Great Lakes - PGPM & PGDM 2025
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In our previous article, we covered the CAT Preparation Strategy for Quantitative Ability on Day 1, focusing on the number system and its components, such as classification, converting decimals to fractions, and base systems, along with relevant CAT quant questions.
In this article, we will study deep into the unit digit and the last two digits of a number as outlined in the CAT Quant syllabus for 2024. We'll also review previous year's CAT questions related to the number system. Typically, there are about 3-4 questions on this topic in the exam, based on past CAT quant papers.
For instance, given the number 234432, how would you determine the unit digit and the last two digits of the number?
Cyclicity is used to determine the unit digit. Cyclicity is the power of a number after a multiple in which a unit digit is repeated.
For example, 21 = 2; 22 = 4; 23 = 8; 24 = 16; 2 5= 32 and so on.
As it is shown in the above example, after every fourth power of 2, the unit digit is repeated. So, 4 is cyclicity of 2.
So, you have to learn the cyclicity of every digit.
Digit | Cyclicity (Power Cycle) | Digit | Cyclicity (Power Cycle) |
0 | 1 (Gives always 0 at unit place) | 5 | 1 (Gives always 5 at unit place) |
1 | 1 (Gives always 1 at unit place) | 6 | 1 (Gives always 6 at unit place) |
2 | 4 (2, 4, 6, 8) | 7 | 4 (7, 9, 3, 1) |
3 | 4 (3, 9, 7, 1) | 8 | 4 (8, 4, 2, 6) |
4 | 2 (4, 6) | 9 | 2 (9, 1) |
CAT quant questions based on the last two digits of a number are asked frequently in the CAT Exam.
Eg: Find the last two digits of 3737.
It is practically not so easy to solve this power. So, you need to learn the tricks to find the last two digits without actually solving this problem. Some of the tricks will be discussed later in this article, like dividing a number by 100 so that the remainder is the last two digits.
Question 1: The product of the last two digits of (1! + 2! + 3!….. 50!) is?
3
4
5
6
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Ans: (A)
Divide the given number by 100 to find the last two digits.
Number 10! And greater than 10! are divisible by 100.
So, find (1! + 2! + 3!….. +9!) and divide the result by 100 to get the remainder and hence the last two digits of the number.
So, 1! + 2! + 3!….. +9! = 1 + 2 + 6 + 24 + 120 + 720 + 5040 + 40230 + 362880
So, the sum of the remainder is (1+ 2 + 6 + 24 + 20 + 20 + 40 + 30 + 80). On dividing this result by 100, we get 13 as the remainder.
Product of digits of 13 = 1 × 3 = 3.
Question 2: What are the last two digits of 72008? [CAT Question Paper 2008]
21
61
01
41
Ans: (C)
(1,3,7,9)20k = 01 (Last two digits) where k is a positive integer.
So, 72008 = 72000 x 74 x 74 = 01 x 01 x 01 (Taken last two digits only) = 01
So, the answer is 01.
While preparing for the number system, a student must learn:
Squares of the first 25 natural numbers
Cubes of natural numbers till 15
Knowledge of Prime and Composite
Knowledge of powers
Knowledge of factorial
Knowledge of Even and Odd Numbers
Basic Knowledge of Multiples and Factors
Learn Cyclicity to find the unit digits as discussed in this article.
Use the Concept of cyclicity in Practice Problems.
To find the last two digits, the following tips may help you
The last two digits of x2, (50+ x)2, (50- x)2, (100+ x)2, (100- x)2 are the same.
Eg: 022 = 04
522 = 04
482 = 04
1022 = 04
982 = 04
Odd20k = 01(last two digits) except for 5. Where k is a positive integer.
Eg. 2342 = 01
(a5)even = 25 (last two digits)
(a5)odd = 75 (last two digits); where can be any digit.
Eg: 13572 = 25, 13523 = 75
Even20k= 76(last two digits) where k is a positive integer.
Eg: 48200 = 76 (last two digits)
Practice Mock Tests and CAT Question Paper
Learn the concept of class 9 Mathematics NCERT (for theory)
Arun Sharma: A Quantitative Approach for CAT (6th Edition)
YouTube Channel of 2iim
Master Number System for CAT and GMAT by Nishit K Sinha.
CAT previous year papers: practice previous year CAT questions on number system
Question bank from CAT-Holic
As discussed in the previous article, Data interpretation is the most important topic for the CAT exam and other management entrance Exams.
Skills of observation, doing calculations quickly, analyzing things, and comparison of values will help you in solving questions based on Data interpretation (Pie Charts).
In this topic, we are going to discuss strategies to prepare Data Interpretation based on Pie Charts. We will discuss some Pie chart questions on CAT below as well.
Sample pie charts of distribution of 6 parameters.
In the pie chart, data is distributed in a circle, which forms 360 degrees at its centre and comprises 100% of its area. Students must know how to derive the relation between angle and Percentage to calculate the parameter’s value.
Pie chart questions and concepts for CAT preparation from CAT Previous Year Papers:
Direction: The break-up of the students in a university by subject major is given in the polar pie chart. The bar chart shows the number of students who major in physics by geographic location. [XAT 2019, based on CAT PYQ]
Question 1. How many students major in chemistry?
200
175
170
190
180
Solution: (B)
Students major in physics = 18 + 36 + 80 + 40 + 23 + 28 = 225 which is 18% of total students.
So, 18% = 225
Major in Chemistry
14% = (225/18) x 14 = 175
Question 2. If the proportion of physics majors who are from Delhi is the same as the proportion of engineering majors who are from Delhi, how many engineering majors are from Delhi?
22
26
18
20
24
Solution: (D)
Students major in physics = 18 + 36 + 80 + 40 + 23 + 28 = 225 which is 18% of total students.
So, 18% = 225
So, Total students in Engineering major = 225×20/18 = 250
According to question
18/225 = x/250 (where x are students from Delhi with Engineering major)
⇒ x = 20
Question 3. 12% of all students are from Chennai. What is the largest possible percentage of economics students that can be from Chennai, rounded off to the nearest integer?
73%
77%
75%
71%
69%
Solution: (A)
Total number of Physics majors = 225
Total number of students = 225 x 100/18 = 1250
Students from Chennai = 12% x1250 = 150
Number of Physics majors from Chennai (from graph) = 40
Maximum possible number of Economics majors from Chennai = 150 - 40 = 110
Maximum Percentage of Economics Major from Chennai = 110 x 100/150 = 73.33%.
To prepare Data Interpretation (Pie Chart), a student must learn
The Basics of Trigonometry
Percentage (Basic)
Squares and Cubes of 20-30 first natural numbers.
Knowledge of fractions and Ratio
Must know to find Average
Knowledge of mean, Mode , and median.
Practice questions on simplification and approximation.
Practice questions on the basics of percentages.
Try to solve addition, subtraction, and multiplications mentally.
Understand the conversion of angles into percentages.
Practice the questions on the basics of average.
LRDI for CAT and GMAT by Nishit K Sinha.
To learn the basics of bar graphs read statistics of class 9 and Class 10 Mathematics from NCERT (For Theory)
2iim YouTube Channel
1. CAT previous year's papers
2. Question bank from CAT-Holic
3. How to Prepare for Data Interpretation for CAT by Arun Sharma
Pronouns are used in place of nouns to avoid repetition of the nouns to which they refer. Pronouns have different forms and are used in different ways.
Eg: I, me, he, she, they, each, few, many, etc
To understand them in a better way, they are categorized into different categories as shown:
Type | Example | Uses |
Personal Pronoun (Used in place of the name of a person) | I, Me, He, She, You, They, Her, Us etc | He is going to meet her. |
Possessive Pronoun (Shows possession of something) | My, Mine, ours, your, its, hers, etc | This T-shirt is mine. |
Relative Pronoun (used before describing the features or properties of the subject) | That, who, whom, whose, which etc | The thief who stole the money has been successfully punished. |
Reflexive Pronoun (Used when the subject and the object of a sentence are the same) | herself, myself, yourself, yourselves, himself, oneself, etc | He used to believe in himself. |
Intensive Pronoun (Similar to Reflexive pronoun but emphasise more intensely on Subject) | herself, myself, yourself, yourselves, himself, oneself, etc | I myself cook my food. |
Indefinite Pronoun (Used when the subject is not certain) | nobody. anybody everybody, somebody Anyone, no one, everyone, someone etc. | No one is perfect in this world. |
Demonstrative Pronoun (Used to show the closeness of the subject or its position) | This, that, these, such, those, etc. | I had the privilege to visit the Prime Minister’s office, that was worth remembering. |
Interrogative Pronouns (used to ask questions) | What, which, whose, whom, who, etc. | Who is confident enough to clear the CAT this year? |
Reciprocal Pronoun (Used when the sentence has the two actions are performed by two parties) | Each other, one other | The kids threw stones at one another. |
Distributive Pronoun (refers to individuals in a group) | none, each, either, neither, any, everyone, no one etc. | None of our friends was involved in the fighting. |
Direction- Find the correct alternative for the underlined sentence:
Question 1. My mother bought ice creams for my brother and me, but she didn’t buy one herself.
for my brother and me, but she didn’t buy one for herself.
for my brother and myself, but she didn’t buy herself one.
for my brother and I, but she didn’t buy one for her.
for my brother and I, but she didn’t buy one for herself.
Ans. (A)
Option C and D are wrong because the use of ‘I’ does not make any sense, In place of I, ‘me’ should come (pronoun in place of a noun)
Option B is wrong since ‘myself’ (reflexive pronoun) refers to when I purchased the ice-cream but her mother purchased it.
Therefore, option A is correct because correct pronouns were used.
Question 2. He ____ saw the running Dog.
(a) himself (b) him (c) them (d) themselves
Ans: (a)
The correct pronoun for "he" is himself.
Question 3. Shreeti and ____ went to a movie.
(a) I (b) themselves (c) myself (d) ourself
Ans: (a)
Personal pronouns should be used here. So, the correct answer is option A.
Question 4. When a girl asked how I got _____ address, I told her that it was with the help of a relative of _____.
(a) my/ me (b) mine/ his (c) her/hers (d) she/ she
Ans: (c)
The address here is related to a girl, so "her" should come
Relative to mine or a relative of hers; both can be correct. However according to the options given, option (C) will be correct.
Learn the pronouns by categorizing them and their uses in different situations.
Learn the basics of Grammar
Practice different pronouns in different situations.
Practice CAT Question Papers and Mock tests.
Develop the habit of reading (Newspapers, Novels, Articles etc)
Advanced English Grammar by Martin Hewings
2iim YouTube Channel
CAT's previous year's papers
Objective General English (Arihant)
With a 65 percentile in CAT, getting admission to USMS (Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University) may be difficult, as its cutoff is usually 75-85 percentile or higher for the general category.
However, you can consider other good MBA colleges that accept 60-70 percentile in CAT, such as:
Christ University, Bangalore
Institute of Public Enterprise, Hyderabad
Amrita School of Business, Kochi
PES University, Bangalore
KIIT School of Management, Bhubaneswar
Rajagiri Centre for Business Studies, Kochi
Army Institute of Management, Kolkata
Research their admission criteria, placements, and faculty to choose the best fit.
Hello
With a 65 percentile in CAT , USMS (GGSIPU) admission is difficult as its cutoffs are usually higher. However, you can explore private and tier-2/tier-3 MBA colleges that accept lower CAT scores.
Options to Consider:
1. Private MBA Colleges :
Amity University, Noida
LPU (Lovely Professional University)
Alliance University, Bangalore
Christ University, Bangalore
Apeejay School of Management, Delhi
2. B-Schools Accepting Lower CAT Percentile :
BIMTECH (PGDM-Retail/IB/Insurance)
XIME Bangalore
ITM Navi Mumbai
IPE Hyderabad
Jaipuria Institute of Management
3. Other Entrance Exams :
Appear for MAT, CMAT, XAT (low percentile accepted by some colleges)
Consider state-level exams like MAH CET, KMAT or TANCET .
Hope this gives you the clarity you need.
Hello there,
With your
academic profile (General, Male, Non-Engineer)
, you should
target MBA colleges that focus more on CAT percentile than past academics.
Target Colleges & Minimum CAT Percentile:
You
can
get a good MBA college with
strategic applications
and
high CAT/XAT percentile.
I hope this answer helps you. If you have more queries then feel free to share your questions with us we will be happy to assist you.
Thank you and wishing you all the best for your bright future.
Hi,
As per your given JEE Main percentile which is 88.34 in the SC Category, Your Predicted JEE MAINS 2025 rank may range between 147086 - 170102.
Based on the previous year analysis, According to your JEE MAINS percentile and category you have less possibility of getting a seat for admission in NIT Surathkal.
Some of the other colleges in which you have chances to get admission includes:
You can predict more colleges using the JEE MAINS 2025 college predictor tool.
Hope this information will help you
With your academic background, you have a good chance of getting into some of the top IIMs. Here's a breakdown of your profile:
- Class 10:91.6% - Excellent!
- Class 12:66% - Average, but not a deal-breaker
- B.Tech Computer Science: 8.4 CGPA - Very good!
Assuming you score well in CAT , here are some IIMs you might have a good chance of getting into:
- IIM Ahmedabad: Although the qualifying CAT cut off is 85 percentile, the final cut off typically goes up to 99-100 percentile.With a good CAT score, you might be considered.
- IIM Kozhikode: The CAT cut off for IIM Kozhikode is typically around 95-98 percentile. Your academic profile and a good CAT score might make you a competitive candidate.
- IIM Indore:The CAT cut off for IIM Indore is typically around 90-95 percentile. With a good CAT score and your academic background, you might have a chance.
Keep in mind that CAT cut offs can vary from year to year, and other factors like work experience, extracurricular activities, and personal interviews also play a significant role in the admission process.
To increase your chances, focus on scoring well in CAT, and make sure you have a strong overall profile.
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EMBA @IIMU 2025 | Valid GMAT or GRE score
Round 03 Applications Deadline - 21st March 2025 | Average CTC 15.10 LPA
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