UPSC CSE Prelims CSAT (Paper II) previous year questions on Mixture (Quantitative Ability), asked from 2012–2026, with answers. There are 8 questions in this post. Attempt each question, then click Show Answer to check.
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1] An alloy P contains 20% copper and 80% zinc by weight. Another alloy Q contains 60% copper and 40% zinc by weight. A third alloy R is to be prepared from P and Q so that it contains equal amount of copper and zinc. In what ratio, amounts of P and Q be mixed in order to get R? [2026/65]
(a) 1 : 3
(b) 3 : 1
(c) 2 : 3
(d) 3 : 2
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Ans: (a) 1 : 3
2] There are two chemicals which do not react with each other. A container contains 10 litres of the chemical A. One litre of this chemical is removed from it and one litre of the chemical B is poured. Then one litre of the mixture is removed from the container and one litre of B is poured. If this process of replacing one litre of the mixture by one litre of B is performed once more, then what is the volume of B that is present in the container approximately (in percentage)? [2026/79]
(a) 25
(b) 27
(c) 29
(d) 31
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Ans: (b) 27
3] What percent of water must be mixed with honey so as to gain 20% by selling the mixture at the cost price of honey? [2024/16]
(a) 20%
(b) 10%
(c) 5%
(d) 4%
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Ans: (a) 20%
4] There are two containers X and Y. X contains 100 ml of milk and Y contains 100 ml of water. 20 ml of milk from X is transferred to Y. After mixing well, 20 ml of the mixture in Y is transferred back to X. If m denotes the proportion of milk in X and n denotes the proportion of water in Y, then which one of the following is correct? [2022/69]
(a) m = n
(b) m > n
(c) m < n
(d) Cannot be determined due to insufficient data
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Ans: (a) m = n
5] A bottle contains 20 litres of liquid A. 4 litres of liquid A is taken out of it and replaced by same quantity of liquid B. Again 4 litres of the mixture is taken out and replaced by same quantity of liquid B. What is the ratio of quantity of liquid A to that of liquid B in the final mixture? [2020/68]
(a) 4: 1
(b) 5: 1
(c) 16: 9
(d) 17: 8
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Ans: (c) 16: 9
6] 30g of sugar was mixed in 180 ml water in a vessel A, 40 g of sugar was mixed in 280 ml of water in vessel B and 20 g of sugar was mixed in 100 ml of water in vessel C. The solution in vessel B is [2016/28]
(a) sweeter than that in C
(b) sweeter than that in A
(c) as sweet as that in C
(d) less sweet than that in C
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Ans: (d) less sweet than that in C
7] Two equal glasses of same type are respectively 1/3 and 1/4 full of milk. They are then filled up with water and the contents are mixed in a pot. is the ratio of milk and water in the pot? [2015/35]
(a) 7:17
(b) 1:3
(c) 9: 21
(d) 11: 23
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Ans: (a) 7:17
8] Two glasses of equal volume are respectively half and three-fourths filled with milk. They are then filled to the brim by adding water. Their contents are then poured into another vessel. What will be the ratio of milk to water in this vessel? [2012/62]
(a) 1:3
(b) 2:3
(c) 3:2
(d) 5:3
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Ans: (d) 5:3
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