Most Asked Quantitative Aptitude Questions in Interviews

Quantitative aptitude is an integral part of competitive exams in India. It tests the candidate’s quantitative skills as well as logical and analytical skills. These questions are based on quantitative concepts or mathematical concepts and the questions are largely focused on numerical ability and problem-solving skills.

CAT, XAT, MAT, NMAT, CMAT, etc are some of the competitive exams where these skills are put to use. It is one such section that helps to filter out suitable candidates. Hence, quantitative aptitude, more commonly known as ‘quants’ among aspirants, is a subject of constant interest as it can help in boosting the candidate’s overall score.

Benefits Of Practising Quantitative Aptitude Questions

Quantitative aptitude boosts your mental alertness. Complex challenges are a part of the routine in the business world. Hence a person with great quantitative skills will have a sharp mind. A person with quantitative aptitude can handle problems in a better way as he/she has a knack for finding solutions to problems.

Numbers play an important role in businesses and commerce. Balance sheets, investment analysis, profit and loss calculations, etc require the individual to be comfortable with numbers. A person with a good level of quantitative aptitude will be better at the analysis and interpretation of data given.

Types Of Aptitude Tests

The abstract reasoning test assesses the mental ability to generate unique real-time ideas, understand changes in shapes and create sketches. It also tests the ability to derive logical connections between sets of data.

Numerical tests analyze the numerical aptitude for numbers such that to see the ability to make suitable decisions on statistical data like fractions, graphs, etc.

A verbal reasoning test is useful to test comprehension and communication skills. The candidate is asked to read a passage thoroughly, retain all the information and then answer MCQ-based questions based on a passage are asked. An individual’s complete presence of mind is checked during these tests.

The general aptitude test provides a set of relevant subject questions and analyzes the strong and weak learning areas of a student hence knowing how much they are prepared for their exams.

Logical reasoning tests evaluate the ability to draw sensible conclusions from statements and information, it tests students on their creative and logical thinking capability. This trait even helps to navigate through daily life without any obstructions.

Most Common Quantitative Aptitude Questions and Answers

1. On lending, a certain sum of money on compound interest, one gets Rs.9050 in 2 years and Rs.9500 in 3 years. What is the rate of interest?

Answer:  Rate of interest(r):

r= (Y-X)*100/X

Y= Rs. 9500

X = 9050

On substituting values, r = 5%

2. A mother is twice as old as her son. If 20 years ago, the age of the mother was 10 times the age of the son, what is the present age of the mother?

Answer:

Let the age of the son = X years

∴age of the mother would be

=2X

As per the question 20 years

years ago;

10 (X -20) = 2X – 20

10X – 200 = 2X – 20

10X – 2X= – 20 + 200

8X = 180

X= 22.5 years

∴Age of mother = 22.5 * 2 = 45 years

3. Two numbers are in the ratio 5:4. Shreya subtracts 12 from each. The new number is in the ratio of 4:3. Find the smaller number.

Answer: Let the two numbers be 5x and 4x.
(5x – 12) ÷ (4x – 12) = 4 ÷ 3

3(5x – 12) = 4(4x – 12)
15x – 36 = 16x – 48

x = 12
The smaller number is 48.

4. What is the probability of rolling a die and showing a multiple of three?

Answer: sample space when you roll a die is:

S = (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)

the probability when you roll a die is:

Total number of favorable outcomes ÷ Total number of outcomes

Probability = 2/6 = 1/3

5. A train moving at speed of 80 km/hr crosses a pole in 7 seconds. Find the length of the train.

Answer:

find the distance travelled by train in 7 seconds by applying the following formula:

Distance= Speed x Time

Speed is given in Km/hr so we will convert it into m/s as answers are given in meters.

Speed=90* 5/18= 25 m/s

Time = 7 seconds

Distance = 25 * 7= 175 meters

6. What was the day on 15th August 1947?

Answer: Friday

7. A group of 15 students learning foreign languages. 7 of them have studied Latin, 8 are students of Greek, and 3 in the group have not studied either language. How many students have studied both languages?

Answer: 3

8. A right triangle with sides 3 cm, 4 cm, and 5 cm is rotated on the side of 3 cm to form a cone. The volume of the cone so formed is:

Answer: r = 3 cm and h = 4 cm.

using 1/3(pir² h), we get 12pi cm³ as the volume

9. A clock shows 8 a.m. Through how many degrees will the hour hand rotate when the clock shows 2 p.m.?

Answer: (360*6)/12 = 180 degrees

10. How many times are the hands of a clock at a right angle in a day?

Answer: They are at 22 right angles in 12 hours.

in 24 hours, they are at right angles 44 times.

11. A country football club won 30% of the 60 games they played. Their average raised to 50%. How many games in a row did the team have to win to reach this level?

Answer: 24

12. If today is a Monday, what day of the week will it be after 61 days?

Answer: Saturday

13. A: B: C is in the ratio of 3: 2: 5. How much money will C get out of a total of Rs 1260?

Answer: C = (5/10) * 1260
money which C gets = 630

14. What is the market price of a 9% share when a person invests Rs. 4000 and gets 180?

Answer:

value of the share = Rs. 100
Dividend per share = 9

an income of Rs. 9 is obtained from an investment of Rs. = (4000/180) * 9 = 200

market price of the share = Rs. 200

15. A chef receives 60 orders of pasta, it takes 30 minutes to cook pasta and season one-third of the orders with jalapeno. find out how many pastas can the chef cook in two hours.

Answer:
60 ÷ 3 = 20
the chef completes 20 pastas in 30 minutes.

in 2 hours or 120 minutes, the chef can cook four batches.
4 x 20 = 80 pastas

16. Which of the following is the odd one?

Money notes, cheques, debit cards, coins, letters

Answer: letters

17. 3 pumps operate 8 hours a day and can empty a tank in 2 days. How many hours a day must 4 pumps work to empty the tank in 1 day?

Answer:

Let the number of working hours per day be x.

Fewer days, More working hours per day

4 x 1 x x = 3 x 2 x 8

x = 12.

18. With 7 constants and 4 vowels, find out how many words of 3 constants and 2 vowels can be formed.

Answer:

when we combine 3 consonants and 2 vowels out of 7 consonants and 4 vowels, using combinations

⁷C₃ * ⁴C₂ = = 210

Every group consists of 5 words hence the possible arrangement of the letters is 5!

Or, 5! = 120 ways.

The required number of words = 210*120 = 25200.

19. The cost of ten apples, eight kiwis, and 12 papayas is ₹240. It is given to you that the cost of eight apples, six kiwis, and ten papayas is ₹ 180. Find the cost of one apple, one kiwi, and one papaya.

Answer: let cost of apple = x, kiwi = y, papaya = z

according to the question
10x + 8y + 12z = 240
8x + 6y + 10z = 180
Solve these equations
x + y + z = 30
thus the cost of one apple, one kiwi, and one papaya is 30.

20. Find out in how many different ways can the letters of the word ‘LEADING’ be arranged in a way so that the vowels come together always.

Answer:

When the vowels EAI are always together, they can form one letter.

now we have to arrange the letters LNDG apart from (EAI).

5 i.e (4 + 1 = 5) letters can be arranged in 5! = 120 ways.

The vowels (EAI) can be arranged in 3! = 6 ways.

hence required number of ways for our required arrangement = (120 x 6) = 720.

21. Find the odd one out in the series: 53, 59, 61, 73, 79, 87, 89

Answer: 87 because the other numbers are prime numbers but 87 has other factors.

22. It is given that the speed of a boat in still water is 5km/hr. If the speed of the boat against the stream is 3 km/hr, what is the speed of the stream?

Answer:

Suppose the speed of the stream is X km/hr

The speed of the boat is 5 km/hr

Speed upstream is given to be 3km/hr

Speed upstream = speed of the boat – speed of the stream

3 = 5 – X

X = 5 – 3 = 2 km/hr

23. Find the value of 5^1/4 x (125)²⁵

Answer:

5^1/4 x (125)^0.25
5^1/4 × (5³ )^1/4= 5

24. In what ways the letters of the word “RUMOUR” can be arranged?

Answer:

required number of permutations =
Or, = 180

180 words can be formed.

25. Find how many numbers can be formed from the digits 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 which are divisible by 5 in such a way that digits do not repeat.

Answer:

A number is divisible by 5 only if it ends with 0 or 5, since we don’t have 0 in the given digits that means 5 should come at the unit place.

The remaining 5 digits (2, 3, 4, 6, and 7) can come at the tens place.
in the same way, fill the hundreds place with one of the remaining 4 digits.
the thousands place can be filled by one of the remaining 3 digits.

Therefore, the required number of the numbers = 1*5*4*3 = 60.

Tips for Solving Quantitative Aptitude Questions in Interviews

1. Concepts are the core of mathematics, and to ace your quantitative exam it is important to understand the concepts to improve your score. The main step is to practice a lot of mathematical questions and once your grasp is strong on it, you can easily ace any question. Some of the most common topics to begin with are:

• Data Interpretation
• Simple Interest and Compound Interest
• Sum, arithmetic progressions, geometric progression
• Number System

2. Whenever one is preparing for a test, recognizing strengths and weaknesses is a fundamental skill that will improve the preparation. Once the student can understand where to focus more, they can practice accordingly as quantitative aptitude is all about mathematical problems and doing smart work is the only way to success.
3. Always make notes and summarise all formulas so that they can be revised frequently and they are of utmost importance especially on the night before the exam. Keep in mind that grasping solutions or rote learning is not as important as understanding concepts as only better concepts will lead to better quantitative abilities.
4. Employers expect candidates to complete aptitude tests in a fixed time frame. So, while solving aptitude questions see the time frame and manage accordingly to answer as many questions as you can.
5. Keep a record of your timing and note the number of questions that you were able to answer correctly as this will keep you motivated to improve the accuracy and reduce the time, thus charting your success to keep your morale up.
6. Aptitude questions for interviews are nothing but a play on English grammar. In such a situation having impeccable English skills would only be an advantage for you hence remember to brush up on your grammar.
7. There are books and study materials both online and offline as well as thousands of websites offering training materials, you can join a series of online tests for better results. Not only these many educational institutions provide training opportunities to the candidates who are preparing for the quantitative exams.

Conclusion

The quantitative aptitude test is a crucial part of entrance examinations. It checks problem-solving abilities such as cognitive abilities, identifying errors, recognizing patterns, etc hence the candidate should be thoroughly prepared before giving the test to boost their preparation.

Frequently Asked Questions