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XAT 2025 answer key with solutions

This is the complete XAT 2025 question paper with answer key and solutions — 95 questions across Verbal Ability & Logical Reasoning, Decision Making, Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation, General Knowledge, 3h under XAT Part 1 → Part 2 timing. Part 1 (170m): VA & LR, Decision Making, QA & DI with free navigation. Part 2 (10m): GK only (no essay). +1 / −0.25; −0.10 after 8 free skips in Part 1; GK has no negatives. You can attempt this paper free on MBACracked under exam-accurate timing and unlock topic-wise analytics after you finish.

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Verbal Ability & Logical Reasoning(26 questions)

Q1Verbal Ability·Sentence Correction

Read the following sentences carefully. A. The dean asked for additional funding. B. The boss discussed about the new project with his team. C. Radhika is good in data interpretation. D. Neil is transitioning into a new phase of life. E. Rajat emphasized on the need for consistency in XAT preparation. F. This car is superior to the previous one in terms of efficiency.

Which of the following options contains only grammatically CORRECT sentences?

  • AB, C & D
  • BB, C & F
  • CC, E & F
  • DA, B & C
  • EA, D & FCorrect answer

Answer: E

Show explanation
Answer:E (A, D & F) What to find. Verbal ability — grammar / logic of the blank or insertion point. Steps. Check (1) what the blank must do in the argument, (2) pronoun/antecedent fit, (3) tone continuity. Why E. “A, D & F” is the only choice that preserves all three. Why the others fail. • A (“B, C & D”) — breaks grammar, reference, or argumentative direction at the blank. • B (“B, C & F”) — breaks grammar, reference, or argumentative direction at the blank. • C (“C, E & F”) — breaks grammar, reference, or argumentative direction at the blank. • D (“A, B & C”) — breaks grammar, reference, or argumentative direction at the blank.
Q2Verbal Ability·Sentence Correction

Read the following sentences carefully. A. There are less cars on the road today. B. She is nicer than her sister. C. I have been here from Monday. D. I know how to swim. E. She is the girl that won the case competition. F. The media are divided on the issue.

Which of the following options contains only grammatically CORRECT sentences?

  • AD, E & F
  • BA, D & F
  • CB, C & E
  • DB, D & FCorrect answer
  • EA, D & E

Answer: D

Show explanation
Answer:D (B, D & F) What to find. Verbal ability — grammar / logic of the blank or insertion point. Steps. Check (1) what the blank must do in the argument, (2) pronoun/antecedent fit, (3) tone continuity. Why D. “B, D & F” is the only choice that preserves all three. Why the others fail. • A (“D, E & F”) — breaks grammar, reference, or argumentative direction at the blank. • B (“A, D & F”) — breaks grammar, reference, or argumentative direction at the blank. • C (“B, C & E”) — breaks grammar, reference, or argumentative direction at the blank. • E (“A, D & E”) — breaks grammar, reference, or argumentative direction at the blank.
Q3Verbal Ability·Critical Reasoning

Read the following excerpt carefully. When each_________________ generation grows up, it looks down on the next as if we all forget what it feels like to be______________. When most____________ think about their own youthful indiscretions, they do so with a wink and a laugh. But when the same people think about those in today’s generation doing something similar, they _________________sound the alarm about a decline in morality in next generation. From the options below, choose the one that meaningfully fills up the blanks.

  • Ayoung, young, seniors, carefully
  • Bold, older, youngsters, sincerely
  • Csucceeding, next, people, naturally
  • Dpreceding, succeeding, folks, cautiously
  • Esuccessive, young, adults, hypocriticallyCorrect answer

Answer: E

Show explanation
Answer:E (successive, young, adults, hypocritically) What to find. Insert / choose the sentence that supplies the paragraph’s logical hinge. Steps. Read one sentence before and after the blank. Decide whether the gap needs contrast, example, cause, or conclusion — then test each option for reference and tone. Why E. “successive, young, adults, hypocritically” is the only sentence that preserves continuity without adding facts the paragraph never earned. Why the others fail. • A (“young, young, seniors, carefully”) — wrong hinge (contrast vs cause), tone mismatch, or unsupported claim. • B (“old, older, youngsters, sincerely”) — wrong hinge (contrast vs cause), tone mismatch, or unsupported claim. • C (“succeeding, next, people, naturally”) — wrong hinge (contrast vs cause), tone mismatch, or unsupported claim. • D (“preceding, succeeding, folks, cautiously”) — wrong hinge (contrast vs cause), tone mismatch, or unsupported claim.
Q4Verbal Ability·Paragraph Jumbles

Read the following statements and answer the question that follows. A. Whatever that might be on Europa—far from the Sun, and beneath kilometers of ice —it will not be sunlight. B. The final ingredient for a habitable world is a source of energy for life to exploit. C. On Earth almost every living thing ultimately depends on photosynthesis for its energy, including the rich ecosystems in the ocean depths, discovered in the 1980s and which helped the idea of life on Europa gain a foothold. D. Their inhabitants do not benefit from sunlight directly, but their metabolisms are powered by chemicals created in the photosynthesizing, oxygen-rich surface oceans far above. E. That is a bit of a problem.

Which of the following sequences is the MOST logically ordered?

  • AD, E, C, B, A
  • BC, E, B, A, D
  • CA, B, E, D, C
  • DB, A, E, C, DCorrect answer
  • EE, D, B, C, A

Answer: D

Show explanation
Answer:D (B, A, E, C, D) What to find. Verbal ability — grammar / logic of the blank or insertion point. Steps. Check (1) what the blank must do in the argument, (2) pronoun/antecedent fit, (3) tone continuity. Why D. “B, A, E, C, D” is the only choice that preserves all three. Why the others fail. • A (“D, E, C, B, A”) — breaks grammar, reference, or argumentative direction at the blank. • B (“C, E, B, A, D”) — breaks grammar, reference, or argumentative direction at the blank. • C (“A, B, E, D, C”) — breaks grammar, reference, or argumentative direction at the blank. • E (“E, D, B, C, A”) — breaks grammar, reference, or argumentative direction at the blank.
Q5Reading Comprehension·Inference

Read the following passage and answer the question that follows. No man knows how bad he is till he has tried very hard to be good. A silly idea is current that good people do not know what temptation means. This is an obvious lie. Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is. After all, you find out the strength of the German army by fighting against it, not by giving in. You find out the strength of a wind by trying to walk against it, not by lying down. A man who gives in to temptation after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like an hour later. That is why bad people, in one sense, know very little about badness — they have lived a sheltered life by always giving in.

Which of the following options can be BEST concluded from the passage?

  • ATo claim to know anything we must apply it in a situation and then judge ourselves.
  • BHow we label ourselves depends entirely on how much we have fought for that label.
  • CUnless we are put to test for our beliefs, we do not know what our true beliefs areCorrect answer
  • DMost of the population does not know what being bad or being good actually is.
  • ETo claim to be good people, we should know what temptation means

Answer: C

Show explanation
Answer:C What to find. This is a reading-comprehension item whose job is a passage-supported choice. Ignore decorative examples and focus on the sentence(s) that actually decide the stem. Steps. 1. Paraphrase the author’s claim in one plain line (scope + attitude). 2. Match each option against that paraphrase — keep only what the text warrants. 3. Drop choices that need outside knowledge, flip the author’s tone, or promote a side detail into the main point. Why C. “Unless we are put to test for our beliefs, we do not know what our true beliefs are” is the only option that stays inside the passage’s scope and tone for this stem. Why the others fail. • A (“To claim to know anything we must apply it in a situation and then judge ourselves.”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes. • B (“How we label ourselves depends entirely on how much we have fought for that label.”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes. • D (“Most of the population does not know what being bad or being good actually is.”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes. • E (“To claim to be good people, we should know what temptation means”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes.
Q6Verbal Ability·Paragraph Jumbles

Read the following statements and answer the question that follows. A. The treaty tests of a budget deficit no bigger than 3% of the GDP and a public debt converging towards a ceiling of 60% of a GDP seemed impossible for Italy to pass by 1999. B. That Belgium also had a public debt above 100 percent of GDP helped, as did a special euro tax Mr. Prodi introduced. C. Into the uncompromising environment came the first of a series of external shocks. One of the earliest was entry into the European single currency, the euro, in 1999. D. But when it became clear in 1997 that Spain was determined to join from the start, Romano Prodi, then Italian prime minister, decided that Italy, as a founder member of the bloc, must be there too. E. Germany had more or less designed the 1992 Maastricht treaty’s convergence criteria to keep out a profligate, chronically indebted Italy.

Which of the following sequences is the MOST logically ordered?

  • AA, B, C, D, E
  • BC, E, A, D, BCorrect answer
  • CE, A, B, C, D
  • DE, D, B, A, C
  • EC, B, D, E, A

Answer: B

Show explanation
Answer:B (C, E, A, D, B) What to find. Verbal ability — grammar / logic of the blank or insertion point. Steps. Check (1) what the blank must do in the argument, (2) pronoun/antecedent fit, (3) tone continuity. Why B. “C, E, A, D, B” is the only choice that preserves all three. Why the others fail. • A (“A, B, C, D, E”) — breaks grammar, reference, or argumentative direction at the blank. • C (“E, A, B, C, D”) — breaks grammar, reference, or argumentative direction at the blank. • D (“E, D, B, A, C”) — breaks grammar, reference, or argumentative direction at the blank. • E (“C, B, D, E, A”) — breaks grammar, reference, or argumentative direction at the blank.
Q7Reading Comprehension·Inference

Read the following passage and answer the question that follows. The lovely thing about the unsayable is that it is unsaid. As soon as it is said, it is sayable and loses all its mystery and ambiguity. Art exists so that the unsayable can be said without having to actually say it. We cloud it in secrecy and obfuscation. The mind is free to roam and all things can be imagined, under the cover of darkness. How nice that is. The unsayable. How tired we are of having things explained to us. Having things said. How nice it is when people just shut … up."

Which of the following options can be BEST inferred from the passage?

  • AArt unfolds the mystery of human tongues.
  • BAny piece of art defies expression.
  • CArt echoes the language that is unintelligible
  • DExplaining an art metamorphoses into another piece of art.
  • EArt expresses what humans cannot communicate in wordsCorrect answer

Answer: E

Show explanation
Answer:E (Art expresses what humans cannot communicate in words) What to find. This is a reading-comprehension item whose job is a inference. Ignore decorative examples and focus on the sentence(s) that actually decide the stem. Steps. 1. Paraphrase the author’s claim in one plain line (scope + attitude). 2. Match each option against that paraphrase — keep only what the text warrants. 3. Drop choices that need outside knowledge, flip the author’s tone, or promote a side detail into the main point. Why E. “Art expresses what humans cannot communicate in words” is the only option that stays inside the passage’s scope and tone for this stem. Why the others fail. • A (“Art unfolds the mystery of human tongues.”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes. • B (“Any piece of art defies expression.”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes. • C (“Art echoes the language that is unintelligible”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes. • D (“Explaining an art metamorphoses into another piece of art.”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes.
Q8Reading Comprehension·Inference

Read the following passage and answer the question that follows. Employees complaining about mundane tasks are often ignored. There is a listlessness that settles around them. A bored employee may continue to produce good results, but that can also be because the tasks are repetitive, and the outcomes are expected.

Which of the following options can be BEST inferred from the passage?

  • AMundane tasks create listlessness around good performers
  • BBoredom is a serious problem that needs immediate attention
  • CListlessness settles around good performers who are bored
  • DA bored employee must be a bad performer for the organization to take notice
  • EGood performance makes organizations overlook their employees’ state of mind.Correct answer

Answer: E

Show explanation
Answer:E What to find. This is a reading-comprehension item whose job is a inference. Ignore decorative examples and focus on the sentence(s) that actually decide the stem. Steps. 1. Paraphrase the author’s claim in one plain line (scope + attitude). 2. Match each option against that paraphrase — keep only what the text warrants. 3. Drop choices that need outside knowledge, flip the author’s tone, or promote a side detail into the main point. Why E. “Good performance makes organizations overlook their employees’ state of mind.” is the only option that stays inside the passage’s scope and tone for this stem. Why the others fail. • A (“Mundane tasks create listlessness around good performers”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes. • B (“Boredom is a serious problem that needs immediate attention”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes. • C (“Listlessness settles around good performers who are bored”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes. • D (“A bored employee must be a bad performer for the organization to take notice”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes.
Q9Verbal Ability·Critical Reasoning

Observe the cartoon below carefully and answer the question that follows.

XAT 2025 cartoon by Tom Toro
Cartoon by Tom Toro, originally published in The New Yorker on November 18, 2024. Used for educational purposes.

Which of the following options BEST explains the underlying message depicted in the cartoon?

  • AOur understanding of others, based on our beliefs, may not be true.Correct answer
  • BOur sense of duty for others can overwhelm our sense of self.
  • CLove is about caring for others even if it wears you out.
  • DOur interpretation of others’ reality is mostly arbitrary.
  • EOur sense of identity is based on how others interpret us.

Answer: A

Show explanation
Answer:A (Our understanding of others, based on our beliefs, may not be true.) What to find. Pick the summary that keeps the author’s scope and drops examples/asides. Steps. Write a one-line gist first; then eliminate options that invent causality, flip tone, or zoom into a minor illustration. Why A. “Our understanding of others, based on our beliefs, may not be true.” matches that gist without padding. Why the others fail. • B (“Our sense of duty for others can overwhelm our sense of self.”) — overclaims, underclaims, or elevates a supporting detail into the main point. • C (“Love is about caring for others even if it wears you out.”) — overclaims, underclaims, or elevates a supporting detail into the main point. • D (“Our interpretation of others’ reality is mostly arbitrary.”) — overclaims, underclaims, or elevates a supporting detail into the main point. • E (“Our sense of identity is based on how others interpret us.”) — overclaims, underclaims, or elevates a supporting detail into the main point.
Q10Reading Comprehension·Vocabulary in Context

Comprehension: You may laugh at a hat, but what you are making fun of, in this case, is not the piece of felt or straw, but the shape that men have given it, -- the human caprice whose mould it has assumed. It is strange that so important a fact, and such a simple one too, has not attracted to a greater degree the attention of philosophers. Several have defined man as "an animal which laughs." They might equally well have defined him as an animal which is laughed at; for if any other animal, or some lifeless object, produces the same effect, it is always because of some resemblance to man, of the stamp he gives it or the use he puts it to. Here I would point out, as a symptom equally worthy of notice, the ABSENCE OF FEELING which usually accompanies laughter. It seems as though the comic could not produce its disturbing effect unless it fell, so to say, on the surface of a soul that is thoroughly calm and unruffled. Indifference is its natural environment, for laughter has no greater foe than emotion. I do not mean that we could not laugh at a person who inspires us, with pity, for instance, or even with affection, but in such a case we must, for the moment, put our affection out of court and impose silence upon our pity. In a society composed of pure intelligences there would probably be no more tears, though perhaps there would still be laughter; whereas highly emotional souls, in tune and unison with life, in whom every event would be sentimentally prolonged and re-echoed, would neither know nor understand laughter. Try, for a moment, to become interested in everything that is being said and done; act, in imagination, with those who act, and feel with those who feel; in a word, give your sympathy its widest expansion: as though at the touch of a fairy wand you will see the flimsiest of objects assume importance, and a gloomy hue spread over everything. Now step aside, look upon life as a disinterested spectator: many a drama will turn into a comedy. It is enough for us to stop our ears to the sound of music, in a room where dancing is going on, for the dancers at once to appear ridiculous. How many human actions would stand a similar test? Should we not see many of them suddenly pass from grave to gay, on isolating them from the accompanying music of sentiment? To produce the whole of its effect, then, the comic demands something like a momentary anesthesia of the heart. Its appeal is to intelligence, pure and simple.

What does the author BEST mean when they say, “it seems as though the comic could not produce its disturbing effect unless it fell, so to say, on the surface of a soul that is thoroughly calm and unruffled?”

  • AComics are the most effective when the audience is unaware of the context.
  • BUnless one is emotionally detached from the event, it is impossible to appreciate a comical view.Correct answer
  • CRelaxed people tend to find edgy or disturbing comedy funnier
  • DTo appreciate humour with an unsettling tone, people benefit from being in a calm state.
  • EComical behaviour disturbs those more deeply whose minds are calm and composed

Answer: B

Show explanation
Answer:B What to find. This is a reading-comprehension item whose job is a passage-supported choice. Ignore decorative examples and focus on the sentence(s) that actually decide the stem. Steps. 1. Paraphrase the author’s claim in one plain line (scope + attitude). 2. Match each option against that paraphrase — keep only what the text warrants. 3. Drop choices that need outside knowledge, flip the author’s tone, or promote a side detail into the main point. Why B. “Unless one is emotionally detached from the event, it is impossible to appreciate a comical view.” is the only option that stays inside the passage’s scope and tone for this stem. Why the others fail. • A (“Comics are the most effective when the audience is unaware of the context.”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes. • C (“Relaxed people tend to find edgy or disturbing comedy funnier”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes. • D (“To appreciate humour with an unsettling tone, people benefit from being in a calm state.”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes. • E (“Comical behaviour disturbs those more deeply whose minds are calm and composed”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes.
Q11Reading Comprehension·Vocabulary in Context

Comprehension: You may laugh at a hat, but what you are making fun of, in this case, is not the piece of felt or straw, but the shape that men have given it, -- the human caprice whose mould it has assumed. It is strange that so important a fact, and such a simple one too, has not attracted to a greater degree the attention of philosophers. Several have defined man as "an animal which laughs." They might equally well have defined him as an animal which is laughed at; for if any other animal, or some lifeless object, produces the same effect, it is always because of some resemblance to man, of the stamp he gives it or the use he puts it to. Here I would point out, as a symptom equally worthy of notice, the ABSENCE OF FEELING which usually accompanies laughter. It seems as though the comic could not produce its disturbing effect unless it fell, so to say, on the surface of a soul that is thoroughly calm and unruffled. Indifference is its natural environment, for laughter has no greater foe than emotion. I do not mean that we could not laugh at a person who inspires us, with pity, for instance, or even with affection, but in such a case we must, for the moment, put our affection out of court and impose silence upon our pity. In a society composed of pure intelligences there would probably be no more tears, though perhaps there would still be laughter; whereas highly emotional souls, in tune and unison with life, in whom every event would be sentimentally prolonged and re-echoed, would neither know nor understand laughter. Try, for a moment, to become interested in everything that is being said and done; act, in imagination, with those who act, and feel with those who feel; in a word, give your sympathy its widest expansion: as though at the touch of a fairy wand you will see the flimsiest of objects assume importance, and a gloomy hue spread over everything. Now step aside, look upon life as a disinterested spectator: many a drama will turn into a comedy. It is enough for us to stop our ears to the sound of music, in a room where dancing is going on, for the dancers at once to appear ridiculous. How many human actions would stand a similar test? Should we not see many of them suddenly pass from grave to gay, on isolating them from the accompanying music of sentiment? To produce the whole of its effect, then, the comic demands something like a momentary anesthesia of the heart. Its appeal is to intelligence, pure and simple.

Based on the passage, which of the following statements CANNOT be inferred?

  • AComic happens in a setting of emotional detachment, having a sense of distance.
  • BInanimate objects can become a subject of laughter because they may project human characteristics
  • CWhen strong emotions are involved, laughter cannot be evoked.
  • DWhen you laugh at a hat, you laugh at a human being it represents
  • EHumour only springs from experiences that demand momentary anesthesiaCorrect answer

Answer: E

Show explanation
Answer:E (Humour only springs from experiences that demand momentary anesthesia) What to find. This is a reading-comprehension item whose job is a inference. Ignore decorative examples and focus on the sentence(s) that actually decide the stem. Steps. 1. Paraphrase the author’s claim in one plain line (scope + attitude). 2. Match each option against that paraphrase — keep only what the text warrants. 3. Drop choices that need outside knowledge, flip the author’s tone, or promote a side detail into the main point. Why E. “Humour only springs from experiences that demand momentary anesthesia” is the only option that stays inside the passage’s scope and tone for this stem. Why the others fail. • A (“Comic happens in a setting of emotional detachment, having a sense of distance.”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes. • B (“Inanimate objects can become a subject of laughter because they may project human characteristics”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes. • C (“When strong emotions are involved, laughter cannot be evoked.”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes. • D (“When you laugh at a hat, you laugh at a human being it represents”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes.
Q12Reading Comprehension·Vocabulary in Context

Comprehension: You may laugh at a hat, but what you are making fun of, in this case, is not the piece of felt or straw, but the shape that men have given it, -- the human caprice whose mould it has assumed. It is strange that so important a fact, and such a simple one too, has not attracted to a greater degree the attention of philosophers. Several have defined man as "an animal which laughs." They might equally well have defined him as an animal which is laughed at; for if any other animal, or some lifeless object, produces the same effect, it is always because of some resemblance to man, of the stamp he gives it or the use he puts it to. Here I would point out, as a symptom equally worthy of notice, the ABSENCE OF FEELING which usually accompanies laughter. It seems as though the comic could not produce its disturbing effect unless it fell, so to say, on the surface of a soul that is thoroughly calm and unruffled. Indifference is its natural environment, for laughter has no greater foe than emotion. I do not mean that we could not laugh at a person who inspires us, with pity, for instance, or even with affection, but in such a case we must, for the moment, put our affection out of court and impose silence upon our pity. In a society composed of pure intelligences there would probably be no more tears, though perhaps there would still be laughter; whereas highly emotional souls, in tune and unison with life, in whom every event would be sentimentally prolonged and re-echoed, would neither know nor understand laughter. Try, for a moment, to become interested in everything that is being said and done; act, in imagination, with those who act, and feel with those who feel; in a word, give your sympathy its widest expansion: as though at the touch of a fairy wand you will see the flimsiest of objects assume importance, and a gloomy hue spread over everything. Now step aside, look upon life as a disinterested spectator: many a drama will turn into a comedy. It is enough for us to stop our ears to the sound of music, in a room where dancing is going on, for the dancers at once to appear ridiculous. How many human actions would stand a similar test? Should we not see many of them suddenly pass from grave to gay, on isolating them from the accompanying music of sentiment? To produce the whole of its effect, then, the comic demands something like a momentary anesthesia of the heart. Its appeal is to intelligence, pure and simple.

Based on the passage, which of the following statements will the author BEST agree with?

  • ALife is a tragedy when seen in close up but a comedy in long-shot.Correct answer
  • BComedy is simply a funny way of being serious.
  • CComedy is but tragedy, cunningly disguised and popularized for the multitude
  • DA person who knows how to laugh at himself will never cease to be amused
  • EComedy is an escape, not from truth but from despair.

Answer: A

Show explanation
Answer:A (Life is a tragedy when seen in close up but a comedy in long-shot.) What to find. This is a reading-comprehension item whose job is a passage-supported choice. Ignore decorative examples and focus on the sentence(s) that actually decide the stem. Steps. 1. Paraphrase the author’s claim in one plain line (scope + attitude). 2. Match each option against that paraphrase — keep only what the text warrants. 3. Drop choices that need outside knowledge, flip the author’s tone, or promote a side detail into the main point. Why A. “Life is a tragedy when seen in close up but a comedy in long-shot.” is the only option that stays inside the passage’s scope and tone for this stem. Why the others fail. • B (“Comedy is simply a funny way of being serious.”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes. • C (“Comedy is but tragedy, cunningly disguised and popularized for the multitude”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes. • D (“A person who knows how to laugh at himself will never cease to be amused”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes. • E (“Comedy is an escape, not from truth but from despair.”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes.
Q13Reading Comprehension·Vocabulary in Context

Read the following passage and answer the THREE questions that follow. Recently, a team of social scientists launched an experiment to test that hypothesis. They recruited 1,500 entrepreneurs in West Africa—a mix of women and men in their 30s, 40s, and 50s—who were running small startups in manufacturing, service, and commerce. They randomly assigned the founders to one of three groups. One was a control group: they went about their business as usual. The other two were training groups: they spent a week learning new concepts, analyzing them in case studies of other entrepreneurs, and applying them to their own startups through role-play and reflection exercises. What differed was whether the training focused on cognitive skills or character skills. In cognitive skills training, the founders took an accredited business course created by the International Finance Corporation. They studied finance, accounting, HR, marketing, and pricing, and practiced using what they learned to solve challenges and seize opportunities. In character skills training, the founders attended a class designed by psychologists to teach personal initiative. They studied proactivity, discipline, and determination, and practiced putting those qualities into action. Character skills training had a dramatic impact. After founders had spent merely five days working on these skills, their firms’ profits grew by an average of 30 percent over the next two years. That was nearly triple the benefit of training in cognitive skills. Finance and marketing knowledge might have equipped founders to capitalize on opportunities, but studying proactivity and discipline enabled them to generate opportunities. They learned to anticipate market changes rather than react to them. They developed more creative ideas and introduced more new products. When they encountered financial obstacles, instead of giving up, they were more resilient and resourceful in seeking loans. Along with demonstrating that character skills can propel us to achieve greater things, this evidence reveals that it’s never too late to build them … Character doesn’t set like plaster—it retains its plasticity. Character is often confused with personality, but they’re not the same. Personality is your predisposition—your basic instincts for how to think, feel, and act. Character is your capacity to prioritize your values over your instincts. Knowing your principles doesn’t necessarily mean you know how to practice them, particularly under stress or pressure. It’s easy to be proactive and determined when things are going well. The true test of character is whether you manage to stand by those values when the deck is stacked against you. If personality is how you respond on a typical day, character is how you show up on a hard day. Personality is not your destiny—it’s your tendency. Character skills enable you to transcend that tendency to be true to your principles. It’s not about the traits you have—it’s what you decide to do with them. Wherever you are today, there’s no reason why you can’t grow your character skills starting now.

Which of the following views would the author BEST agree with?

  • APutting our values and principles to practice requires transcending our personality.Correct answer
  • BOur values and principles are always put to test by our personality.
  • COur behavior is a function of our character not our personality.
  • DCharacter skills risk abandoning your personality along with your instincts.
  • EBecause principles clash with your personality, character is needed.

Answer: A

Show explanation
Answer:A What to find. This is a reading-comprehension item whose job is a passage-supported choice. Ignore decorative examples and focus on the sentence(s) that actually decide the stem. Steps. 1. Paraphrase the author’s claim in one plain line (scope + attitude). 2. Match each option against that paraphrase — keep only what the text warrants. 3. Drop choices that need outside knowledge, flip the author’s tone, or promote a side detail into the main point. Why A. “Putting our values and principles to practice requires transcending our personality.” is the only option that stays inside the passage’s scope and tone for this stem. Why the others fail. • B (“Our values and principles are always put to test by our personality.”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes. • C (“Our behavior is a function of our character not our personality.”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes. • D (“Character skills risk abandoning your personality along with your instincts.”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes. • E (“Because principles clash with your personality, character is needed.”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes.
Q14Reading Comprehension·Vocabulary in Context

Read the following passage and answer the THREE questions that follow. Recently, a team of social scientists launched an experiment to test that hypothesis. They recruited 1,500 entrepreneurs in West Africa—a mix of women and men in their 30s, 40s, and 50s—who were running small startups in manufacturing, service, and commerce. They randomly assigned the founders to one of three groups. One was a control group: they went about their business as usual. The other two were training groups: they spent a week learning new concepts, analyzing them in case studies of other entrepreneurs, and applying them to their own startups through role-play and reflection exercises. What differed was whether the training focused on cognitive skills or character skills. In cognitive skills training, the founders took an accredited business course created by the International Finance Corporation. They studied finance, accounting, HR, marketing, and pricing, and practiced using what they learned to solve challenges and seize opportunities. In character skills training, the founders attended a class designed by psychologists to teach personal initiative. They studied proactivity, discipline, and determination, and practiced putting those qualities into action. Character skills training had a dramatic impact. After founders had spent merely five days working on these skills, their firms’ profits grew by an average of 30 percent over the next two years. That was nearly triple the benefit of training in cognitive skills. Finance and marketing knowledge might have equipped founders to capitalize on opportunities, but studying proactivity and discipline enabled them to generate opportunities. They learned to anticipate market changes rather than react to them. They developed more creative ideas and introduced more new products. When they encountered financial obstacles, instead of giving up, they were more resilient and resourceful in seeking loans. Along with demonstrating that character skills can propel us to achieve greater things, this evidence reveals that it’s never too late to build them … Character doesn’t set like plaster—it retains its plasticity. Character is often confused with personality, but they’re not the same. Personality is your predisposition—your basic instincts for how to think, feel, and act. Character is your capacity to prioritize your values over your instincts. Knowing your principles doesn’t necessarily mean you know how to practice them, particularly under stress or pressure. It’s easy to be proactive and determined when things are going well. The true test of character is whether you manage to stand by those values when the deck is stacked against you. If personality is how you respond on a typical day, character is how you show up on a hard day. Personality is not your destiny—it’s your tendency. Character skills enable you to transcend that tendency to be true to your principles. It’s not about the traits you have—it’s what you decide to do with them. Wherever you are today, there’s no reason why you can’t grow your character skills starting now.

Which of the following can be BEST inferred from the passage?

  • ACognitive skills unlike character skills are always reactive.
  • BBeing aware of your character skills enable you to exercise them.
  • CSustainable success in life requires strong character skills.Correct answer
  • DCharacter skills can compensate for poor cognitive skills.
  • ECharacter skills can be built only if one believes in them.

Answer: C

Show explanation
Answer:C (Sustainable success in life requires strong character skills.) What to find. This is a reading-comprehension item whose job is a inference. Ignore decorative examples and focus on the sentence(s) that actually decide the stem. Steps. 1. Paraphrase the author’s claim in one plain line (scope + attitude). 2. Match each option against that paraphrase — keep only what the text warrants. 3. Drop choices that need outside knowledge, flip the author’s tone, or promote a side detail into the main point. Why C. “Sustainable success in life requires strong character skills.” is the only option that stays inside the passage’s scope and tone for this stem. Why the others fail. • A (“Cognitive skills unlike character skills are always reactive.”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes. • B (“Being aware of your character skills enable you to exercise them.”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes. • D (“Character skills can compensate for poor cognitive skills.”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes. • E (“Character skills can be built only if one believes in them.”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes.
Q15Reading Comprehension·Vocabulary in Context

Read the following passage and answer the THREE questions that follow. Recently, a team of social scientists launched an experiment to test that hypothesis. They recruited 1,500 entrepreneurs in West Africa—a mix of women and men in their 30s, 40s, and 50s—who were running small startups in manufacturing, service, and commerce. They randomly assigned the founders to one of three groups. One was a control group: they went about their business as usual. The other two were training groups: they spent a week learning new concepts, analyzing them in case studies of other entrepreneurs, and applying them to their own startups through role-play and reflection exercises. What differed was whether the training focused on cognitive skills or character skills. In cognitive skills training, the founders took an accredited business course created by the International Finance Corporation. They studied finance, accounting, HR, marketing, and pricing, and practiced using what they learned to solve challenges and seize opportunities. In character skills training, the founders attended a class designed by psychologists to teach personal initiative. They studied proactivity, discipline, and determination, and practiced putting those qualities into action. Character skills training had a dramatic impact. After founders had spent merely five days working on these skills, their firms’ profits grew by an average of 30 percent over the next two years. That was nearly triple the benefit of training in cognitive skills. Finance and marketing knowledge might have equipped founders to capitalize on opportunities, but studying proactivity and discipline enabled them to generate opportunities. They learned to anticipate market changes rather than react to them. They developed more creative ideas and introduced more new products. When they encountered financial obstacles, instead of giving up, they were more resilient and resourceful in seeking loans. Along with demonstrating that character skills can propel us to achieve greater things, this evidence reveals that it’s never too late to build them … Character doesn’t set like plaster—it retains its plasticity. Character is often confused with personality, but they’re not the same. Personality is your predisposition—your basic instincts for how to think, feel, and act. Character is your capacity to prioritize your values over your instincts. Knowing your principles doesn’t necessarily mean you know how to practice them, particularly under stress or pressure. It’s easy to be proactive and determined when things are going well. The true test of character is whether you manage to stand by those values when the deck is stacked against you. If personality is how you respond on a typical day, character is how you show up on a hard day. Personality is not your destiny—it’s your tendency. Character skills enable you to transcend that tendency to be true to your principles. It’s not about the traits you have—it’s what you decide to do with them. Wherever you are today, there’s no reason why you can’t grow your character skills starting now.

Based on the passage, why would character skills help entrepreneurs more than cognitive skills?

  • ACharacter skills are industry agnostic in application.
  • BOne can be poor in finance and quantitative skills but really good in character skills
  • CCharacter skills prepare you for an uncertain future.Correct answer
  • DEntrepreneurs are already aware of their business and are only missing character skills.
  • ECharacter skills enable you to generate opportunities rather than capitalize on existing ones.

Answer: C

Show explanation
Answer:C (Character skills prepare you for an uncertain future.) What to find. This is a reading-comprehension item whose job is a passage-supported choice. Ignore decorative examples and focus on the sentence(s) that actually decide the stem. Steps. 1. Paraphrase the author’s claim in one plain line (scope + attitude). 2. Match each option against that paraphrase — keep only what the text warrants. 3. Drop choices that need outside knowledge, flip the author’s tone, or promote a side detail into the main point. Why C. “Character skills prepare you for an uncertain future.” is the only option that stays inside the passage’s scope and tone for this stem. Why the others fail. • A (“Character skills are industry agnostic in application.”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes. • B (“One can be poor in finance and quantitative skills but really good in character skills”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes. • D (“Entrepreneurs are already aware of their business and are only missing character skills.”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes. • E (“Character skills enable you to generate opportunities rather than capitalize on existing ones.”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes.
Q16Reading Comprehension·Structure & Organization

Read the following passage and answer the THREE questions that follow. Comprehension: This fluidity and situational dependence is uniquely human. In other species, in-group/outgroup distinctions reflect degrees of biological relatedness, or what evolutionary biologists call “kin selection.” Rodents distinguish between a sibling, a cousin, and a stranger by smell—fixed, genetically determined pheromonal signatures—and adapt their cooperation accordingly. Those murderous groups of chimps are largely made up of brothers or cousins who grew up together and predominantly harm outsiders. Humans are plenty capable of kin-selective violence themselves, yet human group mentality is often utterly independent of such instinctual familial bonds. Most modern human societies rely instead on cultural kin selection, a process allowing people to feel closely related to what are, in a biological sense, total strangers. Often, this requires a highly active process of inculcation, with its attendant rituals and vocabularies. Consider military drills producing “bands of brothers,” unrelated college freshmen becoming sorority “sisters,” or the bygone value of welcoming immigrants into “the American family.” This malleable, rather than genetically fixed, path of identity formation also drives people to adopt arbitrary markers that enable them to spot their cultural kin in an ocean of strangers—hence the importance various communities attach to flags, dress, or facial hair. The hipster beard, the turban, and the “Make America Great Again” hat all fulfill this role by sending strong signals of tribal belonging. Moreover, these cultural communities are arbitrary when compared to the relatively fixed logic of biological kin selection. Few things show this arbitrariness better than the experience of immigrant families, where the randomness of a visa lottery can radically reshuffle a child’s education, career opportunities, and cultural predilections. Had my grandparents and father missed the train out of Moscow that they instead barely made, maybe I’d be a chain-smoking Russian academic rather than a Birkenstock-wearing American one, moved to tears by the heroism during the Battle of Stalingrad rather than that at Pearl Harbor. Scaled up from the level of individual family histories, our big-picture group identities—the national identities and cultural principles that structure our lives—are just as arbitrary and subject to the vagaries of history.

Based on the passage, how are rodents and humans similar to each other?

  • ABoth rodents and humans carry a genetically determined pheromonal signature.
  • BBoth rodents and humans can reign their instincts.
  • CBoth rodents and humans make their groups exclusive of brothers and cousins.
  • DBoth rodents and humans divide the world between “us” and “them.”Correct answer
  • EBoth rodents and humans are hostile towards outsiders.

Answer: D

Show explanation
Answer:D (Both rodents and humans divide the world between “us” and “them.”) What to find. This is a reading-comprehension item whose job is a passage-supported choice. Ignore decorative examples and focus on the sentence(s) that actually decide the stem. Steps. 1. Paraphrase the author’s claim in one plain line (scope + attitude). 2. Match each option against that paraphrase — keep only what the text warrants. 3. Drop choices that need outside knowledge, flip the author’s tone, or promote a side detail into the main point. Why D. “Both rodents and humans divide the world between “us” and “them.”” is the only option that stays inside the passage’s scope and tone for this stem. Why the others fail. • A (“Both rodents and humans carry a genetically determined pheromonal signature.”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes. • B (“Both rodents and humans can reign their instincts.”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes. • C (“Both rodents and humans make their groups exclusive of brothers and cousins.”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes. • E (“Both rodents and humans are hostile towards outsiders.”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes.
Q17Reading Comprehension·Vocabulary in Context

Read the following passage and answer the THREE questions that follow. Comprehension: This fluidity and situational dependence is uniquely human. In other species, in-group/outgroup distinctions reflect degrees of biological relatedness, or what evolutionary biologists call “kin selection.” Rodents distinguish between a sibling, a cousin, and a stranger by smell—fixed, genetically determined pheromonal signatures—and adapt their cooperation accordingly. Those murderous groups of chimps are largely made up of brothers or cousins who grew up together and predominantly harm outsiders. Humans are plenty capable of kin-selective violence themselves, yet human group mentality is often utterly independent of such instinctual familial bonds. Most modern human societies rely instead on cultural kin selection, a process allowing people to feel closely related to what are, in a biological sense, total strangers. Often, this requires a highly active process of inculcation, with its attendant rituals and vocabularies. Consider military drills producing “bands of brothers,” unrelated college freshmen becoming sorority “sisters,” or the bygone value of welcoming immigrants into “the American family.” This malleable, rather than genetically fixed, path of identity formation also drives people to adopt arbitrary markers that enable them to spot their cultural kin in an ocean of strangers—hence the importance various communities attach to flags, dress, or facial hair. The hipster beard, the turban, and the “Make America Great Again” hat all fulfill this role by sending strong signals of tribal belonging. Moreover, these cultural communities are arbitrary when compared to the relatively fixed logic of biological kin selection. Few things show this arbitrariness better than the experience of immigrant families, where the randomness of a visa lottery can radically reshuffle a child’s education, career opportunities, and cultural predilections. Had my grandparents and father missed the train out of Moscow that they instead barely made, maybe I’d be a chain-smoking Russian academic rather than a Birkenstock-wearing American one, moved to tears by the heroism during the Battle of Stalingrad rather than that at Pearl Harbor. Scaled up from the level of individual family histories, our big-picture group identities—the national identities and cultural principles that structure our lives—are just as arbitrary and subject to the vagaries of history.

What does the author BEST mean when they say, “This fluidity and situational dependence is uniquely human?”

  • AHumans' kin selection is not based on instinctual familial bonds while relating to strangers.
  • BHumans use cognitive architecture to detect any potential cues about social coalitions and alliances.
  • CHumans are uniquely progressive and ever evolving.
  • DThe implicit traits that humans associate with can change over time
  • EHumans’ in-group/out-group thinking is influenced by their space and time.Correct answer

Answer: E

Show explanation
Answer:E What to find. This is a reading-comprehension item whose job is a passage-supported choice. Ignore decorative examples and focus on the sentence(s) that actually decide the stem. Steps. 1. Paraphrase the author’s claim in one plain line (scope + attitude). 2. Match each option against that paraphrase — keep only what the text warrants. 3. Drop choices that need outside knowledge, flip the author’s tone, or promote a side detail into the main point. Why E. “Humans’ in-group/out-group thinking is influenced by their space and time.” is the only option that stays inside the passage’s scope and tone for this stem. Why the others fail. • A (“Humans' kin selection is not based on instinctual familial bonds while relating to strangers.”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes. • B (“Humans use cognitive architecture to detect any potential cues about social coalitions and alliance…”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes. • C (“Humans are uniquely progressive and ever evolving.”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes. • D (“The implicit traits that humans associate with can change over time”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes.
Q18Reading Comprehension·Vocabulary in Context

Read the following passage and answer the THREE questions that follow. Comprehension: This fluidity and situational dependence is uniquely human. In other species, in-group/outgroup distinctions reflect degrees of biological relatedness, or what evolutionary biologists call “kin selection.” Rodents distinguish between a sibling, a cousin, and a stranger by smell—fixed, genetically determined pheromonal signatures—and adapt their cooperation accordingly. Those murderous groups of chimps are largely made up of brothers or cousins who grew up together and predominantly harm outsiders. Humans are plenty capable of kin-selective violence themselves, yet human group mentality is often utterly independent of such instinctual familial bonds. Most modern human societies rely instead on cultural kin selection, a process allowing people to feel closely related to what are, in a biological sense, total strangers. Often, this requires a highly active process of inculcation, with its attendant rituals and vocabularies. Consider military drills producing “bands of brothers,” unrelated college freshmen becoming sorority “sisters,” or the bygone value of welcoming immigrants into “the American family.” This malleable, rather than genetically fixed, path of identity formation also drives people to adopt arbitrary markers that enable them to spot their cultural kin in an ocean of strangers—hence the importance various communities attach to flags, dress, or facial hair. The hipster beard, the turban, and the “Make America Great Again” hat all fulfill this role by sending strong signals of tribal belonging. Moreover, these cultural communities are arbitrary when compared to the relatively fixed logic of biological kin selection. Few things show this arbitrariness better than the experience of immigrant families, where the randomness of a visa lottery can radically reshuffle a child’s education, career opportunities, and cultural predilections. Had my grandparents and father missed the train out of Moscow that they instead barely made, maybe I’d be a chain-smoking Russian academic rather than a Birkenstock-wearing American one, moved to tears by the heroism during the Battle of Stalingrad rather than that at Pearl Harbor. Scaled up from the level of individual family histories, our big-picture group identities—the national identities and cultural principles that structure our lives—are just as arbitrary and subject to the vagaries of history.

What does the author BEST mean when they refer to the Battle of Stalingrad and Pearl Harbour?

  • AOur identities and emotional attachments are subject to erratic interpretation of history.
  • BHumans’ relationship with any specific place depends upon their lineage and ancestry
  • CHumans do not follow any specific logic when they develop association with a particular cultural community
  • DHumans’ interpretation of specific events depends on their emotional association with them.Correct answer
  • EHumans are capable of selective violence towards each other.

Answer: D

Show explanation
Answer:D What to find. This is a reading-comprehension item whose job is a passage-supported choice. Ignore decorative examples and focus on the sentence(s) that actually decide the stem. Steps. 1. Paraphrase the author’s claim in one plain line (scope + attitude). 2. Match each option against that paraphrase — keep only what the text warrants. 3. Drop choices that need outside knowledge, flip the author’s tone, or promote a side detail into the main point. Why D. “Humans’ interpretation of specific events depends on their emotional association with them.” is the only option that stays inside the passage’s scope and tone for this stem. Why the others fail. • A (“Our identities and emotional attachments are subject to erratic interpretation of history.”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes. • B (“Humans’ relationship with any specific place depends upon their lineage and ancestry”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes. • C (“Humans do not follow any specific logic when they develop association with a particular cultural co…”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes. • E (“Humans are capable of selective violence towards each other.”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes.
Q19Reading Comprehension·Vocabulary in Context

Comprehension: Work, for many on the career track, is greedy. The individual who puts in overtime, weekend time, or evening time will earn a lot more—so much more that, even on an hourly basis, the person is earning more.… The greediness of work means that couples with children or other care responsibilities would gain by doing a bit of specialization. This specialization doesn’t mean catapulting back to the world of Leave It to Beaver. Women will still pursue demanding careers. But one member of the couple will be on call at home, ready to leave the office or workplace at a moment’s notice. That person will have a position with considerable flexibility and will ordinarily not be expected to answer an e-mail or a call at ten p. m. That parent will not have to cancel an appearance at soccer practice for an M&A. The other parent, however, will be on call at work and do just the opposite. The potential impact on promotion, advancement, and earnings is obvious. The work of professionals and managers has always been greedy. Lawyers have always burned the midnight oil. Academics have always been judged for their cerebral output and are expected not to turn their brains off in the evenings. Most doctors and veterinarians were once on call 247. The value of greedy jobs has greatly increased with rising income inequality, which has soared since the early 1980s. Earnings at the very upper end of the income distribution have ballooned. The worker who jumps the highest gets an ever-bigger reward. The jobs with the greatest demands for long hours and the least flexibility have paid disproportionately more, while earnings in other employments have stagnated. Thus, positions that have been more difficult for women to enter in the first place, such as those in finance, are precisely the ones that have seen the greatest increases in income in the last several decades. The private equity associate who sees the deal through from beginning to end, who did the difficult modeling, and who went to every meeting and late-night dinner, will have maximum chance for a big bonus and the sought-after promotion. Rising inequality in earnings may be one important reason why the gender pay gap among college graduates has remained flat in the last several decades, despite improvements in women’s credentials and positions. It may be the reason why the gender earnings gap for college graduates became larger than that between men and women in the entire population in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Women have been swimming upstream, holding their own but going against a strong current of endemic income inequality. Greedy work also means that couple equity has been, and will continue to be, jettisoned for increased family income. And when couple equity is thrown out the window, gender equality generally goes with it, except among same-sex unions. Gender norms that we have inherited get reinforced in a host of ways to allot more of the childcare responsibility to mothers, and more of the family care to grown daughters.

Which of the following statements CANNOT be inferred from the passage?

  • AFlexibility in work may result in relatively lesser income.
  • BThe root of all problems in the world is greed.Correct answer
  • CWomen can be equally greedy as men.
  • DMany of those toiling hard on the career track are greedy
  • EJobs that extract the most out of the workforce also pay more

Answer: B

Show explanation
Answer:B (The root of all problems in the world is greed.) What to find. This is a reading-comprehension item whose job is a inference. Ignore decorative examples and focus on the sentence(s) that actually decide the stem. Steps. 1. Paraphrase the author’s claim in one plain line (scope + attitude). 2. Match each option against that paraphrase — keep only what the text warrants. 3. Drop choices that need outside knowledge, flip the author’s tone, or promote a side detail into the main point. Why B. “The root of all problems in the world is greed.” is the only option that stays inside the passage’s scope and tone for this stem. Why the others fail. • A (“Flexibility in work may result in relatively lesser income.”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes. • C (“Women can be equally greedy as men.”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes. • D (“Many of those toiling hard on the career track are greedy”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes. • E (“Jobs that extract the most out of the workforce also pay more”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes.
Q20Reading Comprehension·Vocabulary in Context

Comprehension: Work, for many on the career track, is greedy. The individual who puts in overtime, weekend time, or evening time will earn a lot more—so much more that, even on an hourly basis, the person is earning more.… The greediness of work means that couples with children or other care responsibilities would gain by doing a bit of specialization. This specialization doesn’t mean catapulting back to the world of Leave It to Beaver. Women will still pursue demanding careers. But one member of the couple will be on call at home, ready to leave the office or workplace at a moment’s notice. That person will have a position with considerable flexibility and will ordinarily not be expected to answer an e-mail or a call at ten p. m. That parent will not have to cancel an appearance at soccer practice for an M&A. The other parent, however, will be on call at work and do just the opposite. The potential impact on promotion, advancement, and earnings is obvious. The work of professionals and managers has always been greedy. Lawyers have always burned the midnight oil. Academics have always been judged for their cerebral output and are expected not to turn their brains off in the evenings. Most doctors and veterinarians were once on call 247. The value of greedy jobs has greatly increased with rising income inequality, which has soared since the early 1980s. Earnings at the very upper end of the income distribution have ballooned. The worker who jumps the highest gets an ever-bigger reward. The jobs with the greatest demands for long hours and the least flexibility have paid disproportionately more, while earnings in other employments have stagnated. Thus, positions that have been more difficult for women to enter in the first place, such as those in finance, are precisely the ones that have seen the greatest increases in income in the last several decades. The private equity associate who sees the deal through from beginning to end, who did the difficult modeling, and who went to every meeting and late-night dinner, will have maximum chance for a big bonus and the sought-after promotion. Rising inequality in earnings may be one important reason why the gender pay gap among college graduates has remained flat in the last several decades, despite improvements in women’s credentials and positions. It may be the reason why the gender earnings gap for college graduates became larger than that between men and women in the entire population in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Women have been swimming upstream, holding their own but going against a strong current of endemic income inequality. Greedy work also means that couple equity has been, and will continue to be, jettisoned for increased family income. And when couple equity is thrown out the window, gender equality generally goes with it, except among same-sex unions. Gender norms that we have inherited get reinforced in a host of ways to allot more of the childcare responsibility to mothers, and more of the family care to grown daughters.

Which of the following about greedy work is CORRECT, as per the passage?

  • AOrganizations prefer only those who surrender their everything to the organization
  • BWith more women coming into the workforce, work itself is becoming greedier.
  • CWork that requires more time investment and dedication tend to pay more, and hence are sought afterCorrect answer
  • DGreedy work is a result of greedy corporations, who reward greedy people
  • EEmployees willing to sacrifice their leisure and time with families must be rewarded with higher pay

Answer: C

Show explanation
Answer:C What to find. This is a reading-comprehension item whose job is a passage-supported choice. Ignore decorative examples and focus on the sentence(s) that actually decide the stem. Steps. 1. Paraphrase the author’s claim in one plain line (scope + attitude). 2. Match each option against that paraphrase — keep only what the text warrants. 3. Drop choices that need outside knowledge, flip the author’s tone, or promote a side detail into the main point. Why C. “Work that requires more time investment and dedication tend to pay more, and hence are sought after” is the only option that stays inside the passage’s scope and tone for this stem. Why the others fail. • A (“Organizations prefer only those who surrender their everything to the organization”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes. • B (“With more women coming into the workforce, work itself is becoming greedier.”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes. • D (“Greedy work is a result of greedy corporations, who reward greedy people”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes. • E (“Employees willing to sacrifice their leisure and time with families must be rewarded with higher pay”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes.
Q21Reading Comprehension·Vocabulary in Context

Comprehension: Work, for many on the career track, is greedy. The individual who puts in overtime, weekend time, or evening time will earn a lot more—so much more that, even on an hourly basis, the person is earning more.… The greediness of work means that couples with children or other care responsibilities would gain by doing a bit of specialization. This specialization doesn’t mean catapulting back to the world of Leave It to Beaver. Women will still pursue demanding careers. But one member of the couple will be on call at home, ready to leave the office or workplace at a moment’s notice. That person will have a position with considerable flexibility and will ordinarily not be expected to answer an e-mail or a call at ten p. m. That parent will not have to cancel an appearance at soccer practice for an M&A. The other parent, however, will be on call at work and do just the opposite. The potential impact on promotion, advancement, and earnings is obvious. The work of professionals and managers has always been greedy. Lawyers have always burned the midnight oil. Academics have always been judged for their cerebral output and are expected not to turn their brains off in the evenings. Most doctors and veterinarians were once on call 247. The value of greedy jobs has greatly increased with rising income inequality, which has soared since the early 1980s. Earnings at the very upper end of the income distribution have ballooned. The worker who jumps the highest gets an ever-bigger reward. The jobs with the greatest demands for long hours and the least flexibility have paid disproportionately more, while earnings in other employments have stagnated. Thus, positions that have been more difficult for women to enter in the first place, such as those in finance, are precisely the ones that have seen the greatest increases in income in the last several decades. The private equity associate who sees the deal through from beginning to end, who did the difficult modeling, and who went to every meeting and late-night dinner, will have maximum chance for a big bonus and the sought-after promotion. Rising inequality in earnings may be one important reason why the gender pay gap among college graduates has remained flat in the last several decades, despite improvements in women’s credentials and positions. It may be the reason why the gender earnings gap for college graduates became larger than that between men and women in the entire population in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Women have been swimming upstream, holding their own but going against a strong current of endemic income inequality. Greedy work also means that couple equity has been, and will continue to be, jettisoned for increased family income. And when couple equity is thrown out the window, gender equality generally goes with it, except among same-sex unions. Gender norms that we have inherited get reinforced in a host of ways to allot more of the childcare responsibility to mothers, and more of the family care to grown daughters.

Based on the passage, which of the following options BEST summarizes the author’s views?

  • AIn heterosexual unions, women must pay a price to see their husbands rise to fame.
  • BGreedy work reinforces extant gender norms, leading to gender pay gap.Correct answer
  • CGreedy work is the single most important reason for the gender pay gap we see in the society.
  • DGreedy work results in a men’s club, ensuring that women do not get to be a part.
  • EAs women try to fight against gender norms, greedy work is their most formidable enemy

Answer: B

Show explanation
Answer:B (Greedy work reinforces extant gender norms, leading to gender pay gap.) What to find. This is a reading-comprehension item whose job is a passage-supported choice. Ignore decorative examples and focus on the sentence(s) that actually decide the stem. Steps. 1. Paraphrase the author’s claim in one plain line (scope + attitude). 2. Match each option against that paraphrase — keep only what the text warrants. 3. Drop choices that need outside knowledge, flip the author’s tone, or promote a side detail into the main point. Why B. “Greedy work reinforces extant gender norms, leading to gender pay gap.” is the only option that stays inside the passage’s scope and tone for this stem. Why the others fail. • A (“In heterosexual unions, women must pay a price to see their husbands rise to fame.”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes. • C (“Greedy work is the single most important reason for the gender pay gap we see in the society.”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes. • D (“Greedy work results in a men’s club, ensuring that women do not get to be a part.”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes. • E (“As women try to fight against gender norms, greedy work is their most formidable enemy”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes.
Q22Reading Comprehension·Poem & Literary Analysis

Read the following poem and answer the TWO questions that follow. Comprehension: Look how you turned on the ceiling fan—it’s too high, see how it shakes and trembles. You walk into this room with your hot ideas and the ceiling fan has to work harder to cool down the room for us. You walk into this room with your crazy eyes and the ceiling fan wants to fly loose. It dreams of becoming a spider lily.

Which of the following statements BEST conveys the theme of the poem?

  • AThe poem talks about inner conflict resolved by an attempt to restore balance
  • BThe poem conveys fear and anxiety due to the loss of stability.Correct answer
  • CThe poem conveys a subtle art of argumentation and counter-argumentation
  • DThe poem talks about a conflict between transformation and escapism
  • EThe poem conveys quest for self during emotional turmoil

Answer: B

Show explanation
Answer:B (The poem conveys fear and anxiety due to the loss of stability.) What to find. This is a reading-comprehension item whose job is a passage-supported choice. Ignore decorative examples and focus on the sentence(s) that actually decide the stem. Steps. 1. Paraphrase the author’s claim in one plain line (scope + attitude). 2. Match each option against that paraphrase — keep only what the text warrants. 3. Drop choices that need outside knowledge, flip the author’s tone, or promote a side detail into the main point. Why B. “The poem conveys fear and anxiety due to the loss of stability.” is the only option that stays inside the passage’s scope and tone for this stem. Why the others fail. • A (“The poem talks about inner conflict resolved by an attempt to restore balance”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes. • C (“The poem conveys a subtle art of argumentation and counter-argumentation”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes. • D (“The poem talks about a conflict between transformation and escapism”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes. • E (“The poem conveys quest for self during emotional turmoil”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes.
Q23Reading Comprehension·Poem & Literary Analysis

Read the following poem and answer the TWO questions that follow. Comprehension: Look how you turned on the ceiling fan—it’s too high, see how it shakes and trembles. You walk into this room with your hot ideas and the ceiling fan has to work harder to cool down the room for us. You walk into this room with your crazy eyes and the ceiling fan wants to fly loose. It dreams of becoming a spider lily.

What does the author BEST mean, when she says, “You walk into this room with your hot ideas and the ceiling fan has to work harder to cool down the room for us?”

  • AThat the person’s presence makes the ceiling fan lose its ability to handle intense energy.
  • BThat the person brings with him passionate intellectual and emotional energy
  • CThat the person’s presence develops self-doubt in others.
  • DThat the person’s hostile presence makes others feel unwelcomed
  • EThat the person’s presence creates palpable tension in the room.Correct answer

Answer: E

Show explanation
Answer:E (That the person’s presence creates palpable tension in the room.) What to find. This is a reading-comprehension item whose job is a passage-supported choice. Ignore decorative examples and focus on the sentence(s) that actually decide the stem. Steps. 1. Paraphrase the author’s claim in one plain line (scope + attitude). 2. Match each option against that paraphrase — keep only what the text warrants. 3. Drop choices that need outside knowledge, flip the author’s tone, or promote a side detail into the main point. Why E. “That the person’s presence creates palpable tension in the room.” is the only option that stays inside the passage’s scope and tone for this stem. Why the others fail. • A (“That the person’s presence makes the ceiling fan lose its ability to handle intense energy.”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes. • B (“That the person brings with him passionate intellectual and emotional energy”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes. • C (“That the person’s presence develops self-doubt in others.”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes. • D (“That the person’s hostile presence makes others feel unwelcomed”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes.
Q24Reading Comprehension·Specific Detail

Read the following passage and answer the THREE questions that follow. No one argues that the rich should be rich because they were born to wealthy parents. Critics of inequality may complain that those who would abolish inheritance taxes, say, are implicitly endorsing hereditary privilege. But no one defends hereditary privilege outright or disputes the principle that careers should be open to talents. Most of our debates about access to jobs, education, and public office proceed from the premise of equal opportunity. Our disagreements are less about the principle itself than about what it requires. For example, critics of affirmative action in hiring and college admissions argue that such policies are inconsistent with equality of opportunity, because they judge applicants on factors other than merit. Defenders of affirmative action reply that such policies are necessary to make equality of opportunity a reality for members of groups that have suffered discrimination or disadvantage. At the level of principle at least, and political rhetoric, meritocracy has won the day. In democracies throughout the world, politicians of the center-left and center-right claim that their policies are the ones that will enable all citizens, whatever their race or ethnicity, gender or class, to compete on equal terms and to rise as far as their efforts and talents will take them. When people complain about meritocracy, the complaint is usually not about the ideal but about our failure to live up to it: The wealthy and powerful have rigged the system to perpetuate their privilege; the professional classes have figured out how to pass their advantages on to their children, converting the meritocracy into a hereditary aristocracy; colleges that claim to select students on merit give an edge to the sons and daughters of the wealthy and the well-connected. According to this complaint, meritocracy is a myth, a distant promise yet to be redeemed.

Based on the passage, which of the following inferences CANNOT be drawn?

  • AThough the wealthy can pass their advantages to their children, wealth and privilege cannot undermine meritocracy.Correct answer
  • BEquality of opportunity is widely accepted in principle, but there is disagreement about how to achieve it.
  • CMeritocracy is a popular ideal in political rhetoric, promoted across the political spectrum.
  • DHereditary privilege is not openly defended but can be perpetuated through policies like the abolition of inheritance taxes.
  • EMeritocracy is seen by some as an unfulfilled promise, with the system still skewed in favour of the well-connected.

Answer: A

Show explanation
Answer:A What to find. This is a reading-comprehension item whose job is a inference. Ignore decorative examples and focus on the sentence(s) that actually decide the stem. Steps. 1. Paraphrase the author’s claim in one plain line (scope + attitude). 2. Match each option against that paraphrase — keep only what the text warrants. 3. Drop choices that need outside knowledge, flip the author’s tone, or promote a side detail into the main point. Why A. “Though the wealthy can pass their advantages to their children, wealth and privilege cannot undermine meritocracy.” is the only option that stays inside the passage’s scope and tone for this stem. Why the others fail. • B (“Equality of opportunity is widely accepted in principle, but there is disagreement about how to ach…”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes. • C (“Meritocracy is a popular ideal in political rhetoric, promoted across the political spectrum.”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes. • D (“Hereditary privilege is not openly defended but can be perpetuated through policies like the abolit…”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes. • E (“Meritocracy is seen by some as an unfulfilled promise, with the system still skewed in favour of th…”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes.
Q25Reading Comprehension·Specific Detail

Read the following passage and answer the THREE questions that follow. No one argues that the rich should be rich because they were born to wealthy parents. Critics of inequality may complain that those who would abolish inheritance taxes, say, are implicitly endorsing hereditary privilege. But no one defends hereditary privilege outright or disputes the principle that careers should be open to talents. Most of our debates about access to jobs, education, and public office proceed from the premise of equal opportunity. Our disagreements are less about the principle itself than about what it requires. For example, critics of affirmative action in hiring and college admissions argue that such policies are inconsistent with equality of opportunity, because they judge applicants on factors other than merit. Defenders of affirmative action reply that such policies are necessary to make equality of opportunity a reality for members of groups that have suffered discrimination or disadvantage. At the level of principle at least, and political rhetoric, meritocracy has won the day. In democracies throughout the world, politicians of the center-left and center-right claim that their policies are the ones that will enable all citizens, whatever their race or ethnicity, gender or class, to compete on equal terms and to rise as far as their efforts and talents will take them. When people complain about meritocracy, the complaint is usually not about the ideal but about our failure to live up to it: The wealthy and powerful have rigged the system to perpetuate their privilege; the professional classes have figured out how to pass their advantages on to their children, converting the meritocracy into a hereditary aristocracy; colleges that claim to select students on merit give an edge to the sons and daughters of the wealthy and the well-connected. According to this complaint, meritocracy is a myth, a distant promise yet to be redeemed.

Which of the following can be BEST concluded from the passage?

  • AMeritocracy is a utopian system that is difficult to implement as the wealthy rigs the system.
  • BIn an unequal society, any attempt to execute meritocracy perpetuates inequality.Correct answer
  • CMeritocracy is desired by everybody, but despised by those rejected by it.
  • DMeritocracy is accepted by everyone, but not understood by anyone.
  • EEverybody admires meritocracy, until it is they or their children’s career on the line.

Answer: B

Show explanation
Answer:B What to find. This is a reading-comprehension item whose job is a detail check. Ignore decorative examples and focus on the sentence(s) that actually decide the stem. Steps. 1. Paraphrase the author’s claim in one plain line (scope + attitude). 2. Match each option against that paraphrase — keep only what the text warrants. 3. Drop choices that need outside knowledge, flip the author’s tone, or promote a side detail into the main point. Why B. “In an unequal society, any attempt to execute meritocracy perpetuates inequality.” is the only option that stays inside the passage’s scope and tone for this stem. Why the others fail. • A (“Meritocracy is a utopian system that is difficult to implement as the wealthy rigs the system.”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes. • C (“Meritocracy is desired by everybody, but despised by those rejected by it.”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes. • D (“Meritocracy is accepted by everyone, but not understood by anyone.”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes. • E (“Everybody admires meritocracy, until it is they or their children’s career on the line.”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes.
Q26Reading Comprehension·Specific Detail

Read the following passage and answer the THREE questions that follow. No one argues that the rich should be rich because they were born to wealthy parents. Critics of inequality may complain that those who would abolish inheritance taxes, say, are implicitly endorsing hereditary privilege. But no one defends hereditary privilege outright or disputes the principle that careers should be open to talents. Most of our debates about access to jobs, education, and public office proceed from the premise of equal opportunity. Our disagreements are less about the principle itself than about what it requires. For example, critics of affirmative action in hiring and college admissions argue that such policies are inconsistent with equality of opportunity, because they judge applicants on factors other than merit. Defenders of affirmative action reply that such policies are necessary to make equality of opportunity a reality for members of groups that have suffered discrimination or disadvantage. At the level of principle at least, and political rhetoric, meritocracy has won the day. In democracies throughout the world, politicians of the center-left and center-right claim that their policies are the ones that will enable all citizens, whatever their race or ethnicity, gender or class, to compete on equal terms and to rise as far as their efforts and talents will take them. When people complain about meritocracy, the complaint is usually not about the ideal but about our failure to live up to it: The wealthy and powerful have rigged the system to perpetuate their privilege; the professional classes have figured out how to pass their advantages on to their children, converting the meritocracy into a hereditary aristocracy; colleges that claim to select students on merit give an edge to the sons and daughters of the wealthy and the well-connected. According to this complaint, meritocracy is a myth, a distant promise yet to be redeemed.

Based on the passage, which of the following will the defenders of affirmative action identify as the main problem in the implementation of the meritocratic system?

  • AMeritocratic system does not acknowledge the initial disadvantages in opportunities.Correct answer
  • BMeritocratic system supports those having hereditary privileges.
  • CMeritocratic system rewards individuals based on the outcome they produce.
  • DMeritocratic system intentionally favours the rich.
  • EMeritocratic system is based on structural bias.

Answer: A

Show explanation
Answer:A What to find. This is a reading-comprehension item whose job is a detail check. Ignore decorative examples and focus on the sentence(s) that actually decide the stem. Steps. 1. Paraphrase the author’s claim in one plain line (scope + attitude). 2. Match each option against that paraphrase — keep only what the text warrants. 3. Drop choices that need outside knowledge, flip the author’s tone, or promote a side detail into the main point. Why A. “Meritocratic system does not acknowledge the initial disadvantages in opportunities.” is the only option that stays inside the passage’s scope and tone for this stem. Why the others fail. • B (“Meritocratic system supports those having hereditary privileges.”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes. • C (“Meritocratic system rewards individuals based on the outcome they produce.”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes. • D (“Meritocratic system intentionally favours the rich.”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes. • E (“Meritocratic system is based on structural bias.”) — overreaches the passage, understates a clear claim, or invents a causal/attitudinal link the author never makes.

Decision Making(21 questions)

Q27Decision Making·Business Decision

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow. Aarya had always been a mediocre student. Luckily, after finishing her undergraduate degree from a tier-two engineering college, she secured a decent but modestly paying job at a reputable IT company. However, after a year on the job, Aarya found her role mundane. When her best friend at the company, Shruti, left to pursue an MBA from a top-tier business school, citing significant career growth and potential salary increase upon graduation, Aarya felt intrigued and inspired to follow the same path. Shruti appreciated Aarya’s aspirations, telling her that doing an MBA from a top-tier business school could not only land Aarya a lucrative job but also it could fast-track her career progression. However, Aarya was concerned whether she would be able to balance between her MBA entrance exam preparation and her current job. Aarya considered resigning to focus entirely on MBA entrance exam preparation, but Shruti cautioned her that top-tier business schools might view a career break unfavourably, as they prefer continuous professional engagement.

The CEO of Aarya’s IT firm tied up with a premier business school to reserve thirty seats in an online management certificate program, aimed at grooming working professionals. The CEO, however, declared that the employees participating in this program will have to sign a three-year bond with the firm. Further, the CEO added that though good performance was a criterion for selection, he would hold authority to take a final call. Aarya, well aware of her academic limitations, was unsure about the time available to prepare for the MBA entrance exams. She contemplated going for the management certificate program, instead of preparing for the MBA entrance exams.

Which of the following considerations will BEST help Aarya decide whether to apply for the online management certificate program?

  • AAarya keeps getting appreciated for her performance by the HR department.
  • BShruti attempted the MBA entrance exams twice, before she could get selected.
  • CAarya feels that the online program is light enough to manage while working full time.
  • DAarya wants to be part of a very good alumni network.
  • EThose who complete this online management certificate program do well in their career.Correct answer

Answer: E

Show explanation
Answer:E What to find. Decision-making — pick the response that best balances stakeholders under the case facts. Setup. Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow. Aarya had always been a mediocre student. Luckily, after finishing her undergraduate degree from a tier-two engineering college, she secured a dece… Steps. 1. List who is affected and what duty/role the decision-maker holds. 2. Score each option on fairness, feasibility, ethics/transparency, and long-term organisational interest (not short-term peace alone). 3. Prefer options that disclose material facts, stay within authority, and avoid unnecessary escalation or concealment. Why E. “Those who complete this online management certificate program do well in their career.” is the strongest balance on those criteria for this stem. Why the others fail. • A (“Aarya keeps getting appreciated for her performance by the HR department.”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly. • B (“Shruti attempted the MBA entrance exams twice, before she could get selected.”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly. • C (“Aarya feels that the online program is light enough to manage while working full time.”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly. • D (“Aarya wants to be part of a very good alumni network.”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly.
Q28Decision Making·Business Decision

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow. Aarya had always been a mediocre student. Luckily, after finishing her undergraduate degree from a tier-two engineering college, she secured a decent but modestly paying job at a reputable IT company. However, after a year on the job, Aarya found her role mundane. When her best friend at the company, Shruti, left to pursue an MBA from a top-tier business school, citing significant career growth and potential salary increase upon graduation, Aarya felt intrigued and inspired to follow the same path. Shruti appreciated Aarya’s aspirations, telling her that doing an MBA from a top-tier business school could not only land Aarya a lucrative job but also it could fast-track her career progression. However, Aarya was concerned whether she would be able to balance between her MBA entrance exam preparation and her current job. Aarya considered resigning to focus entirely on MBA entrance exam preparation, but Shruti cautioned her that top-tier business schools might view a career break unfavourably, as they prefer continuous professional engagement.

After working hard on MBA entrance exam preparations for one year, Aarya received an admission offer from the two-year agribusiness program of a premier business school. While she aspired to be a part of that premier business school, she had no interest in agribusiness. While deliberating, she received an offer from a brand new, but buzzworthy, global one-year executive MBA program in General Management, in a mid-tier business school. The program boasted excellent placement for its first batch of students. While the program was typically geared towards students with a considerable industry experience, being new, it also allowed some exceptions for “well-deserving students” with little or no experience. Aarya was worried whether, being a candidate with a minimal experience, she would be a good fit in the executive MBA program.

Which of the following considerations would BEST help Aarya in taking admission in the one-year executive MBA program?

  • AThe executive MBA program offers generous scholarships to women with IT experience.
  • BAarya does not have the confidence to spend another year in MBA entrance-exam preparation.
  • CThe agribusiness program is not the flagship program of the premier business school.
  • DAarya has a better chance of furthering her career in a field of her interest through the executive MBA program.Correct answer
  • EThe unique structure of the executive MBA program has gained a lot of attention from the new start-ups.

Answer: D

Show explanation
Answer:D What to find. Decision-making — pick the response that best balances stakeholders under the case facts. Setup. Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow. Aarya had always been a mediocre student. Luckily, after finishing her undergraduate degree from a tier-two engineering college, she secured a dece… Steps. 1. List who is affected and what duty/role the decision-maker holds. 2. Score each option on fairness, feasibility, ethics/transparency, and long-term organisational interest (not short-term peace alone). 3. Prefer options that disclose material facts, stay within authority, and avoid unnecessary escalation or concealment. Why D. “Aarya has a better chance of furthering her career in a field of her interest through the executive MBA program.” is the strongest balance on those criteria for this stem. Why the others fail. • A (“The executive MBA program offers generous scholarships to women with IT experience.”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly. • B (“Aarya does not have the confidence to spend another year in MBA entrance-exam preparation.”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly. • C (“The agribusiness program is not the flagship program of the premier business school.”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly. • E (“The unique structure of the executive MBA program has gained a lot of attention from the new start-…”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly.
Q29Decision Making·Business Decision

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow. Aarya had always been a mediocre student. Luckily, after finishing her undergraduate degree from a tier-two engineering college, she secured a decent but modestly paying job at a reputable IT company. However, after a year on the job, Aarya found her role mundane. When her best friend at the company, Shruti, left to pursue an MBA from a top-tier business school, citing significant career growth and potential salary increase upon graduation, Aarya felt intrigued and inspired to follow the same path. Shruti appreciated Aarya’s aspirations, telling her that doing an MBA from a top-tier business school could not only land Aarya a lucrative job but also it could fast-track her career progression. However, Aarya was concerned whether she would be able to balance between her MBA entrance exam preparation and her current job. Aarya considered resigning to focus entirely on MBA entrance exam preparation, but Shruti cautioned her that top-tier business schools might view a career break unfavourably, as they prefer continuous professional engagement.

After working hard on MBA entrance exam preparations for one year, Aarya received two admission offers: one from the two-year agribusiness program of a premier business school, and another one from a brand new, but buzzworthy, global one-year executive MBA program in General Management in a mid-tier business school. As she did not have much interest in agribusiness, Aarya opted to enrol in the one-year executive MBA program, and promptly submitted her first instalment of fees towards admission. She was very happy that she would soon embark on her MBA journey. To her shock, a few days later, she received a call from the authorities of the mid-tier business school. They informed her that due to a technical glitch in their system, more admission offers were made than the available seats. Consequently, candidates lower on the merit list, including Aarya, were being offered a choice from the following options: a deferred admission next year to the same program, or a full refund of the fees. They also said, if interested, Aarya could right now join a similar program, starting in a newly launched campus of the same business school, where many seats were available. Aarya considered the whole episode a breach of trust, and wondered, if it would at all be worthwhile to be associated with this business school now or in the future.

Which of the following considerations will BEST restore her faith in this business school?

  • AA deferment by a year will give her a chance to build on her work experience.
  • BThe business school runs many management training programs on ethical leadership for corporates.
  • CA similar incident happened three years back in another business school, and all deferred candidates eventually got good placements.
  • DMany mid-tier business schools give offers to more candidates than available seats to tackle rejections.
  • EThe business school owned the mistake, and tried their best to help the affected candidates.Correct answer

Answer: E

Show explanation
Answer:E What to find. Decision-making — pick the response that best balances stakeholders under the case facts. Setup. Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow. Aarya had always been a mediocre student. Luckily, after finishing her undergraduate degree from a tier-two engineering college, she secured a dece… Steps. 1. List who is affected and what duty/role the decision-maker holds. 2. Score each option on fairness, feasibility, ethics/transparency, and long-term organisational interest (not short-term peace alone). 3. Prefer options that disclose material facts, stay within authority, and avoid unnecessary escalation or concealment. Why E. “The business school owned the mistake, and tried their best to help the affected candidates.” is the strongest balance on those criteria for this stem. Why the others fail. • A (“A deferment by a year will give her a chance to build on her work experience.”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly. • B (“The business school runs many management training programs on ethical leadership for corporates.”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly. • C (“A similar incident happened three years back in another business school, and all deferred candidate…”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly. • D (“Many mid-tier business schools give offers to more candidates than available seats to tackle reject…”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly.
Q30Decision Making·Ethical Dilemma

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow. Comprehension: Ned Flanders and Homer Simpson Partners Limited is a law firm, known for its unwavering commitment to client satisfaction. They treat the clients as family members who have grown along with the firm. Further, they are highly regarded in the industry, consulted by the country’s top organizations. Among the founders, Homer Simpson is flamboyant, while Ned Flanders is serious. Together, they bring a dynamic balance to the team. The organization believes in a strong socialization ritual that bonds the new lawyers (newcomers) with the existing members. Also, the socialization ritual ensures that newcomers fully understand the nature of their work and integrate seamlessly into the company’s culture. During their first week, newcomers are overloaded with a barrage of artificial tasks, unexpected client calls, and a challenging meeting with the founders. This results in newcomers getting overwhelmed, and doubting their decision to join the firm, only for the founders to meet them and reveal that this is one big prank and a way to welcome them to the organization. This socialization ritual has served them well for the past two decades. However, not all the newcomers appreciate the utility of this ritual. One of the lawyers, Ms. Lisa Simpleton, who joined in 2023 and went through the same socialization ritual, found it unwelcoming. She believes that other newcomers might also share the same opinion. Lisa thinks that the current generation, especially post-COVID, needs more friendly welcome, and the firm must put an end to this ritual.

When a new batch of lawyers joins in 2024, Lisa feels that it is her moral responsibility to reprieve the newcomers from the ensuing stress. However, Lisa, like the others who joined along with her, is on probation for two years. During the probation period, her skills and performance are under evaluation. Upon successful completion of this twoyear assessment, she will be eligible for confirmation. Since she is yet to be confirmed, she wants to be seen as fitting within the organization’s culture.

Which of the following options will BEST enable Lisa to save the newcomers from the socialization ritual, without being singled out for questioning the organization’s culture?

  • ASeek a meeting with Ned Flanders, suggesting him to put an end to this practice.
  • BMeet one of the newcomers in secret and tell her about this practice.
  • COrganize a generic workshop for newcomers regarding workplace politics.
  • DJoin a team of lawyers, petitioning to the founders to end this practice.Correct answer
  • EBe silent this year until her performance review is over and she is confirmed.

Answer: D

Show explanation
Answer:D What to find. Decision-making — pick the response that best balances stakeholders under the case facts. Setup. Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow. Comprehension: Ned Flanders and Homer Simpson Partners Limited is a law firm, known for its unwavering commitment to client satisfaction. They trea… Steps. 1. List who is affected and what duty/role the decision-maker holds. 2. Score each option on fairness, feasibility, ethics/transparency, and long-term organisational interest (not short-term peace alone). 3. Prefer options that disclose material facts, stay within authority, and avoid unnecessary escalation or concealment. Why D. “Join a team of lawyers, petitioning to the founders to end this practice.” is the strongest balance on those criteria for this stem. Why the others fail. • A (“Seek a meeting with Ned Flanders, suggesting him to put an end to this practice.”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly. • B (“Meet one of the newcomers in secret and tell her about this practice.”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly. • C (“Organize a generic workshop for newcomers regarding workplace politics.”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly. • E (“Be silent this year until her performance review is over and she is confirmed.”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly.
Q31Decision Making·Business Decision

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow. Comprehension: Ned Flanders and Homer Simpson Partners Limited is a law firm, known for its unwavering commitment to client satisfaction. They treat the clients as family members who have grown along with the firm. Further, they are highly regarded in the industry, consulted by the country’s top organizations. Among the founders, Homer Simpson is flamboyant, while Ned Flanders is serious. Together, they bring a dynamic balance to the team. The organization believes in a strong socialization ritual that bonds the new lawyers (newcomers) with the existing members. Also, the socialization ritual ensures that newcomers fully understand the nature of their work and integrate seamlessly into the company’s culture. During their first week, newcomers are overloaded with a barrage of artificial tasks, unexpected client calls, and a challenging meeting with the founders. This results in newcomers getting overwhelmed, and doubting their decision to join the firm, only for the founders to meet them and reveal that this is one big prank and a way to welcome them to the organization. This socialization ritual has served them well for the past two decades. However, not all the newcomers appreciate the utility of this ritual. One of the lawyers, Ms. Lisa Simpleton, who joined in 2023 and went through the same socialization ritual, found it unwelcoming. She believes that other newcomers might also share the same opinion. Lisa thinks that the current generation, especially post-COVID, needs more friendly welcome, and the firm must put an end to this ritual.

When a new batch of lawyers joins the organization in 2024, they receive an anonymous email, warning them about the socialization ritual, just as it is about to start. Though no newcomer paid heed to the mail, the founders are furious. They call a meeting, and announce that while employees are welcome to express their opinions, this cowardly act of sending an anonymous email shall not be tolerated. The watercooler discussions murmur Lisa’s name. Lisa is pleased that someone shares her perspective on the socialization ritual and has acted. However, she did not write the aforementioned email. As her name continues to be mentioned, she feels overwhelmed and wonders if she needs to do something about it.

Which of the following actions by Lisa can BEST enable her to defuse the situation?

  • AShe should apologize to the founders, taking accountability for creating a climate that resulted in someone sending the anonymous email.
  • BShe should simply focus on her work, and hope that the founders would ignore the rumours.
  • CShe should send a public email clarifying that while she has reservations about the practice, she is not the author of the anonymous email.
  • DShe should meet the founders and share that while she has reservations about the practice, she did not send the anonymous email.Correct answer
  • EShe should publicly apologize for having questioned the tradition of the organization to put all doubts to rest.

Answer: D

Show explanation
Answer:D What to find. Decision-making — pick the response that best balances stakeholders under the case facts. Setup. Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow. Comprehension: Ned Flanders and Homer Simpson Partners Limited is a law firm, known for its unwavering commitment to client satisfaction. They trea… Steps. 1. List who is affected and what duty/role the decision-maker holds. 2. Score each option on fairness, feasibility, ethics/transparency, and long-term organisational interest (not short-term peace alone). 3. Prefer options that disclose material facts, stay within authority, and avoid unnecessary escalation or concealment. Why D. “She should meet the founders and share that while she has reservations about the practice, she did not send the anonymous email.” is the strongest balance on those criteria for this stem. Why the others fail. • A (“She should apologize to the founders, taking accountability for creating a climate that resulted in…”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly. • B (“She should simply focus on her work, and hope that the founders would ignore the rumours.”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly. • C (“She should send a public email clarifying that while she has reservations about the practice, she i…”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly. • E (“She should publicly apologize for having questioned the tradition of the organization to put all do…”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly.
Q32Decision Making·Business Decision

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow. Comprehension: Ned Flanders and Homer Simpson Partners Limited is a law firm, known for its unwavering commitment to client satisfaction. They treat the clients as family members who have grown along with the firm. Further, they are highly regarded in the industry, consulted by the country’s top organizations. Among the founders, Homer Simpson is flamboyant, while Ned Flanders is serious. Together, they bring a dynamic balance to the team. The organization believes in a strong socialization ritual that bonds the new lawyers (newcomers) with the existing members. Also, the socialization ritual ensures that newcomers fully understand the nature of their work and integrate seamlessly into the company’s culture. During their first week, newcomers are overloaded with a barrage of artificial tasks, unexpected client calls, and a challenging meeting with the founders. This results in newcomers getting overwhelmed, and doubting their decision to join the firm, only for the founders to meet them and reveal that this is one big prank and a way to welcome them to the organization. This socialization ritual has served them well for the past two decades. However, not all the newcomers appreciate the utility of this ritual. One of the lawyers, Ms. Lisa Simpleton, who joined in 2023 and went through the same socialization ritual, found it unwelcoming. She believes that other newcomers might also share the same opinion. Lisa thinks that the current generation, especially post-COVID, needs more friendly welcome, and the firm must put an end to this ritual.

It is 2025: a new batch of lawyers has joined the firm. Some lawyers from the 2024 batch have approached the founders to express their appreciation for the intent behind the socialization ritual. They shared that the experience offered them a glimpse of the world they are about to enter. However, they feel that the ritual has become archaic in its execution, showing its age and necessitating some fresh thinking. As they leave, Ned feels that the time has come to abandon the ritual due to changing times. However, Homer disagrees; he thinks that exposing the employees to what the profession has to offer, in the first week, is very critical. Moreover, it helps the organization know whether the newcomer is ready for such a profession. Further, he adds that the socialization ritual has been effectively helping them for decades in grooming the talents of their organization.

Which of the following actions should the founders BEST take, if they still want to welcome their newcomers by exposing them to the harsh reality of the profession, while being empathetic to the demands of the times?

  • AThey should, in their website, share details about how tough the workload is going to be.
  • BThey should get a mental health professional to design their socialization ritual.
  • CThey should stick to what they are doing but hire a mental health professional who the newcomers can refer to if they feel the need.
  • DThey should invite suggestions from their young lawyers regarding formulating a new socialization ritual.Correct answer
  • EThey should talk to their competitors in the same industry and check what kind of practices they follow.

Answer: D

Show explanation
Answer:D What to find. Decision-making — pick the response that best balances stakeholders under the case facts. Setup. Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow. Comprehension: Ned Flanders and Homer Simpson Partners Limited is a law firm, known for its unwavering commitment to client satisfaction. They trea… Steps. 1. List who is affected and what duty/role the decision-maker holds. 2. Score each option on fairness, feasibility, ethics/transparency, and long-term organisational interest (not short-term peace alone). 3. Prefer options that disclose material facts, stay within authority, and avoid unnecessary escalation or concealment. Why D. “They should invite suggestions from their young lawyers regarding formulating a new socialization ritual.” is the strongest balance on those criteria for this stem. Why the others fail. • A (“They should, in their website, share details about how tough the workload is going to be.”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly. • B (“They should get a mental health professional to design their socialization ritual.”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly. • C (“They should stick to what they are doing but hire a mental health professional who the newcomers ca…”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly. • E (“They should talk to their competitors in the same industry and check what kind of practices they fo…”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly.
Q33Decision Making·Business Decision

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow. Comprehension: Mr. Zubin Mistry is the owner and the chief editor of the newspaper The Pluralist, renowned for its high reporting standards and outstanding writing quality. The Pluralist’s authentic reporting distinguishes it from other newspapers that sensationalize news. They are responsible employers, known to be highly supportive towards their employees. Its news editing team is led by Ms. Ramya Kattabomman, a respected veteran in the newspaper reporting industry, wellknown for her stringent adherence to the ethical standards of newspaper reporting. Mr. Aditya Swaroop Verma, an award-winning senior journalist, has brought in an exposé into the activities of a mining company, operating in an ecologically vulnerable area. In his hardhitting reporting style, he has presented interviews with tens of people, delineating how the mining company has used illegal means to start mining in that area. These mining activities may lead to the destruction of the local ecological balance. However, Aditya Swaroop is unable to obtain an interview with the management of the mining company. Aditya Swaroop’s investigative report article offers significant revelations about the alleged illegal activities of the mining company which were hardly covered in the media otherwise. Nevertheless, his sources have requested for complete anonymity.

Ramya is trying to decide whether to publish the article. While publishing the article may enhance the reputation of The Pluralist, there are possibilities of political and economic backlash for reporting on the powerful mining company. She has consulted the legal team of the newspaper, who have warned that the report, relying mostly on anonymous sources, is likely to be legally vulnerable. On the other hand, Aditya Swaroop is a senior journalist, well known and well respected for the quality of his investigative reporting. The topic of the report is time sensitive: if the report is not published within the next 2-3 days, the mining company would get an important government project in the same area.

Which of the following reasons will BEST enable Ramya to publish the article?

  • ARamya should publish the article because her legal team is mostly over cautious about any possibility of backlashes.
  • BRamya should publish the article given the time-sensitive nature of the report.
  • CRamya should publish the article because any investigation by Aditya Swaroop has enhanced the reputation of The Pluralist till date.Correct answer
  • DRamya should publish the article because a similar article was published on another mining company last week in another news daily.
  • ERamya should publish the article because the same news can get published by a competitor known for breaking such news.

Answer: C

Show explanation
Answer:C What to find. Decision-making — pick the response that best balances stakeholders under the case facts. Setup. Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow. Comprehension: Mr. Zubin Mistry is the owner and the chief editor of the newspaper The Pluralist, renowned for its high reporting standards and out… Steps. 1. List who is affected and what duty/role the decision-maker holds. 2. Score each option on fairness, feasibility, ethics/transparency, and long-term organisational interest (not short-term peace alone). 3. Prefer options that disclose material facts, stay within authority, and avoid unnecessary escalation or concealment. Why C. “Ramya should publish the article because any investigation by Aditya Swaroop has enhanced the reputation of The Pluralist till date.” is the strongest balance on those criteria for this stem. Why the others fail. • A (“Ramya should publish the article because her legal team is mostly over cautious about any possibili…”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly. • B (“Ramya should publish the article given the time-sensitive nature of the report.”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly. • D (“Ramya should publish the article because a similar article was published on another mining company …”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly. • E (“Ramya should publish the article because the same news can get published by a competitor known for …”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly.
Q34Decision Making·Business Decision

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow. Comprehension: Mr. Zubin Mistry is the owner and the chief editor of the newspaper The Pluralist, renowned for its high reporting standards and outstanding writing quality. The Pluralist’s authentic reporting distinguishes it from other newspapers that sensationalize news. They are responsible employers, known to be highly supportive towards their employees. Its news editing team is led by Ms. Ramya Kattabomman, a respected veteran in the newspaper reporting industry, wellknown for her stringent adherence to the ethical standards of newspaper reporting. Mr. Aditya Swaroop Verma, an award-winning senior journalist, has brought in an exposé into the activities of a mining company, operating in an ecologically vulnerable area. In his hardhitting reporting style, he has presented interviews with tens of people, delineating how the mining company has used illegal means to start mining in that area. These mining activities may lead to the destruction of the local ecological balance. However, Aditya Swaroop is unable to obtain an interview with the management of the mining company. Aditya Swaroop’s investigative report article offers significant revelations about the alleged illegal activities of the mining company which were hardly covered in the media otherwise. Nevertheless, his sources have requested for complete anonymity.

After the article is published next morning in The Pluralist, it goes viral. However, the mining company pushes back with a public declaration, contesting some of the findings of the article. While the potential inaccuracies do not entirely invalidate the article, they substantially undermine its message if proven true. When Ramya asks Aditya Swaroop to bring in further proof to publish a rebuttal, he informs her that his sources, for a vital part of the article, were two employees recently fired by the mining company. And, they now admit that they were not completely honest in their initial interaction with him. Though some points raised in the article might still be valid, it is difficult to separate the inaccuracies given the unreliability of the sources. Ramya immediately brings it to the attention of Zubin, while admitting that she hastily permitted the publication of the article. What is the MOST responsible action should Zubin take, keeping in view the recent developments due to the inaccuracies of the article?

  • ARetract the entire article, and publish Ramya’s apology in the newspaper.Correct answer
  • BRetract the entire article, and publish that Aditya Swaroop will no longer be with the newspaper.
  • CPublish a follow-up article disclosing the identity of the sources used for the article, attributing the responsibility of the errors to them.
  • DPublish an article accusing the mining company of bullying witnesses to change their versions.
  • EPublish a modified version of the article next day, defending the investigative journalism of Aditya Swaroop.

Answer: A

Show explanation
Answer:A What to find. Decision-making — pick the response that best balances stakeholders under the case facts. Setup. Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow. Comprehension: Mr. Zubin Mistry is the owner and the chief editor of the newspaper The Pluralist, renowned for its high reporting standards and out… Steps. 1. List who is affected and what duty/role the decision-maker holds. 2. Score each option on fairness, feasibility, ethics/transparency, and long-term organisational interest (not short-term peace alone). 3. Prefer options that disclose material facts, stay within authority, and avoid unnecessary escalation or concealment. Why A. “Retract the entire article, and publish Ramya’s apology in the newspaper.” is the strongest balance on those criteria for this stem. Why the others fail. • B (“Retract the entire article, and publish that Aditya Swaroop will no longer be with the newspaper.”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly. • C (“Publish a follow-up article disclosing the identity of the sources used for the article, attributin…”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly. • D (“Publish an article accusing the mining company of bullying witnesses to change their versions.”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly. • E (“Publish a modified version of the article next day, defending the investigative journalism of Adity…”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly.
Q35Decision Making·Business Decision

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow. Comprehension: Mr. Zubin Mistry is the owner and the chief editor of the newspaper The Pluralist, renowned for its high reporting standards and outstanding writing quality. The Pluralist’s authentic reporting distinguishes it from other newspapers that sensationalize news. They are responsible employers, known to be highly supportive towards their employees. Its news editing team is led by Ms. Ramya Kattabomman, a respected veteran in the newspaper reporting industry, wellknown for her stringent adherence to the ethical standards of newspaper reporting. Mr. Aditya Swaroop Verma, an award-winning senior journalist, has brought in an exposé into the activities of a mining company, operating in an ecologically vulnerable area. In his hardhitting reporting style, he has presented interviews with tens of people, delineating how the mining company has used illegal means to start mining in that area. These mining activities may lead to the destruction of the local ecological balance. However, Aditya Swaroop is unable to obtain an interview with the management of the mining company. Aditya Swaroop’s investigative report article offers significant revelations about the alleged illegal activities of the mining company which were hardly covered in the media otherwise. Nevertheless, his sources have requested for complete anonymity.

After the article is published in The Pluralist, the mining company pushes back with a public declaration, contesting some of the findings of the article. This has hit Aditya Swaroop’s reputation because he trusted unreliable sources. Nevertheless, he is confident about the illegal activities of the mining company; he wants to redeem himself. He approaches Zubin with a request to go back to the mining company project to find new sources and rewrite an article with reliable pieces of evidence. Though his fresh investigation will require time and money, it might also enhance the reputation of the newspaper. Zubin respects Aditya Swaroop and wants his reputation to be restored. However, Zubin is confident that continuing to work on the mining company project will not yield any results.

Which of the following actions by Zubin will BEST enable Aditya Swaroop to enhance his diminishing reputation?

  • AAssign Aditya Swaroop to work as an anonymous journalist for the next few months, until he feels confident of himself.
  • BAsk Aditya Swaroop to start his own YouTube channel, since more people are aware of him now than before.
  • CTell Aditya Swaroop that he plans to delegate the mining company project to a fresh team, who will work in consultation with Aditya Swaroop.
  • DAsk Aditya Swaroop to focus on mentoring new and young journalists instead of working on any investigative report for some time.
  • EAssign a new investigative project to Aditya Swaroop, advising him to focus on the new project without worrying about the past project.Correct answer

Answer: E

Show explanation
Answer:E What to find. Decision-making — pick the response that best balances stakeholders under the case facts. Setup. Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow. Comprehension: Mr. Zubin Mistry is the owner and the chief editor of the newspaper The Pluralist, renowned for its high reporting standards and out… Steps. 1. List who is affected and what duty/role the decision-maker holds. 2. Score each option on fairness, feasibility, ethics/transparency, and long-term organisational interest (not short-term peace alone). 3. Prefer options that disclose material facts, stay within authority, and avoid unnecessary escalation or concealment. Why E. “Assign a new investigative project to Aditya Swaroop, advising him to focus on the new project without worrying about the past project.” is the strongest balance on those criteria for this stem. Why the others fail. • A (“Assign Aditya Swaroop to work as an anonymous journalist for the next few months, until he feels co…”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly. • B (“Ask Aditya Swaroop to start his own YouTube channel, since more people are aware of him now than be…”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly. • C (“Tell Aditya Swaroop that he plans to delegate the mining company project to a fresh team, who will …”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly. • D (“Ask Aditya Swaroop to focus on mentoring new and young journalists instead of working on any invest…”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly.
Q36Decision Making·Business Decision

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow. Comprehension: Humane Dynamix is a leadership training organization based in Mumbai. Established in 2015, the organization is gradually becoming a leader in behavioral training. In the organization, trainers are assigned to training projects based on their expertise. Corporates seek behavioral training services on a regular basis, from Humane Dynamix, for upskilling their executives. Humane Dynamix is headed by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), to whom the Training Assignment Officer (TAO) reports. The TAO position rotates among the senior trainers for a fixed tenure; the CEO assigns this position to a senior trainer. Companies, desirous of hiring Humane Dynamix, share their training needs with the organization. The TAO assigns a trainer to the client. Typically, the satisfied client requests for a particular trainer that the client is satisfied, giving repeat business to Humane Dynamix from the same client company. However, the TAO takes the final call. Years of training experience plays a big role in client satisfaction, and hence, senior trainers conduct most training programs while the newly recruited trainers apprentice with them. However, the senior trainers have the autonomy to decide on who they want to accept as an apprentice. Further, during a training program, the senior trainer takes most of the sessions, if not all, while the apprentice helps the senior trainers to organize their sessions, and occasionally take a few sessions. As the apprentices gain experience, they start getting their own independent projects, but that typically takes quite some time. Dheeraj, a senior trainer, takes over as the TAO. As soon as he assumes the office, the CEO shares a concern with him: “We have a lot of young trainers who we have recently recruited. Since they are not known to the outside world, they do not get enough opportunities. Many of them are impatient to prove their mettle. Unless they are assigned more programs, we risk losing them rapidly.”

Dheeraj knows that his senior colleagues are very good at training, and, hence, they conduct most of the training programs. They keep the clients satisfied and, consequently, bring repeat business. However, as asked by the CEO, Dheeraj needs to do something to enable the young trainers get more opportunities and increase their training engagements.

Which of the following options should Dheeraj execute to BEST enable the young trainers to get more training opportunities, without affecting their relationships with the client companies?

  • ADheeraj should explore for those clients who would be comfortable working with the young trainers.
  • BDheeraj should request the repeat clients to switch to the services of the young trainers who bring a lot of energy to their sessions.
  • CDheeraj should mandate that the senior trainers must allow the young trainers to take at least thirty percent of their training sessions.Correct answer
  • DDheeraj should assign some of the repeat projects from the satisfied clients with particular senior trainers to the young trainers.
  • EDheeraj should request the CEO to urge the senior colleagues in giving up some of their existing clients in the interest of others’ careers.

Answer: C

Show explanation
Answer:C What to find. Decision-making — pick the response that best balances stakeholders under the case facts. Setup. Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow. Comprehension: Humane Dynamix is a leadership training organization based in Mumbai. Established in 2015, the organization is gradually becoming a … Steps. 1. List who is affected and what duty/role the decision-maker holds. 2. Score each option on fairness, feasibility, ethics/transparency, and long-term organisational interest (not short-term peace alone). 3. Prefer options that disclose material facts, stay within authority, and avoid unnecessary escalation or concealment. Why C. “Dheeraj should mandate that the senior trainers must allow the young trainers to take at least thirty percent of their training sessions.” is the strongest balance on those criteria for this stem. Why the others fail. • A (“Dheeraj should explore for those clients who would be comfortable working with the young trainers.”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly. • B (“Dheeraj should request the repeat clients to switch to the services of the young trainers who bring…”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly. • D (“Dheeraj should assign some of the repeat projects from the satisfied clients with particular senior…”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly. • E (“Dheeraj should request the CEO to urge the senior colleagues in giving up some of their existing cl…”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly.
Q37Decision Making·Business Decision

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow. Comprehension: Humane Dynamix is a leadership training organization based in Mumbai. Established in 2015, the organization is gradually becoming a leader in behavioral training. In the organization, trainers are assigned to training projects based on their expertise. Corporates seek behavioral training services on a regular basis, from Humane Dynamix, for upskilling their executives. Humane Dynamix is headed by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), to whom the Training Assignment Officer (TAO) reports. The TAO position rotates among the senior trainers for a fixed tenure; the CEO assigns this position to a senior trainer. Companies, desirous of hiring Humane Dynamix, share their training needs with the organization. The TAO assigns a trainer to the client. Typically, the satisfied client requests for a particular trainer that the client is satisfied, giving repeat business to Humane Dynamix from the same client company. However, the TAO takes the final call. Years of training experience plays a big role in client satisfaction, and hence, senior trainers conduct most training programs while the newly recruited trainers apprentice with them. However, the senior trainers have the autonomy to decide on who they want to accept as an apprentice. Further, during a training program, the senior trainer takes most of the sessions, if not all, while the apprentice helps the senior trainers to organize their sessions, and occasionally take a few sessions. As the apprentices gain experience, they start getting their own independent projects, but that typically takes quite some time. Dheeraj, a senior trainer, takes over as the TAO. As soon as he assumes the office, the CEO shares a concern with him: “We have a lot of young trainers who we have recently recruited. Since they are not known to the outside world, they do not get enough opportunities. Many of them are impatient to prove their mettle. Unless they are assigned more programs, we risk losing them rapidly.”

Dheeraj decided to assign some of the repeat clients, at random, to their young trainers, to address the concerns of the CEO. Many young trainers appreciated him for giving them more opportunities. Sudha Iyer, a senior trainer, popular for her training programs in “Deceptive Communication Methods,” was surprised to see that some of her long-standing clients were assigned to a young person. She was concerned that the clients would feel shortchanged. Moreover, she was chagrined that she was not even consulted. This led to the reduction in her number of training hours. Since, Humane Dynamix incentivizes trainers who cross a mandated number of training hours every year, Sudha was also concerned about her possible revenue loss. Sudha wanted Dheeraj to stop assigning established clients to the young trainers.

Which of the following actions would BEST help Sudha to stop Dheeraj from assigning her programs to the young trainers?

  • AShe should approach the CEO and request that Dheeraj be removed from his role as the TAO.
  • BShe should contact the client companies and ask them to reject Dheeraj's assigned trainers.
  • CShe should confront the CEO and share that his concerns should not be addressed at the cost of her revenues.
  • DShe should propose training the young trainers in her innovative methods so that they become independent in future.
  • EShe should share with Dheeraj that assigning her client companies to novice trainers will lead to loss of those clients.Correct answer

Answer: E

Show explanation
Answer:E What to find. Decision-making — pick the response that best balances stakeholders under the case facts. Setup. Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow. Comprehension: Humane Dynamix is a leadership training organization based in Mumbai. Established in 2015, the organization is gradually becoming a … Steps. 1. List who is affected and what duty/role the decision-maker holds. 2. Score each option on fairness, feasibility, ethics/transparency, and long-term organisational interest (not short-term peace alone). 3. Prefer options that disclose material facts, stay within authority, and avoid unnecessary escalation or concealment. Why E. “She should share with Dheeraj that assigning her client companies to novice trainers will lead to loss of those clients.” is the strongest balance on those criteria for this stem. Why the others fail. • A (“She should approach the CEO and request that Dheeraj be removed from his role as the TAO.”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly. • B (“She should contact the client companies and ask them to reject Dheeraj's assigned trainers.”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly. • C (“She should confront the CEO and share that his concerns should not be addressed at the cost of her …”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly. • D (“She should propose training the young trainers in her innovative methods so that they become indepe…”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly.
Q38Decision Making·Business Decision

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow. Comprehension: Humane Dynamix is a leadership training organization based in Mumbai. Established in 2015, the organization is gradually becoming a leader in behavioral training. In the organization, trainers are assigned to training projects based on their expertise. Corporates seek behavioral training services on a regular basis, from Humane Dynamix, for upskilling their executives. Humane Dynamix is headed by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), to whom the Training Assignment Officer (TAO) reports. The TAO position rotates among the senior trainers for a fixed tenure; the CEO assigns this position to a senior trainer. Companies, desirous of hiring Humane Dynamix, share their training needs with the organization. The TAO assigns a trainer to the client. Typically, the satisfied client requests for a particular trainer that the client is satisfied, giving repeat business to Humane Dynamix from the same client company. However, the TAO takes the final call. Years of training experience plays a big role in client satisfaction, and hence, senior trainers conduct most training programs while the newly recruited trainers apprentice with them. However, the senior trainers have the autonomy to decide on who they want to accept as an apprentice. Further, during a training program, the senior trainer takes most of the sessions, if not all, while the apprentice helps the senior trainers to organize their sessions, and occasionally take a few sessions. As the apprentices gain experience, they start getting their own independent projects, but that typically takes quite some time. Dheeraj, a senior trainer, takes over as the TAO. As soon as he assumes the office, the CEO shares a concern with him: “We have a lot of young trainers who we have recently recruited. Since they are not known to the outside world, they do not get enough opportunities. Many of them are impatient to prove their mettle. Unless they are assigned more programs, we risk losing them rapidly.”

Dheeraj assigned a repeat client of Nandini Hegde, another very senior trainer, to Kirti Gowda, a promising young trainer. A few days later, the client company reached out to Nandini, off the record, and informed her that they were very unhappy with Kirti’s training. They also shared that Dheeraj, when informed about this, had claimed that the client would appreciate Kirti with more exposure to her training programs. What BEST can Nandini do to regain the client for herself, without appearing to be against the organization’s focus on providing the young trainers more opportunities?

  • ATell the client that to ensure quality, they must demand her exclusively as the trainer for their upcoming training programs.
  • BPropose to Dheeraj that in future assignments with the client, Kirti be a co-trainer with Nandini to help improve her performance.Correct answer
  • CEngage in a follow up conversation with the client, requesting that they communicate their concerns to the CEO of Humane Dynamix directly.
  • DShare the client’s feedback with Kirti, and ask her to opt out of future training assignments with that client.
  • EArrange a meeting with Dheeraj, informing him that she is aware of the situation, and Dheeraj’s actions may lose the client for Humane Dynamix.

Answer: B

Show explanation
Answer:B What to find. Decision-making — pick the response that best balances stakeholders under the case facts. Setup. Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow. Comprehension: Humane Dynamix is a leadership training organization based in Mumbai. Established in 2015, the organization is gradually becoming a … Steps. 1. List who is affected and what duty/role the decision-maker holds. 2. Score each option on fairness, feasibility, ethics/transparency, and long-term organisational interest (not short-term peace alone). 3. Prefer options that disclose material facts, stay within authority, and avoid unnecessary escalation or concealment. Why B. “Propose to Dheeraj that in future assignments with the client, Kirti be a co-trainer with Nandini to help improve her performance.” is the strongest balance on those criteria for this stem. Why the others fail. • A (“Tell the client that to ensure quality, they must demand her exclusively as the trainer for their u…”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly. • C (“Engage in a follow up conversation with the client, requesting that they communicate their concerns…”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly. • D (“Share the client’s feedback with Kirti, and ask her to opt out of future training assignments with …”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly. • E (“Arrange a meeting with Dheeraj, informing him that she is aware of the situation, and Dheeraj’s act…”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly.
Q39Decision Making·Business Decision

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow. Comprehension: TrueColor, an event management company in eastern India, had been in a business of inviting Tollywood singers to a city called Tivanna, and made money out of selling tickets of their concerts. The stars were paid a fixed fee regardless of the number of tickets sold. The company had a specialized team that negotiated the singers’ fee with their managers. However, for selling the tickets of such events, they were reliant on an external media agency called Zedius. Zedius had a long-standing relationship with TrueColor, and had been instrumental in achieving a target of 50,000 tickets for each of the flagship events. Mr. Sukanta Rao joined TrueColor as an inhouse sales and marketing manager, a position exclusively created for him. The CEO, Mr. Adil Banerjee, had assigned a task of increasing the sales of tickets to 100,000. In Sukanta’s earlier stint, he had seen that similar cities sell more than 75,000 tickets for such events. He felt that, over time, reaching 100,000 was plausible for TrueColor.

Sukanta felt that the aspirational target can be achieved only if Zedius is replaced. However, he is not sure if he should make any major changes in his first year. Which of the following reasons will BEST help Sukanta NOT to start making major changes immediately?

  • AZedius has managed TrueColor’s marketing for the last five years.
  • BThe owners of Zedius are respected citizens of Tivanna.
  • CSukanta needs more time to learn about the dynamics of the eastern market.Correct answer
  • DTrueColor recruited Sukanta specifically to increase ticket sales by whatever means necessary.
  • EFor around a decade, ticket sales have consistently hovered at 50,000.

Answer: C

Show explanation
Answer:C What to find. Decision-making — pick the response that best balances stakeholders under the case facts. Setup. Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow. Comprehension: TrueColor, an event management company in eastern India, had been in a business of inviting Tollywood singers to a city called Tivan… Steps. 1. List who is affected and what duty/role the decision-maker holds. 2. Score each option on fairness, feasibility, ethics/transparency, and long-term organisational interest (not short-term peace alone). 3. Prefer options that disclose material facts, stay within authority, and avoid unnecessary escalation or concealment. Why C. “Sukanta needs more time to learn about the dynamics of the eastern market.” is the strongest balance on those criteria for this stem. Why the others fail. • A (“Zedius has managed TrueColor’s marketing for the last five years.”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly. • B (“The owners of Zedius are respected citizens of Tivanna.”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly. • D (“TrueColor recruited Sukanta specifically to increase ticket sales by whatever means necessary.”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly. • E (“For around a decade, ticket sales have consistently hovered at 50,000.”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly.
Q40Decision Making·Negotiation & Conflict

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow. Comprehension: TrueColor, an event management company in eastern India, had been in a business of inviting Tollywood singers to a city called Tivanna, and made money out of selling tickets of their concerts. The stars were paid a fixed fee regardless of the number of tickets sold. The company had a specialized team that negotiated the singers’ fee with their managers. However, for selling the tickets of such events, they were reliant on an external media agency called Zedius. Zedius had a long-standing relationship with TrueColor, and had been instrumental in achieving a target of 50,000 tickets for each of the flagship events. Mr. Sukanta Rao joined TrueColor as an inhouse sales and marketing manager, a position exclusively created for him. The CEO, Mr. Adil Banerjee, had assigned a task of increasing the sales of tickets to 100,000. In Sukanta’s earlier stint, he had seen that similar cities sell more than 75,000 tickets for such events. He felt that, over time, reaching 100,000 was plausible for TrueColor.

Just two weeks before the flagship event, Adil received a few emails from competing media agencies that accused Zedius of selling phony tickets in the “black” market. When Adil enquired with the security agency in charge of gatekeeping the events, they told him that they had no mechanism to check the authenticity of tickets.

Which of the following options will BEST help Adil to ignore the accusations from the competing media agencies, and maintain status quo?

  • AIn Tivanna, the competing media agencies keep defaming each other out of fierce competition.Correct answer
  • BZedius promises a particular threshold of ticket sales as decided by TrueColor.
  • CZedius is the largest media agency in Tivanna.
  • DSome attendees admitted to paying cash to gate keepers to get in.
  • ETivanna being a small city, a few prominent personalities have to be allowed in without tickets.

Answer: A

Show explanation
Answer:A What to find. Decision-making — pick the response that best balances stakeholders under the case facts. Setup. Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow. Comprehension: TrueColor, an event management company in eastern India, had been in a business of inviting Tollywood singers to a city called Tivan… Steps. 1. List who is affected and what duty/role the decision-maker holds. 2. Score each option on fairness, feasibility, ethics/transparency, and long-term organisational interest (not short-term peace alone). 3. Prefer options that disclose material facts, stay within authority, and avoid unnecessary escalation or concealment. Why A. “In Tivanna, the competing media agencies keep defaming each other out of fierce competition.” is the strongest balance on those criteria for this stem. Why the others fail. • B (“Zedius promises a particular threshold of ticket sales as decided by TrueColor.”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly. • C (“Zedius is the largest media agency in Tivanna.”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly. • D (“Some attendees admitted to paying cash to gate keepers to get in.”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly. • E (“Tivanna being a small city, a few prominent personalities have to be allowed in without tickets.”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly.
Q41Decision Making·Business Decision

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow. Comprehension: TrueColor, an event management company in eastern India, had been in a business of inviting Tollywood singers to a city called Tivanna, and made money out of selling tickets of their concerts. The stars were paid a fixed fee regardless of the number of tickets sold. The company had a specialized team that negotiated the singers’ fee with their managers. However, for selling the tickets of such events, they were reliant on an external media agency called Zedius. Zedius had a long-standing relationship with TrueColor, and had been instrumental in achieving a target of 50,000 tickets for each of the flagship events. Mr. Sukanta Rao joined TrueColor as an inhouse sales and marketing manager, a position exclusively created for him. The CEO, Mr. Adil Banerjee, had assigned a task of increasing the sales of tickets to 100,000. In Sukanta’s earlier stint, he had seen that similar cities sell more than 75,000 tickets for such events. He felt that, over time, reaching 100,000 was plausible for TrueColor.

The following year, Sukanta discussed with Adil that unless they got into the ticket selling process, they might not be able to improve the ticket numbers. However, this would mean moving away from Zedius, and the transition could cause short-term pains since TrueColor would be entering into unchartered territory. Further, Sukanta added that TrueColor would achieve self-sufficiency over couple of years. Adil was concerned about the risk of taking over an activity that the organization was not competent at, but understood Sukanta’s point. In the interest of building long-term competencies, he authorized Sukanta to take it forward. Sukanta did not renew Zedius’s contract in the following year; instead, he recruited a skeletal team of three freshers from a premier business school as his support staff. As the event approached, the team dedicated themselves to executing their plan. However, by the time the ticket sales window closed, they managed to sell only 40,000 tickets. This shift in strategy provoked considerable dissent within the company, challenging Sukanta's decision. Disturbed by the situation, witnessing the internal turmoil, Adil must now navigate the company's immediate reaction.

Which of the following should now be Adil’s BEST course of action?

  • AHe should make Sukanta and his team to go back to Zedius immediately.
  • BHe should wait and watch as the investment in Sukanta may need more time to bear result.Correct answer
  • CHe should engage a different media agency which is working for TrueColor’s main competitor.
  • DHe should dismiss Sukanta’s team and let the earlier media agency to take over.
  • EHe should threaten Sukanta that if sales do not improve by next year, he and his team will be fired.

Answer: B

Show explanation
Answer:B What to find. Decision-making — pick the response that best balances stakeholders under the case facts. Setup. Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow. Comprehension: TrueColor, an event management company in eastern India, had been in a business of inviting Tollywood singers to a city called Tivan… Steps. 1. List who is affected and what duty/role the decision-maker holds. 2. Score each option on fairness, feasibility, ethics/transparency, and long-term organisational interest (not short-term peace alone). 3. Prefer options that disclose material facts, stay within authority, and avoid unnecessary escalation or concealment. Why B. “He should wait and watch as the investment in Sukanta may need more time to bear result.” is the strongest balance on those criteria for this stem. Why the others fail. • A (“He should make Sukanta and his team to go back to Zedius immediately.”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly. • C (“He should engage a different media agency which is working for TrueColor’s main competitor.”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly. • D (“He should dismiss Sukanta’s team and let the earlier media agency to take over.”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly. • E (“He should threaten Sukanta that if sales do not improve by next year, he and his team will be fired.”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly.
Q42General Knowledge / Current Affairs·Static GK

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow. Comprehension: KindCare hospital, located in the small industrial town of Chinar, is one of the largest hospitals within 50-kilometers radius. It is well-regarded among the locals for emergency services. However, for critical surgeries, they prefer to travel to the nearest city Shamili, which is 100 kilometers away. When KindCare was established 50 years ago, the town was still in its early stages of development. Consequently, the hospital needed to incorporate several facilities within its premises, including a 24-hour cafeteria, to accommodate needs of the patients and their relatives who would come from nearby places. Another facility that KindCare built and takes pride in is its state-of-the-art testing lab. It is the most sought-after testing lab in Chinar even today when many independent labs have come up around KindCare. Moreover, many other facilities have also come up in the surrounding area of the hospital such as pharmacies, food joints, hotels etc. Further, a standalone pharmacy chain has gained a strong foothold in Chinar as they expand their reach into Tier-3 cities. When it comes to KindCare, a significant proportion of its patients are outpatients with a substantial number seeking emergency services. As the sole 600-bed hospital in the region, KindCare plays a crucial role in medical services, and receives generous funding from two major corporations operating locally, further enabling KindCare to cater to the growing medical needs of the community. During the COVID-19 pandemic, KindCare made significant investment in enhancing internet connectivity, enabling many doctors, and the majority of administrative staff, to seamlessly work remotely. This investment also allowed KindCare to bring in doctors from other cities through remote care. Further, COVID-19 was a wakeup call for KindCare to enhance their infrastructure. Though KindCare made significant improvements, they kept the major renovations on hold due to the constant flow of patients. KindCare believes that if the held renovations are not taken up on an urgent basis now, the operations at the hospital will get obstructed.

KindCare feels that it needs to be better prepared before a similar situation like COVID-19 chances upon the city again. The hospital decides to invest immediately in improving their infrastructure. However, this would mean that, temporarily, it should either reduce, or shut down the operations of a few departments. It is considering the following options: A) Reduce their outpatient capacity to half B) Shut down the cafeteria for the period of renovation C) Ask their administrative staff to work remotely D) Strip the pharmacy operations down to emergency and critical medications E) Shut down the medical lab, and arrange medical tests from a local lab

Which of the following combinations will LEAST affect the functioning of the hospital?

  • AACD
  • BBCDCorrect answer
  • CABC
  • DBCE
  • EABE

Answer: B

Show explanation
Answer:B (BCD) What to find. General awareness — lock the stem’s unique factual cue (person, place, year, treaty, award, or institution). What to find. Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow. Comprehension: KindCare hospital, located in the small industrial town of Chinar, is one of the largest hospitals within 50-kil… Steps. Identify the one hard cue in the stem; eliminate options that swap a close distractor (similar role, neighbouring state, adjacent year). Why B. “BCD” is the fact that matches that cue. Why the others fail. • A (“ACD”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • C (“ABC”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • D (“BCE”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • E (“ABE”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue.
Q43General Knowledge / Current Affairs·Static GK

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow. Comprehension: KindCare hospital, located in the small industrial town of Chinar, is one of the largest hospitals within 50-kilometers radius. It is well-regarded among the locals for emergency services. However, for critical surgeries, they prefer to travel to the nearest city Shamili, which is 100 kilometers away. When KindCare was established 50 years ago, the town was still in its early stages of development. Consequently, the hospital needed to incorporate several facilities within its premises, including a 24-hour cafeteria, to accommodate needs of the patients and their relatives who would come from nearby places. Another facility that KindCare built and takes pride in is its state-of-the-art testing lab. It is the most sought-after testing lab in Chinar even today when many independent labs have come up around KindCare. Moreover, many other facilities have also come up in the surrounding area of the hospital such as pharmacies, food joints, hotels etc. Further, a standalone pharmacy chain has gained a strong foothold in Chinar as they expand their reach into Tier-3 cities. When it comes to KindCare, a significant proportion of its patients are outpatients with a substantial number seeking emergency services. As the sole 600-bed hospital in the region, KindCare plays a crucial role in medical services, and receives generous funding from two major corporations operating locally, further enabling KindCare to cater to the growing medical needs of the community. During the COVID-19 pandemic, KindCare made significant investment in enhancing internet connectivity, enabling many doctors, and the majority of administrative staff, to seamlessly work remotely. This investment also allowed KindCare to bring in doctors from other cities through remote care. Further, COVID-19 was a wakeup call for KindCare to enhance their infrastructure. Though KindCare made significant improvements, they kept the major renovations on hold due to the constant flow of patients. KindCare believes that if the held renovations are not taken up on an urgent basis now, the operations at the hospital will get obstructed.

KindCare needs to maintain a large inventory of medicines and other auxiliary supplies in their storage unit. The storage unit ensures adequate and timely supply to Intensive Care Unit and the emergency services, and always runs to capacity. The renovation team suggests that the storage unit be shut down for seven days for urgent renovation. However, the hospital building being old, in the past, renovation work had stretched beyond estimated time.

Which of the following actions BEST ensures KindCare operates efficiently during the renovation of the storage unit?

  • ARenovate the storage unit part by part while halving the capacity of the emergency services until the renovation completes.
  • BShut down the hospital until further notice, except for the emergency ward, which can run on outside supplies.
  • CShut down the cafeteria until further notice and relocate the storage unit.Correct answer
  • DRent a large space, about one hour away from the hospital, for seven days.
  • EStart building a new storage facility, as their capacity is already stretched.

Answer: C

Show explanation
Answer:C What to find. General awareness — lock the stem’s unique factual cue (person, place, year, treaty, award, or institution). What to find. Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow. Comprehension: KindCare hospital, located in the small industrial town of Chinar, is one of the largest hospitals within 50-kil… Steps. Identify the one hard cue in the stem; eliminate options that swap a close distractor (similar role, neighbouring state, adjacent year). Why C. “Shut down the cafeteria until further notice and relocate the storage unit.” is the fact that matches that cue. Why the others fail. • A (“Renovate the storage unit part by part while halving the capacity of the emergency services until t…”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • B (“Shut down the hospital until further notice, except for the emergency ward, which can run on outsid…”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • D (“Rent a large space, about one hour away from the hospital, for seven days.”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • E (“Start building a new storage facility, as their capacity is already stretched.”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue.
Q44General Knowledge / Current Affairs·Static GK

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow. Comprehension: KindCare hospital, located in the small industrial town of Chinar, is one of the largest hospitals within 50-kilometers radius. It is well-regarded among the locals for emergency services. However, for critical surgeries, they prefer to travel to the nearest city Shamili, which is 100 kilometers away. When KindCare was established 50 years ago, the town was still in its early stages of development. Consequently, the hospital needed to incorporate several facilities within its premises, including a 24-hour cafeteria, to accommodate needs of the patients and their relatives who would come from nearby places. Another facility that KindCare built and takes pride in is its state-of-the-art testing lab. It is the most sought-after testing lab in Chinar even today when many independent labs have come up around KindCare. Moreover, many other facilities have also come up in the surrounding area of the hospital such as pharmacies, food joints, hotels etc. Further, a standalone pharmacy chain has gained a strong foothold in Chinar as they expand their reach into Tier-3 cities. When it comes to KindCare, a significant proportion of its patients are outpatients with a substantial number seeking emergency services. As the sole 600-bed hospital in the region, KindCare plays a crucial role in medical services, and receives generous funding from two major corporations operating locally, further enabling KindCare to cater to the growing medical needs of the community. During the COVID-19 pandemic, KindCare made significant investment in enhancing internet connectivity, enabling many doctors, and the majority of administrative staff, to seamlessly work remotely. This investment also allowed KindCare to bring in doctors from other cities through remote care. Further, COVID-19 was a wakeup call for KindCare to enhance their infrastructure. Though KindCare made significant improvements, they kept the major renovations on hold due to the constant flow of patients. KindCare believes that if the held renovations are not taken up on an urgent basis now, the operations at the hospital will get obstructed.

KindCare Hospital has to renovate its storage unit, given the complexity of the medicines and the need to store other critical supplies. The renovation is supposed to take seven days. However, as the work starts, the team entrusted with the work realizes that the work will take more than 15 days. KindCare feels that even this revised estimate is modest. Already the outpatient services are affected, and people visiting the hospital are being turned away. Stretching it further will attract a strong public resentment.

Which of the following actions offers the MOST sustainable solution for KindCare to reduce the number of patients being turned away?

  • AResume some operations from rented spaces, scattered around the region.
  • BStart reduced operations gradually, and hire a team of experts to find ways to expedite the renovation.
  • CArrange with a larger hospital, in Shamili, to take over their critical patients.
  • DBring in a reputed renovation team at triple the cost, which guarantees to finish this work in three days.Correct answer
  • EStop the renovation work immediately, and resume normal operations.

Answer: D

Show explanation
Answer:D What to find. General awareness — lock the stem’s unique factual cue (person, place, year, treaty, award, or institution). What to find. Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow. Comprehension: KindCare hospital, located in the small industrial town of Chinar, is one of the largest hospitals within 50-kil… Steps. Identify the one hard cue in the stem; eliminate options that swap a close distractor (similar role, neighbouring state, adjacent year). Why D. “Bring in a reputed renovation team at triple the cost, which guarantees to finish this work in three days.” is the fact that matches that cue. Why the others fail. • A (“Resume some operations from rented spaces, scattered around the region.”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • B (“Start reduced operations gradually, and hire a team of experts to find ways to expedite the renovat…”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • C (“Arrange with a larger hospital, in Shamili, to take over their critical patients.”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • E (“Stop the renovation work immediately, and resume normal operations.”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue.
Q45Decision Making·Business Decision

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow. Comprehension: Sundaram Stores operated in a gated community, situated about 30 Kilometers away from the main town. The store owner Mr. Sundareswaran Pichaimuthu, or Sundaram as he was called by everyone, secured a space in the gated society through a competitive bidding process. The residents’ association, led by Mr. Thangamoorthy Selvaganapathy, selected Sundaram over three other bidders, based on his willingness to pay the highest rent. Desperate to augment his post-retirement income, Sundaram agreed to pay a very high rent, banking on the prospect of generating exceptional revenue from the gated community. Sundaram was awarded the contract to establish the store, with provisions for a review every three years. Feeling elated during the meeting with the residents’ association to finalize the contract, he enthusiastically committed to offering a 15% discount on all groceries and stationary, cementing goodwill and reinforcing the partnership established through the contract. The association was delightedly taken aback by his generous assurance. Sundaram hoped to make up the difference through volume. Although his sales were strong during the initial months, he soon realized that the SUV-owning residents of the gated community primarily made their purchases at large, branded retail chains in the main town. These stores offered deeper discounts, which he could not afford to compete with. However, gradually, Sundaram store became their go-to store for daily essentials and occasional urgent big purchases such as replacing a broken mixer-grinder.

While reviewing his monthly accounts, Sundaram realized that he was barely breaking even, primarily due to the substantial rent he was paying to the residents’ association. He realized that while his sales were stagnated, the rental costs were contractually scheduled to increase every three years. He was determined to do something to increase his profits. Which of the following will be the MOST sustainable way to increase Sundaram’s profits?

  • AHe should meet with the residents’ association to negotiate a lower rent.
  • BHe should advertise about his shop through a leaflet in the gated community.
  • CHe should remove all the discounts he was offering and sell at the maximum retail price.Correct answer
  • DHe should offer to procure items unavailable at his shop from the town on residents’ demand.
  • EHe should introduce “cheap Wednesdays” where he will sell groceries at 40% discount.

Answer: C

Show explanation
Answer:C What to find. Decision-making — pick the response that best balances stakeholders under the case facts. Setup. Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow. Comprehension: Sundaram Stores operated in a gated community, situated about 30 Kilometers away from the main town. The store owner Mr. Sundareswar… Steps. 1. List who is affected and what duty/role the decision-maker holds. 2. Score each option on fairness, feasibility, ethics/transparency, and long-term organisational interest (not short-term peace alone). 3. Prefer options that disclose material facts, stay within authority, and avoid unnecessary escalation or concealment. Why C. “He should remove all the discounts he was offering and sell at the maximum retail price.” is the strongest balance on those criteria for this stem. Why the others fail. • A (“He should meet with the residents’ association to negotiate a lower rent.”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly. • B (“He should advertise about his shop through a leaflet in the gated community.”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly. • D (“He should offer to procure items unavailable at his shop from the town on residents’ demand.”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly. • E (“He should introduce “cheap Wednesdays” where he will sell groceries at 40% discount.”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly.
Q46Decision Making·Business Decision

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow. Comprehension: Sundaram Stores operated in a gated community, situated about 30 Kilometers away from the main town. The store owner Mr. Sundareswaran Pichaimuthu, or Sundaram as he was called by everyone, secured a space in the gated society through a competitive bidding process. The residents’ association, led by Mr. Thangamoorthy Selvaganapathy, selected Sundaram over three other bidders, based on his willingness to pay the highest rent. Desperate to augment his post-retirement income, Sundaram agreed to pay a very high rent, banking on the prospect of generating exceptional revenue from the gated community. Sundaram was awarded the contract to establish the store, with provisions for a review every three years. Feeling elated during the meeting with the residents’ association to finalize the contract, he enthusiastically committed to offering a 15% discount on all groceries and stationary, cementing goodwill and reinforcing the partnership established through the contract. The association was delightedly taken aback by his generous assurance. Sundaram hoped to make up the difference through volume. Although his sales were strong during the initial months, he soon realized that the SUV-owning residents of the gated community primarily made their purchases at large, branded retail chains in the main town. These stores offered deeper discounts, which he could not afford to compete with. However, gradually, Sundaram store became their go-to store for daily essentials and occasional urgent big purchases such as replacing a broken mixer-grinder.

To increase his profits, Sundaram diversified into selling vegetables. Earlier, a vegetable vendor used to visit the gated community once every week. The vendor, after seeing dismal sales ever since Sundaram started selling vegetables, stopped visiting the gated community. The residents’ association did not like losing the rent they were receiving from the vendor. Additionally, the maintenance staff of the gated community benefitted from receiving vegetables either for free or at extremely low prices, as the vendor, reluctant to take back the unsold stock, chose to distribute them at little to no cost. This enabled the residents’ association to retain maintenance staff whose attrition rate was increasing with more gated communities coming up in the nearby area.

Which of the following options will BEST address the concerns of the residents’ association arising out of Sundaram getting into selling vegetables?

  • AThe residents’ association should request for bids from various shop owners to open another grocery store in the vacant place.
  • BThe residents’ association should ask Sundaram to use the erstwhile space for selling vegetables and pay rent for the same.
  • CThe residents’ association should impose a fine on Sundaram since he was not contracted to sell vegetables.
  • DThe residents’ association should discount the rent for the vegetable vendor to increase competition and ask him to continue.Correct answer
  • EThe residents’ association should ask Sundaram to give a specific quantity of vegetables to the maintenance staff for free.

Answer: D

Show explanation
Answer:D What to find. Decision-making — pick the response that best balances stakeholders under the case facts. Setup. Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow. Comprehension: Sundaram Stores operated in a gated community, situated about 30 Kilometers away from the main town. The store owner Mr. Sundareswar… Steps. 1. List who is affected and what duty/role the decision-maker holds. 2. Score each option on fairness, feasibility, ethics/transparency, and long-term organisational interest (not short-term peace alone). 3. Prefer options that disclose material facts, stay within authority, and avoid unnecessary escalation or concealment. Why D. “The residents’ association should discount the rent for the vegetable vendor to increase competition and ask him to continue.” is the strongest balance on those criteria for this stem. Why the others fail. • A (“The residents’ association should request for bids from various shop owners to open another grocery…”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly. • B (“The residents’ association should ask Sundaram to use the erstwhile space for selling vegetables an…”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly. • C (“The residents’ association should impose a fine on Sundaram since he was not contracted to sell veg…”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly. • E (“The residents’ association should ask Sundaram to give a specific quantity of vegetables to the mai…”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly.
Q47Decision Making·Data-based Decision

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow. Comprehension: Sundaram Stores operated in a gated community, situated about 30 Kilometers away from the main town. The store owner Mr. Sundareswaran Pichaimuthu, or Sundaram as he was called by everyone, secured a space in the gated society through a competitive bidding process. The residents’ association, led by Mr. Thangamoorthy Selvaganapathy, selected Sundaram over three other bidders, based on his willingness to pay the highest rent. Desperate to augment his post-retirement income, Sundaram agreed to pay a very high rent, banking on the prospect of generating exceptional revenue from the gated community. Sundaram was awarded the contract to establish the store, with provisions for a review every three years. Feeling elated during the meeting with the residents’ association to finalize the contract, he enthusiastically committed to offering a 15% discount on all groceries and stationary, cementing goodwill and reinforcing the partnership established through the contract. The association was delightedly taken aback by his generous assurance. Sundaram hoped to make up the difference through volume. Although his sales were strong during the initial months, he soon realized that the SUV-owning residents of the gated community primarily made their purchases at large, branded retail chains in the main town. These stores offered deeper discounts, which he could not afford to compete with. However, gradually, Sundaram store became their go-to store for daily essentials and occasional urgent big purchases such as replacing a broken mixer-grinder.

Sundaram is a happy man now. He has managed to get contracts with two more nearby gated communities. He feels like the grocery king of the suburb. However, his happiness is short-lived as Rush’em, a new startup, begins making waves among gated communities. This app-based startup promises to deliver any grocery item within 15 minutes, leveraging its own large warehouses. Earlier, Rush’em was confined to the main town, but now, the startup has expanded its delivery services to the suburbs, including gated communities where Sundaram operates. Of course, for the suburbs, Rush’em promises delivery within 60 minutes, given the distance. Though not an official slogan, the rumour in the market is that Rush’em’s founder inspired her employees by shouting “Rush’em or Crash’em, but Push’em through that door!” Sundaram started losing business to Rush’em. He felt rushed, pushed, and was wondering if his business would come crashing. What should Sundaram BEST do to ensure that his revenues do not come down due to Rush’em?

  • ASundaram should not bother since the nearest town is 30 kilometers away.
  • BSundaram should explore starting his own delivery startup Finish’em, dedicated to the suburb, competing with Rush’em.
  • CSundaram should employ a few helpers who will do home delivery of his products within 10 minutes across the three gated communities.Correct answer
  • DSundaram should demand that his rent be reduced to one-third since Rush’em has free access to these societies
  • ESundaram should start giving discounts on every product he sells.

Answer: C

Show explanation
Answer:C What to find. Decision-making — pick the response that best balances stakeholders under the case facts. Setup. Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow. Comprehension: Sundaram Stores operated in a gated community, situated about 30 Kilometers away from the main town. The store owner Mr. Sundareswar… Steps. 1. List who is affected and what duty/role the decision-maker holds. 2. Score each option on fairness, feasibility, ethics/transparency, and long-term organisational interest (not short-term peace alone). 3. Prefer options that disclose material facts, stay within authority, and avoid unnecessary escalation or concealment. Why C. “Sundaram should employ a few helpers who will do home delivery of his products within 10 minutes across the three gated communities.” is the strongest balance on those criteria for this stem. Why the others fail. • A (“Sundaram should not bother since the nearest town is 30 kilometers away.”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly. • B (“Sundaram should explore starting his own delivery startup Finish’em, dedicated to the suburb, compe…”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly. • D (“Sundaram should demand that his rent be reduced to one-third since Rush’em has free access to these…”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly. • E (“Sundaram should start giving discounts on every product he sells.”) — weaker on fairness, feasibility, transparency, or long-term organisational interest — or it hides a material fact / escalates needlessly.

Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation(28 questions)

Q48Quantitative Ability·Miscellaneous Quant

There are 25 rooms in a hotel. Each room can accommodate at the most three people. For each room, the single occupancy charge is Rs. 2000 per day, the double occupancy charge is Rs. 3000 per day, and the triple occupancy charge is Rs. 3500 per day. If there are 55 people staying in the hotel today, what is the maximum possible revenue from room occupancy charges today?

  • ARs. 72500
  • BRs. 82500
  • CRs. 77500Correct answer
  • DRs. 92500
  • ERs. 87500

Answer: C

Show explanation
Answer:C (Rs. 77500) There are 25 rooms in total and 55 people need to be occupied in the these 25 rooms. The cost of a single, double and triple occupancy room is Rs. 2,000, Rs. 3,000 and Rs. 3,500 respectively. Let the number of single, double and triple occupancy rooms used are x, y and z respectively. We know the total number of rooms are 25. x+y+z=25 4x+4y+4z=100 -----> Eq(1) Further the total number of people are 55 x+2y+3z=55 2y+3z=55-x -----> Eq(2) The revenue(R) can be written as: R=2000x+3000y+3500z R=500(4x+6y+7z) Use Eq(1): R=500(100+2y+3z) Use Eq(2): R=500(100+55-x) R=500(155-x) We have to maximize the revenue R. It implies we have to minimize x. Minimum value x=0 gives y=20 and z=5 from Eq(1) and Eq(2). Maximum Revenue =500*155=77500 Option C.
Q49Quantitative Ability·Ratio & Proportion

The market value of beams, made of a rare metal, has a unique property: the market value of any such beam is proportional to the square of its length. Due to an accident, one such beam got broken into two pieces having lengths in the ratio 4:9. Considering each broken piece as a separate beam, how much gain or loss, with respect to the market value of the original beam before the accident, is incurred?

  • A74.23% gain
  • B42.60% lossCorrect answer
  • C31.77% loss
  • D57.40% loss
  • ENo gain or loss

Answer: B

Show explanation
Answer:B (42.60% loss) Given that the beam got broken into two pieces, with length in a ratio of 4 : 9. Let the lengths of the new beams be 4x and 9x respectively. So, the length of the original beam is 13x. Now, given the value is proportional to the square of its length. Value of the original beam = k(13x)2=169kx2, where k is the constant of proportionality. The value of new beams is k(4x)2+k(9x)2=16kx2+81kx2=97kx2 Hence, the gain/loss with respect to the original beam is 169kx2-97kx2=72kx2 In percentage terms, Loss % = 72kx2169kx2100=42.60% Hence, the answer is 42.60% loss
Q50Quantitative Ability·Mensuration

ABCD is a rectangle, where the coordinates of C and D are (- 2,0) and (2,0), respectively. If the area of the rectangle is 24, which of the following is a possible equation representing the line ↔AB?

  • A4x + 6y = 24
  • BNone of the other options is correct.
  • Cy = 6Correct answer
  • Dx = 6
  • Ex + y =12

Answer: C

Show explanation
Answer:C (y = 6) The points C(-2,0) and D(2,0) lie on the horizontal line y=0. Hence, CD=2-(-2)=4. Since ABCD is a rectangle, the opposite side AB must be parallel to CD. Therefore, AB must also be horizontal, so its equation has the form y=k. Using area = base × height, 24=4× |k-0| ⇒ |k|=6. Thus, the other horizontal side can lie on either y=6 or y=-6, depending on which side of CD the rectangle is drawn. The question asks for a possible equation, and y=6 appears among the choices. Notice that the sloping equations cannot represent AB, while x=6 is vertical and hence not parallel to CD. Therefore, option C is valid.
Q51Quantitative Ability·Circles

Adu and Amu have bought two pieces of land on the Moon from an e-store. Both the pieces of land have the same perimeters, but Adu’s piece of land is in the shape of a square, while Amu’s piece of land is in the shape of a circle. The ratio of the areas of Adu’s piece of land to Amu’s piece of land is:

  • A1 : 1
  • Bπ^2 : 4
  • C1 : π
  • Dπ : 4Correct answer
  • Eπ : 2

Answer: D

Show explanation
Answer:D (π : 4) It is given that the perimeters of areas are equal for both of them. Let the equal perimeter be P. Adu's piece is a square, and the perimeter of the square = 4s = P Side of the square s=\ P4 Amu's piece is a circle, and the perimeter of the circle = 2π\ r=\ P The radius of the circle r=\ P2π\ The ratio of areas is, s2\ :\ π\ r2 =(P4)^2:\ π\ (P2π\)^2 =\ P216\ :\ π×P24π^2\ =\ 14\ :\ 1\ π\\ =\ π\ \ :\ \ 4 Hence, the correct answer is option D.
Q52Quantitative Ability·Miscellaneous Quant

Ramesh bought a mobile from a local store. He paid 16 of the price via UPI and 13 of the price via cash. He agreed to pay the balance amount a year later. While paying back the balance amount, Ramesh paid 10% interest on the balance amount. If the interest paid was Rs. 6000, what was the original price of the mobile?

  • ARs. 120000Correct answer
  • BRs. 110000
  • CRs. 100000
  • DRs. 90000
  • ERs. 150000

Answer: A

Show explanation
Answer:A (Rs. 120000) Let the total price of the mobile phone is Rs. 60X. Ramesh paid 16 of the price via UPI i.e. 60X×\ 16=10X Further, he paid 13 of the price via cash i.e. 60X×\ 13=20X Remaining amount to be paid by Ramesh = 60X-10X-20X=30X Further, 10% interest charged on the balance amount = Rs. 6,000 Or, we can say, 10% of 30X=6,000 i.e. 3X=6,000 Or, X=2,000 Since the total price of the mobile phone was 60X, the actual cost is 60×\ 2,000\ =\ Rs.\ 1,20,000
Q53Quantitative Ability·Coordinate Geometry

A straight line L1 has the equation y = k(x - 1), where k is some real number. The straight line L1 intersects another straight line L2 at the point (5, 8). If L2 has a slope of 1, which of the following is definitely FALSE?

  • AThe distance between the y-intercepts of the two lines is 6Correct answer
  • BThe distance from the origin to one of the lines is 32
  • CThe line L1 passes through the point (1, 0)
  • DThe distance between the x-intercepts of the two lines is 4
  • EThe distance from the origin to one of the lines is 25

Answer: A

Show explanation
Answer:A (The distance between the y-intercepts of the two lines is 6) Given that the equation of line L1 is y = k(x - 1) and it intersects line L2 at (5, 8). So, the point (5, 8) must satisfy the equation of line L1 We get 8=k(5-1) or k=2 Hence, the equation of line L1 is y = 2(x - 1) . . . (1) Now, L2 has a slope of 1 Using slope form, the equation of line is y=mx+c, where m is the slope and c is the y-intercept So, the equation of line L2 is y=x+c Now, as it passes through the point (5, 8), the equation must satisfy Hence, 8=5+c or, c=3 Hence, the equation of line L2 is y=x+3 . . . (2) Plotting both lines on the graph, we get From the graph we can clearly see that the distance between the y-intercepts of the two lines is 5 not 6. Hence, the statement the distance between the y-intercepts of the two lines is 6 is definitely false.
Q54Quantitative Ability·Miscellaneous Quant

In a computer game, each move requires pressing a button. When the button is pressed for the first time, as a move, the computer randomly chooses a cell from a 4x4 grid of sixteen cells and puts an “X” mark on that cell. When the button is pressed subsequently, the computer randomly chooses a cell from the remaining unmarked cells and puts an “X” mark on that cell. This goes on till the end of the game. The game ends when either all the cells in any one row, or all the cells in any one column, are marked with “X”. What is the maximum possible number of times a player has to press the button to finish the game?

  • A16
  • B10
  • C6
  • D13Correct answer
  • E4

Answer: D

Show explanation
Answer:D (13) To delay the end, every row and every column must contain at most three marked cells. It is possible to place 12 marks without completing any row or column: leave exactly four cells unmarked, with one unmarked cell in each row and one in each column—for example, the four cells on the main diagonal. Then every row and every column has exactly three X's, so the game has not ended after 12 presses. Now consider the thirteenth press. With 13 marked cells distributed among four rows, the pigeonhole principle gives 134⌉=4. Hence at least one row must contain four marked cells. That row is complete, so the game necessarily ends by the thirteenth press. Equivalently, after 12 presses the four unmarked cells can protect all rows and columns only when they occupy distinct rows and columns; removing any one of them completes both its row and its column. Thus 12 presses can be survived, but the thirteenth must finish the game.
Q55Quantitative Ability·Number Systems

If a, b, and c are all positive integers, with 4a > b, then which of the following conditions is BOTH NECESSARY AND SUFFICIENT for the expression ∛((3)a(21)(3a - b)(49)(2b + c)) to be a positive integer?

  • Aa - b + 2c is divisible by 3
  • BNone of the other conditions is both necessary and sufficient
  • Ca, b, and c are divisible by 3
  • Da - b = c
  • E(a - b) and c are divisible by 3Correct answer

Answer: E

Show explanation
Answer:E ((a - b) and c are divisible by 3) The given expression is, ∛((3)a(21)(3a - b)(49)(2b + c)) and it can also be written as, ∛((3)a\ (3)3a\ -\ b\ \ (7)3a\ -\ b\ (7)4b+2c) =\ ∛(\ (3)4a\ -\ b\ \ (7)3a\ +\ 3b+2c) For the above expression to be a positive integer, the power of the expression must be an integer after applying the cube root for the expression inside. This means that the power of the expression inside must be a multiple of 3. The expression is, ∛(\ (3)4a\ -\ b\ \ (7)3a\ +\ 3b+2c)\ =\ 3(4a\ -\ b)3\ ×\ 7(3a\ +\ 3b\ +\ 2c)3 The value 4a\ -\ b3=\ 3a\ +\ a\ -\ b3\ =\ a\ +a\ -\ b3 must be an integer which means that a - b must be a multiple of 3. Similarly, the value 3a\ +\ 3b\ +\ 2c3=\ a\ +\ b\ +\ 2c3 must also be an integer which gives us the condition that c must be a multiple of 3. So, the necessary and sufficient conditions are a - b and c must be a multiple of 3. Hence, the correct answer is option E.
Q56Quantitative Ability·Circles

A solid trophy, consisting of two parts, has been designed in the following manner: the bottom part is a frustum of a cone with the bottom radius 30 cm, the top radius 20 cm, and height 40 cm, while the top part is a hemisphere with radius 20 cm. Moreover, the flat surface of the hemisphere is the same as the top surface of the frustum. If the entire trophy is to be gold-plated at the cost of Rs. 40 per square cm, what would the cost for gold-plating be closest to?

  • ARs. 1,12,000
  • BRs. 3,60,000
  • CRs. 4,73,000Correct answer
  • DRs. 5,23,000
  • ERs. 3,72,000

Answer: C

Show explanation
Answer:C (Rs. 4,73,000) According to the question, we have the following figure: According to the question, we have a frustum and a semisphere with a flat surface, and we need to find the curved surface area of the frustum along with the curved surface area of the hemisphere and the bottom flat area of the frustum. Curved surface area of the Frustrum = π\ ×(r1+r2)× l Here, r1 and r2 refer to the two different radii, and l refers to the slant height. l=h2+(r1-r2)2 l=1600+100=1700=1017 Hence, curved surface area of the frustrum = π\ ×(20+30)1017 = π\ 501017 = 50017π\ Now, curved surface area of the hemisphere = 2π r2=2×π\ ×\ (20)2\ =\ 800π\ And the flat bottom area of the frustrum = π r2=π\ ×(30)2=900π\ Hence, the total surface area of the trophy =50017π\ +\ 800π\ +\ 900π\ =50017π\ +\ 1700π\ The cost of gold coating is Rs. 40 per square cm. Hence, the total cost of coating = 40×\ (50017π\ +\ 1700π\ ) 40×\ 227×\ (50017\ +\ 1700\ ) 40×\ 227×\ (2061.55\ +\ 1700\ ) 40×\ 227×\ 3761.55=Rs.\ 4,72,880.571\ ≈\ Rs.\ 4,73,000
Q57Quantitative Ability·Miscellaneous Quant

An industrial robot manufacturing company is tasked to design humanoid robots to be used in warehouses where the robots need to pick items from a stack of shelves. The height of the topmost shelf from the ground is 7 feet. To operate, the robot has to move on a track, running parallel to the stack of shelves. The track is fixed 1 foot away from the base of the stack of shelves. Further, the robot cannot raise its arms by more than 60° from the horizontal plane. If the robot’s arms are attached to its shoulder, what should be the minimum height of the robot from the ground to the shoulder for its arms to reach the topmost shelf?

  • A3 feet
  • B7 feet
  • C7 - 3 feetCorrect answer
  • DNone of the other options is correct
  • E6 + 3 feet

Answer: C

Show explanation
Answer:C (7 - 3 feet) According to the question, we can draw the following table: Here, EC refers to the shelf which is 7 feet and AB refers to the height of the robot. Here, AE reflects the hand of the robot. Since we need to find the minimum possible height, we need to maximize the length of the hands of the robot. The hands of the robot can be tilted to the maximum angle of 60, hence, we will assume that the hands of the robot tilt to exactly 60°\. Let the height of the robot i.e. AB be x feet. Now, we need to find the value of x. Since, BC = 1 foot, AD is also 1 foot. In triangle ADE, tan\ 60°\=EDAD tan\ 60°\=7-x1 3=7-x1 x=7-3 Hence, the minimum height of the robot from the ground to the shoulder for its arms to reach the topmost shelf is 7-3 feet.
Q58Quantitative Ability·Circles

There are five dustbins along a circular path at different places. Ramesh takes multiple rounds of the path every morning, always at the same speed. He noticed that it took him a different number of steps to walk between any two consecutive dustbins. Ramesh also noticed that starting from any of the dustbins, it took a minimum 800 steps to reach every second dustbin. On the other hand, starting from any of the dustbins, it took a maximum 1260 steps to reach every third dustbin. If Ramesh’s one step is 0.77 metre, and the width of the path is negligible, which the following can be the radius of the circular path?

  • A230 metres
  • B240 metres
  • C260 metres
  • D250 metresCorrect answer
  • E220 metres

Answer: D

Show explanation
Answer:D (250 metres) Let's assume that all the dustbins are at equal distances and the distance between two dustbin's be l. We are told that a minimum 800 steps to reach every second dustbin. 800≤2l ⇒ 400 ≤ l Similarly, we are also told that a maximum 1260 steps to reach every third dustbin. So, 3l≤1260 400≤l≤420 The circumference will be 5l. 2000≤ 5l ≤ 2100 2000 and 2100 are both in steps of Ramesh. We are told that each of his step is 0.77m. So, 2000 steps = 2000*0.77= 1540m 2100 steps = 2100*0.77 = 1617 So, the circumference will lie between 1540 and 1617. 1540 ≤ 2π r ≤ 1617. 1540≤ r≤1617 245.22≤ r≤\ 257.48 So, 250m is the correct option.
Q59Quantitative Ability·Linear Equations

For how many distinct real values of x does the equation below hold true? (Consider a > 0.) x2 loga(16)loga(32) - loga(64)loga(32) - x = 0

  • A1
  • BInfinitely many
  • C2
  • D0
  • EDepends on the value of aCorrect answer

Answer: E

Show explanation
Answer:E (Depends on the value of a) In the given equation x2 loga(16)loga(32) - loga(64)loga(32) - x = 0 We know the property of log that logablogac=logcb So, loga16loga32=log3216=log2524=45 Similarly, loga64loga32=log3264=log2526=65 Hence, the equation can be written as 45x2-65-x=0 or, 4x2-6-5x=0 Evaluating the discriminant we get D=b2-4ac=(-5)2-4(4)(-6) or, D=121>0 Hence, the equation has two distinct real roots. But as the question mentions a>0, so it can take the value a=1, for which the log term will not be defined, hence there will be no defined solution. Hence, the answer is Depends on the value of a
Q60Quantitative Ability·Time, Speed & Distance

A farmer has a quadrilateral parcel of land with a perimeter of 700 feet. Two opposite angles of that parcel of land are right angles, while the remaining two are not. The farmer wants to do organic farming on that parcel of land. The cost of organic farming is Rs. 400 per square foot. Consider the following two additional pieces of information: I. The length of one of the sides of that parcel of land is 110 feet. II. The distance between the two corner points where the non-perpendicular sides of that parcel of land intersect is 255 feet. To determine the amount of money the farmer needs to spend to do organic farming on the entire parcel of land, which of the above additional pieces of information is/are MINIMALLY SUFFICIENT?

  • AII only
  • BI only
  • CI and II together onlyCorrect answer
  • DEither of I or II, by itself
  • EThe amount cannot be determined even with the additional pieces of information.

Answer: C

Show explanation
Answer:C (I and II together only) Considering statement 1: We can only get the length of one of the sides of the land. But that is not sufficient to get the area. Considering statement 2: We are given the diagonal length. With this information and the perimeter, it is not possible to find the area of land. Considering both 1 and 2 statements. Now, we have two right-angle triangles. We know the hypotenuse of both triangles. AB2+AD2=BD2 1102+AB2= 2552 AB≈\230 Let DC = x, BC = 700 - 110-230-x = 360-x. x2+(360-x)2 = 2552 Upon solving this we get x = 180±152 360-x = 180±152 Area of triangle ABD = 12110230\ =\ 12650 Area of triangle BDC = 12(180+152)(180-152)=16143.75 So, total area = 12650+16143.75 = 28793.75 Cost = 28793.75*400 = Rs. 11517500. So, option C is the answer, as both statements 1 and 2 are required and sufficient to answer the question.
Q61Quantitative Ability·Probability

Consider the quadratic function f(x) = ax2 + bx + a having two irrational roots, with a and b being two positive integers, such that a, b ≤ 9. If all such permissible pairs (a, b) are equally likely, what is the probability that a + b is greater than 9?

  • A716
  • B58
  • CNone of the other answers is correct.
  • D715Correct answer
  • E23

Answer: D

Show explanation
Answer:D (715) For the roots to be irrational, the value of D > 0 and D must not be a perfect square. The value of D for the equation given is =\ b2\ -\ 4×\ a\ ×\ a\ =\ b2\ -\ 4a2 The pairs (a. b) that satisfy the above conditions are, b = 1 no value of a exists b = 2 no value of a exists b = 3, a = 1 b = 4, a = 1 b = 5, a = 1 b = 6, a = 1, 2 b = 7, a = 1, 2, 3 b = 8, a = 1, 2, 3 b = 9, a = 1, 2, 3, 4 There are a total of 15 pairs of (a, b) that satisfy the above condition and out of them, the value of a + b is greater than 9 for 7 of them. So, the probability that a + b is greater than 9 is given by 715. Hence, the correct answer is option D.
Q62Quantitative Ability·Averages

Eight employees of an organization have been rated on a scale of 1 to 50 for their performance. All ratings are integers. The overall average rating of the eight employees is 30. While the five employees with the highest ratings average 38, the five employees with the lowest ratings average 25.

Which of the following, about the ratings obtained by the eight employees, is DEFINITELY FALSE?

  • AThe second highest rating obtained is 38.
  • BThe median of the eight ratings is 37.5.
  • CThe lowest rating obtained is 1.
  • DThe highest rating obtained is 40.Correct answer
  • EThe third lowest rating obtained is 37.

Answer: D

Show explanation
Answer:D (The highest rating obtained is 40.) It is given that the average of the first five highest-rated employees is 38. So, the sum of the ratings of the top 5 highest-rated employees is 38 * 5 = 190. It is given that the average of the first five lowest-rated employees is 25. So, the sum of the ratings of the top 5 lowest-rated employees is 25 * 5 = 125. The overall average rating of all the employees is given as 30. So, the sum of the ratings of all the employees is given as 30 * 8 = 240. The sum of the 3 highest rated employees' ratings can be obtained by subtracting the sum of the 5 lowest rated players' ratings from the overall rating, which is 240 - 125 = 115. The sum of the 3 lowest rated employees' ratings can be obtained by subtracting the sum of the 5 highest rated players' ratings from the overall rating, which is 240 - 190 = 50. So, the sum of the 4th and 5th highest-rated employees is 190 - 115 = 75. Now let us look at the options to eliminate the wrong option, Option A) It is given that the second-highest rating is 38. It is not an incorrect option because there is a possible case of the second highest being 38 and satisfying all the above conditions. The first 5, in that case, can be 39, 38, 38, 38, 37, which satisfies the above conditions. Option B) Same as the above case, we can have the 4th and 5th ratings to be 38 and 37, and in that case, the median of the ratings of the employees becomes 37\ +\ 382\ =\ 37.5. So, this is not an incorrect option. Option C) We know that the sum of the lowest three ratings is 50, and in that case, there are possibilities of the lowest rating being 1 and the sum of the three is 50. For example, 37, 12, 1 is one of the cases. Hence, this is not an incorrect option. Option D) The highest rating cannot be 40 because if it is 40, then the sum of the 2nd and 3rd becomes 75. In that case, the 3rd rated person's rating has to be less than or equal to 37, and we know that the 4th person's rating must be greater than or equal to 38. So, if the third person rating is 37 or less, then there is no possibility as the 4th person rating must be less than 3rd person rating. So, option D is incorrect. Option E) As explained in option C, the set of the last three rated employees can be 37, 12 and 1, and in this case, we can see that the third lowest player's rating is 37. So, E is not an incorrect option. Hence, the correct answer is option D.
Q63Quantitative Ability·Number Systems

Arun selected an integer x between 2 and 40, both inclusive. He noticed that the greatest common divisor of the selected integer x and any other integer between 2 and 40, both inclusive, is 1. How many different choices for such an x are possible?

  • A4Correct answer
  • B8
  • C1
  • D12
  • E0

Answer: A

Show explanation
Answer:A (4) We know that if the greatest common divisor of two numbers is 1, they are co-prime to each other. Given that the greatest common divisor of the selected integer x and any other integer between 2 and 40, both inclusive, is 1. So, the selected number has to be a prime number, and that too greater than 402 or 20 because prime numbers less than 20, like 17, will have the greatest common divisor = 17 with their multiple, like 34 which is also in the range of selected integers. Hence, the only possible values of x are 23, 29, 31 and 37 i.e. a total of 4 values. Instructions for Q17 Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow. Comprehension: In an 8-week course, a professor administered a test at the end of each week. Each of the eight tests was scored out of 4 marks, and a student could only receive a non-negative integer score. Two students, Ravi and Sumana, took the eight tests. In the first test, Ravi and Sumana scored the same marks. From the second to eighth tests, Ravi scored the exact same non-zero marks. Sumana scored the same marks as Ravi from the fifth test onwards. Ravi’s total marks in the first three tests was the same as Sumana’s total marks in the first two tests. Also, Sumana’s marks in the first test, total marks of the first two tests, and total marks of the eight tests are in a geometric progression.
Q64Quantitative Ability·Progressions (AP/GP/HP)

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow. Comprehension: In an 8-week course, a professor administered a test at the end of each week. Each of the eight tests was scored out of 4 marks, and a student could only receive a non-negative integer score. Two students, Ravi and Sumana, took the eight tests. In the first test, Ravi and Sumana scored the same marks. From the second to eighth tests, Ravi scored the exact same non-zero marks. Sumana scored the same marks as Ravi from the fifth test onwards. Ravi’s total marks in the first three tests was the same as Sumana’s total marks in the first two tests. Also, Sumana’s marks in the first test, total marks of the first two tests, and total marks of the eight tests are in a geometric progression.

Which of the following CAN be true?

  • ARavi scored 4 marks in the third test
  • BSumana scored 2 marks in the first testCorrect answer
  • CRavi scored 0 marks in the fifth test
  • DSumana scored 3 marks in the second test
  • ESumana scored 4 marks in the eighth test

Answer: B

Show explanation
Answer:B (Sumana scored 2 marks in the first test) According to the set, there are 8 tests and each test can have a maximum of 4 marks so any student can get a maximum of 32 marks. Now, the number of marks received by any student in a test can be 01/23/4. We are given information about two students, Ravi and Sumana. In the first test, they both scored the same marks. Let the marks scored by both is x. Further, from the second to eighth tests, Ravi scored the exact same non-zero marks. Let the marks scored by Ravi from second to eighth test is y where y can be 12/34. Also, Sumana scored the same marks as Ravi from the fifth test onwards. With this, we get the following table: Ravi’s total marks in the first three tests was the same as Sumana’s total marks in the first two tests. Let the marks of Sumana in the second test be z. We are given that, x\ +\ 2y=x+z Therefore, we can say, z = 2y. We don't have any other information about their marks in specific tests so let the marks of Sumana in test 3 and test 4 be a and b respectively. With this, we have: At last, we are given that Sumana’s marks in the first test, total marks of the first two tests, and total marks of the eight tests are in a geometric progression. i.e. x, (x + 2y) and (x + a + b + 6y) are in a geometric progression. With this, we can infer that x can't be 0 as if x is 0, any number multiplied with it will be 0 and (x+2y) and (x + a + b + 6y) can't be in a geometric progression. Hence, x can be 12 / 34. Let's try to make all possible geometric progression with this information: 1. (1, 3, 9) when x = 1, y = 1 and a + b = 2 2. (2, 4, 8) when x = 2, y = 1 and a + b = 0 3. (2, 6, 8) when x = 2, y = 2 and a + b = 4 4. (4, 8, 16) when x = 4, y = 2 and a + b = 0 In the question, we need to answer which of the mentioned statements can be true: A: Ravi scored 4 marks in the third test y can't be 4 in any of the possible case. Hence, the statement can't be true. B: Sumana scored 2 marks in the first test Sumana scored x marks in the first test and x can be 2. Hence, this can be true. C: Ravi scored 0 marks in the fifth test y can't be 0 as we discussed above. Hence, this statement can't be true. D: Sumana scored 3 marks in the second test Sumana scored 2y in the second test and if 2y = 3, y will be a non integer number which is not possible. E: Sumana scored 4 marks in the eighth test y can't be 4 in any of the possible case. Hence, this can't be true.
Q65Quantitative Ability·Progressions (AP/GP/HP)

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow. Comprehension: In an 8-week course, a professor administered a test at the end of each week. Each of the eight tests was scored out of 4 marks, and a student could only receive a non-negative integer score. Two students, Ravi and Sumana, took the eight tests. In the first test, Ravi and Sumana scored the same marks. From the second to eighth tests, Ravi scored the exact same non-zero marks. Sumana scored the same marks as Ravi from the fifth test onwards. Ravi’s total marks in the first three tests was the same as Sumana’s total marks in the first two tests. Also, Sumana’s marks in the first test, total marks of the first two tests, and total marks of the eight tests are in a geometric progression.

If Ravi scored 4 marks in the first test, how many marks did Sumana score in the third test?

  • A3
  • B0Correct answer
  • C1
  • D4
  • E2

Answer: B

Show explanation
Answer:B (0) According to the set, there are 8 tests and each test can have a maximum of 4 marks so any student can get a maximum of 32 marks. Now, the number of marks received by any student in a test can be 01/23/4. We are given information about two students, Ravi and Sumana. In the first test, they both scored the same marks. Let the marks scored by both is x. Further, from the second to eighth tests, Ravi scored the exact same non-zero marks. Let the marks scored by Ravi from second to eighth test is y where y can be 12/34. Also, Sumana scored the same marks as Ravi from the fifth test onwards. With this, we get the following table: Ravi’s total marks in the first three tests was the same as Sumana’s total marks in the first two tests. Let the marks of Sumana in the second test be z. We are given that, x\ +\ 2y=x+z Therefore, we can say, z = 2y. We don't have any other information about their marks in specific tests so let the marks of Sumana in test 3 and test 4 be a and b respectively. With this, we have: At last, we are given that Sumana’s marks in the first test, total marks of the first two tests, and total marks of the eight tests are in a geometric progression. i.e. x, (x + 2y) and (x + a + b + 6y) are in a geometric progression. With this, we can infer that x can't be 0 as if x is 0, any number multiplied with it will be 0 and (x+2y) and (x + a + b + 6y) can't be in a geometric progression. Hence, x can be 12 / 34. Let's try to make all possible geometric progression with this information: 1. (1, 3, 9) when x = 1, y = 1 and a + b = 2 2. (2, 4, 8) when x = 2, y = 1 and a + b = 0 3. (2, 6, 8) when x = 2, y = 2 and a + b = 4 4. (4, 8, 16) when x = 4, y = 2 and a + b = 0 According to the question, if Ravi scored 4 marks in the first test i.e. if x = 4, the possible case is case 4, Hence, sumana scored a marks in the third test and we know that in case 4, a + b = 0. Hence, both a and b are 0.
Q66Quantitative Ability·Progressions (AP/GP/HP)

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow. Comprehension: In an 8-week course, a professor administered a test at the end of each week. Each of the eight tests was scored out of 4 marks, and a student could only receive a non-negative integer score. Two students, Ravi and Sumana, took the eight tests. In the first test, Ravi and Sumana scored the same marks. From the second to eighth tests, Ravi scored the exact same non-zero marks. Sumana scored the same marks as Ravi from the fifth test onwards. Ravi’s total marks in the first three tests was the same as Sumana’s total marks in the first two tests. Also, Sumana’s marks in the first test, total marks of the first two tests, and total marks of the eight tests are in a geometric progression.

If Ravi scored 1 mark in the second test, what is the maximum possible value of Sumana’s total marks in all the eight tests together?

  • A10
  • B12
  • C9Correct answer
  • DCannot be uniquely determined from the given information
  • E8

Answer: C

Show explanation
Answer:C (9) According to the set, there are 8 tests and each test can have a maximum of 4 marks so any student can get a maximum of 32 marks. Now, the number of marks received by any student in a test can be 01/23/4. We are given information about two students, Ravi and Sumana. In the first test, they both scored the same marks. Let the marks scored by both is x. Further, from the second to eighth tests, Ravi scored the exact same non-zero marks. Let the marks scored by Ravi from second to eighth test is y where y can be 12/34. Also, Sumana scored the same marks as Ravi from the fifth test onwards. With this, we get the following table: Ravi’s total marks in the first three tests was the same as Sumana’s total marks in the first two tests. Let the marks of Sumana in the second test be z. We are given that, x\ +\ 2y=x+z Therefore, we can say, z = 2y. We don't have any other information about their marks in specific tests so let the marks of Sumana in test 3 and test 4 be a and b respectively. With this, we have: At last, we are given that Sumana’s marks in the first test, total marks of the first two tests, and total marks of the eight tests are in a geometric progression. i.e. x, (x + 2y) and (x + a + b + 6y) are in a geometric progression. With this, we can infer that x can't be 0 as if x is 0, any number multiplied with it will be 0 and (x+2y) and (x + a + b + 6y) can't be in a geometric progression. Hence, x can be 12 / 34. Let's try to make all possible geometric progression with this information: 1. (1, 3, 9) when x = 1, y = 1 and a + b = 2 2. (2, 4, 8) when x = 2, y = 1 and a + b = 0 3. (2, 6, 18) when x = 2, y = 2 and a + b = 4 4. (4, 8, 16) when x = 4, y = 2 and a + b = 0 If Ravi scored 1 mark in the second test i.e. y = 1, it can be either case 1 and case 2. The total marks scored by Sumana across the tests according to case 1: x + a + b + 6y = 1 + 2 + 6 = 9 The total marks scored by Sumana across the tests according to case 2: x + a + b + 6y = 2 + 0 + 6 = 8 Hence, the maximum possible marks that can be scored by Sumana is 9. Instructions for Q20 Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow. Comprehension: The plots below depict and compare the average monthly incomes (in Rs. ’000) of males and females in ten cities of India in the years 2005 and 2015. The ten cities, marked A-J in the records, are of different population sizes. For a fair com
Q67Quantitative Ability·Inequalities

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow. Comprehension: The plots below depict and compare the average monthly incomes (in Rs. ’000) of males and females in ten cities of India in the years 2005 and 2015. The ten cities, marked A-J in the records, are of different population sizes. For a fair comparison, to adjust for inflation, incomes for both the periods are scaled to 2025 prices. Each red dot represents the average monthly income of females in a particular city in a particular year, while each blue dot represents the average monthly income of males in a particular city in a particular year. The gender gap for a city, for a particular year, is defined as the absolute value of the average monthly income of males, minus the average monthly income of females, in that year.

XAT 2025 Q20 figure

In which city did the gender gap, in terms of 2025 prices, change the least, from 2005 to 2015, in terms of percentage?

  • AJ
  • BICorrect answer
  • CD
  • DE
  • EC

Answer: B

Show explanation
Answer:B (I) For each city, first read the male and female incomes from the two plots and take their absolute difference. If the gaps in 2005 and 2015 are g05 and g15, respectively, the percentage change in the gender gap is |g15-g05|g05× 100. The relevant quantity is therefore the change in the vertical separation between the blue and red dots, not the change in either income separately. For city I, the blue-red separation is the same in both years. Thus g15=g05, giving |g05-g05|g05100=0%. A percentage change cannot be negative after taking the absolute change, so 0% is the smallest possible value. The candidate cities J, D, E and C all show a non-zero alteration in the separation of their two dots. Hence city I experienced the least percentage change.
Q68Quantitative Ability·Inequalities

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow. Comprehension: The plots below depict and compare the average monthly incomes (in Rs. ’000) of males and females in ten cities of India in the years 2005 and 2015. The ten cities, marked A-J in the records, are of different population sizes. For a fair comparison, to adjust for inflation, incomes for both the periods are scaled to 2025 prices. Each red dot represents the average monthly income of females in a particular city in a particular year, while each blue dot represents the average monthly income of males in a particular city in a particular year. The gender gap for a city, for a particular year, is defined as the absolute value of the average monthly income of males, minus the average monthly income of females, in that year.

XAT 2025 Q21 figure

Which of the following statements, about the average monthly incomes of the 10 cities, as represented in the plots, is DEFINITELY FALSE?

  • AIn terms of 2025 prices, the average gender gap of the 10 cities combined in 2015 was less compared to the average gender gap of the 10 cities combined in 2005.
  • BIn terms of 2025 prices, the median monthly income of men of the 10 cities combined were higher than the median monthly income of women of the 10 cities combined, both in 2005 and 2015.
  • CIn terms of 2025 prices, the average monthly income of men of the 10 cities combined was less than Rs. 30,000 in 2005.Correct answer
  • DIn terms of 2025 prices, in more than half of the 10 cities, average monthly incomes of men were more in 2005, compared to 2015.
  • EIn terms of 2025 prices, the average monthly income of women of the 10 cities combined was less than Rs. 22,000 in 2015.

Answer: C

Show explanation
Answer:C (In terms of 2025 prices, the average monthly income of men of the 10 cities combined was less than Rs. 30,000 in 2005.) Inspect the blue dots in the 2005 plot. Every city's male monthly income is at least Rs. 30,000. An average of ten numbers, each at least 30,000, cannot be below 30,000: if the city values are m1,...,m10, then m1+⋯+m101010(30{,}000)10=30{,}000. The same conclusion holds even if “combined” is interpreted as a population-weighted average, because a weighted average cannot fall below the smallest component. Therefore statement C contradicts the plot and is definitely false. As cross-checks, the plotted gender gaps average lower in 2015 than in 2005; the male median exceeds the female median in both plots; and male income is higher in 2005 than in 2015 for six cities. The cities have different, unspecified populations, so a claim about the combined female average may still be possible under suitable weights. Thus none of A, B, D or E is forced to be false.
Q69Quantitative Ability·Inequalities

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow. Comprehension: The plots below depict and compare the average monthly incomes (in Rs. ’000) of males and females in ten cities of India in the years 2005 and 2015. The ten cities, marked A-J in the records, are of different population sizes. For a fair comparison, to adjust for inflation, incomes for both the periods are scaled to 2025 prices. Each red dot represents the average monthly income of females in a particular city in a particular year, while each blue dot represents the average monthly income of males in a particular city in a particular year. The gender gap for a city, for a particular year, is defined as the absolute value of the average monthly income of males, minus the average monthly income of females, in that year.

XAT 2025 Q22 figure

Rs.100 in 2025 is worth Rs. 60 in 2015 prices, and Rs. 25 in 2005 prices. Based on the given plots,

which of the following statements, about the unscaled incomes, i.e., the incomes before scaling to 2025 prices, CANNOT be correct? (All statements refer to people represented in the given plots.)

  • AAverage unscaled income for both genders increased in all 10 cities from 2005 to 2015
  • BAverage unscaled income of women was about Rs. 15,000 in 2015 in City H
  • CAverage unscaled income of men in City E increased by about 140% from 2005 to 2015
  • DAverage unscaled income of women in City G increased by about 120% from 2005 to 2015
  • EThe unscaled gender gaps reduced in all 10 cities from 2005 to 2015Correct answer

Answer: E

Show explanation
Answer:E (The unscaled gender gaps reduced in all 10 cities from 2005 to 2015) We are told that Rs.100 in 2025 is worth Rs. 60 in 2015 and Rs. 25 in 2005. Option A: Average unscaled income for both genders increased in all 10 cities from 2005 to 2015 This is true. The average unscaled income of both males and females for all 10 cities will be more in 2015 than in 2005. The unscaled income in 2005 is 14th of value given in the graph. While in 2015, it is 35th of value given in the graph. For almost all the points, the values in 2015 are more than that in 2005. And for those values that are lesser in 2015 than in 2005, when the values are scaled as stated in the question, the value in 2015 will be more than 2005 as they don't have that much margin. Option B: The average unscaled income of women was about Rs. 15,000 in 2015 in City H The lowest value of the average income of women in 2015 across all cities was 27.5. Its unscaled value = 27.5*60100 = 16.5. This is more than 15,000. So, this option is correct. Option C: The average unscaled income of men in City E increased by about 140% from 2005 to 2015 Average income of men in City E in 2005 = 32,500 Its unscaled value will be 32500·25100= 8125 Average income of men in City E in 2015 = 32,500 Its unscaled value will be 32500·60100= 19,500 (19500-8125)8125×\ 100=140% So, option C is also correct. Option D: Average unscaled income of women in City G increased by about 120% from 2005 to 2015 Average income of women in City G in 2005 = 30,000 Its unscaled value will be 30000·25100= 7500 Average income of women in City G in 2015 = 27,500 Its unscaled value will be 27500·60100= 16,500 (16500-7500)7500\ ×\ 100=120% So, this is also a correct option. Option E: The unscaled gap for city G in 2005 is more than in 2015. So, this is an incorrect statement. Instructions for Q23 Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow. Comprehension: The diagram below represents a road network connecting five towns, namely Meereen, Lannisport, Winterfell, Oldtown, and Gulltown. The maximum speed limits along any stretch of road are as shown in the diagram. The straight road that connects Meereen to Gulltown passes through Oldtown. Another straight road, running west to east, connecting Meereen to Winterfell, passes through Lannisport. Further, two straight roads, one from
Q70Quantitative Ability·Time, Speed & Distance

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow. Comprehension: The diagram below represents a road network connecting five towns, namely Meereen, Lannisport, Winterfell, Oldtown, and Gulltown. The maximum speed limits along any stretch of road are as shown in the diagram. The straight road that connects Meereen to Gulltown passes through Oldtown. Another straight road, running west to east, connecting Meereen to Winterfell, passes through Lannisport. Further, two straight roads, one from Lannisport to Oldtown and another from Winterfell to Gulltown, are perpendicular to the road joining Meereen to Winterfell, and run from south to north. Consider a car always travelling at the maximum permissible speed, and always taking the shortest route. It takes 1 hour to reach Oldtown from Meereen, 2 hours to reach Gulltown from Oldtown, and 45 minutes to reach Winterfell from Gulltown. (For this problem, always consider the shortest route in terms of distance.)

XAT 2025 Q23 figure

Tyrion Lannister drove from Meereen to Oldtown, then from Oldtown to Lannisport, and finally from Lannisport to Winterfell, always taking the shortest paths. He always drove at a speed 10 km/hr below the maximum speed limits for the stretches he took. What was his total driving time closest to?

  • A3 hrs 19 mins
  • B4 hrs 20 mins
  • C7 hrs 28 minsCorrect answer
  • D6 hrs 42 mins
  • E7 hrs 50 mins

Answer: C

Show explanation
Answer:C (7 hrs 28 mins) We are told that a car always travelling at the maximum permissible speed, and always taking the shortest route takes 1 hour to reach Oldtown from Meereen, 2 hours to reach Gulltown from Oldtown, and 45 minutes to reach Winterfell from Gulltown. So, distance between Oldtown and Meereen is 100*1 = 100km Distance between Gulltown and Oldtown is 25*2 = 50km. Distance between Winterfell and Gulltown. is 120*34 = 90km. Let the distance between Meereen and Winterfall be x. Using the pythagoras theorem, (100+50)2=902+x2 x = 120 km For convience, we are refering the vertices as the starting letters of towns. Using the similar triangle rule, MOL is similar to MGW. So, MOML=MGMW 100ML=150120 ML = 80 km. LW = 40 km. MOLO=MGWG 100LO=15090 LO = 60 km The path Tyrion Lannister took is MO, OL, LW. Distances of these path are 100, 60, 40. The respective speeds are 90, 10, 110. So, the total time taken will be 10090+6010+40110\ =\ 1.11+6+0.36\ \ =7.47 0.47 of an hour is 28 mins. So, answer will be 7 hr 28 mins
Q71Quantitative Ability·Time, Speed & Distance

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow. Comprehension: The diagram below represents a road network connecting five towns, namely Meereen, Lannisport, Winterfell, Oldtown, and Gulltown. The maximum speed limits along any stretch of road are as shown in the diagram. The straight road that connects Meereen to Gulltown passes through Oldtown. Another straight road, running west to east, connecting Meereen to Winterfell, passes through Lannisport. Further, two straight roads, one from Lannisport to Oldtown and another from Winterfell to Gulltown, are perpendicular to the road joining Meereen to Winterfell, and run from south to north. Consider a car always travelling at the maximum permissible speed, and always taking the shortest route. It takes 1 hour to reach Oldtown from Meereen, 2 hours to reach Gulltown from Oldtown, and 45 minutes to reach Winterfell from Gulltown. (For this problem, always consider the shortest route in terms of distance.)

XAT 2025 Q24 figure

Missandei starts from Gulltown towards Oldtown by the shortest path, driving at the maximum permissible speed. From Oldtown, she drives at a speed of 10 km/hr towards Lannisport. When Missandei starts from Gulltown, Varys starts at the same time from Lannisport to Oldtown along the shortest path, always driving at the maximum permissible speed. If they don’t stop anywhere, at what point will they meet?

  • AApproximately 13.33 km south of Oldtown.
  • BApproximately 54.33 km north of Lannisport.
  • CApproximately 57.33 km north of Lannisport.
  • DApproximately 6.67 km south of Oldtown.Correct answer
  • ECannot be uniquely determined from the given information.

Answer: D

Show explanation
Answer:D (Approximately 6.67 km south of Oldtown.) We are told that a car always travelling at the maximum permissible speed, and always taking the shortest route takes 1 hour to reach Oldtown from Meereen, 2 hours to reach Gulltown from Oldtown, and 45 minutes to reach Winterfell from Gulltown. So, distance between Oldtown and Meereen is 100*1 = 100km Distance between Gulltown and Oldtown is 25*2 = 50km. Distance between Winterfell and Gulltown. is 120*34 = 90km. Let the distance between Meereen and Winterfall be x. Using the pythagoras theorem, (100+50)2=902+x2 x = 120 km For convience, we are refering the vertices as the starting letters of towns. Using the similar triangle rule, MOL is similar to MGW. So, MOML=MGMW 100ML=150120 ML = 80 km. LW = 40 km. MOLO=MGWG 100LO=15090 LO = 60 km The path taken by Missandei is GO, OL at a speed of 25 kmph and 10 kmph. The path taken by Varys is LO at a speed of 20 kmph. Missandei reaches O 2 hours after he starts. In the meantime, Varys travels 20 * 2 = 40km. Now, both are travelling in opposite directions and 20 km away. The speed of Varys is 20 kmph, and that of Missandei is 10 kmph. The time taken for them to meet is 2030 = 23 hr. In 23 hr, Missandei travels 6.67 km, and Varys travels 13.33 km. So, they will meet at 6.67 km south of Oldtown.
Q72Quantitative Ability·Time, Speed & Distance

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow. Comprehension: The diagram below represents a road network connecting five towns, namely Meereen, Lannisport, Winterfell, Oldtown, and Gulltown. The maximum speed limits along any stretch of road are as shown in the diagram. The straight road that connects Meereen to Gulltown passes through Oldtown. Another straight road, running west to east, connecting Meereen to Winterfell, passes through Lannisport. Further, two straight roads, one from Lannisport to Oldtown and another from Winterfell to Gulltown, are perpendicular to the road joining Meereen to Winterfell, and run from south to north. Consider a car always travelling at the maximum permissible speed, and always taking the shortest route. It takes 1 hour to reach Oldtown from Meereen, 2 hours to reach Gulltown from Oldtown, and 45 minutes to reach Winterfell from Gulltown. (For this problem, always consider the shortest route in terms of distance.)

XAT 2025 Q25 figure

The capital city, King’s Landing, located 40 km to the south of Gulltown on the road connecting Gulltown to Winterfell, did not have a straight road, connecting to Meereen. Now, a new expressway is being built to connect these two towns by a straight road. What should be the maximum speed limit allowed on this expressway so that it cuts down the travel time, from Meeren to King’s Landing, from the fastest possible route through the road network shown in the diagram, by 20 minutes?

  • A100 km/hr
  • B130 km/hr
  • C139 km/hr
  • D120 km/hrCorrect answer
  • E157 km/hr

Answer: D

Show explanation
Answer:D (120 km/hr) We are told that a car always travelling at the maximum permissible speed, and always taking the shortest route takes 1 hour to reach Oldtown from Meereen, 2 hours to reach Gulltown from Oldtown, and 45 minutes to reach Winterfell from Gulltown. So, distance between Oldtown and Meereen is 100*1 = 100km Distance between Gulltown and Oldtown is 25*2 = 50km. Distance between Winterfell and Gulltown. Is 120*34 = 90km. Let the distance between Meereen and Winterfall be x. Using the Pythagoras theorem, (100+50)2=902+x2 x = 120 km For convenience, we are referring to the vertices as the starting letters of towns. Using the similar triangle rule, MOL is similar to MGW. So, MOML=MGMW 100ML=150120 ML = 80 km. LW = 40 km. MOLO=MGWG 100LO=15090 LO = 60 km The direct path from M to K will be \ 1202+502=\ 130\ km. Time taken for the path MOGK,= 100100+5025+40120\ =1+2+13=3.33 Time taken for the path MWK = 120120+50120\ =1.42 So, the second case is MWK, which is the fastest route. The time taken will be 1 hr 25 mins. If the travel time is cut down by 20 mins, the new time will be 1 hr 5 mins. So, it should take 1312 hrs. speed = 1301312=120 kmph Instructions for Q26 Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow. Comprehension: GadRev is a firm that reviews different latest gadgets through a team of four reviewers (R1, R2, R3, and R4). Recently the reviewers reviewed four different tech gadgets (A, B, C, and D) on a scale of 1 to 5 (all integer values) where 1 denotes poor and 5 denotes excellent. These review ratings were then tabulated. However, due to a technical glitch, some of these ratings got deleted. The average rating given by each reviewer, and the average rating given to each gadget were earlier communicated to the team management in a separate email and hence can be useful to retrieve the deleted ratings. The available ratings along with the average ratings are represented in the following table:
Q73Data Interpretation·Tables

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow. Comprehension: GadRev is a firm that reviews different latest gadgets through a team of four reviewers (R1, R2, R3, and R4). Recently the reviewers reviewed four different tech gadgets (A, B, C, and D) on a scale of 1 to 5 (all integer values) where 1 denotes poor and 5 denotes excellent. These review ratings were then tabulated. However, due to a technical glitch, some of these ratings got deleted. The average rating given by each reviewer, and the average rating given to each gadget were earlier communicated to the team management in a separate email and hence can be useful to retrieve the deleted ratings. The available ratings along with the average ratings are represented in the following table:

XAT 2025 Q26 figure

What rating provided by Reviewer R1 to Gadget A can help determining the remaining ratings uniquely?

  • A1
  • B4Correct answer
  • C2
  • D5
  • E3

Answer: B

Show explanation
Answer:B (4) The first thing we should do while solving this set is we should replace the average with the sum of the ratings as we have done in the following table: We know that the ratings can be 12/34/5 only. R1 has given 4 and 3 to B and D respectively and the sum of the ratings given by R1 in total is 16. So, the sum of the ratings given by R1 to A and C is (16-4-3 = 9) Now, this sum is only possible when he has given 4 to one of them and 5 to another. Let's make both the cases: Now, with this, we can derive the score given by R3 to C. In case 1, it will be (16-4-4-5) = 3 In case 2, it will be (16-5-4-5) = 2 Now, R2 gave 3 and 4 score to A and C respectively. Hence, he would have given a sum of (16 - 3 - 4 = 9) to B and D. It could be possible when he gave 4 to one and 5 to the other one. Hence, we can make the possible cases and sub cases: With this only, we can fill the complete table. Hence, we get: However, Case - 2 is not possible as there no reviewer can give 6 points to any gadget. Now, according to the question, we have to find what rating R1 give to A so that we can find remaining ratings uniquely. Now, R1 give 5 ratings according to two cases and 4 rating to A according to the one another. If R1 gives 5 rating, we still can't figure out the remaining ratings uniquely. Hence, R1 has to give 4 to A in order to find the remaining ratings uniquely.
Q74Data Interpretation·Tables

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow. Comprehension: GadRev is a firm that reviews different latest gadgets through a team of four reviewers (R1, R2, R3, and R4). Recently the reviewers reviewed four different tech gadgets (A, B, C, and D) on a scale of 1 to 5 (all integer values) where 1 denotes poor and 5 denotes excellent. These review ratings were then tabulated. However, due to a technical glitch, some of these ratings got deleted. The average rating given by each reviewer, and the average rating given to each gadget were earlier communicated to the team management in a separate email and hence can be useful to retrieve the deleted ratings. The available ratings along with the average ratings are represented in the following table:

XAT 2025 Q27 figure

In how many different ways could Reviewer R2 have rated Gadget B so that the ratings lead to the same averages for the gadgets and the reviewers as shown in the table?

  • A1
  • B5
  • C2Correct answer
  • D4
  • E3

Answer: C

Show explanation
Answer:C (2) The first thing we should do while solving this set is we should replace the average with the sum of the ratings as we have done in the following table: We know that the ratings can be 12/34/5 only. R1 has given 4 and 3 to B and D respectively and the sum of the ratings given by R1 in total is 16. So, the sum of the ratings given by R1 to A and C is (16-4-3 = 9) Now, this sum is only possible when he has given 4 to one of them and 5 to another. Let's make both the cases: Now, with this, we can derive the score given by R3 to C. In case 1, it will be (16-4-4-5) = 3 In case 2, it will be (16-5-4-5) = 2 Now, R2 gave 3 and 4 score to A and C respectively. Hence, he would have given a sum of (16 - 3 - 4 = 9) to B and D. It could be possible when he gave 4 to one and 5 to the other one. Hence, we can make the possible cases and sub cases: With this only, we can fill the complete table. Hence, we get: However, Case - 2 is not possible as there no reviewer can give 6 points to any gadget. Now, according to the three possible cases, R2 give either 4 or 5 to B.
Q75Data Interpretation·Tables

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow. Comprehension: GadRev is a firm that reviews different latest gadgets through a team of four reviewers (R1, R2, R3, and R4). Recently the reviewers reviewed four different tech gadgets (A, B, C, and D) on a scale of 1 to 5 (all integer values) where 1 denotes poor and 5 denotes excellent. These review ratings were then tabulated. However, due to a technical glitch, some of these ratings got deleted. The average rating given by each reviewer, and the average rating given to each gadget were earlier communicated to the team management in a separate email and hence can be useful to retrieve the deleted ratings. The available ratings along with the average ratings are represented in the following table:

XAT 2025 Q28 figure

How many different valid combinations of the missing ratings are possible?

  • A4
  • B1
  • C5
  • D2
  • E3Correct answer

Answer: E

Show explanation
Answer:E (3) The first thing we should do while solving this set is we should replace the average with the sum of the ratings as we have done in the following table: We know that the ratings can be 12/34/5 only. R1 has given 4 and 3 to B and D respectively and the sum of the ratings given by R1 in total is 16. So, the sum of the ratings given by R1 to A and C is (16-4-3 = 9) Now, this sum is only possible when he has given 4 to one of them and 5 to another. Let's make both the cases: Now, with this, we can derive the score given by R3 to C. In case 1, it will be (16-4-4-5) = 3 In case 2, it will be (16-5-4-5) = 2 Now, R2 gave 3 and 4 score to A and C respectively. Hence, he would have given a sum of (16 - 3 - 4 = 9) to B and D. It could be possible when he gave 4 to one and 5 to the other one. Hence, we can make the possible cases and sub cases: With this only, we can fill the complete table. Hence, we get: However, Case - 2 is not possible as there no reviewer can give 6 points to any gadget. Hence, there are only three possible combinations. Instructions for Q29 Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow. Aarya had always been a mediocre student. Luckily, after finishing her undergraduate degree from a tier-two engineering college, she secured a decent but modestly paying job at a reputable IT company. However, after a year on the job, Aarya found her role mundane. When her best friend at the company, Shruti, left to pursue an MBA from a top-tier business school, citing significant career growth and potential salary increase upon graduation, Aarya felt intrigued and inspired to follow the same path. Shruti appreciated Aarya’s aspirations, telling her that doing an MBA from a top-tier business school could not only land Aarya a lucrative job but also it could fast-track her career progression. However, Aarya was concerned whether she would be able to balance between her MBA entrance exam preparation and her current job. Aarya considered resigning to focus entirely on MBA entrance exam preparation, but Shruti cautioned her that top-tier business schools might view a career break unfavourably, as they prefer continuous professional engagement.

General Knowledge(20 questions)

Q76General Knowledge / Current Affairs·Awards & Personalities

Which award is given to outstanding coaches in sports and games in India?

  • AArjuna Award
  • BDronacharya AwardCorrect answer
  • CDhyan Chand Award
  • DVashistha Award
  • ERajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award

Answer: B

Show explanation
Answer:B (Dronacharya Award) What to find. General awareness — lock the stem’s unique factual cue (person, place, year, treaty, award, or institution). What to find. Which award is given to outstanding coaches in sports and games in India? Steps. Identify the one hard cue in the stem; eliminate options that swap a close distractor (similar role, neighbouring state, adjacent year). Why B. “Dronacharya Award” is the fact that matches that cue. Why the others fail. • A (“Arjuna Award”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • C (“Dhyan Chand Award”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • D (“Vashistha Award”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • E (“Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue.
Q77General Knowledge / Current Affairs·Static GK
XAT 2025 Q77 figure

Match the following renowned Indian personalities with their respective awards.

  • A1-C, 2-D, 3-B, 4-ACorrect answer
  • B1-C, 2-A, 3-D, 4-B
  • C1-A, 2-C, 3-B, 4-D
  • D1-D, 2-B, 3-A, 4-C
  • E1-A, 2-C, 3-D, 4-B

Answer: A

Show explanation
Answer:A (1-C, 2-D, 3-B, 4-A) What to find. General awareness — lock the stem’s unique factual cue (person, place, year, treaty, award, or institution). What to find. Match the following renowned Indian personalities with their respective awards. Steps. Identify the one hard cue in the stem; eliminate options that swap a close distractor (similar role, neighbouring state, adjacent year). Why A. “1-C, 2-D, 3-B, 4-A” is the fact that matches that cue. Why the others fail. • B (“1-C, 2-A, 3-D, 4-B”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • C (“1-A, 2-C, 3-B, 4-D”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • D (“1-D, 2-B, 3-A, 4-C”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • E (“1-A, 2-C, 3-D, 4-B”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue.
Q78General Knowledge / Current Affairs·Static GK

Which term is commonly used to describe the strategy employed by firms where they reduce the product size or quality while maintaining the same price?

  • AReduflation
  • BSkimpflation
  • CShrinkflationCorrect answer
  • DInflation
  • EDeflation

Answer: C

Show explanation
Answer:C (Shrinkflation) What to find. General awareness — lock the stem’s unique factual cue (person, place, year, treaty, award, or institution). What to find. Which term is commonly used to describe the strategy employed by firms where they reduce the product size or quality while maintaining the same price? Steps. Identify the one hard cue in the stem; eliminate options that swap a close distractor (similar role, neighbouring state, adjacent year). Why C. “Shrinkflation” is the fact that matches that cue. Why the others fail. • A (“Reduflation”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • B (“Skimpflation”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • D (“Inflation”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • E (“Deflation”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue.
Q79General Knowledge / Current Affairs·Awards & Personalities

Samantha Harvey won the 2024 Booker Prize for her space novel, based on the events on a single day, of lives of six astronauts in the international space station as they revolve around the Earth, wondering about what is happening at the Earth.

  • AOrbitalCorrect answer
  • BCreation Lake
  • CJames
  • DHeld
  • EThe Safekeep

Answer: A

Show explanation
Answer:A (Orbital) What to find. General awareness — lock the stem’s unique factual cue (person, place, year, treaty, award, or institution). What to find. Samantha Harvey won the 2024 Booker Prize for her space novel, based on the events on a single day, of lives of six astronauts in the international space station as they revolve around the Earth, won… Steps. Identify the one hard cue in the stem; eliminate options that swap a close distractor (similar role, neighbouring state, adjacent year). Why A. “Orbital” is the fact that matches that cue. Why the others fail. • B (“Creation Lake”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • C (“James”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • D (“Held”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • E (“The Safekeep”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue.
Q80General Knowledge / Current Affairs·Arts & Culture

In which state is Dhimsa recognized as the official folk dance?

  • AMaharashtra
  • BJharkhand
  • CChhattisgarh
  • DHimachal Pradesh
  • EAndhra PradeshCorrect answer

Answer: E

Show explanation
Answer:E (Andhra Pradesh) What to find. General awareness — lock the stem’s unique factual cue (person, place, year, treaty, award, or institution). What to find. In which state is Dhimsa recognized as the official folk dance? Steps. Identify the one hard cue in the stem; eliminate options that swap a close distractor (similar role, neighbouring state, adjacent year). Why E. “Andhra Pradesh” is the fact that matches that cue. Why the others fail. • A (“Maharashtra”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • B (“Jharkhand”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • C (“Chhattisgarh”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • D (“Himachal Pradesh”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue.
Q81General Knowledge / Current Affairs·Static GK

Who was the world’s first female to be elected as the prime minister of a country?

  • AGolda Meir
  • BMargaret Thatcher
  • CIndira Gandhi
  • DBenazir Bhutto
  • ESirimavo BandaranaikeCorrect answer

Answer: E

Show explanation
Answer:E (Sirimavo Bandaranaike) What to find. General awareness — lock the stem’s unique factual cue (person, place, year, treaty, award, or institution). What to find. Who was the world’s first female to be elected as the prime minister of a country? Steps. Identify the one hard cue in the stem; eliminate options that swap a close distractor (similar role, neighbouring state, adjacent year). Why E. “Sirimavo Bandaranaike” is the fact that matches that cue. Why the others fail. • A (“Golda Meir”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • B (“Margaret Thatcher”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • C (“Indira Gandhi”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • D (“Benazir Bhutto”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue.
Q82General Knowledge / Current Affairs·Current Affairs

Who did Gukesh Dommmaraju defeat in the finals of the World Chess Championship 2024?

  • ADing LirenCorrect answer
  • BHiraku Nakamura
  • CDeep Blue Supercomputer
  • DIan Nepomniachtchi
  • EFabiano Caruana

Answer: A

Show explanation
Answer:A (Ding Liren) What to find. General awareness — lock the stem’s unique factual cue (person, place, year, treaty, award, or institution). What to find. Who did Gukesh Dommmaraju defeat in the finals of the World Chess Championship 2024? Steps. Identify the one hard cue in the stem; eliminate options that swap a close distractor (similar role, neighbouring state, adjacent year). Why A. “Ding Liren” is the fact that matches that cue. Why the others fail. • B (“Hiraku Nakamura”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • C (“Deep Blue Supercomputer”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • D (“Ian Nepomniachtchi”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • E (“Fabiano Caruana”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue.
Q83General Knowledge / Current Affairs·Static GK
XAT 2025 Q83 figure

Match the following authors with their respective works.

  • A1-E, 2-A, 3-B, 4-C, 5-D
  • B1-D, 2-E, 3-C, 4-B, 5-ACorrect answer
  • C1-C, 2-D, 3-E, 4-A, 5-B
  • D1-A, 2-B, 3-C, 4-D, 5-E
  • E1-B, 2-C, 3-D, 4-E, 5-A

Answer: B

Show explanation
Answer:B (1-D, 2-E, 3-C, 4-B, 5-A) What to find. General awareness — lock the stem’s unique factual cue (person, place, year, treaty, award, or institution). What to find. Match the following authors with their respective works. Steps. Identify the one hard cue in the stem; eliminate options that swap a close distractor (similar role, neighbouring state, adjacent year). Why B. “1-D, 2-E, 3-C, 4-B, 5-A” is the fact that matches that cue. Why the others fail. • A (“1-E, 2-A, 3-B, 4-C, 5-D”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • C (“1-C, 2-D, 3-E, 4-A, 5-B”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • D (“1-A, 2-B, 3-C, 4-D, 5-E”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • E (“1-B, 2-C, 3-D, 4-E, 5-A”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue.
Q84General Knowledge / Current Affairs·Current Affairs

What is the name of the AI-based app recently launched by the central government of India to provide study materials in regional languages?

  • ABhasha Sangam
  • BDiksha
  • CPrabandh
  • DAnuvadiniCorrect answer
  • EBhasini

Answer: D

Show explanation
Answer:D (Anuvadini) What to find. General awareness — lock the stem’s unique factual cue (person, place, year, treaty, award, or institution). What to find. What is the name of the AI-based app recently launched by the central government of India to provide study materials in regional languages? Steps. Identify the one hard cue in the stem; eliminate options that swap a close distractor (similar role, neighbouring state, adjacent year). Why D. “Anuvadini” is the fact that matches that cue. Why the others fail. • A (“Bhasha Sangam”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • B (“Diksha”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • C (“Prabandh”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • E (“Bhasini”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue.
Q85General Knowledge / Current Affairs·Geography & Environment

Where is the world’s only floating national park located?

  • ATripura
  • BJharkhand
  • CManipurCorrect answer
  • DAssam
  • EChhatisgarh

Answer: C

Show explanation
Answer:C (Manipur) What to find. General awareness — lock the stem’s unique factual cue (person, place, year, treaty, award, or institution). What to find. Where is the world’s only floating national park located? Steps. Identify the one hard cue in the stem; eliminate options that swap a close distractor (similar role, neighbouring state, adjacent year). Why C. “Manipur” is the fact that matches that cue. Why the others fail. • A (“Tripura”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • B (“Jharkhand”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • D (“Assam”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • E (“Chhatisgarh”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue.
Q86General Knowledge / Current Affairs·Sports

Which two players made history by winning India's first ever medal at the Asian Table Tennis Championships?

  • AManika Batra & Sathiyan Gnanasekaran
  • BSreeja Akula & Mouma Das
  • CNeha Aggarwai & Ankita Das
  • DMadhurka Patkar & Archana Kamath
  • EAyhika Mukherjee & Sutirtha MukherjeeCorrect answer

Answer: E

Show explanation
Answer:E (Ayhika Mukherjee & Sutirtha Mukherjee) What to find. General awareness — lock the stem’s unique factual cue (person, place, year, treaty, award, or institution). What to find. Which two players made history by winning India's first ever medal at the Asian Table Tennis Championships? Steps. Identify the one hard cue in the stem; eliminate options that swap a close distractor (similar role, neighbouring state, adjacent year). Why E. “Ayhika Mukherjee & Sutirtha Mukherjee” is the fact that matches that cue. Why the others fail. • A (“Manika Batra & Sathiyan Gnanasekaran”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • B (“Sreeja Akula & Mouma Das”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • C (“Neha Aggarwai & Ankita Das”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • D (“Madhurka Patkar & Archana Kamath”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue.
Q87General Knowledge / Current Affairs·Static GK

Who qualifies for a free e-visa under the "Chalo India" initiative?

  • AIndian tourists
  • BNon-Resident Indian
  • CNon-Indian friends of Indian diasporaCorrect answer
  • DForeign diplomats
  • EInternational students interested in higher education

Answer: C

Show explanation
Answer:C (Non-Indian friends of Indian diaspora) What to find. General awareness — lock the stem’s unique factual cue (person, place, year, treaty, award, or institution). What to find. Who qualifies for a free e-visa under the "Chalo India" initiative? Steps. Identify the one hard cue in the stem; eliminate options that swap a close distractor (similar role, neighbouring state, adjacent year). Why C. “Non-Indian friends of Indian diaspora” is the fact that matches that cue. Why the others fail. • A (“Indian tourists”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • B (“Non-Resident Indian”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • D (“Foreign diplomats”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • E (“International students interested in higher education”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue.
Q88General Knowledge / Current Affairs·Current Affairs

In which country is Mount Marapi Volcano, which recently erupted, located?

  • AMexico
  • BChina
  • CPanama
  • DIndonesiaCorrect answer
  • EUnited States of America

Answer: D

Show explanation
Answer:D (Indonesia) What to find. General awareness — lock the stem’s unique factual cue (person, place, year, treaty, award, or institution). What to find. In which country is Mount Marapi Volcano, which recently erupted, located? Steps. Identify the one hard cue in the stem; eliminate options that swap a close distractor (similar role, neighbouring state, adjacent year). Why D. “Indonesia” is the fact that matches that cue. Why the others fail. • A (“Mexico”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • B (“China”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • C (“Panama”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • E (“United States of America”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue.
Q89General Knowledge / Current Affairs·Static GK

Who holds the position of Supreme Commander-in-chief of India’s armed forces?

  • AThe Prime Minister
  • BThe Chief of Defence Staff
  • CThe Defense Minister
  • DThe PresidentCorrect answer
  • EThe Home Minister

Answer: D

Show explanation
Answer:D (The President) What to find. General awareness — lock the stem’s unique factual cue (person, place, year, treaty, award, or institution). What to find. Who holds the position of Supreme Commander-in-chief of India’s armed forces? Steps. Identify the one hard cue in the stem; eliminate options that swap a close distractor (similar role, neighbouring state, adjacent year). Why D. “The President” is the fact that matches that cue. Why the others fail. • A (“The Prime Minister”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • B (“The Chief of Defence Staff”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • C (“The Defense Minister”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • E (“The Home Minister”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue.
Q90General Knowledge / Current Affairs·Awards & Personalities

Who won the SVERIGES RIKSBANK PRIZE in ECONOMIC Sciences in memory of Alfred Nobel 2024 for studies of how institutions are formed and affect prosperity?

  • ADaron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson & James A. RobinsonCorrect answer
  • BClaudia Goldin
  • CBen Bernanke, Douglas Diamond & Phillip Dybvig
  • DPaul R Milgrom & Robert B Wilson
  • EDavid Card, Joshua D Angrist & Guido W. Imbens

Answer: A

Show explanation
Answer:A (Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson & James A. Robinson) What to find. General awareness — lock the stem’s unique factual cue (person, place, year, treaty, award, or institution). What to find. Who won the SVERIGES RIKSBANK PRIZE in ECONOMIC Sciences in memory of Alfred Nobel 2024 for studies of how institutions are formed and affect prosperity? Steps. Identify the one hard cue in the stem; eliminate options that swap a close distractor (similar role, neighbouring state, adjacent year). Why A. “Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson & James A. Robinson” is the fact that matches that cue. Why the others fail. • B (“Claudia Goldin”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • C (“Ben Bernanke, Douglas Diamond & Phillip Dybvig”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • D (“Paul R Milgrom & Robert B Wilson”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • E (“David Card, Joshua D Angrist & Guido W. Imbens”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue.
Q91General Knowledge / Current Affairs·Current Affairs

As of December 31 2024, which of the following countries is not a NATO member?

  • APoland
  • BUkraineCorrect answer
  • CLithuania
  • DItaly
  • ETurkey

Answer: B

Show explanation
Answer:B (Ukraine) What to find. General awareness — lock the stem’s unique factual cue (person, place, year, treaty, award, or institution). What to find. As of December 31 2024, which of the following countries is not a NATO member? Steps. Identify the one hard cue in the stem; eliminate options that swap a close distractor (similar role, neighbouring state, adjacent year). Why B. “Ukraine” is the fact that matches that cue. Why the others fail. • A (“Poland”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • C (“Lithuania”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • D (“Italy”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • E (“Turkey”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue.
Q92General Knowledge / Current Affairs·Awards & Personalities

Who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2024?

  • ANarges Mohammadi
  • BAles Bialiatski and the Center for Civil Liberties
  • CWorld Food Programme
  • DMotaz Azaiza
  • ENihon HidankyoCorrect answer

Answer: E

Show explanation
Answer:E (Nihon Hidankyo) What to find. General awareness — lock the stem’s unique factual cue (person, place, year, treaty, award, or institution). What to find. Who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2024? Steps. Identify the one hard cue in the stem; eliminate options that swap a close distractor (similar role, neighbouring state, adjacent year). Why E. “Nihon Hidankyo” is the fact that matches that cue. Why the others fail. • A (“Narges Mohammadi”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • B (“Ales Bialiatski and the Center for Civil Liberties”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • C (“World Food Programme”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • D (“Motaz Azaiza”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue.
Q93General Knowledge / Current Affairs·Static GK
XAT 2025 Q93 figure

Match the following Airlines with the countries where they are headquartered?

  • A1-D, 2-C, 3-E, 4-A, 5-B
  • B1-B, 2-E, 3-D, 4-A, 5-C
  • C1-A, 2-D, 3-C, 4-E, 5-B
  • D1-E, 2-C, 3-B, 4-D, 5-ACorrect answer
  • E1-C, 2-A, 3-E, 4-B, 5-D

Answer: D

Show explanation
Answer:D (1-E, 2-C, 3-B, 4-D, 5-A) What to find. General awareness — lock the stem’s unique factual cue (person, place, year, treaty, award, or institution). What to find. Match the following Airlines with the countries where they are headquartered? Steps. Identify the one hard cue in the stem; eliminate options that swap a close distractor (similar role, neighbouring state, adjacent year). Why D. “1-E, 2-C, 3-B, 4-D, 5-A” is the fact that matches that cue. Why the others fail. • A (“1-D, 2-C, 3-E, 4-A, 5-B”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • B (“1-B, 2-E, 3-D, 4-A, 5-C”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • C (“1-A, 2-D, 3-C, 4-E, 5-B”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • E (“1-C, 2-A, 3-E, 4-B, 5-D”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue.
Q94General Knowledge / Current Affairs·Current Affairs

Which company recently acquired MGM Studios to enhance its streaming service content?

  • AJio
  • BAmazonCorrect answer
  • CNetflix
  • DDisney
  • EApple

Answer: B

Show explanation
Answer:B (Amazon) What to find. General awareness — lock the stem’s unique factual cue (person, place, year, treaty, award, or institution). What to find. Which company recently acquired MGM Studios to enhance its streaming service content? Steps. Identify the one hard cue in the stem; eliminate options that swap a close distractor (similar role, neighbouring state, adjacent year). Why B. “Amazon” is the fact that matches that cue. Why the others fail. • A (“Jio”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • C (“Netflix”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • D (“Disney”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • E (“Apple”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue.
Q95General Knowledge / Current Affairs·Current Affairs

Which shipyard built INS Tushil, a stealth guided missile-frigate, commissioned on Dec 9, 2024?

  • AHonkong United Dockyards, Hong Kong
  • BGuangzhou Shipyard International, China
  • CYantar Shipyard, RussiaCorrect answer
  • DNaval Group Shipyard, France
  • ENavantia Shipyard, Spain

Answer: C

Show explanation
Answer:C (Yantar Shipyard, Russia) What to find. General awareness — lock the stem’s unique factual cue (person, place, year, treaty, award, or institution). What to find. Which shipyard built INS Tushil, a stealth guided missile-frigate, commissioned on Dec 9, 2024? Steps. Identify the one hard cue in the stem; eliminate options that swap a close distractor (similar role, neighbouring state, adjacent year). Why C. “Yantar Shipyard, Russia” is the fact that matches that cue. Why the others fail. • A (“Honkong United Dockyards, Hong Kong”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • B (“Guangzhou Shipyard International, China”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • D (“Naval Group Shipyard, France”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue. • E (“Navantia Shipyard, Spain”) — nearby lookalike (wrong person/place/year/institution) or a fact that does not answer this exact cue.

Answer key

Quick reference — click a question number to jump to the full solution.

Q#SectionAnswerTopic
1Verbal Ability & Logical ReasoningEVerbal Ability
2Verbal Ability & Logical ReasoningDVerbal Ability
3Verbal Ability & Logical ReasoningEVerbal Ability
4Verbal Ability & Logical ReasoningDVerbal Ability
5Verbal Ability & Logical ReasoningCReading Comprehension
6Verbal Ability & Logical ReasoningBVerbal Ability
7Verbal Ability & Logical ReasoningEReading Comprehension
8Verbal Ability & Logical ReasoningEReading Comprehension
9Verbal Ability & Logical ReasoningAVerbal Ability
10Verbal Ability & Logical ReasoningBReading Comprehension
11Verbal Ability & Logical ReasoningEReading Comprehension
12Verbal Ability & Logical ReasoningAReading Comprehension
13Verbal Ability & Logical ReasoningAReading Comprehension
14Verbal Ability & Logical ReasoningCReading Comprehension
15Verbal Ability & Logical ReasoningCReading Comprehension
16Verbal Ability & Logical ReasoningDReading Comprehension
17Verbal Ability & Logical ReasoningEReading Comprehension
18Verbal Ability & Logical ReasoningDReading Comprehension
19Verbal Ability & Logical ReasoningBReading Comprehension
20Verbal Ability & Logical ReasoningCReading Comprehension
21Verbal Ability & Logical ReasoningBReading Comprehension
22Verbal Ability & Logical ReasoningBReading Comprehension
23Verbal Ability & Logical ReasoningEReading Comprehension
24Verbal Ability & Logical ReasoningAReading Comprehension
25Verbal Ability & Logical ReasoningBReading Comprehension
26Verbal Ability & Logical ReasoningAReading Comprehension
27Decision MakingEDecision Making
28Decision MakingDDecision Making
29Decision MakingEDecision Making
30Decision MakingDDecision Making
31Decision MakingDDecision Making
32Decision MakingDDecision Making
33Decision MakingCDecision Making
34Decision MakingADecision Making
35Decision MakingEDecision Making
36Decision MakingCDecision Making
37Decision MakingEDecision Making
38Decision MakingBDecision Making
39Decision MakingCDecision Making
40Decision MakingADecision Making
41Decision MakingBDecision Making
42Decision MakingBGeneral Knowledge / Current Affairs
43Decision MakingCGeneral Knowledge / Current Affairs
44Decision MakingDGeneral Knowledge / Current Affairs
45Decision MakingCDecision Making
46Decision MakingDDecision Making
47Decision MakingCDecision Making
48Quantitative Ability & Data InterpretationCQuantitative Ability
49Quantitative Ability & Data InterpretationBQuantitative Ability
50Quantitative Ability & Data InterpretationCQuantitative Ability
51Quantitative Ability & Data InterpretationDQuantitative Ability
52Quantitative Ability & Data InterpretationAQuantitative Ability
53Quantitative Ability & Data InterpretationAQuantitative Ability
54Quantitative Ability & Data InterpretationDQuantitative Ability
55Quantitative Ability & Data InterpretationEQuantitative Ability
56Quantitative Ability & Data InterpretationCQuantitative Ability
57Quantitative Ability & Data InterpretationCQuantitative Ability
58Quantitative Ability & Data InterpretationDQuantitative Ability
59Quantitative Ability & Data InterpretationEQuantitative Ability
60Quantitative Ability & Data InterpretationCQuantitative Ability
61Quantitative Ability & Data InterpretationDQuantitative Ability
62Quantitative Ability & Data InterpretationDQuantitative Ability
63Quantitative Ability & Data InterpretationAQuantitative Ability
64Quantitative Ability & Data InterpretationBQuantitative Ability
65Quantitative Ability & Data InterpretationBQuantitative Ability
66Quantitative Ability & Data InterpretationCQuantitative Ability
67Quantitative Ability & Data InterpretationBQuantitative Ability
68Quantitative Ability & Data InterpretationCQuantitative Ability
69Quantitative Ability & Data InterpretationEQuantitative Ability
70Quantitative Ability & Data InterpretationCQuantitative Ability
71Quantitative Ability & Data InterpretationDQuantitative Ability
72Quantitative Ability & Data InterpretationDQuantitative Ability
73Quantitative Ability & Data InterpretationBData Interpretation
74Quantitative Ability & Data InterpretationCData Interpretation
75Quantitative Ability & Data InterpretationEData Interpretation
76General KnowledgeBGeneral Knowledge / Current Affairs
77General KnowledgeAGeneral Knowledge / Current Affairs
78General KnowledgeCGeneral Knowledge / Current Affairs
79General KnowledgeAGeneral Knowledge / Current Affairs
80General KnowledgeEGeneral Knowledge / Current Affairs
81General KnowledgeEGeneral Knowledge / Current Affairs
82General KnowledgeAGeneral Knowledge / Current Affairs
83General KnowledgeBGeneral Knowledge / Current Affairs
84General KnowledgeDGeneral Knowledge / Current Affairs
85General KnowledgeCGeneral Knowledge / Current Affairs
86General KnowledgeEGeneral Knowledge / Current Affairs
87General KnowledgeCGeneral Knowledge / Current Affairs
88General KnowledgeDGeneral Knowledge / Current Affairs
89General KnowledgeDGeneral Knowledge / Current Affairs
90General KnowledgeAGeneral Knowledge / Current Affairs
91General KnowledgeBGeneral Knowledge / Current Affairs
92General KnowledgeEGeneral Knowledge / Current Affairs
93General KnowledgeDGeneral Knowledge / Current Affairs
94General KnowledgeBGeneral Knowledge / Current Affairs
95General KnowledgeCGeneral Knowledge / Current Affairs

Frequently asked questions

How many questions are there in XAT 2025?

XAT 2025 has 95 questions across Verbal Ability & Logical Reasoning, Decision Making, Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation, General Knowledge, with a total duration of 3h.

Is this the official XAT 2025 question paper?

Yes — this page hosts the past-year XAT paper for 2025, with the full question set, answer key, and explanations for revision.

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Yes. Sign up free on MBACracked to attempt XAT 2025 under exam-accurate timing and marking, then get a percentile estimate and topic-wise analysis.

Does this page include the XAT 2025 answer key?

Yes. Every question shows the correct answer, with a collapsible explanation. A full answer-key table is also available at the bottom of the page.

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