CAT 2011 - Make Your Grip On Quantitative Ability

Quantitative Ability can be a nightmare for many CAT aspirants. But if you are really determined about your goal to study MBA in a top notch MBA institute, then a section should not hamper your chance.  For every MBA aspirant, there is one or the other area of weakness. In this article, you will get the tips on how to strengthen this weak section of yours.

 

As you are aware, Quantitative Ability tests your basic knowledge about mathematics, brushing up of the subject, which you had done in the classes VIII to X. The best way to start preparation is by starting with the NCERT books. You will not only feel familiar but will also get your basics brushed up. Before you know more about the preparation strategies, it is important to know about the topics of the Quantitative Ability that you will be facing.

Topics of Quantitative Ability

The topics which you will encounter in this section are Arithmetic, Geometry, Algebra, Functions, Number System and Time, Speed and Distance. These are the most common topics that you will face in the CAT exam. Apart from these, the topics are Mensuration, Linear Equations, Ratio and Proportion, Percentage, Profit and Loss, Variable and Inconsistence.

These are the overall topics which you will focus in this section. As Anurag Goyal, who scored 99.56 percentile in CAT 2008 says, “The relative importance keeps changing. It is extremely important to be thoroughly prepared with the chapters that one is comfortable with and not waste time on the others.”

Books for Quantitative Ability

•    The NCERT Maths Books of Class 8 to 10

•    Any one of the following books by R.S. Agarwal: Objective Arithmetic, Mathematics for MBA, Quantitative Techniques

•    ‘How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for CAT’ by Arun Sharma

•    ‘The Pearson Guide to Quantitative Aptitude for the CAT’ by Nishit Sinha

•    ‘Quantum CAT’ by Sarvesh Kumar Verma

•    ‘Quantitative Aptitude for MBA Entrance Examinations’ by Abhijit Guha

Preparation strategy

For preparing the Quantitative Ability section, practice is the best way. In Quantitative Ability if you are weak in all areas, you would need to solve and learn from around 5000 questions in order to match your skills with the best. Over a 150 day period this means 30 to 35 questions per day.

The method of learning by solving is also suggested by many experts. The more questions you solve, more idea you will have on the questions and the topics. “For Quant, focus on the learning you can extract out of every question.  If you can do so, then for CAT or for that matter any aptitude exam would ever hurt you in Quant over the next 10 years! Remember, Question based learning is the key.”

One more way to start is by starting with a particular chapter. Clearing the basic concepts, answering the questions and when you feel comfortable about it, move on to the next chapter. “Take one chapter at a time and solve as many questions as possible over a week or 10 days. The objective should be to master the chapter and develop a very high level of comfort and confidence should any question be asked from the chapter. Thereafter, move on to the next chapter,” experts say.

While you clear the basic concepts and solve the questions, you should also keep in mind the fact that speed is an important constraint of the CAT exam. Hence, maintaining speed and accuracy at the same time will be of utmost importance. CAT is about speed and you should plan your time towards solving each and every question very efficiently. Practice as many questions you can mainly from the previous papers because it gives you an idea about the variety of questions that has been asked before.

If mugging up formulae is not your forte, then practice will come to your rescue. Just practice a lot and you won’t need to mug any formula and any trick. Things will turn out eventually in your favor.

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Quantitave Ability - Averages

 

An Average is a measure that tells us information about a group of things rather than data about individuals.

Mean, median, and mode are all types of averages, although the mean is the most common type of average and usually refers to the arithmetic mean. There are other kinds of means that are more difficult.

The arithmetic mean is a simple type of average. Suppose you want to know what the numerical average is in your math class. Let’s say your grades so far are 80, 90, 92, and 78 on the four quizzes you have had. To find your quiz average, add up the four grades: 80 + 90 + 92 + 78 = 340

Then divide that answer by the number of grades that you started with, four: 340/4 = 85. So, your quiz average is 85. Whenever you want to find a mean, just add up all the numbers and divide by the number of numbers you started with.

But sometimes the arithmetic mean doesn’t give you all the information you want. Suppose you are looking for a job. You interview with a company that has ten employees, and the interviewer tells you that the average salary is Rs. 20000 per month. That’s a lot of money! But that’s not what you would be making.

For this particular company, you would make half of that. Each employee makes Rs.10000 per month, except for the owner, who makes Rs.110000 per month. Nine employees make Rs.10000, so adding those up is 9 x 10000 =90000. Then the owner makes Rs.110000, so the total is Rs.110000 + Rs.90000 = Rs.200000. Divide by the total number of employees, ten, and we have Rs.20000/10 = Rs.2000. Because the owner makes so much more than everyone else, her salary “pulls” the average up.

A better question to ask is, “What is the median salary?” The median is the number in the middle, when the numbers are listed in order. For example, suppose you wanted to find the median of the numbers 6, 4, 67, 23, 6, 98, 8, 16, 37. First, list them in order: 4, 6, 6, 8, 16, 23, 37, 67, 98. Now, which one is in the middle? Well, there are nine numbers, so the middle one is the fifth, which is 16, so 16 is the median.

Now, what about when there is an even number of numbers? Look at the quiz grade example again: 90, 80, 92, 78. First list the numbers in order: 78, 80, 90, 92. The two middle ones are 80 and 90. So do we have two medians? No, we find the mean of those two: 80 + 90 = 170, and 170/2 = 85. So 85 is the median.

Now look at those salaries again. To find the median salary, we look at the salaries in order: 10000, 10000, 10000, 10000, 10000, 10000, 10000, 10000, 10000, 110000. This is an even number of salaries, so we look at the middle two. They are both 10000, so the median is Rs.10000. That’s much better at telling you how much you’ll make if you accept the job.

But the median doesn’t always give you the best information either. Suppose you interview with a company that has 10 general employees, 7 assistants, 3 managers, and 1 owner. For this company, the mean salary could be Rs.5000, and the median Rs. 4000. But you are applying for the position of general employee, whose starting salary is Rs. 1000.

The mode is the type of average you want to know in this situation. The mode is the number that occurs most frequently. In the example for median, 6 would be the mode because it occurs twice, while the other numbers each occur once. In our employee example, the mode is Rs. 10000 because that number occurs ten times, which is more than the number of times any other number occurs.

The most common value found in a group consisting of several readings is called as the ‘mode’. A group of observation can have more than one modal value.

± Mean, median and mode are all good types of averages, and each works best in different types of situations.

In the following example, we will measure the central tendency (that is mean; median, and mode values) of the given group of readings; and later we also will try to understand how these measures of central tendency may change when we add more values to the group of readings.

Example:

A person wrote down the time he spent on the exercises in a week. These readings are as follows.

Day             Exercise time

Monday             20 min.

Tuesday             30 min.

Wednesday        20 min.

Thursday            35 min.

Friday                25 min.

The graph of the data is as shown below.

GRAPH

1. FNow we calculate the mean.

Mean = Sum of the readings/Number of readings = 20 + 30 +20 +35 +25/5

Therefore Mean = 130/5 = 26 minutes

Now we calculate the median, after arranging the given set of numbers in the increasing order we get,

Exercise time: 20, 20, 25, 30, and 35

The median (middle) value is 25 minutes.

Now we calculate the modal value. To calculate the mode we need to see how many times each number is repeating. And then the mode is the number that is repeating for the maximum.

Number 20 is repeating 2 times. Numbers 25, 30 and 35 are repeating only once. Therefore the mode is 20 minutes.

• ± the mean, median and mode must have the same unit that is associated with the given set of readings.

Let’s say the person adds Saturday in the exercise schedule. And on Saturday 30 minutes are spent on the exercise. To calculate the new mean value, add up all the readings and divide the sum by total number of readings.

Mean = 20 + 30 +20 +35 +20 + 30/6 = 160/6 = 26.66 minutes

Or, what we can do is multiply the original mean by the original number of readings to get the sum of the original readings.

26 x 5 = 130

We add the new value of 30 to this to get 160 and divide it by 6 to get the new mean. To calculate the new median, we rearrange the numbers in the increasing order. Therefore we now get,

Exercise time: 20, 20, 25, 30, 30, and 35

However in this case we do not have one single middle value. Instead we have two numbers in the middle that are 25 and 30. In this case we take the average of the two middle numbers to find the median. Therefore average of 25 and 30 is (25+30)/2 = 27.5 minutes.

Therefore the new median value is 27.5 minutes.

To calculate the new mode, we observe that numbers 20 and 30 minutes repeat 2 times. Numbers 25 and 35 minutes repeat only once. Therefore this set of readings has two mode values and the two modes are 20 and 30 minutes.

Example: Find the measures of central tendency for the following readings.

-2, 350%, 12, (-3)2, -80%

Solution: To compute the mean, median, or mode all the readings must be presented in the same number form.

Therefore we will need to convert the percentages into decimal form.

Therefore after converting the given set of readings into same number form, the new set has the following values.

-2, 3.5, 12, 9, -0.8

Now, mean = -2 + 3.5 +12 +9 − 0.8/5 = 21.7/5 = 4.34

Now median of the readings is the middle value of the set after arranging the numbers in the increasing order, which is

-2, -0.8, 3.5, 9, 12

Since none of the numbers repeats more than once, the above set of readings has no mode.

The concept of averages can be applied to problems in slightly different way.

Example: During the week, John watches TV every night after he finishes his homework. The following table shows how much time he spent last week watching television.

    Day          Entertainment time

Monday                 1 hour

Tuesday                 30 min.

Wednesday            30 min.

Thursday                45 min.

Friday                      2 hours

John decided to include his TV time for Saturday and Sunday as well. When he did and recalculated his mean, mode and median he discovered that only the mean had changed. What can we say about the TV time for Saturday and Sunday that would produce this situation?

Solution: To proceed with the numbers, they must be converted to the same units. After rearranging the numbers to get the increasing order for entertainment time, we have: 30 min, 30 min, 45min, 60min, 120 min

Therefore, mean = 285/5 = 57 min and median = 45 min.

Since number 30 repeats 2 times and other numbers repeat only once, we can say that mode = 30 min.

We need to find additional possible values for Saturday and Sunday that will not change the median and mode.

Let us look at the number sequence.

30, 30, 45, 60, 120

If 45 should remain as the median (in the middle), then if we write a number to its left, we must write a number to its right side also. And if number 30 should remain as the mode, then the two more numbers, representing Saturday and Sunday, that we will include into to the data set must be different from 45, 60 and 120.

Therefore we can say if 45 minutes should remain the median value for the entire week, then if John spends more than 45 minutes but neither 1 hour nor 2 hours watching TV on Saturday, then on Sunday he must spend less than 45 minutes watching television. (The amount of time spent on TV on Saturday and Sunday can be swapped).

Average properties

1. If each number in a set of data points is increased by a certain number x, then the average will be increase by x, similarly for incase of decrease it will decrease by x, and in case of multiplication it will be multiplied by x.

Example: In a class of ten students, where the average weight is 50 kgs, if weight of each student is increased by 5 kg what will be the new average?

Number of students = 10, average = 50,

Total weight of class = 500 (50 × 10)

In case each student’s weight is increased by 5 kg, excess weight = 50 (5 × 10)

Total weight of the class will become = 500 + 50 = 550

Average weight = = 55, so average is also increased by 5 kgs

2. The average speed in case of a journey from X to Y at speed of A m/sec and returning back to X at a speed of B m/sec, is m/sec

Example: Sunil travels from Delhi to Noida at the speed of 40 km/hr and returns at the speed of 50 km/hr. What is the average speed of the journey?

Using the formula,

=

= = 44.44 Km/hr

Always remember the units, in what units you have started and in what units you are ending.

Alternative way is by the basic principle of mechanics,

Speed =

Which means Time =

And Average Speed =

Suppose distance from Delhi to Noida is A, therefore

Time while going, T1 =

Time while coming T2 =

Total time = =

Total Distance = A + A = 2A

Average speed = =

=

=

= 44.44 Km/hr

Here are some concepts of various kinds of mean, students are requested to go through the concepts and understand the applications rather that cramming the formulas. There is no direct question expected in CAT on basis of these formulas, But application may be used widely in many concepts especially data interpretation.

Arithmetic mean: As the definition given above, The AM of n numbers X1, X2, X3 …… Xn is denoted by X and calculated as

X =

X =

The S is called sigma, which represents summation, from values 1 to n.

For many values it is difficult to calculate mean using this formula. There is an easier formula for that using two concepts, Assumed mean (a) and Deviation (d) from the Assumed mean

X =

Here di = Xi – a

Example: AM of 20, 30, 40, 52, 96, 34, 36. Let the assumed mean be 40

Xi di

20 20 – 40 = – 20

30 30 – 40 = – 10

40 40 – 40 = 0

52 52 – 40 = 12

96 96 – 40 = 56

34 34 – 40 = – 6

36 36 – 40 = – 4

S di = 28

Mean, X = 40 + = 40 + = 40 + 4 = 44

Weighted AM: If there are two values, a and b, have weights (or frequency) of x and y, then the weighted arithmetic mean is given by

WAM =

What is “weight” in weighted mean?

The weight is the relative strength of a data point, lets take respective an example:

Strength: Suppose there is a paper with four sections of 100 marks each – Maths, English, Social studies and History. Now there are different weightages assigned to each that is Maths – 40%, English – 20%, Social studies – 20% and History – 20%. If a student gets following marks (Maths –60, English – 60, Social studies – 50 and History – 50) in different subjects, what are the net marks out of 100?

Here to get net marks out of 100, the respective marks in subjects have to be treated with its weights as per following table:

Subject Marks Net marks

(marks*weight)

Maths 60 0.4(40%) 24

English 60 0.2(20%) 12

Social studies 50 0.2(20%) 10

History 50 0.2(20%) 10

Total (out of 100) – Mean Marks 56

Let’s also understand what is frequency?

Frequency: The concept of frequency is not the same as weight but can be treated in the same manner. Suppose the marks in English for a class of 10 people are 50, 60, 50, 51, 65, 60, 50, 36, 60 and 65. Here 50 have occurred 3 times, 60 has occurred three times etc, so the times a data point occurs in a set of data points is called its frequency. Now for the above give data points, the following is the frequency and mean calculation:

Marks Frequency Total

50 3 150

60 3 180

51 1 51

65 2 130

36 1 36

Total 10 547

So the mean here is = 54.7

If Weights W1, W2 …..Wn are assigned to the values X1, X2 ….. Xn, then the Weighted AM

WAM =

Example: WAM of 10, 15, 20, 25 with frequency 1, 2, 3, 5

Xi Wi Wi Xi

10 1 10

15 2 30

20 3 60

25 5 125

10 225

S Wi = 10 S Xi Wi = 225

WAM = = 22.5

Mean of means: If the means (M1, M2...) are given along with numbers (N1, N2...), then the mean of means is given by using the Weighted Arithmetic Mean formula, where weights are replaced by respective number:

Mean of means =

Example: The mean marks scored by 60 boys are 80 and those scored by 100 girls are 60

Mean = = = 67.5 Marks

Geometric mean: The other mean is the geometric mean, which is given by nth root of the product of n numbers.

GM of A1 , A2 , A3 , ... An =

Example: GM of 2 and 8 is = = 4

Properties

1. The AM of given set of data points is always equal to or greater than their GM, that is AM =GM

Example: Find the Geometric mean and Arithmetic mean of 2, 8

Arithmetic Mean = = 5

Geometric Mean = = = 4

2. If the geometric mean of one group of “a” numbers is x and that of another group of “b” numbers is y, then the geometric mean of the combined groups is:

Harmonic mean: The Harmonic mean is give by

For two numbers a and b Harmonic mean is given by

HM =

= =

For N numbers (a, b, c … n),

HM =

Harmonic mean is used to calculate average speed, with different speeds for same distance.

Example: Ajay travels from Delhi to Shimla at the speed of 50 km/hr and returns at the speed of 40 km/hr, what is the average speed of the journey?

Using the formula of Harmonic Mean,

=

= = 44.44 Km/hr

Weighted Harmonic Mean: The Weighted Harmonic mean is give by

For two numbers a and b with weights x and y it is given by

Weighted HM =

This is used to calculate the average speed when different distances are covered at different speeds.

Example: A man covers his first 6 km at an average speed of 10 m/s, another 4 km at 8 m/s and the last 3 km at 5 m/s.

Average speed = weighted HM =

Mode: It is the number that occurs most frequently in a given set of numbers.

Example: In set of numbers, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 and 5, the number 5 occurred the maximum number of times, so the mode is 5.

Median: It is the middle value of a set of data points arranged in an ascending or descending order.

If the number of data points is odd, the median is value.

If the number of data points is even, the median is give by the average of the two middle values, suppose the medium values are a and b, here median is given by .

Here

a = and b = + 1

Example: Median of numbers 25, 22, 30, 29, 36

First the values need to be arranged in the ascending order 22, 25, 29, 30, 36

Median is the value Þ 3rd value, which is 30

Example: Median of numbers 25, 22, 30, 29, 36, 38

First the values need to be arranged in the ascending order 22, 25, 29, 30, 36, 38

The two middle values are = 3 and + 1 = 4, the 3rd and 4th values are 29 and 30

Thus median = = = 28.

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Verbal Ability - Question of the Day

Question:-
The question below contains a paragraph followed by alternative summaries. Choose the option that best captures the essence of the paragraph.

It has long been held that decisions made collectively by large groups of people are more likely to turn out to be accurate than decisions made by individuals. The idea goes back to the “jury theorem” of Nicolas de Condorcet, an 18th-century French philosopher who was one of the first to apply mathematics to the social sciences. Now it is becoming clear that group decisions are also extremely valuable for the success of social animals, such as ants, bees, birds and dolphins.

OPTIONS

1)The jury theorem of Nicolas de Condorcet suggests that consensus decisions made by social animals and groups of people are more likely to be accurate.

2)Collective decisions of groups of people are more likely to be accurate according to the jury theorem of Nicolas de Condorcet. Now it is becoming clear that group decisions are valuable to other social animals too.
3)By applying mathematics to social sciences Nicolas de Condorcet through “jury theorem” suggests the importance of collective decisions for social animals including man.
4)The jury theorem of Nicolas de Condorcet, which applies mathematics to social sciences, suggests that consensus decisions made by social animals and groups of people are more likely to be accurate.

5)Consensus decisions are more likely to be accurate according to the jury theorem of Nicolas de Condorcet. Now it is becoming clear that group decisions are valuable to other animals too.


Solution
The passage states that when groups of people make decisions, the decisions are more likely to be accurate. The idea can be traced to Nicolas de Condorcet of 18th century. Now it is understood that other social animals too find collective decisions valuable.
Option 1 clubs social animals and groups of people together. The theorem was not applicable to social animals.
Options 3 and 4 are incorrect in saying that “by applying mathematics ...” – the paragraph uses this information merely to introduce the philosopher.
Option 5 is incorrect because it states “animals” without trying to distinguish between “social animals”.
The option that comes closest to capturing the essence of the paragraph is option 2.
Hence, the correct answer is option 2.

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Quantitave Ability-Question of the Day

Question:-

Consider the set S of the unit’s digit of all numbers which are expressible as the sum of exactly two prime numbers. How many digits do not occur in S?

OPTIONS

1) 0
2) 1
3) 4
4) 6

Solution


First, we note that we can find prime numbers ending with every possible odd digit – for example, 11, 3, 5, 7 and 19. We can add any two of these to get numbers ending with every possible even digit, so all even digits are necessarily members of S.
Now, 2 is also a prime number. By adding 2 to prime numbers ending with all possible odd digits, we will get numbers that are the sum of two prime numbers and end with all possible odd digits. Hence, all odd digits are also members of S.
Since S contains all odd and even digits, there is no digit which is not a member of S.
Hence, option 1.

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Verbal Ability - Question of the Day

Question:-
Mark the error(s) in the following sentences.

For many years, (i) it was thought about all of our brain cells (neurons) (ii) are produced before birth, or exceptionally, up to one or two years after birth, but then the process supposedly stopped. From then on, most brain scientists believed, brain circuits (iii) could only be modified by altering the synapses, or contacts between existing cells. In this view,  the total complement of cells,(iv) anatomically organized by function and forming major pathways, (v) constituted the brain’s “hardware.”

OPTIONS

1) i, ii, iv
2) ii, iii, v
3) i, ii
4) i, iii, v
5) ii, iv,

Solution
There is no error in phrases iii, iv and v.
There are grammatical errors in phrases i and ii.
In phrase i, the error is in the use of the preposition ‘about’ after ‘thought’. In this sentence, the correct usage would have been ‘thought that’. This is because ‘that’ introduces the main clause in the sentence.
In phrase ii, while making an adverb from the adjective ‘exceptional’, one has to only add ‘–ly’ to make ‘exceptionally’. ‘Exceptionably’ is wrong usage.
Hence, the correct answer is option 3.

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Quantitave Ability-Question of the Day

Question:-
Consider the set S of the unit’s digit of all numbers which are expressible as the sum of exactly two prime numbers. How many digits do not occur in S?

OPTIONS

1) 0
2) 1
3) 4
4) 6
Solution
First, we note that we can find prime numbers ending with every possible odd digit – for example, 11, 3, 5, 7 and 19. We can add any two of these to get numbers ending with every possible even digit, so all even digits are necessarily members of S.
Now, 2 is also a prime number. By adding 2 to prime numbers ending with all possible odd digits, we will get numbers that are the sum of two prime numbers and end with all possible odd digits. Hence, all odd digits are also members of S.
Since S contains all odd and even digits, there is no digit which is not a member of S.
Hence, option 1.

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Verbal Ability - Question of the Day

Question-


The following question has a paragraph from which the last sentence has been deleted. From the given options, choose the one that completes the paragraph in the most appropriate way.

If the hoardings were anything to go by, swamis of various stripes were the advertisers of the year at the Maha Kumbh Mela held at  Haridwar. Eschewing the one size fits all approach, each swami had something unique on offer. They promised to rescue Hinduism and Hindus from grave peril, railed against global warming, flaunted their many social service initiatives, and for the religiously undecided, offered an entirely secular package of peace, love and spiritual happiness. ____.

OPTIONS

1) A slew of 360 degree initiatives included mini ashrams and ready access to the babas or swamis in question.
2) In short, everything that one would have expected brands to do.
3) A comprehensive marketing programme indeed!
4) A possible reason was to retain the focus on the spiritual side of Haridwar and the Kumbh Mela.
5) For all that, Haridwar is by no stretch of imagination a brand averse city.

Solution
The paragraph conveys that at the Kumbh Mela, “swamis ... were the advertisers of the year”. This idea is brought to closure by option 3.
Option 1 helps to continue the paragraph by stating more of what was on offer. It does not help to close it.
Options 2 and 5 are inappropriate in concluding about brands and even about Haridwar with sweeping statements, whereas the paragraph merely talks about swamis advertising.
Option 4 raises the question about who has to retain the focus – the purpose of the paragraph is not to wonder why swamis were advertising heavily. Option 4 may be related to the paragraph but does not logically close it.
Hence, the correct answer is option 3.

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Verbal Ability - Question Of the Day

Question -
The question below contains a paragraph followed by alternative summaries. Choose the option that best captures the essence of the paragraph.

Cognitive dissonance refers to the mental conflict that occurs when beliefs or assumptions are contradicted by new information. The unease or tension that the conflict arouses in a person is relieved by one of several defensive maneuvers: the person rejects, explains away, or avoids the new information, persuades himself that no conflict really exists, reconciles the differences, or resorts to any other defensive means of preserving stability or order in his conception of the world and of himself.

OPTIONS

1) Cognitive dissonance arises when a person maintains stability through rejection, denial, explanation, reconciliation of new information or other such defensive measures.
2) In cognitive dissonance a person experiences conflicts due to the rejection, denial, explanation or reconciliation of new information that contradict his beliefs.
3) Cognitive dissonance is a mental conflict when new information contradicts beliefs. The person may then reject, deny, explain, or reconcile such information to maintain stability.
4) In cognitive dissonance a person rejects, denies, explains, or reconciles as a defensive manoeuvre the threat to his established beliefs that cause conflict.
5) Cognitive dissonance is the defensive manoeuvre to preserve stability in oneself through rejection, denial, explanation, or reconciliation when beliefs are challenged by new information.


Solution
The gist of the paragraph is: Cognitive dissonance refers to the mental conflict that arises when new facts contradict beliefs. One tries to overcome this conflict by various defensive maneuvers like rejection, denial etc.  
Option 3 captures this essence.
All other options mistakenly refer to cognitive dissonance as the rejection or denial or the conflict due to rejection, denial etc.
Rejection or denial is a defensive measure towards the conflict called cognitive dissonance. 
Nor is it a defensive maneuver as option 5 puts it.
Option 4 misses out on the mental conflict part.
Hence, the correct answer is option 3.

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Verbal Ability - Question Of the Day

Question-

The following question has a paragraph from which the last sentence has been deleted. From the given options, choose the one that completes the paragraph in the most appropriate way.

People may be attracted to those who have similar attitudes, values, and beliefs and even marry them – at least in part – on the basis of this similarity because attitudes are highly visible and salient characteristics and they are fundamental to the way people lead their lives. Personality-related characteristics, on the other hand, take much longer to be known. However, once people are in a committed relationship, it is primarily personality similarity that influences marital happiness because being in a committed relationship entails regular interaction and requires extensive coordination in dealing with tasks, issues and problems of daily living. ____.

OPTIONS

1) But Nature doesn’t really care whether they get along or not, as long as the two procreate.
2) That is why we try to choose someone with the same interests as we, someone from a similar background, with the same values, and with whom we have a lot in common.
3) Hence couples with similar temperaments tend to get along better, and that similar attitudes and beliefs are not an important factor.
4) Where personality similarity is likely to facilitate this process, personality differences may result in more friction and conflict in daily life.
5) Exceptions generally do not arise when some external factors, like interference of in-laws, is playing a role in the couple’s unhappiness, not their personalities.

For answer please visit next day.

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Verbal Ability - Question of the Day

Question-
Fill in the blanks in the passage with the most appropriate set of words from the options for each blank.
Although many genetic and environmental causes of autism have been ____, its theory of causation is still incomplete. The genetics of autism is complex. Genetic linkage analysis has been inconclusive; many association analyses have had inadequate power For each autistic individual, mutations in more than one gene may be ___. Mutations in different sets of genes may be involved in different autistic individuals. There may be _____ interactions among mutations in several genes, or between the environment and mutated genes. By ____ genetic markers inherited with autism in family studies, numerous candidate genes have been located, most of which encode proteins involved in neural development and function.

OPTIONS

1) suggested, possible, unequal, removing
2) insinuated, acquited, obvious, identifying
3) proposed, possible, unequal, eliminating
4) insinuated, involved, obvious,  isolating.
5) proposed, implicated, significant, identifying.

Solution
‘Insinuate’ means ‘to hint’ or ‘imply’ which does not fit in the context’.
‘Suggested’ or ‘proposed’ can fit in blank 1.
Also, in blank 2, acquitted is inappropriate. This eliminates options 2 and 4.
In blank 4, numerous candidate genes cannot be located by ‘isolating’, 'removing' or 'eliminating them'. To locate a gene or a gene marker, we need to ‘identify’ or ‘locate’ it rather than ‘eliminate’ or 'remove' it.
Hence, the correct answer is option 5.

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Quantitave Ability-Question of the Day

Question-
Five numbers to be added are entered in different columns in an excel sheet. While writing the formula to calculate their sum, a user enters the wrong formula three times. First, he multiplies the numbers in order by 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 before adding to get the result 1, then he multiplies the numbers in order by 3, 3, 7, 8 and 10 before adding to get the result 4. Finally, he multiplies them in order by 3, 2, 5, 5 and 6 before adding to get the sum 8. What is their actual sum?

OPTIONS

1)2
2)4
3)5
4)Cannot be determined


Solution
Let the numbers in order be a, b, c, d and e. 

It is given that 
a + 2b + 3c + 4d + 5e = 1              … (i)
3a + 3b + 7c + 8d + 10e = 4          … (ii)
3a + 2b + 5c + 5d + 6e = 8            … (iii)

Subtracting the equation (i) from (ii), we get
2a + b + 4c + 4d + 5e = 3              … (iv)

Subtracting equation (iv) from (iii), we get
a + b + c + d + e = 5

Thus, the actual value of the sum is 5.
Hence, option 3.

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Verbal Ability-Question of the Day

Question-
The question below consists of a set of labelled sentences. These sentences, when properly sequenced, form a coherent paragraph. Choose the most logical order of sentences from among the options.
A. This is fundamentally wrong.
B. The sex functions, when properly controlled and led into the proper channels, are a most essential and legitimate form of physical self-expression.
C. This discussion of these Avoided Subjects, in Plain English, is intended to give the salient facts regarding sex in a direct, straightforward manner, bearing in mind the true purpose of normal sex activities.
D. Its activities are not obscene, but nature's own means to certain legitimate ends.
E. Sex affects the very root of all human life.
F. The veil of secrecy with which they are so often shrouded tends to create an altogether false impression regarding them.

OPTIONS

1) EDABFC
2) FCAEDB
3) BAFDEC
4) AEDBFC
5) CFBDEA

Solution
Statement A states ‘this is fundamentally wrong’. Now all the other statements talk about the same idea of sex being considered a taboo, which it is not. It means that statement A cannot be placed in-between the other 5 statements. Hence statement A should be placed either at the beginning of the paragraph, meaning it refuted something else spoken of in the previous statement (which we don’t know as it is not given) and now presents the case why understanding sex is important. Conversely statement A can be placed as the last statement, following which a case could be presented, refuting everything presented in the passage.
In either case, statement A needs to be presented either at the start or the end. Only options 4 and 5 satisfy that condition. This eliminates options 1, 2 and 3.
Option 5 flows beautifully with C-F-B. Then statement D talks of ‘Its activities’ which means statement D is pointing out at something singular. But all that the preceding statement B talks about is ‘the sex functions’ which is in plural form. A plural noun cannot connect with a singular pronoun. It creates an error of consistency. This eliminates option 5.
Option 4 does not present any technical flaw and flows well with the ideas presented.
Hence, the correct answer is option 4.

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Verbal Ability - Question of the Day

Question-
The question below contains a paragraph followed by alternative summaries. Choose the option that best captures the essence of the paragraph.
The signing of a treaty between the US and Russia on reducing their strategic nuclear arsenals is most welcome, even if the larger aim of nuclear disarmament remains distant. Cutting their nuclear arsenals by a third over seven years - down to 1,550 warheads from the 2,200 allowed by the 1991 strategic arms reduction treaty - still leaves enough to destroy the world several times over.

OPTIONS

1) In spite of the treaty between the US and Russia to reduce their nuclear arsenals down to 1550, the larger aim of nuclear disarmament remains distant.
2) Though the new treaty between the US and Russia on reducing nuclear warheads is a positive step, the larger aim of nuclear disarmament is still distant.
3) Though the new treaty between the US and Russia will reduce their nuclear arsenals to below 1991 levels, they are still sufficient to destroy the world several times over.
4) Though the new treaty between the US and Russia will reduce their nuclear arsenals to 1550 warheads, they are still sufficient to destroy the world several times over.
5) The treaty between the US and Russia on reducing the nuclear  warheads from 2200 to 1550 over seven years leaves them still enough to destroy the world several times over.

Solution
The gist of the paragraph is not the numbers. It is the treaty that is a positive step (most welcome), but the goal of the treaty also is total nuclear disarmament- that still remains distant.
Almost all options capture the specific event and the details well, but the essence is captured by option 2 only.
The other options fail to mention the ‘most welcome’ aspect.
Hence, the correct answer is option 2.

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Verbal Ability - Question of the Day

Question:-

The question below contains a number of sentences. Each sentence has pairs of word(s)/phrases that are highlighted. From the highlighted word(s)/phrase(s), select the most appropriate word(s)/phrase(s) to form correct sentences. Then, from the options given, choose the best one.
i. He marshalled [A]/ marsheled [B] all his strength to complete the last stretch of the marathon.
ii. Rick told my sister and myself [A]/ me [B] about her solo plane ride.
iii. The committee was not prepared for the truncated [A] / trenchant [B] comments of the public.
iv. His appeal for bail was mitigated [A] / militated [B] by all the evidence presented by the prosecution.
v. It is customary to greet the Emir with obeisance [A] / obsequiousness [B].

OPTIONS

1) ABAAB
2) BABBA
3) ABBAA
4) AAABB
5) BBBAA

Solution
“marshalled” is a verb meaning 'to gather up or together'. "marsheled" as a word does not exist in the English language.
“Myself” is a reflexive pronoun and in the case of the above sentence is incorrect.
“Truncated” means curtailed or cut-short and “trenchant” means forceful and keen. If the committee was not prepared, the comments had to be incisive and sharp - not cut-short.
“Militate” means to influence toward or against a change. “Mitigate” means to lessen, weaken.
“Obeisance” is respect and homage paid someone. “Obsequiousness” is an eagerness to obey.
Hence the correct answer is option 3.

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Verbal Ability - Question of the Day

Question:-
Fill in the blanks in the passage with the most appropriate set of words from the options for each blank.

Thousands of civilians are trapped, with ____ supplies of clean water and food. Hundreds are alleged to have been killed or ___. Considering the fact that the two previous offensives in Swat failed, leaving the locals slightly furious, the current one may not achieve much. It risks leaving Swatis more ___ with their government and more ___ than ever, hardening the Taliban’s hold over the region.

OPTIONS

1) meager, mutilated, dejected, melancholy
2) dwindling, maimed, angry, vengeful
3) bountiful, handicapped, wrathful, vengeful
4) waning, maimed, angrier, malevolent
5) declining, incapacitated, mirthful, vindictive

Solution
‘Supplies of clean water and food’ in this context cannot be ‘bountiful’ when civilians are trapped. Thus, option 3 is eliminated.
‘Mutilated’, ‘maimed’ and ‘incapacitated’ all  mean ‘to deprive the use of some body part by wounding’ and fit into the second blank.
The Swatis cannot be ‘mirthful’,  which means ‘joyous’, eliminating option 5.
'More angrier' is incorrect grammar due to double comparison. Eliminate option 4.
Option 1 is eliminated since the Swatis were angry with their government and not sad. ‘Dejected’ and ‘melancholy’ both mean ‘sad’ or ‘depressed’.
‘Malevolent’ means ‘to wish harm to others’ whereas ‘vengeful’ means ‘to seek vengeance’ or become ‘revengeful’.
Hence, the correct answer is option 2.

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Verbal Ability-Question of the Day

Question:-
The question below consists of a set of labelled parts of sentences. These sentences, when properly sequenced, form a coherent paragraph. Choose the most logical order of sentences from among the options.
    A. and apparently the most remote from all useful application
    B. and in the succeeding one, perhaps, by proper simplification and reduction to tables
    C. become in the next age the bases of profound physical inquiries
    D. it happens that truths which are at one period the most abstract
    E. in mathematical science, more than in all others
    F. furnish their ready and daily aid to the artist and the sailor

OPTIONS
1) EDACBF
2) DCEFBA
3) FEDACB
4) AFBDCE

Solution
This question tests the test-taker’s appreciation of the subtleties of language and sentence structure - how ideas are proceeded in a given statement.
In option 2 the flow of ideas from C to E and from E to F has an abrupt change. Also the idea of ‘ in the succeeding one’ presented in B does not connect with anything spoken of in F, the previous statement. This eliminates option 2
Option 4 may appear compelling but has a problem in the flow of ideas from A to F. The word’ furnish’ in F does not connect with anything in the previous statement A. It should have been ‘furnishing’ instead of ‘furnish’ so that all the ideas spoken of in statements A, F and B can be attributed to ‘the truths’ in D. This eliminates option 4.
Similarly option 3 should have begun with ‘furnishing’ in statement F instead of ‘furnish’. This eliminates option 3.
By elimination, option 1 is the best option. There is a smooth flow of ideas in each succeeding statement and the sentence logically ends with statement F connecting well with the preceding statement B.
Hence, the correct answer is option 1.

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Quantitative Ability-Question of the Day

Question:-
In a class in a certain school, there are 25 students. Four students are appointed monitors every day. At the end of a term, it is found that every possible pair of students have been monitors together exactly once. How many days are there in the term?

OPTIONS
1) 30
2) 50
3) 60
4) 75
5) None of these

Solution
Every possible pair of students have been monitors together exactly once.
∴ Number of days in the term = ( Total number of unique pairs possible in the class)/(Number of pairs formed per day) 
Since a unique pair will be formed when 2 students are selected as monitors on a given day, the total number of unique pairs possible in the class is the same as the total number of ways in which 2 students can be selected from 25 students. 
Total number of ways of selecting 2 students from 25 students will be -

Every day, 4 students are selected as monitors.
Therefore, number of pairs formed per day will be =

∴ Number of days in the term = 300/6 = 50
Hence, option 2.

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Verbal Ability-Question of the Day

Question:-
The question below contains a number of sentences. Each sentence has pairs of word(s)/phrases that are highlighted. From the highlighted word(s)/phrase(s), select the most appropriate word(s)/phrase(s) to form correct sentences. Then, from the options given, choose the best one.
    1. The scholarship will take the form of a partial fee waver (A) waiver (B)
    2. Be weary (A) wary (B) of emails claiming that you've won a prize.
    3. My doctor prescribed antibiotics, which didn't work and made me feel very nauseous (A) nauseated (B).
    4. Two bright new stars appeared on the horizon lightening (A) lightning (B) the gloom.
    5. All this is the enemy equipment or materiel (A) material (B) captured or found on the battlefield.

OPTIONS

1) AAABA
2) BBBAB
3) AAAAB
4) BAABA
5) BBBAA

Solution
“Waiver” means the act of relinquishing. “Waver” is a person who waves.
“Weary” means tired; “wary” means cautious. These words are not interchangeable.
Traditionalists insist that “nauseous” should be used to describe something that makes you want to throw up: something nauseating. When one feels like vomiting, one is “nauseated”.
“Lightening” means become lighter or less dark; brighten. “Lightning” goes with thunder.
One of the meanings of “Materiel” is arms, ammunition, and equipment in general. In the above context, enemy “material” has no meaning.
Hence, the correct answer is option 5.

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Quantitative Ability-Question of the Day

Question:-
If the roots of the equation x^3 + 2x^2 – 3x + 1 = 0 are A, B and C, and the roots of the equation x^3 + px^2 + qx + r = 0 are (A + B), (B + C) and (C + A), what is the value of the product pr?

OPTIONS
1) 28
2) −5
3) 1
4) 5
5) –28

Solution
From observation of the coefficients of the second equation, we can see that the product of its roots is –r.
Hence, (A + B)(B + C)(C + A) = −r, or (A + B + C − C)(A + B + C − A)(A + B + C – B) = −r
On observing the coefficients of the first equation, we can see that the sum of its roots is −2.
∴  A + B + C = −2
Hence, (−2 – C)(−2 – A)(−2 – B) = −r, or (2 + A)(2 + B)(2 + C) = r
Thus, (2 + A)(4 + 2B + 2C + BC) = r
∴ 8 + 4(A + B + C) + 2(AB + BC + AC) + ABC = r
From the first equation, AB + BC + AC = –3
∴ 8 + 4(−2) + 2(–3) – 1 = r
∴ r = –7
From the second equation, we can write –p = A + B + B + C + C + A = 2(A + B + C) = 2(−2) = –4
∴ p = 4
∴ pr = 4 × (–7) = –28
Hence, option 5.


.

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Verbal Ability-Question of the Day

Question :-
Answer the question based on the passage given below.

It doesn’t have a high decibel splash on TV but whenever it does appear it stands out by virtue of the plain Jane, no frills, talking about the functional attributes of the product amidst the glitz and glamour of the other television commercials. These infomercials are not a recent phenomenon. But the objective is to help consumers, particularly housewives, make purchase decisions. Today there are many brands competing in the same space. How does one choose one over the other? It is increasingly tough for the housewife. That is where this format comes in handy.
The infomercials are based on which of the following assumptions?

OPTIONS
1) Consumers, especially housewives, are weary of celebrities explaining the product attributes.
2) Infomercials will bring down the cost of commercials and hence the selling price and attract consumers.
3) Consumers, especially housewives, no longer pay attention to the glitz and glamour of television commercials.
4) Glitz and glamour do not stand out any more in the heavily cluttered world of TV commercials.
5) A product's functional attributes facilitate purchase decisions of consumers, especially of housewives.

Solution
Infomercials consist of no frills, the plain Jane explaining the functional attributes of the product. Companies believe that this information about the product will help consumers especially house wives to make purchase decisions. The assumption, hence, is that these decisions are driven by product attributes.
Option 1 is eliminated by ‘weary of’ – it may be difficult to make a choice – but ‘weary of’ is uncertain.
Option 2 (cost) is not implied anywhere in the data.
In option 3, ‘no longer pay attention to glitz etc.’ cannot justify emphasis on product attributes. Option 4 may be partially true, but still does not justify the emphasis on product attributes.
Hence, the correct answer is option 5.

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