Parul University MBA Admissions 2025
Registrations Deadline- 05th July | India's youngest NAAC A++ accredited University | NIRF rank band 151-200 | 2200 Recruiters | 45.98 Lakhs Highest Package
CAT Exam Success: Mastering Loans, Installments, Ranking, and Past Tense Made Easy- Day 11: Based on the updated CAT 2025 exam pattern, we have designed an effective study method to help candidates score competitive marks in CAT 2025 exam. Our approach breaks down the entire syllabus into manageable daily sessions, ensuring thorough preparation over an extended period of time. Previously, we covered Day 10 content, which included solving numerical problems on Simple Interest and Compound Interest, decoding Blood Relations logic, and strengthening English grammar through extensive preparation related to tenses.
We now present Day 11 of our CAT 2025 preparation roadmap. In this article of career360, you will find comprehensive CAT 2025 time management techniques for handling instalment questions within Simple Interest topics, along with commonly appearing question formats that frequently challenge CAT aspirants. We encourage all CAT 2025 aspirants to follow our carefully crafted 60-day study timeline, which provides a systematic flow and organised schedule for your preparation. This structured approach ensures detailed coverage of all critical topics while maintaining steady progress toward your goal.
Loans and instalments are key topics in financial mathematics and an essential tool to borrow money for various purposes, such as purchasing a home, financing education, or expanding a business.
When you take a loan from an agency and repay it in instalments after regular intervals, the amount returned at each interval is an instalment.
CAT Questions on Instalments and CAT Questions on Loans are categorised based on whether the interest rate is Simple Interest or Compound Interest.
We need to have a clear idea about how to calculate the Simple Interest or Compound Interest of a sum of money.
Simple interest = (Principal × Rate × Time) / 100
Compound interest = Principal × [1 + (Rate / 100)]Time – Principal
Suppose Anil purchased a television worth Rs. 18000 paying Rs. 10000 cash down payment, and every month a fixed instalment has to be paid for the next 6 months, where interest is charged at 10% per month on simple interest.
You need to calculate the EMI value.
First, you need to calculate the debt (the Amount due after 6 months if paid in a single time)
Principal = 18000 – 10000 = Rs. 8000
Debt = 8000 + (8000 × 10 × 6)/100 = Rs. 12800
First instalment after 1st month = Rs. 100x (Let)
Amount due after 1 month = Rs. 12800 – 100x – 100x × 5 × 10/100 = Rs. 12800 – 150x
(The instalment amount and Interest for 5 months have to be subtracted from the amount due since 100x is returned after one month and interest is added for 6 months in the original amount due)
Amount due after 2 months = Rs. 12800 – 150x – 100x – 100x × 4 × 10/100
= Rs. 12800 – 290x
(The instalment amount and Interest for 4 months have to be subtracted from the amount due since 100x is returned after two months, and interest is added for 6 months in the original amount due)
Amount due after 3 months = Rs. 12800 – 290x – 100x – 100x × 3 × 10/100
= Rs. 12800 – 420x
(The instalment amount and Interest for 3 months have to be subtracted from the amount due since 100x is returned after three months and interest is added for 6 months in the original amount due)
Amount due after 4 months = Rs. 12800 – 420x – 100x – 100x × 2 × 10/100
= Rs. 12800 – 540x
(Instalment amount and Interest for 2 months have to be subtracted from the amount due since 100x is returned after four months, an interest is added for 6 months in the original amount due)
Amount due after 5 months = Rs. 12800 – 540x – 100x – 100x × 1 × 10/100
= Rs. 12800 – 650x
(The instalment and Interest for 1 month have to be subtracted from the amount due since 100x is returned after five months, and interest is added for 6 months in the original amount due)
Amount due after 6 months = Rs. 12800 – 650x – 100x
(The instalment amount has to be subtracted from the amount, but interest is not subtracted since 100x is returned after six months and interest is added for 6 months in the original amount due)
After payment of all instalments, the amount due = 0
So, Rs. $12800 – 650x – 100x = 0$
⇒ $x = 17.067$
⇒ $100x =$ Rs. $1706.7$
To find the value of the annual instalment with Simple Interest, we use the following formula:
Annual instalment = $\frac{100A}{100T} + \left[\frac{RT(T - 1)}{2}\right]$
Where A is the total amount to be paid in T years with R% annual interest.
Let a person take a loan from an agency at r% per annum compounded annually and pay the loan in equal instalments for n years.
Then, the value of each instalment can be calculated by the given formula:
Amount due after n years = $P \left(1 + \frac{r}{100}\right)^n$
If paid in instalments, the amount due must be equal to
$P \left(1 + \frac{r}{100}\right)^n = X \left(1 + \frac{r}{100}\right)^{n-1} + X \left(1 + \frac{r}{100}\right)^{n-2} + X \left(1 + \frac{r}{100}\right)^{n-3} + \cdots + X \left(1 + \frac{r}{100}\right)$
Where, X = Instalment value
Questions and MCQs on Loans and advances , and CAT questions on instalments (SI and CI) can be divided into sub-categories during CAT preparation:
Questions that involve calculations of the instalment value.
Questions that include calculations of the interest rate charged.
Questions that involve calculations of debt.
Registrations Deadline- 05th July | India's youngest NAAC A++ accredited University | NIRF rank band 151-200 | 2200 Recruiters | 45.98 Lakhs Highest Package
Highest CTC: Rs 18.33 LPA | Average CTC: Rs 7.39 LPA | Experiential Learning | Classes by Industry Professionals | Alumni Mentorship Program
We need to further study topics such as “instalment loans for bad credit”, “instalment loan calculator”, and “loan instalment payment” to delve deeper into this chapter. Now we will practice some instalment loan example questions to better understand the topic.
Question 1. John borrowed Rs. 2,10,000 from a bank at an interest rate of 10% per annum, compounded annually. The loan was repaid in two equal instalments, the first after one year and the second after another year. The first instalment was the interest of one year plus part of the principal amount, while the second was the rest of the principal amount plus due interest thereon. Then each instalment, in Rs., is:
[CAT Question Paper 2018, TITA]
Rs. 121000 (Correct answer)
Rs. 100000
Rs. 120000
Rs. 125000
Solution:
P = 210000, n = 2, r = 10
Let X be the value of the instalment each year.
Using,
$P \left(1 + \frac{r}{100}\right)^n = X \left(1 + \frac{r}{100}\right)^{n-1} + X \left(1 + \frac{r}{100}\right)^{n-2} + \cdots + X \left(1 + \frac{r}{100}\right)$
$\Rightarrow 210000 \left(1 + \frac{10}{100}\right)^2 = X \left(1 + \frac{10}{100}\right)^1 + X$
$\Rightarrow 210000 \cdot \frac{121}{100} = X \cdot \frac{11}{10} + X$
$\Rightarrow 2100 \cdot 121 = X \cdot \frac{21}{10}$
$\therefore X = 121000$
Hence, the correct answer is Rs. 121000.
Question 2. Rahul takes a loan of Rs 150000 at an interest rate of 20% compound interest, which is compounded annually. He agrees to pay three equal instalments in three years, one instalment at the end of every year. Find the value of each instalment.
[CAT Question Paper - sample paper]
Rs. 71209 (Correct answer)
Rs. 68349
Rs. 76484
Rs. 72904
Solution:
P = 150000, n = 3, r = 20
Let X be the value of the instalment each year.
Using,
$P \left(1 + \frac{r}{100}\right)^n = X \left(1 + \frac{r}{100}\right)^{n-1} + X \left(1 + \frac{r}{100}\right)^{n-2} + X \left(1 + \frac{r}{100}\right)^{n-3} + \cdots + X \left(1 + \frac{r}{100}\right)$
$\Rightarrow 150000 \left(1 + \frac{20}{100}\right)^3 = X \left(1 + \frac{20}{100}\right)^2 + X \left(1 + \frac{20}{100}\right) + X$
$\Rightarrow 150000 \cdot \frac{216}{125} = X \cdot \frac{36}{25} + X \cdot \frac{6}{5} + X$
$\Rightarrow 150000 \cdot \frac{216}{125} = X \cdot \frac{91}{25}$
$\therefore X = 71209$
Hence, the correct answer is Rs. 71209.
Question 3: What is the amount (in INR) of debt that will be discharged in 6 equal instalments of INR 800 each, if the debt is due in 6 years at 5% per annum?
[CAT Question Paper - sample paper]
Rs. 6600
Rs. 7500
Rs. 8000
Rs. 5400 (Correct answer)
Solution:
Given:
Instalment = INR 800
Rate, r = 5%
Time, t = 6 years
Let the debt be x.
Instalment = (Debt × 100) / [100t + {r × t(t-1)} / 2]
⇒ 800 = 100x / [100 × 6 + {5 × 6(6-1)}/2]
⇒ 800 = 100x / 675
∴ x = 5400
Hence, the correct answer is Rs. 5400.
To prepare for this topic for the CAT exam, students must know of
Fractions and percentages at fingertips.
Successive Changes
Simple Interest and Compound Interest
References to Study (Theory)
Quantitative Aptitude for CAT by N.K. Sinha
Dinesh Miglani Tutorials for CAT, IPM, CLA, T SSC, BANK
References to Study (Practice)
Arun Sharma: A Quantitative Approach for CAT (7th Edition)
https://iim-cat-questions-answers.2iim.com
CAT previous year papers and CAT sample paper
Ranking is the process of determining the position or place of a person or thing based on comparison and other information given in the questions for the CAT exam.
It is one of the most essential parts of Logical Reasoning for the CAT exam.
For some information about this topic, students can study “Ranking logical reasoning pdf”, “order and ranking Logical Reasoning ” and “Ranking logical reasoning questions”.
There are many different types of questions asked in the CAT exam based on the ranking.
Some of them are:
The position or ranking of the person is asked from the bottom, left, right, or top.
Questions based on the swapping of positions.
Questions are based on the number of persons between two positions.
Questions based on finding the total number of objects or persons.
The total number of persons in a row = (sum of positions of the same person from both sides) – 1
Example: Sunil is 16th from either end of a row; the total number of persons in the row = 16 + 16 - 1 = 31
If the position of a person/ object from one end is n, and the total number of persons/objects in the row is m; then the position of the same person from the other end will be (m - n + 1).
While calculating the number of places between two persons, cases of overlapping and non-overlapping should be treated differently.
Analyse the given information in the question by thorough reading.
Use visualisation/imagination skills.
Try to draw all the possibilities and eliminate the wrong ones.
These questions can help you build the concept of ranking: (Based on the CAT exam):
Question 1. In a queue, Antara is 19th from the front, while Manthara is 28th from the back, and Lolita is just in the middle of the two. Consider that there are 50 people in the queue. What position does Lolita occupy from the front? [CAT sample paper]
20th
19th
18th
21st (Correct answer)
Solution:
Total persons sitting between Antara and Manthara = 50 – 19 – 28 = 3
Lolita is in the middle of the two; So, Antara and Lolita have just one person between them. Therefore, Lolita must be on the 21st from the front.
Question 2. In a row of boys, Ritesh and Manish occupy the 7th place from the right end and the 9th place from the left end, respectively. Now, if they interchange their places, Ritesh and Manish occupy 25th place from the right and 27th place from the left, respectively. How many boys are present in the row?
35
26
33 (Correct answer)
Cannot be determined
Solution:
Ritesh's Position from the right end = 7; Now Manish occupies the position of Ritesh, which is 27th from the left.
So, total number of boys = 7 + 27 – 1 = 33
Question 3: Five friends, A, B, C, D, and E, are sitting in a row facing north. A is to the immediate right of B and immediate left of C. D is to the immediate right of E and immediate left of B. Who is sitting in the middle?
A
B
C
D
Solution:
From the given conditions:
A is immediately right of B → B, A, C (because A is immediately left of C)
D is immediately correct of E and immediately left of B → E, D, B, A, C.
Therefore, B is in the middle.
Question 4: In a class of 40 students, there are 10 boys and 30 girls. Ramesh is ranked 12th when students are arranged in descending order of marks. Among the boys, he is ranked 7th. How many girls are ranked above him?
4
5
6
7
Solution:
Ramesh is ranked 12th overall and 7th among the boys.
So, there are six boys ranked higher than him.
Therefore, the number of girls ranked above him is 11 - 6 = 5
To prepare the questions based on the Ranking for CAT 2025, a student must know:
Basic Additions and Subtractions
Sequence and Series
References to Study (Theory):
Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning by R.S. Aggarwal.
2IIM CAT Preparation (YouTube Channel)
References to Study (Practice):
Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning by R.S.S. Aggarwal. (Basic)
LRDI for CAT and GMAT by Nishit K Sinha. (Advance)
CAT previous year papers and CAT sample paper
As discussed in the previous article, tenses are divided into three types for easy CAT preparation. Today, we will discuss the Past Tense.
The past tense is used to describe the event that has occurred in the Past.
Past Tense can further be divided into four categories to indicate the action as follows:
Simple Past Tense/ Past Indefinite Tenses: A habitual action in the past. The action has already taken place in the past, but the exact time of the the action is not definite.
Formula: Subject + Verb (Past tense) + Object
Example: Geetha studied at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad.
Past Perfect Tense: It refers to an action that happened before another event.
Formula: Subject + Had + Verb (Past participle) + Object
Example: Kushal noticed that Barsha had left his mobile behind.
Past Continuous Tense: Continuous action in the past, that happened for some time.
Formula: Subject + Was/ Were + Verb (Present participle) + Object
Example: Sneha was eating pizza.
Past Perfect Continuous Tense: denotes an action that was in progress before another event in the past.
Formula: Subject + Had been + Verb (Present participle) + Object
Example: I had been preparing for this examination for five months.
Students can practice with simple past tense worksheets and read simple past tense formulas to gain a better understanding of basic past tense examples.
Question 1. I met the director yesterday, and he assured me that he will help if you ask him. [Sentence correction]
[CAT previous year papers]
I met the director yesterday, and he assured me that he will help if you ask him.
Met the director yesterday, and he assured me that he would help if you asked him.
Met the director yesterday, and he assured me that he would help if you asked him.
No correction required
Solution:
The correct answer is Option B.
With ‘yesterday’, the Past indefinite tense should be used. So, option A is incorrect.
Option (c) is wrong because in “he will help if you ask him”, the verb 'will help' is in the future, which is the result of a condition ‘if you ask’, and both cannot be in the future.
Question 2. The Chief Proctor entered the classroom to see what the students_________. [Fill in the blanks]
Go had been doing
Went, was doing
Gone, had been doing
Went, we're doing
Solution:
The correct answer is option D.
Past indefinite with past continuous tense (For progressive work) is to be used.
Option A is wrong because “The chief proctor” is singular. So “goes” is appropriate for the past form.
Option B is wrong because “students” is plural, so “were doing” should be appropriate.
Option C is wrong because the past participle form of a verb alone can’t be used. There has to be a has/have/had.
Basic Knowledge of Verbs and their forms.
Knowledge of the use of helping verbs (Was/Were/had/had been)
Knowledge of Nouns/Pronouns.
Learn the rules of all types of past tenses.
Read good Newspapers that use correct grammar (like The Hindu).
Do basic exercises on the past tense.
Attempt Mock-Tests.
References to Study (Theory):
How to Prepare for Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension for CAT by Meenakshi Upadhyay and Arun Sharma (9th Edition)
Learn English with Rebecca · engVid (YouTube Channel)
Class (VI-VIII) NCERT for basic grammar rules.
References to Study (Practice):
engvid.com (Web)
Wren and Martin (sixth edition)
Practice CAT Sample Papers
300+ Phrasal Verbs List for CAT Exam, Types With Examples & Practice Questions | CAT Quantitative Aptitude Questions with Answers PDF |
Practice, stay focused, and wait for the CAT strategy to prepare for Day 12 (Practice Set-3) tomorrow.
Thank You
All the best.
Simple Interest is the interest calculated on the principal amount over a period of time at a fixed interest rate.
The formula to find the simple interest is:
Simple interest = (Principal × Rate × Time) / 100
Instalment questions often involve calculating the amount to be paid periodically to repay a loan or principal amount over a certain period with interest.
These questions combine concepts of Simple Interest and the instalment payment formula.
Also, compound interest is used if the instalments are structured to be paid in compound interest.
To find the value of the annual instalment with simple interest, we use the following formula:
Annual instalment$ = 100A / 100T + [RT(T – 1)/2]$
Where A is the total amount to be paid in T years with R% annual interest.
Begin mock tests after completing 40-50% of the syllabus. Take 2-3 mocks weekly initially, increasing to daily mocks in the final month. Always analyse performance thoroughly.
Simple past tense: It describes the completed events in the past.
Past continuous tense: It provides background details or describes ongoing past actions.
Past perfect tense: It indicates actions completed before another past action.
Past perfect continuous tense: It describes actions that were ongoing up to a certain point in the past.
Understanding the types of past tense will help us to understand the timeline of comprehension and flow of events.
Extremely important. Solve at least 10-15 years of previous papers. They help understand exam patterns, difficulty levels, and frequently asked question types.
Follow a structured 60-day study timeline, with daily sessions that systematically cover all three sections. Break down the syllabus into manageable daily portions for comprehensive preparation.
Hi aspirant,
The Common Admission Test (CAT) is a highly competitive exam, and practicing sample questions is essential for efficient preparation.
Kindly refer to the link attached above for the sample papers.
All the best!
Dear Aspirant
Your rank at eleven thousand eight hundred eighty seven under the OBC reservation has a strong chance for admission to the Computer Science Engineering (CSE) program at one of the three CUSAT campuses The exact seat depends on opening and closing ranks for CSE in each campus and the round of counselling
CUSAT campuses offering BTech CSE
• School of Engineering Thrikkakkara – flagship campus in Kochi
• CUCEK Kuttanad – second campus in Alappuzha district
• Lakeside campus does not offer CSE so only two campuses are relevant
Previous closing ranks under OBC quota for CSE
• Thrikkakkara campus closed near rank one thousand
• CUCEK Kuttanad closed around six thousand two hundred in 2024
Your likelihood with rank 11887
• Thrikkakkara campus is unlikely as CSE closes much lower than your rank
• CUCEK has potential since closing ranks in recent years have extended into the high six thousands
• Seats may remain open in later rounds so you may gain admission at CUCEK
Other CSE seat possibilities under OBC
• School of Engineering might open seats in spot or mop up rounds if higher ranked students do not confirm
• CUCEK will likely accept OBC candidates up to rank one two thousand to thirteen thousand
• Keep an eye on real time counselling as closing ranks may shift downward with seat cancellations
Alternative branches and campuses
If CSE is not available at CUCEK you may consider similar branches like Electronics and Communication Engineering Information Technology Mechanical Engineering and Civil Engineering closing beyond twelve thousand under OBC
You may also add interdisciplinary programs or lateral entry courses available in Lakeside or Thrikkakkara depending on available seats
Counselling strategy recommendations
• Register and fill choices on the CUSAT admissions portal in all counselling rounds
• Place CUCEK CSE as a high preference followed by ECE or IT at Thrikkakkara or CUCEK
• Monitor round wise closing ranks through the portal or official communications
• Participate in mop up and spot rounds where seats are more likely available near your rank
Key considerations
• Cutoffs decrease between rounds allowing more opportunities in later phases
• OBC candidates compete within their category reducing competition compared to open rankings
• CUCEK is your best target campus for CSE at your rank under OBC
• You must have all documents ready like previous marksheet category certificate and CUSAT admit card for verification
Let me know if you would like a suggested list of choices tailored to your academic interest or want help tracking counselling round data
Hi aspirant,
CAT 2024 Question Paper With Solutions
You can also refer to the link given above for more information on the same.
All the best!
Hi aspirant,
You can refer to the link attached above for more information on the same.
All the best!
Hi aspirant,
You can refer to the link given above for more information on the same.
All the best!
A career as Marketing Director is also known as a marketing expert who is responsible for the overall marketing aspect of the company. He or she oversees plans and develops the company's budget. The marketing Director collaborates with the business team to plan and develop the marketing and branding strategies for the company's products or services.
A Business Development Executive identifies and pursues new business opportunities to drive company growth. They generate leads, build client relationships, develop sales strategies, and analyse market trends. Collaborating with internal teams, they aim to meet sales targets. With experience, they can advance to managerial roles, playing a key role in expanding the company’s market presence and revenue.
Content Marketing Specialists are also known as Content Specialists. They are responsible for crafting content, editing and developing it to meet the requirements of digital marketing campaigns. To ensure that the material created is consistent with the overall aims of a digital marketing campaign, content marketing specialists work closely with SEO and digital marketing professionals.
A Sales Manager leads a sales team to meet targets, formulates strategies, analyses performance, and monitors market trends. They typically hold a degree in management or related fields, with an MBA offering added value. The role often demands over 40 hours a week. Strong leadership, planning, and analytical skills are essential for success in this career.
A marketing manager is a person who oversees a company or product marketing. He or she can be in charge of multiple programmes or goods or can be in charge of one product. He or she is enthusiastic, organised, and very diligent in meeting financial constraints. He or she works with other team members to produce advertising campaigns and decides if a new product or service is marketable.
A Marketing manager plans and executes marketing initiatives to create demand for goods and services and increase consumer awareness of them. A marketing manager prevents unauthorised statements and informs the public that the business is doing everything to investigate and fix the line of products. Students can pursue an MBA in Marketing Management courses to become marketing managers.
An SEO Analyst is a web professional who is proficient in the implementation of SEO strategies to target more keywords to improve the reach of the content on search engines. He or she provides support to acquire the goals and success of the client’s campaigns.
Digital marketing is growing, diverse, and is covering a wide variety of career paths. Each job function aids in the development of effective digital marketing strategies and techniques. The aims and objectives of the individuals who opt for a career as a digital marketing executive are similar to those of a marketing professional: to build brand awareness, promote company services or products, and increase conversions. Individuals who opt for a career as Digital Marketing Executives, unlike traditional marketing companies, communicate effectively through suitable technology platforms.
Individuals who opt for a career as a business analyst look at how a company operates. He or she conducts research and analyses data to improve his or her knowledge about the company. This is required so that an individual can suggest the company strategies for improving their operations and processes.
In a business analyst job role a lot of analysis is done, things are learned from past mistakes and the successful strategies are enhanced further. A business analyst goes through real-world data in order to provide the most feasible solutions to an organisation. Students can pursue Business Analytics to become Business Analysts.
Amongst top 3% universities globally (QS Rankings)
NAAC A+ Grade | Among top 100 universities of India (NIRF 2024) | 40 crore+ scholarships distributed
NAAC A+ Grade | Ranked No.1 Private University in India (QS World University Rankings 2025)
47 years of academic excellence | 40 LPA-Highest Package Offered
Ranked #41 amongst institutions in Management by NIRF | 100% Placement | Last Date to Apply: 23rd June
International Tie Ups | Project Based Learning | State of the art infrastructure | Applications Closing Soon!