This document provides guidance on preparing for and taking a written test. It discusses allocating time efficiently between different test sections based on one's strengths. The quantitative ability section is explained in detail, covering common question types for sales and finance companies and relevant formulas. Other sections like data interpretation, logical reasoning and sales aptitude are also briefly outlined. The document concludes by emphasizing the importance of practice to improve performance.

1. Preparing for a written test
Points to remember

2. What we plan to cover
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How to prepare for and attempt a QA paper
Most common QA topics
How QA papers for sales and finance companies
differ
Sample questions that companies have asked in the
past for hiring
Other aspects to prepare for written tests

3. Various sections in the paper
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Typically a written test paper would have one or
more of the following sections
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Quantitative Ability
Data Interpretation
Verbal Ability
Logical Reasoning
General Awareness
Awareness of the company applied for

4. How to allocate time between the sections
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You must be aware of your strengths –
DI/QA/VA/LR/GA
Your objective must be to MAXIMISE your score in
your strength areas and CLEAR A MINIMUM CUTOFF in the other sections
Typically the cut-off is 30% marks in each section
Attack your strength sections first- read each
question once and solve all those that you can
Allocate the remaining time equally between the
other sections and within this time period, attempt as
many questions as you can

5. Quantitative Ability

6. Various kinds of QA questions asked (in
order of importance)
Aptitude test for Sales
companies
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Time and distance
Profits
Geometry
Percentages
Ratio, Proportion and
Variance
Averages
Aptitude test for Finance
companies
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Permutation,
Combination and
Probability
Functions
Venn diagrams
Numbers and number
systems
Work and Time

7. Time and distance formulae
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Only 2 formulae to remember
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Distance = (Speed x Time)
Km/hr = 5/18 m/sec

8. Time and Distance
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A man goes from city A to city B situated 60 kms apart by
a boat. His onward journey was with the stream while the
return journey was an upstream journey. It took him four
and half hours to complete the round trip. If the speed of
the stream is 10 km/hr, how long did it take him to
complete the onward journey?
(1) 3 hours
(2) 3.5 hours (3) 2.25 hours (4) 1.5
hours
A man moves from A to B at the rate of 4 km/hr. Had he
moved at the rate of 3.67 km/hr, he would have taken 3
hours more to reach the destination. What is the distance
between A and B?
(1) 33 kms
(2) 132 kms (3) 36 kms (4) 144 kms

9. Profits Formulae
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Only 2 formulae to remember
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Profit = S.P. – C.P.
Profit % = Profit/C.P. *100

10. Profits
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A shopkeeper purchases several articles are the rate
of 11 for Rs.10 and sells them at the rate of 10 for
Rs.11. What would be the profit earned by him?
a) 11% b) 10%
c) 21%
d) 20%
By selling an article at a loss of 7%, a dealer loses
Rs.42. What is the cost price of the article?
a) Rs.700 b) Rs.600 c) Rs.800 d) Rs.900

11. Geometry
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Area formulae
Volume Formulae
Surface Area formulae
Circle formulae
Perimeter Formulae

12. Geometry
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A triangle has a perimeter of 50. If 2 of its sides are
equal and the third side is 5 more than the equal
sides, what is the length of the third side?
In a quadrilateral two angles are equal. The third
angle is equal to the sum of the two equal angles.
The fourth angle is 60° less than twice the sum of
the other three angles. Find the measures of the
angles in the quadrilateral.
Farmer Ramu put a square fence around his
vegetable garden to keep the deer from eating his
corn. One side was 10 m in length. If the posts were
placed 2 m apart, how many posts did he use?

13. Percentages formulae
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No formulae as such, just a lot of logical deduction
Just remember 20% = 20/100
Simple interest
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I = p× r × t
Compound interest
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I = p (1+ r/100)^t

14. Percentages
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The monthly salary of a person gets increased by
5%, thereby becoming Rs.15120 per annum. What
was his earlier salary per month ?
a) Rs.1440 b) Rs.1200 c) Rs.1320 d) Rs.1240
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What is X percent of Y divided by Y percent of X?
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A man takes loans of Rs.1000 at the beginning of
each year at 5% per annum compound interest. Find
the accumulated amount to the nearest rupee, he
will thus have at the end of 3 years.
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15. Ratio and Proportion formulae
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No formulae to remember
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Ratio of x and y is x/y expressed as x:y
Proportion
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a:b= c:d is expressed as a:b::c:d

16. Ratio and Proportions
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The ratio of the ages of two sisters today is 1:3.
However, after 4 years, the ratio would be 2:3. What
is the age of the elder sister today?
a) 12 yrs b) 8 yrs
c) 6 yrs
d) 4 yrs

17. Averages formulae
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Average = sum/n
Weighted average =

18. Sample Questions
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What is the average of x, 2x and 6?
If on a test 3 people answered 80% of the questions
correctly and 2 people answered 90% of the
questions correctly, what was the average score on
the test?

19. How to attempt?
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Identify your strength areas. Lets say it is time, speed
and distance.
Your aim should be to first solve all time, distance and
speed questions.
Then move over questions one by one.
Identify the sitters
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Ignore the speed breakers
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Either they have very easy calculation
Or they have such varied choices that the answer can be
identified by elimination
They have complicated calculations
They have too many tricks
Come back to the speed breakers after having finished
the sitters!

20. Practice! Practice! Practice!
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The only way to identify your strength areas and
make them stronger is to practice
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Take section tests from mock CAT/MAT papers (section
tests of approx. 30-40 questions)
Time yourself accurately
After having finished a paper, revisit it and solve it again.
Identify the sitters and speed breakers.

21. Other sections in written tests of sales org
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Data Interpretation
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Logical Reasoning
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Tables
Bar graphs
Pie charts
Venn diagrams
Code language
Logical deduction
Series completion
Sales aptitude
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General awareness – Brand
names, logos, taglines, ambassadors
Sales planning and review
Channel management
Retail scenario in India

22. Caselets to solve
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Caselets intended to understand critical
competencies such as
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Presence of mind
Application of theories
Creative problem solving skills
Decision making

23. Sample caselets
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You are a sales rep in Rural Uttarakhand and have 5
salesmen in your team. Your sales manager has
asked you to develop a scoreboard to evaluate the
performance of your salesmen and identify the star
performers so that they can be promoted. On what
parameters will you evaluate them?
You are the sales rep of your company and work as
team with the merchandiser in the field. The
merchandiser is old and reliable and you have a
great understanding with him.
Recently, however, you have started receiving
complaints from outlets about the merchandiser
stealing stocks. What will you do?

24. All the best!