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Aptitude Shortcuts and Formulae for Profit and Loss | Download in PDF:
Aptitude Shortcut methods and formulas that used in aptitude questions related to Profit
and Loss were given below in pdf. Candidates those who are preparing for IBPS
PO/Clerk, SBI and all other competitive exams can use this.

Terms used in Profit and Loss Aptitude Questions:

Cost Price (Cp):
The Price, at which an article is purchased, is called its Cost Price, abbreviated as
Cost Price.
Selling Price (sp):
The Price at which an article is sold is called its Selling Price, abbreviated as
Selling Price.
Profit or Gain:
If Selling Price is greater than Cost Price, the seller is said to have a profit or gain.
Loss:
If Selling Price is less than Cost Price, the seller is said to have incurred a loss.
Formulae:
1. Gain= S.P-C.P
2. Loss=C.P-S.P
3. Loss or Gain is always reckoned on cost price
100
4. Gain%=

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100
5. Loss%=

(100+ %)
6. Selling Price=
Cost Price
100
(100 %)
7. Selling Price=
Cost Price
100
100
8. Cost Price=
Selling Price
(100+ %)
100
9. Cost Price=
Selling Price
(100 %)

10. If an article is sold at a gain of say 35% then Sp=135%of C.P.

11. If an article is sold at a loss of say 35% then SP=65% of C.P.
12. When a Person sells two similar items, one at a gain of say, X% and other at a
Loss of X%, then the seller always incurs a Loss given by

Loss%= [

10

10

]2 =[ ]2

13. If a trader professes to sell his goods at Cost Price, but uses false weights, then

Error
Gain%= [
100]
True Value Error

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Typed Formulae For Short Cut Solution:
TYPE-1
Conditional Trick:
If Cost Price of X goods =Selling Price of Y goods
Then,
1. Gain% =

XY

100

(In case of X>Y)

YX
2. Loss% =
100
Y

(In case of X<Y)

TYPE-2
1. If X1 and X2 both are the rate of gain or both are the rate of loss.
Then,
100
C.P= (
)
X1X2

amount of difference between Selling Prices

2. if in x1 and x2 one is the rate of gain when another is the rate of loss.
Then,
100
C.P = (
)
x1+x2

amount of difference between Selling Prices

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TYPE-3
Miscellaneous Trick:
1. When a man buys two things on equal price each and in those things one is
sold on the profit of X% and another is sold on the loss of X%, then there is
no loss or gain percent.
Question: If Ram buys two cows at Rs.824 each and sells one at again of 14%
and another at a loss of 14%. How such does he gain or loss in the whole
transaction?
Ans: No Loss, no gain.
Reasoning: whatever he gain on the 1st cow, the same he loses on the other.

2. When a man sells two things at the same price each and in this process his
loss on first thing is X% and gain on second thing is X% then in such a type of
questions, there is always a loss.
Loss% =X% of X =

X2
100

= ( )2
10

Question: A man sold two watches at Rs.450 each. He sold one at a loss of 15%
and the other at a gain of 15%. His loss or gain is:
(1) 15% gain
(3) 2.25% loss
(5) None

(2) 30% loss

(4) neither loss nor gain

ANS: (3) 2.25% (loss)

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15

( )2 % = 2.25%

TRICK: Loss% =

10

3. Dishonest dealer and less Weight:

Gain% =

Error
True value Error

100

Where, error=1000 gm-used weight of goods

Question: A dishonest dealer professes to sell his goods at cost price, but
used a weight of 950 gms for a kilogram weight. His gain percent is

(1) 5%

(2) 5.26% (3) 4% (4) 4.75% (5) None

Ans: (2)
TRICK:
Gain% =

50
1000 50

100 =

50
950

100

=5.26% ANS.
4. If A sells a thing to B at again of R1%, B sells it to c at a gain of R2% and C
sells it to D at a gain of R3%
Then, cost price of D = cost price of

A (1+

R1
100

) (1+

R2
100

) (1+

R3
100

Question: A sells a watch to B at a gain of 20%, B sells it to C at a gain of 25%

and C sells it to D at again of 10%. If D pays Rs.330, what did it cost A?
(1) Rs.250

TRICK:

(2) Rs.300 (3) Rs.200 (4) Rs.225 (5) None

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300=x

(1+

12

) (1+

25

) (1+

10

100
100
100
330100100100
X=
= Rs. 200 ANS.
120125110

Where X is supposed the cost price of A.

5. If a sells a thing to B at a loss of R1%,B sells it to C at a loss of R2% and C

sells it to D at a loss of R3% then,

Cost Price of D = cost price of

A (1-

R1
100

) (1-

R2
100

) (1-

R3
100

Question: If A sells a radio to B at a loss of 20%, B sells it to C at a loss of

30% and C sells it to D at a loss of 10%. If cost price of A was Rs. 2,000
then cost price of D is
(1) Rs.1280 (2) Rs.1190 (3) Rs.1305 (4)1008 (5) None
ANS: (4)
TRICK:
Cost price of D
= 2000
= 2000

(1-

20

) (1-

100
80
70
100

= Rs. 1,880 ANS.

100

30
100
90

) (1-

100

10
100