Quantitative Aptitude — Previous Year Pattern Questions
Representative practice questions in the style and difficulty of real banking/SSC/railway exam quant sections — not verbatim reproductions of a specific year's paper, but the same patterns those exams repeatedly test.
Q1. A sum of ₹12,000 is lent at 10% simple interest per annum. In how many years will it become ₹18,000?
(a) 4 years (b) 4.5 years (c) 5 years (d) 6 years
Interest needed = 18000 − 12000 = 6000. Using SI = PRT/100: 6000 = (12000 × 10 × T)/100 → T = 5 years.
Q2. The ratio of ages of A and B is 3:4. After 6 years, the ratio becomes 4:5. What is A's current age?
(a) 12 (b) 18 (c) 15 (d) 20
Let ages be 3x, 4x. (3x+6)/(4x+6) = 4/5 → 5(3x+6) = 4(4x+6) → 15x+30 = 16x+24 → x = 6. A's age = 3×6 = 18.
Q3. A boat's speed in still water is 12 km/h and the stream's speed is 4 km/h. Find the time taken to travel 32 km downstream.
(a) 1.5 hours (b) 2 hours (c) 2.5 hours (d) 3 hours
Downstream speed = 12 + 4 = 16 km/h. Time = 32/16 = 2 hours.
Q4. A can complete a work in 18 days, B in 24 days. They work together for 6 days, then A leaves. In how many more days will B finish the remaining work?
(a) 8 days (b) 9 days (c) 10 days (d) 12 days
Combined rate = 1/18 + 1/24 = 4/72 + 3/72 = 7/72 per day. Work done in 6 days = 42/72 = 7/12. Remaining = 5/12. B's rate = 1/24, so time = (5/12) ÷ (1/24) = (5/12) × 24 = 10 days.
Q5. A 240 m long train crosses a platform of length 160 m in 20 seconds. What is the train's speed in km/h?
(a) 60 km/h (b) 66 km/h (c) 72 km/h (d) 78 km/h
Total distance = 240 + 160 = 400 m. Speed = 400/20 = 20 m/s = 20 × 18/5 = 72 km/h.
Q6. Data Interpretation: A pie chart shows a company's expenses — Salaries 40%, Rent 20%, Marketing 15%, Utilities 10%, Other 15%. If total expenses are ₹50 lakh, what is the combined amount spent on Rent and Marketing?
(a) ₹15 lakh (b) ₹16 lakh (c) ₹17.5 lakh (d) ₹20 lakh
Rent + Marketing = 20% + 15% = 35% of 50 lakh = ₹17.5 lakh.
A note on exam-specific numeric patterns
Exact section-wise question counts, time allocations, and marking schemes vary by exam (SBI vs. IBPS vs. SSC vs. railway) and change between exam cycles. > Note (unverified numbers): if you're relying on a specific current exam's exact pattern (question count, time limit, negative marking fraction) for your actual preparation strategy, verify it against that exam's current official notification rather than any general figure — these details are exactly the kind of thing that shifts from year to year and shouldn't be assumed stable.