SSC Selection Post 2025 PYQ — Question 57

Correct Answer

quite

Explanation

The question asks you to select the most appropriate adverb of degree to modify the adverb "confidently."

Let's look at the clue in the second half of the sentence:

"...which impressed the panel."

The sentence describes a positive outcome where the interview panel was favorably impressed. Therefore, the blank needs an intensifier that conveys a strong, positive, and appropriate level of confidence.

Let's evaluate the options to see why "quite" is the best fit:

Quite is an adverb of degree that means "to a noticeable or significant extent" or "remarkably." Saying he answered the question "quite confidently" means he showed a high and impressive level of confidence, which perfectly explains why the panel was impressed.

Most is used to form a superlative degree (e.g., the most confidently), which usually requires the definite article "the" before it and a group for comparison. It does not fit grammatically in this sentence structure.

Too means "excessively" or "more than is desirable." It carries a distinctly negative connotation. If someone is "too confident," they come across as arrogant or overconfident, which would typically annoy or displease an interview panel rather than impress them.

So is a coordinating conjunction or an intensifier that usually requires a correlative clause starting with "that" to show a cause-and-effect result (such as "He answered so confidently that the panel hired him on the spot"). Without the "that" clause, it is incomplete in formal grammar.

Because "quite" provides the exact right positive intensity to match the panel's favorable reaction, Option 4 is the correct choice.

Key Points

To avoid traps on grammar exams, always read the entire sentence to check the emotional tone or context. Words like "too" and "quite" both intensify a statement, but "too" implies a negative excess while "quite" implies a positive or remarkable quality.