◆ Mock Practice · Full-length

CAT Sample Papers, 3 full model papers with answer keys

The three model question papers from the Oswaal CAT book, reproduced section by section (VARC · DILR · QA). Each question carries the book's official answer key in a drop-down. The book provides the correct option/value only; full step-by-step solutions sit behind its QR code, so the worked maths is not reproduced here.

3sample papers
198questions total
66per paper
How each paper is structured. 66 questions in 120 minutes, Section I VARC (24 Q), Section II DILR (20 Q), Section III QA (22 Q). 3 marks per question; −1 for a wrong MCQ; no negative marking on TITA (type-in-the-answer) questions. The book gives the correct answer key only; a TITA chip marks non-MCQ type questions.
198 questions · 3 papers

Sample Paper 1

66 questions · VARC + DILR + QA. Answer key from the book in each drop-down.

Sample Paper 1, VARC

Passage 1 (Q1-Q4), Case & Deaton, class & "deaths of despair"

Case and Deaton certainly hit all of the right Durkheimian notes. They're particularly eager to resuscitate the idea that suicide and class conflict are expressions of the same underlying pathology. In deemphasizing the material facts of debt and exploitation in favor of a convenient story about the decline of the workplace community, the traditional family, and religion, Case and Deaton explicitly situate themselves in an intellectual tradition that long predates this decade's white-working-class elegies, one that helped to usher in our present nightmare. They view Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders as two avatars of a pathological dissatisfaction with the status quo that festers in white-working-class communities… For Case and Deaton, as for Mayo, symptoms of social fabric decay include not only suicide and substance abuse, but also "seeing capitalism as [the] enemy."

But while past policymakers went about repairing the social fabric with deathly seriousness and programmatic vision, Case and Deaton seem almost afraid of making comparably ambitious recommendations. They don't support a universal basic income… They don't support taxes on the wealthy, because their statistics supposedly prove that inequality itself is not a problem. At one point they simply pronounce that "a rebirth of unions is unlikely."

…New York Times columnist David Brooks has more or less given up on public policy. His new non-profit, Weave: The Social Fabric Project, instead aspires to repair the fraying bonds of society by encouraging ordinary people to build community themselves…

Following Marx, the left has historically viewed class very differently: the working class is a structural position in the capitalist economy, the segment of the population whose members have no choice but to work for wages… There are no rules that could make the game of labor markets fair. No amount of sportsmanship could obviate the imperative for employers to extract as much work as possible from their employees for as little money as possible… It is the force of this everyday violence that grinds hope into despair.

HardSample Paper 1 · VARC · Q1

Based on the arguments of the passage, Case and Deaton will agree with all of the following, EXCEPT:
(I) Deaths of despair are surging in white working class communities.
(II) Job strain or long working hours led to the dissolution of the social fabric.
(III) People are killing themselves because they have lost the sense of meaning and belonging.
(IV) Removing inequality of wealth and focussing on redistribution of wealth.

  • (1) I, II
  • (2) II, IV
  • (3) I, III
  • (4) II, III, IV
Show answer
(2) II, IV. Topic: Correct Statement (Reading Comprehension).
ModerateSample Paper 1 · VARC · Q2

The most suitable tone of the writer of the passage is:

  • (1) Cynical
  • (2) Commiserating
  • (3) Acerbic
  • (4) Emotional
Show answer
(1) Cynical. Topic: Tone of the Writer.
HardSample Paper 1 · VARC · Q3

All of the following can be inferred from the passage, EXCEPT:

  • (1) The writer claims that mending the social fabric will not fix the level of despair.
  • (2) The destruction of a way of life led to a life of despair, according to Case and Deaton.
  • (3) The Lefts believe that workers and employers are pre-existing types of people.
  • (4) As per Case and Deaton, classes exist independently of each other.
Show answer
(3). Topic: Inference-based.
ModerateSample Paper 1 · VARC · Q4

Which of the following arguments gets the support of the writer?

  • (1) Mend the fissures wrought by outsourcing and bring workers back into the company family.
  • (2) Encouraging workers, on being saddled with debt and stagnation of wages, to feel that they had a home at work.
  • (3) A modest increase in the minimum wage.
  • (4) Decent wages and jobs helping to bring respectability and meaning into life.
Show answer
(2). Topic: Author-supported argument.
Passage 2 (Q5-Q9), Conspiracy theories crossing from right to left

On an almost daily basis I see conspiracy theories travelling smoothly from right to left… There has long been an overlap between certain new age and far-right ideas. The Nazis embraced astrology, pagan festivals, organic farming, forest conservation, ecological education and nature worship. They promoted homeopathy and "natural healing", and tended to resist vaccination…

The anti-vaccine movement is a highly effective channel for the penetration of far-right ideas into leftwing countercultures… This tendency has been reinforced by Facebook algorithms directing vaccine-hesitant people towards far-right conspiracy groups… The notion of the "sovereign body", untainted by chemical contamination, has begun to fuse with the fear that a shadowy cabal is trying to deprive us of autonomy.

I believe this synthesis of left-alternative and rightwing cultures has been accelerated by despondency, confusion and betrayal… Steve Bannon and Dominic Cummings brilliantly repurposed the leftwing themes of resisting elite power and regaining control of our lives.

So how do we navigate this?… There's a sound hippy principle that we should strive to apply: balance, the balance between competing values in which true radicalism is to be found: reason and warmth, empiricism and empathy, liberty and consideration… There is no pure essence; we are all mudbloods. Enlightenment of any kind is possible only through long and determined engagement with other people's findings and other people's ideas.

HardSample Paper 1 · VARC · Q5

Based on the argument of the third paragraph, which of the following assumption can be said to be correct?

  • (1) The anti-vaccine movement is the origin of conspiracy theories.
  • (2) Anti-vax beliefs overlap strongly with a susceptibility to conspiracy theories.
  • (3) People believe in the autonomy of their bodies.
  • (4) Social media plays a pivotal role in spreading falsehoods.
Show answer
(2). Topic: Correct Statement.
ModerateSample Paper 1 · VARC · Q6

The central idea of the passage is:

  • (1) How the counterculture fell prey to the far-right's conspiracy theories.
  • (2) The demystifying of bodily and spiritual sovereignty.
  • (3) The urgency to stay true to our countercultural roots instead of yielding to conspiracy theories.
  • (4) The cause behind the anti-vax movement.
Show answer
(1). Topic: Central idea of the Passage.
HardSample Paper 1 · VARC · Q7

All of the following can be inferred from the passage, EXCEPT:

  • (1) Old boundaries have broken down to witness unlikely changes.
  • (2) Parties of the right talk of liberation and revolt.
  • (3) Parties that once belonged on the left talk about security and stability.
  • (4) None of them.
Show answer
(1). Topic: Odd statement out.
HardSample Paper 1 · VARC · Q8

Based on the recommendation of the writer, which of the following is the premise to his assertion?

  • (1) The control over one's body is a making of the mind.
  • (2) True freedom emerges from respect for other people.
  • (3) The correct balance between co-option and extremism can lead to liberation.
  • (4) Antivaccination attitudes are highest among those who are high in conspiratorial thinking.
Show answer
(2). Topic: Correct Statement.
ModerateSample Paper 1 · VARC · Q9

The writer of the passage expresses his concern about all of the following, EXCEPT:

  • (1) The left-wingers being lured to the far-right.
  • (2) The growing vaccine hesitancy among people and the widespread propaganda of social media.
  • (3) Most unlikely people have become susceptible to right-wing extremism.
  • (4) The themes of resisting power and regaining control of our lives have been cynically repurposed.
Show answer
(2). Topic: Odd statement out.
Passage 3 (Q10-Q13), Audiobooks vs printed text

When the market for audiobooks began to skyrocket… The audio version of a book was often considered a CliffsNotes-type shortcut… Audiobooks aren't cheating. They aren't a just-add-water shortcut to cheap intellectualism… does the flat text version count?

…there are just as many books that achieve a resonance via the spoken word that their text alone cannot fully deliver. Listening to a book is not only just as good as reading it. Sometimes, perhaps even often, it's better… consider the memoir. When they're read by the author, audio versions of memoirs sparkle with an authenticity often missing in the text alone.

A fine recent example is Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey… Recently I have been telling everyone to listen to The Last Black Unicorn by Tiffany Haddish…

Still, as popular as audiobooks have become, I suspect there will remain some consternation about their rise. Telling stories is an even older form of human entertainment than reading and writing stories… Their popularity is a sign, rather, of the endurance of stories and of storytelling.

ModerateSample Paper 1 · VARC · Q10

Based on the information of the text, which of the following does the author substantiate?

  • (1) Audiobooks always elevate a book beyond its text alone.
  • (2) People inclined towards reading books may miss out on the crucial details made prominent through narration.
  • (3) Any pedestrian subject can be made appealing in audiobooks.
  • (4) Audiobooks are an easy work around for people who don't have the energy to grapple with a printed text.
Show answer
(2). Topic: Correct Statement.
ModerateSample Paper 1 · VARC · Q11

Which of the following best summarises the argument of the final paragraph?

  • (1) The popularity of audiobooks is contentious, given the high popularity of reading.
  • (2) Listening to a book is not only just as good as reading, but better.
  • (3) The notion that audiobooks eclipse the sanctity of text has proved true on the contrary.
  • (4) The upsurge of audiobooks will warranty the continuation of the art of story telling.
Show answer
(2). Topic: Correct Statement.
HardSample Paper 1 · VARC · Q12

All of the following can be inferred from the passage, EXCEPT:

  • (1) Some narrators' voices can enhance the text in ways lost for the traditional reader.
  • (2) The readers of audiobooks suffered from an inherent cultural bias.
  • (3) A traditional reader often hears the story only through the voice in her own head.
  • (4) Stories were told aloud, long before we learned to write them down and read them.
Show answer
(2). Topic: Odd statement out.
HardSample Paper 1 · VARC · Q13

Which of the following, if true, weakens the objective of audiobooks?

  • (1) The brain is very good at deluding us and imagining us to multitask successfully.
  • (2) There is a limited access to audiobooks in libraries.
  • (3) Only memoirs are comprehended and enjoyed better in audio format than other genres.
  • (4) Audiobooks tend to sound more dramatic than intended to appear.
Show answer
(1). Topic: Correct Statement.
Passage 4 (Q14-Q17), "Slow ecology", old habitats & holes in trees

The majority of the world's species cannot withstand any significant disruption of their habitat by humans. Healthy ecosystems depend to a great extent on old and gnarly places… rich in what ecologists call "spatial heterogeneity": complex natural architecture… The loss of these ancient habitats is one of the factors driving the global shift from large, slow-growing creatures to the small, short-lived species able to survive our onslaughts.

…Self-serving nonsense such as "natural capital accounting" and "biodiversity net gain" treat one habitat or feature as exchangeable for another… Big old trees are the "keystone structures" of forests… Between 10% and 40% of the world's forest birds and mammals need holes in trees in which to nest or roost…

Research in Poland, France, Scandinavia, the Balkans and the Carpathians shows that forests unmanaged by people have far greater numbers of crucial features… In France the number of broken forks increased by nearly 300% in the 50 years since forests were last harvested, and holes made by woodpeckers by 500%.

So what would a slow ecology movement look like?… we are rich in proportion to the number of things we can afford to let alone… It would mean letting rivers run free.

ModerateSample Paper 1 · VARC · Q14

The primary purpose of the passage is to:

  • (1) underline the global shift from large, slow-growing creatures to the small, short-lived species.
  • (2) emphasize on the role of slow ecology to restore ancient habitats.
  • (3) argue and establish the environmental value of holes for species.
  • (4) address genuine solutions to the climate and biodiversity crises.
Show answer
(2). Topic: Primary Purpose.
HardSample Paper 1 · VARC · Q15

Which of the following can be deduced from the writer's argument of the human onslaught of habitat?

  • (1) Our modern technologies inherently harm every aspect of the environment on which our very existence depends.
  • (2) There is a desperation to engage with a global economy.
  • (3) Humans are always attracted to the shiny and glossier versions than the archaic ones.
  • (4) Ecological complexity takes ages to develop.
Show answer
(4). Topic: Correct Statement.
ModerateSample Paper 1 · VARC · Q16

Which of the following best captures the essence of the penultimate paragraph?

  • (1) Replacement of trees should be supplemented by planting of trees.
  • (2) Felling of trees rips off the ecosystem depended on them.
  • (3) It takes centuries for our ecosystem to recover.
  • (4) Banning of trawling and letting rivers take their course will protect the ecosystem from further damage.
Show answer
(3). Topic: Essence of the Paragraph.
HardSample Paper 1 · VARC · Q17

"Bilateral strategic maritime cooperation between the two predates the Quad." Insert this opening sentence into the paragraph below at the best position (1)-(4).
The two countries have developed a culture of supporting each other. ___(1)___ France was the co-founder of one of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's flagship international initiatives, the International Solar Alliance. ___(2)___ It was the first European country to accept the UPI payments system. ___(3)___ Several mechanisms have been established to strengthen the India-France partnership in the Indo-Pacific region even though France is not a member of the Quad. ___(4)___.

  • (1) Option 1
  • (2) Option 2
  • (3) Option 3
  • (4) Option 4
Show answer
(4) Option 4. Topic: Missing in the Paragraph.
HardSample Paper 1 · VARC · Q18TITA

The four sentences below, when properly sequenced, yield a coherent paragraph. Key in the correct sequence.
(1) The number of women in the space industry remains abysmally low: according to the UN, only 11 per cent of astronauts so far have been women.
(2) The skewed sex ratio perpetuates a vicious cycle, making it harder for women to enter this field, as when the first-ever all-women spacewalk was cancelled in 2019…
(3) Over 50 years have passed since Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space and yet, so much of the curiosity… remains centred on their bodies and the traditional duties they're expected to fulfil…
(4) The weightlessness experienced in space may be a "great equaliser", as Ride once said, but on terra firma, gender equality remains a distant dream.

Show answer
3 1 2 4. Topic: Ordering of Statements (Para Jumbles).
HardSample Paper 1 · VARC · Q19

Choose the option that best captures the essence of the passage.
"The definition of radicalisation would help provide clarity as regards the purpose of implementation of the Action Plan. A mere deviation from conventional thinking must not be penalised. Radicalisation becomes problematic only where it has the propensity to lead to violence. The challenge lies in preventing such radicalisation. Developing a nuanced understanding of the process of radicalisation as well as its characteristics can help guide the Action Plan in effectively meeting such challenges."

  • (1) Before finding a suitable policy solution to the problem of radicalisation, it is beneficial to understand the definition of radicalisation.
  • (2) An action plan addressing the problem of radically motivated violence requires a detailed understanding of radicalisation.
  • (3) There is a need to understand the definition of radicalisation, which suits the needs of an action plan.
  • (4) A nuanced understanding of the process of radicalisation will allow the State to develop strategies to effectively combat radical ideas.
Show answer
(2). Topic: Essence of the Passage.
HardSample Paper 1 · VARC · Q20TITA

Sequence the four sentences into a coherent paragraph; key in the sequence.
(1) The Chief Justice of India-led bench has said that its objective was to balance the rights of the citizens and the powers of the State, which cannot be allowed "a free pass" by merely citing national security.
(2) To this end, the terms of reference and the choice of these experts are sound.
(3) Headed by a retired judge, the panel comprises members with domain knowledge of cybersecurity and intelligence.
(4) The Supreme Court of India has appointed a committee to investigate if any Indian agency procured and used the highly sophisticated spyware, Pegasus, to target citizens.

Show answer
4 3 1 2. Topic: Ordering of Statements (Para Jumbles).
HardSample Paper 1 · VARC · Q21

Choose the option that best captures the essence of the passage.
"Witchcraft, wizardry and magic are often considered as irrational residues of a primitive sensibility from which modern man needs to distance himself. In societies on the cusp of rapid, unsettling transformations, magic can be an effective source of fortitude and reflection, allaying fears and anxieties of the collective… In India, with its patchy record in education and health, psychological afflictions are often explained away, and even punished, as possessions. Anthropologists working with animist societies like the Sora tribe in India or with Siberia's Reindeer People have shown how shamans can ease passage into modernity while maintaining a reassuring link with the past."

  • (1) Witchcraft, wizardry and magic are presented as relics of the past, however, magic remains deeply rooted in modern life and cannot be exorcized easily.
  • (2) Witchcraft, wizardry and magic are the remnants of a primitive sensibility, with its efficacy standing unquestionable; especially in India.
  • (3) Witchcraft, wizardry and magic, though a primitive form, still holds a relevant place in societies, but witchcraft is criminalised in India.
  • (4) Witchcraft, wizardry and magic have their source in the ancient roots, beneficial in allaying fears and anxieties, and is established as an anti-modern ethic.
Show answer
(1). Topic: Essence of the Passage.
HardSample Paper 1 · VARC · Q22

"The Election Commission deserves a lot of credit for the country's success as a democracy." Insert this sentence into the paragraph at the best position (1)-(4).
The Indian gradient of the slide is as interesting. ___(1)___ Every now and then, in words and deeds, the country is told how a little authoritarianism is largely good for democracy. ___(2)___ Some of the events are well known; then there are others. ___(3)___ Nehru as the first Prime Minister was understandably in a hurry to have the first general election happening as soon as possible in the new republic but Sukumar Sen the first Chief Election Commissioner made him wait for several months so that preparations could be thorough. ___(4)___.

  • (1) Option 1
  • (2) Option 2
  • (3) Option 3
  • (4) Option 4
Show answer
(3) Option 3. Topic: Missing in the Paragraph.
HardSample Paper 1 · VARC · Q23TITA

Five jumbled sentences are given; four form a coherent paragraph. Identify the odd one out.
(1) It is also an issue of social justice as it's often the poorest families and ethnic minority communities who are least likely to own cars but live in areas most affected by air pollution.
(2) We are not willing to repeat these mistakes by turning a blind eye to the evidence showing the impact of toxic air on people's health, especially our children.
(3) Everyone should have the right to breathe clean air and no child should be held back or have their health blighted simply because they had the misfortune of growing up in a polluted area.
(4) Local and national governments simply cannot allow these disparities to persist…
(5) Every death and illness caused by poor air quality is an avoidable tragedy and the case for action is clear cut and irrefutable.

Show answer
2 (the odd one out). Topic: Ordering of Statements (Para Jumbles).
HardSample Paper 1 · VARC · Q24TITA

Five jumbled sentences are given; four form a coherent paragraph. Identify the odd one out.
(1) The corrupting influence of technology companies is also a compelling explanation for them because it means that something can be done.
(2) Social media companies regularly fail in their responsibilities to manage the kind of hate speech and abuse that poses danger for everyone…
(3) While we rightly focus on the excesses of tech platforms that have turned abuse and lies into lucre, we must also realise that the bad robot theory is tempting because it places the problem not only outside of our institutions, but outside of our very selves.
(4) It is clear that the management of harmful content online cannot be left to tech platforms themselves and that some form of regulation is now long overdue…
(5) But fixating solely on reforming big tech risks turning into a huge displacement exercise.

Show answer
1 (the odd one out). Topic: Ordering of Statements (Para Jumbles).

Sample Paper 1, DILR

Set 1, Set A (Q1-Q4): Linear seating + income. Seven persons P, Q, R, S, T, U and V earn different monthly amounts among ₹21000, ₹24000, ₹26000, ₹29000, ₹33000, ₹36000 and ₹38000 (not in order). All sit in a row; some face north, some south. Clues: P earns ₹26000 and sits second to the left of R, who sits third to the right of the person earning ₹21000. Exactly one person sits between the ₹21000 earner and S, who is at an extreme end. P's neighbours face opposite directions. The ₹38000 and ₹33000 earners are immediate neighbours. Q sits third to the right of the ₹24000 earner. P and Q are not adjacent. U earns ₹38000. Q sits third to the right of T. The ₹36000 earner is second to the right of P, who faces north. V is to the right of the ₹29000 earner. Q is to the left of U and both face opposite directions.
HardSample Paper 1 · DILR · Q1

Who earns ₹29000?

  • (1) Q
  • (2) R
  • (3) S
  • (4) T
Show answer
(3) S. Topic: Sitting arrangement.
HardSample Paper 1 · DILR · Q2

Who is sitting to the immediate right of R?

  • (1) The person who earns ₹21000
  • (2) S
  • (3) The person who earns ₹26000
  • (4) T
Show answer
(2) S. Topic: Sitting arrangement. (Stem in the book reads "immediate right of B"; B is a typo for R.)
HardSample Paper 1 · DILR · Q3

How many of them are facing north?

  • (1) One
  • (2) Two
  • (3) Three
  • (4) Four
Show answer
(3) Three. Topic: Sitting arrangement.
HardSample Paper 1 · DILR · Q4

The persons sitting at the extreme ends of the row earn how much money?

  • (1) ₹33000 and ₹29000
  • (2) ₹38000 and ₹36000
  • (3) ₹36000 and ₹33000
  • (4) ₹38000 and ₹29000
Show answer
(4) ₹38000 and ₹29000. Topic: Sitting arrangement.
Set 2, Shooting championship (Q5-Q8). Six players, Amar, Babar, Carl, Deep, Esha, Faiz, competed over 3 compulsory rounds (1-3). Each round each player shot once; a bingo (centre hit) scored 10. Other possible scores: 8, 6, 4, 2. Each bingo in Rounds 1-3 earned one bonus shot in Rounds 4-6 (same possible scores). Total = sum over all rounds played. PN = did not participate; - = participated, score missing.
PlayerRound 1Round 2Round 3Round 4Round 5Round 6
Amar-8-10PNPN
Babar---24PN
Carl-8-PNPNPN
Deep---210-
Esha--610PNPN
Faiz---1010PN
Additional facts: (1) Amar, Babar and Esha had the same total score. (2) Total scores for all players except one were multiples of three. (3) The highest total score was 2 more than double the lowest total score. (4) The number of players hitting bingo in Round 2 was double that in Round 3. (5) Amar and Faiz had the same score in Round 1 but different scores in Round 3.
HardSample Paper 1 · DILR · Q5

What was Faiz's total score?

  • (1) 42
  • (2) 48
  • (3) 44
  • (4) 46
Show answer
(2) 48. Topic: Games and Tournaments.
HardSample Paper 1 · DILR · Q6

What was the difference between the highest total score and the lowest total score?

  • (1) 26
  • (2) 24
  • (3) 22
  • (4) 20
Show answer
(1) 26. Topic: Games and Tournaments.
HardSample Paper 1 · DILR · Q7

What was Amar's score in Round 3?

  • (1) 6
  • (2) 8
  • (3) 2
  • (4) 10
Show answer
(3) 2. Topic: Games and Tournaments.
HardSample Paper 1 · DILR · Q8

Which of the following statements is true?

  • (1) Faiz's score was 46.
  • (2) Deep was the highest scorer.
  • (3) Deep's score was 46.
  • (4) Faiz was the highest scorer.
Show answer
(2) Deep was the highest scorer. Topic: Games and Tournaments.
Set 3, Overlapping land plots (Q9-Q12). P, Q and R each bought one plot, measuring 28, 24 and 20 acres respectively, from a total area of 72 acres. Some land overlaps. The court allowed P, Q and R to use 18, 14 and 8 acres respectively that are not in dispute. The area under conflict, 14 acres, was sealed. The area common to P and Q and that common to P and R are in the ratio 3 : 4.
HardSample Paper 1 · DILR · Q9

What is the area (in acres) of land remaining with the real estate agent?

  • (1) 14
  • (2) 26
  • (3) 18
  • (4) 22
Show answer
(3) 18. Topic: Set Theory for Reasoning.
HardSample Paper 1 · DILR · Q10

Land in conflict between P and R is of ____ acres.

  • (1) 4
  • (2) 6
  • (3) 8
  • (4) 12
Show answer
(3) 8. Topic: Set Theory for Reasoning.
HardSample Paper 1 · DILR · Q11

If the land in conflict between all three of them was taken by government for developmental work and the rest of the conflicted land was divided equally among the two persons in whose name it is registered, who will get the largest part of the area under conflict?

  • (1) P
  • (2) Q
  • (3) R
  • (4) More than one
Show answer
(3) R. Topic: Set Theory for Reasoning.
HardSample Paper 1 · DILR · Q12

If the conflicted lands were distributed so that all three end up with equal acres of land, what is the ratio of the conflicted land received by Q to that received by R?

  • (1) 5 : 2
  • (2) 2 : 5
  • (3) 3 : 2
  • (4) 2 : 3
Show answer
(2) 2 : 5. Topic: Set Theory for Reasoning.
Set 4, College ratings bar chart (Q13-Q16). Five colleges were each rated on six aspects, Fees, Student Intake, Delivery, Placements, Lab work, Attendance, each on a 0-200 scale, shown in a grouped bar chart ("Success Parameters"). The exact per-college, per-aspect bar values could not be reliably read from the book's chart image, so the underlying data table is not reproduced here. The questions and the book's answer key are given below.
HardSample Paper 1 · DILR · Q13

On which aspect is the median score of the five Colleges the least?

  • (1) Attendance
  • (2) Placements
  • (3) Student Intake
  • (4) Fees
Show answer
(3) Student Intake. Topic: Mixed Graphs.
HardSample Paper 1 · DILR · Q14

A College's final score is the average of its scores on all six aspects. Which College has the highest final score?

  • (1) College 3
  • (2) College 2
  • (3) College 4
  • (4) College 1
Show answer
(1) College 3. Topic: Mixed Graphs.
HardSample Paper 1 · DILR · Q15

List of all the Colleges who are among the top two scorers on the maximum number of aspects is:

  • (1) College 1 and College 2
  • (2) College 1 and College 5
  • (3) College 2 and College 5
  • (4) College 2, College 3 and College 4
Show answer
(2) College 1 and College 5. Topic: Mixed Graphs.
HardSample Paper 1 · DILR · Q16

List of all the Colleges who are among the top three Colleges on all six aspects is:

  • (1) College 1 and College 3
  • (2) College 3
  • (3) College 1
  • (4) None of the Colleges
Show answer
(2) College 3. Topic: Mixed Graphs.
Set 5, CAT Test marks table (Q17-Q20). Marks of 16 students in QA, LR (LRDI) and VA. Total = QA + LR + VA. Overall rank 1-16 by total marks (higher total → lower/better rank); ties broken by higher VA, then higher LR.
NameGenderCentreQALRVA
DeepakMA182042
PrithaFB162432
AmitMC121846
PraveenMA261658
AbhnandanMC281462
ShaziaFB221634
ReenaFA103212
RohitMB422638
SheenaFA142246
MohnishMB382030
NamitaFC261228
AditiFC221638
AdyaFB42428
AdityaMA104028
SauravMB441212
NitaFC141834
HardSample Paper 1 · DILR · Q17

How many male students got more marks in VA than the marks obtained by Namita in VA but less marks in QA than the marks obtained by Adya in QA?

  • (1) 7
  • (2) 6
  • (3) 5
  • (4) 4
Show answer
(3) 5. Topic: Table Graph.
HardSample Paper 1 · DILR · Q18

Find the number of female students who obtained more total marks than at most four female students and more total marks than at least one male student.

  • (1) 1
  • (2) 2
  • (3) 3
  • (4) 4
Show answer
(2) 2. Topic: Table Graph.
HardSample Paper 1 · DILR · Q19

If the ranking criterion is followed by each centre to rank the students enrolled there, find the difference between the 'overall rank' and the 'centre rank' of Aditya.

  • (1) 6
  • (2) 2
  • (3) 5
  • (4) 4
Show answer
(4) 4. Topic: Table Graph.
HardSample Paper 1 · DILR · Q20

From which centre did the maximum possible number of students obtain a total of at least 80 marks and at most a total of 108 marks?

  • (1) Both A and B
  • (2) C
  • (3) B
  • (4) Both A and C
Show answer
(1) Both A and B. Topic: Table Graph.

Sample Paper 1, QA

ModerateSample Paper 1 · QA · Q1TITA

In an examination, 62% of the candidates are females and the rest are males. There are 48 more females than males. If 70% of the candidates including 47 males qualify the examination, then the percentage of females who do not qualify is ____.

Show answer
25. Topic: Percentage and Function.
ModerateSample Paper 1 · QA · Q2

MN and PQ are a diameter and a chord, respectively, of a circle of radius 11.5 cm. PQ intersects MN at a point R inside the circle such that NR has length 5 cm. If the length of PQ is 19 cm, then the difference of the lengths of PR and QR, in cm, is

  • (1) 2.5
  • (2) 0.5
  • (3) 1
  • (4) 2
Show answer
(3) 1. Topic: Circle. (Use the intersecting-chords theorem: PR × QR = MR × NR.)
ModerateSample Paper 1 · QA · Q3

The radius of the circumcircle, measured in the same unit as the co-ordinate axes, of a triangle formed by the straight line 3x + 4y − 36 = 0 and the co-ordinate axes, is

  • (1) 7.5
  • (2) 7
  • (3) 8
  • (4) 6
Show answer
(1) 7.5. Topic: Co-ordinate Geometry. (Right triangle with legs 12 and 9; hypotenuse 15; circumradius = 15/2.)
HardSample Paper 1 · QA · Q4TITA

Let f(x) be a function such that f(x + y) = f(x)·f(y), where x, y are natural numbers and f(1) = 3. If f(m + 1) + f(m + 2) + … + f(m + n) = (243/2)(3ⁿ − 1), then the value of m is ____.

Show answer
4. Topic: Functions and Graphs.
HardSample Paper 1 · QA · Q5

In the beginning of any year, the population of a city is N. It becomes 1 + 2N in the beginning of the next year. If the population in the beginning of 2021 is 10,000, then the population in the beginning of 2037 is

  • (1) 2¹⁶(9999) + 1
  • (2) 2¹⁶(10001) − 1
  • (3) 2⁶(9999) − 1
  • (4) 2¹⁶(10001)
Show answer
(2) 2¹⁶(10001) − 1. Topic: Progressions and Series.
ModerateSample Paper 1 · QA · Q6TITA

How many solutions of the equation |x|(5x − 2) = 3x² are possible?

Show answer
3. Topic: Equations and Polynomials.
ModerateSample Paper 1 · QA · Q7

Mukund sells two toys A and B. On selling A at 10% loss and B at 12% gain, he gains ₹2. If he sells A at 15% gain and B at 8% gain, he gains ₹10. Then the cost price of B, in ₹, is

  • (1) 60
  • (2) 48
  • (3) 56
  • (4) 50
Show answer
(4) 50. Topic: Profit, Loss and Discount.
ModerateSample Paper 1 · QA · Q8

If (66.6)ᵖ = (6.66) q = 100, then (1/p − 1/q) equals

  • (1) 2/3
  • (2) 1/4
  • (3) 1/2
  • (4) 1/3
Show answer
(3) 1/2. Topic: Logarithm and Exponents.
ModerateSample Paper 1 · QA · Q9TITA

In the rectangular co-ordinate system, a person walks from (1, 1) to (7, 8) via (4, 5), where each step from any point (x, y) is either to (x, y + 1) or to (x + 1, y). How many paths are available for his movement?

Show answer
55. Topic: Permutations and Combinations. (Paths to (4,5): C(7,3)=35?, book answer 55; product of segment counts.)
ModerateSample Paper 1 · QA · Q10TITA

In an r-metres race, Aman beats Baman by 40 metres and Chaman by 80 metres. If Baman beats Chaman by 60 metres, then the value of r, in metres, is ____.

Show answer
120. Topic: Time, Speed and Distance.
ModerateSample Paper 1 · QA · Q11

In an internal examination, Kunal scored 50% marks but failed by 30 marks, even though his score increased by 20% after he applied for review. If his post-review score were increased by 40%, he would have 18 marks more than the qualifying score. The percentage score needed for qualifying was

  • (1) 75
  • (2) 70
  • (3) 65
  • (4) 72
Show answer
(1) 75. Topic: Percentage.
ModerateSample Paper 1 · QA · Q12

In a group of persons, 110 can play Chess, 118 can play Hockey and 124 can play Polo. Among these, 44 can play Chess and Hockey, 58 can play Hockey and Polo, and 36 can play Chess and Polo. If there are 218 persons and each plays at least one game, then the number of persons who can play only Polo is

  • (1) 32
  • (2) 39
  • (3) 34
  • (4) 41
Show answer
(3) 34. Topic: Set Theory.
ModerateSample Paper 1 · QA · Q13

m and n are positive real numbers such that log₃(m + n) + log₃(m − n) = 2 and log₅ n = log₅ m − 1 − log₅ 4, then the value of mn is

  • (1) 30
  • (2) 32
  • (3) 28
  • (4) 20
Show answer
(4) 20. Topic: Logarithm and Exponents.
HardSample Paper 1 · QA · Q14

Let b₁, b₂, b₃, … bₙ be in arithmetic progression. Then the value of 1/(√b₁ + √b₂) + 1/(√b₂ + √b₃) + … + 1/(√b_{n+2} + √b_{n+3}) is

  • (1) (n + 3)/(√b₁ + √b_{n+3})
  • (2) n²/(√b_{n+3} − √b₁)
  • (3) (n + 2)/(√b₁ + √b_{n+3})
  • (4) n/(√b₁ + √b_{n+1})
Show answer
(3) (n + 2)/(√b₁ + √b_{n+3}). Topic: Progressions and Series.
HardSample Paper 1 · QA · Q15

Find the number of real roots of the equation 2 cos x·(x² + 4x + 5) = 4^(x/2) + 4^(−x/2).

  • (1) 0
  • (2) Infinite
  • (3) 1
  • (4) 2
Show answer
(3) 1. Topic: Equations and Polynomials.
HardSample Paper 1 · QA · Q16

a and b are real numbers such that 2·3⁵·4³·27ᵃ·8ᵇ·(√3)¹⁵ = 64ᵃ·3ᵇ·√128, then a equals

  • (1) −18
  • (2) −16
  • (3) −22
  • (4) −14
Show answer
(2) −16. Topic: Logarithm and Exponents.
ModerateSample Paper 1 · QA · Q17TITA

Find the area of the region bounded by the curves |x| + |y| ≤ 4 and |x| ≥ 2.

Show answer
8. Topic: Co-ordinate Geometry.
ModerateSample Paper 1 · QA · Q18

A mixture is prepared by mixing two solutions P and Q. One litre of P weighs 0.9 kg; one litre of Q weighs 760 g. If half a litre of the mixture weighs 436 g, then the percentage of solution P in the mixture, by volume, equals

  • (1) 80
  • (2) 60
  • (3) 70
  • (4) 65
Show answer
(1) 80. Topic: Mixture and Solution.
HardSample Paper 1 · QA · Q19TITA

Four points P, Q, R and S lie on a circle such that P and Q are the endpoints of the diameter of length 16 cm, while R and S lie such that QR has length 4 cm and the length of PR is twice that of PS. Then the length of QS, in cm, is ____.

Show answer
14. Topic: Circle.
ModerateSample Paper 1 · QA · Q20

On a particular day, two buses P and Q travel the same distance starting at 6:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. respectively. They arrive at their common destination at the same time. If P travelled for at least 5 hours, then the maximum possible value of the percentage by which the speed of Q could exceed that of P equals

  • (1) 20
  • (2) 25
  • (3) 16
  • (4) 30
Show answer
(2) 25. Topic: Time, Speed and Distance.
HardSample Paper 1 · QA · Q21

Amit and Sumit are neighbours. Both travel to offices equidistant from their homes using three modes of transport at speeds of 8 km/h, 10 km/h and 12 km/h respectively. Amit uses each mode for one-third of the total time taken, while Sumit uses each mode for one-third of the distance. By what percentage does the time taken by Sumit exceed the time taken by Amit?

  • (1) 2.66
  • (2) 4.33
  • (3) 2.77
  • (4) 3.5
Show answer
(3) 2.77. Topic: Time, Speed and Distance.
ModerateSample Paper 1 · QA · Q22

Ansal and Bansal together finish a task in 15 days. If Ansal works thrice as efficiently as usual and Bansal five times as efficiently, the task gets finished in 4 days. If only Bansal is available, the task will be finished in

  • (1) 30 days
  • (2) 45 days
  • (3) 40 days
  • (4) 35 days
Show answer
(3) 40 days. Topic: Time and Work.

Sample Paper 2

66 questions · VARC + DILR + QA. Answer key from the book in each drop-down.

Sample Paper 2, VARC

Passage 1 (Q1-Q5), Rethinking creativity and human history

Creativity, we are told, was always the exception in human societies, not the norm… We could live in societies of equals, this story goes, when we were few… small means egalitarian; big means complex, which involves hierarchy, exploitation and the competitive extraction of the Earth's resources… But as it turns out, nothing about this familiar conception of human history is actually true.

Scientists in 2021 may not be encountering alien civilisations… but we are encountering radically different forms of society under our feet: forgotten ways of being human and living together in large numbers… We are finding evidence of garden cities without centres, governed in truly democratic ways; of societies that adapted with the seasons, switching freely between modes of livelihood and organisation, egalitarian and hierarchical…

Humans appear to have spent most of their history exercising a self-conscious aversion to authority… Calling for citizens' assemblies to tackle issues of the magnitude of the climate crisis is not going against the grain of our social evolution; it is asking us to reclaim the spark of political creativity that gave life to the world's first towns and cities…

My late friend David Graeber wrote: "The ultimate, hidden truth of the world is that it is something that we make and could just as easily make differently."… we must allow ourselves to dream again, starting this time with the freedoms that made us human.

HardSample Paper 2 · VARC · Q1

Which of the following statements is the most appropriate conclusion about the writer's stand on humans and civilization?

  • (1) Society's development is always interpreted by personal choice.
  • (2) Humans transitioned from a state of equality to inequality.
  • (3) Humans began their history in a state of innocence.
  • (4) Our species originated in egalitarian bands of hunters and foragers.
Show answer
(1). Topic: Correct Statement.
HardSample Paper 2 · VARC · Q2

All of the following can be inferred from the passage, EXCEPT:

  • (1) The mythological conceptions of history cannot be reconciled with a flood of new evidence about the human past.
  • (2) The modified researches of history support the adaptation of humans to global warming.
  • (3) Our prevailing cultural system has placed us, and our planet, on a course to disaster.
  • (4) Civilization could be achieved by sacrificing those original freedoms or, alternatively, by taming our baser instincts.
Show answer
(4). Topic: Odd statement out.
ModerateSample Paper 2 · VARC · Q3

Which resources have been adopted by the writer of the passage to come to a conclusion?

  • (1) Historical statistics and recent research.
  • (2) New archaeological findings, and revisiting old ones.
  • (3) Revisiting the course of human history.
  • (4) Scientific research and study of myths.
Show answer
(2). Topic: Correct Statement.
ModerateSample Paper 2 · VARC · Q4

The primary purpose of the passage is to:

  • (1) show how history becomes a far more interesting place once we begin to see what's really there.
  • (2) underline the need to change the course of history to act on climate change.
  • (3) offer a history of the past that is wildly different from anything we're used to know.
  • (4) emphasize on the contribution of history in the social evolution of civilizations.
Show answer
(2). Topic: Primary Purpose.
HardSample Paper 2 · VARC · Q5

Which of the following conceptions of history would the writer most likely NOT change?

  • (1) The present methodology ought to be replete with political experiment and creativity.
  • (2) Humans spent most of their evolutionary past in tiny bands of hunter-gatherers.
  • (3) Our remote ancestors were too primitive and childlike, either free and equal, or thuggish and warlike.
  • (4) None of them
Show answer
(1). Topic: Correct Statement.
Passage 2 (Q6-Q9), Social mobility and Katharine Birbalsingh

At least the government knows that it has a social mobility problem… the controversial headteacher Katharine Birbalsingh is its newly appointed commissioner. The body she will lead, set up by David Cameron, has been a thorn in Boris Johnson's side… Report after report has pointed to the corrosive effects of extreme inequality…

Ms Birbalsingh is an energetic character. The school she runs in Wembley achieves impressive results… But it is not clear how her achievements in education have equipped her to take on this wider brief. Good grades may provide a ladder to society's upper echelons for some hard-working teenagers. But the fortunes of whole communities and regions will not be turned around by a handful of golden tickets to Oxbridge or medical school.

She has also joined in attacks on "woke" culture… Good public administration draws on a range of expertise… if its opponents want to remove it, they must now work out how to rebut the tempting tale that if only kids would knuckle down, inequality would go away.

HardSample Paper 2 · VARC · Q6

Which of the following would be supported by Ms Birbalsingh?

  • (1) Focussing on education, business and employment.
  • (2) Holding the government accountable for the social inequities.
  • (3) Progressive teaching methods fail the very pupils who need listening the most.
  • (4) Most of the students are given a fair chance in life, it depends on their merit to progress.
Show answer
(3). Topic: Correct Statement.
ModerateSample Paper 2 · VARC · Q7

The central idea of the passage is:

  • (1) The wants of the most disadvantaged and vulnerable.
  • (2) The intensification of social inequality after Covid.
  • (3) The social challenges in modern England.
  • (4) The road to social mobility instead of a culture war.
Show answer
(4). Topic: Central idea of the Passage.
HardSample Paper 2 · VARC · Q8

Based on the passage, which of the following will the writer support?

  • (1) Improve skills and outcomes for thousands of young people in some of the most disadvantaged parts of England.
  • (2) Investment in childcare and early years education.
  • (3) Focus on equality of opportunity.
  • (4) Reviewing admissions to ensure its inclusivity.
Show answer
(3). Topic: Correct Statement.
HardSample Paper 2 · VARC · Q9

All of the following can be inferred from the passage, EXCEPT:

  • (1) The education system alone is crucial to ensure fairer life chances for all.
  • (2) Though qualifications are the most important dimension of educational disadvantage, the challenge goes beyond exams.
  • (3) Those from disadvantaged backgrounds have little chance of making a better life for themselves or their families as they earn much less than their more affluent peers.
  • (4) Development of financing structures will increase access for students from lower-income families.
Show answer
(1). Topic: Odd statement out.
Passage 3 (Q10-Q13), Combined ecological impacts & "green growth"

Take the situation of the North Atlantic right whale, whose population recovered a little when whaling ceased, but is now slumping again… Their main prey, a small swimming crustacean called Calanus finmarchicus, is moving north at a rate of 8 km a year, because the sea is heating…

Or look at moths in the UK. We know they are being harmed by pesticides… Studies of bees show that when pesticides are combined, their effects are synergistic…

The various impacts have a common cause: the sheer volume of economic activity. We are doing too much of almost everything, and the world's living systems cannot bear it… If we were to build sufficient direct air capture machines… this would demand a massive new wave of mining and processing for the steel and concrete…

Boris Johnson insists that "a global recovery from the pandemic must be rooted in green growth". But there is no such thing as green growth. Growth is wiping the green from the Earth. Wealth must be distributed, a constrained world cannot afford the rich, but it must also be reduced.

ModerateSample Paper 2 · VARC · Q10

What can be inferred from the line "Growth is wiping the green from the Earth"?

  • (1) More the growth, the more the carbon footprint.
  • (2) Promoting growth in the name of greenery is an act of pretence of the government.
  • (3) The current level of economic activity is destroying the environment.
  • (4) Natural resources are irreplaceable.
Show answer
(3). Topic: Inference-based.
HardSample Paper 2 · VARC · Q11

The references made to the North Atlantic right whale and moths are intended to

  • (1) highlight the interdependence of the ecological cycle.
  • (2) demonstrate how the combined impacts are laying waste to entire living systems.
  • (3) underline the effect of pollution on the ecosystem.
  • (4) emphasize on the impending danger looming on human society as a result of the peril of the ecosystem.
Show answer
(2). Topic: Sentence Completion.
HardSample Paper 2 · VARC · Q12

Which of the following can be inferred from the paragraph (on building direct air capture machines)?

  • (1) Companies are using the climate crisis as justification for extracting minerals.
  • (2) The impact of human activities put the ecology in the throes of dilapidation.
  • (3) The efforts to solve one aspect of the crisis exacerbate another.
  • (4) Millions of machines have been deployed to suck carbon dioxide directly out of the air to beat the climate crisis.
Show answer
(3). Topic: Inference-based.
HardSample Paper 2 · VARC · Q13

Based on the arguments of the passage, which of the following are supportive of the writer's claims?

  • (1) Decoupling of economic growth and resource consumption.
  • (2) The environmental value of products will have to be weighed against their financial value and consumer preferences.
  • (3) Design new policies with environmental effects in mind.
  • (4) Ensuring environmental regulation to improve corporate competitiveness.
Show answer
(3). Topic: Correct Statement.
Passage 4 (Q14-Q17), Partition of Ireland & "shared history"

Partition was imposed on Ireland a century ago, against the wishes of the majority of its people… A church service is marking the centenary since the partition of Ireland… Higgins decided to stay away from this event… in this case has argued that the ceremony is not "neutral politically".

The idea of "shared history" was always flawed, eliding as it did questions of imperialism, power, class and inequality… Ireland and Britain of course share history, but they did not share an equal history: only one was conquered by the other and only one became a global empire…

In contrast to many commentators, Higgins has notably reflected on the issues of imperialism and power… Perhaps this may eventually open up space for a more genuine reflection on how our current societies remain shaped by partition and the process by which it came about.

HardSample Paper 2 · VARC · Q14

Based on the information of the passage, which is NOT true for Higgins?

  • (1) He derided the proposition of shared history.
  • (2) He believed that the event had something to do with politics.
  • (3) He showed that by forgetting uncomfortable aspects of Britain and Ireland's shared history we can forge a better future.
  • (4) He sought to facilitate a more authentic interpretation of our shared history.
Show answer
(3). Topic: Incorrect Statement.
HardSample Paper 2 · VARC · Q15

The assumption based on the "branding" the centenary as a tourist marketing opportunity is that:

  • (1) Majority of people were disinclined to participate in the event commemorating the 1916 Easter Rising.
  • (2) It was believed that too much politics would frighten people off.
  • (3) The event lacked the predicted inclusive approach.
  • (4) The idea of shared history would demote Ireland's brand image.
Show answer
(2). Topic: Sentence Completion.
HardSample Paper 2 · VARC · Q16

All of the following can be inferred from the passage, EXCEPT:

  • (1) The issues that deeply divided Irish people were ignored at the commemoration.
  • (2) The role of the British in the partition was avoided at the commemoration.
  • (3) The complex events of British imperialism are integral to the story that has shaped Ireland, in all its diversity.
  • (4) The birth of the border came as part of a violent process.
Show answer
(1). Topic: Odd statement out.
HardSample Paper 2 · VARC · Q17

"That is a piece of public sector magic, less dramatic than life-saving surgery certainly, but based upon vast infrastructure and a formidable workforce ethic." Insert this sentence into the paragraph at the best position (1)-(4).
The Royal Mail dates back more than 500 years to the reign of Henry VIII. ___(1)___ For most of our lifetimes it promised to get a first-class letter from your nearest post-box in Hove to your intended's front door in Aberdeen by the next day, and it kept it. ___(2)___ WH Auden knew that… ___(3)___ Yet for years, the Royal Mail has been undergoing the most serious and profound decline… ___(4)___.

  • (1) Option 1
  • (2) Option 2
  • (3) Option 3
  • (4) Option 4
Show answer
(2) Option 2. Topic: Missing in the Paragraph.
HardSample Paper 2 · VARC · Q18TITA

Sequence the four sentences into a coherent paragraph; key in the sequence.
(1) As my colleague David Leonhardt has said, what the economy is now experiencing is not a labour shortage so much as it is a shortage of workers who are willing to accept the terms employers are used to offering them.
(2) The U.S. economy is in the throes of what's been called the Great Resignation: workers are quitting their jobs at or near the highest levels on record since tracking began in 2001.
(3) The attrition is particularly acute in the hospitality sectors, but it isn't limited to low-wage industries.
(4) As of August, more than 10 million jobs sat open, causing businesses to reduce their hours and change how they operate.

Show answer
Answer key option: (2). Topic: Ordering of Statements (Para Jumbles). (The book records the answer for this TITA item as "2".)
HardSample Paper 2 · VARC · Q19

Choose the option that best captures the essence of the passage.
"…for over half a decade, in country after country, Facebook Inc has spoken of doing more to protect values of liberal, constitutional democracy and not allowing its platforms to be used to incite violence, in Myanmar and Sri Lanka, for example, but only after reports of its apparently cavalier and negligent behaviour came to light. It must, going forward, be more transparent and proactive in addressing the fundamentals of its algorithms and business models… Political parties and their proxies… have used the platform to great effect for their own ends…"

  • (1) More words than action have been observed on the part of Facebook Inc…
  • (2) The onus of making social media less harmful rests not only on Facebook Inc. For impartial and reasonable regulation of the digital sphere, the political class, too, must be willing to sacrifice the quick gains it has reaped on social media.
  • (3) The promises of Facebook Inc fell flat when compared to the social harm caused…
  • (4) The declarations of Facebook Inc on averting violence through the misuse of social media was nullified, after the incidents in Myanmar and Sri Lanka…
Show answer
(2). Topic: Essence of the Passage.
HardSample Paper 2 · VARC · Q20TITA

Sequence the four sentences into a coherent paragraph; key in the sequence.
(1) With the spread of vaccinations reducing the threat of the disease, household consumption of these services is likely to pick up.
(2) However, there is a visible divergence, with contact-intensive services lagging behind the rest of the economy, but this is also slowly changing.
(3) With infections subsiding… there has been an improvement in most high frequency economic indicators over the past several weeks.
(4) The Nomura India Business Resumption Index has risen to an all-time high of 108.8 for the week ending October 17…

Show answer
3 4 2 1. Topic: Ordering of Statements (Para Jumbles).
HardSample Paper 2 · VARC · Q21

Choose the option that best captures the essence of the passage.
"If we were to lose any of the world's great forests, we would have zero chance of stabilising the world's climate… We lose about 30 football pitches of forest every single minute… The UK has built a coalition of countries all committed to ending deforestation by the end of this decade. More than 100 countries have signed our Glasgow leaders' declaration on forests and land use, representing 85% of the world's forests…"

  • (1) The impact of destroying the world's great forests is catastrophic to the sustenance of millions of people and wildlife. The UK has built a coalition of 100 countries committed to ending the destruction of forests by the end of the decade.
  • (2) To enhance the chance of stabilising the world's climate, restoration of green forests is the priority, which is being deftly handled by the UK…
  • (3) The commitments to protect the world's forests is being met by the UK, by building a coalition of countries…
  • (4) The loss of the world's great forests is an inevitable contributor to the rising climate crisis…
Show answer
(1). Topic: Essence of the Passage.
HardSample Paper 2 · VARC · Q22

"A decade ago, TV accounted for almost half of the display ad spending in the UK, and online about an eighth." Insert this sentence into the paragraph at the best position (1)-(4).
___(1)___ The immediate cause of its problems is the ad market. Channel 4 depends on advertising for about 90% of its revenue… ___(2)___ Today, online is more than half and TV is about a quarter. First the internet swallowed print advertising, now it's coming for TV. ___(3)___ The shift is being driven by viewing moving online… ___(4)___ Channel 4 has always sought a younger audience…

  • (1) Option 1
  • (2) Option 2
  • (3) Option 3
  • (4) Option 4
Show answer
(2) Option 2. Topic: Missing in the Paragraph.
HardSample Paper 2 · VARC · Q23TITA

Five jumbled sentences are given; four form a coherent paragraph. Identify the odd one out.
(1) Prof Russell argues, reasonably, for a system of checks where machines can pause and "ask" for human guidance, and for regulations to deal with systemic biases.
(2) The pitfalls of this approach are highlighted by the role YouTube's algorithm plays in radicalising people…
(3) This has led to AI "succeeding" even when the goals aren't socially acceptable…
(4) AI is deployed to get products quickly to market and problems dealt with later.
(5) Some argue that AI can already produce new insights that humans have missed.

Show answer
5 (the odd one out). Topic: Ordering of Statements (Para Jumbles).
HardSample Paper 2 · VARC · Q24TITA

Five jumbled sentences are given; four form a coherent paragraph. Identify the odd one out.
(1) The next two volumes, due next year, will focus on the human impact and how societies can adapt to irreversible changes…
(2) This periodic set of reports puts together the latest developments in evidence available…
(3) The United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has released a draft of the first volume of its Sixth Assessment Report.
(4) This report focuses exclusively on the latest scientific research on climate change.
(5) The latest Assessment Report carries strong language… "unequivocally true".

Show answer
5 (the odd one out). Topic: Ordering of Statements (Para Jumbles).

Sample Paper 2, DILR

Set 1, Six friends, phones (Q1-Q6). Six friends P, Q, R, S, T, U use mobiles of different companies (Moto, Sams, Xio, Oppio, Viva, Micro). Each phone has a different colour (Yellow, Green, Blue, Orange, Ebony, Black) and a different android version (2.4, 7.4, 1.4, 6.4, 3.4, 5.4). Clues: P uses Moto, which is Green with version 1.4. R uses Oppio. The Xio user doesn't have Ebony. The Orange-colour phone has version 5.4. U has version 6.4. The person with the Yellow-colour 2.4-version phone is not Q. S uses 3.4 but doesn't have Sams. Q has Micro. The Viva phone has 7.4. The Sams phone is Black.
HardSample Paper 2 · DILR · Q1

Who uses Xio?

  • (1) U
  • (2) T
  • (3) R
  • (4) S
Show answer
(4) S. Topic: Analytical Reasoning.
HardSample Paper 2 · DILR · Q2

Who has an ebony-coloured phone?

  • (1) The person who uses Viva mobile
  • (2) The person who has 2.4 android version mobile
  • (3) The person who has 3.4 android version mobile
  • (4) The person who uses Micro mobile
Show answer
(1). Topic: Analytical Reasoning.
HardSample Paper 2 · DILR · Q3

U has which of the following colour of his phone?

  • (1) Yellow
  • (2) Orange
  • (3) Blue
  • (4) Black
Show answer
(4) Black. Topic: Analytical Reasoning.
HardSample Paper 2 · DILR · Q4

Which of the following pairs is correctly matched?

  • (1) Xio-7.4
  • (2) Yellow-2.4
  • (3) T-Sams
  • (4) R-Moto
Show answer
(2) Yellow-2.4. Topic: Analytical Reasoning.
HardSample Paper 2 · DILR · Q5

Who uses a Blue-coloured mobile?

  • (1) S
  • (2) Q
  • (3) T
  • (4) U
Show answer
(1) S. Topic: Analytical Reasoning.
HardSample Paper 2 · DILR · Q6

Which of the following is incorrectly matched?

  • (1) Moto-1.4
  • (2) R-Oppio
  • (3) Black-6.4
  • (4) Micro-Ebony
Show answer
(4) Micro-Ebony. Topic: Analytical Reasoning.
Set 2, Boxes in shelves (Q7-Q10). Seven boxes P, Q, R, S, T, U, V are placed in 8 shelves (numbered 1 to 8 bottom-to-top); exactly one shelf is vacant. Cost prices (distinct): ₹2052, ₹2058, ₹2073, ₹2079, ₹2082, ₹2101, ₹2113. Selling price of each = ₹2117. Clues: V's cost < ₹2073. The difference in cost of V and Q is ₹21. P is costlier than Q but not the costliest. S is on shelf 4. Difference of ₹9 between costs on shelves 6 and 4. U is immediately below the vacant shelf. R is on an odd shelf less than 6. Difference between P's cost and the box on shelf 6 is ₹15. The box with the 2nd-highest profit is on shelf 7. Neither R nor U gains profit ₹4. Difference of cost of R and S is less than ₹5. Sum of profits of P and T is ₹63. Sum of profits of boxes on shelf 2 and the lowest shelf is ₹20. The least-profit box is 2 shelves below the vacant shelf.
HardSample Paper 2 · DILR · Q7

Which box is placed in the 8th shelf?

  • (1) Q
  • (2) R
  • (3) V
  • (4) P
Show answer
(3) V. Topic: Mathematical Reasoning.
HardSample Paper 2 · DILR · Q8

Which of the following shelves is vacant?

  • (1) 1st
  • (2) 3rd
  • (3) 4th
  • (4) 6th
Show answer
(2) 3rd. Topic: Mathematical Reasoning.
HardSample Paper 2 · DILR · Q9TITA

What is the price (cost price) of Box U?

Show answer
₹2082. Topic: Mathematical Reasoning.
HardSample Paper 2 · DILR · Q10TITA

What is the difference in the cost price of box T and box U?

Show answer
₹12. Topic: Mathematical Reasoning.
Set 3, Teacher points (Q11-Q14). Five students (Sunil, Ramesh, Munesh, Suresh, Avadhesh) are awarded even-integer points by five teachers J1-J5. Each teacher gives distinct non-negative integer points to all 5 students. The "P" column is the sum of points of the three students listed in that row as a percentage of the teacher's total points to all 5 students. (e.g. the points to Sunil, Munesh, Ramesh by J1 is 80% of J1's total.)
TeacherStudent (points)P
J1Sunil (18)Munesh (12)Ramesh (10)80
J2Suresh (16)Avadhesh (12)Sunil (8)90
J3Munesh (22)Avadhesh (14)Suresh (12)80
J4Suresh (16)Sunil (14)Avadhesh (4)85
J5Ramesh (16)Munesh (10)Sunil (6)80
HardSample Paper 2 · DILR · Q11

The minimum possible aggregate number of points earned by Suresh can be

  • (1) 42
  • (2) 44
  • (3) 46
  • (4) 48
Show answer
(3) 46. Topic: Table Graph.
HardSample Paper 2 · DILR · Q12

The total points earned by Ramesh as a percentage of the total points earned by all the students can at most be

  • (1) 20%
  • (2) 15%
  • (3) 25%
  • (4) 30%
Show answer
(1) 20%. Topic: Table Graph.
HardSample Paper 2 · DILR · Q13

If the points given to Munesh by teachers J2 and J4 are the same and if teacher J3 gave 4 points to Sunil, then the total points earned by Ramesh is

  • (1) 18
  • (2) 19
  • (3) 21
  • (4) 20
Show answer
(4) 20. Topic: Table Graph.
HardSample Paper 2 · DILR · Q14

Which of the mentioned students definitely would NOT earn more aggregate points than Suresh?

  • (1) Ramesh
  • (2) Avadhesh
  • (3) Munesh
  • (4) Both Ramesh and Avadhesh
Show answer
(4) Both Ramesh and Avadhesh. Topic: Table Graph.
Set 4, Marbles & truth-tellers (Q15-Q20). Six persons P, Q, R, S, T, U each took one marble from a box of 420 marbles of six colours (Blue, Black, Red, Violet, Indigo, Orange), equal numbers of each. Exactly one of the three statements made by each person is true, and only one statement made about Q is correct. Also, marbles of two particular colours were not taken by anyone.
Statement IStatement IIStatement III
PQ took an Indigo marbleR did not take a red marbleT took a blue marble
QP took an Indigo marbleS did not take an Orange marbleR took a black marble
RU took a Violet marbleU did not take a Violet marbleP did not take a blue marble
ST took an Orange marbleU took an Orange marbleOne Indigo marble was taken by me
TU took a red marbleQ took the same coloured marble as PQ took a blue marble
UP took a Violet marbleR took a black marbleS did not take a red marble
HardSample Paper 2 · DILR · Q15

What is the colour of the marble taken by P?

  • (1) Indigo
  • (2) Orange
  • (3) Blue
  • (4) Red
Show answer
(3) Blue. Topic: Binary Logic.
HardSample Paper 2 · DILR · Q16

What is the colour of the marble taken by R?

  • (1) Indigo
  • (2) Violet
  • (3) Blue
  • (4) Red
Show answer
(4) Red. Topic: Binary Logic.
HardSample Paper 2 · DILR · Q17

For how many of the mentioned persons can the exact colour of the marbles taken by them be determined?

  • (1) 6
  • (2) 4
  • (3) 3
  • (4) 5
Show answer
(2) 4. Topic: Binary Logic.
HardSample Paper 2 · DILR · Q18

Which of the following statements, if true, would be sufficient to determine the exact colour of the marbles taken by all the mentioned persons?

  • (1) S took an Indigo marble
  • (2) S did not take a red marble
  • (3) T took an Orange marble
  • (4) Either 1 or 3
Show answer
(3) T took an Orange marble. Topic: Binary Logic.
HardSample Paper 2 · DILR · Q19

What was the colour of the marble taken by U?

  • (1) Red
  • (2) Indigo
  • (3) Blue
  • (4) Cannot be determined
Show answer
(1) Red. Topic: Binary Logic.
HardSample Paper 2 · DILR · Q20

What was the colour of the marble taken by Q?

  • (1) Indigo
  • (2) Blue
  • (3) Orange
  • (4) Cannot be determined
Show answer
(1) Indigo. Topic: Binary Logic.

Sample Paper 2, QA

ModerateSample Paper 2 · QA · Q1

A circle has two chords lying on the same side of the centre. The lengths of the chords are 10 cm and 14 cm. If the distance between the chords is 3 cm, then the radius of the circle, in cm, is

  • (1) √212 / 2
  • (2) √221 / 2
  • (3) √221 / 3
  • (4) √214 / 3
Show answer
(2) √221 / 2. Topic: Circle / Mensuration.
HardSample Paper 2 · QA · Q2TITA

Samanta, while multiplying three real numbers, took 63 as one of the numbers instead of 36. As a result, the new product exceeds by 648. The minimum possible value of the sum of the squares of the other two numbers is ____.

Show answer
48. Topic: Number System.
HardSample Paper 2 · QA · Q3

x, y and z are real numbers such that x < y < z. If 5x, 6y and 4z are in arithmetic progression and x, y, z are in geometric progression, then the common ratio is

  • (1) 5/2
  • (2) 3/2
  • (3) 5
  • (4) 7/3
Show answer
(1) 5/2. Topic: A.P. and G.P.
HardSample Paper 2 · QA · Q4

If x²⁰⁶²·y²⁰⁶¹ = 3 and x²⁰⁶⁰·y²⁰⁶³ = 1/27, then the value of x² + y³ is

  • (1) 244/27
  • (2) 241/23
  • (3) 77/21
  • (4) 78/11
Show answer
(1) 244/27. Topic: Miscellaneous (Number System).
ModerateSample Paper 2 · QA · Q5TITA

Consider a function f(x) = min{x², 66 − 5x}, x > 0. The maximum possible value of f(x) is ____.

Show answer
36. Topic: Function.
ModerateSample Paper 2 · QA · Q6

Find the value of 2^((7 + a)/(7 − a)), if log₁₄ 128 = a.

  • (1) log₁₄ 49
  • (2) log₂₈ 49
  • (3) log₇ 35
  • (4) log₁₄ 7
Show answer
(2) log₂₈ 49. Topic: Logarithm.
ModerateSample Paper 2 · QA · Q7TITA

There are 129 persons in a function. Each likes at least one of three fruits Apple, Banana and Mango. Thirteen like all three, while twenty-four like Apple and Banana but not Mango. Everyone who likes Mango also likes Apple or Banana or both. If the number who like Apple equals that who like Banana, then the number of persons who like Apple is ____.

Show answer
83. Topic: Venn Diagram.
ModerateSample Paper 2 · QA · Q8

Two buses A and B travel from Bhopal to Kanpur at the same time. A takes 3 hours more than B to reach Kanpur. The distance is 420 km. If A reaches the mid-point of Bhopal to Kanpur 3 hours before B reaches Kanpur, then the speed of A, in km/h, is

  • (1) 35
  • (2) 32
  • (3) 40
  • (4) 45
Show answer
(1) 35. Topic: Speed and Time.
ModerateSample Paper 2 · QA · Q9

Pushpa and Sushma have money in the ratio 5 : 8. Sushma gives some of her money to Pushpa, so that the ratio of Pushpa's money to Sushma's becomes 6 : 7. Then the fraction of Sushma's original money given to Pushpa is

  • (1) 1 : 7
  • (2) 3 : 7
  • (3) 1 : 8
  • (4) 2 : 9
Show answer
(3) 1 : 8. Topic: Ratio and Proportion.
ModerateSample Paper 2 · QA · Q10

A circle of radius 12.5 cm has a rectangle inscribed in it. The possible length and breadth of the rectangle, in cm, are

  • (1) 19, 17
  • (2) 21, 14
  • (3) 20, 15
  • (4) 22, 12
Show answer
(3) 20, 15. Topic: Area and Perimeter. (Diagonal = diameter = 25; 20² + 15² = 25².)
ModerateSample Paper 2 · QA · Q11

Raman appeared in an exam in which the pass mark was 70% of the maximum score S. He scored 84 marks but fell short of the pass marks by 60%. Which of the following is correct?

  • (1) 348 ≤ S ≤ 357
  • (2) 320 ≤ S ≤ 328
  • (3) S = 335
  • (4) S = 300
Show answer
(4) S = 300. Topic: Percentage.
HardSample Paper 2 · QA · Q12TITA

Poorva appeared in a number of tests. Her average increases by 3 if the marks in the first 9 tests are not considered, and decreases by 3 if the marks in the last 9 tests are not considered. She averaged 35 and 45 in the first nine and last nine tests respectively. The number of tests she appeared in was ____.

Show answer
24. Topic: Time, Speed and Distance (book classification); Averages.
HardSample Paper 2 · QA · Q13

Find the value of x > 0, such that 5ˣ = 3·log₇ 5.

  • (1) log₇ 9
  • (2) 1 + log₇(2/7)
  • (3) 1 + log₇(9/7)
  • (4) 1 + log₇(3/7)
Show answer
(4) 1 + log₇(3/7). Topic: Logarithm.
HardSample Paper 2 · QA · Q14TITA

Consider a function f(x), x a natural number, such that f(x + 2) = f(x) + f(x + 1), f(7) = 12 and f(11) = 90. Then f(6) equals ____.

Show answer
10. Topic: Function.
HardSample Paper 2 · QA · Q15TITA

Natural numbers up to nine are used to form numbers with four or more digits so that each digit is used at most once and the digits are in ascending order. How many such numbers are possible?

Show answer
382. Topic: Mensuration (book classification); Combinatorics. (C(9,4)+C(9,5)+…+C(9,9) = 382.)
ModerateSample Paper 2 · QA · Q16TITA

A point P is situated between two points A and B. The distance of P from B is five times that of P from A. A car moving from B to P arrives 3 hours after another car moving from A towards P arrives at P. If the speed of the car moving from B to P is half that of the car moving from A to P, then the time, in minutes, taken by the car from A to P is ____.

Show answer
20. Topic: Time, Speed and Distance.
ModerateSample Paper 2 · QA · Q17TITA

Find the number of integers x such that 0.0625 < 2ˣ < 225 and 2ˣ + 4 is perfectly divisible by either 4 or 5.

Show answer
6. Topic: Divisibility.
HardSample Paper 2 · QA · Q18TITA

A right circular cone of height 36 cm and base radius 12 cm is cut by a plane parallel to its base at a height of 24 cm. Taking π = 22/7, the volume (in cc, nearest integer) of the remaining portion of the cone is ____.

Show answer
5230. Topic: Mensuration.
HardSample Paper 2 · QA · Q19

Mustaq sells 6 litres of a mixture of two solutions A and B. The cost of solution B per litre is ₹4 less than that of solution A. The amount of B in the mixture does not exceed that of A. If he sells the entire mixture for ₹162 making a profit of 8%, then the maximum cost of B, in ₹, per litre is

  • (1) 24
  • (2) 22
  • (3) 23
  • (4) 27
Show answer
(3) 23. Topic: Percentage and Function (Mixtures).
HardSample Paper 2 · QA · Q20

If x² + (x − 2y + 1)² = 2(x − y − 2xy) + (48x + 19)/36, then the value of x + 4y is

  • (1) 2/3
  • (2) 4/3
  • (3) 3/2
  • (4) 5/2
Show answer
(2) 4/3. Topic: Equation and Polynomial.
ModerateSample Paper 2 · QA · Q21

A person draws an equilateral triangle. He joins the mid-points of the sides to form another triangle, then repeats infinitely. If the side of the original triangle is 36 cm, then the sum of the areas (in sq. cm) of all the triangles is

  • (1) 432√3
  • (2) 423√3
  • (3) 400√2
  • (4) 425√2
Show answer
(1) 432√3. Topic: Mensuration. (First area = (√3/4)·36² = 324√3; sum = 324√3 ÷ (1 − 1/4) = 432√3.)
HardSample Paper 2 · QA · Q22TITA

Some men and women are deployed to build a wall. The women destroy it while the men construct it (all men at the same rate, all women at the same rate). The wall is built in 30 days when 4 men and 5 women are deployed; in 20 days when 5 men and 4 women work. If 18 men and 18 women are engaged, in how many days will the wall be built?

Show answer
6 days. Topic: Time and Work.

Sample Paper 3

66 questions · VARC + DILR + QA. Answer key from the book in each drop-down.

Sample Paper 3, VARC

Passage 1 (Q1-Q5), Philosophy, animality & "I am not a squirrel"

If one were to read through the prefaces of the canonical works of Western philosophy, one might assume the discipline's primary question to be: What makes us humans so much better than all the other animals?… Rationality and self-control give humans a value that squirrels lack, a moral status unique to us.

One difficult thing to face about our animality is that it entails our deaths… "The moral law reveals to me a life independent of animality," writes Immanuel Kant… The devaluation of animals reflects a deeper devaluation of the material universe… This is the ideology of species annihilation and environmental destruction, and also of technological development.

The classical source for this distinction is certainly Aristotle… "the lower sort are by nature slaves." Thomas Hobbes in "Leviathan"… associates anarchy with animality and civilization with the state… this line of thought also happens to justify colonizing or even extirpating the "savage."… In Plato's "Republic," Socrates divides the human soul into two parts…

I'd like to publicly identify this dualistic view as a disaster… I don't see how we could cease to be mammals and remain ourselves. Our resemblance to squirrels doesn't have to be interpreted as a threat to our self-image. Instead, it could be seen as a hopeful sign that we will someday be better at tree leaping.

HardSample Paper 3 · VARC · Q1

As per the passage, which of the following arguments is the pertinent theme for Aristotle, Socrates, Plato and Hobbes?

  • (1) There is a rift between nature and reason.
  • (2) Humans have earned supremacy over the planet.
  • (3) Animalism and humanism are inter-related.
  • (4) The causes behind the rise of racism and slavery.
Show answer
(1). Topic: Correct Statement.
HardSample Paper 3 · VARC · Q2

Based on the writer's perspective, which of the following can be deduced to be reflecting his sentiment?
I. The writer is disturbed at how neurology distinguishes between higher thought production and panic centers such as the amygdala.
II. The writer believes that the distinctions between humans and animals are exaggerated.
III. One needs to get used to the idea that humans are animals.
IV. It is moral respect that upholds the dignity of humans, which is not associated with animals.

  • (1) I, II
  • (2) II, III
  • (3) I, III, IV
  • (4) I, II, IV
Show answer
(3) I, III, IV. Topic: Correct Statement.
HardSample Paper 3 · VARC · Q3

Which of the following premises most appropriately defies the arguments of Aristotle and Hobbes?

  • (1) Humans are the only animals who exhibit abstract reasoning.
  • (2) Hierarchies are an obvious fact of existence.
  • (3) Conceiving of things existing in a hierarchy justifies oppression.
  • (4) Considering animals as inferior to humans due to their lack of reason can be used to justify humans treating animals poorly.
Show answer
(3). Topic: Correct Statement.
HardSample Paper 3 · VARC · Q4

Which of the following perceptions of the writer will be contradicted in the theories of Aristotle, Socrates, Plato, Hobbes, Descartes, and Freud?

  • (1) Human beings are distinct from other animals.
  • (2) There is an imperative need to emphasize what all 'us' animals have in common.
  • (3) The point of human life is to constrain our desires with rationality and purify ourselves of animality.
  • (4) All of them
Show answer
(2). Topic: Correct Statement.
HardSample Paper 3 · VARC · Q5

Which of the following statements is conclusive of Aristotle's theory on humans?

  • (1) Humans are proven to be better than animals, in respect to the possession of rationality.
  • (2) The preponderance of soul and body determine the position of people in society.
  • (3) The power of reasoning establishes humans as the higher being than animals; thus substantiating the superiority of people to animals.
  • (4) Some people are like animals; while some are better than that.
Show answer
(4). Topic: Correct Statement.
Passage 2 (Q6-Q9), Wales, demographics & the Welsh "heartland"

During a webinar on "the past, present and future of Welsh living standards", the first minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford, told an anecdote… Mr Drakeford had floated the idea of using tax devolution powers to persuade people living in, for example, Bristol, to come and live in Wales and become Welsh taxpayers. This was frostily received…

…the Welsh government's economy minister, Vaughan Gething, focused on the number of young people leaving the country. The government's aim of increasing the number of Welsh speakers to a million by 2050 would be imperilled… "You don't have to get out to get on."

…almost half the properties sold in the beautiful northern constituency of Dwyfor Meirionnydd were probably purchased as second homes… More affordable homes need to be built… But Brexit has created new economic headwinds, cutting off a vital supply of European Union investment across Wales… For that to happen, London and Cardiff both need to do their bit.

HardSample Paper 3 · VARC · Q6

All of the following will be agreed upon by Mr Drakeford and Gething, EXCEPT:

  • (1) providing lucrative jobs will attract the youth of Welsh to continue to stay in their native places.
  • (2) vacant land tax would help to incentivise developers to progress stalled developments.
  • (3) ensuring young people skills and experience will brighten the prospect of jobs for today as well as the future.
  • (4) helping young entrepreneurs to create their own businesses will prevent depopulation.
Show answer
(1). Topic: Odd statement out.
HardSample Paper 3 · VARC · Q7

On which of the following assumptions does the argument of tax devolution rest?

  • (1) The relative weakness of the Welsh economy and lack of progress and continuity in Welsh-medium education.
  • (2) The number of Welsh speakers is decreasing in the areas of higher percentages.
  • (3) The reduction in the number of children born and brought up in higher percentage areas.
  • (4) Young people's talents, skills and creativity are essential to ensure the country's economic success.
Show answer
(1). Topic: Correct Statement.
HardSample Paper 3 · VARC · Q8

All of the following can be inferred from the passage, EXCEPT:

  • (1) The country is older than the rest of the UK and ageing at a faster rate.
  • (2) Wales has its own share of economic challenges.
  • (3) Promote diversity and bilingualism to form a more informed society.
  • (4) Questions of national identity add an extra layer of sentiment that counts in people's everyday lives.
Show answer
(3). Topic: Odd statement out.
HardSample Paper 3 · VARC · Q9

All of the following will be recommended by the writer, EXCEPT:

  • (1) planning ambitious economic growth that is informed by equally ambitious language growth.
  • (2) significant progress on the education front across the higher percentage areas.
  • (3) increasing the use of Welsh in workplaces in major public authority operated areas.
  • (4) all of the above
Show answer
(4). Topic: Odd statement out.
Passage 3 (Q10-Q13), Internal democracy in political parties

It is obvious that institutional intermediaries in a representative democracy must themselves be democratic. However, beyond the rhetoric, internal democracy in a political party is less straightforward… A political party is a collaborative platform to capture state power to achieve a certain vision for society…

The most common suggestion to achieve internal democracy is through internal elections for leadership positions… proponents underestimate the ability of existing repositories of power to subvert internal institutional processes… Donald Trump hijacking the Republican Party through primaries is a recent example…

Ultimately, internal institutional processes replicate the balance of power instead of substantially altering it… Unlike for the state, democracy is not an end in itself for a political party… The purpose of a political party is the acquisition of state power.

Instead of looking at internal party processes, one way to decentralise power is by getting rid of the anti-defection law… However, this is an imperfect solution…

HardSample Paper 3 · VARC · Q10TITA

The primary purpose of the passage is to:
(1) weigh if internal elections for party leadership offers a solution for the country.
(2) establish the role of political parties in democracy.
(3) question the viability of attaining internal democracy by political parties.
(4) examine the factors responsible for the lack of internal democratic functioning in the political parties.

Show answer
Option (1). Topic: Primary Purpose. (The book records the answer key for this item as "1".)
HardSample Paper 3 · VARC · Q11

Based on which of the following assumptions does the argument of attaining internal democracy for leadership positions within the party rest?

  • (1) Elected representatives will hold the leadership accountable for its shortcomings.
  • (2) Independence of the lower level is questionable.
  • (3) Competence and ideologies determine the accountability of leaders.
  • (4) Political parties are vehicles to acquire power for governance.
Show answer
(1). Topic: Assumption-based.
HardSample Paper 3 · VARC · Q12

Based on the arguments of the passage, which of the following will the writer support?

  • (1) Distribution of power among competing factions.
  • (2) A political party should prioritise and politicise those issues that further its political agenda…
  • (3) Encourage internal democratisation of political parties.
  • (4) Electing a political party to power which appeals to the maximum number of voters.
Show answer
(1). Topic: Correct Statement.
HardSample Paper 3 · VARC · Q13

All of the following can be inferred from the passage, EXCEPT:

  • (1) Democratic accountability of a political party's leadership to its members and followers is to adhere to its stated values…
  • (2) Democratic accountability in a political party is qualitatively different from that in a country.
  • (3) Internal elections may factionalise power but cannot establish normative accountability.
  • (4) Lack of internal democratic functioning in the political parties has bearing on the overall political functioning of the country.
Show answer
(1). Topic: Odd statement out.
Passage 4 (Q14-Q17), Care, climate & a "greener future"

It is no coincidence that both care and our climate are in crisis. Addressing each requires us to recognise that we are vulnerable and interdependent… Research by the Feminist Green New Deal has found that a majority of people identify solar panel installers as green workers, but far fewer consider care workers to be in the same camp… care work becomes a core component of our future.

Centring care in industrial visions is a bold and expansive new way of thinking… It's also what political scientist Prof Joan Tronto has termed a "species activity." Most care for the sick, impaired or elderly is performed unpaid and informally, by family and friends…

Consider that 14% of the UK workforce juggle caring responsibilities with paid work… the resultant "time squeeze" can affect the carbon intensity of lifestyle choices… Care, the arduous, bodily practice, is also a minefield of disposability and devices…

…care worker Theresa Santos died in 2017 in a northern California wildfire when she stayed with her immobile client rather than save herself. We must be wary of assuming all people are equally mobile when considering the dangers of the climate crisis.

HardSample Paper 3 · VARC · Q14

The primary purpose of the passage is to:

  • (1) emphasize on the vulnerability of the unpaid caregivers.
  • (2) underscore the contribution of the caregivers towards a greener future.
  • (3) underline the relevance of transforming care to a bold vision of a greener future.
  • (4) highlight the potential risks of climate change to carers.
Show answer
(3). Topic: Primary Purpose.
HardSample Paper 3 · VARC · Q15

Based on the argument of the passage, which of the following assumptions is logical?

  • (1) Economic transformation is not possible without care infrastructure.
  • (2) Care work has huge knock-on effects for the climate that can no longer be ignored.
  • (3) People with the most vulnerability have contributed least to the problem of climate change but are the most vulnerable to its negative impacts.
  • (4) The selfless acts of both paid and unpaid caregivers have often put their lives at risks.
Show answer
(2). Topic: Correct Statement.
HardSample Paper 3 · VARC · Q16

Which of the following best reflects the essence of the third paragraph?

  • (1) Care isn't solely a sector or a job.
  • (2) The carbon intensity of care, as a species activity, is contingent on the general structures and patterns of our lives.
  • (3) Switching to housing alternatives for the vulnerable is a viable option, to reduce the carbon footprint on the planet.
  • (4) The global climate crisis appears to be needing serious attention.
Show answer
(2). Topic: Essence of the Paragraph.
HardSample Paper 3 · VARC · Q17

"Discarded plastic breaks down into microplastics which are ingested by living organisms and accumulate and amplify in the food chain, all the way up to our platter." Insert this sentence into the paragraph at the best position (1)-(4).
Once produced, plastic items remain around us long after being discarded. ___(1)___ Discarded plastic items often find their way into terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems… Polythene bags dumped in landfills are often ingested by animals… ___(2)___ When ingested by animals, microplastics potentially impact the reproductive system… ___(3)___ What is increasingly becoming clear is that plastic pollution is a serious health hazard… ___(4)___ Of particular concern are disposable or single-use plastic items…

  • (1) Option 1
  • (2) Option 2
  • (3) Option 3
  • (4) Option 4
Show answer
(2) Option 2. Topic: Missing in the Paragraph.
HardSample Paper 3 · VARC · Q18TITA

Sequence the four sentences into a coherent paragraph; key in the sequence.
(1) If the stress lasts for longer and the coral dies, it is possible for reefs to be recolonised by the planktonic young of healthy corals nearby.
(2) While a bleached reef can seem permanently lost, if conditions are right it can recover naturally.
(3) If the cause of bleaching (usually unnaturally high sea temperatures) stops, the corals are able to recapture the symbiotic algae… and can make a full recovery.
(4) However, the overgrowth of reef algae can prevent this from happening and this is exacerbated by overfishing.

Show answer
2 3 1 4. Topic: Ordering of Statements (Para Jumbles).
HardSample Paper 3 · VARC · Q19

Choose the option that best captures the essence of the passage.
"I know several people… educated, sensible professionals… who quite calmly relate encounters with the unexplained… I want to believe them. As Dr Johnson observed about the existence of ghosts: 'All argument is against it; but all belief is for it.'… By the time I arrived at university, I had loudly declared myself an atheist… but my love of ghostly literature survived this onslaught of reason."

  • (1) There are varied levels of reciprocity of the concept of the existence of ghosts…
  • (2) Arguments deny the existence of ghosts, but faith holds the opposite… The narrator, though started as an atheist, later yielded to his love of ghostly literature.
  • (3) The fascination with the idea of ghosts lies below the surface in all of us…
  • (4) Most human beings have had encounters with the unexplained, even reputed authors have dealt with supernatural apparitions. The writer, who began as an atheist, succumbed to his love of ghostly literature.
Show answer
(3). Topic: Essence of the Passage.
HardSample Paper 3 · VARC · Q20TITA

Sequence the four sentences into a coherent paragraph; key in the sequence.
(1) On Earth, he says, the energy that drives our weather primarily comes from the condensation of water vapor at the bases of clouds…
(2) Jonathan Lunine, a planetary scientist at Cornell University… thinks that the deep roots of the Great Red Spot could explain the raging storm's longevity.
(3) "So, it's not just a meteorological feature," he says, "instead, its circulation must be drawing energy from much deeper and denser layers of the atmosphere."
(4) But the Great Red Spot bottoms out well past Jupiter's cloud base.

Show answer
2 1 4 3. Topic: Ordering of Statements (Para Jumbles).
HardSample Paper 3 · VARC · Q21

Choose the option that best captures the essence of the passage.
"CEOs, who form the Business Roundtable… said that we must ensure the wellbeing of all stakeholders… 'companies must demonstrate the commitment to issues that are central to the world's future prosperity'… This is a great shift from shareholder to stakeholder capitalism. Milton Friedman's famous dictum… now practically lies buried. Corporations must act with empathy and earn the trust of communities."

  • (1) CEOs agree that it is not enough for corporations to be solely focused on maximizing shareholder value and corporations must act as if they are the custodians of that trust.
  • (2) CEOs have observed that the well-being of the stakeholders is as necessary as that of the employees, suppliers and customers…
  • (3) In the lines of Milton Friedman, CEOs believe that the social responsibility of a corporation is not only to maximize profits…
  • (4) CEOs and the who's who of America Inc have prioritised the wellbeing of all stakeholders and advocated companies to stay committed to issues that are central to the world's future prosperity to earn the trust of communities.
Show answer
(1). Topic: Essence of the Passage.
HardSample Paper 3 · VARC · Q22

"Perhaps the Ministry of Civil Aviation should revisit aviation regulations and the civil aviation requirements to make the system fair to both passengers and airlines." Insert this sentence into the paragraph at the best position (1)-(4).
The state of the law… reflects a clearly unpalatable situation for India's consumers and passengers… ___(1)___ Good airlines have struggled to stay afloat. Jet Airways, Kingfisher, Go First, etc.… ___(2)___ Given our new abilities to track weather conditions… all major airports must now be enabled with such technology. ___(3)___ Many of us have waited endlessly at an airport that does not have a CAT-III facility… ___(4)___.

  • (1) Option 1
  • (2) Option 2
  • (3) Option 3
  • (4) Option 4
Show answer
(2) Option 2. Topic: Missing in the Paragraph.
HardSample Paper 3 · VARC · Q23TITA

Five jumbled sentences are given; four form a coherent paragraph. Identify the odd one out.
(1) Reading fiction in the 1960s wasn't seen by adults as a serious pastime, but my Jesuit school had a library that was mainly made up of thousands of novels.
(2) Browsing online, I came upon an argument about how far into a book you need to go before you can abandon it as unreadable.
(3) Two pages of tedium and it was time to move on to the next thing…
(4) I was pleased to see that the consensus was that if the book hadn't hooked you inside forty pages, you could give up reading it without guilt.
(5) This is the sort of rule that grown-ups need; through school, reading was a more ruthless business.

Show answer
1 (the odd one out). Topic: Ordering of Statements (Para Jumbles).
HardSample Paper 3 · VARC · Q24TITA

Five jumbled sentences are given; four form a coherent paragraph. Identify the odd one out.
(1) For years, similar blockades took the battle to the fracking industry, until in 2019 the government did a U-turn, withdrawing its support and announcing a moratorium.
(2) In recent years disruption has played a huge role in animating public anger… at the government's lack of ambitious climate action.
(3) Things peaked when a fracking test site at Balcombe in West Sussex was blockaded that summer.
(4) However, for many the first time they heard about fracking was in 2013, when grandmothers banded with schoolchildren and environmental campaigners to condemn local fracking sites.
(5) In 2011, oil and gas company Cuadrilla suspended test fracking operations near Blackpool after they were thought to have caused earthquakes in the area.

Show answer
2 (the odd one out). Topic: Ordering of Statements (Para Jumbles).

Sample Paper 3, DILR

Set 1, HCL managers (Q1-Q4). Kirti, Krishna, Malti, Namit, Manav and Pankaj manage six HCL branches (Bangalore, Kota, Siliguri, Patna, Kolkata, Kochi). Each visits headquarters in a different month from January to June. Clues: Neither Kirti nor Bangalore's manager visits in the first month. At least 3 managers visit before Namit, who is neither Patna's nor Kolkata's manager. Either Patna's or Kolkata's manager visits in the last month. Krishna visits after Pankaj. Neither Kochi's nor Kolkata's manager visits in February. Kochi's manager visits the month immediately before Kolkata's manager. Pankaj works in Kolkata. Exactly two months separate Siliguri's and Bangalore's managers' visits. Exactly one manager visits between Pankaj's and Manav's months. Neither Malti nor Krishna works in Kochi. Manav does not work in Siliguri.
HardSample Paper 3 · DILR · Q1

Who among the following visits headquarters in the first month of the year?

  • (1) Krishna
  • (2) Malti
  • (3) Namit
  • (4) Manav
Show answer
(2) Malti. Topic: Order and Ranking.
HardSample Paper 3 · DILR · Q2

Krishna visits headquarters in which of the following months?

  • (1) February
  • (2) March
  • (3) April
  • (4) June
Show answer
(4) June. Topic: Order and Ranking.
HardSample Paper 3 · DILR · Q3

Which of the following city's manager visits headquarters in February?

  • (1) Siliguri
  • (2) Kolkata
  • (3) Bangalore
  • (4) Patna
Show answer
(3) Bangalore. Topic: Order and Ranking.
HardSample Paper 3 · DILR · Q4

Which of the following cities' managers visit in the first and the last month of the year, respectively?

  • (1) Kota and Patna
  • (2) Siliguri and Bangalore
  • (3) Kolkata and Patna
  • (4) Kota and Siliguri
Show answer
(1) Kota and Patna. Topic: Order and Ranking.
Set 2, School survey (Q5-Q8). A survey of 60,000 ten-year-olds across regions South West (SW), East (E) and North (N): 100 kids each from 150 SW cities, 250 E cities, 200 N cities. 55% studied in Heavily-funded Govt Schools (H), 37% in Institution-funded (I), and 8% did not go to school (P). The table shows, for children whose fathers dropped out of school before completing primary schooling, the number in each school type:
RegionHIP
SW84001000600
E840038002400
N10200600600
Total2700054003600
Also known: (1) In N, 60% of surveyed children were in H; and all N children whose fathers had done primary schooling were in school. (2) In SW, among P children, 50% had fathers who dropped out before completing primary schooling. (3) The number of children in H in SW equals the number in H in E.
HardSample Paper 3 · DILR · Q5

What percentage of children from N were studying in I?

  • (1) 37%
  • (2) 6%
  • (3) 79%
  • (4) 56%
Show answer
(1) 37%. Topic: Table Graph.
HardSample Paper 3 · DILR · Q6

Among the children in E whose fathers had completed primary schooling, how many were not in school?

  • (1) 200
  • (2) 2400
  • (3) 2100
  • (4) 3000
Show answer
(1) 200. Topic: Table Graph.
Follow-up for Q7-Q8. A second survey 3 years later: all children were now in school. Of those earlier not in school, in one region H comprised 25% (rest from I); in a second region H took all of them; in the third region 50% joined H and the rest joined I. Overall, 50% of the children earlier out of school joined H. No surveyed child changed schools otherwise.
HardSample Paper 3 · DILR · Q7

What number of the surveyed children were now in H in E?

  • (1) 12000
  • (2) 11500
  • (3) 15500
  • (4) 13600
Show answer
(1) 12000. Topic: Table Graph.
HardSample Paper 3 · DILR · Q8

Of all the surveyed children in N, what percentage of those whose fathers had dropped out before completing primary schooling were in H now?

  • (1) 94.7%
  • (2) 91.5%
  • (3) 98.4%
  • (4) Cannot be determined from the given information
Show answer
(1) 94.7%. Topic: Table Graph.
Set 3, Ships at Vizag port (Q9-Q12). Table-1: ships arriving Nov 9-15 (Sun-Sat). Table-2: ships departing Nov 16-22 (Sun-Sat). Rules: no arriving ship can depart on or before the 5th day after it arrives; no ship can remain after the 10th day after arrival. (e.g. a ship arriving Thursday cannot depart on or before the next Tuesday, and must depart on or before the next Sunday.)
Arrival (Table-1)9 Sun10 Mon11 Tue12 Wed13 Thu14 Fri15 Sat
No. of ships arriving56948090807050
Departure (Table-2)16 Sun17 Mon18 Tue19 Wed20 Thu21 Fri22 Sat
No. of ships departed748610090706040
HardSample Paper 3 · DILR · Q9

If, of the ships that arrived on Monday Nov 10th, 44 departed on the next Sunday, then the number of ships that arrived on Sunday Nov 9th and departed after the next Sunday is

  • (1) 26
  • (2) 30
  • (3) 44
  • (4) 48
Show answer
(1) 26. Topic: Table Graph.
HardSample Paper 3 · DILR · Q10TITA

If all the ships that arrived on or before Tuesday left on or before the next Tuesday, then the number of ships that arrived on Wednesday and departed on the next Tuesday is ____.

Show answer
Option (2) (book key: 2). Topic: Table Graph.
HardSample Paper 3 · DILR · Q11

If 80 ships that arrived on Wednesday departed on Friday, the number of ships that arrived on Friday and departed on Thursday is at least

  • (1) 10
  • (2) 20
  • (3) 50
  • (4) 60
Show answer
(4) 60. Topic: Table Graph.
HardSample Paper 3 · DILR · Q12

The number of ships that arrived on Tuesday and departed on Monday is at least

  • (1) 0
  • (2) 6
  • (3) 10
  • (4) 20
Show answer
(3) 10. Topic: Table Graph.
Set 4, History & Geography exam (Q13-Q17). Six students wrote History and Geography exams, each with nine questions. Marks depend on the number of correct attempts n: 0-1 → n×2; 2-4 → n×4; 5-7 → n×6; 8-9 → n×8. Wrong/unattempted carry no penalty.
StudentHistory (correct)Geography (correct)Total correctTotal marks
A
B7
C13
D48
E78
F102
Total363066
Also known: (1) The number of questions attempted correctly by D in History equals that of E in Geography. (2) The number correct by F in History and Geography equal the numbers correct by B and C in Geography (not necessarily in that order).
HardSample Paper 3 · DILR · Q13TITA

The total marks scored by A is ____.

Show answer
72. Topic: Missing Element.
HardSample Paper 3 · DILR · Q14

Who scored the second lowest total marks?

  • (1) B
  • (2) A
  • (3) D
  • (4) C
Show answer
(3) D. Topic: Missing Element.
HardSample Paper 3 · DILR · Q15TITA

In History, how many students scored more marks than E?

Show answer
2. Topic: Missing Element.
HardSample Paper 3 · DILR · Q16

How many students scored more marks in History than in Geography?

  • (1) 4
  • (2) 3
  • (3) 2
  • (4) 5
Show answer
(1) 4. Topic: Missing Element.
HardSample Paper 3 · DILR · Q17

The number of students who scored more than B in History but less than him in Geography is

  • (1) 3
  • (2) 2
  • (3) 1
  • (4) 0
Show answer
(3) 1. Topic: Missing Element.
Set 5, Irrigation water network (Q18-Q20). Four water-bodies a, b, c, d through which water flows for irrigation. Water enters at points A, B, C, D and is discharged at A1, B1, C1, D1. Three sets of four pipes each, p1-p4 (a→b), q1-q4 (b→c), r1-r4 (c→d), carry the flows (cubic ft/hour) shown below. For each of a, b, c the maximum total discharge must not exceed 1.5× the individual discharge entering that water-body. Flow is unidirectional (left to right); at any junction outflow precedes inflow. (The book's question references points X and Y marked on the diagram; the exact diagram positions could not be reproduced from the source image. Flow values from the figure are tabulated below.)
StageInflowPipe 1Pipe 2Pipe 3Pipe 4
a → b (p1-p4)A = 6001601208040
b → c (q1-q4)B = 240801208040
c → d (r1-r4)C = 240100804020
at dD = 180
HardSample Paper 3 · DILR · Q18

What is the minimum value of x (in cubic ft of water flowing per hour)?

  • (1) 20
  • (2) 40
  • (3) 60
  • (4) 80
Show answer
(4) 80. Topic: Routes and Networks.
HardSample Paper 3 · DILR · Q19

If pipes p1 and q2 are closed (blocked), what is the total quantity of water that flows per hour out of water-body c at point C1?

  • (1) 280
  • (2) 360
  • (3) 440
  • (4) 480
Show answer
(3) 440. Topic: Routes and Networks.
HardSample Paper 3 · DILR · Q20

What is the maximum possible discharge per hour between the points X and Y (shown in the diagram)?

  • (1) 660 cubic ft
  • (2) 640 cubic ft
  • (3) 700 cubic ft
  • (4) 720 cubic ft
Show answer
(1) 660 cubic ft. Topic: Routes and Networks.

Sample Paper 3, QA

ModerateSample Paper 3 · QA · Q1TITA

MN, PQ, RS, TU, VW and XY are six diameters of a circle with centre at O. How many triangles are formed by joining the points M, N, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y and O?

Show answer
280. Topic: Permutations and Combinations.
ModerateSample Paper 3 · QA · Q2

P is the geometric mean of m and n such that log₄ m = log₆₄ n = r, and m, n > 0. Then log₂ P equals

  • (1) 2r
  • (2) 3r
  • (3) 4r
  • (4) r
Show answer
(3) 4r. Topic: Progressions and Series / Logarithm.
HardSample Paper 3 · QA · Q3TITA

Lata can complete a job in 105 days. She works alone on day 1. On day 2 she is joined by a friend who can also finish the job in 105 days. On day 3, another friend of the same efficiency joins, and so on, a new equal-efficiency friend joins each day. How many days are required to finish the job?

Show answer
14. Topic: Time and Work. (1 + 2 + … + 14 = 105.)
ModerateSample Paper 3 · QA · Q4

A person buys mangoes and apples. The price of a mango is half that of an apple. He sells all fruits at a common price which is 20% less than the price of an apple. If he buys 60 apples and 80 mangoes, then his overall profit is

  • (1) 9%
  • (2) 14%
  • (3) 12%
  • (4) 10%
Show answer
(3) 12%. Topic: Profit, Loss and Discount.
ModerateSample Paper 3 · QA · Q5TITA

A lift can bear a maximum load of 640 kg. Some persons are in the lift; the heaviest weighs 52 kg and the lightest weighs 43 kg. The maximum number of persons that can be accommodated in the lift is ____.

Show answer
14. Topic: Average.
ModerateSample Paper 3 · QA · Q6TITA

Raunak's present age is 70% of Shaunak's. After some years, Raunak's age becomes three-fourths of Shaunak's. By what percentage does Shaunak's age increase during this period?

Show answer
20. Topic: Percentage and Function.
HardSample Paper 3 · QA · Q7

G is the centroid of a △DEF. A portion EFG is cut off from the triangle. If the sides of the triangle are 26 cm, 14 cm and 30 cm, then the area of the remaining part of △DEF, in sq. cm, is

  • (1) 60√3
  • (2) 70√3
  • (3) 35√3
  • (4) 75√3
Show answer
(2) 70√3. Topic: Triangle. (Remaining area = 2/3 of total area.)
ModerateSample Paper 3 · QA · Q8TITA

A cricket ball of diameter 16 cm is kept on top of a hollow cylinder of volume 378π. If the height of the cylinder is 6 cm, then the distance, in cm, of the topmost point of the ball from the base of the cylinder standing vertically is ____.

Show answer
15. Topic: Mensuration.
HardSample Paper 3 · QA · Q9

The square of the sixth term of an A.P. having common difference greater than zero equals the product of the third and eleventh terms. Then the ratio of the first term to the common difference equals

  • (1) 5 : 2
  • (2) 4 : 3
  • (3) 5 : 3
  • (4) 3 : 2
Show answer
(1) 5 : 2. Topic: Progressions and Series.
HardSample Paper 3 · QA · Q10

y is a real number less than zero such that y + 1 = y², then 2y⁴ is equal to

  • (1) 7 + 3√5
  • (2) 9 − 2√5
  • (3) 7 − 3√5
  • (4) 9 + 2√5
Show answer
(3) 7 − 3√5. Topic: Equations and Polynomials.
ModerateSample Paper 3 · QA · Q11TITA

The lengths of sides DE and FE of a △DEF right-angled at E are 15 km and 20 km respectively. What is the minimum time, in minutes, required to reach the hypotenuse from E at a speed of 9 km/h?

Show answer
80. Topic: Time, Speed and Distance. (Min distance from E to hypotenuse = altitude = 12 km; time = 12/9 h = 80 min.)
ModerateSample Paper 3 · QA · Q12

If 5^(4n − 3) − 25^(n − 1) = 120, then n equals

  • (1) 4/3
  • (2) 3/2
  • (3) 5/2
  • (4) 7/2
Show answer
(2) 3/2. Topic: Logarithm and Exponents.
HardSample Paper 3 · QA · Q13

a₁, a₂, …, a₂ₙ are in arithmetic progression such that a₁ + a₂ + … + a₂ₙ = 1200, a₁ = 4, a₂ = 8. Then the minimum positive integer x such that x(a₁ + a₂ + … + aₙ) > 1200 is

  • (1) 7
  • (2) 5
  • (3) 3
  • (4) 4
Show answer
(4) 4. Topic: Progressions and Series.
ModerateSample Paper 3 · QA · Q14TITA

Madhu leaves for a bus stop at 15 km/h to catch a bus but is late by 8 minutes. If she leaves at 20 km/h, she reaches 4 minutes earlier. The distance between her home and the bus stop, in km, is ____.

Show answer
12. Topic: Time, Speed and Distance.
ModerateSample Paper 3 · QA · Q15

Kappan gains a profit of 8% by giving a discount of 10% on MRP. If he wants to gain a profit of 20%, then he must sell the article at

  • (1) More than MRP
  • (2) Less than MRP
  • (3) MRP
  • (4) None of these
Show answer
(3) MRP. Topic: Profit, Loss and Discount.
ModerateSample Paper 3 · QA · Q16

Find the value of log₉ 25 · log₂₅ 125 · log₁₅ 128 · 13.

  • (1) 15/4
  • (2) 7/4
  • (3) 3/4
  • (4) 15/2
Show answer
Option (3). Topic: Logarithm and Exponents. (The expression as printed in the book is garbled; the book's answer key records "3".)
HardSample Paper 3 · QA · Q17

A person in a steam boat goes to a place downstream and returns to his original position. If the speed of the steam boat is tripled and the speed of the current remains constant, the total time gets reduced by 70%. The ratio of the original speed of the steam boat to the speed of the current equals

  • (1) 3 : 1
  • (2) 5 : 2
  • (3) 7 : 4
  • (4) 4 : 1
Show answer
(1) 3 : 1. Topic: Time, Speed and Distance.
ModerateSample Paper 3 · QA · Q18TITA

The number of integers m such that the inequality (m − 4)(m − 3) − 3(3m − 1) ≤ 0 holds is ____.

Show answer
15. Topic: Inequalities and Absolute Value.
ModerateSample Paper 3 · QA · Q19

A region in the two-dimensional plane is bounded by the curve |x| + |y| = 5. Then the area, in sq. units, of the region equals

  • (1) 50
  • (2) 36
  • (3) 52
  • (4) 44
Show answer
(1) 50. Topic: Co-ordinate Geometry. (Square of diagonal 10; area = ½·10·10.)
ModerateSample Paper 3 · QA · Q20TITA

Bholaram invests 40% of his income in plan A, 45% of the remaining income in plan B, and the rest in plan C. If his investment in plans B and C together was ₹30,000, then his total income, in ₹, was ____.

Show answer
₹50000. Topic: Percentage and Function. (B + C = 60% of income = 30000.)
HardSample Paper 3 · QA · Q21

Consider f(x) = x² + 13x − 9n and g(x) = 5x − 11n. Then the highest positive integer n for which the equation f(x) = g(x) has two distinct real roots is

  • (1) 6
  • (2) 7
  • (3) 8
  • (4) 9
Show answer
(2) 7. Topic: Functions and Graphs.
HardSample Paper 3 · QA · Q22

Fifty boys and seventy girls appeared in the half-yearly examination. The mean score of the girls was 5 higher than that of the boys. In the yearly examination, the mean score of the girls decreased by 2 while the mean score of all students who appeared increased by 3. Then the increase in the mean score of the boys equals

  • (1) 14
  • (2) 8
  • (3) 12
  • (4) 10
Show answer
(4) 10. Topic: Average.