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Trading Profit Loss and Balance Sheet Questions for SSC CGL

Free, AI-curated practice for the Trading Profit Loss and Balance Sheet section of SSC CGL. We have 15+ verified questions in this bank. Below: 5 sample questions. Sign up free to unlock unlimited practice + AI explanations + per-topic analytics.

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Why this topic matters · 8 min read
SSC CGL Tier-1 and Tier-2 test basic accounting statements — Trading A/C, P&L A/C, and Balance Sheet. Expect 2-4 questions per paper on identifying items, calculating profit/loss, and understanding financial position. High weightage in Accounts section; tests comprehension of debit-credit logic and statement structure. Most questions are direct recall or simple calculation.

Trading Account — Purpose and Structure

Trading Account is the first statement prepared to calculate Gross Profit. It records all transactions related to buying and selling of goods. Think of it as the 'shop counter' — it shows what you bought, what you sold, and what profit you made on goods alone (before expenses). It starts with Opening Stock, adds Purchases, deducts Closing Stock, and arrives at Cost of Goods Sold (COGS). The difference between Sales and COGS is Gross Profit. This account does NOT include operating expenses like rent, salary, or advertising — those go into P&L.

  • Opening Stock + Purchases + Direct Expenses - Closing Stock = Cost of Goods Sold
  • Sales - COGS = Gross Profit (or Gross Loss if COGS > Sales)
  • Direct expenses: freight inward, carriage inward, import duty, manufacturing wages
  • Indirect expenses (rent, salary, insurance) are NOT included in Trading A/C
  • Closing Stock appears on CREDIT side of Trading A/C (reduces COGS) and ASSET side of Balance Sheet
Key formulas
Gross Profit
Sales - (Opening Stock + Purchases + Direct Expenses - Closing Stock)
When: Calculate profit on goods sold before operating expenses
Cost of Goods Sold
Opening Stock + Purchases + Direct Expenses - Closing Stock
When: Find the cost of goods that were actually sold
Worked examples

Opening Stock 10,000 | Purchases 50,000 | Sales 80,000 | Closing Stock 8,000 | Freight Inward 2,000. Gross Profit = 80,000 - (10,000 + 50,000 + 2,000 - 8,000) = 80,000 - 54,000 = 26,000.

If Opening Stock 5,000, Purchases 30,000, Direct Expenses 3,000, Closing Stock 6,000, Sales 50,000. COGS = 5,000 + 30,000 + 3,000 - 6,000 = 32,000. Gross Profit = 50,000 - 32,000 = 18,000.

Profit & Loss Account — Operating and Net Profit

P&L Account (also called Income Statement) is prepared AFTER Trading Account. It takes Gross Profit from Trading A/C and deducts all operating expenses (indirect expenses) to arrive at Net Profit. Operating expenses include rent, salaries, insurance, depreciation, office supplies, advertising, and bad debts. The P&L also includes non-operating items like interest received, commission earned, loss on sale of assets. Net Profit is the final profit available to the owner after all costs and expenses.

  • Gross Profit (from Trading A/C) - Operating Expenses = Net Profit
  • Operating expenses: rent, salary, insurance, depreciation, utilities, office expenses, bad debts
  • Non-operating income: interest received, commission earned, rent received
  • Non-operating expenses: interest paid, loss on sale of fixed assets, discount allowed
  • Net Profit is transferred to Capital A/C or Retained Earnings in Balance Sheet
Key formulas
Net Profit
Gross Profit - Operating Expenses + Non-Operating Income - Non-Operating Expenses
When: Calculate final profit after all costs
Worked examples

Gross Profit 26,000 | Salaries 5,000 | Rent 2,000 | Insurance 1,000 | Depreciation 1,500 | Interest Received 500. Net Profit = 26,000 - (5,000 + 2,000 + 1,000 + 1,500) + 500 = 26,000 - 9,500 + 500 = 17,000.

Gross Profit 50,000 | Office Expenses 3,000 | Bad Debts 2,000 | Discount Allowed 1,500 | Commission Earned 2,000. Net Profit = 50,000 - (3,000 + 2,000 + 1,500) + 2,000 = 50,000 - 6,500 + 2,000 = 45,500.

Balance Sheet — Assets, Liabilities, and Capital

Balance Sheet is a snapshot of financial position on a specific date. It lists what the business owns (Assets), what it owes (Liabilities), and what the owner has invested (Capital). The fundamental equation is Assets = Liabilities + Capital. Assets are divided into Fixed Assets (land, building, machinery — long-term) and Current Assets (cash, stock, debtors — short-term). Liabilities are divided into Fixed Liabilities (long-term loans) and Current Liabilities (creditors, short-term payables). Closing Stock from Trading A/C appears as a Current Asset in Balance Sheet.

  • Balance Sheet Equation: Assets = Liabilities + Capital
  • Fixed Assets: land, building, machinery, furniture (appear at cost minus depreciation)
  • Current Assets: cash, bank, debtors, stock, prepaid expenses
  • Fixed Liabilities: long-term loans, mortgages, debentures
  • Current Liabilities: creditors, short-term loans, accrued expenses, bills payable
  • Capital + Net Profit - Drawings = Closing Capital (appears on Liability side)
Key formulas
Balance Sheet Equation
Assets = Liabilities + Capital
When: Verify that Balance Sheet balances
Closing Capital
Opening Capital + Net Profit - Drawings
When: Calculate owner's equity at end of period
Worked examples

Opening Capital 100,000 | Net Profit 20,000 | Drawings 5,000 | Closing Capital = 100,000 + 20,000 - 5,000 = 115,000. If Total Assets = 200,000, then Total Liabilities = 200,000 - 115,000 = 85,000.

Assets: Cash 10,000 + Debtors 15,000 + Stock 25,000 + Machinery 80,000 = 130,000. Liabilities: Creditors 20,000 + Loan 15,000 = 35,000. Capital = 130,000 - 35,000 = 95,000.

Key Adjustments and Common Items

SSC exams often test adjustments made while preparing final accounts. These include depreciation (reduces asset value and increases expense), closing stock (reduces COGS in Trading A/C, appears as asset in Balance Sheet), bad debts (expense in P&L), accrued expenses (liability in Balance Sheet), prepaid expenses (asset in Balance Sheet), and outstanding liabilities. Understanding where each adjustment appears is critical. For example, depreciation is BOTH an expense in P&L AND a deduction from the asset in Balance Sheet.

  • Depreciation: deduct from Fixed Asset in Balance Sheet AND show as expense in P&L
  • Closing Stock: credit side of Trading A/C (reduces COGS) AND Current Asset in Balance Sheet
  • Bad Debts: expense in P&L AND deduction from Debtors in Balance Sheet
  • Accrued Expenses: expense in P&L AND liability in Balance Sheet
  • Prepaid Expenses: expense in P&L (only the portion used) AND asset in Balance Sheet (unused portion)
  • Outstanding Liabilities: liability in Balance Sheet (not yet paid)
⚠ Common mistakes to avoid
  • Including indirect expenses (rent, salary) in Trading Account — they belong ONLY in P&L Account. Trading A/C is for COGS only.
  • Forgetting that Closing Stock appears TWICE: once on credit side of Trading A/C (to reduce COGS) and once as Current Asset in Balance Sheet.
  • Confusing Opening Stock (debit side of Trading A/C) with Closing Stock (credit side). Opening Stock is the inventory at START of period; Closing Stock is at END.
  • Not adjusting Fixed Assets for depreciation in Balance Sheet. If machinery cost 50,000 and depreciation is 5,000, show it as 45,000 (net value), not 50,000.
  • Placing non-operating items in wrong account. Interest Received is income in P&L, NOT in Trading A/C. Loss on sale of asset is expense in P&L, NOT in Trading A/C.
🧠 Memory aids
  • T-P-B sequence: Trading Account (Gross Profit) → P&L Account (Net Profit) → Balance Sheet (Financial Position). Each feeds into the next.
  • COGS formula mnemonic: OS + P + DE - CS (Opening Stock + Purchases + Direct Expenses - Closing Stock). Think 'OS-P-DE-CS' as one phrase.
  • Balance Sheet sides: Left = Assets (what you OWN). Right = Liabilities + Capital (what you OWE + what owner put in). Must balance like a seesaw.
  • Direct vs Indirect: Direct expenses (freight, carriage) go to Trading A/C. Indirect expenses (rent, salary, insurance) go to P&L. Mnemonic: 'Direct to Goods, Indirect to Profit'.
  • Closing Stock trick: It REDUCES cost of goods (credit in Trading A/C) but INCREASES assets (appears in Balance Sheet). It's a 'good' adjustment for profit.
🎯 SSC CGL exam tips
  • SSC CGL Tier-1 typically asks 2-3 straightforward questions: 'Which account shows Gross Profit?' or 'Where does Closing Stock appear?' Focus on definitions and placement.
  • Tier-2 (Descriptive) may ask to prepare a full Trading A/C or P&L from given data. Practice numerical problems with 5-8 line items. Time yourself — these should take 3-4 minutes max.
  • Recent papers show preference for identifying which item goes where (Trading A/C vs P&L vs Balance Sheet). Expect 1 question of type: 'Bad Debts appears in (a) Trading A/C (b) P&L (c) Balance Sheet (d) All three'. Answer: (b) P&L only.
  • Watch for 'trick' items: Discount Allowed (P&L, not Trading A/C), Carriage Inward (Trading A/C, direct expense), Carriage Outward (P&L, indirect expense). These are frequently confused.
  • Balance Sheet questions often test the equation. If given Assets and Liabilities, calculate Capital. If given Capital and Net Profit, calculate Closing Capital. These are calculation-heavy but straightforward.

Sample questions

Q1 · medium · AI-verified
A trader's Opening Stock is ₹40,000, Purchases are ₹1,20,000, Direct Expenses are ₹15,000, and Closing Stock is ₹35,000. If Net Sales are ₹2,00,000, what is the Gross Profit?
  1. ₹50,000
  2. ₹45,000
  3. ₹75,000
  4. ₹60,000
Q2 · hard · AI-verified
A company has the following data: Opening Stock ₹40,000; Purchases ₹2,10,000; Direct Expenses ₹15,000; Closing Stock ₹55,000; Sales ₹3,20,000; Selling Expenses ₹12,000; Office Expenses ₹8,000; Interest Received ₹5,000. What is the Net Profit?
  1. ₹1,00,000
  2. ₹1,10,000
  3. ₹83,000
  4. ₹95,000
Q3 · hard · AI-verified
A trader's books show the following: Opening Stock ₹40,000; Purchases ₹2,00,000; Carriage Inwards ₹5,000; Sales ₹3,00,000; Closing Stock ₹50,000; Wages ₹10,000; Salaries ₹15,000; Discount Received ₹3,000; Bad Debts ₹2,000. What is the Gross Profit?
  1. ₹1,10,000
  2. ₹1,00,000
  3. ₹85,000
  4. ₹95,000
Q4 · hard · AI-verified
A trader's Net Profit is ₹75,000. During the year, he withdrew ₹18,000 for personal use, introduced additional capital of ₹30,000, and the opening capital was ₹2,00,000. What is the Closing Capital?
  1. ₹2,57,000
  2. ₹3,05,000
  3. ₹2,93,000
  4. ₹2,87,000
Q5 · medium · AI-verified
A trader purchases goods worth ₹80,000 and sells them for ₹1,00,000. His selling expenses are ₹5,000 and general office expenses are ₹3,000. What is his Gross Profit?
  1. ₹12,000
  2. ₹17,000
  3. ₹20,000
  4. ₹15,000
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