Out-of-the-box methods for a few Mock-7 questions

Q=51- If you look at the answer options, you will understand the way in which the calculations were done to arrive at the answer. Basically, the two arc areas have been subtracted from something. They will add up to a semicircle with radius 5. Thus the amount to be subtracted is 1/2(pi*r^2) i.e. 12.5*pi. So, only options (1) and (5) can be correct. Now, if you just approximate the upper half of the figure as a rectangle of 10*6=60, and lower half as 10*5=50. you know that your first part must be about 110. The first option evaluates to approx. 95-12.5*pi, whereas the fifth option is only 60-12.5*pi. Hence correct ans is (1).

Q-53-In this question we have to find the perimeter, so I can say perimeter of trapezium ABDE is ab+bd+de+ae out of which we know the length of de=4, ae=8 so ae+de=12 and it is given that db=bc so I can say ae+de+ab+bc which implies 12+ac. Can I say that only the ans option 5 is written in the same form (integral part must be at least 12)?

Q-62-In this question the position of a circle is not defined so surely two cases are possible that means the option should contain combination which is not given in any option that means the ans has to be "cannot be determined".

Q-72 In this question polynomial is of the form (x-1)(x-2)(x-3)......................(x-51)+x, then only you will get the given remainders. When you put x=52, you will get f(52)=51!+52 and f(0)=-51! therefore the value of f(52)+f(0)=51!+52-51!=52.

So all you CAT aspirants, according to me the quant section was manageble and not difficult and the only thing you need to focus on is to be smarter than intelligent. While analyzing, the ideology is to identify where you went wrong and, yes-the important thing is if you got the right answer. Still look at the key and check what method they have used. It will definitely give you a new dimension to approach the question.

Cool Tech Ways to Understand Maths!

This one is for those of us who are a little perplexed with Maths Concepts. I believe that a lot of us belong to a breed of learners called "Visual Learners". You need to "see" something to understand, and an equation is surely not the most visually appealing thing!

So, I keep hitting some of the cool things on the web that help understand maths by hands-on approach. Try these out, and do let me know if it helped your understanding of the concept:

1. Centres of a Triangle: To understand how the centroid, orthocentre, incentre and circumcentre behave in different types of triangles, visit http://www.mathopenref.com/trianglecircumcenter.html.

2. Graphs: To get a hands-on feel of a cubic and quadratic function, visit http://www.mathopenref.com/cubicexplorer.html

3. To understand relationships between a central and inscribed angle in a circle, visit http://members.shaw.ca/ron.blond/Circle.Geom1.APPLET/index.html

There are a lot more interesting things on the web to be used for education and learning. I have found a useful way of accumulating all that information using delicious. If you don't yet know about delicious, google it out and start using it. You can view all my bookmarks that might be of use to you too.

IDIOMS-MORE IS LESS

I saw a very interesting question type in our MOCK-7 that dealt with the correct usage of Idioms.Well Idioms have always been the underdog in CAT preparation and have never been in focus per se but we should have a little insight on them especially since they do have considerable significance in SNAP and MH-CET.So here is a list of some uncommon idioms with meaning and usage that shall save you in case CAT catches you off guard.
Have an old head on young shoulders(To be wise beyond ones age)-Your brother has taken good care of the business after you fathers demise,he seems to have an old head on young shoulders.
Rest on ones oars(To stop working and rest for a while)-Having worked in the Food industry for several years,this old man is now resting on his oars.
To be in the wars(Hurt oneself)-My mother was shocked to see my condition,it was difficult to hide the fact that I had been in the wars.
By long odds(undisputably)-Pink Floyd is by long odds the greatest composers of all times.
To bid fair(seem likely)-He bids fair to rival his father as a director.
Within an ace of(almost on the verge of)-Rahul was within an ace of defeat at the carnival last year
Set ones face against(Oppose strictly)-As a primary school teacher, she set her face against the setting up of a shopping complex on the land alloted to the school.
Play fast and loose(say one thing and do another)-In todays time it is difficult to gauge who is playing fast and loose.
Take exception(object to)-Radha always takes exception to my opinions.
Into the bargain(in addition to,besides)-Nikhil spent a lot of time and energy for the GMAT preparation and invested a lot of money into the bargain.
Take heart(Cheer up)-Although he was disappointed with his results,he took heart and tried again.
Take to heart(Get deeply affected by)-He took to heart his wifes demise.
Gall and wormwood(hateful)-The ban on wearing scarves while riding bikes is gall and wormwood to the public.
Take to ones heels(Run off)-The thief took to his heels on seeing a policeman.
At sea(at a loss what to do or how to act,confused)-I am quite at sea with the job offers that i have received so far.
At Discretion(unconditionally)-The naxalites surrendered at discretion.
To the letter(exactly according to insructions to the details)-The boss preferred his instructions to be carried out to the letter.
Have many irons in the fire(engaged in too many enterprises at the same time)-The young lad may fall in trouble for he has too many irons in the fire.
At the first blush(at first sight)-The movie seemed worthless at the first blush.
Die in harness(Continue to the last in his/her business or profession)-My father constantly prayed to to die in harness.
A thorn in ones side(a source of annoyance)-His drunkard brother is a thorn in his side.
In Black and White(in writing)-I want the entire discussion to be in black and white to avoid any controversies in the future.
The long and short of it(the crux of the matter)-The long and short of it is that no one can sane you from failure if you dont work hard.
In the running(stand a good chance;have good prospects)-This year there are many students who are in the running for a 99 percentile in CAT.
Keep ones own counsel(To be reticent about ones opinions)-It is not always good to keep ones own counsel.
Stand to reason(a quite clear and undoubted fact)-It stands to reason that one who works hard shall definitely get good results.

So this is it from my side for now.Will keep you posted on some more unusual and unheard of idioms in my future blogs!

TSD

A car X starts from a town A and goes towards point C. At the same time, car Y starts from a town B(lying between A and C) and goes towards town C. X catches up with Y at a town M between B and C. A car Z starts from town A when the cars X and Y meet. The cars X and Z meet at a point N where CN=AB. The cars Y and Z meet at a point O where MO= 20 miles. Then the length of AB( given AC = 140 miles and BM = 20 miles) is

(a) 20 miles (b) 60 miles (c) 30 miles (d) 40 miles

Purpose of DI questions in CAT

Ask an MBA aspirant about the types of questions the Data Interpretation (DI) section of CAT contains and most will answer correctly that it contains graphs and tables. Ask them a follow-up to this question, viz. “What kinds of skills are tested by this section?” Most students will now flounder. Some will say that it tests your ability to read graphs, while others will opine that it evaluates your capability to make quick calculations. Their answers often lack an incisive understanding of the real purpose of this section.

Likewise, ask students how good they are in the DI section. Most will reply that it is an easy section (compared to the dreaded Problem Solving section or the Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for some) but it takes time to do calculations. This kind of answer indicates the faulty approach most students often take while dealing with this section.

Listening to feedback from students about their performance in this section soon after CAT, projects a new dimension. Most students will claim that they have done fairly well while the reality may be otherwise. They get a shock when they come to know about the actual answers and blame their bad luck for their appalling performance.

Such questions and answers give a clear indication that most students have not, unfortunately, understood the purpose of this section and the approaches to develop proficiency in this section. Without such an understanding, attempting DI problems is like embarking on a journey without knowing your destination and the means of transport.

This article aims to explain the purpose of DI questions.

Unraveling the Purpose of Data Interpretation
Data Interpretation section virtually puts a student in the shoes of a Business Manager, who is inundated with useful (and not so infrequently with useless) data and has to make some quick interpretation of the data to reach important decisions. Once presented with graphs or tables, the mental processor of a manager starts whirring at the top gear and selects, prunes, manipulates, and compares the data and reaches certain conclusions. Successful operations of these processes require that a manager possesses qualities like:
o An eye for detail,
o An ability to focus on key issues quickly,
o An ability to work on numbers in different ways,
o An ability to see a trend,
o An ability to identify exceptional situations,
o An ability to work with logical relationships and
o An ability to reach a conclusion using deductive logic.