ExamShortcut
high importance~1 Q in Tier 116 formulas⚑ 12 shortcuts4 subtopics

One guaranteed question in almost every Tier 1 shift: a member joining or leaving, a batsman's innings, or a weighted two-group average. The whole topic collapses to one habit β€” convert averages to sums (Sum = Avg Γ— n) before touching anything.

Track record in the exam

avg 1.0 Q / shift2024: 1 Q2025: 1 Q

Questions per shift in recent SSC CGL papers.

Test difficulty mix (60 questions)

16 easy29 medium15 hard

Question patterns exams keep repeating

Taken from previous-year papers. If a pattern is marked "very common", expect to see it in your exam.

Person joins / leaves, average changes

very common
Spot it:

The average age, weight or salary of a group is given; a teacher, manager or new member joins (or someone leaves) and the new average is stated.

How to solve: Change both averages into totals and subtract. Shortcut: newcomer = new average + n Γ— rise; leaver = new average + n Γ— fall. Check with totals.

Example: The average age of 30 students is 14 years. When the teacher's age is included, the average rises by 1 year. Find the teacher's age.

Teacher = 15 + 30 Γ— 1 = 45 years. (Check: 31 Γ— 15 βˆ’ 30 Γ— 14 = 465 βˆ’ 420 = 45.)

Learn this in β€œMembers joining or leaving” β†’

Replacement of one member / wrong entry

very common
Spot it:

One person is replaced by another, or a value was copied wrongly, and the average changes by a known amount. The count stays the same.

How to solve: Change in total = n Γ— change in average, and all of it belongs to the replaced value. For a wrong entry, the average moves by (correct βˆ’ wrong)/n.

Example: The average weight of 10 men rises by 1.5 kg when one man weighing 58 kg is replaced by a new man. Find the new man's weight.

58 + 10 Γ— 1.5 = 73 kg.

Learn this in β€œMembers joining or leaving” β†’

Batsman / bowler average

common
Spot it:

'Scores x in the nth innings and his average rises by d', or a bowler's runs-per-wicket average improves after a match.

How to solve: Write the old and new totals. Batsman: new average = x βˆ’ (n βˆ’ 1)d. Bowler: aW + r = (a βˆ’ d)(W + w), solve for W.

Example: A batsman scores 87 runs in his 17th innings and his average rises by 3. Find his new average.

87 βˆ’ 16 Γ— 3 = 39. (Old average 36: 16 Γ— 36 + 87 = 663 = 17 Γ— 39.)

Learn this in β€œBatsman problems, overlapping sums & multi-step sets” β†’

Weighted average of groups

very common
Spot it:

Boys and girls, sections, or workers and managers with separate averages; the combined average or a missing group average is asked.

How to solve: Totals first: combined = Ξ£(n Γ— average) Γ· Ξ£n. The answer lies closer to the bigger group. For a missing group, subtract known totals from the overall total.

Example: 30 boys average 42 kg and 20 girls average 37 kg. Find the class average.

(1260 + 740) Γ· 50 = 40 kg.

Learn this in β€œWeighted average & two-group problems” β†’

Group sizes from averages (balance method)

common
Spot it:

Both group averages and the combined average are given; the ratio or number of members in a group is asked.

How to solve: Sizes are in the reverse ratio of the distances from the combined average: n₁ : nβ‚‚ = (xΜ„β‚‚ βˆ’ xΜ„) : (xΜ„ βˆ’ x̄₁). The group closer to the mean is bigger.

Example: The class average is 58; boys average 62 and girls 52. Find boys : girls.

(58 βˆ’ 52) : (62 βˆ’ 58) = 6 : 4 = 3 : 2.

Learn this in β€œWeighted average & two-group problems” β†’

Average of standard series and consecutive numbers

very common
Spot it:

Average of the first n naturals, odd or even numbers, squares, cubes, or of consecutive / equally spaced numbers.

How to solve: Use the table: (n + 1)/2, n, n + 1. Equally spaced numbers: average = middle term = (first + last)/2.

Example: Find the average of all multiples of 6 between 1 and 100.

6, 12, …, 96 β†’ (6 + 96)/2 = 51.

Learn this in β€œAverage & the sum bridge” β†’

Sum bridge and uniform operations

common
Spot it:

Average and count given with some values known, or every value is increased, multiplied or divided by the same number.

How to solve: Sum = average Γ— count, then subtract known values. A uniform operation acts on the average in the same order: Γ—k then +c gives kA + c.

Example: The average of 6 numbers is 15. Each number is multiplied by 3 and then increased by 5. Find the new average.

15 Γ— 3 + 5 = 50.

Learn this in β€œAverage & the sum bridge” β†’

Overlapping averages and split sets

occasional
Spot it:

Averages over overlapping windows (Mon–Thu and Tue–Fri; first 7 and last 7 of 13) or parts of a set with a relation between unknowns.

How to solve: All averages to sums. Overlapping days: subtract and the shared days cancel. First/last parts: shared term = part sums βˆ’ total. Split set: one variable for the unknown.

Example: The average of 11 numbers is 50. The first 6 average 49 and the last 6 average 52. Find the 6th number.

294 + 312 βˆ’ 550 = 56.

Learn this in β€œBatsman problems, overlapping sums & multi-step sets” β†’

Ages over time

common
Spot it:

Average age of a family n years ago or at a marriage / birth, with a child or member added later.

How to solve: Bring every average to the same year: a fixed group's average rises 1 per year. Then use totals and adjust the count.

Example: Five years ago the average age of a husband and wife was 25. Now the average of husband, wife and child is 22. Child's age?

Couple now = 50 + 10 = 60; family = 66 β†’ child = 6 years.

Learn this in β€œBatsman problems, overlapping sums & multi-step sets” β†’

Your next step

New here? Start with subtopic 1 in Learn. Revision mode? Jump straight to the test and let it tell you what to fix.