Quantz Work

Notes: MBA preparation
Quantitative Aptitude
Combinatory and Probability
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Combinatory and probability
1. In a workshop there are 4 kinds of beds, 3 kinds of closets, 2 kinds of shelves and 7 kinds of
chairs. In how many ways can a person decorate his room if he wants to buy in the workshop one
shelf, one bed and one of the following: a chair or a closet?
a) 168.
b) 16.
c) 80.
d) 48.
e) 56.
2. In a workshop there are 4 kinds of beds, 3 kinds of closets, 2 kinds of shelves and 7 kinds of
chairs. In how many ways can a person decorate his room if he wants to buy in the workshop one
shelf, one bed and one of the following: a chair or a closet?
a) 168.
b) 16.
c) 80.
d) 48.
e) 56.
3. Three people are to be seated on a bench. How many different sitting arrangements are possible
if Erik must sit next to Joe?
a) 2.
b) 4.
c) 6.
d) 8.
e) 10.
4. How many 3-digit numbers satisfy the following conditions: The first digit is different from
zero and the other digits are all different from each other?
a) 648.
b) 504.
c) 576.
d) 810.
e) 672.
5. Barbara has 8 shirts and 9 pants. How many clothing combinations does Barbara have, if she
doesn’t wear 2 specific shirts with 3 specific pants?
a) 41.
b) 66.
c) 36.
d) 70.
e) 56.
6. A credit card number has 6 digits (between 1 to 9). The first two digits are 12 in that order, the
third digit is bigger than 6, the forth is divisible by 3 and the fifth digit is 3 times the sixth. How
many different credit card numbers exist?
a) 27.
b) 36.
c) 72.
d) 112.
e) 422.
7. In jar A there are 3 white balls and 2 green ones, in jar B there is one white ball and three green
ones. A jar is randomly picked, what is the probability of picking up a white ball out of jar A?
a) 2/5.
b) 3/5.
c) 3/10.
d) 3/4
e) 2/3.
8. Out of a box that contains 4 black and 6 white mice, three are randomly chosen. What is the
probability that all three will be black?
a) 8/125.
b) 1/30.
c) 2/5.
d) 1/720.
e) 3/10.
9. The probability of pulling a black ball out of a glass jar is 1/X. The probability of pulling a
black ball out of a glass jar and breaking the jar is 1/Y. What is the probability of breaking the
jar?
a) 1/(XY).
b) X/Y.
c) Y/X.
d) 1/(X+Y).
e) 1/(X-Y).
10. Danny, Doris and Dolly flipped a coin 5 times and each time the coin landed on “heads”.
Dolly bet that on the sixth time the coin will land on “tails”, what is the probability that she’s
right?
a) 1.
b) ½.
c) ¾.
d) ¼.
e) 1/3.
11. In a deck of cards there are 52 cards numbered from 1 to 13. There are 4 cards of each
number in the deck. If you insert 12 more cards with the number 10 on them and you shuffle the
deck really good, what is the probability to pull out a card with a number 10 on it?
a) 1/4.
b) 4/17.
c) 5/29.
d) 4/13.
e) 1/3.
12. There are 18 balls in a jar. You take out 3 blue balls without putting them back inside, and
now the probability of pulling out a blue ball is 1/5. How many blue balls were there in the
beginning?
a) 9.
b) 8.
c) 7.
d) 12.
e) 6.
13. In a box there are A green balls, 3A + 6 red balls and 2 yellow ones.
If there are no other colors, what is the probability of taking out a green or a yellow ball?
a) 1/5.
b) 1/2.
c) 1/3.
d) 1/4.
e) 2/3.
14. The probability of Sam passing the exam is 1/4. The probability of Sam passing the exam and
Michael passing the driving test is 1/6.
What is the probability of Michael passing his driving test?
a) 1/24.
b) 1/2.
c) 1/3.
d) 2/3.
e) 2/5
15. In a blue jar there are red, white and green balls. The probability of drawing a red ball is 1/5.
The probability of drawing a red ball, returning it, and then drawing a white ball is 1/10. What is
the probability of drawing a white ball?
a) 1/5.
b) ½.
c) 1/3.
d) 3/10.
e) ¼.
16. Out of a classroom of 6 boys and 4 girls the teacher picks a president for the student board, a
vice president and a secretary. What is the probability that only girls will be elected?
a) 8/125.
b) 2/5.
c) 1/30.
d) 1/720.
e) 13/48.
17. Two dice are rolled. What is the probability the sum will be greater than 10?
a) 1/9.
b) 1/12.
c) 5/36.
d) 1/6.
e) 1/5.
18. The probability of having a girl is identical to the probability of having a boy. In a family with
three children, what is the probability that all the children are of the same gender?
a) 1/8.
b) 1/6.
c) 1/3.
d) 1/5.
e) ¼.
19. On one side of a coin there is the number 0 and on the other side the number 1. What is the
probability that the sum of three coin tosses will be 2?
a) 1/8.
b) ½.
c) 1/5.
d) 3/8.
e) 1/3.
20. In a flower shop, there are 5 different types of flowers. Two of the flowers are blue, two are
red and one is yellow. In how many different combinations of different colors can a 3-flower
garland be made?
a) 4.
b) 20.
c) 3.
d) 5.
e) 6.
21. In a jar there are balls in different colors: blue, red, green and yellow.
The probability of drawing a blue ball is 1/8.
The probability of drawing a red ball is 1/5.
The probability of drawing a green ball is 1/10.
If a jar cannot contain more than 50 balls, how many yellow balls are in the Jar?
a) 23.
b) 20.
c) 24.
d) 17.
e) 25.
22. In a jar there are 3 red balls and 2 blue balls. What is the probability of drawing at least one
red ball when drawing two consecutive balls randomly?
a) 9/10
b) 16/20
c) 2/5
d) 3/5
e) ½
23. In Rwanda, the chance for rain on any given day is 50%. What is the probability that it rains
on 4 out of 7 consecutive days in Rwanda?
a) 4/7
b) 3/7
c) 35/128
d) 4/28
e) 28/135
24. A Four digit safe code does not contain the digits 1 and 4 at all. What is the probability that it
has at least one even digit?
a) ¼
b) ½
c) ¾
d) 15/16
e) 1/16
25. John wrote a phone number on a note that was later lost. John can remember that the number
had 7 digits, the digit 1 appeared in the last three places and 0 did not appear at all. What is the
probability that the phone number contains at least two prime digits?
a) 15/16
b) 11/16
c) 11/12
d) ½
e) 5/8
26. What is the probability for a family with three children to have a boy and two girls (assuming
the probability of having a boy or a girl is equal)?
a) 1/8
b) ¼
c) ½
d) 3/8
e) 5/8
27. In how many ways can you sit 8 people on a bench if 3 of them must sit together?
a) 720
b) 2,160
c) 2,400
d) 4,320
e) 40,320
28. In how many ways can you sit 7 people on a bench if Suzan won’t sit on the middle seat or on
either end?
a) 720
b) 1,720
c) 2,880
d) 5,040
e) 10,080
29. In a jar there are 15 white balls, 25 red balls, 10 blue balls and 20 green balls. How many
balls must be taken out in order to make sure we took out 8 of the same color?
a) 8
b) 23
c) 29
d) 32
e) 53
30. In a jar there are 21 white balls, 24 green balls and 32 blue balls. How many balls must be
taken out in order to make sure we have 23 balls of the same color?
a) 23
b) 46
c) 57
d) 66
e) 67
31. What is the probability of getting a sum of 12 when rolling 3 dice simultaneously?
a) 10/216
b) 12/216
c) 21/216
d) 23/216
e) 25/216
32. How many diagonals does a polygon with 21 sides have, if one of its vertices does not
connect to any diagonal?
a) 21
b) 170
c) 340
d) 357
e) 420
33. How many diagonals does a polygon with 18 sides have if three of its vertices do not send
any diagonal?
a) 90
b) 126
c) 210
d) 264
e) 306
34. What is the probability of getting a sum of 8 or 14 when rolling 3 dice simultaneously?
a) 1/6
b) ¼
c) ½
d) 21/216
e) 32/216
35. The telephone company wants to add an area code composed of 2 letters to every phone
number. In order to do so, the company chose a special sign language containing 124 different
signs. If the company used 122 of the signs fully and two remained unused, how many additional
area codes can be created if the company uses all 124 signs?
a) 246
b) 248
c) 492
d) 15,128
e) 30,256
36. How many 8-letter words can be created using computer language (0/1 only)?
a) 16
b) 64
c) 128
d) 256
e) 512
37. How many 5 digit numbers can be created if the following terms apply: the leftmost digit is
even, the second is odd, the third is a non even prime and the fourth and fifth are two random
digits not used before in the number?
a) 2520
b) 3150
c) 3360
d) 6000
e) 7500
38. A drawer holds 4 red hats and 4 blue hats. What is the probability of getting exactly three red
hats or exactly three blue hats when taking out 4 hats randomly out of the drawer and returning
each hat before taking out the next one?
a) 1/8
b) ¼
c) ½
d) 3/8
e) 7/12
39. Ruth wants to choose 4 books to take with her on a camping trip. If Ruth has a total of 11
books to choose from, how many different book quartets are possible?
a) 28
b) 44
c) 110
d) 210
e) 330
40. A computer game has five difficulty levels. In each level you can choose among four different
scenarios except for the first level, where you can choose among three scenarios only. How many
different games are possible? (Remember that this does not ask about how many combinations
of games can be possible, its simply how many different games are possible).
a) 18
b) 19
c) 20
d) 21
e) None of the above
41. How many four-digit numbers that do not contain the digits 3 or 6 are there?
a) 2401
b) 3584
c) 4096
d) 5040
e) 7200
42. How many five-digit numbers are there, if the two leftmost digits are even, the other digits are
odd and the digit 4 cannot appear more than once in the number?
a) 1875
b) 2000
c) 2375
d) 2500
e) 3875
43. In a department store prize box, 40% of the notes give the winner a dreamy vacation; the
other notes are blank. What is the approximate probability that 3 out of 5 people that draw the
notes one after the other, and immediately return their note into the box get a dreamy vacation?
a) 0.12
b) 0.23
c) 0.35
d) 0.45
e) 0.65
44. A six sided dice with faces numbered 1 thru 6 is rolled twice. What is the probability that the
face with number 2 on it would not be facing upward on either roll?
A. 1/6
B. 2/3
C. 25/36
D. 17/18
E. 35/36
The probability that face with no. 2 on it would not face upward on 2 rolls
= probability that the first roll does not have 2 facing upward * probability that the second roll
does not have 2 facing upward
= 5/6*5/6
= 25/36 (The mistake I initially created was I took the probability of occurrence of 2 ‘2s’ as 1/36
and just subtracted it from 1 to get 35/36. But this just takes into account that 2 does not face up
on either first or the second roll. We don’t want it in either of the rolls).
How many different distinct ways can the letters in the word
VACATION be arranged?
A. 25,375
B. 40,320
C. 52,500
D. 20,160
E. 5,040
8!/2! = 20160 (As ‘A’ appears twice)

Explanations:
1. The best answer is C.

You must multiply your options to every item. (2 shelves) x (4 beds) x (3 closets + 7 chairs) = 80
possibilities.

You must multiply your options to every item. (2 shelves) x (4 beds) x (3 closets + 7 chairs) = 80
possibilities.
3. The best answer is B.

Treat the two who must sit together as one person. You have two possible sitting arrangements.
Then remember that the two that sit together can switch places. So you have two times two
arrangements and a total of four.

For the first digit you have 9 options (from 1 to 9 with out 0), for the second number you have 9
options as well (0 to 9 minus the first digit that was already used) and for the third digit you have
8 options left.
So the number of possibilities is 9 x 9 x 8 = 648.
5. The best answer is D.

There are (8 x 9) 72 possibilities of shirts + pants. (2 x 3) 6 Of the combinations are not allowed.
Therefore, only (72 – 6) 66 combinations are possible.
6. The best answer is A.

First digit is 1, the second is 2, the third can be (7,8,9), the forth can be (3,6,9), the fifth and the
sixth are dependent with one another. The fifth one is 3 times bigger than the sixth one, therefore
there are only 3 options there: (1,3), (2,6), (3,9).
All together there are: 1 x 1 x 3 x 3 x 3 = 27 options.

The probability of picking the first jar is ½, the probability of picking up a white ball out of jar A
Is 3/(3+2) = 3/5. The probability of both events is 1/2 x 3/5 = 3/10.

The probability for the first one to be black is: 4/(4+6) = 2/5.
The probability for the second one to be black is: 3/(3+6) = 1/3.
The probability for the third one to be black is: 2/(2+6) = 1/4.
The probability for all three events is (2/5) x (1/3) x (1/4) = 1/30.
Let Z be the probability of breaking the jar, therefore the probability of both events happening is
Z x (1/X) = (1/Y). Z = X/Y.

The probability of the coin is independent on its previous outcomes and therefore the probability
for “head” or “tail” is always ½.

The total number of cards in the new deck is 12 +52 = 64.
There are (4 + 12 = 16) cards with the number 10.
The probability of drawing a 10 numbered card is 16/64 = 1/4.
12. The best answer is E.

After taking out 3 balls there are 15 left. 15/5 = 3 blue balls is the number of left after we took out
3 therefore there were 6 in the beginning.

The number of green and yellow balls in the box is A+2.
The total number of balls is 4A +8.
The probability of taking out a green or a yellow ball is (A+2)/(4A+8)=1/4.

Indicate A as the probability of Michael passing the driving test.
The probability of Sam passing the test is 1/4, the probability of both events happening together is
1/6 so: 1/4 x A = 1/6 therefore A = 2/3.

Indicate A as the probability of drawing a white ball from the jar.
The probability of drawing a red ball is 1/5.
The probability of drawing both events is 1/10 so, 1/5 x A = 1/10.
Therefore A = ½.

The basic principle of this question is that one person can’t be elected to more than one part,
therefore when picking a person for a job the “inventory” of remaining people is growing smaller.
The probability of picking a girl for the first job is 4/10 = 2/5.
The probability of picking a girl for the second job is (4-1)/(10-1) = 3/9.
The probability of picking a girl for the third job is (3-1)/(9-1) = 1/4.
The probability of all three events happening is: 2/5 x 3/9 x ¼ = 1/30.

When rolling two dice, there are 36 possible pairs of results (6 x 6).
A sum greater than 10 can only be achieved with the following combinations: (6,6), (5,6), (6,5).
Therefore the probability is 3/36 = 1/12.

The gender of the first-born is insignificant since we want all children to be of the same gender
no matter if they are all boys or girls.
The probability for the second child to be of the same gender as the first is: ½. The same
probability goes for the third child. Therefore the answer is ½ x ½ = ¼.

The coin is tossed three times therefore there are 8 possible outcomes
(2 x 2 x 2). We are interested only in the three following outcomes:
(0,1,1), (1,0,1), (1,1,0).
The probability requested is 3/8.

We want to make a 3-flower garlands, each should have three colors of flowers in it.
There are two different types of blue and two different types of red.
The options are (2 blue) x (2 red) x (1 yellow) = 4 options.

If 1/8 is the probability of drawing a blue ball then there are 40/8 = 5 blue balls in the jar. And
with the same principle there are 8 red balls and 4 green ones. 40 – 5 – 8 – 4 = 23 balls (yellow is
the only color left).

Since we want to draw at least one red ball we have four different possibilities:
1. Drawing blue-blue.
2. Drawing blue-red.
3. Drawing red-blue.
4. Drawing red-red.
There are two ways to solve this question:
One minus the probability of getting no red ball (blue-blue):
1-2/5 x ¼ = 1-2/20 = 18/20 = 9/10/
Or summing up all three good options:
Red-blue --> 3/5 x 2/4 = 6/20.
Blue-red --> 2/5 x ¾ = 6/20.
Red-red --> 3/5 x 2/4 = 6/20.
Together = 18/20 = 9/10.

We have 7!/(4!*3!) = 35 different possibilities for 4 days of rain out of 7 consecutive days
(choosing 4 out of seven). Every one of these 35 possibilities has the following probability: every
day has the chance of ½ to rain so we have 4 days of ½ that it will rain and 3 days of ½ that it will
not rain. We have ½ to the power of 7 = 1/128 as the probability of every single event. The total
is 35 x 1/128 = 35/128.

For every digit we can choose out of 8 digits (10 total minus 1 and 4). There are four different
options:
5. No even digits
6. One even digit.
7. Two even digits.
8. Three even digits.
9. Four even digits.
The probability of choosing an odd (or an even) digit is ½.
One minus the option of no even digits: 1- (1/2)4= 15/16.
You can also sum up all of the other options (2-5).

Since 1 appears exactly three times, we can solve for the other four digits only. For every digit we
can choose out of 8 digits only (without 1 and 0). Since we have 4 prime digits (2, 3, 5, 7) and 4
non-prime digits (4, 6, 8, 9), the probability of choosing a prime digit is ½.
We need at least two prime digits:
One minus (the probability of having no prime digits + having one prime digit):
There are 4 options of one prime digit, each with a probability of (1/2)4.
There is only one option of no prime digit with a probability of (1/2)4.
So: [1- ((1/2)4+(1/2)4*4)] = 11/16.

There are three different arrangements of a boy and two girls:(boy, girl, girl), (girl, boy, girl),
(girl, girl, boy). Each has a probability of (1/2)3. The total is 3*(1/2)3=3/8.

Treat the three that sit together as one person for the time being. Now, you have only 6 people (5
and the three that act as one) on 6 places: 6!=720. Now, you have to remember that the three that
sit together can also change places among themselves: 3! = 6. So, The total number of
possibilities is 6!*3!= 4320.

First, check Suzan: she has 4 seats left (7 minus the one in the middle and the two ends), After
Suzan sits down, the rest still have 6 places for 6 people or 6! Options to sit. The total is Suzan
and the rest: 4*6! = 2880.

The worst case is that we take out seven balls of each color and still do not have 8 of the same
color. The next ball we take out will become the eighth ball of some color and our mission is
accomplished.
Since we have 4 different colors: 4*7(of each) +1=29 balls total.
Of course you could take out 8 of the same color immediately, however we need to make sure it
happens, and we need to consider the worst-case scenario.

The worst case would be to take out 21 white balls, 22 green and 22 blue balls and still not having
23 of the same color. Take one more ball out and you get 23 of either the green or the blue balls.
Notice that you cannot get 23 white balls since there are only 21, however, you must consider
them since they might be taken out also.
The total is: 21+22+22+1= 66.

Start checking from the smaller or bigger numbers on the dice. We will check from bigger
numbers working downwards: start with 6, it has the following options: (6,5,1), (6,4,2), (6,3,3).
Now pass on to 5: (5,5,2), (5,4,3). Now 4: (4,4,4). And that’s it, these are all number
combinations that are possible, if you go on to 3, you will notice that you need to use 4, 5 or 6,
that you have already considered (the same goes for 2 and 1). Now analyze every option: 6,5,1
has 6 options (6,5,1), (6,1,5), (5,1,6), (5,6,1), (1,6,5), (1,5,6). So do (6,4,2) and (5,4,3). Options
(6,3,3) and (5,5,2) have 3 options each: (5,5,2), (5,2,5) and (2,5,5). The same goes for (6,3,3). The
last option (4,4,4) has only one option. The total is 3*6+2*3+1=18+6+1 = 25 out of 216 (63)
options.

We have 20 vertices linking to 17 others each: that is 17*20=340. We divide that by 2 since every
diagonal connects two vertices. 340/2=170. The vertex that does not connect to any diagonal is
just not counted.

We have 15 Vertices that send diagonals to 12 each (not to itself and not to the two adjacent
vertices). 15*12=180. Divide it by 2 since any diagonal links 2 vertices = 90. The three vertices
that do not send a diagonal also do not receive any since the same diagonal is sent and received.
Thus they are not counted.

The options for a sum of 14: (6,4,4) has 3 options, (6,5,3) has 6 options, (6,6,2) has 3 options,
(5,5,4) has 3 options. We have 15 options to get 14.
The options for a sum of 8: (6,1,1) has 3 options, (5,2,1) has 6 options, (4,3,1) has 6
options, (4,2,2) has 3 options, (3,3,2) has 3 options. We have 21 options to get 8.
Total: 21+15= 36/216 = 1/6.

The phone company already created 122*122 area codes, now it can create 124*124.
1242-1222=(124+122)(124-122) = 246*2 = 492 additional codes.
There are other ways to solve this question. However this way is usually the fastest.
Every letter must be chosen from 0 or 1 only. This means we have two options for every word
and 28 = 256 words total.

The first digit has 4 options (2,4,6,8 and not 0), the second has 5 options (1,3,5,7,9) the third has
3 options (3,5,7 and not 2), the fourth has 7 options (10-3 used before) and the fifth has 6 options
(10-4 used before). The total is 4*5*3*7*6=2520.

Getting three red out of 4 that are taken out has 4 options (4!/(3!*1!)) each option has a
probability of (1/2)4 since drawing a red or blue has a 50% chance. 4*1/16= ¼ to get three red
hats. The same goes for three blue hats so ¼+¼ =1/2.
The probability to get 3 red or 3 blue can be expressed as follows:
(Prob to get 3 red + Prob to get 3 blue)
Prob to get 3 red = Probability to get 3 red * probability to get 1 blue

= Probability to get red * Probability to get red * Probability to get red *
Probability to get blue
Now, the mistake often created is this probability should take into account the following
combinations (R,R,R,B), (R,R,B,R), (R,B,R,R) and (B,R,R,R)
(This in short is 4C3)
So, the probability to get 3 red = 4 * (1/2) ^ 4

= 1/4
Similarly the probability to get 3 blue hats = 4*(1/2)^4 = 1/4
So, the total probability = ¼ + ¼ = ½

Choosing 4 out of 11 books is: 11!/(4!*7!) = 330 possibilities.
40. The best answer is .

On four levels there are 4 scenarios = 16 different games. The first level has 3 different scenarios.
The total is 19 scenarios.

The first digit has 7 possibilities (10 – 0,3 and 6). The other three digits have 8 possibilities each.
7*8*8*8= 3584.
Not considering the fact that 4 cannot appear more than once, we have a total of
4*5*5*5*5=2500. Now we deduct the possibilities where 4 does appear more than once (in this
case it can appear only twice on the two leftmost even digits). In order to do so, we put 4 in the
first and second leftmost digits. The rest of the digits are odd: 5*5*5=125. 2500-125=2375.

The chance of winning is 0.4 and it stays that way for all people since they return their note. The
number of different options to choose 3 winners out of 5 is 5!/(3!*2!) = 10. Each option has a
chance of 0.4*0.4*0.4*0.6*0.6 = 0.02304 * 10 = 0.2304. (There is a 0.4 chance to win and 0.6
chance to lose. So, when 3 people win, 2 have to lose. Hence, the calculation is .4*.4*.4*.6*.6 =
0.02304, but this just accounts for the possibility that the first 3 win and the last 2 lose. However,
there can be 10 options for choosing this and hence the probability is 0.23
In New England, 84% of the houses have

a garage and 65% of the houses have a
garage and a back yard. What is the
probability that a house has a backyard
given that it has a garage?
77%
109%
19%
None of
the above.
Probability = 0.65/0.84
= 77%
In a class of 30 students, there are 17 girls and

13 boys. Five are A students, and three of these
students are girls. If a student is chosen at
random, what is the probability of choosing a
girl or an A student?
None of
the above.
Probability of choosing a girl = 17/30
Probability of choosing an A student = 2/30 (Because 3 are girls, so just consider 2 boys)
So total probability is 17+2/30 = 19/30
What is the probability that a card selected from a deck will be either an ace
or a spade?
1. 2/52
2. 2/13
3. 7/26
4. 4/13
5. 17/52
Solution.Let A stand for a card being an ace, and S for it being a spade. We
have to find p(A or S). Are A and S mutually exclusive? No. Are they
independent? Why, yes, because spades have as many aces as any other
suit. Then,
p(A or S) = p(A) + p(S) - p(A) * p(S)
With simple F/T we get:
p(A) = 4/52 = 1/13
p(B) = 13/52 = 1/4
So,
p(A or S) = 1/13 + 1/4 - 1/52 = 16/52 = 4/13
6 persons seat themselves at round table. What is the probability that 2 given persons are
adjacent?
(A) 1/5
(B) 2/5
(C) 1/10
(D) 1/7
(E) 2/15
I will go with B-2/5

6 people can be arranged in 5! ways.(total )
consider 2 persons as a single entity and then 5 people can be arranged in 4!*2 ways.
So answer is 4!*2/5! = 2/5

Q:There are 6 questions in a question paper? In how many ways can a student solve one or more
questions? The way to solve one or more questions can be described as = (way to solve 1 + way
to solve 2 + .... + way to solve all 6)
= 6C1 + 6C2 + 6C3 + 6C4 + 6C5 + 6C6

= 63
How many 5 letters word which consist of the letters D,I,G,I,T, are there,so that
the letter I are not next to each other?
a. 36
b. 48
c.72
d. 96
e.128
NUMBER OF COMBINATION WHEN 2I ARE NOT TOGETHER ARE

=TOTAL NUMBER OF COMBI-NUMBER OF COMBINATION WHEN 2I ARE TOGETHER
Taking both 'Is' together, we have 4 places to fill up with 4 letters. Hence, we have 4!
possibilities.
Total number of words can be 5!/2 (Divided by 2 as there are 2 'Is'.
So, the answer is 60-24 = 36
Five racers in a competition . No tie. How many possibilites A is ahead of B?
A 24
B 30
C 60
D 90
E 120
1st positiion - A is first ...that leaves 4*3*2*1 for theother positions
2nd position A is 2nd that leaves 3*1*3*2*1..... (note A is fixed in 2nd

position therefore permutation is 1)
3rd position A is 3rd that leaves 3*2*1*2*1
4th position A is the 4th position 3*2*1*1*1
5th position doesnt count cos a has to finish before B !! tada...add them up
=60
2 couples and a single person are seated at random in a row of 5 chairs. What is the probability
that neither of the couples sit together in adjacent chairs.
The total number of combinations to seat 5 people in 5 chairs = 5*4*3*2 = 120
Now, let us find ways to arrange ppl so that neither couples sit adjacent.
Let the first couple be c1 and c2, the second couple be c3 and c4 and the single person be s.
a) If s sits in the first chair, there are 4 possibilities for the second chair. There are 2
possibilities for the third chair (Not the partner of the person sitting in 2nd chair). There is
1 possibility for the 4th chair and 1 possibility for the 5th chair. So, in all, there are 4*2 = 8
ways. Again, due to symmetry, if s sits on the 5th chair, there are 8 possibilities.
b) If s sits on the second chair, there are 4 possibilities for the 1st chair. For the 3rd chair,
there are 3 possibilities. 1 possibility each for the 4th and the 5th chair. In all, 4*3 = 12
possibilities. Again, due to symmetry, 12 possibilities if s sits on the 4th chair.
c) If s sits on the 3rd chair, there are 4 possibilities for the 1st chair. Only 2 possibilities for
the 2nd chair. 1 possibility each for the 4th and 5th chairs. So, 8 possibilities in all.
Summing up all the above possibilities = 8+8+12+12+8 = 48 possibilities.
Hence, the probability that no couples sit adjacent = 48/120 = 2/5
(This is based on the concept that s sits on the first chair OR on the second chair OR on the
third chair OR on the fourth chair OR on the fifth chair).
As a part of a game, 4 people each choose one number from 1 to 4. What is the likelihood
that all people will choose different numbers?
A, B, C and D are the persons. A can choose 1,2,3 and 4. B can choose 1,2,3 and 4… and so
on.
In all, there are 4^4 possibilities of number selections.
Out of these, the possibilities to have 4 distinct numbers = 4*3*2*1 (A has 4 selections, B has
3, C has 2 and D has 1) = 24
So, likelihood = 24/4^4 = 6/4^3 = 0.09 = 9%
Out of seven models, all of different heights, 5 models will be chosen for a photo shoot. If the
5 models stand in a line from shortest to the longest, and the 4th and 6th tallest models cannot
be adjacent, how many different arrangements of models is possible.
The number of ways to select 5 models out of 7 is 7C5 = 21.

Now, out of these 21 ways, the way to select models such that the 4th and 6th are adjacent to
each other are 12346, 12467, 23467, 13467 = 4 ways only.
So, when 4 and 6 cannot be adjacent, number of ways = 21-4 = 17
If 2 students are to be selected from a group of 12 students, how many

possible consequences are there?
Number of consequences = 12C2 = 66 (Think of it as selecting
1,2 or 1,3 or 1,4… or 1,12, or 2,3 or 2,4…… or 11,12) Adding
all these combinations, 11+10+…..+2+1 = 66
Hence, the answer is 66.

If the question is to arrange these students, it would be 12P2
= 132… because an arrangement of 1,2 would be different from
2,1
A Committee of 6 is chosen from 8 men and 5 women, so as to contain at least 2

men and 3 women. How many different committees could be formed if two of the
men refuse to serve together?
A- 3510
B- 2620
C- 1404
D- 700
E- 635
There are 2 ways of selecting atleast 2 men and atleast 3 women
select 2 men and 4 women or select 3 men and 3 women
selecting 2 men can be done in 3 ways

1. select 1st non-cooperating member and select 1 member from remaining 6(we are
excluding the 2nd non-cooperating member) = 1* 6c1 = 6
2. select 2nd non-cooperating member and select 1 member from remaining 6(we are
excluding the 1st non-cooperating member) = 1* 6c1 = 6
3. don't select any of the cooperating members = 6c2 = 15
same way do it for the selecting 3 men
finally you get
5c4(6+6+15) + 5c3(15+15+20)
answer is 635
OR
First let me provide the answer then explain

1) Select 3 men & 3 women = 8C3*5C3
2) Select 2 men & 4 women = 8C2*5C4
So Total combinations possible = 8C3*5C3 + 8C2*5C4
3) Now from the above subtract the combinations where theose 2 men appear together.
In the first case (those 2 men appear together, we have to select only 1 other man and 3 more
women)
6C1 * 5C3
In the first case (those 2 men appear together, we only need to select 4 women)
1 * 5C4
The Answer Is:
(8C3 * 5C3) + (8C2*5C4) - [ 6C1 * 5C3 + 1 * 5C4 ]
= 560 + 140 - 65 = 635
If a committee of 3 people is to be selected from among 5 married couples so

that the committee does not include two people who are married to each
other, how many such committees are possible?
A. 20
B. 40
C. 50
D. 80
E. 120
Total ways to select 3 people = 10 c 3 = 120

If among 3 people there 2 are married then no. of ways to select 3rd one out
of rest 8 = 8c1 = 8
since there are 5 couples total ways to do this is = 8*5 = 40
But these cases are to be eliminated....
so we are left with 120 - 40 = 80 cases..............
Hence the answer............
2 similar examples below
1) Ten telegenic contestants with a variety of disorders are to be

divided into 2 groups for a competition, each of 5 members. How
many combinations are possible?
Selecting 5 members out of 10, for group A = 10C5 = 252.

Group B would have the rest of the members, and would have 1
possibility. So, 252*1 = 252
Or, 10C5*5C5 = 252
2) Katie has 9 members that she must assign to 3 different

projects. If 3 emloyees are assigned to each project and no one
is assigned to multiple ones, how many diff. Combinations are
possible?
Selecting 3 members for project A out of 9, = 9C3 = 84

Selecting 3 members for project B out of 6 = 6C3 = 20
Selecting 3 members out of rem. 3 = 3C3 = 1
So, total combinations = 84*20 = 1680 (Same example as the

above one)
Let’s permute:
Judges will select 5 finalists from 7 contenstants in a fashion

show. The judges will then rank the contenstatnts and aware
prices to the 3 highest ranked contestants. How many different
arrangements of prize winners are possible?
= 7P5 = 7*6*5 = 210
3) Coach Miller is filling out the starting lineup for his indoor
soccer team. There are 10 boys on the team, and he must
assign 6 starters to the following positions: 1 goalkeeper, 2 on
defense, 2 in midfield, and 1 forward. Only 2 of the boys can
play goalkeeper, and they cannot play any other positions. The
other boys can each play any of the other positions. How many
different groupings are possible?
2C1*8C2*6C2*4C1 = 3360
-------------------
How many ways the word "COMPUTER" can be arranged, where the vowels
should occupy the even places?
3 vowels and 5 constn...
so 5*3*4*2*3*1*2*1... but remember because we have only 3 vowels and

more than one starting position for the first vowel then we must multiply the
number of possibilities by 4
= 720*4 = 2880
How many five-digit numbers are there, if the two leftmost digits are even,
the other digits are odd and the digit 4 cannot appear more than once in the
number?
When first digit is 2,6 or 8, the combinations are 3*5*5*5*5

When first digit is 4, the combination is 1*4*5*5*5*
Total = 2375
Alternatively,
Total numbers = 4*5*5*5*5 = 2500
Numbers when 4 is at the first 2 digits = 1*1*5*5*5 = 125
Therefore, if 4 is not to appear more than once, 2500-125 = 2375
------------
If 6 people are to be divided to 3 different groups, each of which has 2

people. How many such groups are possible?
- i get the method of 6C2 * 4C2 * 2C2 = 90
A certain roller coaster has 3 cars, and a passenger is equally likely to ride in
any 1 of the 3 cars each time that passenger rides the roller coaster. If a
certain passenger is to ride the roller coaster 3 times, what is the probability
that the passenger will ride in each of the 3 cars?
A-0 B-1/9 C-2/9 D-1/3 E-1
The probability to sit in a different car each time = (3*2*1)/(3*3*3) = 2/9
A gardener is going to plant 2 red rosebushes and 2 white rosebushes. If the

gardener is
to select each of the bushes at random, one at a time, and plant them in a
row, what is the
probability that the 2 rosebushes in the middle of the row will be the red
rosebushes?
A. 1/12
B. 1/6
C. 1/5
D. 1/3
E. ½
There are 2 ways to arrange the centre 2 red bushes. There are 2 ways to
arrange the 2 white bushes at the sides. So, 4 arrangements. Total
arrangements would be 4*3*2 = 24
So, probability = 4/24 = 1/6
A photographer will arrange 6 people of 6 different heights for photograph by

placing
them in two rows of three so that each person in the first row is standing in
front of
someone in the second row. The heights of the people within each row must
increase
from left to right, and each person in the second row must be taller than the
person
standing in front of him or her. How many such arrangements of the 6 people
are
possible?
A. 5
B. 6
C. 9
D. 24
E. 36
If a comttee of 3 people is to be selected from among 5 married couples so

that the comittee does not include tw people who are married to each other ,
how many such committees are possible?
a) 20,b) 40), c) 50, d)80, e) 120
numbers of 3 people comttee from 10 people(5*2)
=10C3=10*9*8/6=120------------------1
numbers when couple are together
5*8C1=40----------------------------2
1-2
=80
ans is 80
How many different 6-letters sequence are there that consist of 1 A, 2 B's and
3 C's?
a) 6,b) 60, c) 120,d) 360, e) 720
OA is B
6!/(1!*2!*3!)=60
There are 20 purple balls and 30 yellow balls in box A. There are 15 purple
balls and 35 yellow balls in box B. What is the probability that one ball
selected randomly from the 2 box is purple?
Reference key: 1/2*20/50+1/2*15/50=35/100
The probability to select either of the boxes is ½

The probability to select a purple ball from box A is 20/50 and one purple ball
from box B is 15/50
So, the probability is ½*20/50 + ½*15/50)
Don’t forget to omit that selection of a box.
A couple want to have four babies, for each baby, 50% are male, 50% are
female. Ask for the possibility of two boys and two girls.
The propobability of a boy or a girl is ½
The possibilities are BBGG, BGGB, BGBG, GGBB, GBBG, GBGB
So, 6/16 is the probability
i.e. 6/(1/2)^
what is the probability to get 3 heads and 2 tails on tossing a coin 5 times, in
the same sequence. (i.e. first 3 heads and then 2 tails)
the probability = 1/32 (Since only one combination (HHHTT)
the probability to find either head or tail in the first 3 tosses and the other
side in the last 2 would be
(HHHTT) or (TTHHH)
So, it is 2/32 = 1/16
9 people, including 3 couples, are to be seated in a row of 9 chairs.
What is the probability that
a. None of the Couples are sitting together
b. Only one couple is sitting together
c. All the couples are sitting together
a)
1....couple 1 together.... 8!*2!
4....couples 1 and 2 together.... 7!*2!*2!
7....all couples together..6!*2!*2!*2!
8....Atleast 1 couple together........ 1+2+3-4-5-6+7 = 3*8!*2-3*7!*4+6!
*2*2*2
= 3*2*7!*6 + 6!*8 = 6!*2 (3*7*6 - 4) = 6!*2*122
total ways = 9!
prob atleast one couple together = 6!*2*122 / 9*8*7*6! = 122*2/9*8*7 =
61/126
prob that none of the couples is together = 1-61/126 = 65/126
b) only one couple sitting together = 8-4-5-6+2*7

= 6!*2*122 - 3*7!*4+2*6!*8
= 6!*2 (122-42+8) = 88 * 6! * 2
req prob = 88 * 6! * 2/ 9! = 88*2/9*8*7 = 22/63
c) all couples sitting together = 6!*8/9! = 8/9*8*7 = 1/63
To verify my answers....
exactly 2 couples are together = 4+5+6-3*7 = 3*4*7! - 3*6!*8
= 3*4*6! *5 = 60*6!
prob that exactly 2 couples are together = 60*6!/9! = 60/9*8*7 = 15/126
now .....
prob of no couple together+exactly one couple together+exactly 2 couples
together+ all couples together = 1
65/126+22/63+1/63+15/126 = 65+44+2+15/126 = 126/126 = 1
Notes: MBA preparation
Quantitative Aptitude
Compound Interest
Mean & Median
More MBA related downloads:

http://howtoprepare4cat.blogspot.com/2008/09/study-materialqunatz.html
A total of $200,000 was deposited at a fixed annual interest rate which is
compounded quarterly. What is the interest of the first month?
1) The interest in the second month is 1 percent more than first month
2) The interest in the second month is $2 more than first month
Reference key: D
Guys this is what I think shud be the solution............
First of all becoz' the interest is compounded quarterly it will be added to the
principle only after 3 months...........
Let P = 200,000
For the first month, the interest I1 = p*(r/100)*(1/12)
For first 2 months , the interest I2 = p*(r/100)*(2/12)...... Here we take P
as the principle and not P+I1 becoz' any interest will be added to the
principle only after the 3rd month and not before that as the rate is
compounded quarterly and not after every month.............
We have from option B , I2 = I1+2

Solving this equation we can get the rate r.........and hence the interest
Now for option A...............

wer have I2 = I1+I1*(1/100)
Solving this also r can be obtained and hence the interest for the first
month....
Hence the answer to this shud be D.....................
------------------
Ricardo deposits $1,000 in a bank account that pays 10%
interest, compounded semiannually. Poonam deposits $1,000 in
a bank account that pays 10% interest, compounded annually.
If no more deposits are made, what is the difference between
the two account balances after 1 year?
A. $2.50
B. $10
C. $5
D. $15
E. $100
Interest for first 6 months(compounded semiannually) = amount X rate X

time
(1000)(10/100)(6/12) = $50. So, amount + interest = $1000 + $50 =
$1050
Interest for remaining 6 months = (1050)(10/100)(6/12) = $52.50
Amount after 1 yr in Ricardo's account = $1050 + $52.50 = $1102.50
Poonam:
Interest for the year (compounded annually) = (1000)(10/100)(1) = $100
Total amount after 1 yr in Poonam's account = $1000 + $100 = $1100
Therefore, difference = $1102.50 - $1100 = $2.50
A 2 year certificate of deposit is purchased for K dollars. If the

> certificate earns interest at an annual rate of 6 percent compunded
> quarterly, which of the following represents the value, in dollars,
> of teh certificate at the end of the 2 years?
>
> a) (1.06)2 K
> b) (1.06)8 K
> c) (1.015)2 k
> d) (1.015)8 k
> e) (1.03)4 k
S= P(1 +i/m)^nm, where P = principal, i = interest rate, n = # of years, m

= # of compounding.
Since the compounding is done quarterly, there will be 4 periods i.e m = 4
Therefore S = k(1 +0.06/4)^2*4
=k(1.015)^8
D is the answer.
A 2-year certificate of deposit is purchased for k dollars. If the certificate
earns interest at an annual rate of 6 percent compounded quarterly,
which of the following represents the value, in dollars, of the certificate
at the end of the 2 years?
(A) (1.06)^2K
(B) (1.06)^8 k
(C) (1.015)^2K
(D) (1.015)^8K
(E) (1.03)^4K
Compound Interest
A = P 1]‫ נ‬+ (r/n)](nt)
Original amount = P
Number of years = t
Number of times per year the interest is compounded = n
Amount after t years = A
Annual interest rate in % = r
Interest after t years = A - P
Amount of the CD after 2 yrs = k * (1 + 6/(100 * 4))^(2*4)
k(1.015)^8
Ans is D
-------------
Feng invests his bonus check in a bank account that pays 20% interest,
compounded annually. How many years will it take for the initial balance in
this account to double in value?
A. 2
B. 3
C. 4
D. 5
E. 6
2=(1+.2)^t
2=(1.2)^t
1.2*1.2=1.44
1.44*1.44=2.0736
so answer:C
A total of $1000 was invested for one year. Annual interest rate is r,
compound interest is counted semiannually.If the total interest earned by
$1000 for that year was $80.56, what is the value of r?
4<r<5; 5<r<6; 6<r<7; 7<r<8; 8<r<9

.A sum of money was deposited at x percent compound semi-year interest. 6
months later, the total of the money plus interest is $2021; 12 months later,
the total of the money plus interest is $2082. x=? The numbers 2021, 2082
are not sure.
Reference key:
1) a(1+x%)=2021 2) a(1+x%)2=2082
2)/1) = => x%=2082/2021-1=3%
A total of $200,000 was deposited at a fixed annual interest rate which is

compounded quarterly. What is the interest of the first month?
1) The interest in the second month is 1 percent more than first month
2) The interest in the second month is $2 more than first month
Reference key: D
Someone plans to invest $10,000 in an account paying 3% annual interest

and compounded semi-annually. How much must he invest in another
account paying 5% annual interests and compounded quarterly so that his
annual income from the 2 accounts in the first year are the same?
Reference key: 9,812
Let X be the amount he will invest, so,
(1+0.05/4)^4*X=(1+0.03/2)^2*10,000
A total of $10,000 is deposited at the 7.5 percent annual interest rate,

compounded monthly. What is the total value in the end of t years?
Reference key: 10000*(1+0.075/12)^12t
A sum of money was deposited in a certain account for 2 years without any
transaction. What is the compounded annual interest rate?
1) At the end of the second year, the amount in the account is 10.5 percent
more than the initial amount.
2) The initial amount is $1,000.
Reference key: A
Let the initial amount be a and simple annual interest rate be r. From
statement 1, [a(1+r)^2-a]/a=10.5%.
Someone deposited a sum of money at annual compound rate ... 6 years
before. There is no any transaction during the 6 years. How much did he
deposit at the beginning?
1) At the end of the third year, the amount in the account was 16% more
than the initial amount.
2) At the end of the sixth year, the amount in the account was ...
Reference key: D
A sum of $x has been invested in an account paying 8% compounded annual
interest for 5 years. What is the amount in the account now?
Reference key: x*(1.08)^5
$ 10,000 was invested at the compounded annual rate r. r=?
1) The total interest of the first 4 years is between a and b (a, b are specific
numbers)
2) The total interest of the first 4 years is ... percent of the total interest of
the first 2 years
Reference key: B
A total of $1000 was deposited at the 7 percent annual interest, compounded

monthly. Without any transaction, at the end of t years, what would be the
total amount in the account?
Reference key: 1000*(1+7%/12)^12t
A sum of money was deposited in a certain account for 6 years without any
transaction. What is the compounded annual interest rate?
1) At the end of the third year, the amount in the account is 16 percent more
than the initial amount.
2) The initial amount is $1,000.
Reference key: A
Let the initial amount be a and simple annual interest rate be r. From
statement 1, [a(1+r)^3-a]/a=16%.
An investment has a rate of 7% per year compounded monthly. If a value $x

is invested for one year, what is the total to be withdrawn?
Reference Key: B
MEAN AND MEDIAN

The mean of a list of numbers is m and the deviation (not sure here) is n. It
is known that 68% of the numbers are within m and n, what is the
percentage of the numbers that are less (or more) than m+n?
Reference key: 84%=68%+(100%-68%)/2 [Or 16%]
Is the deviation of set A greater than the deviation of set B?

1) The median of A is greater than the median of B
2) The mean of A is greater than the mean of B.
Reference key: E
A=[a1,a2,a3......an]
B=[b1,b2,b3,.....bn]
Is SD(A) >SD(B) [SD= Standard deviation]
1: Range of A and B are same
2: Median of A and B are equal
To answer this question you need to remember the formula of SD. As you
remember to calculate the SD you need to know ALL numbers in sets A and
B, so knowledge of range and mediana and even both od them is not
enough.
Answer is E
Not sure about the OA
What is the standard deviation of the set: a, b, c, d
1) a+b+c+d=50
2) a^2+b^2+c^2+d^2=200
Yes C.
If you know the average, and sum of the nos. and sum of the squares of the
nos. you are golden.
Mak formula of Std Dev for you:
Sigma = SQRT {((Ave - 1st no.)^2) + ((Ave - 2nd no.)^2)......+((Ave -

Nth no.)^2)} / N
Remember... its a RMS value ..... so easy to remember.
--------------
The mean of a list of numbers is m and the deviation (not sure here) is n. It
is known that 68% of the numbers are within m and n, what is the
percentage of the numbers that are less (or more) than m+n?
Reference key: 84%=68%+(100%-68%)/2 [Or 16%]
Basics of SD
The mean of a sample of n values is x and the standard deviation is s.

Suppose we add a constant value a, to each observation so that the new
data is
What is the new mean and the new standard deviation

b) The new mean is x + a and the new standard deviation is s.
The mean of a sample of n values is x and the standard deviation is s.

Suppose that the observations are multiplied by a constant value c, so that
the new data is
What is the new mean and the new standard deviation ?

d) The new mean is cx and the new standard deviation is cs.
The mean of 5 numbers is 6,is it deviation bigger than 10?
A. 4 numbers equal to 16.
B. one of the numbers is smaller than 4.
Answer is "A"
from (1), the numbers are 16,16,16,16,-34.
Once we know all the numbers, we can calculate the Deviation with the reqd.
formula.
The real question is not finding SD. It is to know whether we can find SD or
not?It doesn't matter whether SD is bigger than 10 or not??
So with choice (1), we can easily calculate SD.
Hence "A"
.If N is 3 times of the mean of 15 numbers, what is the ration of N to the 16

numbers (including N)?
Reference key: 1/6
A sequence has 600 numbers, what is the sum of numbers?

1) The median is ...
2) The mean is 110 percent of the median.
Reference key: C
The average (arithmetic mean) of the 5 positive integers k, m, r, s, and t is

16, and k < m < r < s < t. If t is 40, what is the greatest possible value of
the median of the 5 integers?
16
18
19
20
22
Answer 18
How many numbers of 7 consecutive positive integers are divisible by 6?

1) Their average is divisible by 6
2) Their median is divisible by 12
Reference key: D
MY picK is D
k+k+1 ......k+6 )=6*7 =42
7k=21 k=3 so numbers from 3 to 9 suff one number divisible by 6
stat2 : 9,10, 11, 12 ,13, 14,15
so 12 divisible by 6
hence d
Both the ranges of 2 lists are from 1 to 100, whose deviation is greater?
1) List 1 has three 100 and two 50; List 2 has two 100 and three 50.
2) The averages are the same.
Reference key: C
Why not E? We don't know how many elements in each set, so..i guess it
should be E.
set1: x1, x2, 50, 50, x6,... 100, 100, 100, ....xn
set2: y1, y2, y3, 50, 50, 50, ..., 100, 100, ...ym
even if their averages the same, we don't know elements.
Queen - apologies that this Question has not been answered sooner..... very
few people are asking JJ questions,,,, anyway
The question itself is not very ambiguous ..its verging on misleading.. there
are too many interpretations to this questions AND remember that stat 1 and
stat 2 AS WE HAVE SEEN MANY TIMES do not have to agree !!!!
Stat 2 : this tells us nothing about Stand dev
stat 1 : assuming that these are the only numbers in the list then great we
can anser it BUT it doesnt specifically say that these numbers represent
(exhaustively) the list....
So combining stat 1 and 2 - we have an average of a set of numbers we dont

know for CERTAIN and stat 1 gives us some numbers.... useless unless we
have entire set.....SO ANS for me is E....
Formula for std dev = SQRT( [(x1-avg)^2+(x2-avg)^2+(x3-avg)^2]/n )
SOME EXPLAIN HOW TO GET C - thankyou !!!!
I'll go with C.
The total number of elements is given. Average is given as same for both
(Stat -2). From this we can infer that the elements are spread out, more or
less in a similar manner in both sets, on either side of the mean.
average = total sum / 100 ; Since denominator is constant, the numerator

would be same for both.
Few numbers are given (Stat2). We can infer which set's SD is greater.
Try with examples of smaller sets of numbers for proof.
Vam,
I guess your assumption that total number of elements is given is improper.

Then have just given us the range.
From I we can not determine anything about standard deviation ( Standard

deviation is nothing but how much it has deviated from median)
From II alone we can not determine anything as median is different from

average.
If we combine, still it does not help us to find median.
I would go with E.
Yes Amit. If the set of numbers is given as constant and with the rest of the
given conditions, then C would be correct. I am sure the actual question on
test would be much more clear and lucid.
Standard deviation is deviation from any measure of central tendency and

not just median. Average is fine for assessing SD or vice versa.
Vam - I am puzzled as to how you think average is used as a measure of std

dev ???.... say 49 50 51 and 100 0 50... both same avergae but std dev
widely different
perhaps I have misentrepreted what u've said ???????????????? PLease

explain
try subst the numbers and working it out ???
perhaps I have misentrepreted what u've said ????????????????
Yes it is misinterpretation- I wrote "Average is fine for assessing SD or

vice versa.". Amit was harping on median alone. Average or mean is also a
valid measure of central tendency used to estimate standard deviation.
try subst the numbers and working it out ???
Two sets of five numbers - {34567} and {12679} - with same average 5 but
different standard deviation. Therefore given the similar average and the
number of elements of the two sets along with few elements - for ex - {67}
and {79}, we can say which set would have greater Standard deviation.
Vam,
The list which willhave higher spread of data will have higher deviation.
Heres since we don't know other elements of the list we can't determine
which one will have higher std deviation.
I repeat - if we know the average and the number of elements for both sets
(same for both), we can reasonably guess the relative extent of deviation in
a particular set given few extreme numbers.
Given question - range is given. So the answer is E. The question is not

framed correctly. Hence this ambiguity. (It shouldn't be a problem in the real
test as our fundamentals are fairly strong)
Set B has three positive integers with a

median of 9. If the largest possible range of the
three numbers is 19, given a certain mean, what is
that mean?
(A) 22
(B) 10
(C) 9.6
(D) 9
9 is the MEDIAN (another measure of central tendency).
only B is the correct answer.
9 is the MEDIAN (another measure of central tendency).
only B is the correct answer.
a, b, and c are integers and a < b < c. S is the set of all integers from a to b,
inclusive. Q is the set of all integers from b to c, inclusive. The median of set
S is (3/4)b. The median of set Q is (7/8)c. If R is the set of all integers from
a to c, inclusive, what fraction of c is the median of set R?
(A) 3/8
(B) 1/2
(C) 11/16
(D) 5/7
(E) 3/4
the answr shud b 11/16
Statistical Basics
The GMAT requires understanding of several basic statistical measures.

Although some of the measures may be applied to large samples and
populations, the GMAT focuses on the use of statistics for samples of limited
size (a limited number of data points). The statistical measures which you
may encounter on the GMAT are explained and illustrated below.
All the statistical measures used on the GMAT help characterize the central
location and distribution of the data. Consider the following two sets of
data:
Data set 1 Data set 2
350
400 400
500 400 Median
500 Median 450 is 425
500 500
600 1500
2500 Total 3600 Total
5 Number of points 6 Number of points
500 Arithmetic mean 600 Arithmetic mean
Mean : The arithmetic mean (or average) is the sum of the sample values
divided by the number of data points.
Median : The median is the middle value of a group of numbers when they
are arranged in order of magnitude . For samples with an odd number of
data points, the median is the middle number. For example, in data set 1,
the median is the third of the five data points (500). For samples with an
even number of data points, the median is midway between the two middle
data points. For example, in data set 2, the median is midway between 400
and 450 (the third and fourth of the six data points) and equals 425 (the
average of 400 and 450). For small samples, the median can be a better
measure of central tendency than the mean.
Mode : The mode is the value that occurs most frequently. Since it is
possible that more than one value may have the same frequency in a set of
data, there may be more than one mode; in fact, if no value is repeated,
every value is a mode. For data set 1 above, the mode is 500. For data set 2,
the mode is 400. For small samples, the mode often indicates more about
data distribution than about central tendency.
Range : The range is simply the largest value minus the smallest value. For
data set 1, the range is 200 (600 ¨C 400). For data set 2, the range is 1150
(1500 ¨C 350). For small samples, the range is a simple but useful measure
of data distribution.
Standard deviation : The standard deviation is a more sophisticated measure
of data distribution. The standard deviation can be described as the square
root of the average squared deviation. Expressed mathematically, this is:
The deviation is the difference between the data value and the mean.
Squaring this deviation makes the result positive, regardless of whether the
data point is above or below the mean. Dividing by the number of data points
provides an average of the squared deviation. Taking the square root gives
the standard deviation the same units of measure as the data.
The standard deviation is a useful measure of data variability, even though
its exact meaning may not be immediately obvious. Consider the standard
deviation an index of data variability. The more the data deviate from the
mean, the greater the standard deviation will be. The greater the central
tendency ¨C the closer data are grouped around the mean ¨C the lower the
standard deviation will be. The standard deviation is a useful complement to
the range.
The table below shows how the standard deviation is computed for the two
data sets used in the previous discussion.
Data set 1 Data set 2
x x - avg (x ¨C x x - avg (x ¨C
avg) 2 avg) 2
350 -250 62,500
400 -100 10,000 400 -200 40,000
500 0 0 400 -200 40,000
500 0 0 450 -150 22,500
500 0 0 500 -100 10,000
600 100 10,000 1500 900 810,000
2500 Total 20,000 3600 Total 985,000
5 n 5 6 n 6
500 Avg. 4,000 600 Avg. 164,167
Std. deviation: 63 Std. deviation: 405
The table below presents a summary of the statistical measures for the two
data sets in the previous discussion:
Data set Data set
1 2
350
400 400
500 400
500 450
500 500
600 1500
Mean 500 600
Median 500 425
Mode 500 400
Range 200 1150
Std. deviation 63 405
What the Standard Deviation Indicates
Consider the following three sets of data, which represent real estate sales
by a real estate office over a given time period (each sale is indicated by its
price in thousands of dollars).
The mean (average) for these sets of data are identical, but the data are
spread very differently, as the histograms below show clearly.
Set A Set B Set C
450 450 450 500 250 450 450 450 250 250 250 250 250
500 500 550 550 550 450 450 450 550 1000 250 1000 1000 1000
Statistical measures other than the mean help characterize the data
distribution more fully. Note that Data Sets B and C have the same range, as
well as the same mean. The low median and mode for Set C may point to
wider data dispersion than for Set B, but the most direct indication of data
variation is the standard deviation.
Mean Median Mode(s) Range Std. Dev.
Set A 500 500 450, 500, 550 100 29
Set B 500 450 450 750 192
Set C 500 250 250 750 354
Here are details on the three data sets.

Set A Set B Set C
x x¨Cavg x-av x- Set C x x-avg x-a
450 -50 2500 Set B x avg x - avg 250 -250 62
450 -50 2500 250 -250 62500 250 -250 62
450 -50 2500 450 -50 2500 250 -250 62
500 0 0 450 -50 2500 250 -250 62
500 0 0 450 -50 2500 250 -250 62
500 0 0 450 -50 2500 250 -250 62
550 50 2500 450 -50 2500 1000 500 250
550 50 2500 450 -50 2500 1000 500 250
550 50 2500 550 50 2500 1000 500 250
Tot4500 7500 1000 500 250000 Total 4500 112
n 9 9 Total 4500 330000 n 9
Ave 500 833 n 9 9 Average 500 125
Med 500 SD: 28.9 Average 500 36667 Median 250 SD: 35
Mode Median 450 SD: 191.5 Mode 250
s 450, 500, 550 Mode 450 Range 750
Range 100 Range 750
450 450 450 500 250 450 450 450 250 250 250 250 250
500 500 550 550 550 450 450 450 550 1000 250 1000 1000 1000
So the standard deviation is one of the statistical measures used to
characterize the distribution and central tendency of a set of data. The
standard deviation is particularly good for measuring the amount of variation
from the mean. On the GMAT, you probably will not need to calculate the
standard deviation, but your are responsible for understanding what it
means. The type of question that you might encounter is shown below:
Q . If the average of 5 data points is 3.5, which new data point would result
in the smallest standard deviation?
A. 2
B. 2.5
C. 3
D. 3.5
E. 4
The correct answer to this question is D. To minimize the standard deviation,
one should choose the value closest to the present mean. Answer D allows us
to choose a data point that equals the present mean, so it will add nothing to
the sum of the squared deviations. Since the number of data points will be
one more than before, the standard deviation will actually decrease slightly.
There is no need to actually calculate the standard deviation on this problem.
Statistical Measures for Large Samples and Populations
For large samples and populations, the primary statistical measures used are
the mean and standard deviation . The figure below shows a characteristic
normal distribution.
For a normal distribution (a sample or population which follows the typical

bell-shaped curve shown), 68% of the population lie within 1 standard
deviation of the mean. 95% of the population lie within 2 standard deviations
of the mean, and 99.7% lie within 3 standard deviations of the mean. The
other statistical measures (median, mode, and range) are subsumed by the
mean and standard deviation. For a large population, the 50 th percentile
(with a value equal to the mean) corresponds to the median for a small
sample. Likewise, the mean and 50 th percentile represent the mode of a
large normal distribution. For a large population, the range is not used
because even at the ¡°tails¡± of the distribution, there is a finite probability
of finding a data point. Instead, one characterizes the probability using the
number of standard deviations away from the mean. The percentile scores on
the GMAT are derived in this way.
Set X has 5 numbers, which average is greater than their median. Set Y has
7 numbers, which average is greater than their median also. If the 2 sets
have no common number and are combined to a new set, is the average of
the new set greater than its median?
1) The average of Y is greater than the average of X
2) The median of Y is greater than the median of X
If average of Y > X then we can't say nething abt their medians

If median of Y > X then we can't say nething abt their averages
If both average and median of Y > X then
example 1::
X:: 1 1 1 1 2
Y:: 3 3 3 3 4 4 4
New Set = 1 1 1 1 2 3 3 3 3 4 4 4
median = 3
average = 30/12 = 2.5
average < median
example 2::
X:: 1 2 3 4 6
Y:: 7 8 9 10 51 52 53
new set :: 1 2 3 4 6 7 8 9 10 51 52 53
median = 7.5
average = 206/12 = 17.17
average > median
Hence E...........

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Notes: MBA preparation

Combinatory and Probability

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8!/2! = 20160 (As ‘A’ appears twice)

1. The best answer is C.

2. The best answer is C.

3. The best answer is B.

4. The best answer is C.

5. The best answer is D.

6. The best answer is A.

7. The best answer is C.

8. The best answer is B.

10. The best answer is B.

11. The best answer is A.

12. The best answer is E.

13. The best answer is D.

14. The best answer is D.

15. The best answer is B.

16. The best answer is C.

17. The best answer is B.

18. The best answer is E.

19. The best answer is D.

20. The best answer is A.

21. The best answer is A.

22. The best answer is A.

23. The best answer is C.

24. The best answer is D.

25. The best answer is B.

26. The best answer is D.

27. The best answer is D.

28. The best answer is C.

29. The best answer is C.

30. The best answer is D.

31. The best answer is E.

32. The best answer is B.

33. The best answer is A.

34. The best answer is A.

35. The best answer is C.

37. The best answer is A.

38. The best answer is C.

The probability to get 3 red or 3 blue can be expressed as follows:

(Prob to get 3 red + Prob to get 3 blue)

Prob to get 3 red = Probability to get 3 red * probability to get 1 blue

So, the probability to get 3 red = 4 * (1/2) ^ 4

Similarly the probability to get 3 blue hats = 4*(1/2)^4 = 1/4

So, the total probability = ¼ + ¼ = ½

39. The best answer is E.

40. The best answer is .

41. The best answer is B.

43. The best answer is B.

In New England, 84% of the houses have

In a class of 30 students, there are 17 girls and

So total probability is 17+2/30 = 19/30

I will go with B-2/5

So answer is 4!*2/5! = 2/5

= 6C1 + 6C2 + 6C3 + 6C4 + 6C5 + 6C6

NUMBER OF COMBINATION WHEN 2I ARE NOT TOGETHER ARE

Total number of words can be 5!/2 (Divided by 2 as there are 2 'Is'.

So, the answer is 60-24 = 36

Five racers in a competition . No tie. How many possibilites A is ahead of B?

1st positiion - A is first ...that leaves 432*1 for theother positions

2nd position A is 2nd that leaves 31321..... (note A is fixed in 2nd

3rd position A is 3rd that leaves 32121

4th position A is the 4th position 32111

= 7P5 = 765 = 210

so 5342312*1... but remember because we have only 3 vowels and

When first digit is 2,6 or 8, the combinations are 35555

The probability to sit in a different car each time = (321)/(333) = 2/9

So, the probability is ½20/50 + ½15/50)

c) all couples sitting together = 6!8/9! = 8/98*7 = 1/63