Profit, Loss & Discount Questions with Solutions

Profit and loss questions deal with buying and selling: cost price, selling price, marked price, profit or loss percentage, and discounts. Profit or loss percentage is always calculated on the cost price, while discount percentage is calculated on the marked price, and mixing these up is the most common mistake. Questions test successive discounts, dishonest dealers using false weights, selling two articles at the same price with one at a profit and one at a loss, marking up goods and then offering a discount, and finding the cost price from given conditions. Converting percentages to fractions makes most of these questions quick. For example, a 25% profit means SP = 5/4 of CP. Practise the profit, loss and discount questions below. Each has a step-by-step solution and a fraction-based shortcut where it helps.