Simplification Questions for SSC MTS

BODMAS Rule — The Golden Rule

Every simplification question follows a fixed order of solving. You must never skip this order or you will get the wrong answer. BODMAS stands for Brackets, Of, Division, Multiplication, Addition, Subtraction. Always solve in this exact sequence from left to right within each level.

• B — Brackets: solve innermost first, then (), then {}, then []
• O — Of: means multiplication, e.g. 1/2 of 40 = 20
• D — Division: solve all divisions before multiplication if both appear
• M — Multiplication: after division is done
• A — Addition: after all above are done
• S — Subtraction: always last

Fractions and Decimals

SSC MTS often gives mixed expressions with fractions and decimals together. The trick is to either convert all to decimals or all to fractions before solving. Decimal conversion is usually faster. Also remember: dividing by a fraction means multiplying by its reciprocal.

• To add or subtract fractions: make denominators equal first (LCM method)
• To multiply fractions: numerator x numerator / denominator x denominator
• To divide fractions: flip the second fraction and multiply (reciprocal rule)
• Common decimals to memorize: 1/4=0.25, 1/5=0.2, 1/8=0.125, 3/4=0.75, 2/5=0.4
• Mixed number: 3(1/2) means 3 + 1/2 = 7/2 as improper fraction

Surds and Square Roots

Some SSC MTS questions involve square roots and cube roots in simplification. You do not need advanced knowledge — just remember key root values and simple surd rules. The main rule is that you can multiply or divide roots of same type directly.

• Square roots to memorize: root 2 = 1.414, root 3 = 1.732, root 5 = 2.236
• Cube roots: cube root of 8=2, 27=3, 64=4, 125=5, 216=6
• Root(a) x Root(b) = Root(a x b)
• Root(a) / Root(b) = Root(a/b)
• Simplify root(48) = root(16 x 3) = 4 x root(3)

Approximation Technique

In SSC MTS, many simplification questions have answer options spread far apart. This means you can round numbers smartly and reach the answer without exact calculation. This saves huge time. Round to nearest 10 or whole number, solve, then match closest option.

• Use approximation only when answer choices differ by more than 5-10
• Round 0.49 to 0.5, round 9.8 to 10, round 197 to 200
• After approximating, pick the closest answer option
• Do not approximate when choices are very close (e.g., 1.5, 1.6, 1.7)

Number Properties Quick Checks

Some simplification questions become easy if you spot divisibility or factor patterns instantly. These shortcuts cut calculation time in half.

• Divisible by 2: last digit even
• Divisible by 3: sum of digits divisible by 3
• Divisible by 9: sum of digits divisible by 9
• Divisible by 5: last digit 0 or 5
• Divisible by 11: alternating digit sum difference is 0 or multiple of 11

• Solving left to right blindly without following BODMAS — adding before multiplying is a very common error
• Forgetting that Of means multiplication — treating 1/3 of 90 as 1/3 + 90 instead of 1/3 x 90 = 30
• Confusing division of fractions — writing a/b divided by c/d as ac/bd instead of flipping the second fraction
• Not converting mixed numbers to improper fractions before calculating — 2(3/4) is 11/4 not 2 x 3/4
• Ignoring bracket hierarchy — solving [] before {} before () instead of inside-out order

• BODMAS mnemonic: Big Orange Dogs Must Always Sit — Brackets, Of, Division, Multiplication, Addition, Subtraction
• Reciprocal rule for fractions: KFC — Keep the first, Flip the second, Change divide to multiply
• Perfect squares to memorize fast: 1,4,9,16,25,36,49,64,81,100,121,144,169,196,225 — think of them as your times table for roots
• Decimal to fraction cheat sheet on your palm: 0.25=quarter, 0.5=half, 0.75=three quarters — the coin fractions

• SSC MTS typically asks 3 to 5 simplification questions — these are among the easiest in the Quant section and should be attempted first
• Questions usually involve one or two BODMAS steps combined with fractions or decimals — rarely more than 3-4 operations in total
• Target time: 30-45 seconds per simplification question — if it takes more than a minute, use approximation and move on
• Recent papers have included questions like: find the value of a complex bracket expression, or simplify a mixed fraction expression — always BODMAS applies
• Avoid using pen for every step — practice doing the BODMAS order mentally for small numbers, write only for big decimals or surds