An item is sold with a 25 percent discount on its marked price, and then the customer receives an 8 percent cashback on the amount paid after discount. What is the effective discount percentage?

Introduction / Context:
This question also combines discount and cashback, but with different percentages. The aim is to compute the single equivalent discount on the original marked price that results from both the discount and the cashback.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Discount on marked price = 25 percent.
• Cashback on post discount amount = 8 percent.
• We assume standard commercial arithmetic without taxes.

Concept / Approach:
As before, we assume a convenient marked price and compute the amount paid after discount, then compute cashback based on that reduced amount. Subtracting the cashback from the amount paid yields the net effective payment. Comparing this with the original marked price gives the effective discount percentage.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Let marked price = 100 units.After 25 percent discount, amount paid = 100 - 25 = 75 units.Cashback = 8 percent of 75 = 0.08 * 75 = 6 units.Net payment = 75 - 6 = 69 units.Effective discount amount = 100 - 69 = 31 units.Effective discount percentage = (31 / 100) * 100 = 31 percent.

Verification / Alternative check:
Take a marked price of Rs. 2000. After 25 percent discount, the price becomes 1500. Cashback is 8 percent of 1500, which is Rs. 120. Net payment is 1500 - 120 = 1380. The effective discount is 2000 - 1380 = 620, which is 31 percent of 2000. So the answer is consistent.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
35.75 percent and 35 percent come from adding percentages incorrectly or misapplying cashback to the wrong base. The value 12.5 percent is much too small and ignores the normal discount entirely.

Common Pitfalls:
The main mistake is adding 25 percent and 8 percent directly and treating 33 percent as the effective discount, or applying both on the marked price. Cashback is always calculated on the amount that the customer actually pays, which here is the discounted price, not the original marked price.

Final Answer:
The effective discount percentage is 31 percent.