
10% Profit
📌 Question 109
❓ Question
A dishonest merchant uses a scale that gives him a 10% advantage while buying and a 10% advantage while selling. He also marks his goods 20% above cost price and gives a 10% discount. Find his total profit percentage.
⚡ Shortcut Method
Markup & Discount factor
= 1.20 × 0.90
= 1.08
Buying advantage factor
= 1.10
Selling advantage factor
= 10/9
Net Multiplier
= 1.08 × 1.10 × (10/9)
= 1.32
Profit = 32%
Note: This solution assumes the standard competitive-exam interpretation that the merchant effectively gains 10% while buying and delivers 10% less while selling.
✅ Answer
32% Profit
📌 Question 110
❓ Question
Two items are sold for ₹4,000 each. One is sold at 25% profit and the other at 25% loss. Find the overall profit or loss in rupees.
⚡ Shortcut Method
CP₁ = 4000 / 1.25 = ₹3200
CP₂ = 4000 / 0.75 = ₹5333.33
Total CP = ₹8533.33
Total SP = ₹8000
Loss
= ₹8533.33 − ₹8000
= ₹533.33
✅ Answer
₹533.33 Loss
📖 Previous Parts
- 🔗 Profit and Loss Questions with Answers (1–10) – Part 1
- 🔗 Profit and Loss Questions with Answers (11–20) – Part 2
- 🔗 Profit and Loss Questions with Answers (21–30) – Part 3
- 🔗 Profit and Loss Questions with Answers (31–40) – Part 4
- 🔗 Profit and Loss Questions with Answers (41–50) – Part 5
- 🔗 Profit and Loss Questions with Answers (51–60) – Part 6
- 🔗 Profit and Loss Questions with Answers (61–70) – Part 7
- 🔗 Profit and Loss Questions with Answers (71–80) – Part 8
- 🔗 Profit and Loss Questions with Answers (81–90) – Part 9
- 🔗 Profit and Loss Questions with Answers (91–100) – Part 10
- 🔗Profit and Loss Questions with Answers (111–120) – Part 12
⭐ Recommended Reading
💡 Shortcut Trick of the Day
Handling Multiple Cheating Operations Simultaneously
When a problem involves dishonest practices both at the wholesale purchase end and the retail selling end, do not get confused by weights and measures. Convert every action into a direct multiplier affecting the Cost Price or Selling Price ratio:
- Buying Cheats: (Actual Quantity Received / Quantity Paid For)
- Selling Cheats: (Quantity Demanded / Actual Quantity Given Out)
Multiplying these ratios directly with your commercial markup and discount multipliers yields the final net profit factor instantly!
🎯 Challenge Question
A shopkeeper buys an article and marks it up by 50%. He gives successive discounts of 20% and 10% on the marked price. During the sale, he also implements a “Buy 3 Get 1 Free” scheme. If a customer purchases a lot under these combined offers, what is the shopkeeper’s net percentage profit or loss?
💬 Drop your answers and shortcut methods in the comments below!
