MPA& MBA PROGRAMME

Analytical Skill

Daw Thazin Htwe

Associate Professor
Department of Economics
(1) Find the next letter in the series. D, G, J, M, P, ____.

(A) Q (B) R (C) S (D) T

Solution

N+ 3
•Three letters are added to each letter to get the next letter in the series.
D+3, G+3, J+3, M+3, P+3, and P = 16 and 16 + 3 = 19 and
•the 19th letter in the alphabet is S.
(2) 8, 4, 4, 6, 12, 30, _____ .

(A) 75 (B) 95 (C) 90 (D) 105

Answer
n× 0.5, n ×1 , n ×1.5, n × 2 , n ×2.5, n ×3

 8× 0.5, 4× 1 , 4× 1.5, 6× 2 , 12× 2.5, 30× 3 = 90.

(3) 1850, 1050, 650, 450, 350, 300, ______ .

(A) 250 (B) 200 (C) 150 (D) 275

Solution

n−800, n−400, n−200, n−100, n−50, n−25

1850−800, 1050−400, 650−200, 450−100, 350−50, 300−25

300−25 = 275
(4) 11 is related to 25 in the same way as 17 is related to
_______.

(A) 33 (B) 28 (C) 41 (D) 37

Solution

(N × 2 )+ 3

 11 × 2 + 3 = 22 + 3 = 25.

 Similarly, 17 × 2 + 3 = 34 + 3 = 37.
(5) 81 : 729 : : 144 : _____

(A) 1728 (B) 1331 (C) 169 (D) 2197

 Solution

(n)2 : (n)3

 (9)2 : (9)3 : : (12)2 : (12)3 , (12)3 = 1728 is the next number

(6) 5 : 120 : : 8 : _____ .

(A) 520 (B) 504 (C) 448 (D) 512

Solution

n : (n)3 –n

5 : (5)3 –5 : : 8 : (8)3 – 8

(8)3 – 8 = 504 is the next number.

(7) = 1/

(A) 0.0027 (B) (C)

(D) 0.00027 (E)

(8) If the sum of four consecutive even integers is 44, what is the

value of the second-largest integer in the set?

(A) 10 (B) 12 (C) 14 (D) 16

Solution

Let the smallest integer = x. Therefore:

x + (x + 2) + (x + 4) + (x +6) = 44

4x + 12 = 44

4x = 32

x=8

The second-largest integer is x + 4. Substitute 8 for x:

8 + 4 = 12.
The correct answer is B.
(9) If xy = 12, and x + y = 7, then y could equal which of the
following?

(A) 3 (B) 4 (C ) 5 (D ) 6
Solution
 Back-solving is a good strategy here, but make sure to check all the
choices.

 Try Choice A. If y = 3, then 3x = 12 → x = 4. These values satisfy the

equation: x + y = 7. Thus 3 is a potential answer.

 Go through this process for all the choices. The only other choice that
provides a value that will yield a value for x that satisfies both equations
is 4.

 The answer is A and B.

(10) If a2 + b = 7, then b could equal which of the following?

(A) 6 (B) 8 (C )9 (D) 10

Solution

Back-solve by starting with Choice B. If b = 8, then

a2 + 8 = 7

a2 = −1

A number raised to an even exponent never yields a negative result.

Thus 8 is too large for B.

The correct answer must be A.

(11) What is the greatest common factor of 16, 24, and 72?

(A) 2 (B) 4 (C) 8 (D) 12

Solution

Determine the prime factorization of each of the numbers.

16 = 2 × 2 × 2 × 2

24 = 2 × 2 × 2 × 3

72 = 2 × 2 × 2 × 3 × 3

Each term contains three 2s.

The greatest common factor is thus 2 × 2 × 2 = 8.

The correct answer is C

(12) If a < b < 0, then which of the following must be true?

(A) ab < 0 (B) a + b > 0 (C ) b a < 0 (D) b – a > 0

 Solution
 Since a and b are negative, their product and quotient must be
positive. Thus eliminate A and C.

 The sum of two negatives is a negative. Thus eliminate B.

 For D , choose values. Let a = –4 and b = –3. Evaluate the expression

in D: –3 – (–4) = –3 + 4 = 1. 1 > 0, so D is true.
(13) (1.9) (2 × 106) / 190,000 = ?

(A) 0.02 (B) 0.2 (C) 2 (D) 20 (E) 200

Solution

(1.9) (2 × 106) / 190,000 = (1.9)(2 × 106)/1.9 × 105

= 2 × 106/105

= 2 × 101

= 20.
(14) Upon winning the lottery, John spent 1/ 3 of his winnings on a

home and 1/ 4 of the remaining amount on a car. After these purchases,

he had $200,000 left. How much money did John win in the lottery?

A 400,000 B 480,000 C 600,000 D 800,000

E 2,400,000
Solution
Represent John’s winnings as w:the amount spent on his home = 1/ 3w.
The amount spent on his car is 1/ 4 of what he did not spend on his home.
Since he spent (1/ 3) w on his home, he has (2 /3) w remaining.

1/4 (2 /3)w = ½ (1/3)w

= (1 /6) w.
These two amounts + $200,000 = the total winnings.
1/ 3w + 1/ 6w + 200,000 = w.
Multiply across the entire equation by 6:
2w + w + 1,200,000 = 6w .
1,200,000 = 3w
Divide both sides by 3:
400,000 = w
(15 ) Each month, Janet saves 1 /3 of her paycheck and spends the rest.
The amount of money Janet saves in a month is what fraction of the
amount that she spends in a year ?

(A) 1/8 (B) 1/12 (C )1/13 (D) 1/24 ( E) 1/36

Solution

Choose a value for Janet’s monthly paycheck. Since the denominator of the fraction is 3, a
multiple of 3 would be a smart number.

Let Janet’s monthly paycheck = $ 30.

If Janet earns $30per month, then she saves $10 per month and spends $ 20 per month.

If she spends $20 per month, then she spends $20 × 12 = $ 240 per year.

The fraction you are solving for is 10/240 = 1/24 .

If Janet spends $20 per month , she save $10 per month

If Janet spends $ 240 per Year , she save $10 per month

Save per month/Spend per Year = 10/240 = 1/24

•The correct answer is D

(16)

of the cookies in a jar are chocolate chip, of the remaining

cookies are peanut butter, and the rest of the cookies are white
chocolate. If 20 cookies are white chocolate, how many
cookies are in the jar?

(A) 40 (B) 60 (C) 70 (D) 90

Solution

Let total number of cookies in the jar = j.

If of the cookies are chocolate chip, then chocolate chip cookies = j.

of the remaining cookies are peanut butter.

The remaining cookies in the jar = j, so the number of peanut butter

cookies will be () j = () j.
Since the remaining 20 cookies are white chocolate,

j + () j + 20 = j

()j + ()j + 20 = j

()j + 20 = j

20 = () j

20 () = j

j = 90 .

The correct answer is D.

(17) 62 is what percent of 1,000?

(A) 0.62 (B) 6.2 (C) 0.062 (D) 0.0062

SOLUTION:

The formula to calculate percent is

part/whole =p/100 , where p = percent

Use the percent formula:

62 is the part and 1000 is the whole,

62/1,000 = p/100

p = 62/1,000 × 100 = 6.2

62 is 6.2 % of 1000
(18) 60% of what number is 540?

(A) 90 (B) 0.9 (C) 900 (D) 30 (E) 300

SOLUTION

part/whole =p/100 , where p = percent

The part is 540, and the whole is unknown. Thus:

540/W =60/100

540/W =3/5

540(5) = 3W

W = 900
(19) After a 20% increase, the price of a computer is $3,000. What was

the original price of the computer?

(A) $ 2500 (B) $ 2000 (C) $ 1500 (D) $1000 (E) $ 1700
Solution

Let Po = the original price. Thus

(100% + 20%) × Po = $3,000

120% × Po = $3,000

1.2 Po = $3,000

Po = $3,000/1.2

= $2,500
(20) After a 25% decrease, the price of a car was $24,000.

What was the original price?

(A) $ 40000 (B) $ 38000 (C) $ 36000 (D) $32000

(E) $ 30000
Solution

Let p = the original price of the car. Thus

(100% – 25%) × p = $24,000

75% × p = $24,000

0.75p = $24,000

p = $24,000/ 0.75

p = $32,000