Which of the following actions would adversely affect both NPP and Mr. Loyal, the most?
XAT 2015 Question Paper - DM
Answer questions on the basis of information given in the following case.
The Disciplinary Committee of Nation Political Party (NPP) is meeting today to decide on the future of two of their party members, Mr. Loyal and his son Mr. Prodigal. Mr. Prodigal is the prime accused in the brutal murder of Mr. Victim, an opposition party leader. Mr. Prodigal is in police custody and his appeal for bail has got rejected. Mr. Loyal claims that his son is innocent and Mr. Victim’s death was the result of internal rivalry in the opposition party. Though Mr. Loyal is not accused in this case, his weakness for his son is well known. The media is blaming him for influencing key witnesses to protect his son. Severe criticism of his father - son duo, both by the media and some social activists, is damaging the image of the party. However, Mr. Loyal has significant followers within the party and is considered an asset to the party. Any harsh
decision against Mr. Loyal would adversely affect the future of NPP and could even lead to a split in the party. This would benefit the opposition.
Solution
The passage says that Mr Loyal has significant followers within the party and any severe action against Mr Loyal will adversely affect the NPP.
Among the options, C would cause the most damage to the NPP as it could lead to a split in the party or may even lead to many followers of Mr Loyal leaving the party.
A and E will not cause much damage to the party.
Options B and D will create some animosity between Mr Loyal and NPP, but not as much as expelling Mr Loyal.
Hence, the answer is option C.
At the Disciplinary Committee meeting, members came up with the following suggestions. Which of the following suggestions would harm the party, the least?
Solution
Here we have to select a suggestion which will not only keep Mr Loyal on the good side of the party but also ensures that the party's name stays clean among the public.
Options B and E are rejected as they may lead to a split among the members of the party.
Option A will harm the image of the party among the public.
Option C is a neutral move but is not strong enough to help the party's image.
Option D is the best choice as it shows that the party is taking strong action. At the same time, it ensures that Mr Loyal stays on the good side of the party.
Hence, the answer is option D.
Mr. Opportunist, a veteran member of NPP, stakes his claims to be nominated as an NPP candidate in the upcoming election. Mr. Opportunist presented the following arguments in favour of his candidature to the NPP Executive Committee.
I. Mr. Loyal’s candidature in the upcoming election will adversely impact NPP’s chances. Hence, the party should not nominate him.
II. The party should call a press conference to disown Mr. Loyal. This would enhance the party’s image.
III. The party would not be able to take any strong disciplinary action against Mr. Loyal, if he gets re - elected.
IV. I have a lot of goodwill and significant followers in the constituency,
V. None of my close relatives are into active politics.
Which of the following combinations would best strengthen the claim of Mr.Opportunist?
Solution
Statement (V) is unrelated to the topic and will not help the case of Mr Opportunist.
Statements (II) and (III) are against Mr Loyal, which may harm Mr Opportunists' case as Mr Loyal is an important member with a significant following.
Statements (I) and (IV) together will help Mr Opportunist's case as they mention the harm that Mr Loyal's nomination may cause to the party and also why he is the best fit for the same.
Hence, the answer is option B.
The Disciplinary Committee has decided to suspend Mr. Loyal from the party because they felt he was influencing the judicial process. However, Mr. Loyal feels that the committee is biased and he is being framed. Now, election has been announced. The last time. Mr. Loyal had won with a majority on account of his good work.
Which of the following options is most likely to resurrect Mr. Loyal’s immediate political career?
Solution
We have to choose an option which will help Mr Loyal's immediate political career.
Options B, C and E do not help Mr Loyal's immediate career.
Option D is a bad choice as it is mentioned that his chances of winning are low. Thus, it might not help his career much.
Option A is the best choice for Mr Loyal as he will still have a backing of a major party and as it is mentioned that his chances of winning are high, it is the best choice for his career.
Hence, the answer is option A.
Answer questions on the basis of information given in the following case.
Bright Engineering College (BEC) has listed 20 elective courses for the next term and students have to choose any 7 of them. Simran, a student of BEC, notices that there are three categories of electives: Job - oriented (J), Quantitative - oriented (Q) and Grade - oriented (G). Among these 20 electives, some electives are both Job and Grade - oriented but are not Quantitative - oriented (JG type). QJ type electives are both job and Quantitative - oriented but are not Grade - oriented and QG type electives are both Quantitative and Grade - oriented but are not Job - oriented. Simran also notes that the total number of QJ type electives is 2 less than QG type electives. Similarly, the total number of QG type electives is 2 less than JG type and there is only 1 common elective (JQG) across three categories. Furthermore, the number of only Quantitative - oriented electives is same as only Job - oriented electives, but less than the number of only Grade - oriented electives. Each elective has at least one registration and there is at least one elective in each category, or combinations of categories.
On her way back Simran met her friend Raj and shared the above information. Raj is preparing for XAT and is only interested in Grade - oriented (G) electives. He wanted to know the number of G - type electives being offered. Simran replied, “You have all the information. Calculate the number of G - type electives yourself. It would help your XAT preparation”. Raj calculates correctly and says that there can be _______ possible answers. Which of the following options would b est fit the blank above?
Solution
From the given information we draw the below Venn diagram:
GIven, the total number of electives are 20 and b>a.
also, x>2
Let the total number of G type electives be 'g'.
g=b+2x+3
so, 2a+b+3x+1=20 => 2a+b+3x=19.
Case 1: if x=3 => 2a+b=10
so, (a,b) can be (1,8),(2,6),(3,4) and g will be 17,15,13 respectively
Case 2: if x=4 => 2a+b=7
so, (a,b) can be (1,3),(2,3) and g will be 16,14 respectively
Case 2: if x=5 => 2a+b=4
so, (a,b) can be (1,2) and g will be 13.
.'. The values that 'g' can take are 13,14,15,16,17
So, 5 is the correct answer.
Simran prefers J - type electives and wants to avoid Q - type electives. She noted that the number of only J - type electives is 3. Raj’s preference is G - type electives followed by Q - type electives. However, they want to take as many common electives as possible. What is the maximum number of electives that can be common between them, without compromising their preferences?
Solution
From the given information we draw the below Venn diagram:
b>a
Number of only J type electives is 3 => a=3
2a+b+3x=19 but since a=3; b+3x=13
we have to maximise x but b>3 => b=4 and x=3.
.'.the maximum number of electives that can be common between them=x+2=5.
Vijay and Raj want to avoid each other. Vijay is interested in J - type electives and wants to avoid Q - type electives. Raj’s preference is G - type electives followed by Q - type electives. Raj noted that the number of only G - type electives is 2. Is there a possibility that they would not share any common electives(s)?
Solution
From the given information, we can draw the venn diagram as follows.
The total number of electives = 20
b + 2a + 3x + 1 = 20
b + 2a + 3x = 19
We are given that only G-type electives is 2. Thus, b = 2.
Since a < b, the only possible value of a = 1.
Thus, 2 + 2(1) + 3x = 19
x = 5
Thus, the venn diagram becomes.
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Vijay is interested in J and wants to avoid Q. Thus, he can participate in J and JG subjects.
Raj is interested in G followed by Q. Thus, he can participate in G, Q, and GQ electives.
Since there is no common region between the interests of Vijay and Raj, there is a possibility of them avoiding each other.
Hence, the answer is option A.
Answer questions on the basis of information given in the following case.
Mr. Dipangshu Barua, a young IT professional, came early to office to assist his boss in the preparation for an important client presentation. When be switched on his computer, he saw an email from Mr. Patel. The email was as follows:
Dear Mr. Barua,
This email serves as a follow - up of my conversation with you on December 1, 2014. I have already conveyed need for improvement in your behaviour as desired as desired by your project leader and colleagues. They are yet to notice any visible improvements. I am apprehensive that your failure to act may warrant further action leading to dismissal. I will continue to monitor and assess your performance over the next three months to determine whether improvements meet the expectations. At the same time, I would like to re - affirm that you are very valuable for our organization.
Best Wishes,
Mr. A. Patel
HR Director
Initially, the e - mail distracted Dipangshu but he decided to focus on the job. Which of the following options might best explain his decision to do so?
Solution
It is given that he wants to focus on his job. This infers that he is prioritising his work and doesn't want to neglect the same. He also came to the office early to assist in the presentation. All these indicate that he is very particular about his job and doesn't want to complicate things.
The answer is option E.
The scheduled presentation went off smoothly. Back in his cabin, Dipangshu read Mr. Patel’s e - mail once more and pondered over it. During the last meeting he tried hard to put forward his explanation but Mr. Patel had not allowed him to speak. Dipangshu was thinking of meeting Mr. Patel once again but was doubtful that would help. Incidentally, he had a job offer from a start - up with a comparable salary. If Dipangshu was to join the new job, he had to accept the offer within the next two weeks. However, he cannot think of a life without a job. Dipangshu was confused!
Which of the following options would be the best move for Dipangshu?
Solution
As he doesn't want to become jobless, options B, C and D are not the right actions to be followed. Among the remaining options, option E is the appropriate one.
The answer is option E.
After a couple of weeks, Mr. Patel came to know that Dipangshu’s project leader Mr. John, a very competent senior executive, may have wil fully influenced his team members to file a wrong complaint against Dipangshu. Mr. John may have done it because Dipangshu has refused to tow John’s line. Mr. Patel also came to know that Dipangshu was thinking of quitting this job. He felt regretful about his letter to Dipangshu. He wanted to resolve the complicated situation. He was contemplating following five actions in his mind.
I. Talk to Mr. John about Dipangshu and convey to him that losing a bright employee would cost the organization dearly.
II. Catch up with Mr. John during coffee break and convey that Dipangshu has a very good track record.
III. Chat with Dipangshu during coffee break.
IV. Catch up with Dipangshu during coffee break and convey that the organization values him.
V. Arrange a meeting among Mr. John, Dipangshu and himself to sort out the difference.
Which of the following is the best sequence of actions for resolving the problem?
Solution
To solve the issue, Mr.Patil should talk to Mr.John and Dipangshu individually and later arrange a meeting together to sort out the differences.
Correct order: I, IV, V
The answer is option D.
Answer questions on the basis of information given in the following case.
A few years back Mr. Arbit and Mr. Boring started an oil refinery business. Their annual earing is currently just 50,000 million rupees. They are now exploring various options to improve the business. Mr. Xanadu, a salesperson from Innovative Technology Solutions (ITS), is trying to sell a new oil refinery technology to Mr. Arbit and Mr. Boring. This technology could potentially enhance their annual earning to 150,000 million rupees within a year. But they have to make one - time investment of 100,000 million rupees to implement the technology. If the technology is not successful, the investment would be lost. Mr. Arbit and Mr. Boring are discussing about possible risks of the investment.
Mr. Arbit is enthusiastic about this investment idea but Mr. Boring is a little sceptical. This impasse makes them approach a consultant. The consultant makes some observations. Which of the following observations, made by the consultant, might reduce Mr. Arbit’s enthusiasm for the new investment idea?
Solution
Share
Options B and C increase the enthusiasm. Options D and E neither increases nor decrease the enthusiasm. Among the given options, option A is the appropriate one. Option A to some extent will decrease the enthusiasm of Mr. Arbit.
The answer is option A.
In order to sell the technology to Mr. Arbit and Mr. Boring, Mr. Xanadu is thinking of five possible sales pitches. Which of the following sales pitches would reduce uncertainties the most for Mr. Arbit and Mr. Boring?
Solution
Options A, B, and E doesn't clear the possibility of technological failure. Option C states that the chances of success are high, and option D states that the team is working, but we are not sure if it is a success. Therefore, option C is the appropriate one.
The answer is option C.
Mr. Arbit and Mr. Boring did not invest in the new technology, but the new technology is a big success. Repentant, they are now estimating the additional amount they would have earned ( i.e. forgone earnings) had they invested in the new technology. However, the two owners differed on expected lifespan of the new technology. Mr. Arbit expected lifespan to be 5 years, whereas, Mr. Boring expected it to be 2 years. After the technology gets out - dated, the earnings from the business would drop back to 50,000 million rupees. What would be the difference between two expected foregone earnings after 5 years of the technology investment, if yearly earnings are deposited in a bank @10%, compounded annually?
Note: Forgone Earnings = (Earnings from business with new technology) - (Earnings from business without new technology)
Solution
As the earnings from business without new technology will be same in both the cases, calculating the difference of earnings from business with new technology will be the answer.
Difference in forgone earnings = $$1,50,000\left(\left(1.1\right)^4+\left(1.1\right)^3+\left(1.1\right)^2+\left(1.1\right)^1+1\right)-50,000\left(\left(1.1\right)^2+\left(1.1\right)+1\right)-1,50,000\left(\left(1.1\right)^4+\left(1.1\right)^3\right)$$
= 331000
The answer is option B.
Answer questions on the basis of information given in the following case.
Life saving Pharmaceuticals ( LSP) is India - based Pharmaceuticals Company. Their business mostly revolves around a couple of generic drugs and a few patented drugs. LSP operates in 30 odd countries and more than 50% of their sales volume is from outside India.
If more than 50% of their sales volume is from generic drugs, which of the following options is definitely correct?
(Note : All percentages figures are with respect to total sales volume)
Solution
Option D is the correct answer. Let us examine the choices individually:
Option A: [Incorrect] [If the sales volume of patented drugs in India is 43%, the sales volume of generic drugs in India will be less than 43%.]
We can create the following 2*2 matrix to process the data [note: text in red = given information; text in blue = required value]
It is evident that the sales volume of generic drugs in India will be less than 7% (and not 43%) [For instance, the value cannot be 40% but instead must be below 7%]
Option B: [Incorrect] [If the sales volume of generic drugs in foreign countries is at least 24%, the sales volume of patented drugs in India will be above 24%.]
It is evident that the sales volume of patented drugs in India will be below 24%.
Option C: [Incorrect] [If the sales volume of patented drugs in India is 54%, the sales volume of generic drugs in foreign countries will be above 54%.]
The instructions specify that the sales volume in India is below 50%; therefore, the sales volume of patented drugs in India must also be below 50% (i.e. it cannot take the value specified in the option)
Option D: [Correct] [If the sales volume of patented drugs in India is 29%, the sales volume of generic drugs in foreign countries will be above 29%]
It is evident that the sales volume of generic drugs in foreign countries will be above 29%
Option E: [Incorrect] [If the sales volume of generic drugs in India is at least 60%, the sales volume of patented drugs in foreign countries will be above 60%.]
The instructions specify that the sales volume in India is below 50%; therefore, the sales volume of generic drugs in India must also be below 50% (i.e. it cannot take the value specified in the option)
Mr. Sinha, a senior executive of LSP, observes that their business in India is not vibrant. LSP faces stiff competition from Indian and global players, except in rural areas. Interestingly, most of their sales in the rural area are from cough syrup, used as sedatives by teenagers. Mr. Sinha is planning the following actions to improve business in the long run.
I. Invest in development of new drugs.
II. Increase sales of cough syrup in the rural markets.
III. Try and cut costs.
IV. Recruit more medical representatives in the rural areas.
Which of the following sequences is best arranged in the descending order of appropriateness?
Solution
IV doesn't help in expanding business in long run, options D and E are eliminated. It is important to have wide range of products, I is the most appropriate one. Cost cutting also increases the profits. Therefore, I is followed by III. Concentrating on a product which already have good market also increases the profit. Therefore, the order is I, III and II.
The answer is option A.
Mr. Rastogi, HR head of LSP, is contemplating of transferring MR. Jose, from India to their Luxembourg office. Mr. Jose’s wife is also with the HR department of LSP. The couple is expecting their first child within next four months and hence they want to be together. Mr. Rastogi is wondering whether Mr.Jose would accept the transfer. If he doesn’t, Mr. Rastogi would have to send a less competent person for this job as early as possible. The office in Luxembourg is very important for the company’s future. It is at its nascent stage and does not yet have an HR department. Hence, it is not possible to transfer Mrs. Jose to Luxembourg.
Which of the following options would be most appropriate, from the organization’s perspective, to resolve the issue?
Solution
It is mentioned that somebody has to be sent to Luxembourg as soon as possible. This implies, options C and E are eliminated. Options A and D are not the best actions to solve the issue. Giving Mrs. Jose option to work from home while in Luxembourg so that she can be with Mr.Jose is the most appropriate one.
The answer is option B.
Mr. Khan used to work as the Vice President of LSP India. However, he had resigned from LSP India for a better job in New York. In the meantime, his wife was promoted to head the HR of LSP India. Mrs. Khan had struggled hard to reach this position and was quite popular and respected within the organization. Mrs. Khan was contemplating whether she should give up her career and join him in New York. Mrs. Khan is considering the following actions:
I. Take a break for the time being and focus on personal life. Given her reputation, she can always get back to the same job, if required.
II. Go to New York, on leave without pay for two months to help Mr. Khan settle down. After that she can come back and resume her responsibility in LSP India.
III. Request Mr. Khan to look for an equivalent job in India.
IV. Resign form LSP India, join Mr. Khan in New York, and look for a similar job there.
V. Request LSP India for a similar position in LSP USA and follow Mr. Khan to New York.
Which of the following sequence of actions can be immediately taken by Mrs. Khan to
maintain her work - life balance?
Solution
I, III and IV indicate that giving up work to concentrate on personal life. These are not correct steps to maintain work life balance. II and V are the appropriate steps to maintain work life balance.
The answer is option D.
Answer questions on the basis of information given in the following case.
Mohan’s was a popular fast - food joint at Connaught Place, Delhi. Initially Mohan handled his business alone. His sons, Ram and Kishan, joined the business after graduation from college. Ram was entrepreneurial in nature. Subsequently, another branch of Mohan’s was opened in Panipat. Mohan had chosen Ram to head the Panipat branch. Though Ram increased sales in short time, he had stopped using premium quality organic vegetables, the speciality of Mohan’s. Mohan and Kishan were not happy with his way of doing business.
Now, the foremost challenge for Mohan was to sort out this issue with Ram. Mohan knew that replacing Ram with Kishan was difficult as Kishan did not want to leave Delhi. However, giving a freehand to Ram might have long term negative consequences. Mohan was confused about the future of course of actions.
Mohan sought the help of five consultants, who give the following opinions:
I. Organic vegetables might be a big success at Connaught place but awareness about organic vegetables is low among Panipat customers.
II. The Connaught place model can be implemented in Panipat provided the business is prepared to face the consequences.
III. Many high end restaurants in Panipat use organic vegetables. So, using organic vegetables will not be a differentiating factor.
IV. Selling prices of their dishes in Panipat are significantly lower. Using organic vegetables will bring down profits.
V. Premium quality organic vegetables are not easily available in Panipat.
Which of the following set of options would support Ram’s argument of not using organic vegetables?
Solution
Statement I mentions that the awareness about organic vegetables is low in Panipat. Therefore, this supports Ram's argument. Statement II doesn't mention anything about Ram not using premium quality organic vegetables. Statements III, IV and V support Ram's argument for not using organic vegetables.
The answer is option C.
Mohan sought feedback from a few of his businessmen friends, who were familiar with both the branches. Here is what they said:
- Businessman 1 : Customers of Connaught place and Panipat are very different.
- Businessman 2 : Customers in Panipat are extremely happy with Ram’s behaviour.
- Businessman 3 : Panipat branch does not use the same quality of ingredients but maintains good hygiene and taste.
- Businessman 4 : Who knows, tomorrow the customers of Panipat might also appreciate what Connaught place customers appreciate today!
If Mohan thinks all these are valid concerns, which of the following actions would be best for the business?
Solution
Since the customers of Panipat are happy with Ram's behaviour, replacing Ram with Kishan will not be a very good idea.
Also, if the hypothesis of Businessman 4 in future somehow becomes a reality, Mohan cannot give Ram full control over the branch.
Since option D aptly captures these concerns and opportunities, it is the correct option.
After discussing with a few customers, Mohan realised that compromising on the quality of ingredients at Panipat branch may not be good idea but at the same time he also realised that Panipat branch had grown fast. He was contemplating following five actions. Which of the following actions would be the best for the future of his business?
Solution
Mohan realised that compromising the quality of ingredients at the Panipat branch may not be a good idea. Instead of sending a new person or closing the Panipat branch, Mohan himself is the better option to look after the Panipat branch.
The answer is option B.
Answer questions on the basis of information given in the following case.
MBA entrance examination comprises two types of problems: formula - based problems and application - based problem. From the analysis of past data, Interesting School of Management (ISM) observes that students good at solving application - based problems are entrepreneurial in nature. Coaching institutes for MBA entrance exams train them to spot formula - based problems and answer them correctly, so as to obtain the required overall cut - off percentile. Thus students, in general, shy away from application - based problem and even those with entrepreneurial mind - set target formula - based problems.
Half of a mark is deducted for every wrong answer.
ISM wants more students with entrepreneurial mind - set in the next batch. To achieve this, ISM is considering following proposals:
I. Preparing a question paper of two parts, Parts A and Part B of duration of one hour each. Part A and Part B would consist of formula - based problems and application - based problems, respectively. After taking away Part A, Part B would be distributed. The qualifying cut - off percentile would be calculated on the combined scores of two parts.
II. Preparing a question paper comprising Part A and Part B. While Part A would comprise formula - based problems, Part B would comprise application - based problems, each having a separate qualifying cut - off percentile.
III. Assigning one mark for formula - based problems and two marks for application based problems as an incentive for attempting application - based problems.
IV. Allotting one mark for formula - based problems and three marks for application - based problem, without mentioning this is the question paper.
Which of the following proposal (or combination of proposals) is likely to identify students with best entrepreneurial mind - set?
Solution
I doesn't help because we cannot calculate the sectional cutoff and cannot identify the students with the best entrepreneurial mindset. II helps calculate sectional cutoffs and further helps identify the required students. III encourages students to attempt application-based questions as they carry high weightage. IV doesn't help because if students don't know, they start solving formulae-based questions as usual.
The answer is option D.
ISM conducts a common entrance examination every year. This year, the question paper would comprise 60 questions with an equal mix of formula - based problems and application - based problems. All questions would carry equal marks. Balaji is appearing for the examination. Before, appearing for the examination he gets the following information from coaching institutes:
I. Application - oriented problems take more time to solve in an examination hall.
II. Chances of silly mistakes would be low in application - based problems.
III. ISM would assist the students with bank loans to start a new venture.
IV. Options are generally con fusing for formula - based problems.
V.‘Practice makes a man perfect’ can apply only to formula - based problems.
VI. Students get very good campus jobs.
Based on above information, which of the following options would help him to be better
prepared for the examination?
Solution
In this question, we should consider the points that help Balaji score better in the examination. Statements III and VI discuss the benefits of joining the college and don't mention any point related to the exam, while statements I, II, IV and V would help in Balaji's preparation.
The answer is option E.
For the following questions answer them individually
Answer question on the basis of information given in the following case.
Innovative Institute of Business (IIB) has decided to be the first green campus in India. IIB Administration has advised all campus residents to reduce carbon footprints. IIB faculty members did a brainstorming and came up with the following suggestions:
I. Replacing electricity source for street lights with solar panels.
II. Replacing the existing buildings with environment friendly buildings.
III. Organizing a seminar on ‘Towards a Sustainable Future’ involving all students, staff, and experts from around the country.
IV. Introducing a compulsory course on sustainability to increase awareness among students.
V. Conducting an initial energy audit to explore where IIB can reduce carbon footprints.
Which of the following options would be the most preferred sequence of actions to reduce carbon footprints on campus?
Solution
We need to identify opportunities first and then implement them accordingly. Therefore, order is V, I, II.
The answer is option C.
