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Strategies
UPSC
Five Part article series on How
to approach UPSC Civil Service IBPS, CSAT, CAT, CMAT
IAS/IPS Exam: Prelims, Mains
and Interview
SSC-CGL
Staff Selection Combined
Graduate Level: Tier I, II
strategy for General Awareness,
Maths, Reasoning, English
RBI
RBI Grade "B" Officer
studyplan, strategy, booklist and
free download material is
provided here.
CAT (IIM)
Ragtag strategy on get 90+
percentile in CAT-prometric
test.
CSIR
Studyplan + Free study material
for CSIR combined
Administrative services (CASE)
exam
SSC (FCI)
Food Corporation Grade III
exam
State PSC
How to approach RAS, MPSC
[Aptitude] Time n Distance:
Early and late to office
(shortcut using product
consistency method) for SSC,
1. Case : Early Late
o Approach #1: Product consistency
o Approach #2 (STD Table)
2. Case #2: Tappu’s school
o Approach #1: Product consistency
o Approach #2 (STD Table)
3. Case: Pinku’s college (total time given)
4. Mock Questions
5. Answer and explanation
Before proceeding further, make sure your concept regarding
“product-consistency method” Is clear. If not, then go through
my previous article click me
Case : Early Late
Jethalal goes to shop at the speed 30 km/h, and he reaches six
minutes early. Next day he goes at the speed of 24 km/h, and he
reaches five minutes late. Find the distance between his home
and shop.
This can be solved with any of the two approaches
etc explained here 1. Approach #1: Product consistency
CAPF 2. Approach #2: STD table.
How to become an Assistant
Commandant in BSF, CISF,
CRPF: strategy, booklist, free Approach #1: Product
studymaterial provided here.
SPIPA consistency
For getting admission in SPIPA,
Ahmedabad, which provides Let me rephrase the question:
free coaching for IAS Price of sugar is increased from 24 per kg to 30 per kg and now
exam.(Gujarat Only) Jethalal is buying 11/60 kilograms sugar less (in the same
KAS budget). What was his original consumption?
How to approach General
studies paper for Kashmir Does it ring any bell with previous sums of product
Administrative services? Consistency? Yep, that’s our approach.
ACIO Prepare this table, plug in the “speed” values in ascending order
Assistant Central Intelligence
Officer recruitment: booklist, Slow speed Fast speed
strategy Speed km/h 24 30
Ratio-reversed (Time)
UPSC Tips
What is the time difference between these two cases?
5 Levels suppose on regular speed, Jethalal used to reach office @10 AM
Explains five types of players in on slow speed, he is 5 minutes late=10.05AM
UPSC competition and why on fast speed he is 6 minutes early=09.54 minutes
daydreamers fail in this exam. so the time difference between slow speed and fast speed = 11
100 Days minutes.
Why you can't succeed with in the exam, just add the two minutes given to you (6+5)=11
vague strategies in UPSC and since speed is given in km/h, we’ve to convert 11 minutes
Prelims, explained here. into hours =11/60 hours.
Newspaper?
How to read The
Slow speed Fast speed
Hindu/Indianexpress quickly
and efficiently in less than one Speed km/h 24 30
hour for Current Affairs?, Ratio-reversed (Time)
explained here.
Art of Aptitude? Now apply the product consistency method:
3 Cardinal Rules on How to Take ratio of 24/30
approach Aptitude section in =(6 x 4)/ (6 x 5)
any competitive exam. =4/5
Quotes Reverse it.=5/4. Update the table
Motivational and inspirational
quotes for competitive exams. Slow speed Fast speed
Essay Tips Speed km/h 24 30
How *not* to write an Essay in Ratio-reversed (Time) 5 4
UPSC Mains exam, explained
here
IR So, when speed is increased, what is the decrease in time?
How to prepare India World + 5 to 4
International relations (IR) =(5-4)/5 x 100
topic, explained + free =20% (or just keep it in fraction form of 1/5)
download material Meaning new time is 20% less than time.
Stat suppose during slow speed, he took “M” time.
Approach to Statistics and Then in fast speed he’ll take M minus 20% of M time.
Graphs portion of General That means difference between two situations is 20% of m
Studies Mains Paper II+free but we’ve already inferred that time difference between two
study material situations is 11/60 hours
R.T.I therefore 20% of m=11/60
How to file R.T.I application toor in other words
UPSC? explained here 1/5 x m=11/60
M=11×5/60
EduTech M=11/12 hours.
This is the time he takes during slow speed, to reach his
Auto NoteMaker destination
Mrunal's Autonotemaker for Now just apply STD formula
quickly taking notes out of PDF (slow) Speed x time = distance
files and Webarticles (Win XP 24 x 11/12 = distance
only) Hence distance = 22 kms.
Hindu Reader This technique looks “odd” but It is very fast once you practice.
How to use Google Reader to
efficiently read The Hindu Thought process in the exam
online, for Free!.
OneNote You don’t even need to draw table. Just think in your head,
Learn to use Microsoft Onenote speed is decreased from 24 to 30 so reverse ratio is 30/24=5/4
software to organized your And hence decrease from 5 to 4 is (5-4)/5=1/5.
notes on computer, quickly and It means 1/5th of (slow) time =(6+5)/60
efficiently! Hence time = 11x 5/60
Hence distance = just multiple time with slow speed
Analysis =11 x 5 x (24)/60
=22 km.
CSAT'12 Now let’s try solving It, using the
Analysis of the GS-Prelims
paper and how it broke the
backs of Coaching classes. Approach #2 (STD Table)
GSM-12
Analysis of the General Studies Case 1 Case 2
(Mains) Paper I and II of 2012
Speed 24 30
and how they (again) broke the
backs of Coaching classes. Time ? ?
Distance D D
Archives
We’ve ssumed that in both cases, he has to cover same distance
“D” kms.
Apply STD formula in column 1 (case 1)
Speed x time = distance
Therefore time = distance / speed = D/24
Similarly for case2, we get time=D/30
Update table

Case 1 Case 2
Speed 24 30
Time D/24 D/30
Distance D D

From the question, we can infer that time difference between

two cases is (6+5=11 minutes =11/60 hours)
Therefore
D/24-D/30=11/60
Simplify this equation and you get D=22 kms.
Please note: in the fractions, D/24 is >greater than> D/30
That’s why I did D/24-D/30=11/60
Let’s try second question with both methods

Case #2: Tappu’s school

Tappu walks from home to school @5kmph and reaches 15
minutes early. After the school is over, he walks back from
school to home @3kmph and reaches 9 minutes late. Find
distance between his home and school.

Approach #1: Product

consistency
The question is talking about two times: 15 minutes early and 9
minutes late.
Therefore total time difference between two situation =15+9=24
minutes=24/60 hrs.

Slow speed Fast speed

Speed km/h 3 5
Ratio-reversed (Time) 5 3

What is the percentage decrease in time?

(5-3)/5
=2/5 (=40% decrease)
That’s it. If time taken during slow speed =”m”
Then 2/5th of m=24/60 hours (the time difference between two
cases)
Hence M=1 hour (=time taken during slow speed)
Now speed x time = distance
3 (slow speed) x1= distance
Therefore distance between Tappu’s school and home is 3 kms.

Approach #2 (STD Table)

Slow speed Fast speed
Speed km/h 3 5
Time ?? ??
Distance D D

Apply STD formula in each column you get

Speed x time =distance
Time = distance / speed
Time = D/3 in first case and D/5 in second case update table

Slow speed Fast speed

Speed km/h 3 5
Time D/3 D/5
Distance D D

The time difference between two situations is (15+9)=24

minutes=24/60 hours
Therefore
D/3 – D/5=24/60
Solve this equation and you get D=3 kms
Meaning distance between Tappu’s school and home is 3 kms
Now let’s try a bit complicated case

Case: Pinku’s college (total

time given)
Pinku goes to college @ speed of 3 kmph and returns back
@2kmph. He spends total 5 hours in walking. What is the
distance between his home and college?
Slow speed , fast speed = 2 and 3 km respectively.
 Slow speed Fast speed
Speed km/h 2 3
Ratio-reversed (Time) 3 2

What is the decrease % in time? (3-2)/3= 1/3 (=33.33%)

It means if Pinku take “M” hours during slow speed.
He’d take M minus 33.33% of M hours during fast speed.
Therefore, total time (taken to goto college and come back)
=m + m -33.33% of m
=2m-m/3 (because 33.33%=1/3)
=(6m-m)/3
=5m/3
And we know that total time is 5 hours
therefore 5m/3=5 hours
hence m=3 hours. (time taken during slow speed)
Apply STD
Speed x time = distance
2 (slow speed) x 3 (time)=distance
Hence distance=6 km

Thought process in the exam

Speed increased from 2 to 3, therefore reverse ratio is 3/2 and
%decrease in time is 1/3.
Pinku’s “Total” time is given 5 hours, therefore
M + m -(1/5)m=5 hours. Solve it and multiple with slow speed,
you’ll get the distance.

Mock Questions
1. Gogi walks from home to school @2.5kmph and he is 6
minutes late. Next day he increases speed by 1 kmph and
reaches 6 minutes early. Find distance between home
and school?
2. Sonu walks @6kmph and late to college by 5 minutes. If
she walks @5kmph, she is late by 30 minutes. Find total
distance. (please note: since she’s late in both cases the
time difference is 30-5=25 minutes. rest approach is
same)

Answer and explanation

1. Gogi school
Question is talking about two speeds : 2.5 and (2.5+1.0)=3.5
kmphs

Slow speed Fast speed

Speed km/h 2.5 3.5
Ratio-reversed (Time) 7 5

What’s the decrease in time %

From 7 to 5,
=(7-5)/7
=2/7
Suppose during slow speed case, Gogi takes “m” hours to reach
school.
In fast case, he’ll do it in less time =m – 2/7 of m.
but from question, we already know that time difference
between two cases =6+6=12 minutes=12/60 hrs
it means 2/7 of m=12/60 hours
therefore m=7/10 hours :This is the time taken during slow
speed.
Multiply it with slow speed and you’ll get the distance.
Distance
= 7/10 x 2.5
= 7/4 kms.

2. Sonu college
Slow speed Fast speed
Speed km/h 5 6
Ratio-reversed (Time) 6 5

So % decrease in time
=(6-5)/6
=1/6
Therefore 1/6 of slow time (m)= 25/60 hrs.
M=25 x 6/60 hrs
Multiply it with slow speed (5) and you get distance
Distance
=speed x time
=5 x 25 x 6/60
=25/2
=12.5 km distance between home and college