A question is given followed by two Statements I and II. Consider the Question and the Statements and mark the correct option. Question : In a football match, team P playing against Q was behind by 3 goals with 10 minutes remaining. Does team P win the match ? Statement I : Team P scored 4 goals in the last 10 minutes. Statement II : Team Q scored a total of 4 goals in the match. Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above Question and the Statements ?
- (a) The Question can be answered by using one of the Statements alone, but cannot be answered using the other statement alone.
- (b) The Question can be answered by using either Statement alone.
- (c) The Question can be answered by using both the Statements together, but cannot be answered using either Statement alone.
- (d) The Question cannot be answered even using any of the Statements. ✓ UPSC's answer
Why the answer is (d)
• The question asks if Team P wins, which requires knowing the final score difference where P's total goals exceed Q's total goals.
• Initially, P is behind by 3 goals, so if Q has scored $q$ goals, P has scored $q - 3$ goals.
• Statement I states P scored 4 goals in the last 10 minutes, making P's final score $(q - 3) + 4 = q + 1$.
• However, Statement I does not specify if Team Q scored any additional goals in those last 10 minutes.
• If Q scored 0 goals in the last 10 minutes, P wins ($q+1 > q$). If Q scored 1 or more goals, P does not win.
• Since the number of goals scored by Q in the final 10 minutes is unknown, the final result cannot be determined, making the data insufficient.
Why the other options are wrong
- (a) The Question can be answered by using one of the Statements alone, but cannot be answered…
- Statement I alone is insufficient because it does not account for potential goals scored by Team Q in the final 10 minutes.
- (b) The Question can be answered by using either Statement alone.
- Neither statement alone provides enough information to determine the final score, as Q's activity in the last 10 minutes is unknown.
- (c) The Question can be answered by using both the Statements together, but cannot be…
- Even using both statements together, we do not know if Team Q scored any goals in the last 10 minutes, so the final result remains indeterminate.
Asked in the CSAT Paper II of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2025, held on 25 May 2025. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.