GAT QUESTIONS

Question 1: A train travelling at 72 kmph crosses a platform in 30 seconds and a man standing on
the platform in 18 seconds. What is the length of the platform in meters?
A.

240 meters

B.

360 meters

C.

420 meters

D.

600 meters

E. Cannot be determined
The correct choice is (A) and the correct answer is 240 meters.
Explanatory Answer:
When the train crosses a man standing on a platform, the distance covered by the train is equal to the length of
the train.
However, when the same train crosses a platform, the distance covered by the train is equal to the length of
the train plus the length of the platform.
The extra time that the train takes when crossing the platform is on account of the extra distance that it has to
cover = length of the platform.
Therefore, length of the platform = speed of train * extra time taken to cross the platform
Length of platform = 72 kmph * 12 seconds

Converting 72 kmph into m/sec, we get 72 kmph =

= 20 m/sec

Therefore, length of the platform = 20 * 12 = 240 meters.

A train traveling at 100 kmph overtakes a motorbike traveling at 64 kmph in 40 seconds.
What is the length of the train in meters?
Question 2:

A.

1777 meters

B.

1822 meters

C.

400 meters

D.

1111 meters

E. None of these
The correct choice is (C) and the correct answer is 400 meters.
Explanatory Answer:

When a train overtakes another object such as a motorbike, whose length is negligible compared to the length
of the train, then the distance traveled by the train while overtaking the motorbike is the same as the length of
the train.
The length of the train = distance traveled by the train while overtaking the motorbike
= relative speed between the train and the motorbike * time taken
In this case, as both the objects i.e., the train and the motorbike are moving in the same direction, the relative
speed between them = difference between their respective speeds = 100 - 64 = 36 kmph.
Distance traveled by the train while overtaking the motorbike = 36 kmph * 40 seconds.

The final answer is given in meters and the speed is given in kmph and the time in seconds.
So let us convert the given speed from kmph to m/sec.
1 kmph = (5/18) m/sec
Therefore, 36 kmph = 36 * (5 /18) = 10 m/sec.
Relative speed = 10 m/sec. Time taken = 40 seconds.
Therefore, distance traveled = 10 * 40 = 400 meters.
Question 3: Jim travels the first 3 hours of his journey at 60 mph speed and the remaining 5 hours at 24 mph speed. What is the average speed
of Jim's travel in mph?

A.

42 mph

B.

36 mph

C.

37.5 mph

D.

42.5 mph

E.

48 mph

The correct choice is (C) and the correct answer is 37.5 mph.
Explanatory Answer:

Average speed =
Total distance traveled by Jim = Distance covered in the first 3 hours + Distance covered in the next 5 hours.
Distance covered in the first 3 hours = 3 * 60 = 180 miles
Distance covered in the next 5 hours = 5 * 24 = 120 miles
Therefore, total distance traveled = 180 + 120 = 300 miles.
Total time taken = 3 + 5 = 8 hours.

Average speed =

= 37.5 mph.

Question 4: A runs 25% faster than B and is able to give him a start of 7 meters to end a race in dead heat. What is the

length of the race?

A.

10 meters

B.

25 meters

C.

45 meters

D.

15 meters

E.

35 meters

The correct choice is (E) and the correct answer is 35 meters.

Explanatory Answer:
A runs 25% as fast as B.
That is, if B runs 100m in a given time, then A will run 125m in the same time
In other words, if A runs 5m in a given time, then B will run 4m in the same time.
Therefore, if the length of a race is 5m, then A can give B a start of 1m so that they finish the race in a dead heat.
Start : length of race :: 1 : 5

In this question, we know that the start is 7m.

Hence, the length of the race will be 7 * 5 = 35m.
Question 5: Jane covered a distance of 340 miles between city A and city taking a total of 5 hours. If part of the distance

was covered at 60 miles per hour speed and the balance at 80 miles per hour speed, how many hours did she travel at 60
miles per hour?

A.

2 hours 30 minutes

B.

3 hours

C.

2 hours

D.

1 hour 45 minutes

E.

None of these

The correct choice is (B) and the correct answer is 3 hours.

Explanatory Answer: Let 'x' hours be the time for which Jane travelled at 60 miles per hour.
As the total time taken to cover 340 miles is 5 hours, Jane would have travelled (5 - x) hours at 80 miles per hour.
Distance covered at 60 miles per hour = Speed * time = 60 * x = 60x miles
Distance covered at 80 miles per hour = Speed * time = 80 (5 - x) = 400 - 80x miles
Total distance covered = Distance covered at 60 miles per hour + Distance covered at 80 miles per hour.
Therefore, total distance = 60x + 400 - 80x.
But, we know that the total distance = 340 miles.
Therefore, 340 = 60x + 400 - 80x
=> 20x = 60 or x = 3 hours.
Question 6: Steve travelled the first 2 hours of his journey at 40 mph and the remaining 3 hours of his journey at 80 mph.

What is his average speed for the entire journey?

A.

60 mph

B.

56.67 mph

C.

53.33 mph

D.

64 mph

E.

66.67 mph

The correct choice is (D) and the correct answer is 64 mph.

Explanatory Answer:

Average speed of travel =

Total distance travelled by Steve = Distance covered in the first 2 hours + distance covered in the next 3 hours.
Distance covered in the first 2 hours = speed * time = 40 * 2 = 80 miles
Distance covered in the next 3 hours = speed * time = 80 * 3 = 240 miles
Therefore, total distance covered = 80 + 240 = 320 miles
Total time taken = 2 + 3 = 5 hours.

Hence, average speed =

= 64 miles per hour.

Note: If Steve had travelled equal amount of time at 40 mph and 80 mph, then his average speed will be the arithmetic mean (or simple average) of the two
speeds.

Arithmetic Progression Summation

Question 1: What is the sum of all 3 digit numbers that leave a remainder of '2' when divided by 3?
A.

897

B.

164,850

C.

164,749

D.

149,700

E.

156,720

The correct choice is (B) and the correct answer is 164,850.

Explanatory Answer:
The smallest 3 digit number that will leave a remainder of 2 when divided by 3 is 101.
The next number that will leave a remainder of 2 when divided by 3 is 104, 107, ....
The largest 3 digit number that will leave a remainder of 2 when divided by 3 is 998.
So, the given series is an AP with the first term being 101 and the last term being 998 and thhe common difference being 3.

Sum of an AP =

We know that in an A.P., the nth term a n = a1 + (n - 1)*d

In this case, therefore, 998 = 101 + (n - 1)* 3
i.e., 897 = (n - 1) * 3
Therefore, n - 1 = 299
Or n = 300.

Sum of the AP will therefore, be

= 164,850

Question 2: How many 3 digit positive integers exist that when divided by 7 leave a remainder of 5?
A.

128

B.

142

C.

143

D.

141

E.

129

The correct choice is (E) and the correct answer is 129.

Explanatory Answer:
The smallest 3-digit positive integer that when divided by 7 leaves a remainder of 5 is 103.
The largest 3-digit positive integer that when divided by 7 leaves a remainder of 5 is 999.
The series of numbers that satisfy the condition that the number should leave a remainder of 5 when divided by 7 is an A.P (arithmetic progression) with the first
term being 103 and the last term being 999 having a common difference of 7.
We know that in an A.P, 'l' the last term is given by l = a + (n - 1) * d, where 'a' is the first term, 'n' is the number of terms of the series and 'd' is the common
difference.
Therefore, 999 = 103 + (n - 1) * 7
Or
Or
Or
Or

999 - 103 = (n - 1) * 7
896 = (n - 1) * 7
n - 1 = 128
n = 129

Question 3: The average of 5 consecutive integers starting with m as the first integer is n. What is the average of 9 consecutive integers that
start with m+2?

A.

m+4

B.

n+6

C.

n+3

D.

m+5

E.

n+4

The correct choice is (E) and the correct answer is n + 4.

Explanatory Answer:
The fastest way to solve problems of this kind is to take numerical examples.
The average of 5 consecutive integers from 1 to 5 is 3. Therefore, the value of m is 1 and the value of n is 3.
Now, the average of 9 consecutive integers starting from m + 2 will be average of integers from 3 to 11.
The average of numbers from 3 to 11 is 7.
Now look at the answer choices. Only choice (E) satisfies this condition.

Question 4: The sum of the fourth and twelfth term of an arithmetic progression is 20. What is the sum of the first 15 terms of the arithmetic
progression?

A.

300

B.

120

C.

150

D.

170

E.

270

The correct choice is (C) and the correct answer is 150.

Explanatory Answer:
The sum of the 4

th

and 12

th

term = 20.

Let t1 be the first term, t4 be the 4

th

term, and t12 be the 12

th

term

Then t4 + t12 = 20

t4 can be expressed as t1 + 3d
Similarly, t12 can be expressed as t1 + 11d

Then t4 + t12 = 20 can be expressed as t1 + 3d + t1 + 11d = 20

=>

2t1 + 14d = 20

=>

t1 + 7d =10

=>

t8 = 10

The sum of the first 15 terms =

In an arithmetic progression t1 + t15 = t1 + t1 + 14d = 2t1 + 14d = 2(t1 + 7d) = 2(t8).

Therefore, the sum of the first 15 terms =

= 150

Question 5: If the ratio of the sum of the first 6 terms of a G.P. to the sum of the first 3 terms of the G.P. is 9, what is the common ratio of the
G.P?

A.

B.

1/3

C.

D.

E.
1/9
The correct choice is (C) and the correct answer is 2.

Explanatory Answer:

The sum of the first n terms of a G.P. is given by

G.P.

, where 'a' is the first term of the G.P., 'r' is the common ratio and 'n' is the number of terms in the

Therefore, the sum of the first 6 terms of the G.P will be equal to

And sum of the first 3 terms of the G.P. will be equal to

The ratio of the sum of the first 6 terms : sum of first 3 terms = 9 : 1

i.e.

=>

=> r

=> r

3
3

+1=9

=8

=> r = 2

Question 6: Set A contains all the even numbers between 2 and 50 inclusive. Set B contains all the even numbers between 102 and 150
inclusive. What is the difference between the sum of elements of set B and that of set A?

A.

2500

B.

5050

C.

11325

D.

6275

E.

2550

The correct choice is (A) and the correct answer is 2500.

Explanatory Answer
SET 1 - (2, 4, 6, 8,...., 50). A total of 25 consecutive even numbers.

SET 2 - (102, 104, 106,....., 150). Another set of 25 consecutive even numbers.
Difference between 1st term of set 1 and set 2 is 100. Difference between 2nd term of set 1 and set 2 is 100 and so on.
So total difference is (100 + 100 + 100 + ....) = 25*100 = 2500.

Arithmetic Progression Data Sufficiency

The GMAT DS question given below is from the topic Arithmetic Progressions. Problems on Arithmetic Progressions are quite easy if one understands that the basic
concept behind AP is just an extrapolation of simple multiplication tables.

Directions:
This data sufficiency problem consists of a question and two statements, labeled (1) and (2), in which certain data are given. You have to decide whether the data
given in the statements are sufficient for answering the question. Using the data given in the statements, plus your knowledge of mathematics and everyday facts
(such as the number of days in a leap year or the meaning of the word counterclockwise), you must indicate whether.

A.

Statement (1) ALONE is sufficient, but statement (2) alone is not sufficient to answer the question asked.

B.

Statement (2) ALONE is sufficient, but statement (1) alone is not sufficient to answer the question asked.

C.

BOTH statements (1) and (2) TOGETHER are sufficient to answer the question asked, but NEITHER statement ALONE is sufficient to answer the
question asked.

D.

EACH statement ALONE is sufficient to answer the question asked.

E.

Statements (1) and (2) TOGETHER are NOT sufficient to answer the question asked, and additional data specific to the problem are needed.

Numbers
All numbers used are real numbers.
Figures
A figure accompanying a data sufficiency question will conform to the information given in the question but will not necessarily conform to the additional
information given in statements (1) and (2).
Lines shown as straight can be assumed to be straight and lines that appear jagged can also be assumed to be straight.
You may assume that the positions of points, angles, regions, etc. exist in the order shown and that angle measures are greater than zero.
All figures lie in a plane unless otherwise indicated.
Note
In data sufficiency problems that ask for the value of a quantity, the data given in the statement are sufficient only when it is possible to determine exactly one
numerical value for the quantity.

Question 7:
A set S contains the following elements: {7, 11, 15, 19, 23, x}. What is the value of x?
(1)
(2)

The elements are in arithmetic progression

x is prime

The correct choice is (C). Statements (1) and (2) Taken TOGETHER are sufficient to answer the question asked.

Explanatory Answer:
Statement 1 : The elements are in arithmetic progression.
So, x could either be 3 or 27.
INSUFFICIENT.
Statement 2 : x is prime
x could be any prime number.
INSUFFICIENT
Combining the two statements, we know that x could take only two values from statement 1. viz., 3 or 27; from statement 2 we know that x is prime. 3 is the only
value that satisfies both the conditions.
Hence, choice(C) is the correct answer.

Question 8: In the first 1000 natural numbers, how many integers exist such that they leave a remainder 4 when divided by 7, and a remainder 9
when divided by 11?

A.

11

B.

14

C.

12

D.

13

E.

10

The correct choice is (D). The correct answer is 13.

Explanatory Answer:
Finding the first number that satisfies both the conditions is an iterative process.

The first sequence - leaving a remainder of 4 when divided by 7: 4, 11, 18, 25, 32, 39, 46,

The second sequence - leaving a remainder of 9 when divided by 11: 9, 20, 31, 42,

53, 60, 67, ....

53, 64, .....

From the listing of the two sequences we can identify the first number that satisfies both the conditions to be 53.
The common difference of the first sequence is 7 and that of the second sequence is 11.
Elements common to both the sequence will have a common difference that is the LCM of 7 and 11.
Every 77th number after 53 will satisfy both the conditions.
The terms that satisfy the conditions can be expressed as 77k + 53, where k takes values from 0 to 12.
i.e., a total of 13 numbers.
Choice (D) is correct.