Arithmetic Shweta Arora
Arithmetic Shweta Arora
1 2 3 4
& TRICKS
Short-cuts Exams Memorisation Aids Concept learning
examples
QUANTITATIVE ABILITY
also contribute to the Kailash
Basics of Percentage
Arithmetic Formulae and Tricks
• Percentage is denoted with % symbol. Percent means out of 100 or a fraction with
denominator 100, e.g., a/100 means a%.
• One quantity (Q1) as a percentage of another quantity (Q2)
Q1
= ´ 100
Q2
• Percentage to Fraction: Remove percentage symbol and divide it by 100.
• Fraction to Percentage: Multiply the given fraction with 100.
Some Important Fractions and their Percentage Value
1/ 1 or 1 100% 1/11 9.09% 1/21 4.76%
½ 50% 1/12 8.33% 1/22 4.54%
1/3 33.33% 1/13 7.69% 1/23 4.34%
¼ 25% 1/14 7.14% 1/24 4.16%
1/5 20% 1/15 6.67% 1/25 4%
1/6 16.67% 1/16 6.25% 1/26 3.84%
1/7 14.29% 1/17 5.88% 1/27 3.7%
1/8 12.5% 1/18 5.55% 1/28 3.57%
1/9 11.11% 1/19 5.26% 1/29 3.44%
1/10 10% 1/20 4% 1/30 3.33%
Example: Ravi invests 50% of his monthly savings in fixed deposites. 30% of the rest
of his savings is invested in stocks and the rest goes into Ravi’s saving bank account. If
the total amount deposited by him in the bank (for saving account and fixed deposites) is
`59, 500, then what is Ravi’s total monthly savings (in `)? [CAT 2017]
Solution: The correct answer is [70,000].
He invests 50x in fixed deposits. 30% of 50x, which is 15x is invested in stocks and
35x goes to saving bank.
It is given
85x = 59,500 ⇒ x = 700
Hence, 100x = 70,000
Example: In an examination, the maximum possible score is N while the pass mark
45% of N. A candidate obtain 36 marks, but falls short of the pass mark by 68%. Which
one of the following is then correct? [CAT 2018]
(1) N < 200 (2) 243 < N < 252 (3) 201 < N < 242 (4) N < 253
Solution: Option (2) is correct.
Assume marks = 100N
Pass mark = 45N
Marks obtained = 36
Hence, the obtained marks are 32% of the pass marks = 100 − 68 = 32%
Hence, 32% of 45N = 36
⇒ N = 36 × 100
45 × 32
⇒ 100N = 250
Example: In a class, 60% of the students are girls and the rest are boys. There are 30
more girls than boys. If 68% of the students, including 30 boys, pass an examination,
calculate the percentage of the girls who do not pass. [CAT 2019]
Solution: The correct answer is [20].
Assuming the number of students = 100x
Smart Approach:
Hence, the number of girls = 60x and the
100%
number of boys = 40x
Girl Boy
We have, 60x – 40x = 30
60% 40%
⇒ x = 1.5
The number of girls 60 × 1.5 = 90 20% = 30
Number of girls that pass = 68x − 30 100% = 150 ∴ {G = 90, b = 60}
= 68 × 1.5 −30 Pass stu. 68% = 30 boy + girl
= 102 − 30 = 72 Girl's fail = 32% – 30
The number of girls who do not pass = 90 − 72 = 48 – 30
= 18 = 18
Hence, the percentage of girls who do not pass 18
= × 100 = 20
= 18 × 90 = 20 90
100
22 Oswaal Formulae & Tricks for Quantitative Ability
Example: In May, John bought the same amount of rice and the same amount of
wheat as he had bought in April, but spent `150 more due to price increase of rice and
wheat by 20% and 12%, respectively. If John had spent `450 on rice in April, then how
much did he spend on wheat in May? [CAT 2020]
(1) `560 (2) `570 (3) `590 (4) `580
Solution: Option (1) is correct.
Rice Wheat
April 450 x
May + 20% + 12%
`90 `60
{As given John spent 150 more in May}
So, 12% of x = 60
So, x = 500
Total amount spent on wheat in May = 500 + 60 = 560
Product Constancy
It refers to some specific set of problems where product of two terms results in third term
which means A × B = K. The example of such sets is; Time x Speed = Distance, Price ×
Consumption = Expenditure and Length × Breadth = Area, etc.
When K remains constant in K = A × B.
Case 1: If A increases by a/b than B will decrease by a/ (a + b) and vice versa.
Case 2: If A decreases by a/b than B will increase by a/ (b − a) and vice versa.
PRODUCT CONSTANCY TABLE (Assuming K as constant)
If A Increases (↑) Then B Decreases (↓) If A Decreases (↓) Then B Increases (↑)
50% or ½ 33.33% or 1/3 50% or 1/2 100% or 1
33.33% or 1/3 25% or ¼ 33.33% or 1/3 50% or ½
25% or ¼ 20% or 1/5 25% or 1/4 33.33% or 1/3
20% or 1/5 16.66% or 1/6 20% or 1/5 25% or ¼
16.66% or 1/6 14.29% or 1/7 16.66% or 1/6 20% or 1/5
14.29% or 1/7 12.5% or 1/8 14.29% or 1/7 16.66% or 1/6
12.5% or 1/8 11.11% 1/9 12.5% or 1/8 14.29% or 1/7
11.11% 1/9 10% or 1/10 11.11% 1/9 12.5% or 1/8
10% or 1/10 9.09% or 1/11 10% or 1/10 11.11% 1/9
9.09% or 1/11 8.33% or 1/12 9.09% or 1/11 10% or 1/10
8.33% or 1/12 7.69% or 1/13 8.33% or 1/12 9.09% or 1/11
7.69% or 1/13 7.14% or 1/14 7.69% or 1/13 8.33% or 1/12
7.14% or 1/14 6.67% or 1/15 7.14% or 1/14 7.69% or 1/13
6.67% or 1/15 6.25% or 1/16 6.67% or 1/15 7.14% or 1/14
6.25% or 1/16 5.88% or 1/17 6.25% or 1/16 6.67% or 1/15
5.88% or 1/17 5.55% or 1/18 5.88% or 1/17 6.25% or 1/16
5.55% or 1/18 5.26% or 1/19 5.55% or 1/18 5.88% or 1/17
5.26% or 1/19 5% or 1/20 5.26% or 1/19 5.55% or 1/18
5% or 1/20 1/21 5% or 1/20 5.26% or 1/19
24 Oswaal Formulae & Tricks for Quantitative Ability
Gain or Profit
• Gain % = ´ 100
Cost Price(C P)
• If the selling price of two articles is the same and one of them is sold at a profit of x% while
the other is sold at a loss of x% then there will always be a loss in the whole transaction,
x2
Percentage of loss =
100
• If shopkeeper doesn’t provide discount then MP becomes CP and markup becomes profit.
• Buy x and get y free then,
MP = x + y and discount = y
y
Discount% will be ´ 100
x+y
Example: In a market, the price of medium quality mangoes is half that of good
mangoes. A shopkeeper buys 80 kg good mangoes and 40 kg medium quality mangoes
from the market and then sells all these at a common price which is 10% less than the
price at which he bought the good ones. His overall profit is [CAT 2017]
(1) 6% (2) 8% (3) 10% (4) 12%
Solution: Option (2) is correct.
Let the cost of good mangoes be 200 per kg.
The cost of medium mangoes be 100 per kg.
CP of good mangoes = 80 × 200 = 16,000
Arithmetic 25
Example: A shopkeeper sells two tables, each procured at cost price p, to Amal and
Asim at a profit of 20% and at a loss of 20%, respectively. Amal sells his table to Bimal at
a profit of 30%, while Asim sells his table to Barun at a loss of 30%. If the amount paid by
Bimal and Barun are x and y, respectively, then ( x – y ) equals to [CAT 2019]
p
(1) 1 (2) 1.2 (3) 0.50 (4) 0.7
Solution: Option (1) is correct. Smart Approach:
Let CP of the table at which the 20 × 30
Successive profit x = 100 +(20 + 30 + )
shopkeeper procured each table 100
= 156
= 100 –20 × –30
It is given that shopkeeper sold the Successive loss y = 100 – (–20 – 30 + )
= 56 100
tables to Amal and Asim at a profit of x – y 156 – 56
20% and at a loss of 20%, respectively ATQ, = =1
P 100
The selling price of the tables = 120
and 80 to Amal and Asim, respectively.
Amal sells his table to Bimal at a profit of 30%
=
So, CP of the table by Bimal = 156
(x) 120×1.3
Asim sells his table to Barun at a loss of 30%
=
So, CP of the table by Barun =
(y) 0.7 ×80 56
( x – y ) (156 – 56)
= = 1
p 100
Example: Anil buys 12 toys and labels each with the same selling price. He sells 8 toys
initially at 20% discount on the labelled price. Then he sells the remaining 4 toys at an
additional 25% discount on the discounted price. Thus, he gets a total of `2,112, and makes
a 10% profit. With no discounts, his percentage of profit would have been: [CAT 2020]
(1) 55 (2) 60 (3) 54 (4) 50
Solution: Option (4) is correct.
Let cost price = `x
26 Oswaal Formulae & Tricks for Quantitative Ability
As he is getting 10% profit when selling all at `2,112.
Smart Approach:
110 1 toy Selling price = 100 unit
Þ 12 × x × = 2,112
100 12 toy Selling price= 1200
x = `160 unit
Now assumed marked price = 100x ⇒ 80 × 8 = 640
So 8 toys sold at 80x and 4 toys sold at [20% + 25%] ⇒ 60 × 4 = 240
discount. Total S.P = 880
880 unit = 2.4
25 ´ 20
Means at these 4 toys total discount = 20 + 25 + 1 unit = 2112
= 40% 100 S.P ⇒ 1200 unit = 2880
100
Means sale price = 60x and C.P = 2112 × = 1920
110
So total sale price = 8 ´ 80 x + 4 ´ 60 x = 880x 2880 – 1920
Given, 880x = 2,112 profit = × 100
1920
960
x = 2.4 = × 100 = 50%
1920
So, marked price 240 - 160
´ 100 = 50%
160
240 - 160
So the total percentage profit when all sold at marked price ´ 100 = 50%
160
Example: A dealer marks his goods at 20% above the cost price and allows a discount
of 15% on the marked price. What is his gain or loss percentage? (SSC CGL 2023 Pre)
(1) 1.4% gain (2) 2.4% gain (3) 3.4% Loss (4) 4.2% Loss
[ It is applicable only when the rate is per annum and compounding also happens after
every year]
éæ time
ö ù
• Compound Interest = Amount − Principal = Principal´ êêçç1 + Rate ÷÷÷ - 1úú .
ç
êè 100 ø ë úû
• Rate of compound interest can also be converted into single flat % of interest using
ab
successive percentage formula; a + b + .
100
Important Point
• For half yearly compounding, the rate becomes half and time becomes double.
• For quarterly compounding, the rate becomes 1/4th and the time becomes 4 times.
• For monthly compounding, the rate becomes 1/12th and time becomes 12 times.
• If the principle and rate are same then the difference between compound interest and
2
æ r ÷ö
simple interest for 2 years = Principle´ççç ÷ .
è 100 ÷ø
• If the principle and rate are same then the difference between compound interest and
2
3 ´ Principle(Rate)
3
æ Rate ÷ö
simple interest for 3 years = + Principle çç ÷
(100)
2 çè 100 ÷ø
28 Oswaal Formulae & Tricks for Quantitative Ability
Note
Difference can also be calculated by converting both SI and CI rate of interest rate into flat single equivalent
percentage.
Example: John borrowed `2,10,000 from a bank at an interest rate of 10% per annum,
compounded annually. The loan was repaid in two equal installments, the first after one
year and the second after another year. The first installment was interest of one year plus
part of the principle amount, while the second was the rest of the principle amount plus
due interest thereon Calculate each installment in `. [CAT 2018]
Solution: The correct answer is [1,21,000].
By the end of two years, 2,10,000 will increase to 2,10, 000 ´ 1.1 ´ 1.1 = `2,54,100
Let the amount paid as installment every year be `x.
John would pay the first installment by the end of the first year. Additionally he needs to
pay extra 0.1x in the next year. Hence he pays 1.1x in the 2nd year
Þ 1.1x + x = 2, 54,100
Þ 2.1x = 2, 54,100
Þ x = ` 1, 21, 000.
Example: If the rate of interest is 5%, then what would be the difference between
compound interest and simple interest received on`10,000 (each) after 3 years from now?
(CDS 2024-I)
(1) `175.25 (2) `152.25 (3) `76.25 (4) `24.25
Proportions
• If two ratios are equal that means they are in proportion.
• If A:B: :C:D then D is called forth proportional.
• If A:B: :B:C then C is called third proportional to a and b.
a c b d
• Inverted: If = then =
b d a c
a c a b
• Alternant: If = then =
b d c d
a c a+b c+d
• Componendo: If =⇒ =
b d b d
a c a-b c-d
• Dividendo: = ⇒ =
b d b d
a c æ a + b ÷ö æ c + d ÷ö
• Componendo and Dividendo: If = ⇒ ççç ç
÷÷ = ç ÷÷
b d çè a – b ÷ø ççè c – d ÷ø
PARTNERSHIP
• Profit = Amount × Time
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-Shweta Arora
1 2 3 4
& TRICKS
Short-cuts Exams Memorisation Aids Concept learning
examples
QUANTITATIVE ABILITY
also contribute to the Kailash