Online CAT Preparation: March 2011

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Books for Bank Exams

Posted: 30 Mar 2011 03:48 AM PDT

Bank exams, be it Bank PO (probationary officer) examination or Bank Clerical are not that difficult to crack as many people presume them to be. The main issue in this area is "vacancies : applicants" ratio. So instead of focusing on the toughness of the paper, one needs to concentrate on preparation. One has to surpass the scores of many others in order to stand a chance.

The first thing you need to know is the pattern of the exam. A written test for a bank exam consists of 2 parts, objective part and a descriptive part. The objective part consists of four sections namely, Verbal ability, Quantitative ability, Logical Reasoning and General Awareness/ Marketing aptitude. The exact pattern for a specific bank can be found in the 'acquaint yourself booklet' which you get when you apply for an exam

Many students requested me to recommend an all-in-one kind of book to refer for these examinations. Students are requested to practice from as many sources (online and offline) as possible to enable them to adapt to various kinds of papers. Practicing from multiple sources will broaden their horizon providing them flexibility and better ability to handle any kind of situation.
Although one book cannot be an end in itself, I am listing below a list of the best Bank Clerical and Bank PO examination books available. Instead of buying books at MRP from book stores, it would be wise to either buy them second hand (disadvantage of not getting the latest pattern) or through websites like flipkart.com (advantage of getting the latest editions at heavily discounted prices).

Best Bank PO and Bank Clerical Books

BANK PO & Specialist Officers Exam Guide - by Gkp (Publisher: G. K. Publishers (p) Ltd) – Purchase Online

Along with building the fundamentals on various topics covered under banking exams with the help of the book - BANK PO & Specialist Officers Exam Guide, a candidate needs to practice as much as possible. For preparation of Bank P.O. exams I suggest a book from the same publisher GKP. They publish an excellent collection of previous papers of Bank P.O. examinations of all major banks in the name of Previous Papers BANK P. O. Recruitment Exam - Purchase Online

Another good book for probationary officers' examination is "BPO : Bank Probationary Officers' Exam" by Ashok Mehta. For people preparing for this banking examination, I think it is an investment worth making. Purchase Online

For clerical recruitment - Bank Clerical Cadre Recruitment Exam by T. S. Jain - Purchase Online

For Bank I.T. officers examination preparation - Bank I. T. Officers : For All National & Private Sector Banks Exam Guide by Publisher: Ramesh Publishing House (2011) Editorial Board - Purchase Online

Check out other books for preparation for a specific bank using this link - list of bank examination books

If you need any further help from me regarding the above list please let me know by posting a comment below.

Best Books of Bank Exams

Posted: 30 Mar 2011 03:48 AM PDT

Although one book cannot be an end in itself, I am listing below a list of the best Bank Clerical and Bank PO examination books available. Instead of buying books at MRP from book stores, it would be wise to either buy them second hand (disadvantage of not getting the latest pattern) or through websites like flipkart.com (advantage of getting the latest editions at heavily discounted prices).

Best Bank PO and Bank Clerical Books

BANK PO & Specialist Officers Exam Guide – by Gkp (Publisher: G. K. Publishers (p) Ltd) – Purchase Online
Along with building the fundamentals on various topics covered under banking exams with the help of the book – BANK PO & Specialist Officers Exam Guide, a candidate needs to practice as much as possible. For preparation of Bank P.O. exams I suggest a book from the same publisher GKP. They publish an excellent collection of previous papers of Bank P.O. examinations of all major banks in the name of Previous Papers BANK P. O. Recruitment Exam – Purchase Online
Another good book for probationary officers' examination is "BPO : Bank Probationary Officers’ Exam" by Ashok Mehta. For people preparing for this banking examination, I think it is an investment worth making. Purchase Online
For clerical recruitment – Bank Clerical Cadre Recruitment Exam by T. S. Jain – Purchase Online
For Bank I.T. officers examination preparation – Bank I. T. Officers : For All National & Private Sector Banks Exam Guide by Publisher: Ramesh Publishing House (2011) Editorial Board – Purchase Online

Check out other books for preparation for a specific bank using this link – list of bank examination books

If you need any further help from me regarding the above list please let me know by posting a comment below.

What is Lateral Thinking?

Posted: 27 Mar 2011 04:38 AM PDT

Lateral Thinking is a powerful method to use the unused potential of brain. This is originally propounded by Edward De Bono. In this post various simple methods which can bring about lateral thinking capabilities in a reader are described. This post will surely help all CAT aspirants and future managers.

Lateral Thinking Methods or Skills-

There are a number of mental tools or methods that can be used to bring about lateral thinking. These include the following-

Random Entry: Choose an object at random, and associate that with the area you are thinking about. This is also called the method of focal objects.

For example imagine you are thinking about how to improve fireup.co.in. Choose an object at random from your room, you might see a spectacle. Spectacle helps to see things clearly. Perhaps this makes you think of embedding sound software that would readout the concepts and other website materials which would be a great help for visually impaired students.

Provocation: Provocation provokes us to look at things not as they are but as what they might be. We must change our perception in order to change directions and seek alternative solutions and questions what if, suppose what would happen, etc.. Make an idea that may not be direct solution to the problem but which moves thinking forward to a new place from where new ideas or solutions may be found.

Challenge: Simply challenge the way things have always been done or seen, or the way they are. This is done not to show there is anything wrong with the existing situation but simply to direct your perceptions to exploring outside the current area.

For example you could challenge coffee cups being produced with a handle. There is nothing wrong with coffee cups having handles so the challenge is a direction to explore without defending the status quo. The reason for the handle seems to be that the cup is often too hot to hold directly. Perhaps coffee cups could be made with insulated finger grips, or there could be separate coffee cup holders similar to beer holders.

Lateral thinking can be inculcated as propounded by Edward De Bono in his book “Lateral Thinking: Creativity Step By Step”. According to me and most of the people who have ever read this book it is a must read for anyone who is concerned with decision making and problem solving. Purchase Online from Flipkart.com

Real life examples of lateral thinking

This question was asked to a candidate in a top MNC to elicit his true perception

Q – A man and his son are in a car crash. The man is killed and the son is taken to hospital gravely injured. When he gets there, the surgeon says “I can’t operate on this boy- he is my son!” How is this possible? [Surgeon is telling the truth, the boy don't have two fathers and he has no look alike]

This is an example of a quick assumption blocking the mind’s ability to explore alternatives. In this case the assumption is that the quintessential doctor is a male. If a candidate change his perception to allow for a female surgeon, then the answer is suddenly obvious, the surgeon is the boy’s mother.

You can find more than 50 examples here – lateral thinking questions.

Hope you like this post on Lateral Thinking. Let us know your views on this by posting a comment below.

List of Best MAT Books

Posted: 25 Mar 2011 10:57 PM PDT

Many students appearing for MAT examination requested me to recommend MAT books. Here I am posting a list of best MAT books though students are requested to refer a lot of books and practice from as many sources as possible.

There are many MAT preparation books available. However, I suggest students not to buy books at MRP as all the books are available at flipkart.com at good discount and free home delivery.

Find below the list of top 5 MAT preparation books. You can also check out the list of best CAT preparation books.

1. MAT (Topicwise Analysis & Solutions) by G. K. Publishers - Purchase Online

2. MAT (Management Aptitude Test) Entrance Exams. With Practice CD by Mittal - Purchase Online

3. 501 Word Analogy Questions by Learning Express Llc - Purchase Online

4. MAT - Prev. Papers Solved by Rph Editorial Board - Purchase Online

5. Mat Management Aptitude Test: Fast Track Preparat by Ravi Chopra, Kant Chopra A, Ghosh D - Purchase Online

If you come across any other good MAT preparation book, please share it with all by posting a comment below.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Is 0.999…= 1?

Posted: 24 Mar 2011 07:49 AM PDT

Many a times we have made 0.999….= 1. But we always thought it's an approximation, they are not equal though.

It might be surprising for many of us to know that 0.999….. is actually EQUAL to the integer 1. It can be proved like this,

If x = 0.999..., then 10*x = 9.999... so by subtracting the first equation from the second, we get

9*x = 9.000...

Therefore, x=1.

Here's another proof - The number 0.1111... = 1/9, so if we multiply both sides by 9, we obtain 0.9999...=1.

So by similar arguments, every rational number with a terminating decimal expansion has another expansion that ends in a never-ending string of 9's. So, for instance, the rational 9/20 can be represented as 0.45 (the same as 0.35000...) or 0.44999...

General mathematical proof

Any rational number can be expressed in such a way that the digit in each place of a decimal expansion is associated with a positive or negative power of 10. The k-th place to the left of the decimal corresponds to the power 10^k. The k-th place to the right of the decimal corresponds to the power 10^(-k) or 1/10^k.

If the digits in each place are multiplied by their corresponding power of 10 and then added together, one obtains the real number that is represented by this decimal expansion.

So the decimal expansion 0.9999... actually represents the infinite sum

9/10 + 9/100 + 9/1000 + 9/10000 + ...

Using the formula for finding the sum of infinite G.P. series i.e. {a/(1-r)}, we get,

(9/10)/(1 - 1/10) = 1

Hence 0.999... equals 1.

There can be many other proofs. Math enthusiasts are welcome to suggest more proofs. Alternatively if you can prove that they not equal, please post.

Friends let me know your suggestions/feedback on the type of article I post on Quickermaths. You can also suggest me a topic to write. You can also write it yourself and send it across to me to be posted on QuickerMaths.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Email Subscription Confirmation

Posted: 22 Mar 2011 02:15 AM PDT

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Thanks for your interest in Quicker Maths.

Vineet Patawari

Monday, March 21, 2011

Brain Puzzle Question

Posted: 21 Mar 2011 02:39 AM PDT

Solve this interesting brain teaser or puzzle and exercise your mind.

Thief in the Jhootas' Club - Brain Teaser

An expensive painting was stolen from the Jhootas' Club, but the CID is having a hard time identifying the culprit because every statement made by a member of the Jhootas' Club is false. Only four members visited the club on the day that the painting was stolen. This is what they told to the CID inspector Fredrick:

Anand: None of us took the painting. The painting was here when I left.
Bobby: I arrived second. The painting was already gone.
Chirantan: I was the third to arrive. The painting was here when I arrived.
Dinesh: Whoever stole the painting arrived before me. The painting was already gone.

Obviously neither Fredrick nor Daya could figure out who's the thief out of the four members of Jhootas' club. They requested you (an expert on such subjects) to solve this puzzle for them. According to you who out of these four liars stole the painting? Please explain to all of us.

Saturday, March 12, 2011

How to convert from decimal to other number systems

Posted: 12 Mar 2011 07:26 AM PST

This post will be of special interest for people who are regularly in touch with mathematics. Students preparing for competitive examinations usually have Base System (Number Systems) in the list of their topics under quantitative aptitude. You can suggest any addition to the post below by posting a comment or mailing me at vineetpatawari[at]gmail[dot]com. If you have any queries post it as comment.

Conversion from decimal to binary and other number bases

In order to convert a decimal number into its representation in a different number base, we have to be able to express the number in terms of powers of the other base. For example, if we wish to convert the decimal number 100 to base 4, we must figure out how to express 100 as the sum of powers of 4.

100 = (1 x 64) + (2 x 16) + (1 x 4) + (0 x 1)

= (1 x 4^3) + (2 x 4^2) + (1 x 4^1) + (0 x 4^0)

Then we use the coefficients of the powers of 4 to form the number as represented in base 4:

100 = 1 2 1 0 base 4

Take another example; convert 117 into binary system –

Now since we have to convert 117 into binary we have to express 117 as the sum of the powers of 2. Obviously all the powers need to be less than 128 (=2^7)

117 = (1 x 64) + (1 x 32) + (1 x 16) + (0 x 8 ) + (1 x 4) + (0 x 2) + (1 x 1)

117 in decimal = 1110101 in binary

This method is less of calculation and more of application of mind and needs a lot of practice to master.

The other way to do this, which is more frequently used, is to repeatedly divide the decimal number by the base in which it is to be converted, until the quotient becomes zero. As the number is divided, the remainders - in reverse order - form the digits of the number in the other base.

Example: Convert the decimal number 82 to base 6:

Solution: 82/6 = 13 remainder 4

13/6 = 2 remainder 1

2/6 = 0 remainder 2

The answer is formed by taking the remainders in reverse order: 214 in base 6

In my next post, I will write about converting other number bases to decimal number system.

Author – Vineet Patawari

Friday, March 4, 2011

How to express fractions as decimals

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 12:54 AM PST

In the past few days I didn't enough time to think and write about a any topic on QuickerMaths.com. Today the suggestion of this topic came from one of you, so half the work was done. Friends I will request you to keep suggesting new topics on which I can write for everyone's benefit on QuickerMaths.com

How to express fractions as decimals or percentage

This post will help you to learn:

Express a given percent as a decimal or fraction.
Solve a given problem that involves finding a percent.
Determine the answer to a given percent problem where the answer requires rounding, and explain why an approximate answer is needed (e.g., total cost including taxes).
Work problems involving pie charts and percents.
Work problems involving tables and percents.

Decimal Equivalents of Fractions

You should know these:

1/2 = .5 = 50%

1/3 = .333... = 33.33%

1/4 = .25 = 25%

Starting with the thirds, of which you already know one:

1/3 = .333... = 33.33%

2/3 = .666... = 66.66%

You also know 2 of the 4ths, as well, so there's only one new one to learn:

1/4 = .25

2/4 = 1/2 = .5

3/4 = .75

Fifths are very easy. Take the numerator (the number on top), double it, and stick a

decimal in front of it.

1/5 = .2

2/5 = .4

3/5 = .6

4/5 = .8

There are only two new decimal equivalents to learn with the 6ths:

1/6 = .1666...

2/6 = 1/3 = .333...

3/6 = 1/2 = .5

4/6 = 2/3 = .666...

5/6 = .8333...

One-seventh is an interesting number. Read the comments on Cyclic Numbers

1/7 = .142857142857142857...

For now, just think of one-seventh as: 0.142857

See if you notice any pattern in the 7ths:

1/7 = .142857...

2/7 = .285714...

3/7 = .428571...

4/7 = .571428...

5/7 = .714285...

6/7 = .857142...

Notice that the 6 digits in the 7ths ALWAYS stay in the same order and the starting digit is the only thing that changes.

If you know your multiples of 14 up to 6, it isn't difficult to work out where to begin the decimal number. Look at this:

For 1/7, think "1 * 14", giving us .14 as the starting point.

For 2/7, think "2 * 14", giving us .28 as the starting point.

For 3/7, think "3 * 14", giving us .42 as the starting point.

For 4/14, 5/14 and 6/14, you'll have to adjust upward by 1:

For 4/7, think "(4 * 14) + 1", giving us .57 as the starting point.

For 5/7, think "(5 * 14) + 1", giving us .71 as the starting point.

For 6/7, think "(6 * 14) + 1", giving us .85 as the starting point.

8ths aren't that hard to learn, as they're just smaller steps than 4ths. If you have trouble

with any of the 8ths, find the nearest 4th, and add .125 if needed:

1/8 = .125

2/8 = 1/4 = .25

3/8 = .375

4/8 = 1/2 = .5

5/8 = .625

6/8 = 3/4 = .75

7/8 = .875

9ths are almost too easy:

1/9 = .111...

2/9 = .222...

....

8/9 = .888...

10ths are very easy, as well. Just put a decimal in front of the numerator:

1/10 = .1

2/10 = .2

...

9/10 = .9

Remember how easy 9ths were? 11th are easy in a similar way, assuming you know your multiples of 9:

1/11 = .090909... = 9.09%

2/11 = .181818... = 18.18%

3/11 = .272727... = 27.27%

.....

10/11 = .909090...

As long as you can remember the pattern for each fraction, it is quite simple to work out

the decimal place as far as you want or need to go!

Lesson Summary

In this lesson, the learner has learnt about:

The decimal equivalents of everything from 1/2 to 10/11
Author: Vineet Patawari

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Books for Bank Exams

Books for Bank Exams

Best Books of Bank Exams

Best Books of Bank Exams

Monday, March 28, 2011

What is Lateral Thinking?

What is Lateral Thinking?

Saturday, March 26, 2011

List of Best MAT Books

List of Best MAT Books

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Is 0.999…= 1?

Is 0.999…= 1?

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Email Subscription Confirmation

Email Subscription Confirmation

Monday, March 21, 2011

Brain Puzzle Question

Brain Puzzle Question

Saturday, March 12, 2011

How to convert from decimal to other number systems

How to convert from decimal to other number systems

Friday, March 4, 2011

How to express fractions as decimals

How to express fractions as decimals

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Wednesday, March 30, 2011

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Monday, March 21, 2011

Saturday, March 12, 2011

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