XAT Decision Making Questions

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Vidya, a Bachelor of Commerce graduate, secured admission to one of India’s premier business schools (B schools) called Best-Known School of Management (BKSM). Not long after her joining BKSM, she was struck by the calibre of her experienced peers. This, in turn, made her anxious about her placement. Hence, she reached out to one of her seniors, who had also joined BKSM as a fresher, for advice.

In conversations with the senior, Vidya learned that freshers were often advised to join student committees to strengthen their curriculum vitae (CVs) for placements. Confident of making it to one, she started preparing. Despite her confidence, she could not secure a spot in the prominent committees she aspired to join.

Frustrated and angry, Vidya began believing that committee selections were biased. Since the processes were entirely student-run, with minimal administrative oversight, she felt that she had no avenue to raise her concerns. Anjali, Vidya’s roommate in BKSM, told her about Why MBA, a social media platform where students often voiced their grievances anonymously.

Question 1

Impulsively, Vidya secretly recorded her next committee interview. The interview turned out to be particularly harsh. Now, she was even more determined to post the transcript of the interview on Why MBA to teach a lesson to her seniors. However, she contemplated the consequences she might face after posting the transcript.

Which of the following considerations will BEST stop her from sharing the transcript on Why MBA?

Every interview is unique, and it will be easy to guess her identity from the transcript.

In recent past, many such posts were shared on Why MBA, but not much changed in committee selection processes.

A few seniors who never made it to committees still secured good placements.

Sharing such posts on Why MBA may present the committee selection processes in a bad light.

Sharing such posts on Why MBA may negatively impact the morale of student committee members.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Question 2

Vidya secretly recorded her next committee interview. The very next day, Vidya was selected for the same committee for which she had recorded the interview. Relieved, she decided not to post anything on Why MBA.

However, a few days later, a post went viral on Why MBA about BKSM, accusing the student committees of unfair practices, claiming that seniors selected juniors based on personal preferences rather than objective criteria. The post created a stir in BKSM, making Vidya anxious.

Vidya’s anxiety stemmed from the fact that Anjali, her confidant, knew about Vidya’s intent to publish her interview transcript on Why MBA. Hence, Vidya feared that Anjali might assume that she was behind the viral post. Worse still, if Anjali shared Vidya’s earlier intent with anyone at BKSM, her reputation and relationships could be damaged.

What BEST can Vidya do in the current situation so that she is NOT negatively impacted by the viral post?

Request Why MBA to disclose the name of the person who shared the viral post.

Share a post of admiration on Why MBA about the committee that has selected her.

Do not worry about Anjali as Anjali has a limited friend circle.

Inform the committee that, while Vidya had secretly recorded her interview with them, she had nothing to do with the viral post.

Have a discussion with Anjali and clarify that Vidya had nothing to do with the viral post.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Question 3

A few committee secretaries complained to the dean of BKSM about some anonymous posts on Why MBA that they felt were unfairly targeting them. Upon visiting the forums on Why MBA, the dean felt that while most of the posts were innocuous, some indeed crossed the line. Further, she felt that such posts tarnished the image of BKSM. Conversely, she observed that such posts led those targeted to reflect, mend their ways, and become more accountable. She wondered what she could do to save the reputation of BKSM being assailed in public forums through anonymous posts; however, she did not want to do anything disproportionately harsh.

What BEST can the dean do to take a sustainable decision to dissuade students from posting their grievances in public forums, presenting the college in a bad light?

Ask the IT head to run digital surveillance, and catch students posting anything degrading about BKSM in any public forum.

Announce that she will run daily open houses to hear student grievances.

Create an anonymous in-house forum within BKSM, where the students could discuss anything without consequences.

Announce that she will run all committee selections personally.

Ban access to public forums like Why MBA on the campus.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Business schools’ (B schools) curriculums are filled with group assignments and case competitions. Even when students have just joined the B schools, corporate houses try to catch good talent early by promising them internships based on case competitions. These competitions involve comprehending the problems presented by the organizations, analyzing the challenges they currently face, and presenting solutions in a manner that convinces the organizations’ representatives who visit the B schools to evaluate various teams that present their solutions on such problems.

For students who are just joining a B school, the capability to actually solve such problems is quite limited. Because of that, the corporate houses generally are more focused on the presentations made by groups. Hence, the groups that communicate better, most often, win these competitions.

Abirami joins MBS, a B school. As a fresher, she believes she needs to learn a lot about how organizations work and wants to work with others who have joined MBS and have work experience.

Question 4

The first step that Abirami wants to take is to join a group, having members with extensive work experience. Meanwhile, students with prior work experience have come together and formed groups. She reaches out to one such group. However, the group members are not interested since she is a fresher. They are unsure whether she can bring any value to case competitions that involve understanding, recommending and presenting solutions to organizational problems.

Which of the following reasons, IF TRUE, will BEST convince the group members that Abirami will be a valuable member of the group for case competitions?

She has closely observed her mother working and hence understands the way organizations work.

The MNC, where her father is employed, floats the most popular case competition for MBS students.

She is a good debater who can logically think and argue on the go.

She is a good listener, and can grasp key aspects of the problem at hand very quickly.

She has interned with her fathers’ firm for two weeks, during her graduation.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Abirami joins MBS, a B school. As a fresher, she believes she needs to learn a lot about how organizations work and wants to work with others who have joined MBS and have work experience.

Question 5

Abirami cannot join groups having members with work experience; they reject her for being a fresher. Meanwhile, three of her batchmates, all freshers, are interested in forming a group with her. Abirami likes being with them as two of them are from her undergraduate college; however, Abirami fears that they may all come up with similar ideas during case discussions.

Which of the following reasons, IF TRUE, will BEST persuade Abirami to join them?

These three batchmates are Abirami’s closest friend at MBS.

These three batchmates were toppers in their respective streams during graduation.

MBS’s professors generally appreciate these three batchmates’ inputs during case discussions.

Students with work experience have formed their own groups, rejecting freshers.

Some organizations prefer to offer internship opportunities to freshers over those with work experience.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Abirami joins MBS, a B school. As a fresher, she believes she needs to learn a lot about how organizations work and wants to work with others who have joined MBS and have work experience.

Question 6

Abirami eventually joins a group, largely comprised of students with work experience. Whenever competition calls are announced, the group meets to discuss the competition. As competitions go by, Abirami observes that her views are hardly heard in meetings, though the other group members make it a point to invite her to every meeting. Since Abirami doesn’t get acknowledged for her ideas in group discussions, she starts reflecting on what she has gained so far by being a part of the group.

Which of the following pieces of information will BEST convince Abirami that being in the group is beneficial to her?

Members of other groups shared with her that, while her group worked together, their groups rarely met, and worked in silos.

She can focus on her academics and still reap benefits from the group’s success, if any.

Her only responsibility is to submit the final presentation to the company concerned after reviewing for language errors.

Her group has already been shortlisted for the final rounds of three of the four competitions they have participated in, so far.

The group meetings that she has attended so far have taught her a lot about how organizations work.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Mr. Screwvala, a highly successful investment banker, had a career of nearly 25 years. In his circle, he was respected for his straight-shooter image and industrious behaviour. Screwvala loved travelling; he travelled extensively, both for his job and personal interests. He always wanted to share his life experiences with people at large.

He chanced upon such an opportunity when his old friend, Mr. Patel, a well-known publisher, offered Screwvala to publish a book based on his life experiences. Screwvala grabbed the opportunity; however, given his thorough nature, he took a three-year long sabbatical to finish the book.

During that period, Patel guided Screwvala at every step, reviewing every chapter personally. At the end, the book was probably as much Patel’s, as it was Screwvala’s!

On publication, the book turned out to be a bestseller, and Screwvala became famous.

Question 7

Patel had a new proposal for Screwvala: he wanted Screwvala to work on a detective novel. Patel promised him good money but proposed that Screwvala would only write the final chapter of the novel, after his co-authors had completed the first nine chapters. Screwvala was surprised at the offer, since he never tried writing anything creative, and definitely not fiction. He wanted to be sure whether he could actually measure up with the co-authors who were established creative writers.

Which of the following, IF TRUE, will be the MOST compelling reason for Screwvala to accept the offer?

Screwvala is earning a decent royalty on the sales of his first book.

Patel is an experienced publisher who mentored many successful writers in the past.

Screwvala loved taking up challenging assignments during his stint as an investment banker.

Writing the novel will pay Screwvala to travel across the globe.

Screwvala has enjoyed working on his first book and does not want to go back to investment banking.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

During that period, Patel guided Screwvala at every step, reviewing every chapter personally. At the end, the book was probably as much Patel’s, as it was Screwvala’s!

On publication, the book turned out to be a bestseller, and Screwvala became famous.

Question 8

Patel had a new proposal for Screwvala: he wanted Screwvala to work on a detective novel. Patel proposed that Screwvala would only write the final chapter of the detective novel, after his co-authors. Screwvala accepted the offer.

Though the project started on time, a few of the authors could not manage to submit their chapters within the given timeline. Hence, it created a delay for the authors to follow.

Having to wait endlessly for the other authors to finish their chapters, with no end in sight, Screwvala started getting impatient. In the meantime, he was offered another proposal from a rival publisher to write a travelogue on a country of his choice, which would involve all-expense-paid trips. Because of his love for travel, Screwvala felt inclined to accept the offer. However, this would mean getting out of the contract of the detective novel, which could cause a serious friction with Patel.

Which of the following, IF TRUE, will be the MOST compelling reason for Screwvala to continue with the detective-novel project?

Screwvala has already invested considerable time in the detective novel.

Patel did tell Screwvala that writing the detective novel would test his patience.

Screwvala believes that he owes it to Patel for the help he has received in his journey as a writer.

The rival publisher is not as well-known as Patel.

Screwvala is not sure whether writing two books on similar topics consecutively will be well received.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

During that period, Patel guided Screwvala at every step, reviewing every chapter personally. At the end, the book was probably as much Patel’s, as it was Screwvala’s!

On publication, the book turned out to be a bestseller, and Screwvala became famous.

Question 9

While waiting for his turn to come to write his chapter for the detective novel, Screwvala started writing a travel blog. Because of his radiant style, the blog became popular. Hence, he started mulling over converting the blog articles into a book.

When Screwvala shared this idea, Patel sprung a surprise by pointing out to a clause in their contract. The clause forbade Screwvala from publishing anything else until the detective novel got published. Screwvala signed the contract without reading it as he trusted Patel as a good friend. Further, Patel offered Screwvala an extra sum of money if he would delay the publication of his travel blog articles as a book.

Screwvala felt betrayed. Which of the following will be the MOST compelling reason for Screwvala to continue with publishing his blog as a book, ignoring the contract with Patel?

Screwvala feels that most readers who like his writing style are already regular readers of his blog as well.

Screwvala discovers that Patel replaced an originally contracted author from the project because of Patel's differences with the author.

It is never Screwvala’s nature to take it quietly when he realizes that he has been taken unfair advantage of.

Screwvala is frustrated with the slow progress of the detective novel and has lost interest in it.

Screwvala’s lawyer believes that if Screwvala is desperate, he can try helping Screwvala in getting out of the contract, by offering Patel a reasonable compensation.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

MultiKrack, one of the oldest FMCG companies in Eastern India, was run by the Malhotras, a traditional business family, for generations. The organization believed that key positions should be held only by family members and close friends.

But, as the organization grew in size, the top management decided to bring in fresh thinking and fill key positions from premier management institutions. The need for such a decision was also brought upon by changes in consumer preferences, which the top management felt could be best handled by recruiting premier talent from the younger generation (Gen Z).

MultiKrack drew the best talent, from premier management institutions, by offering highly attractive salaries. The first batch of Gen Z management trainees joined MultiKrack. Anindita was one of the seven management trainees recruited. She reported to Uday, a senior manager, who directly reported to the top management.

Question 10

In one of the meetings, Uday was making a presentation on positioning their most popular product to make it more appealing to Gen Z. Unhappy with the discussion, Anindita candidly shared her concern regarding the assumptions Uday made about Gen Z. Uday immediately retorted: “Anindita, this is a discussion for adults. Kids, like you, should listen for a few months before sharing their opinion.” Further, he remarked, “you Gen Z have opinions about everything regardless of the subject.” Thereafter, he brushed aside any views Anindita attempted to share during the discussion. After the meeting, Anindita felt offended. However, when she discussed it with other management trainees, they did not find anything wrong with what Uday said. Even then, she decided to do something about such a treatment, since it would be seen as an approved behaviour.

Which of the following options will BEST help Anindita in taking an appropriate stand against Uday’s behaviour?

Urge other management trainees to petition the top management jointly with her.

Meet up with the top management and lodge a formal complaint against Uday.

Meet Uday in person and remind him why she, a Gen Z, was hired in the first place.

Before actively participating in meetings, wait for a few months as Uday suggested.

Ask her colleagues to talk to Uday on behalf of her.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Question 11

Anindita was passionate about bringing a change in her organization. Thus, she went thoroughly prepared for every meeting. However, she soon realized that her ideas were not taken up for discussions during meetings. She often felt looked down upon by Uday who dismissed her suggestions without even hearing them out. When she discussed her experience with other management trainees from other departments, she came to know that this was a common practice across MultiKrack. They wanted to do something about it; however, they were clueless about the course of action, since their seniors did not seem to be interested in listening to them.

Which of the following actions by the management trainees will be MOST effective in improving the treatment of Gen Z at MultiKrack?

Focus on proving themselves professionally, and be patient until attitudes change in general.

Reach out to the top management and explain how the attitude of the seniors is affecting their morale.

Seek informal meetings with seniors belonging to Gen X and try to explain the Gen Z point of view.

Create an informal support group to deal with the duress of handling the MultiKrack seniors.

Confront their colleagues directly whenever they come across as unfair and rude.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Question 12

A few months passed. Anindita was a valuable member of her team and the top management was impressed with her. However, the other management trainees left the organization. In their exit interviews, they shared the condescending behavior of senior management as the reason for their departure. Some even left MultiKrack to join organizations that paid lesser than what MultiKrack paid. The top management understood that the seniors belonged to a different generation; they found it difficult to appreciate the intergenerational differences. The top management felt it was high time to do something about the senior management’s behavior towards the juniors.

Which of the following actions, considered by the top management, will BEST enable change in the senior management's behavior?

Keep management trainees in mostly independent roles to limit their interactions with senior management.

Ask Gen Z to rate the senior management on their behavior every quarter.

Hire more Gen Z and fast track them to senior management based on performance.

Invest in diversity, equity and inclusion training, using mass exodus as a turning point for the organization to embrace.

Issue a company-wide warning that any form of discrimination will result in disciplinary action.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Selvam Tutorials offers exclusive face-to-face evening classes from Monday to Friday for students who are preparing for various entrance exams. Selvam Dindigul, the owner, operates from his ancestral house, situated in the middle of the city. There are several instructors, but each teaches only one of the following courses: quantitative ability, verbal ability and decision making. Selvam usually recruits fresh graduates, or those instructors who are working with other tutorials and seeking a job change.

As Selvam Tutorials has been expanding aggressively over the past few years, managing it alone becomes challenging for Selvam. Hence, he recruits Kanmani Gunaa, his niece, who has an online MBA with specializations in Accountancy and HR, as a manager. He asks Kanmani to introduce modern HR practices at Selvam Tutorials while managing cost effectively.

Question 13

Soon after Kanmani takes over, she discovers that every instructor is paid differently even though they teach for the same number of hours. Moreover, these instructors have been recruited locally, having similar educational background. As she is introducing modern HR practices, she wants to equalize the salaries of all the instructors.

Which of the following is definitely NOT an option for Kanmani?

Kanmani should create a new policy about equalizing salaries and get it approved by Selvam before implementing it.

Kanmani should ask Selvam the reasons behind the salaries being unequal.

Kanmani should suggest Selvam that all instructors are paid equally.

Kanmani should not interfere with salaries, since it is a sensitive topic.

Kanmani should find out what other tutorials are practising and follow the most popular practice.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Question 14

One of the instructors meets Kanmani and urgently requests for a week-long leave because he needs to take care of his ailing father in a nearby village. Kanmani grants him leave. However, on the very next day, she is chastised by Selvam. He tells Kanmani, “while all instructors are legally eligible for leave, we cannot grant leave to instructors, given the tight schedule and continuous classes.” Selvam instructs Kanmani to ensure that, when classes are on, leaves are not granted.

Kanmani wants to allow instructors to avail leaves whenever they need them; however, she understands that there should be contingency arrangements in place so that the deliverables are not compromised.

Kanmani is contemplating the following contingency arrangements for the classes that may not be conducted due to faculty leave.

Which of the following will be the BEST contingency arrangement at the lowest possible cost without compromising on the deliverables?

She should ask instructors, who want to take leave, to conduct make up classes for the missed classes over the weekend.

She should ask instructors, who want to take leave, to find replacements from outside the tutorial, if at all they want to take leave.

She should hire one extra instructor in each course and use them whenever any instructor needs leave.

She should reward every instructor who does not take leave, with 2% of their wage, to encourage them not to take leave.

She should ask instructors, who want to take leave, to squeeze in the content of the missed classes in the remaining classes.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Question 15

Kanmani meets Selvam and requests his permission to recruit three extra instructors, who would be on the regular payroll. They will only chip in whenever the regular instructors go on leave. Selvam, having been running the tutorial for quite some time, believes that this would not be the right way to solve the problem of managing classes when instructors go on leave. He shares the following data with Kanmani to help her understand that this problem cannot be solved by recruiting more people:

a) The number of days that instructors go on leave of absence is usually two days a month on average.
b) Each instructor has a unique style of teaching that cannot be replicated by part-timers.
c) Classes are held for 5 days a week, allowing enough rest for the instructors.
d) Selvam tried with part-time instructors as back-ups previously but they were often unavailable when needed.
e) The extra instructors must be paid a monthly salary, even when they might not be teaching the entire month.

Which of the following combinations of data will BEST convince Kanmani not to recruit extra instructors on the regular payroll?

c, d, e

a, b, c

b, d, e

a, b, e

a, c, e

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Abhishek, a student of a prestigious business school, gets interested in Payeasy, a fintech firm, after listening to a pre-placement talk by Neha Bhupati, a senior leader at the firm, and an alumna of the same business school. He joins Payeasy through campus placement. Neha plays a key role in recruiting him, seeing great potential in him.

Abhishek starts working in the digital payments vertical under Mukesh Kumar, who reports directly to Neha. Mukesh, Abhishek’s direct superior, is impressed by his performance and rates him very high in the first year. Abhishek understands that if Mukesh consistently rates him as “Excellent Performer” for the second year as well, his chances of getting promoted will improve. (The organization promotes individuals who are consistently rated as “Excellent Performer” for at least two years by their immediate superiors.)

Over time, Abhishek realizes that the learning opportunities in his current role have plateaued. Given his longstanding interest in blockchain and cryptocurrency, he starts exploring opportunities in that vertical within the company. This change is not possible without the consent of his immediate boss, Mukesh. When Abhishek brings this up with Mukesh, he acknowledges Abhishek’s curiosity and enthusiasm; however, he emphasizes how Abhishek’s competencies fit him rightly into the current vertical. Mukesh assures Abhishek of more challenging assignments in the future, provided he remains a good team player. Further, he shares his skepticism about the long-term prospects of cryptocurrency. Hence, Mukesh politely declines Abhishek’s request.

Question 16

Abhishek is not happy with Mukesh’s decision. Abhishek is aware that he needs to be in the good books of Mukesh for his performance rating. However, he is passionate about cryptocurrency; hence, he considers approaching Neha directly to discuss a possible move. Neha can take such decisions independently, but Neha and Mukesh usually see eye to eye on most issues.B49

Which of the following reasons, IF TRUE, will BEST encourage Abhishek to reach out to Neha regarding his desired change to a different vertical?

Neha is known to Abhishek as they are alumni of the same business school.

Mukesh is infamous for not letting his team members go to any other vertical.

A colleague got her vertical changed by presenting her case to the higher-ups, bypassing her immediate boss.

Abhishek strongly feels that he cannot continue for one more year in his current role.

The crypto team is always running short of talented employees.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Question 17

Dissatisfied with Mukesh’s response, Abhishek reaches out to Neha for a vertical change. Though she listens to Abhishek, she shares her displeasure with the request. In fact, she brushes his request off, telling him to resign from Payeasy if it does not charm him anymore. Abhishek gets worried as he has a huge educational loan to pay, and such a departure will put him in a fix.

Later that day, in one of the team meetings, Abhishek feels ignored as he is cut twice while he tries to share his project progress. Thereafter, he starts believing that Mukesh is not happy with him. This fear appears to get substantiated when Mukesh assigns an important project to another team member, which Abhishek wants to work on. His fear keeps growing regarding Neha and Mukesh not being happy with him. However, when he receives his annual rating, he finds out that Mukesh has rated him as the “best performer” of the year, based on his previous year’s performance.

Abhishek wants his relationship with Mukesh to be back on track, as it was, before he reached out to Neha.

Which of the following options will BEST enable Abhishek rebuild his relationship with Mukesh?

Abhishek should stay low profile for some time as time heals the past.

Abhishek should double down on his performance to demonstrate his value to the team.

Abhishek should request Mukesh for an open discussion to get rid of any misunderstandings.

Abhishek should request Neha to help him in rebuilding his relationship with Mukesh.

Abhishek should reach out to Mukesh and apologize for his perceived immaturity.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Question 18

After two years at Payeasy, Abhishek applies to a competing firm and is called for an interview. The hiring manager, Amit, is impressed with Abhishek and tells him that he will take the final decision to select Abhishek in a day or two. After the interview, Amit wants to know more about Abhishek since Abhishek will be leading a team of 15 people and his people management skills are very important for the team’s success. He calls Mukesh, Abhishek's superior. Mukesh is Amit's classmate who Amit trusts immensely. Mukesh informs Amit that though Abhishek is a good talent, he questions his superiors too often. Mukesh further shares that such a behavior makes it difficult for the superiors to manage the team.

Amit needs a good talent, but is confused if he should recruit Abhishek, given Mukesh’s assessment of Abhishek.

Which of the following data will BEST enable Amit to take a decision on Abhishek’s recruitment?

Amit’s organization is very democratic, where people are encouraged to share their critical views without any fear of consequences.

Two years back, Mukesh discouraged Amit from offering a role to one of his subordinates, who later went to a competing firm and is now a star performer there.

Payeasy has been seeing attrition of good talent to Amit’s organisation in the recent past due to the high salaries that Amit’s organization offers.

Mukesh is known to be very possessive of his subordinates.

Abhishek was kind and cooperative throughout the selection process of Amit’s organization.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Fine Elements Inc. is an Indian organization with a substantial presence in South and East India. The company is recruiting talent to expand in North and West India. The organization’s head of talent acquisition, Premnarayan, entrusts the interview process, a key stage in the recruitment process, to his line managers who take the responsibility of selecting candidates. Premnarayan, however, lays down stringent rules that the line managers need to follow to achieve consistent outcomes.

Joginder Mahato, a line manager, has been interviewing candidates. During the interview, Joginder realizes that one of the candidates, Animisha, called for the interview, does not satisfy the necessary condition of five years experience. Upon enquiring, he finds out that this happened due to an oversight by an inexperienced secretary who was asked to prepare the shortlist for the interview. However, as Animisha is present for the interview, he decides to conduct her interview. Joginder finds Animisha’s candidature to be the best among the candidates he has interviewed so far.

Question 19

Joginder wants to recommend Animisha for selection despite her not fulfilling the experience criterion.

Which of the following reasons, IF TRUE, will BEST convince Joginder to recommend Animisha?

The HR department has increased the experience criterion from 3 years to 5 years only this year.

Animisha interned with one of the verticals of Fine Elements Inc. during her graduation.

Animisha has a lucrative offer from a competing firm, for a similar role.

Joginder was selected in his current role, a decade back, even though he had not satisfied many of the eligibility criteria.

The role Animisha has applied for is one where getting good talent is not easy.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Question 20

Joginder shares his preference for Animisha with Premnarayan, the talent acquisition head. However, while rolling out the offer, Premnarayan realizes that Animisha does not meet the eligibility criteria. Though the recommendation has come from Joginder, who is a senior, he wants to reject Animisha for the role.

Which of the following reasons will BEST help him in rejecting Animisha’s candidature?

Animisha was given a job offer while she interned with Fine Elements Inc. but she declined it.

Premnarayan has overruled a few selection decisions of the seniors in the past.

Animisha already holds a job offer from a rival firm at a competing salary.

Joginder’s team, though lean, has been performing well for many years.

Other potential candidates were rejected because of the change in the experience criterion.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Question 21

Joginder recommends Animisha’s candidature only to be turned down by Premnarayan. However, he wants Premnarayan to reconsider his decision.

Hence, Joginder has compiled a list of reasons to persuade Premnarayan to reconsider Animisha’s selection:

A. Animisha is academically strong and a gold medalist during her graduation.
B. Animisha's experience is falling short only by a few months for the role she has applied for.
C. The number of applicants applied for the role she has applied for is very small.
D. Animisha’s college is known for producing the best business leaders for past many years.
E. Before he retired, Animisha’s maternal uncle was associated with Fine Elements Inc. for over 10 years.
F. Average industry experience for the role she has applied for is much lower than what Fine Elements Inc. has advertised.

Which of the following combination of reasons will BEST convince Premnarayan to reconsider his decision regarding Animisha’s selection for the role?

B, C, E

C, D, F

A, D, E

A, B, D

D, E, F

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Comprehension:
TrueColor, an event management company in eastern India, had been in a business of inviting Tollywood singers to a city called Tivanna, and made money out of selling tickets of their concerts. The stars were paid a fixed fee regardless of the number of tickets sold. The company had a specialized team that negotiated the singers’ fee with their managers. However, for selling the tickets of such events, they were reliant on an external media agency called Zedius. Zedius had a long-standing relationship with TrueColor, and had been instrumental in achieving a target of 50,000 tickets for each of the flagship events.

Mr. Sukanta Rao joined TrueColor as an inhouse sales and marketing manager, a position exclusively created for him. The CEO, Mr. Adil Banerjee, had assigned a task of increasing the sales of tickets to 100,000. In Sukanta’s earlier stint, he had seen that similar cities sell more than 75,000 tickets for such events. He felt that, over time, reaching 100,000 was plausible for TrueColor.

Question 1

Sukanta felt that the aspirational target can be achieved only if Zedius is replaced. However, he is not sure if he should make any major changes in his first year.

Which of the following reasons will BEST help Sukanta NOT to start making major changes immediately?

Zedius has managed TrueColor’s marketing for the last five years.

The owners of Zedius are respected citizens of Tivanna.

Sukanta needs more time to learn about the dynamics of the eastern market.

TrueColor recruited Sukanta specifically to increase ticket sales by whatever means necessary.

For around a decade, ticket sales have consistently hovered at 50,000.

Solution

Option C is the correct answer because Sukanta is new to TrueColor and the eastern market dynamics. Making major changes without fully understanding the local market and the nuances of how Zedius operates could lead to disruption or failure. Taking time to analyze the competitive landscape, customer preferences, and Zedius's current performance would provide Sukanta with the insights necessary to make informed decisions in the future. This approach also allows him to build trust with the team and gather data to support any major changes he may propose later. By not rushing into a decision, Sukanta ensures a smoother transition if changes are eventually required. This reasoning aligns with the principle of risk mitigation and cautious decision-making in a new role.

Option A: This option is incorrect because while Zedius’s long-standing relationship with TrueColor indicates their experience and familiarity with the company’s needs, it does not provide a strong enough reason for Sukanta to avoid making changes. The fact that Zedius has been managing marketing for five years is more of a descriptive fact than a justification to delay decisions. The decision to not make immediate changes should be based on Sukanta's need to assess the market and gather relevant data, not merely on Zedius's history with the company.

Option B: This option is incorrect because the reputation of Zedius’s owners, while noteworthy, does not necessarily reflect the effectiveness of their operations or their ability to meet TrueColor’s growing ticket sales target. Respect in the community does not directly address the business challenges TrueColor is facing, such as increasing ticket sales to 100,000. Sukanta's decision to delay changes should be rooted in a need to understand market dynamics and operational strengths, not in the personal standing of Zedius's owners. Therefore, this option is irrelevant to the core decision-making process.

Option D: This option is incorrect because it suggests that Sukanta should take bold and immediate action, which contradicts the idea of delaying major changes. While it is true that Sukanta was hired to increase ticket sales, "by whatever means necessary" does not imply that changes must happen immediately. Making significant changes without adequate understanding of the market and Zedius’s role could backfire and lead to poor results. Sukanta’s mandate is to achieve long-term growth, and taking time to evaluate the situation before acting would be a more prudent approach.

Option E: This option is incorrect because it focuses on the historical stagnation of ticket sales, which actually supports the case for change rather than delaying it. If ticket sales have consistently been at 50,000 for a decade, it suggests that there is a pressing need for new strategies or interventions to meet the aspirational target of 100,000. Therefore, this reason would encourage Sukanta to make immediate changes rather than wait and observe. It does not align with the decision to avoid making major changes in his first year.

Option C is the best choice because it provides a logical, strategic reason for Sukanta to delay making major changes. It acknowledges his need to familiarize himself with the market and gather insights before taking bold steps. The other options either fail to provide strong justifications for delaying action (A and B) or contradict the idea of postponing changes by suggesting immediate action (D and E). By prioritizing market understanding, Sukanta sets himself up for informed and effective decision-making in the future.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Question 2

Just two weeks before the flagship event, Adil received a few emails from competing media agencies that accused Zedius of selling phony tickets in the “black” market. When Adil enquired with the security agency in charge of gatekeeping the events, they told him that they had no mechanism to check the authenticity of tickets.

Which of the following options will BEST help Adil to ignore the accusations from the competing media agencies, and maintain status quo?

In Tivanna, the competing media agencies keep defaming each other out of fierce competition.

Zedius promises a particular threshold of ticket sales as decided by TrueColor.

Zedius is the largest media agency in Tivanna.

Some attendees admitted to paying cash to gate keepers to get in.

Tivanna being a small city, a few prominent personalities have to be allowed in without tickets.

Solution

Option A: In Tivanna, the competing media agencies keep defaming each other out of fierce competition. This option provides Adil with a valid and logical justification for ignoring the accusations against Zedius. By framing the allegations as a common tactic used by competing agencies in a fiercely competitive market, it effectively undermines the credibility of the claims. Adil can reasonably conclude that these accusations may be baseless and designed to tarnish Zedius’s reputation. This allows him to confidently maintain the status quo with Zedius, ensuring no disruption in the critical sales target of 100,000 tickets for the event.

Option B: Zedius promises a particular threshold of ticket sales, as decided by TrueColor is incorrect because it does not address the specific issue of accusations about selling phoney tickets. While this shows Zedius’s commitment to achieving sales targets, it provides no basis for Adil to judge the credibility of the competing agencies' allegations. The question requires an explanation for dismissing the claims, and this option does not contribute to that goal.

Option C: Zedius is the largest media agency in Tivanna is also not the correct answer. While being the largest agency might indicate that Zedius has a significant market presence or influence, it does not automatically prove its integrity or discredit the accusations. The size of the agency is irrelevant when assessing whether or not the allegations are true. Adil needs a reason to dismiss the accusations, and this option fails to provide one.

Option D: Some attendees admitted to paying cash to gatekeepers to get in works against the goal of ignoring the accusations. This option suggests that there may indeed be unethical practices happening at the events, thus lending credibility to the claims of fake ticket sales. Instead of helping Adil maintain the status quo, this option would encourage further investigation into the matter, which is the opposite of what the question is asking for.

Option E: Tivanna being a small city, a few prominent personalities have to be allowed in without tickets is irrelevant to the situation. This statement focuses on the practice of allowing free entry to VIPs, which has no connection to the accusations about selling black-market tickets. It neither supports Zedius nor provides Adil with a reason to ignore the allegations. Therefore, this option does not help in achieving the desired outcome.

Option A directly addresses the root of the problem by undermining the credibility of the accusations and presenting them as a tactic of market rivalry. The other options either fail to address the issue of credibility, are irrelevant to the situation, or actively work against the objective of maintaining the status quo.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Question 3

The following year, Sukanta discussed with Adil that unless they got into the ticket selling process, they might not be able to improve the ticket numbers. However, this would mean moving away from Zedius, and the transition could cause short-term pains since TrueColor would be entering into unchartered territory. Further, Sukanta added that TrueColor would achieve self-sufficiency over couple of years. Adil was concerned about the risk of taking over an activity that the organization was not competent at, but understood Sukanta’s point. In the interest of building long-term competencies, he authorized Sukanta to take it forward. Sukanta did not renew Zedius’s contract in the following year; instead, he recruited a skeletal team of three freshers from a premier business school as his support staff.

As the event approached, the team dedicated themselves to executing their plan. However, by the time the ticket sales window closed, they managed to sell only 40,000 tickets. This shift in strategy provoked considerable dissent within the company, challenging Sukanta's decision.

Disturbed by the situation, witnessing the internal turmoil, Adil must now navigate the company's immediate reaction.

Which of the following should now be Adil’s BEST course of action?

He should make Sukanta and his team to go back to Zedius immediately.

He should wait and watch as the investment in Sukanta may need more time to bear result.

He should engage a different media agency which is working for TrueColor’s main competitor.

He should dismiss Sukanta’s team and let the earlier media agency to take over.

He should threaten Sukanta that if sales do not improve by next year, he and his team will be fired.

Solution

Option B is the correct answer because Sukanta's strategy, though unsuccessful in the short term, is aimed at building long-term self-sufficiency for TrueColor. Transitioning from reliance on an external agency like Zedius to managing ticket sales internally was always expected to involve short-term challenges, as acknowledged by both Sukanta and Adil during their discussions. The failure to meet the sales target in the first year does not necessarily indicate a flawed strategy, as Sukanta and his newly recruited team require more time to learn, gain experience, and refine their processes. By adopting a "wait and watch" approach, Adil would provide the team with the time and space needed to realize their potential and build long-term capabilities for TrueColor. Prematurely reversing the decision would waste the investments made in Sukanta’s plan and undermine the organization’s commitment to long-term goals.

Option A: This option is incorrect because it disregards the strategic shift Adil had previously approved, which aimed to reduce dependence on external agencies and build internal capabilities for ticket sales. While Zedius had helped achieve past sales targets, going back to them immediately would indicate a lack of faith in Sukanta’s strategy and render the effort of creating an in-house team meaningless. Moreover, abruptly reversing the decision would demoralize Sukanta’s team and weaken the organization's commitment to long-term growth. The initial underperformance of Sukanta’s team should be seen as part of the learning curve rather than a reason to abandon the new strategy entirely.

Option C: This option is not the best course of action because it not only undermines the commitment to Sukanta’s plan but also introduces unnecessary risk. Partnering with a media agency working for TrueColor’s main competitor may result in conflicts of interest, operational challenges, or confidentiality concerns. Additionally, this option would still involve reliance on an external agency, which goes against the company’s objective of becoming self-sufficient in ticket sales. This would further delay the development of internal capabilities and erode the progress made so far under Sukanta’s leadership.

Option D: This option is also incorrect because it completely reverses the strategic direction Adil had approved just a year ago. While the decision to switch from Zedius to an in-house ticket sales team has faced challenges, dismissing Sukanta’s team after one setback would be an overreaction. Such a drastic move would not only waste the effort and investment already made but also signal a lack of patience and willingness to endure short-term pain for long-term gain. The in-house team's failure to meet the target in their first year does not necessarily indicate that the strategy is doomed. Instead of dismissing Sukanta’s team, Adil should provide them with time to adapt and improve.

Option E: This option is incorrect because it creates a hostile work environment and does not address the root cause of the issue. While setting clear expectations for performance improvement is important, issuing threats will only demotivate Sukanta and his team, who are already dealing with the pressure of a failed initiative. Adil’s role as a leader is to support his team, especially during challenging times, rather than resort to coercion or fear. A more constructive approach would involve providing Sukanta with resources, training, or guidance to improve sales, rather than threatening to fire him and his team.

Option B is the best course of action because it aligns with the long-term vision of building internal capabilities, acknowledges the learning curve involved in Sukanta’s strategy, and avoids undermining the investment made in the new approach. The other options either involve prematurely abandoning the strategy, reverting to external reliance, or creating unnecessary conflict and demotivation, all of which are counterproductive to TrueColor’s goals. By adopting a patient, supportive stance, Adil can give Sukanta and his team the opportunity to refine their approach and eventually achieve the desired outcomes.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Comprehension:
Mr. Zubin Mistry is the owner and the chief editor of the newspaper The Pluralist, renowned for its high reporting standards and outstanding writing quality. The Pluralist’s authentic reporting distinguishes it from other newspapers that sensationalize news. They are responsible employers, known to be highly supportive towards their employees. Its news editing team is led by Ms. Ramya Kattabomman, a respected veteran in the newspaper reporting industry, wellknown for her stringent adherence to the ethical standards of newspaper reporting.

Mr. Aditya Swaroop Verma, an award-winning senior journalist, has brought in an exposé into the activities of a mining company, operating in an ecologically vulnerable area. In his hardhitting
reporting style, he has presented interviews with tens of people, delineating how the mining company has used illegal means to start mining in that area. These mining activities may lead to the destruction of the local ecological balance. However, Aditya Swaroop is unable to obtain an interview with the management of the mining company.

Aditya Swaroop’s investigative report article offers significant revelations about the alleged illegal activities of the mining company which were hardly covered in the media otherwise. Nevertheless, his sources have requested for complete anonymity.

Question 4

Ramya is trying to decide whether to publish the article. While publishing the article may enhance the reputation of The Pluralist, there are possibilities of political and economic backlash for reporting on the powerful mining company. She has consulted the legal team of the newspaper, who have warned that the report, relying mostly on anonymous sources, is likely to be legally vulnerable. On the other hand, Aditya Swaroop is a senior journalist, well known and well respected for the quality of his investigative reporting. The topic of the report is time sensitive: if the report is not published within the next 2-3 days, the mining company would get an important government project in the same area.

Which of the following reasons will BEST enable Ramya to publish the article?

Ramya should publish the article because her legal team is mostly over cautious about any possibility of backlashes.

Ramya should publish the article given the time-sensitive nature of the report.

Ramya should publish the article because any investigation by Aditya Swaroop has enhanced the reputation of The Pluralist till date.

Ramya should publish the article because a similar article was published on another mining company last week in another news daily.

Ramya should publish the article because the same news can get published by a competitor known for breaking such news.

Solution

We need to publish the article and select the reasoning that will most likely convince Ramya to proceed with the report.

Option A: Even if this is true, Ramya herself would know there are reasons not to publish a report based on anonymous sources; keeping the legal consequences apart could harm the organisation's image. Overall, this is not a strong reason to go ahead with the report, but just trying to eliminate one of the deterrents.

Option B: This is close but not necessarily correct. Just because it is time-sensitive, we can not proceed with an unverified report with anonymous sources.

Option C: This serves the role we need. If Aditya has been a good reporter and his previous work has enhanced the Pluralists' reputation in the past, Ramya can put her faith in Aditya and publish the report without thorough investigation, given the circumstances and the need to unveil a possible scandal.

Option D: This doesn't help the case, as the stem clearly states that Pluralist has a reputation for publishing articles that are not just for sensualization and would value its reporting standards higher.

Option E: Competition should be the least of her worries since who is the first to publish and gather more headlines is not the aim of the report or the organisation. Though one of the options is a clear-cut answer to the problem at hand, C is the best choice, as Aditya's reputation and experience would help Ramya go ahead with his report with the least hesitation.

Therefore, option C is the correct answer.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Question 5

After the article is published next morning in The Pluralist, it goes viral. However, the mining company pushes back with a public declaration, contesting some of the findings of the article. While the potential inaccuracies do not entirely invalidate the article, they substantially undermine its message if proven true.

When Ramya asks Aditya Swaroop to bring in further proof to publish a rebuttal, he informs her that his sources, for a vital part of the article, were two employees recently fired by the mining company. And, they now admit that they were not completely honest in their initial interaction with him. Though some points raised in the article might still be valid, it is difficult to separate the inaccuracies given the unreliability of the sources. Ramya immediately brings it to the attention of Zubin, while admitting that she hastily permitted the publication of the article.

What is the MOST responsible action should Zubin take, keeping in view the recent developments due to the inaccuracies of the article?

Retract the entire article, and publish Ramya’s apology in the newspaper.

Retract the entire article, and publish that Aditya Swaroop will no longer be with the newspaper.

Publish a follow-up article disclosing the identity of the sources used for the article, attributing the responsibility of the errors to them.

Publish an article accusing the mining company of bullying witnesses to change their versions.

Publish a modified version of the article next day, defending the investigative journalism of Aditya Swaroop.

Solution

We are essentially presented with a situation in which the article published is not entirely true and is raised in question. Although we have a reputation for higher reporting standards and not sensationalizing news, this poses a risk to the paper's reputation.

Of the given options, we can eliminate C, as it simply assigns the blame to the people reporting. This does not help in any way. It does not matter who provided the information since we were publishing it; it was our responsibility to verify it.

Option D is not only unethical (since nothing like this happened) but also against shifting the blame, and it is not a viable solution.

Option E is also irrelevant, caimsing their journalist to be good at its work doe snot refute the accusations, additionally, does not make a change in public opinion and the mining company's position.

The only way out of this is to accept responsibility for the error, leaving us with options A and B.

Option B is not entirely incorrect. In case of an actual oversight from the reporter, the institute should consider firing the reporter since it is detrimental to the organisation. Here however, Aditya was not at fault, it was the employees that gave incorrect information.

Option A is a better approach. Ramys accepts her haste in publishing the article, and as the editor's head, she also has some responsibility for the flat.

Hence, Option A is the correct answer.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Question 6

After the article is published in The Pluralist, the mining company pushes back with a public declaration, contesting some of the findings of the article.
This has hit Aditya Swaroop’s reputation because he trusted unreliable sources. Nevertheless, he is confident about the illegal activities of the mining company; he wants to redeem himself. He approaches Zubin with a request to go back to the mining company project to find new sources and rewrite an article with reliable pieces of evidence. Though his fresh investigation will require time and money, it might also enhance the reputation of the newspaper.

Zubin respects Aditya Swaroop and wants his reputation to be restored. However, Zubin is confident that continuing to work on the mining company project will not yield any results.
Which of the following actions by Zubin will BEST enable Aditya Swaroop to enhance his diminishing reputation?

Assign Aditya Swaroop to work as an anonymous journalist for the next few months, until he feels confident of himself.

Ask Aditya Swaroop to start his own YouTube channel, since more people are aware of him now than before.

Tell Aditya Swaroop that he plans to delegate the mining company project to a fresh team, who will work in consultation with Aditya Swaroop.

Ask Aditya Swaroop to focus on mentoring new and young journalists instead of working on any investigative report for some time.

Assign a new investigative project to Aditya Swaroop, advising him to focus on the new project without worrying about the past project.

Solution

We mentioned that Zubin is confident that further pursuit of the mining company will not yield any results. We must consider this before making our decision.

Option A: Assigning him anonymously would not help him regain the confidence he has lost in this process. He wants to redeem himself, and working anonymously might not allow him to fully utilize his and the company's resources.

Option B: This option is too impractical and irrelevant from the problem's perspective and can easily be eliminated.

Option C: Although not entirely wrong, this goes against Zubin's beliefs that the mining project would not yield any results. It also keeps Aditya stuck on the same project, which is not good for him or the organisation.

Option D: Although this is also a good option, this does not directly fulfil Aditya's need to redeem himself. We can look for a better choice.

Option E: This is the best course of action. Not only will it help Aditya gain his lost reputation by working on another investigative project, but it will also help him move past the mining industry event that Zubin believes is futile at this point.

Therefore, of all the given options, E serves the organisation's purpose, and Aditya is both the best and would be the correct answer.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Comprehension:
Sundaram Stores operated in a gated community, situated about 30 Kilometers away from the main town. The store owner Mr. Sundareswaran Pichaimuthu, or Sundaram as he was called by everyone, secured a space in the gated society through a competitive bidding process. The residents’ association, led by Mr. Thangamoorthy Selvaganapathy, selected Sundaram over three other bidders, based on his willingness to pay the highest rent. Desperate to augment his post-retirement income, Sundaram agreed to pay a very high rent, banking on the prospect of generating exceptional revenue from the gated community.

Sundaram was awarded the contract to establish the store, with provisions for a review every three years. Feeling elated during the meeting with the residents’ association to finalize the contract, he enthusiastically committed to offering a 15% discount on all groceries and stationary, cementing goodwill and reinforcing the partnership established through the contract. The association was delightedly taken aback by his generous assurance. Sundaram hoped to make up the difference through volume.

Although his sales were strong during the initial months, he soon realized that the SUV-owning residents of the gated community primarily made their purchases at large, branded retail chains in the main town. These stores offered deeper discounts, which he could not afford to compete with. However, gradually, Sundaram store became their go-to store for daily essentials and occasional urgent big purchases such as replacing a broken mixer-grinder.

Question 7

While reviewing his monthly accounts, Sundaram realized that he was barely breaking even, primarily due to the substantial rent he was paying to the residents’ association. He realized that while his sales were stagnated, the rental costs were contractually scheduled to increase every three years. He was determined to do something to increase his profits.

Which of the following will be the MOST sustainable way to increase Sundaram’s profits?

He should meet with the residents’ association to negotiate a lower rent.

He should advertise about his shop through a leaflet in the gated community.

He should remove all the discounts he was offering and sell at the maximum retail price.

He should offer to procure items unavailable at his shop from the town on residents’ demand.

He should introduce “cheap Wednesdays” where he will sell groceries at 40% discount.

Solution

Sundaram’s realization of barely breaking even highlights the need for a sustainable solution to improve profitability. Among the given options, Option C, removing all discounts and selling at the maximum retail price, is the most viable choice. By eliminating the 15% discount, Sundaram can immediately increase his profit margin without requiring additional investment or effort. His store already caters to residents’ daily essentials and urgent needs, where convenience outweighs pricing. Thus, customers are unlikely to stop shopping at his store despite the removal of discounts. This approach ensures a steady increase in revenue and profitability without jeopardizing his core customer base or incurring further costs.

Option A, negotiating a lower rent with the residents’ association, appears appealing but is unlikely to succeed. Sundaram voluntarily agreed to the high rent through a competitive bidding process, making it difficult for the association to justify reducing the rate. Furthermore, relying on renegotiation does not address the fundamental issue of improving sales or reducing dependency on discounts, and there’s no guarantee of a favourable outcome.

Option B, advertising via leaflets in the gated community, may increase visibility but comes with its own costs, such as printing and distribution. This would add financial strain without ensuring a significant uptick in sales. Given that residents are already aware of the store and still prefer large retail chains for major purchases, this strategy may not lead to a substantial increase in profits.

Option D, offering to procure items unavailable at his shop on demand, would introduce operational complexities and additional costs, such as transportation and logistics. This approach shifts focus from optimizing the store’s current operations and profitability. It may also set unrealistic expectations among customers, further straining Sundaram’s resources.

Option E, introducing "cheap Wednesdays" with 40% discounts, is counterproductive. While it might draw more customers temporarily, such steep discounts would drastically reduce profit margins. Customers may also delay their purchases to only shop on discount days, cannibalizing regular sales. Over time, this discount-driven model would be unsustainable and could further harm Sundaram’s financial stability.

Hence, Option C offers the most sustainable way for Sundaram to improve profits. By removing the discounts, he can enhance revenue from existing sales without additional costs or operational risks, aligning his strategy with the shopping habits of his customers.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Question 8

To increase his profits, Sundaram diversified into selling vegetables. Earlier, a vegetable vendor used to visit the gated community once every week. The vendor, after seeing dismal sales ever since Sundaram started selling vegetables, stopped visiting the gated community. The residents’ association did not like losing the rent they were receiving from the vendor. Additionally, the maintenance staff of the gated community benefitted from receiving vegetables either for free or at extremely low prices, as the vendor, reluctant to take back the unsold stock, chose to distribute them at little to no cost. This enabled the residents’ association to retain maintenance staff whose attrition rate was increasing with more gated communities coming up in the nearby area.

Which of the following options will BEST address the concerns of the residents’ association arising out of Sundaram getting into selling vegetables?

The residents’ association should request for bids from various shop owners to open another grocery store in the vacant place.

The residents’ association should ask Sundaram to use the erstwhile space for selling vegetables and pay rent for the same.

The residents’ association should impose a fine on Sundaram since he was not contracted to sell vegetables.

The residents’ association should discount the rent for the vegetable vendor to increase competition and ask him to continue.

The residents’ association should ask Sundaram to give a specific quantity of vegetables to the maintenance staff for free.

Solution

The correct answer is Option D, as it effectively addresses the residents' association’s concerns while maintaining balance among all stakeholders. Offering the vegetable vendor a discounted rent would incentivize him to return to the gated community, restoring competition and potentially lowering prices for residents. Moreover, the vendor’s return would reinstate the practice of distributing unsold vegetables to the maintenance staff, helping to retain them amidst rising attrition. This solution ensures the association continues to receive rent, resolves concerns over staff retention and avoids placing additional burdens on Sundaram.

Option A, inviting bids for another grocery store, could lead to market saturation, harming Sundaram’s business and failing to restore the maintenance staff's benefits.

Option B, asking Sundaram to rent the vendor’s former space, would increase his costs without resolving the association’s concerns regarding the staff and the vendor.

Option C, imposing a fine on Sundaram, is punitive and does not address the actual issue of the staff losing access to discounted or free vegetables.

Option E, asking Sundaram to provide free vegetables to the staff, would impose an unfair financial burden on him, making this solution unsustainable.

Hence, Option D is the best choice as it directly resolves the association’s concerns by bringing back the vendor, restoring competition, ensuring staff retention, and maintaining harmony in the community without negatively impacting Sundaram.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Question 9

Sundaram is a happy man now. He has managed to get contracts with two more nearby gated communities. He feels like the grocery king of the suburb.

However, his happiness is short-lived as Rush’em, a new startup, begins making waves among gated communities. This app-based startup promises to deliver any grocery item within 15 minutes, leveraging its own large warehouses. Earlier, Rush’em was confined to the main town, but now, the startup has expanded its delivery services to the suburbs, including gated communities where Sundaram operates. Of course, for the suburbs, Rush’em promises delivery within 60 minutes, given the distance.

Though not an official slogan, the rumour in the market is that Rush’em’s founder inspired her employees by shouting “Rush’em or Crash’em, but Push’em through that door!” Sundaram started losing business to Rush’em. He felt rushed, pushed, and was wondering if his business would come crashing.

What should Sundaram BEST do to ensure that his revenues do not come down due to Rush’em?

Sundaram should not bother since the nearest town is 30 kilometers away.

Sundaram should explore starting his own delivery startup Finish’em, dedicated to the suburb, competing with Rush’em.

Sundaram should employ a few helpers who will do home delivery of his products within 10 minutes across the three gated communities.

Sundaram should demand that his rent be reduced to one-third since Rush’em has free access to these societies

Sundaram should start giving discounts on every product he sells.

Solution

The correct answer is Option C, as it offers a practical and competitive solution to the challenge posed by Rush’em. By employing a few helpers to deliver products within 10 minutes across the three gated communities, Sundaram can leverage his proximity advantage and provide a hyper-local, fast delivery service. This approach ensures convenience for his customers while capitalizing on his established presence and reputation. It allows Sundaram to directly compete with Rush’em’s delivery services while avoiding the heavy infrastructure costs of setting up a startup like Rush’em.

Option A, ignoring the problem, is a poor strategy. Rush’em has already expanded to the suburbs, and Sundaram is losing business to them. Not acting on this threat could lead to a steep decline in revenue and eventually make his business unviable.

Option B, starting his own delivery startup "Finish’em," is impractical. Competing directly with Rush’em in terms of warehouses and technology would require significant financial investment, operational expertise, and infrastructure, which Sundaram likely cannot afford. Additionally, such an initiative would take time to scale, leaving him vulnerable to continued revenue losses in the interim.

Option D, demanding that his rent be reduced to one-third, is unlikely to succeed and doesn’t address the core issue. The residents’ association cannot directly regulate Rush’em’s operations, and Sundaram’s rental arrangement was made through a competitive bidding process. Furthermore, rent reduction does not help Sundaram retain customers or address their preference for fast deliveries.

Option E, offering discounts on every product, would further strain Sundaram’s profitability without guaranteeing that customers would stop using Rush’em. Discounts alone won’t solve the convenience advantage Rush’em offers through its delivery service. Customers may still prefer the ease of doorstep delivery, even at slightly higher prices.

Hence, Option C is the best solution. By introducing a fast delivery service within his gated communities, Sundaram can counter the threat posed by Rush’em while leveraging his existing infrastructure and customer base to maintain and grow his revenue.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Comprehension:
Humane Dynamix is a leadership training organization based in Mumbai. Established in 2015, the organization is gradually becoming a leader in behavioral training. In the organization, trainers are assigned to training projects based on their expertise. Corporates seek behavioral training services on a regular basis, from Humane Dynamix, for upskilling their executives. Humane Dynamix is headed by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), to whom the Training Assignment Officer (TAO) reports. The TAO position rotates among the senior trainers for a fixed tenure; the CEO assigns this position to a senior trainer.

Companies, desirous of hiring Humane Dynamix, share their training needs with the organization. The TAO assigns a trainer to the client. Typically, the satisfied client requests for a particular trainer that the client is satisfied, giving repeat business to Humane Dynamix from the same client company. However, the TAO takes the final call. Years of training experience plays a big role in client satisfaction, and hence, senior trainers conduct most training programs while the newly recruited trainers apprentice with them. However, the senior trainers have the autonomy to decide on who they want to accept as an apprentice.

Further, during a training program, the senior trainer takes most of the sessions, if not all, while the apprentice helps the senior trainers to organize their sessions, and occasionally take a few
sessions. As the apprentices gain experience, they start getting their own independent projects, but that typically takes quite some time.

Dheeraj, a senior trainer, takes over as the TAO. As soon as he assumes the office, the CEO shares a concern with him: “We have a lot of young trainers who we have recently recruited. Since they are not known to the outside world, they do not get enough opportunities. Many of them are impatient to prove their mettle. Unless they are assigned more programs, we risk losing them rapidly.”

Question 10

Dheeraj knows that his senior colleagues are very good at training, and, hence, they conduct most of the training programs. They keep the clients satisfied and, consequently, bring repeat business. However, as asked by the CEO, Dheeraj needs to do something to enable the young trainers get more opportunities and increase their training engagements.

Which of the following options should Dheeraj execute to BEST enable the young trainers to get more training opportunities, without affecting their relationships with the client companies?

Dheeraj should explore for those clients who would be comfortable working with the young trainers.

Dheeraj should request the repeat clients to switch to the services of the young trainers who bring a lot of energy to their sessions.

Dheeraj should mandate that the senior trainers must allow the young trainers to take at least thirty percent of their training sessions.

Dheeraj should assign some of the repeat projects from the satisfied clients with particular senior trainers to the young trainers.

Dheeraj should request the CEO to urge the senior colleagues in giving up some of their existing clients in the interest of others’ careers.

Solution

The correct answer is Option C, as it provides a balanced and sustainable solution to enable young trainers to gain more opportunities without compromising client relationships. By mandating that senior trainers allow young trainers to handle at least 30% of their training sessions, Dheeraj ensures that young trainers gain hands-on experience while senior trainers remain the primary point of contact with clients. This gradual introduction of young trainers ensures client satisfaction, as the expertise of senior trainers continues to drive the training while young trainers are given the chance to prove their mettle. This approach benefits both the young trainers, by giving them exposure, and the clients, by maintaining trust and quality service.

Option A, which suggests exploring clients who are comfortable working with young trainers, is not a practical solution. There is no guarantee that enough clients would agree to work with inexperienced trainers, especially when the organization's reputation is tied to the expertise of its senior trainers. Limiting young trainers to "comfortable" clients may also restrict their exposure to smaller or less impactful projects, failing to address the CEO's concern of giving them broader opportunities.

Option B, requesting repeat clients to switch to young trainers due to their energy, risks damaging relationships with clients who have developed trust with senior trainers. Clients typically value consistency and proven expertise in behavioural training, and such a forced switch might lead to dissatisfaction or even loss of business. Additionally, the assumption that clients would prioritize "energy" over experience undermines the quality standards expected in this field.

Option D, assigning repeat projects from satisfied clients to young trainers, is a risky move. Repeat clients usually request senior trainers based on their past satisfaction and replacing them with young trainers may result in dissatisfaction or erode trust. This option does not provide a structured transition for young trainers and could jeopardize the reputation of Humane Dynamix by prematurely assigning high-stakes projects to less experienced trainers.

Option E, requesting the CEO to urge senior trainers to give up some of their existing clients for the sake of others’ careers, is impractical and unfair. Senior trainers have earned the trust of clients through their expertise and efforts, and asking them to give up clients could create resentment among senior trainers. Additionally, it risks alienating clients who value continuity and established relationships with their preferred trainers.

Hence, Option C is the best solution as it ensures a structured and client-friendly approach to integrating young trainers into training programs. It allows young trainers to gain practical experience while keeping senior trainers involved, maintaining client satisfaction and the organization’s reputation.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Question 11

Dheeraj decided to assign some of the repeat clients, at random, to their young trainers, to address the concerns of the CEO. Many young trainers appreciated him for giving them more opportunities.

Sudha Iyer, a senior trainer, popular for her training programs in “Deceptive Communication Methods,” was surprised to see that some of her long-standing clients were assigned to a young person. She was concerned that the clients would feel shortchanged. Moreover, she was chagrined that she was not even consulted. This led to the reduction in her number of training hours.

Since, Humane Dynamix incentivizes trainers who cross a mandated number of training hours every year, Sudha was also concerned about her possible revenue loss. Sudha wanted Dheeraj to stop assigning established clients to the young trainers. Which of the following actions would BEST help Sudha to stop Dheeraj from assigning her programs to the young trainers?

She should approach the CEO and request that Dheeraj be removed from his role as the TAO.

She should contact the client companies and ask them to reject Dheeraj's assigned trainers.

She should confront the CEO and share that his concerns should not be addressed at the cost of her revenues.

She should propose training the young trainers in her innovative methods so that they become independent in future.

She should share with Dheeraj that assigning her client companies to novice trainers will lead to loss of those clients.

Solution

The correct answer is Option E, as it provides Sudha with a professional and constructive way to address her concerns. By explaining to Dheeraj that assigning her well-established clients to novice trainers might lead to the loss of those clients, she highlights a valid risk to the organization’s reputation and revenue. This approach aligns with the organization’s priority of maintaining client satisfaction and repeat business while addressing Sudha’s concern about her reduced training hours and revenue loss. Since Dheeraj’s role as the TAO involves balancing the CEO’s directive to train young trainers with ensuring business continuity, Sudha’s input directly supports his decision-making process without being confrontational or disruptive.

Option A, where Sudha approaches the CEO to request Dheeraj’s removal as TAO, is overly drastic and unprofessional. While Sudha may be frustrated, such an action would be perceived as personal and vindictive, rather than focused on the organization’s goals. Dheeraj is carrying out the CEO’s directive to give young trainers more opportunities, and targeting him instead of addressing the issue directly is unlikely to garner support. Moreover, this option risks damaging her relationship with both the CEO and Dheeraj.

Option B, contacting client companies and asking them to reject Dheeraj’s assigned trainers, is unethical and undermines the organization’s internal structure. Such behavior would create unnecessary conflict between the clients and the organization, while also eroding trust between Sudha and Dheeraj. This option not only harms Humane Dynamix’s reputation but also jeopardizes the morale of young trainers and the collaborative work environment within the company. It does nothing to address the root issue constructively.

Option C, confronting the CEO to argue that his concerns should not be addressed at the cost of her revenues, is unlikely to be effective. While Sudha has valid concerns, directly opposing the CEO’s directive without offering an alternative solution could make her appear self-centered and resistant to change. The CEO is already aware of the need to balance young trainer development with client satisfaction, and simply complaining about revenue loss does not contribute to resolving the issue in a productive manner.

Option D, proposing to train young trainers in her innovative methods to make them independent in the future, is a constructive suggestion but does not address Sudha’s immediate concerns. While mentoring young trainers would help them develop, this does not resolve the current issue of Sudha losing clients and training hours. Furthermore, this option assumes Sudha is willing to take on the responsibility of mentoring, which may not align with her immediate priorities.

Hence, Option E is the best choice as it allows Sudha to address her concerns directly with Dheeraj in a professional and constructive manner. By framing her argument around the risk of losing clients and revenue, she aligns her concerns with the organization’s goals, increasing the likelihood that Dheeraj will reconsider his approach while maintaining client relationships and organizational harmony.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Question 12

Dheeraj assigned a repeat client of Nandini Hegde, another very senior trainer, to Kirti Gowda, a promising young trainer.

A few days later, the client company reached out to Nandini, off the record, and informed her that they were very unhappy with Kirti’s training. They also shared that Dheeraj, when informed about this, had claimed that the client would appreciate Kirti with more exposure to her training programs.

What BEST can Nandini do to regain the client for herself, without appearing to be against the organization’s focus on providing the young trainers more opportunities?

Tell the client that to ensure quality, they must demand her exclusively as the trainer for their upcoming training programs.

Propose to Dheeraj that in future assignments with the client, Kirti be a co-trainer with Nandini to help improve her performance.

Engage in a follow up conversation with the client, requesting that they communicate their concerns to the CEO of Humane Dynamix directly.

Share the client’s feedback with Kirti, and ask her to opt out of future training assignments with that client.

Arrange a meeting with Dheeraj, informing him that she is aware of the situation, and Dheeraj’s actions may lose the client for Humane Dynamix.

Solution

The correct answer is Option B. This option balances the client’s needs with the organization’s goals of nurturing young trainers. It addresses the client’s dissatisfaction by ensuring Nandini, a senior trainer, oversees future sessions while giving Kirti the opportunity to learn and improve through co-training. This collaborative and constructive approach maintains client trust, supports Kirti’s development, and aligns with Humane Dynamix’s vision.

Option A is wrong as it undermines the organization’s goal of developing young trainers and encourages clients to bypass internal policies. While it might win back the client temporarily, it portrays Nandini as self-serving and could harm teamwork.

Option C is inappropriate as it escalates the issue unnecessarily, reflecting poorly on Nandini and Dheeraj. It shifts responsibility to the client instead of addressing the problem directly, which does not help improve Kirti’s performance or regain client trust effectively.

Option D is counterproductive as it isolates Kirti without offering her a chance to improve. This could demotivate her and conflicts with the organization’s objective of providing opportunities to new trainers while failing to rebuild the client relationship.

Option E is confrontational and risks damaging Nandini’s relationship with Dheeraj. It highlights the issue but fails to propose a solution, leaving the client dissatisfied and Kirti unsupported.

Hence, Option B is the best choice as it tactfully resolves client concerns, supports Kirti’s growth, and aligns with organizational goals, while the other options either fail to address the issue fully or create further challenges.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Comprehension:
Ned Flanders and Homer Simpson Partners Limited is a law firm, known for its unwavering commitment to client satisfaction. They treat the clients as family members who have grown along with the firm. Further, they are highly regarded in the industry, consulted by the country’s top organizations. Among the founders, Homer Simpson is flamboyant, while Ned Flanders is serious. Together, they bring a dynamic balance to the team.

The organization believes in a strong socialization ritual that bonds the new lawyers (newcomers) with the existing members. Also, the socialization ritual ensures that newcomers fully understand the nature of their work and integrate seamlessly into the company’s culture. During their first week, newcomers are overloaded with a barrage of artificial tasks, unexpected client calls, and a challenging meeting with the founders. This results in newcomers getting overwhelmed, and doubting their decision to join the firm, only for the founders to meet them and reveal that this is one big prank and a way to welcome them to the organization. This socialization ritual has served them well for the past two decades. However, not all the newcomers appreciate the utility of this ritual.

One of the lawyers, Ms. Lisa Simpleton, who joined in 2023 and went through the same socialization ritual, found it unwelcoming. She believes that other newcomers might also share the same opinion. Lisa thinks that the current generation, especially post-COVID, needs more friendly welcome, and the firm must put an end to this ritual.

Question 13

When a new batch of lawyers joins in 2024, Lisa feels that it is her moral responsibility to reprieve the newcomers from the ensuing stress. However, Lisa, like the others who joined along with her, is on probation for two years. During the probation period, her skills and performance are under evaluation. Upon successful completion of this twoyear assessment, she will be eligible for confirmation. Since she is yet to be confirmed, she wants to be seen as fitting within the organization’s culture.

Which of the following options will BEST enable Lisa to save the newcomers from the socialization ritual, without being singled out for questioning the organization’s culture?

Seek a meeting with Ned Flanders, suggesting him to put an end to this practice.

Meet one of the newcomers in secret and tell her about this practice.

Organize a generic workshop for newcomers regarding workplace politics.

Join a team of lawyers, petitioning to the founders to end this practice.

Be silent this year until her performance review is over and she is confirmed.

Solution

Let us go option by option keeping in mind what the question expects of us, we need to find an option that makes sure Lisa is not singled out, understands the fact that she is still in her probationary period and is not finalized into the firm, makes sure that Lisa is respectful of everyone and does not violate trust.

Option A: Seeking a meeting with Ned Flanders directly to suggest ending the practice risks singling Lisa out as someone questioning the organization’s culture. This is not ideal during her probationary period. This is the exact opposite of what the question is expecting us to do, this action will surely single out Lisa and will most definitely put her in trouble if Ned perceives it in the wrong way.

Option B: Meeting a newcomer secretly to reveal the ritual breaches organizational ethics, could undermine trust, and might lead to disciplinary action if discovered. This action is highly unethical and can be seen as going against the firm in a very shrewd and cowardly way.

Option C: Organizing a generic workshop on workplace politics does not directly address the issue of the ritual. It is unlikely to achieve Lisa's goal of reprieving newcomers from the stress of the ritual.

Option E: Remaining silent until her confirmation fails Lisa's sense of moral responsibility to help the newcomers and contradicts her goal of addressing the ritual.

Correct Option

Option D: By joining a team of lawyers and collectively petitioning the founders, Lisa aligns herself with a group, reducing the risk of being singled out. This approach demonstrates that her concerns are shared by others and are not a personal grievance. The collective effort allows her to contribute to a culture change while appearing to work within the organization's norms and respecting its values.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Question 14

When a new batch of lawyers joins the organization in 2024, they receive an anonymous email, warning them about the socialization ritual, just as it is about to start. Though no newcomer paid heed to the mail, the founders are furious. They call a meeting, and announce that while employees are welcome to express their opinions, this cowardly act of sending an anonymous email shall not be tolerated.
The watercooler discussions murmur Lisa’s name. Lisa is pleased that someone shares her perspective on the socialization ritual and has acted. However, she did not write the aforementioned email. As her name continues to be mentioned, she feels overwhelmed and wonders if she needs to do something about it.

Which of the following actions by Lisa can BEST enable her to defuse the situation?

She should apologize to the founders, taking accountability for creating a climate that resulted in someone sending the anonymous email.

She should simply focus on her work, and hope that the founders would ignore the rumours.

She should send a public email clarifying that while she has reservations about the practice, she is not the author of the anonymous email.

She should meet the founders and share that while she has reservations about the practice, she did not send the anonymous email.

She should publicly apologize for having questioned the tradition of the organization to put all doubts to rest.

Solution

Let us go option by option and see which is the most suitable action for the described situation,

Option A: Lisa did not send the email, nor is she directly responsible for someone else's actions. Taking accountability for something she did not do might make her appear insincere and set a precedent for accepting blame in future situations. This also does nothing to clarify her actual position to the founders or her peers.

Option B: Ignoring the situation does not address the rumors surrounding Lisa’s involvement. This passive approach might allow the misunderstanding to persist, potentially damaging her reputation and relationships within the firm. It also risks her seeming indifferent or disengaged.

Option C: While this may seem like a direct response, addressing the entire firm could come across as defensive or overreactive, drawing unnecessary attention to the matter. It could also perpetuate the focus on the issue instead of defusing it, creating more questions about her motives and actions.

Option E: Apologizing for her opinion diminishes Lisa’s ability to voice her perspectives in the future. It also signals that dissenting viewpoints are not welcome, which could stifle healthy discussions in the organization. Moreover, a public apology implies guilt, even though Lisa is not responsible for the anonymous email.

Correct Option

Option D: This option balances transparency with professionalism. By directly addressing the founders, Lisa can clarify her position in a controlled, private setting. She can honestly state her reservations about the ritual, which aligns with her earlier stance, while firmly denying any involvement with the anonymous email. This approach demonstrates integrity, accountability, and respect for the leadership, helping defuse the situation without unnecessary drama.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Question 15

It is 2025: a new batch of lawyers has joined the firm.
Some lawyers from the 2024 batch have approached the founders to express their appreciation for the intent behind the socialization ritual. They shared that the experience offered them a glimpse of the world they are about to enter. However, they feel that the ritual has become archaic in its execution, showing its age and necessitating some fresh thinking.

As they leave, Ned feels that the time has come to abandon the ritual due to changing times. However, Homer disagrees; he thinks that exposing the employees to what the profession has to offer, in the first week, is very critical. Moreover, it helps the organization know whether the newcomer is ready for such a profession. Further, he adds that the socialization ritual has been effectively helping them for decades in grooming the talents of their organization.

Which of the following actions should the founders BEST take, if they still want to welcome their newcomers by exposing them to the harsh reality of the profession, while being empathetic to the demands of the times?

They should, in their website, share details about how tough the workload is going to be.

They should get a mental health professional to design their socialization ritual.

They should stick to what they are doing but hire a mental health professional who the newcomers can refer to if they feel the need.

They should invite suggestions from their young lawyers regarding formulating a new socialization ritual.

They should talk to their competitors in the same industry and check what kind of practices they follow.

Solution

Let us go option by option to determine what is the best possible action that can be taken for the described situation,

Option A: Simply sharing information on the website does little to address the root concerns about the ritual's execution. It’s passive and impersonal, failing to actively engage newcomers or offer them meaningful preparation for the challenges ahead. It also doesn't address the feedback about the ritual being outdated.

Option B: While involving a mental health professional can be valuable, handing over the design of the ritual entirely to them might dilute the professional essence of the process. The ritual is meant to simulate the real demands of the profession and outsourcing it to someone unfamiliar with the specific challenges of the legal field might result in a process that doesn’t align with the founders' objectives.

Option C: This option is reactive rather than addressing the core issue. Retaining the current ritual unchanged fails to acknowledge the concerns raised by the young lawyers about its archaic nature. Adding a mental health professional as an afterthought doesn’t make the ritual itself more relevant or empathetic.

Option E: While benchmarking against competitors can be helpful, relying too much on external practices might result in the firm losing its unique identity and approach. The ritual is deeply ingrained in the organization’s culture, and copying others’ methods may not capture the same impact or align with their goals. This action also risks losing the firms individuality.

Correct Option

Option D: This is the best choice because it strikes an ideal balance between preserving the ritual's intent and modernizing it to meet current expectations. By inviting suggestions from young lawyers, the founders demonstrate empathy and inclusivity, showing that they value feedback from those who recently experienced the ritual. This collaborative approach fosters a sense of ownership among employees, making them feel invested in the process while also ensuring that the ritual evolves in a way that resonates with contemporary sensibilities. Additionally, this option allows the firm to maintain the core purpose of the ritual which is preparing newcomers for the demands of the profession, while at the same time adapting its execution to be more relevant, effective, and aligned with the changing times. It is a thoughtful way to honor tradition without becoming stagnant.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Aarya had always been a mediocre student. Luckily, after finishing her undergraduate degree from a tier-two engineering college, she secured a decent but modestly paying job at a reputable IT company.

However, after a year on the job, Aarya found her role mundane. When her best friend at the company, Shruti, left to pursue an MBA from a top-tier business school, citing significant career growth and potential salary increase upon graduation, Aarya felt intrigued and inspired to follow the same path. Shruti appreciated Aarya’s aspirations, telling her that doing an MBA from a top-tier business school could not only land Aarya a lucrative job but also it could fast-track her career progression. However, Aarya was concerned whether she would be able to balance between her MBA entrance exam preparation and her current job. Aarya considered resigning to focus entirely on MBA entrance exam preparation, but Shruti cautioned her that top-tier business schools might view a career break unfavourably, as they prefer continuous professional engagement.

Question 16

The CEO of Aarya’s IT firm tied up with a premier business school to reserve thirty seats in an online management certificate program, aimed at grooming working professionals. The CEO, however, declared that the employees participating in this program will have to sign a three-year bond with the firm. Further, the CEO added that though good performance was a criterion for selection, he would hold authority to take a final call.

Aarya, well aware of her academic limitations, was unsure about the time available to prepare for the MBA entrance exams. She contemplated going for the management certificate program, instead of preparing for the MBA entrance exams.

Which of the following considerations will BEST help Aarya decide whether to apply for the online management certificate program?

Aarya keeps getting appreciated for her performance by the HR department.

Shruti attempted the MBA entrance exams twice, before she could get selected.

Aarya feels that the online program is light enough to manage while working full time.

Aarya wants to be part of a very good alumni network.

Those who complete this online management certificate program do well in their career.

Video Solution

Solution

Let us examine the given choices -

Option A: Being appreciated for her performance is a positive sign, but it doesn’t directly relate to the decision about whether to join the online management certificate program or prepare for an MBA entrance exam. Aarya needs to focus on what will bring long-term growth and career advancement.

Option B: Shruti's personal experience with the MBA entrance exams may offer some perspective, but it doesn’t directly help Aarya make a decision between the two options. Each individual's circumstances are different, and Aarya needs to focus on factors that directly apply to her own situation.

Option C: This consideration is relevant in terms of work-life balance, but it is largely a secondary concern. Aarya might be able to manage her time, but if the program doesn’t provide substantial career growth or opportunities, simply managing her schedule won’t be the deciding factor. The overall impact on her career trajectory should be more important than how manageable the program is.

Option D: Like C, networking is a benefit, but it’s secondary to ensuring that the program actually delivers career opportunities and growth. Aarya should focus on how the program will enhance her career prospects first.

Option E: This factor directly addresses the potential benefit of enrolling in the program - career advancement and success after completion. Aarya’s main goal is to improve her career trajectory, and if the certificate program leads to better job prospects or career growth, it would help her make an informed decision. While other options provide context (like the program's ease or the desire for a strong alumni network), the tangible outcome of career success is the most compelling reason for her to consider the program over other paths.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Question 17

After working hard on MBA entrance exam preparations for one year, Aarya received an admission offer from the two-year agribusiness program of a premier business school. While she aspired to be a part of that premier business school, she had no interest in agribusiness. While deliberating, she received an offer from a brand new, but buzzworthy, global one-year executive MBA program in General Management, in a mid-tier business school. The program boasted excellent placement for its first batch of students. While the program was typically geared towards students with a considerable industry experience, being new, it also allowed some exceptions for “well-deserving students” with little or no experience.

Aarya was worried whether, being a candidate with a minimal experience, she would be a good fit in the executive MBA program. Which of the following considerations would BEST help Aarya in taking admission in the one-year executive MBA program?

The executive MBA program offers generous scholarships to women with IT experience.

Aarya does not have the confidence to spend another year in MBA entrance-exam preparation.

The agribusiness program is not the flagship program of the premier business school.

Aarya has a better chance of furthering her career in a field of her interest through the executive MBA program.

The unique structure of the executive MBA program has gained a lot of attention from the new start-ups.

Video Solution

Solution

Among the given choices, only Option D best aligns with Aarya's aspirations, as it highlights that the one-year executive MBA program offers an opportunity to further her career in a field that she is interested in, unlike the agribusiness program, which does not align with her career goals.

None of the other choices offer a compelling reason to select a particular program. For example, while the scholarship mentioned in Option A could be a financial incentive, it does not directly address Aarya’s main concern: whether the program is a good fit for her and her long-term career goals.

Similarly, the consideration in Option B reflects Aarya’s lack of confidence, but it does not focus on the core question of whether the one-year executive MBA program is the best option for her career. While avoiding another year of exam prep might be appealing, it’s more of a personal emotional response and does not necessarily lead to the most strategic or fitting choice for her professional growth.

Option C compares the agribusiness program with another program but doesn’t address Aarya’s lack of interest in agribusiness. The fact that it is not the flagship program is secondary to the main issue: Aarya’s disinterest in the subject matter of the program. A good fit for her interests and career goals should be the main consideration. Option E is also tangential: what matters more is whether the program will offer Aarya the tools and career trajectory she seeks, not just its popularity.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Question 18

After working hard on MBA entrance exam preparations for one year, Aarya received two admission offers: one from the two-year agribusiness program of a premier business school, and another one from a brand new, but buzzworthy, global one-year executive MBA program in General Management in a mid-tier business school. As she did not have much interest in agribusiness, Aarya opted to enrol in the one-year executive MBA program, and promptly submitted her first instalment of fees towards admission. She was very happy that she would soon embark on her MBA journey.

To her shock, a few days later, she received a call from the authorities of the mid-tier business school. They informed her that due to a technical glitch in their system, more admission offers were made than the available seats. Consequently, candidates lower on the merit list, including Aarya, were being offered a choice from the following options: a deferred admission next year to the same program, or a full refund of the fees. They also said, if interested, Aarya could right now join a similar program, starting in a newly launched campus of the same business school, where many seats were available.

Aarya considered the whole episode a breach of trust, and wondered, if it would at all be worthwhile to be associated with this business school now or in the future. Which of the following considerations will BEST restore her faith in this business school?

A deferment by a year will give her a chance to build on her work experience.

The business school runs many management training programs on ethical leadership for corporates.

A similar incident happened three years back in another business school, and all deferred candidates eventually got good placements.

Many mid-tier business schools give offers to more candidates than available seats to tackle rejections.

The business school owned the mistake, and tried their best to help the affected candidates.

Solution

In the context of the question, Aarya has faced a frustrating situation where the business school made an error by offering more admissions than available seats, leading to her being presented with a deferred admission or a full refund. Aarya is now questioning the integrity and reliability of the business school. The task is to identify which consideration would restore her faith in the institution. Only Option E helps with this cause: this response is the most relevant because it shows that the business school took full responsibility for its mistake (owning the error) and made efforts to resolve the situation in a way that helped the affected students. This is key in rebuilding trust, as it indicates a commitment to transparency and accountability. Typically, when organizations own up to their mistakes and offer assistance, it can help restore confidence in them, especially after an incident that could have damaged their reputation.

Option A is tangential to the question: while a deferment could be personally beneficial for Aarya, this response does not directly address the issue of the breach of trust caused by the school’s mistake. Options B and D suffer from a similar issue. The fact that the business school runs certain programs does not address the specific breach of trust Aarya has experienced. Similarly, the prevalence of the practice also need not assuage Aarya’s fears.

Option C compares Aarya’s situation to a different case, which could be seen as minimizing her current frustration; however, like the other options, it doesn’t focus on the specific actions taken by the business school to correct the mistake in Aarya’s case, which is central to her rebuilding faith in the institution.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Comprehension:
KindCare hospital, located in the small industrial town of Chinar, is one of the largest hospitals within 50-kilometers radius. It is well-regarded among the locals for emergency services.
However, for critical surgeries, they prefer to travel to the nearest city Shamili, which is 100 kilometers away.

When KindCare was established 50 years ago, the town was still in its early stages of development. Consequently, the hospital needed to incorporate several facilities within its premises, including a 24-hour cafeteria, to accommodate needs of the patients and their relatives who would come from nearby places. Another facility that KindCare built and takes pride in is its state-of-the-art testing lab. It is the most sought-after testing lab in Chinar even today when many independent labs have come up around KindCare. Moreover, many other facilities have also come up in the surrounding area of the hospital such as pharmacies, food joints, hotels etc. Further, a standalone pharmacy chain has gained a strong foothold in Chinar as they expand their reach into Tier-3 cities.

When it comes to KindCare, a significant proportion of its patients are outpatients with a substantial number seeking emergency services. As the sole 600-bed hospital in the region, KindCare plays a crucial role in medical services, and receives generous funding from two major corporations operating locally, further enabling KindCare to cater to the growing medical needs of the community.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, KindCare made significant investment in enhancing internet connectivity, enabling many doctors, and the majority of administrative staff, to seamlessly work remotely. This investment also allowed KindCare to bring in doctors from other cities through remote care.

Further, COVID-19 was a wakeup call for KindCare to enhance their infrastructure. Though KindCare made significant improvements, they kept the major renovations on hold due to the constant flow of patients. KindCare believes that if the held renovations are not taken up on an urgent basis now, the operations at the hospital will get obstructed.

Question 19

KindCare feels that it needs to be better prepared before a similar situation like COVID-19 chances upon the city again. The hospital decides to invest immediately in improving their infrastructure. However, this would mean that, temporarily, it should either reduce, or shut down the operations of a few departments.
It is considering the following options:
A) Reduce their outpatient capacity to half
B) Shut down the cafeteria for the period of renovation
C) Ask their administrative staff to work remotely
D) Strip the pharmacy operations down to emergency and critical medications
E) Shut down the medical lab, and arrange medical tests from a local lab
Which of the following combinations will LEAST affect the functioning of the hospital?

ACD

BCD

ABC

BCE

ABE

Solution

This combination—B (Shut down the cafeteria for the period of renovation), C (Ask their administrative staff to work remotely), and D (Strip the pharmacy operations down to emergency and critical medications)—is the best option because it minimizes disruption to the hospital's critical operations while allowing the infrastructure renovation to proceed. The cafeteria, while a helpful facility, is not directly tied to medical services and can be temporarily closed without impacting the hospital's ability to provide healthcare. Similarly, asking administrative staff to work remotely, as they did during the COVID-19 pandemic, is a feasible solution that would not affect core hospital services. Reducing the pharmacy operations to only emergency and critical medications ensures that patients can still access life-saving medicines while scaling down non-critical operations. Together, these steps allow the hospital to maintain its emergency services and outpatient care, which are critical for its reputation and operations, while accommodating the renovation.

Option A: This combination—A (Reduce their outpatient capacity to half), C (Ask their administrative staff to work remotely), and D (Strip the pharmacy operations down to emergency and critical medications)—is not the best choice because reducing outpatient capacity to half would significantly impact the hospital's primary role in the community. Outpatient services make up a significant proportion of KindCare's patients, and such a drastic reduction could harm its reputation and result in a loss of trust among patients. While asking administrative staff to work remotely and scaling down the pharmacy to emergency medications are sensible steps, compromising outpatient care would severely disrupt the hospital’s functioning. Therefore, this option is less viable.

Option C: This combination—A (Reduce their outpatient capacity to half), B (Shut down the cafeteria for the period of renovation), and C (Ask their administrative staff to work remotely)—is not ideal because it involves reducing outpatient capacity, which is a core service of the hospital. While shutting down the cafeteria and asking administrative staff to work remotely are low-impact measures, cutting outpatient services by half would severely affect the hospital’s ability to serve its community. Outpatient care is one of KindCare’s key strengths, and such a reduction would lead to dissatisfaction among patients and tarnish its reputation. Hence, this option is less effective compared to BCD.

Option D: This combination—B (Shut down the cafeteria for the period of renovation), C (Ask their administrative staff to work remotely), and E (Shut down the medical lab, and arrange medical tests from a local lab)—is not the best option because shutting down the hospital's state-of-the-art medical lab would significantly affect patient care. The lab is described as a major strength of KindCare, being the most sought-after testing facility in the region. Arranging medical tests from local labs would compromise the quality and reliability of diagnostic services, which are critical to the hospital’s operations. While shutting down the cafeteria and having administrative staff work remotely are reasonable measures, closing the medical lab would have a much greater negative impact on the hospital’s functioning. Therefore, this combination is not ideal.

Option E: This combination—A (Reduce their outpatient capacity to half), B (Shut down the cafeteria for the period of renovation), and E (Shut down the medical lab, and arrange medical tests from a local lab)—is the least effective option because it involves two highly disruptive measures: reducing outpatient capacity and shutting down the medical lab. Outpatient services are a key component of KindCare’s operations, and reducing their capacity would directly impact the hospital’s ability to serve its patients. Similarly, shutting down the medical lab would compromise diagnostic services, which are critical for both inpatient and outpatient care. While shutting down the cafeteria is a low-impact measure, the other two actions would severely disrupt the hospital’s operations and reputation, making this combination highly undesirable.

Option B:

Shutting down the cafeteria (B): The cafeteria is not directly related to the hospital’s medical operations. While it serves patients and their relatives, its closure would have minimal impact on the hospital's ability to provide healthcare. Patients and relatives can use other food joints and restaurants that have opened around the hospital in recent years.
Asking administrative staff to work remotely (C): The hospital successfully implemented remote working for its administrative staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. This option is feasible and would not affect the hospital’s critical services or patient care.
Stripping the pharmacy operations down to emergency and critical medications (D): This ensures that the hospital can continue to provide life-saving medicines to its patients while temporarily suspending non-essential pharmacy services. This is a reasonable compromise during the renovation period.

By implementing these measures, KindCare can ensure that its critical services, such as outpatient care, emergency services, and its state-of-the-art medical lab, remain functional during renovations. This approach minimizes disruption and aligns with the hospital’s mission of serving the community effectively.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Question 20

KindCare needs to maintain a large inventory of medicines and other auxiliary supplies in their storage unit. The storage unit ensures adequate and timely supply to Intensive Care Unit and the emergency services, and always runs to capacity. The renovation team suggests that the storage unit be shut down for seven days for urgent renovation. However, the hospital building being old, in the past, renovation work had stretched beyond estimated time.
Which of the following actions BEST ensures KindCare operates efficiently during the renovation of the storage unit?

Renovate the storage unit part by part while halving the capacity of the emergency services until the renovation completes.

Shut down the hospital until further notice, except for the emergency ward, which can run on outside supplies.

Shut down the cafeteria until further notice and relocate the storage unit.

Rent a large space, about one hour away from the hospital, for seven days.

Start building a new storage facility, as their capacity is already stretched.

Solution

Option C is the correct answer because shutting down the cafeteria is a low-impact decision that does not affect the hospital's ability to provide medical care. The cafeteria, while important for the comfort of patients, their families, and hospital staff, is not directly linked to critical operations like emergency services, ICU operations, or outpatient care. Relocating the storage unit to the cafeteria temporarily ensures that the hospital's inventory of medicines and supplies is close and easily accessible during the renovation of the primary storage unit. This decision allows KindCare to continue operating efficiently without disrupting critical medical services. Additionally, there are other food options available in the surrounding area, such as food joints and restaurants, making this a practical and effective solution.

Option A: This option is incorrect because reducing the capacity of emergency services would severely impact the hospital's ability to serve patients in need of urgent care. Emergency services are a core strength of KindCare and one of the main reasons it is highly regarded by the locals. Halving this capacity would not only compromise the hospital's reputation but also endanger lives by turning away patients who rely on these services. Renovating the storage unit part by part is a time-consuming approach that would delay the renovation, adding unnecessary operational challenges and prolonging disruption. This option poses significant risks and is less effective than relocating the storage unit.

Option B: This option is highly disruptive and impractical. Shutting down most of the hospital would significantly affect its ability to serve the community, especially since it is the only major hospital in the region. Many patients, particularly outpatients and those requiring ICU care, would face severe inconvenience or even harm. While running the emergency ward on outside supplies might be feasible, relying on external supply chains introduces delays and logistical complexities. This option would create unnecessary disruption and undermine the hospital’s primary role in the community, making it far less effective than Option C.

Option D: This option is less effective because relocating the storage unit to a rented space an hour away would introduce logistical delays and inefficiencies. In a hospital setting, timely access to medicines and auxiliary supplies is critical, particularly for the ICU and emergency services. A storage facility located far from the hospital would make it difficult to ensure adequate and timely supply, potentially jeopardizing patient care. While this option avoids shutting down any part of the hospital, it introduces operational risks that are unnecessary when a more practical alternative (relocating the storage unit to the cafeteria) is available.

Option E: This option is not a practical solution for the immediate problem at hand. Building a new storage facility is a long-term solution that would take months or even years to complete, during which the hospital would still need to address the urgent renovation of the existing storage unit. The immediate need is to ensure the hospital continues operating efficiently during the seven-day renovation period, and this option fails to address that requirement. While expanding storage capacity may be a good idea in the future, it is irrelevant to solving the current issue.

Shutting down the cafeteria and temporarily relocating the storage unit ensures that KindCare can continue to operate efficiently without disrupting its critical services. The cafeteria is a non-essential facility in the context of hospital operations, and its temporary closure would not impact the hospital's ability to provide medical care. Relocating the storage unit to the cafeteria keeps the inventory accessible and eliminates the logistical challenges of moving supplies to a distant location. Moreover, patients and their families can utilize the other food joints and restaurants that have developed around the hospital, minimizing the impact of the cafeteria's closure.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Question 21

KindCare Hospital has to renovate its storage unit, given the complexity of the medicines and the need to store other critical supplies. The renovation is supposed to take seven days. However, as the work starts, the team entrusted with the work realizes that the work will take more than 15 days. KindCare feels that even this revised estimate is modest. Already the outpatient services are affected, and people visiting the hospital are being turned away. Stretching it further will attract a strong public resentment.

Which of the following actions offers the MOST sustainable solution for KindCare to reduce the number of patients being turned away?

Resume some operations from rented spaces, scattered around the region.

Start reduced operations gradually, and hire a team of experts to find ways to expedite the renovation.

Arrange with a larger hospital, in Shamili, to take over their critical patients.

Bring in a reputed renovation team at triple the cost, which guarantees to finish this work in three days.

Stop the renovation work immediately, and resume normal operations.

Solution

Option D is the correct answer because it offers a sustainable and practical solution to minimize the disruption caused by the renovation. By bringing in a reputed team that can complete the work in just three days, KindCare can significantly reduce the time during which outpatient services are affected. While the cost is high, it is a short-term expense that ensures the hospital's reputation and ability to serve the community are not further damaged. The hospital is already turning away patients, which could lead to long-term resentment and a loss of trust in KindCare's services. Therefore, prioritizing a faster renovation—even at triple the cost—is the most effective and sustainable option to resolve the situation promptly and ensure smooth operations in the future.

Option A: This option is not the best solution because it introduces logistical challenges and inefficiencies. While renting spaces could allow the hospital to continue providing some services, operating from scattered locations would likely confuse patients and add complexity to hospital management. Patients seeking emergency care or outpatient services may not know where to go, and staff would need to divide their efforts between multiple locations. Furthermore, transporting critical supplies like medicines or equipment to these scattered spaces would be time-consuming and costly. While this option could temporarily reduce the number of patients turned away, it is not sustainable and would create operational challenges that could hurt KindCare's reputation.

Option B: This option is less effective because it does not address the immediate issue of patients being turned away. Starting reduced operations would still limit the hospital's ability to serve the community, and hiring a team of experts to expedite the renovation would add further delays. The renovation team already estimates that the work will take more than 15 days, and waiting for experts to provide solutions would only prolong the process. While this approach might seem cautious, it does not resolve the urgent problem of public dissatisfaction and disrupted services. It fails to provide a timely and impactful solution compared to Option D.

Option C: This option is not ideal because it would primarily help critical patients rather than addressing the broader issue of outpatient services being turned away. While critical patients might be redirected to Shamili, many outpatients and locals rely on KindCare as their primary medical facility. Shamili is located 100 kilometers away, which makes it inconvenient for most patients in Chinar and the surrounding area. Additionally, outsourcing patients to Shamili could harm KindCare's reputation as a dependable healthcare provider. This option solves the issue for only a small segment of patients and fails to address the community's broader healthcare needs.

Option E: This option is not sustainable because it simply postpones the problem rather than solving it. The hospital has already identified the need for urgent renovation of its storage unit, which is critical for maintaining an adequate inventory of medicines and supplies. Stopping the renovation would provide only a temporary reprieve and would likely result in greater operational challenges in the future. The hospital would eventually need to restart the renovation, potentially leading to another disruption. This approach reflects poor planning and does not provide a sustainable solution for the hospital or its patients.

Option D is the most sustainable and effective solution because it prioritizes minimizing disruption and ensures that the hospital can resume normal operations as quickly as possible. While the cost of hiring a reputed renovation team is high, it is a worthwhile investment to preserve the hospital's reputation and meet the community's healthcare needs. Completing the renovation in three days drastically reduces the duration of patient inconvenience and addresses the growing dissatisfaction among the public. Additionally, this option ensures that the hospital's infrastructure improvements are completed efficiently, preventing future delays or operational bottlenecks.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Ms. Vineeta Lama, a respected figure in the small town of Jampur, found herself stranded on the road, once again, when her old small hatchback car broke down. Finding herself alone on the deserted road with no one to help, Vineeta, in desperation called Shyam Saigal, the General Manager of Balaji Motors − the only dealership in Jampur that sells Diplomatico cars, the brand that Vineeta drives. Vineeta knew Shyam from her frequent visits for getting her hatchback car serviced. Surprisingly, he arrived within fifteen minutes, accompanied by a mechanic from his dealership. Further, he arranged for the vehicle to be towed and kindly offered Vineeta a ride home. On the way back, he advised Vineeta to exchange her old car with a new Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) on a good discount from his dealership. He assured her that he would add several additional services to ensure her SUV remained in excellent condition for many years ahead.

Question 1

Due to her old car’s frequent breakdowns, Vineeta decided it was a time to replace it. She was afraid whether buying a Diplomatico SUV from Balaji Motors, as suggested by Shyam, will be a right decision for her.

Which of the following pieces of additional information will help her the MOST in taking the right decision?

She has no idea which SUV to choose, and she feels that all SUVs are the same.

Her brother, an SUV enthusiast, staying in a metro city, has advised her to stay away from Diplomatico Cars.

In Jampur, SUVs have a 6-month waiting period; however, one red-coloured Diplomatico SUV, not her favourite colour, is available at Balaji Motors.

Jampur, being an old city with congested roads, has a parking problem in many areas.

A new dealership of Panther Motors, the highest selling car brand in the country, is about to come to the town soon.

Solution

Option B provides critical information for Vineeta's decision. Vineeta's brother is an SUV enthusiast, suggesting he has knowledge and experience with these vehicles. He is also a trusted source for this reason. His advice specifically warns her against Diplomatico cars, which directly impact the brand Shyam (from Balaji Motors) is promoting.

With this information, Vineeta can investigate the reasons behind her brother's negative perception of Diplomatico and look beyond the brand Shyam suggested and explore other SUV options available.

Option A highlights Vineeta's lack of knowledge about SUVs, but it doesn't directly influence the decision itself. Regardless of which brand she chooses, she'll need to research specific models.

Option C focuses on availability, not suitability. The waiting period might be inconvenient, but it doesn't eliminate SUVs as a whole.

Option D doesn't eliminate SUVs entirely. She might still choose one of the benefits, like cargo space, to outweigh the challenges of parking and manoeuvring.

Option E: A new dealership, even for a popular brand, doesn't tell Vineeta if they offer SUVs or if they'll be a better fit than a Diplomatico SUV. It introduces another variable but doesn't directly address the suggestion at hand.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Question 2

Shyam’s satisfaction from meeting the month’s quota for selling SUVs turned to dismay when one of his young executives nervously told him that he mistakenly punched an extended warranty for free to Vineeta’s purchase contract earlier that morning. This could not be reversed from the company’s system and meant a loss of Rs. 19,000 for the dealership. The executive was very sorry and was ready to take accountability. However, the amount was too large to be borne by the executive.

Shyam was not concerned about placing accountability, but rather the recovery of the loss. He was unsure whether he should ask Vineeta for the money.

The following pieces of information are available to Shyam:
A. Shyam is aware that Vineeta is very happy with the deal he gave her for the car.
B. Shyam feels that Diplomatico’s software system is complicated for new employees, which might have also played a role in the error.
C. Vineeta has a wide network and can connect Shyam with many potential customers.
D. Vineeta’s brother, a car enthusiast, has enough knowledge of how car dealers operate.
E. Shyam feels that if he maintains the current sales volume, he might be able to persuade Diplomatico to write off the amount (Rs. 19,000).

Which of the following combinations, of the above pieces of information, will MOST likely stop Shyam from trying to recover the money from Vineeta?

A & B

A & D

C & D

C & E

B & E

Solution

Let us consider each of the pieces of information individually.

Option A: Happy with the Deal: While Vineeta might be happy, the error isn't her fault. Shyam still needs to recover the loss.

Option B: Software Complexity: This explains the mistake but doesn't excuse Vineeta from receiving an unintended benefit.

Option C: Wide Network & Potential Customers: Vineeta's extensive network translates to potential future sales for Balaji Motors. Upsetting her over a Rs. 19,000 mistake could jeopardise this benefit.

Option D: Brother's Knowledge: Vineeta's brother might question the mistake, but it doesn't prevent Shyam from asking for the money back. He might even advise her to return it to avoid future issues.

Option E: Potential Write-off: If Shyam can convince Diplomatico (the car manufacturer) to absorb the cost of the extended warranty, it eliminates the need to approach Vineeta altogether.

In essence, maintaining a good relationship with a valuable customer (C) and potentially getting reimbursed by Diplomatico (E) offer Shyam better ways to address the situation. This is why C and E are the most likely factors to prevent him from approaching Vineeta. Therefore, Option D is the correct answer.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Question 3

Three months passed. While returning from a friend’s house, Vineeta’s new SUV was hit by another car. Fortunately, she was not injured, but the SUV was badly damaged. Surprisingly, when Vineeta took the car for repairs to Balaji Motors, she was told that the repairs would not cost her anything as the extended warranty on her car covered such accidents. Vineeta could not recall purchasing such a warranty; hence, she contacted Shyam. Shyam informed her that the extended warranty was mistakenly punched into her contract by an executive. As this mistake could not be reversed due to the company’s rigid policies, Shyam bore the cost of Rs. 19,000. He further added that Vineeta should consider it a gift from Balaji Motors for purchasing the highest-priced Diplomatico SUV.

As Vineeta rode back home, she wondered if she should pay Rs. 19,000 to Shyam since the extended warranty came to her aid that day.

Which of the following is the MOST compelling rationale for Vineeta to justify not paying Rs. 19,000 to Shyam?

She paid more for the Diplomatico SUV, compared to the price of a similar SUV from Panther.

She is aware that for expensive SUVs like hers, dealers often offer free extended warranty.

The mistake happened three months back and is water under the bridge now.

Had the accident not happened, she would not have been aware of the warranty.

Shyam would have come back to her if he had needed the money.

Solution

Option B is the best rationale for Vineeta. Here’s why:

Market Expectation: Vineeta might feel that for the price she paid for a high-end SUV, a free extended warranty is a reasonable expectation within the car dealership industry. This mistake simply fulfills that expectation she might have had.
Bargaining Leverage: By mentioning this common practice, Vineeta can initiate a negotiation with Shyam. She can argue that since the mistake resulted in a benefit she might have expected anyway, it can be considered a wash.

Option A- Price Comparison: Even if a similar SUV from Panther might have been cheaper without an extended warranty, it doesn't negate the fact that the warranty is now covering Vineeta's repairs.

Option C- Time Passed: The time gap doesn't change the fact that the mistake benefited Vineeta.

Option D is entirely focused on the past (she wasn't aware). It doesn't address the current situation or a potential solution.

Option E- Shyam's Need: This puts the responsibility on Shyam to ask for the money back, rather than Vineeta taking the initiative to return it, especially since the mistake benefitted her.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

ABC Business School was a school with a difference. Regarded as one of the top business schools in western India, but relatively unknown beyond that, the school catered to smaller organizations seeking to hire students for sales and marketing positions, with occasional openings in HR roles. These students were open to secure job opportunities, even if they offered relatively lower salaries. The organizations, that recruited from ABC, did not really care for the talent, but appreciated the students' ability to follow orders without questioning them. The school’s strength laid in its alumni, who consistently returned to the institution for recruitment, thereby ensuring the school’s continued existence. Given the placement record, the school attracted a specific segment of business school aspirants, who wanted a solid job but were not excited about learning.

Question 4

Recently, some alumni of ABC threatened that their children should be given preference in admissions, or they would withdraw as recruiters. The director was, however, hesitant about allowing alumni to interfere in running the school because the fairness of the admissions process had earned ABC high respect within the corporate world that recruited from the school.

Which of the following reasons, if true, will BEST help the director NOT to worry about pandering to those alumni?

The alumni were the reason that ABC was able to attract corporates.

Some of the alumni were regularly teaching as guest faculty in the school.

The alumni depend upon ABC’s success to enhance their employability.

No business school, in the region, has allowed alumni any say in managing the operations.

ABC has not entertained any requests from the alumni till date.

Solution

Option C is the best answer for the following reasons:

1) It weakens the alumni's leverage. If their success relies on ABC's reputation for quality graduates, they have a vested interest in upholding the school's standards, including a fair admissions process.

2) It shifts the power dynamic. By highlighting the alumni's need for ABC's reputation, the director can frame the conversation around cooperation for mutual benefit, rather than succumbing to pressure.

Option A highlights the alumni's importance. It emphasizes their role in attracting recruiters, potentially making the director feel pressured to appease them to maintain that connection.

Option B doesn't directly address the admissions issue. Guest faculty roles are separate from admissions decisions, and having alumni involved could even be seen as a positive sign of engagement.

Option D is a good option, but option C is even stronger. While it shows there's no precedent for alumni interference, it doesn't address the alumni's own motivations.

Option E shows the director hasn't given in before, but it doesn't address the current pressure. The alumni might be more forceful this time, and the director needs a reason to justify saying no again.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Question 5

Across the country, business schools were ranked by popular magazines. A few business schools in the same region were applying for rankings, hoping that rankings will affect their visibility among corporate houses and recruiters. To achieve a good rank, ABC faculty members, who have primarily focused on teaching thus far, would need to actively engage in research and consulting activities. The director was aware that asking the faculty to switch to research and consulting would not be easy.

Which of the following facts will BEST help the director not to worry about applying for rankings?

The alumni do not follow research publications in general.

The alumni do not care for the teachers, or classes, in general.

The alumni are aware that ABC offers a retainable talent pool.

ABC’s placements in the previous year were completed in 4 days.

ABC could never break into the top 40 ranks in the country when it applied earlier.

Solution

Option C is the best answer as the alumni's awareness of ABC's "retainable talent pool" directly addresses a key metric for many business school rankings: graduate employability. If alumni consistently return to recruit because ABC graduates stay with companies (low turnover), it demonstrates the school's effectiveness in producing valuable employees. This is a strong selling point for rankings that focus on placement success.

By focusing on alumni satisfaction with the quality of graduates, the director can shift the focus away from rankings that might not be as relevant to ABC's niche market and concentrate on maintaining the school's core strength - job placement.

Option A: This doesn't matter for rankings. Research is typically a factor for faculty-focused rankings, not those aimed at student placement.

Option B: Similar to A, student satisfaction might be a factor in some rankings, but it's not the main focus for placement-oriented rankings.

Option D: A quick placement record can be a positive for rankings that consider efficiency, but it's not the sole factor.

Option E: Past performance doesn't necessarily predict future results. However, it highlights the potential challenge of breaking into the top ranks.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Question 6

A few faculty members complained to the director regarding the lack of attendance and seriousness among many students during classes and exams. The director knew that this had been the case for decades but became more rampant in the last few years. He was also aware that the classes were mostly rituals, conducted to tell the world that ABC believed in education and had little bearing on placements. However, he believed that students must be told to attend classes and take exams with serious attitude.

Which of the following announcements by the director will BEST ensure that faculty stop complaining about student attendance?

Students, who attend every class, should be given “thank you” notes from the director.

Students should be asked to pay a monetary penalty for missing classes.

Faculty members, who make classes very engaging, should be felicitated during the convocation.

Only students, with at least 85 percent class attendance, will participate in placements.

Students should be rewarded for contributing to in-class discussions and learning.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

DeepSea is a natural gas extraction company that retrieves natural gas from rock formations beneath the seabed. This gas is then transported through its extensive pipeline network to a bottling plant, located at the sea surface, for processing. The gas in rock formations is pressurized, enabling it to flow to the surface and reach the bottling plant. Yet, excessive pressure can cause bursts in the pipeline, leading to uncontrolled gas release, known as blowout. A blowout carries a staggering cost, encompassing not only environmental damage but also reputation loss and financial losses totaling crores of rupees. Additionally, the impacted section of the pipeline requires a complete replacement.

Industry safety regulations divide the pipeline network into three levels: Level 3 is the part under the seabed, Level 2 is the part above the seabed but in the deep sea, while Level 1 is near the surface. The safety regulations require multiple blowout preventer valves, from now on simply referred to as valves, to be placed at the three different levels of the pipeline network. The valves are normally kept closed, but when the pressure in any part of the pipeline rises beyond a critical level, nearby valves are opened remotely to release the pressure in a controlled manner to prevent blowout. The number of valves across the pipeline helps localize the pressure release, with a greater number of valves providing a backup mechanism, helping in improving pressure localization in case of a blowout. Given that the valves themselves can occasionally malfunction and not release the pressure when needed, using a higher number of valves ensures that a malfunctioning valve can seek the safety of a nearby functioning valve.

A valve can malfunction in two ways: it may fail to release pressure when needed, as previously mentioned, or it can leak gas during regular operation, resulting in unwanted losses. When a valve malfunctions, it necessitates manual replacement.

In the DeepSea Network, 30% of the valves are located at Level 3, which is the deepest level. The remaining valves are evenly distributed between the top two levels. These valves are critical to ensuring safety and are exclusively supplied by GoValve, a highly specialized manufacturer that holds a monopoly in the country’s market.

Question 7

GoValve has recently proposed a maintenance package for the valves to DeepSea, which includes a clause that whenever a valve at Level 3 malfunctions, all valves at that level will be replaced. Accepting the clause will cost a significant premium. The management of DeepSea have the following pieces of additional information under consideration:

A. The valves are known to be prone to malfunction.
B. Any malfunction in one valve often results in leakage from the neighboring valves.
C. GoValve is ready to negotiate a discount if the clause is accepted.
D. Replacing the valves at Level 3 is a very difficult job, which is best done by GoValve.
E. The chances of pressure buildups are higher near the seabed.

Which of the following combinations, of the above pieces of additional information, will help the management of DeepSea the MOST in accepting the clause?

A, B & D

A, B & E

B, C & D

A, C & D

C, D & E

Solution

Let us examine each piece of information individually.

Statement A highlights the potential frequency of needing repairs, making a mass replacement at Level 3 more appealing if a malfunction occurs.

Statement B emphasizes the domino effect of a single malfunction. Replacing all valves at Level 3 upon a malfunction can prevent further issues with neighboring valves.

Statement C: While a discount is always attractive, it doesn't directly address the justification for replacing all valves at Level 3 upon a single malfunction.

Statement D: Since Level 3 is the deepest and most challenging location, having GoValve, the specialists, readily available to perform the mass replacement after a malfunction becomes a significant advantage.

Statement E: This information (higher pressure risk near seabed) is generally relevant to blowout prevention but doesn't directly connect to the decision of replacing all valves at Level 3 upon malfunction. It focuses more on the overall risk of pressure buildup.

In conclusion, A (frequent malfunctions), B (domino effect on neighboring valves), and D (difficulty of Level 3 replacement) provide the most compelling reasons for DeepSea to accept the clause in the maintenance package, as they directly address the benefits of replacing all valves at Level 3 upon a single malfunction. So, Option A is the correct answer.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Question 8

A startup, SafeValve, has started importing a technologically superior brand of valves from abroad, which boasts a significant reduction in gas leakage. SafeValve has established a large inventory of these imported valves but is struggling to gain foothold in the local market. An NGO, working for the protection of marine lives, has appealed to DeepSea to replace their existing valves with the product from SafeValve. However, the installation of this new valve will require substantial modification in the pipeline, entailing unknown challenges in installation and maintenance.

Which of the following reasons, if TRUE, can DeepSea BEST cite to publicly reject the appeal?

The new valves cost twice as much as the existing valves.

GoValve is a reputed brand and had a partnership with DeepSea for a long time.

Only some developed countries have mandated the use of the new valves.

SafeValve depends exclusively on imports and may be prone to procurement issues.

GoValve follows the strictest global industry standards of leakage prevention.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Question 9

A startup, SafeValve, has started importing a technologically superior brand of valves from abroad, which boasts a significant reduction in gas leakage. An update to industry safety regulations has come out, which allows a lower number of valves in a pipeline network, if technologically superior valves, similar to those imported by SafeValve, are used for the entire network.

DeepSea is aware that the more the number of valves, the better is DeepSea’s ability to contain blowouts. However, a higher number of valves increases the chance of a leakage. Therefore, DeepSea is contemplating a proposal to reduce the number of valves to almost half, by replacing the existing valves (by GoValve) with the valves sold by SafeValve. A team, tasked with evaluating the proposal, has made some observations, listed below.

Which of the following observations is the MOST helpful in REJECTING the proposal?

There is no clear industry standard for the minimum number of valves required at a certain level.

At Level 1, the chance of a pressure rise is much lesser compared to the other two levels.

At Level 3, a blowout results in more time consuming and expensive repairs compared to the other two levels.

The superiority of the SafeValve products is only in terms of preventing leakage, not blowouts.

If a GoValve valve is opened to prevent a blowout, the chance of leakage from the valves within a certain distance increases.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Mr. Singh lived in a sprawling housing society. He employed two part-time domestic helps, Vimla and Sharda. Vimla was responsible for cleaning and dusting, while Sharda took care of cooking.

Once Sharda fell ill and consequently took leave for three days. When Sharda returned to work, she learned that Mr. Singh’s gold ring, a gift from his mother, was missing. Suspecting theft, Mr. Singh had terminated Vimla. Mr. Singh asked Sharda to take additional responsibility of cleaning the house, along with an offer to double her salary. Sharda accepted the offer as her previous two jobs were lost due to frequent health-related absences. She was struggling to make ends meet; this offer would go a long way to help her.

Next day, while cleaning under the dressing table, Sharda found the gold ring. Overjoyed, Mr. Singh expressed his gratitude by presenting Sharda a reward of one thousand rupees! However, he made no mention of reinstating Vimla.

Question 10

Sharda was contemplating whether she should inform Vimla that she found Mr. Singh’s ring.
Which of the following considerations will BEST dissuade Sharda in sharing the information about the ring with Vimla?

Mr. Singh will probably terminate Sharda if he gets to know that she has revealed this information.

Had Vimla done her job properly, she would have found the ring and avoided this incident.

Vimla already knows she has not stolen anything, so telling her will not give her any new information.

Sharda is not keeping well, and Mr. Singh warned her that her frequent absences could lead to her termination.

Whenever Sharda was absent, Vimla used to help her by taking over her responsibilities.

Video Solution

Solution

Option A is the best option. It suggests a direct consequence that could negatively impact Sharda’s employment and financial stability.Sharing the information with Vimla could risk her current job if Mr. Singh were to find out and decide to terminate her employment. This potential risk could dissuade Sharda from sharing the information.

Option B doesn’t provide a strong reason for Sharda to avoid telling Vimla about the ring. Even if Vimla didn’t do her job perfectly, she might still want to know that the ring was found and that she was wrongly accused of theft. Therefore, this option doesn’t strongly dissuade Sharda from sharing the information with Vimla.

Option C is not the best because while it’s true that Vimla knows she didn’t steal anything, she doesn’t know that the ring was found and that her innocence could be proven. Therefore, this information would indeed be new to her.However, this option does not provide a strong reason for Sharda to withhold the information from Vimla.

Option D doesn’t directly relate to the situation with Vimla and the ring. It’s more about Sharda’s personal circumstances and her relationship with Mr. Singh.

Option E is not the best because it actually provides a reason for Sharda to tell Vimla about the ring, as it shows that Vimla has been helpful and supportive to her in the past. It doesn’t provide a reason for Sharda to keep the information to herself.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Mr. Singh lived in a sprawling housing society. He employed two part-time domestic helps, Vimla and Sharda. Vimla was responsible for cleaning and dusting, while Sharda took care of cooking.

Question 11

Two months passed, and owing to Sharda’s improved health and dedication, Sharda started working in three more houses. However, Vimla was dismissed from her jobs in two more houses primarily due to the ring incident. News of the discovery of the lost ring had not become public, and Sharda wanted to help Vimla. Sharda is contemplating over possible actions.
Which of the following actions, by Sharda, will BEST help Vimla?

Confront Mr. Singh about concealing the discovery of the lost ring from the housing society residents.

Inform Vimla that the ring has been found and advise her to demand compensation from Mr. Singh for tarnishing her image.

Inform as many domestic helps in the housing society as possible that she has found the ring.

Quit the job at Mr. Singh’s house and ask him to consider offering that job to Vimla.

Divulge to Vimla’s employers in the housing society that she has found the ring.

Video Solution

Solution

Option E is the best option here. Sharda's goal is to help Vimla rebuild her reputation and recover from the damage caused by the ring incident. Among the options,Option E directly addresses the root cause of Vimla's dismissal by informing her employers that the theft accusation was false. This action restores Vimla's credibility and potentially helps her regain her lost jobs.

Option A: This could potentially lead to conflict with Mr Singh and might not necessarily help Vimla. There’s also a risk that Mr. Singh could terminate Sharda’s employment as a result of the confrontation.

Option B: This might provide Vimla with some satisfaction, but it’s not guaranteed to help her regain her lost jobs. It could also lead to further conflict with Mr Singh.

Option C: This could help spread the news about the ring, but it might not reach the people who terminated Vimla’s employment. Therefore, it might not be as effective in helping Vimla regain her job.

Option D: Quitting her job and asking Mr. Singh to hire Vimla might not help, as Mr. Singh has already dismissed Vimla and may not reinstate her due to distrust. Additionally, this action does not address the broader issue of Vimla's tarnished reputation in the community.

Therefore, Option E is the best answer.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Mr. Singh lived in a sprawling housing society. He employed two part-time domestic helps, Vimla and Sharda. Vimla was responsible for cleaning and dusting, while Sharda took care of cooking.

Question 12

The news of the discovery of the lost ring eventually became public. The domestic helps in the society were chagrined by the treatment meted out to Vimla and the fact that the news of the discovery was not made public immediately. They wanted to ensure that they would not get targeted every time if something goes missing.
Which of the following policy options will BEST minimize the chance of employers suspecting their domestic workers of theft in the future?

The domestic workers will undergo a daily search by the security guards when leaving the society.

When a domestic worker is terminated on suspicion of theft without proof, they will have to be paid at least one month’s salary in full.

The current address and contact details of all domestic workers should be submitted to the housing society.

If there is a suspicion of theft, the security guards will first conduct a thorough search of the affected house.

When a domestic worker is terminated on suspicion of theft, the employer will have to publicly apologize if the domestic worker can prove their innocence.

Video Solution

Solution

Let's evaluate each option:

Option A: This would best minimize the chance of employers suspecting their domestic workers of theft in the future.A daily search could serve as a deterrent for potential theft and provide a sense of security for the employers.

Option B: This might discourage employers from terminating workers without solid proof of theft, but it doesn’t directly address the issue of suspicion or prevent theft accusations from arising in the first place.

Option C: This might help track down a worker in case of a confirmed theft, but it doesn’t prevent suspicions of theft or protect workers from being wrongly accused.

Option D: This could potentially prevent some false theft accusations by finding misplaced items, but it doesn’t completely eliminate the chance of employers suspecting their domestic workers of theft.

Option E: This might discourage employers from making hasty accusations without proof, but it doesn’t prevent the initial suspicion or accusation of theft. It also puts the burden of proof on the worker, which might not always be possible.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Kasta, a small industrial town hosted a steel plant and its associated ancillary companies. Most of its residents were steel plant employees from different states of the country. While the town offered employment opportunities, it lacked an airport. For those wanting to fly, the nearest airport was in Michaelganj, 100 kms from Kasta. To reach the airport, people rented taxi services available at Kasta, and Prabhu was one such taxi-service provider.

Prabhu’s rates were reasonable — a trip to airport cost Rs. 2200, but for a round trip, the fare was Rs. 3000. Yet, it was not just the affordability that made him popular, his reputation for punctuality and reliability was unmatched. When it came to ensuring the safety of women travelling alone, he would always be the first choice. Such was his trustworthiness that even the steel plant would solicit his services when expecting solo female visitors. Moreover, whenever residents encountered issues with their personal cars, they would turn to Prabhu for help.

However, the world shifted when the COVID-19 pandemic struck. Travel restrictions and safety concerns limited Prabhu’s trips to Michaelganj for over a year and a half. Financial strain followed, with accumulating interest on his home loan. He was weighed down by debt, but things improved once COVID-19 travel restrictions were lifted. Having faced financial hardships during COVID-19, he sought to offset his losses by raising the fare. Yet, he was aware of the stiff competition in town, where many others offered services at a similar fare as his.

Question 13

Prabhu decided to increase the taxi fare for all future trips. He planned to charge Rs. 3000 for a one-way trip to the airport, and Rs. 1000 more for a round trip.
Which of the following facts will BEST help Prabhu’s regular customers in accepting the increase in fare?

Because, the cost of living has gone up in Kasta.

Because, Prabhu is punctual and reliable.

Because, Prabhu is facing financial hardships.

Because, Prabhu offers repair services to residents’ car-related issues.

Because, Prabhu serves many top officials of the steel plant.

Solution

Here's the corrected version:

We are clearly given in the passage that it was not just Prabhu's affordability that made him popular, but also his punctuality and reliability. We are not told about any price hikes by Prabhu's competition after the lockdown, so we cannot be assured if Prabhu was charging less, equal to, or more than his competitors.

Further, the question asks us about what factors would help Prabhu's regular customers in accepting the fare increase. The regular customers, which were the solo females and the official trips by the steel plant, would value punctuality and reliability over a price hike.

Let's evaluate each option to see which one would suit our needs best:

Option A: This option accounts for the general price increase or a simpler version of inflation within the town. Even if it were true, this does not mean it would be enough for Prabhu's regular customers to accept his hiked prices. There might be other drivers who might have also increased their prices, but not to such an extent as Prabhu.

Option B: This helps Prabhu's regular customers in accepting his increased prices. Although they would be paying more than necessary, they would be sure about the safety and punctuality with Prabhu, which is important for solo female travelers and official trips to the steel plant.

Option C: Although the people of the town might be sympathetic towards Prabhu, they cannot sustain paying increased prices just out of sympathy for a service they might get cheaper elsewhere.

Option D: This is an additional service that Prabhu provides. Although this might keep regular customers coming back to him for servicing their cars, it does not help his case for increasing his prices and the customers accepting them.

Option E: This is irrelevant to the concerns of his regular customers, other than those on official trips from the steel plant. Offering a luxurious name or a service used by top officials might attract some higher officials and individuals, but the increased prices take away the affordability factor associated with Prabhu, acting as a deterrent for his regular customers.

Although some of these options were close, option B clearly resonates with the reason for Prabhu's popularity as given in the questions, and thus would be the best fit.

Therefore, Option B is the correct answer.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Question 14

After Prabhu increased his charges by 30%, the revenue flow was promising in the beginning, especially from the steel plant’s official trips. After a few months, he noticed a dip in private bookings. On exploring further, Prabhu realized that while women travelling solo still preferred Prabhu’s service, some of his regular customers were choosing his competitors when travelling as a family. However, he knew that his competitors, while charging lower than him, were still tardy and sometimes cancelled at the last minute.
Which of the following options will BEST help Prabhu to retain his revenue flow?

Revert the pricing of services to its prior rate.

Give 50% discount for personal trips.

Stick to his current increased charges.

Charge a premium when women travel solo.

Charge a premium for the steel plant’s official trips.

Solution

Our aim with this question is for Prabhu to somehow retain his revenue flow. Let's consider each option individually.

Option A: This does not work in Prabhu's favor. Reducing his prices might bring some of his customers back, but it's uncertain whether those returning customers would compensate for the revenue loss caused by the reduced prices.

Option B: Giving a 50% discount would also drastically impact his revenue sources. The customers coming back might not be able to compensate for the money he would lose out by offering this discount.

Option D: Although he is the first choice for women travelling alone, with his competitors offering lower prices, some female customers would be hesitant to pay a premium on top of already high prices for Prabhu's service. This decision might instead have a negative impact on his revenue flow.

Option E: Similar to option D, this too, can be eliminated using the same logic. Charging a premium on top of already increased prices might discourage the steel plant from availing his services.

Through the method of elimination of wrong choices, we are left with only one option.

Option C: Stick to his increased prices. Although not very obvious at first, this would be the best action of all the given options. We are given that the competitors offering cheaper services are tardy and unreliable, which would bring his regular customers, traveling in families, back to him due to the feature that attracted them in the first place: reliability and punctuality. Until then, he can sustain the bookings done by female travelers and the official trips by the steel plant.

Therefore, Option C is the correct answer.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Question 15

Saroj, the new Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at the steel plant, used the services of Manoj when he first travelled from the Michaelganj airport to the plant. Manoj was a rival of Prabhu in the taxi service business at Kasta. Manoj, upon learning that Saroj would be responsible for hiring taxi services for the steel plant, charged Saroj only Rs. 1500 for that trip. Further, he assured Saroj to charge the same for a one way-trip and additional Rs. 500 for a round trip to the airport.

Upon realizing that the plant utilized Prabhu’s services for all official trips to the airport, Saroj contacted Prabhu to discuss the rates offered by Manoj and inquired why the plant should continue using his service when Manoj provided the same at a lower price. Prabhu realized that Manoj charged an extremely low price just to push Prabhu out of his business in the Steel Plant.

Which of the following reasons given by Prabhu will BEST help his cause?

Prabhu should warn Saroj that Manoj’s offer is not sustainable.

Prabhu should request Saroj to talk to a few of his colleagues before taking any decision.

Prabhu should introduce Saroj to Ms. Nidhi Tawde, his regular customer.

Prabhu should offer to lower his price to the one offered by Manoj, exclusively for the steel plant.

Prabhu should tell Saroj that Manoj is unreliable and tardy, and women are unsafe with him.

Solution

The key thing to understand here is that Saroj is a new person in town. He is not familiar with the reliability of Prabhu's service. The reason given by Prabhu should be enough to convince him to trust Prabhu over Manoj, both of whom are equal in his eyes at the moment.

Let's look at the options individually.

Option A: Talking about the economic side of things might help Saroj, being a CFO, understand that the model offered by Manoj would actually not be sustainable and the prices would go up sometime down the line. But this does not mean that they cannot use the service until it's available at a lower price. As soon as Manoj increases his prices, someone (the market) would come again with lower prices to make Manoj go out of business, and they can avail the lower prices again. So this reasoning does not help Prabhu in convincing Saroj; the steel plant can always keep choosing the lowest prices available.

Option C: Although Ms. Nidhi Tawde might vouch for Prabhu's services' safety and reliability, she is as much a stranger to Saroj as Prabhu. Although her statement might add one perspective in favour of Prabhu, this would not be enough to convince Saroj of the positive aspects of Prabhu's services.

Option D: Although this might convince Saroj to choose Prabhu, this would not be a sustainable option. Not only would it hurt Prabhu, but as soon as Prabhu would want to increase his prices, Saroj would go back to other service providers who would be charging less.

Option E: Talking negatively about Manoj would not convince Saroj, as again, from Saroj's perspective, both Manoj and Prabhu are offering their services and would claim to be more reliable than the other.

The only way Saroj would be convinced would be if someone whom Saroj would find reliable vouched for Prabhu's reliability. With his reputation and his time working for the official trips for the steel plant, there would be a lot of employees who would have travelled with Prabhu and would be familiar with his reputation. If Prabhu asks Saroj to discuss with his colleagues, as suggested in option B, who would vouch for Prabhu over Manoj, Saroj would be convinced to keep using Prabhu's services even at a higher price.

Therefore, Option B is the correct answer.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Raman had been working tirelessly as a Project Manager in the IT department of Flying Groceries, a renowned app-based supply chain company, for the past three years. Having graduated from a top-tier engineering college, he dived straight into the corporate world, managing projects with great zeal that inspired his seniors.

At the end of his first year with Flying Groceries, impressed with his hard work, Raman’s boss, Suraj, the founder-CEO of Flying Groceries, fast-tracked his promotion and made him Delivery Manager responsible for multiple projects of a vertical. Suraj also promised Raman the position of Chief Operation Officer in the fifth year of his tenure.

In search of a greater career trajectory, Raman pursued entrance exams for business schools. His efforts bore fruits as he secured a place in the country’s best business school, known for a strong alumni base, stellar placement records and demanding academic requirements.

Raman was delighted; he had three months to join the business school. Flying Groceries demanded that any employee who wished to leave the organization should give at least a month’s notice. Raman decided to continue working and enriching his work experience, which will be beneficial when applying to companies after graduating from the business school. Therefore, he decided not to share the news of the offer with anyone else for the time being.

Question 16

Flying Groceries was planning to implement a much-needed update to enhance the functionality and user experience of their app. According to Suraj, the update was expected to take at least six months to complete. Suraj wanted Raman to lead this project because his leadership was critical for the project’s success. However, Raman knew that he would be there only for three months; he was not sure whether he should accept the project.
Which of the following information, if true, will BEST assist Raman in accepting the role of leading the project?

During his time with Flying Groceries, Raman finished some projects ahead of schedule.

Raman could requisition more human resources to his team for the next three months.

Suraj might advise against the update if he got to know that Raman was leaving soon.

The last two projects Raman led were successfully completed by his subordinates during his exams.

Raman had previously taken many projects home, and the business school would have no classes during the weekends.

Solution

Let's look at each option individually.

Option A: This wouldn't help Raman decide to take on the project. Just because he's completed some projects ahead of schedule in the past doesn't guarantee he can finish this one within the three-month timeframe.

Option B: While Raman could request Flying Groceries and Suraj to allocate more resources to the project, there's no mention that a lack of resources is the reason for the six-month completion timeframe. Other factors may contribute to the project's duration, even with additional resources and manpower.

Option C: Even if Suraj opposes the project upon learning Raman would leave the team, that isn't a reason for Raman to undertake the project knowing he won't see it through to completion. Not starting the project might be better for Flying Groceries than initiating it and then losing the project lead halfway through.

Option D: Among the given options, this would be the best choice. Although Raman's subordinates' past record of completing projects doesn't guarantee success with this project, it demonstrates their competence. Even if Raman leaves halfway through, capable team members could assume his role and finish the project.

Option E: This wouldn't be a valid reason. It would strain Raman with demanding academic requirements from the Business school he's attending, and it wouldn't align with a company's work ethic. Flying Groceries might not want to rely on a former employee who might not fully commit to project completion.

Therefore, of all the given options, Option D would best assist Raman in deciding to take on the role of project leader.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Question 17

After a couple of months, Raman resigned. Suraj was shocked by Raman’s resignation and asked him to reconsider his decision. When Raman expressed his inability to continue, Suraj felt betrayed. This led to a series of heated arguments between them, and they swore to never work together again.

Raman joined the business school; however, he soon realized that that summer internship placements were approaching. Consequently, he would require verification of his responsibilities from Flying Groceries.
Which of the following actions is the MOST appropriate for Raman to obtain his verification?

Raman should write a sincere and professional apology letter, expressing regret for the argument Raman had with Suraj.

Raman should write an email to Suraj, emphasizing Raman’s roles and responsibilities, and request him to approve them.

Raman should contact the HR representative to facilitate the verification of Raman’s responsibilities.

Raman should reach out to a mutual acquaintance within the company and ask her to intervene.

Raman should re-establish communication with Suraj through social media platforms like Facebook and persuade him there.

Solution

Let's evaluate each option individually.

Option A: Attempting to mend personal relations with Suraj through unofficial means might soften the hard feelings between them, but it's not an appropriate way to obtain the required documentation. Additionally, there's no guarantee that writing an apology letter would improve relations or help Raman reach his goal.

Option B: Although more official and on-point compared to option A, this still doesn't guarantee a smooth process for Raman to obtain the required documentation from Flying Groceries. Even with official channels, Suraj might delay the process or downplay his responsibilities given the past conflict. While worth considering, we should look for a better option.

Option C: This would be the best course of action for Raman. Making it HR's responsibility to provide the valid documentation of Raman's work removes the direct involvement of Suraj, eliminating the potential conflict between Suraj and Raman.

Option D: Asking a former colleague who lacks authority or power in the matter wouldn't significantly impact or expedite the process. Option C is a superior choice to this.

Option E: Similar to option A, trying to mend personal relations with Suraj is not an appropriate means for Raman to obtain his documentation. Therefore, this option can be eliminated.

Overall, Option C appears to be the most effective and appropriate course of action for Raman to obtain the necessary documentation.

Therefore, option C is the correct answer.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Question 18

Raman received a verification letter from Flying Groceries outlining his basic job responsibilities during his tenure there. However, Raman required a document to substantiate the additional responsibilities he undertook at Flying Groceries by going beyond his call of duty. Sadly, he did not have any documentation of such additional responsibilities.
Which of the following options will BEST help substantiate the additional responsibilities Raman undertook?

Raman should create documentation, detailing quantifiable metrics and results about his extra work based on his memory.

Raman should collect testimonials on his additional responsibilities from his ex-teammates at Flying Groceries.

Raman should write a public post on social media, appealing to Suraj, mentioning the challenges he faced while taking additional responsibilities, and how he overcame them.

Raman should call Suraj and explain that he will not be able to get a consulting or an operations job without verification.

Raman should reach out to the recently recruited Chief Supply Chain officer at Flying Groceries to highlight the additional work he contributed to facilitate the officer’s tasks.

Solution

Let's evaluate each option individually.

Option A: This is not a valid option. Not only would documentation made from Raman's memory lack accuracy, but it also wouldn't be verified by the employer or the previous organization. This would render the documentation useless for his internship placement or any other purpose he might need them for.

Option B: This would be a valid option. Raman's ex-teammates could provide more accurate data regarding his additional contributions. Documentation of additional roles undertaken coming from employees within the organization would be more official and credible than if Raman were the sole source, as presented in option A.

Option C: Taking an organization's internal matters to social media is rarely a valid option. Such matters should be handled professionally and not made public. Additionally, highlighting his additional responsibilities on social media provides no way of verifying the validity of the information presented there.

Option D: Given the context of the disagreement they had when Raman left his job at Flying Groceries, which left a sour taste between them, there is no guarantee that Suraj would agree to provide Raman with additional documentation needed for him to secure a desired role.

Option E: Since the Chief Supply Chain officer is recently recruited, he might not be familiar with the additional responsibilities Raman took on. Thus, he wouldn't be a reliable source for Raman to obtain documentation listing his additional responsibilities during his time at Flying Groceries.

Hence, Option B would be the best way for Raman to back the additional roles he took during his time at Flying Groceries.

Therefore, Option B is the correct answer.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

In Symbolis, an upcoming medium sized IT services organization, only 1% of the employees were awarded an annual performance bonus. This annual performance bonus was decided by a committee formed of different functional heads. When Ms. Nalini Kattakayam received the annual bonus for the first time in her five years at Symbolis, Ms. Shalini Sampath, a colleague with seven years of tenure at Symbolis, told Nalini that this annual bonus was less a reflection of Nalini’s performance and more a recognition of those who have fostered a strong rapport with the powers that be. Incidentally, Shalini had never received any performance bonus in her tenure at the company.

Question 19

Shalini’s comments deeply hurt Nalini, especially since she had always considered Shalini to be a close friend. Nalini felt like declining the bonus, given her respect for and relationship with Shalini.
Which of the following reasons, if true, will BEST dissuade Nalini from declining the bonus?

Shalini, good at heart, is known for making insensitive comments.

Shalini is known for confronting her boss whenever they changed deadlines.

In her close group, Nalini is the first person to receive the bonus.

Very few people, who are not considered loyal, receive the bonus.

Shalini’s irreverent comment about her previous boss pushed her out of that team.

Video Solution

Solution

Option A will best dissuade Nalini from declining the bonus. This option suggests that Shalini is known to make comments that can be perceived as insensitive, and this understanding could dissuade Nalini from declining the bonus because it frames Shalini’s comment as a characteristic of Shalini’s communication style rather than a personal critique of Nalini’s performance. Therefore, Nalini might see that the bonus is indeed a recognition of her hard work and not just a result of favouritism.

Option B: This doesn’t provide a compelling reason for Nalini to accept the bonus. Shalini’s confrontational nature with her boss is unrelated to Nalini’s performance or the validity of the bonus.

Option C: This doesn’t directly address Shalini’s comment that the bonus is more about favouritism than performance. While it highlights Nalini’s achievement, it doesn’t counter Shalini’s claim and, thus, may not effectively dissuade Nalini from declining the bonus.

Option D: This could potentially make Nalini more inclined to decline the bonus, as it implies that the bonus is given to loyalists. However, it doesn’t directly address Nalini’s concerns about the fairness of the bonus distribution.

Option E: This is more about Shalini’s past and her relationship with her previous boss. It doesn’t provide a direct reason for Nalini to keep her bonus. It might make Nalini question Shalini’s judgement, but it doesn’t validate Nalini’s performance or the bonus she received.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Question 20

Since receiving the performance bonus, Nalini noticed a change in how her teammates behaved with her; they appeared indifferent towards her. Although there were no major issues, Nalini could not help but sense that her teammates began to perceive her as having a closer relationship with the top brass, following her recent accomplishment. Nalini assumed that her teammates might be influenced by Shalini; consequently, they seemed to be avoiding informal interactions with her.
As Nalini had to rely on the support of her teammates, what could Nalini BEST do to normalize her relationship with them?

Do nothing in the hope that things will normalize in time.

Confront Shalini and ask her to stop spreading rumors.

Invite her teammates for dinner on a weekend.

Start saying negative things about their bosses to her teammates.

Talk to her teammates regarding their indifference towards her.

Video Solution

Solution

Option E is the best thing she could do to normalize her relationship with her teammates.It is the most direct and constructive approach. By addressing the issue openly, Nalini can express her feelings, clarify any misunderstandings, and work towards a resolution. It’s important to maintain open lines of communication in a team, and this approach allows for that.

Option A: This is a passive approach, which might not resolve the issue and could even allow misunderstandings to persist.

Option B: This could lead to conflict and doesn’t address the issue with the rest of the team.

Option C: This could help improve relationships, but it might not be effective given the current circumstances. Since her teammates have been avoiding informal interactions with her, they might not be open to attending such a gathering.

Option D: This could create a negative environment, and it is unprofessional. It’s unlikely to improve her relationship with her teammates.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Question 21

A significant project recently arrived at Symbolis, and Nalini was chosen to spearhead it. She was given the autonomy to create her own team to collaborate and drive this project to success. Nalini wanted to build a team where each of the team members worked with great comradery. As Shalini had previous experience of working with the client, Nalini offered her to join the team. However, Shalini expressed her willingness to work on the project only on the condition that she would be appointed as a team leader.

Nalini was aware that the client was very difficult to work with. Of the three previous projects with the client, only the one, where Shalini was a team member, was successfully completed.
What should be the BEST course of action for Nalini regarding the inclusion of Shalini in the team?

Form a team without Shalini and inform her boss about Shalini’s demand.

Ask Shalini to reconsider as this project can be important to both of them.

Tell her boss that Shalini should lead the team as she has worked with the client before.

Complain about Shalini’s attitude to the human resource manager.

Request her boss to order Shalini to join the team.

Video Solution

Solution

Option B is the best course of action for Nalini regarding Shalini's inclusion in the team. It encourages open communication and negotiation, which are key to resolving conflicts and misunderstandings in a professional setting. Nalini can explain the project's importance and how Shalini’s experience and skills can contribute to its success.

Option A: This could potentially escalate the situation and create further tension between Nalini and Shalini.

Option C: This undermines Nalini’s authority and autonomy as the chosen leader for the project.

Option D: This could escalate the situation and might not resolve the issue at hand. It’s generally better to try and resolve conflicts directly with the person involved before involving HR.

Option E: This might not be effective because it doesn’t address Shalini’s concerns or her desire to lead the team. Forcing Shalini to join the team without addressing these issues could lead to a hostile work environment and might not contribute to the success of the project.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

In recent years, complaints of sexual harassment at “Fair Consulting” had increased exponentially. Fair Consulting had a gender-neutral, anti-sexual harassment policy and a committee to adjudicate on complaints. During the hearing of complaints, allegations and counter-allegations would fly thick and fast. This made it difficult for the adjudicating committee to conclusively decide on the complaints.

Question 1

Fair Consulting was mulling over three interventions to reduce sexual harassment cases in the workplace. They are:
1. Educate employees about the company’s anti-sexual harassment policy
2. Profile employees with a propensity to engage in acts of sexual harassment
3. Discipline sexual offenders

Which of the following options will the employees find LEAST ostracizing?

2 & 3

2 Only

1 Only

3 Only

1 & 2

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Question 2

The CEO of Fair Consulting wanted the adjudicating committee to reduce the number of errors while deciding on sexual harassment complaints. The employees suggested that the committee could do the following to reduce errors in judgment.

1. Listen to the arguments of both the complainant and the accused together
2. Listen to the arguments of both the complainant and the accused separately
3. Involve a member of women’s commission
4. Take the help of a retired judge
5. Hire a forensic expert to verify evidences

From the following, choose the MOST effective sequence that would help the committee to arrive at the right decision.

2, 4, 1

1, 2, 4

2, 1 ,5

2, 3, 4

1, 2, 3

Solution

Option C is an effective sequence for the adjudicating committee to reduce errors in judgment in sexual harassment complaints

2: This step allows the committee to gather individual perspectives without potential influence from the other party, ensuring a thorough understanding of each side of the story.

1: Bringing both parties together after listening to them separately fosters a collaborative discussion. It provides an opportunity for clarification, cross-examination, and a more comprehensive view of the case, potentially uncovering additional information or nuances.

5: Introducing a forensic expert at this stage enhances the committee's ability to objectively assess evidence. The forensic expert can provide a specialized analysis, helping to verify or challenge the credibility of the presented evidence.

This sequence combines individual perspectives, collaborative discussions, and expert analysis, aiming to minimize errors by ensuring a comprehensive and well-informed decision-making process.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Question 3

Of late, the adjudicating committee received a complaint from a junior female consultant. Her immediate boss cracked a bawdy joke about her in the office tuck shop. When the committee probed the alleged misconduct, they identified an independent witness. She agreed to give her testimony to the committee: however, she was unsure if she would like to be identified either by the complainant or the accused. The convenor of the committee was confused about the stance to be taken on the witness’s concern.

Which of the following will be the BEST stance to be taken by the
convenor?

The convenor should ensure that the witness identifies herself because both the accused and the complainant must identify themselves.

The convenor should ensure that witness identify herself as it will ensure that she will not present frivolous proof related to the inquiry

The convenor should not let witness’s identity be revealed as it might expose her to a threat either from the respondent or the accused.

The convenor should not allow witness’s identity to be revealed as either the accused or the complainant can use the witness’s arguments to their advantage

The convenor should not allow witness’s identity to be revealed because complainant can sabotage the inquiry process.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

During the floods of 2018-2019, a group of philanthropists led by Niyabuddin, wished to open free food centre for the needy. Their motto was that “no human should be hungry.” Nothing gives more satisfaction to the philanthropists than to see the hungry eat to the fullest.

Post Covid-19, the group started a food centre by the name Win Borne Life Care Food (WBLCF) in a small town called Palakkad. The centre started gaining popularity as the number of people enjoying free meals increased over time. Initially, WBLCF offered a standardized menu consisting of idli, upma, puttu for breakfast, curd rice for lunch, and idli or upma for supper. Six women were employed by WBLCF to prepare all the meals. As the number of diners increased, they started expecting a variety in the menu. At WBLCF, not all the diners eat "free": while two-thirds of diners get free food, one-third would donate some amount to a transparent charity box kept at the entrance. For example, a man donated Rs. 500 after consuming two idlis, and a woman approached Niyabuddin and inquired about donating 10 kilogrammes of rice. Those who could not afford to donate, were often seen prostrating worshipfully in front of the charity box. Some caring individuals made monetary donation while others donated rice, fruits and vegetables to WBLCF. Further, the centre received enquiries from many locals on how they could contribute to the cause.

As the centre was lauded for its philanthropic work by people of the town, Niyabuddin intended to replicate the initiative in the nearby districts. However, he is concerned about the cost that goes into running the centre. Almost 75 percent of the donated amount goes into buying the cooking ingredients, while the rest goes into paying salaries, operations and maintenance costs.

Question 4

From the following, choose the MOST important challenge that Niyabuddin has to overcome to sustain WBLCF.

Getting enough finances and donations

Paying salaries to employees

Attracting enough diners

Having enough cooks and employees

Preparing only local dishes for diners

Solution

The correct option is A because the success of the food center heavily relies on having sufficient funds to cover the costs of ingredients, salaries, operations, and maintenance. Without an adequate financial foundation, WBLCF may struggle to continue its philanthropic work and expand to nearby districts. Paying salaries, attracting diners, having enough cooks, and offering local dishes are all interconnected challenges that can be addressed more effectively with a robust financial base.

Option B is not the most critical because while paying salaries is crucial for retaining dedicated employees, it is a component of the overall financial challenge. If there are not enough finances to cover salaries, it becomes a subset of the broader issue of obtaining adequate funds and donations.

Option C is not the most critical one because while attracting diners is essential for the success of the food center, but it's not the primary challenge. Even if there are many diners, the initiative's sustainability depends on having the necessary financial resources to continue providing free meals.

Option D is not correct because having enough cooks and employees is an operational challenge but can be addressed within the broader context of financial stability. If there are sufficient funds, hiring and retaining staff becomes more manageable.

Option E is not crucial because while offering variety in the menu may be a desire expressed by diners, it is not as critical as ensuring the financial sustainability of the food center. Menu diversification can be considered once the core financial challenges are addressed.

The correct option is A

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Question 5

Niyabuddin realised that on some days the food was wasted while on other days diners went back hungry. He sought advice from a consultant friend on how to reduce wastage. The consultant suggested the following:

1. Launch a mobile app so that diners can pre-inform their arrival to WBLCF.
2. Ask diners who enjoy free meal to distribute excess food to hungry on streets
3. Ask diners to eat less as it is good for health
4. Preach people to eat less
5. Ration amount of food to be served to the diners

Which of the above ideas will not be consistent with the core ethos of
WBLCF?

2, 3 & 5

3, 4 & 5

1, 3 & 4

2, 3 & 4

1, 2 & 3

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Question 6

Niyabuddin wanted to conserve local recipes that can be used to prepare mouth-smacking dishes for the diners.

Which of the following could be the BEST way to conserve local recipes?

Hold a weekly competition for the best local dish and get it judged and documented by local volunteers

Request a lady once a week in Palakkad to cook food at WBLCF on voluntary basis and document the recipes

Tie up with one of food delivery partners to help them document the recipes

Tie-up with the chef of the best restaurant in Palakkad to document recipes

Ask free diners to contribute towards one recipe for a dish and give them the responsibility to document it

Solution

Option A is the best choice because it combines community engagement, local volunteers, a judging process, and a regular competition, providing a holistic and inclusive approach to conserving local recipes while aligning with the ethos of WBLCF.

Option B is not correct because while this involves individuals from the community, it may not capture a diverse range of local recipes. Relying on one person per week may not be sufficient to document a wide variety of dishes.

Option C is not correct because food delivery partners may not prioritize the documentation of local recipes, and their primary focus is on delivering food. The documentation process may not be as comprehensive or community-oriented as in option A.

Option D is incorrect because while a professional chef can provide expertise, this approach may not involve a broad representation of the local community. Additionally, restaurant recipes may differ from traditional home-cooked dishes that WBLCF aims to conserve.

Option E is not correct because while involving diners is a good idea, relying solely on them may not ensure a systematic and consistent approach to documentation. It may also exclude non-diners who may hold valuable knowledge about local recipes.

The correct option is A

Instructions

Go through the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

To prepare a dish (e.g., Dosa- Sambhar, Idli-chutney, Rajma-Chawal, Mawa-Bati), the chef has to finish nine activities, some of which could be done simultaneously, while others could not be done simultaneously (see diagram). One of the challenges faced by the chef was to precisely calculate the preparation time of a dish and communicate the waiting time to the customers.

However, based on the past data, the chef had an idea about approximate time taken to complete each activity. He had noted down the best (optimistic), worst (pessimistic) and most likely (most commonly observed) time to finish each of the nine activities. Further, the chef realised that frequency of occurrence of most likely time was 66.666%, and the frequency of occurrence of pessimistic and optimistic times were 16.666% each. The diagram below shows the activities involved and the table shows the optimistic, pessimistic, and most likely times for each activity. Time is indicated in minutes in the table below.

Question 7

The expected time to prepare the dish is the weighted average of optimistic, pessimistic and most likely time.

Which of the following is the expected wait time for the chef to communicate to the customers?

Approx. 22.0

Approx. 51.0

Approx. 47.3

Approx. 32.3

Approx. 40.0

Instructions

Go through the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Question 8

Customer dissatisfaction is the difference of actual waiting time (AWT) and expected waiting time (EWT). AWT is the actual time spent by customer before being served the dish. EWT of the customer is the time communicated by the chef.

What is the minimum waiting time (EWT) that the chef should communicate to minimise customer dissatisfaction?

Instructions

Go through the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Question 9

Which of the following is the MOST volatile activity for the chef?

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Arti, CEO of an FMCG company, was under pressure from the Board of Governors (BoG) to increase diversity in the workforce. The board wanted the company to hire candidates with vision impairment, as it believed that they contributed to organizations in many unique ways.

The CEO was apprehensive of hiring visually impaired candidates; she was not sure about the feasibility of accommodating them in the current setting. Moreover, Arti was unsure as to how the visually impaired could contribute meaningfully to the organization.

Note: A person with a vision impairment in the range of 60-100 percent is referred to as a visually impaired person. A person with 100 percent vision impairment cannot see at all.

Question 10

The following arguments were presented to Arti about the candidates with vision impairment:
1.Visually impaired can do some activities better than the normal people and hence complement other employees.
2.Visually impaired can motivate other employees to work harder.
3. Visually impaired can act as a role model for other disadvantaged people in the society
4. Visually impaired can work harder to prove themselves
5. Hiring visually impaired people may enhance organizational reputation which may consequently lead to better sales.
6. Visually impaired have to be paid 20 percent extra salary.

From the above arguments, which of the following options indicate that CEO’s apprehensions are misplaced?

1,2,3,4,5 Only

1,2,3,4,5&6

1,2,3,4 Only

1,2,4,6 Only

1,2,4,5 Only

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Question 11

Arti wanted to follow the suggestion given by the Board of Governors; however, she was not sure if the company was ready to accommodate candidates with 100 percent visual impairment. Also, the concern of involving such employees in meaningful activities was constantly bothering her. Hence, she constituted a committee to come up with recommendations that would help the company in hiring 100 percent visually impaired employees
After two months of deliberations, the committee came up with the following recommendations:
1. Hire visually impaired employees unconditionally as it is any company’s social responsibility
2. Hire visually impaired employees in the activities they can contribute
3. Ensure visually impaired friendly office space, food courts, restrooms, parking etc.
4. Allow guide dogs to assist employees with 100 percent vision impairment in the office premises

Which of the following options will BEST allay concerns as well as be fair to all stakeholders?

3 & 4 Only

2, 3 & 4 Only

1, 3 & 4 Only

1 & 3 Only

1, 2 & 3 Only

Solution

Option B is the correct answer.

2: This recommendation addresses the concern of involving visually impaired employees in meaningful activities by ensuring they are hired based on their abilities and contributions. It aligns with the idea of maximizing their potential in areas where they can make a valuable impact.

3: This recommendation addresses the practical aspects of creating a supportive and inclusive environment for visually impaired employees. It ensures that the workplace infrastructure is accessible and accommodating to their needs, enhancing their overall experience.

4: This recommendation recognizes the assistance that guide dogs can provide to employees with complete vision impairment. Allowing guide dogs contributes to the well-being and independence of visually impaired individuals.

These recommendations collectively address the concerns of meaningful employment, workplace accessibility, and assistance for employees with 100 percent vision impairment.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Question 12

Suresh refuses to be served coffee by visually impaired baristas, but he does believe in donating to the visually impaired. The following statements could explain why Suresh does not want to be served by visually impaired baristas.
1. He thinks that visually impaired are inefficient at serving coffee.
2. His parents have taught him to donate, instead of accepting services from challenged individuals.
3. He believes that his refusal to be served will have adverse consequences.
4. He feels joyous amongst visually impaired; sharing his life and caring for them.

From the following, choose the option that BEST explains Suresh’s biased behaviour

1,3,4 Only

1,2,4 Only

1,2,3,4

1,2 Only

2,3,4 Only

Solution

(1): This statement suggests a negative stereotype that visually impaired individuals may be perceived as inefficient or incapable of performing certain tasks. Suresh's reluctance to be served by visually impaired baristas could be rooted in this stereotype.

(2): Suresh's upbringing and the values instilled by his parents may contribute to his preference for donating rather than accepting services from individuals he perceives as "challenged." This attitude may stem from a belief in charity over direct interaction.

(3): This statement does not directly address why Suresh refuses to be served by visually impaired baristas. It suggests a belief in adverse consequences, but the nature of these consequences and their relation to his biased behavior is unclear.

(4):This statement portrays a positive sentiment towards visually impaired individuals. It implies that Suresh feels joyous when interacting with them. This positive feeling contradicts the negative bias suggested by his refusal to be served by visually impaired baristas.

Therefore Option D: 1, 2 Only is the correct answer.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the TWO questions that follow.

The CEO of the Jamshedpur Tea Factory (JTF) was in a quandary over employees skipping work. It was becoming increasingly difficult for him to identify employees who faked illness to skip work. The work of the employees was complex and intricate, and they had to report to eight supervisors. “Faking illness” made it difficult for JTF to judiciously decide on “Promotion” and “Training” of employees. An employee could only be promoted on the completion of a multi-skilling training program. Further, to be nominated for the training program, an employee must be recommended by a minimum of six supervisors. JTF wanted to promote only sincere and deserving employees.

Question 13

The CEO was thinking of changing the policy regarding leave, training & promotion.
Which of the following will be the MOST efficient course of action for JTF and yet be fair to the employees?

Let supervisors decide on the leave of an employee.

Let the CEO office decide on promotion but each supervisor will decide on the leave.

Let the CEO office decide on the leave as well as promotions.

Let status quo continue

Let the CEO office decide on leave but supervisors will recommend promotions

Solution

Option E is the correct answer because it strikes a balance between centralized control and decentralized input. Allowing the CEO office to decide on leave ensures consistency and fairness in leave policies, preventing individual supervisors from making subjective decisions. On the other hand, involving supervisors in recommending promotions utilizes their insights into individual employee performance, dedication, and suitability for multi-skilling training. This dual approach ensures that decisions on leave and promotions are well-informed, fair, and consider both the broader organizational perspective and the specific performance at the supervisor level.

Option A: Leaves and promotions require different considerations, and leaving both to supervisors may lack consistency.

Option B: Centralizing promotion decisions with the CEO office and delegating leave decisions to supervisors may lead to inconsistencies and lack of coordination.

Option C: Complete centralization of leave and promotion decisions may not consider the nuanced understanding supervisors have of individual employee performance.

Option D: Maintaining the status quo may not address the challenges of identifying employees faking illness and may not ensure fair promotions.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the TWO questions that follow.

Question 14

Which of the following policies will be MOST prone to error while selecting deserving and sincere employees?

Outsource all leave decisions to a doctor whose judgment will be final

Let the CEO office decide on promotions but supervisors will decide on the leave.

Outsource all leave decisions to a lawyer whose judgement will be final

Let the CEO office decide on leave but supervisors will recommend the promotion.

Let the CEO office decide on the leave as well as promotions.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Dhan, a poor but enterprising 15-year-old, resided in the world’s largest slum in a metropolitan city, along with her widowed mother. The densely packed slum housed about a million people, mostly in rickety one room tenements, connected by labyrinthine lanes and by-lanes. Dhan’s mother worked intermittently as a daily wager in a small savoury factory. For a 15-year-old, Dhan’s life was hectic. She spends two hours every day in fetching water for the household, packing breakfast and lunch for her mother. In addition, she had to prepare supper. On her mother’s insistence, Dhan also attended an evening bridge school run by an NGO. Dhan’s dream was to provide a comfortable life to her mother and take her family out of poverty. Of late, Dhan observed that the customers to a nearby tea-cum-savoury stall (TCS), were mostly the slum dwellers, who thronged the stall for its low prices and lack of alternatives. Further, Dhan gathered that the TCS could not cater to all of its customers, and the owner still made a neat Rs.800 profit per day. Dhan saw that a probable first step towards her family’s economic independence could be to own her own TCS.

Question 15

From the following, choose the BEST option that will increase Dhan’s chances of realising her dream of starting a venture?

Hire someone at Rs.10 per day to fetch water for the household

Request mother to fetch water for the household

Request mother to pack her own breakfast and lunch

Request mother to stop working and be a partner in the new venture

Stop going to the bridge school

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Question 16

Within two years of establishment, Dhan’s TCS is not only outcompeting its nearest rivals in the slum but has also earned a goodwill for the quality and taste of its products. Hence, it has become famous within the slum as “Dhan Dhana Dhan” brand. Dhan now aspires to expand the reach of her savouries into the metropolitan region. Dhan wishes to scale up her savoury production from 100 kg to 1000 kg per day while maintaining quality. Dhan realizes that her establishment does not have the space for expansion on its own.

Which of the following options will BEST help Dhan to scale up production with least investment, tightly control quality, and also protect her business interests?

Buy additional space within the slum and establish own manufacturing unit

Outsource the production, along with secret recipes, to a mass savoury production unit outside the slum

Lease space in the metropolitan region and establish a manufacturing unit of TCS

Stop catering to the slum dwellers and start serving the metropolitan region exclusively

Provide the savoury dough and preparation instructions to 100 willing women in the slum and co-opt them as business partners

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Question 17

Dhan with her ingenuity finds a way to scale up her production capacity on her own terms. Though Dhan’s TCS has become the famous “Dhan Dhana Dhan” brand within the slum, it is still unknown to the outside world. Thus, Dhan embarks on the next challenge of creating a market for savouries amongst the masses in the metropolitan region.

From the following, choose the BEST option that will help Dhan to sell her products, at the lowest price, to a maximum number of metropolitan customers?

Hire a celebrity who currently endorses a diamond jewellery brand to endorse the “Dhan Dhana Dhand” brand

Overwhelm the metropolitan residents with digital advertisements on Instagram.

Engage slum dwellers commuting daily to metropolitan region for work, to sell the products on commission basis

Hire a few sales executives to sell products of Dhan Dhana Dhan brand

Reach out to the malls and high-end retail stores in the metropolitan region through a few marketing executives to sell the products

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Bharat Business School (BBS), a premier business school, was renowned for the quality education it provided. Its faculty, known for their domain area expertise and excellence in teaching, competed with each other for a better student feedback. Of late, the institute was finding it difficult to upgrade its course content with rapidly changing global business scenario. The difficulties multiplied when the school realized that some of senior faculty would retire on regular basis, starting in the near future. To overcome these difficulties, BBS decided to recruit young faculty in all the departments (e.g., Economics, Finance,
Marketing, HRM, Production etc).

When the Dean - Academics scanned the applications, she found three distinct types of aspirants viz. (i) A type candidates who were very good teachers, competent at teaching the courses taught by existing faculty members; (ii) B type candidates who were average teachers, competent at creating and teaching new courses that would complement existing courses, taught by the current faculty; (iii) C type candidates were not-so-good teachers, willing to teach any course BBS required.

Note1: A course is termed complementary when it covers latest content and complements existing courses offered by a department.
Note2: Each department decides the suite of courses to be offered.

Question 18

Given the above context, which of the following options will be the BEST recruitment decision for BBS?

Hire B type candidates so that all types of courses can be offered to students

Don’t recruit and request the existing faculty to develop complementary courses

Hire C type candidates, as they can teach any course

Hire A type candidates unconditionally and allow them to teach courses taught by the existing faculty

Hire A type candidates on a condition that they will have to develop complementary courses.

Video Solution

Solution

Option-E

This option ensures that the new faculty (A type candidates) not only maintains the quality of education in existing courses but also contributes to updating the course content by developing complementary courses. It strikes a balance between leveraging the expertise of the existing faculty and bringing in fresh perspectives to adapt to the changing business landscape.

Option-A

This option focuses on diversity in teaching styles but doesn't explicitly address the need for developing complementary courses.

Option-B

This option assumes that the existing faculty can develop complementary courses, but it might be challenging for them to manage this alone, especially considering their existing teaching responsibilities.

Option-C

Hiring candidates solely because they are willing to teach any course may compromise the quality of education. The focus should be on recruiting individuals who are both good teachers and capable of contributing to course development.

Option-D

While hiring A type candidates is a good idea, doing so unconditionally without ensuring their contribution to developing complementary courses may not fully address the challenge of adapting to the changing global business scenario.

Therefore, E is the best choice.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Note1: A course is termed complementary when it covers latest content and complements existing courses offered by a department.
Note2: Each department decides the suite of courses to be offered.

Question 19

Suppose the Dean - Academics wanted to reduce future conflicts and political maneuvering to ensure harmony among faculty.

Which of the following options will BEST reduce conflicts and politicking amongst the faculty?

Hire B type candidates to teach complementary courses

Hire C type candidates and allow them to teach all types of courses

Hire A type candidates to teach existing courses and ask existing faculty to teach new courses

Hire A type candidates, and let the new as well as existing faculty offer same courses

Hire B type candidates and allow them to teach all kinds of courses

Video Solution

Solution

The correct option is A because it focuses on complementary courses, reducing direct competition and fostering collaboration between new and existing faculty members. It strikes a balance between maintaining the strengths of the current faculty and introducing innovation through new hires, thereby minimizing conflicts and politicking.

Option B is not correct because they are described as not-so-good teachers. Allowing them to teach all types of courses may compromise the overall quality of education, potentially leading to dissatisfaction among students and conflicts within the faculty.

Option C is not the most suitable option because while it maintains the excellence of existing courses by assigning A type candidates to teach them. However, it may face resistance from existing faculty members who might not be comfortable or interested in teaching new courses. This approach may lead to conflicts and challenges in implementing changes smoothly.

Option D is not correct because it creates a scenario where new A type candidates and existing faculty members are offering the same courses. This can potentially lead to conflicts and political maneuvering as faculty members compete for teaching assignments and student attention. The direct competition may hinder collaboration and harmony among the faculty.

Option E is incorrect B type candidates are described as average teachers but competent in creating and teaching new courses that complement existing ones. Allowing them to teach all kinds of courses, including existing ones, might not leverage their strengths effectively, potentially leading to a compromise in the quality of education for existing courses.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Note1: A course is termed complementary when it covers latest content and complements existing courses offered by a department.
Note2: Each department decides the suite of courses to be offered.

Question 20

Suppose the Dean-Academics wanted to ensure the most efficient utilization of faculty resources.
Which of the following hiring decisions will ensure the MOST efficient utilization of faculty resources?

Hire A type candidates and let the new as well as existing faculty teach same courses

Hire B type candidates to teach complementary courses

Ask existing faculty to develop complementary courses

Hire C type candidates and assign them teaching-assistant responsibilities

Hire A type candidates, capable of developing complementary courses

Video Solution

Solution

Option E is the most efficient choice by combining the teaching excellence of A type candidates with their capability to develop complementary courses, ensuring a well-rounded and resource-efficient approach.

Option A is incorrect because it may result in redundancy, as both new A type candidates and existing faculty members would be teaching the same courses. It can lead to inefficient resource allocation and potential competition for teaching assignments.

Option B is not the most efficient because B type candidates are average teachers but competent in creating and teaching new courses. Hiring them exclusively for complementary courses might not efficiently utilize their skills in teaching existing courses.

Option C is not the correct answer because the existing faculty members may not have the expertise or inclination to develop complementary courses. This approach might lead to inefficiencies in course development and potentially compromise the quality of new courses.

Option D is incorrect because C type candidates, described as not-so-good teachers, may not be the best fit for teaching-assistant responsibilities. This option may result in challenges in maintaining teaching quality and efficient utilization of faculty resources.

The correct option is E

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the TWO questions that follow.

Moonlighting is the practice of working for one organisation while also accepting additional responsibilities and jobs, typically without the employer's knowledge in another organization. It is named as such because it is typically performed at night or on the weekends. “Doing two remote jobs at once was already happening; it was the biggest open secret out there in tech," said a US techie.
Due to weaker margins, major Indian IT companies such as Infosys, TCS, and Wipro announced that they would delay, postpone, or reduce variable pay-outs to employees for the first quarter of fiscal year 2023. This drew attention to Moonlighting. The Indian IT industry was divided on the issue of Moonlighting. Some considered it unethical, while others viewed it as an urgent necessity. Infozeta Chairman Patrick's stance on this matter was crystal clear. "There is a great deal of talk about people working part-time in the tech industry. This is cheating, pure and simple," he had tweeted.
However, McMillan, CEO of Betauniverse, does not consider Moonlighting as "cheating.". "Employment is a contract between an employer who pays me for working 'n' number of hours per day," he explained. “Now, what I do after that time is entirely up to me; I can do whatever I please."

Question 21

Which of the following options will have the LEAST negative consequenceon Moonlighting employees?

Employer reducing daily working hours from eight hours to six hours

Increased family problems because employees will not spend quality time at home

Poor physical health of employees because of excess work

Employees's performance may be adversely affected because of over working

Employer reducing salaries of employees because of Moonlighting

Solution

Option A is the least negative among all the options because it suggests a reduction in daily working hours, which, while impacting income, may provide employees with more time for personal and moonlighting activities. It is considered the least negative among the given options because it addresses the potential time constraints without directly impacting health, family life, or financial stability to the same extent as the other options.

Option B is not correct because moonlighting often involves working additional hours beyond a primary job, which can lead to less time spent with family. Increased family problems may arise due to a lack of quality time and attention.

Option C is not correct because moonlighting can lead to an increase in workload, potentially resulting in excessive stress, fatigue, and poor physical health. The strain of managing multiple jobs may negatively impact an employee's overall well-being.

Option D is not correct because overworking, especially when juggling multiple jobs, can lead to burnout and a decline in performance. Employees may find it challenging to maintain a high level of productivity and focus when stretched too thin.

Option E is incorrect because if an employer decides to reduce salaries due to moonlighting, it can have a direct financial impact on employees. This may result in financial strain and dissatisfaction among employees, potentially leading to decreased morale and motivation.

The most suitable option is A

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the TWO questions that follow.

Question 22

Mr. Q is an IT professional who works for a small company in Bangalore. His office hours are from 2:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.; thus, he wants to utilize his morning time. He thought of taking up extra work; however, he is not sure about the righteousness of his decision. His company does not have any clear policy on Moonlighting. As he is confused, he seeks opinions of the people who work in his industry to understand ethical dimension of Moonlighting. The following opinions are shared with Mr. Q:
Opinion 1: Moonlighting is unacceptable since the employer has a complete right over the employee.
Opinion 2: Moonlighting is a choice of the employee, and that the employer has no authority over the employee's conduct after office hours.
Opinion 3: Moonlighting leads to employee missing out on important organizational work.
Opinion 4: While Moonlighting, the employee might unknowingly leak critical information gained from one organization to the other.
Opinion 5: It is OK to Moonlight as employers are exploitative and underpay employees.
Given the abovementioned opinions, which of the following combinations will BEST help Mr. Q to realize that Moonlighting is unethical?

Opinions 2 & 4

Opinions 3 & 4

Opinions 1 & 5

Opinions 2 & 3

Opinions 2 & 5

Solution

The correct answer is option B.

Opinion 3 suggests that Moonlighting leads to employees missing out on important organizational work, highlighting potential negative consequences for the primary job. This emphasizes the impact on the employee's commitment and performance in their main role. Opinion 4 points out the risk of unknowingly leaking critical information gained from one organization to another while Moonlighting. This highlights a potential ethical concern related to confidentiality and the potential harm to the interests of the primary employer. Together, these opinions provide a balanced perspective on the negative consequences and ethical dimensions of Moonlighting, helping Mr. Q understand the potential risks and downsides associated with taking up extra work outside his primary job.

Option A is incorrect because Opinion 2 suggests that Moonlighting is a choice of the employee, and the employer has no authority over the employee's conduct after office hours. This perspective leans towards individual freedom. However, when combined with Opinion 4, which highlights the risk of leaking critical information, it doesn't strongly emphasize the potential negative consequences and ethical concerns related to Moonlighting.

Option C is incorrect because Opinion 1 asserts that Moonlighting is unacceptable since the employer has complete control over the employee, emphasizing a strong employer-centric perspective. However, Opinion 5 suggests that Moonlighting is okay because employers are exploitative and underpay employees. These opinions present conflicting views and may not provide a coherent and balanced understanding of the ethical dimensions of Moonlighting.

Option D is not correct because Opinion 2 reiterates the idea that Moonlighting is the choice of the employee, while Opinion 3 highlights the consequence of employees missing out on important organizational work. While Opinion 3 provides a potential negative consequence, the emphasis on individual choice in Opinion 2 may not strongly convey the ethical concerns related to Moonlighting.

Option E is not correct because Opinion 2 emphasizes the employee's right to make choices after office hours, while Opinion 5 suggests that Moonlighting is okay due to perceived exploitation by employers. These opinions again provide conflicting perspectives and may not effectively address the ethical considerations associated with Moonlighting.

The correct option is B

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Comprehension:
Sundaresan was a professor of Corporate Responsibility at a premium management institution. As a requirement of his course, students had to synthesize sustainability challenges, faced by thermal power companies and submit an assignment on them. Though it was an individual assignment, some students sought permission from Sundaresan to work on the assignment as a team. Sundaresan knew that collaboration fosters peer learning, and therefore, allowed them to work in teams. However, he mandated that a team should not exceed three members. While 15 students elected to work individually, another 15 formed teams of three each, and another 10 formed teams of two members each.

Question 1

As assignment deadline came closer, Sundaresan was approached by Abbas Warram, who chose to work in a team of three members. He informed Sundaresan that Venkamma, his team member, distressed by the death of her grandmother, could not work on her bit of the assignment. Abbas requested for a deadline extension so that she could finish her part of the assignment. By then, many students who were working alone had already submitted their assignments.
Which of the following actions by Sundaresan is the MOST appropriate, given the circumstances?

Give extra time to Venkamma to work individually and ask the other two to stick to the original deadline as a team

Extend the deadline for the team while imposing a one-grade penalty for the deadline extension

Warn Abbas that such issues should not be flagged to the professor and should be handled within the team

Give the students a deadline extension, but add an extra assignment for the team as a new requirement

Disband the team and ask each student to work individually

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Question 2

When Sundaresan was about to grade the assignments, he received a request from the class representative regarding the students who worked individually. The request was to give those students additional marks because they handled the entire workload. This would improve their course grade significantly.
Which of the following is the MOST appropriate action by Sundaresan to mark the assignments?

Reduce marks for those who worked in teams by 10%

Divide the total marks awarded to a team by the number of team members

Give 10% extra marks to all those who worked individually

Convert the assignment into a non-graded assignment because both the individuals andthe teams worked on the same assignment

Treat both individual work and team work equally

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Question 3

Sundaresan was going through the submitted assignments. Team 9, with three members, had impressive exhibits and charts. Later, he discovered that Team 13, with three members, also had the same exhibits and charts. He realized that one of the teams had copied from the other. Hence, he informed both the teams that he would award an F-grade (fail grade) to both the teams for copying.
Later that evening, Aashi from Team 9 called and admitted to sharing exhibits and charts with Aanvi of Team13. Further, she mentioned that Aanvi could not put enough efforts since she lost significant amount of time due to COVID-19. Therefore, Aanvi requested for help. However, Aanvi assured Aashi that she would not reproduce the shared content. Aashi requested Sundaresan to punish her and Aanviand spare others as they were not involved.
Which of the following actions by Sundaresan is the MOST appropriate?

Ask both the teams to work on an extra assignment to avoid an F-grade.

Award an F-grade to both Aashi and Aanvi, and spare others

Spare both the teams as such a confession is rare

Punish Aanvi with an F-grade and spare others

Punish both the teams by giving F-grades

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Comprehension:
Raghubir, a reputed doctor, practices medicine in a tier-three city. He owns an importedSUV which he bought 10 years ago, using his hard- earned savings of nearly 5 years.Initially, he used to take it for long rides, but for the last 6-7 years, he only commutes to hisclinic, a 10-minute drive from his home.

The SUV has been his proud possession but it demands high maintenance. Also, thediesel-guzzling SUV does not comply with the new emission norms being introduced in thetier-one and tier-two cities. Of late, a few newspapers reported that the new emission normsmay be introduced in tier-three cities as well. This news has worried Raghubir.

Question 4

Raghubir is afraid that once the new emission norms are rolled out, he might not beable to use his SUV anymore.
Which of the following options will BEST put Raghubir at ease with using his SUVfor some more time?

His mechanic assures him that the new norms will not be introduced anytime soon

His lawyer friends in his city recently bought non-compliant SUVs from tier-two cities

His city has many other SUVs which are as old as his

As a sought-after doctor, all the law enforcement officials are his patients

Non-compliant SUVs are still plying in tier-two cities

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Question 5

Anya, Raghubir’s daughter, works in a metro city. She is concerned about privatetransport emissions and is unhappy with her father’s diesel-guzzling SUV. Thoughshe wants her father to be more environmentally responsible, she is aware that anydrastic suggestion might attract strong resistance. Hence, she wants a solution,acceptable to Raghubir, that gently dissuades him from using his SUV on a dailybasis.
Which of the following actions by Anya will BEST dissuade Raghubir from using hisSUV on a daily basis?

Request Raghubir to use public transport for his daily commute, and use the SUVsparingly

Ask his mechanic to explore if the SUV can be retrofitted with a CNG kit

Take away Raghubir’s SUV to the metro city and gift him a new SUV

Gift Raghubir a small petrol car and convince him to sell his SUV

Ask Raghubir’s secretary to ferry him to the clinic daily in her car, except for the weekends

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Question 6

The new emission norms are about to get implemented in tier-three cities, andRaghubir’s city will follow suit shortly. Hence, Raghubir starts exploring options ofbuying an electric vehicle (EV). He lists the following factors that will guide him onbuying an electric car:
P. EVs within Raghubir’s budget can cover his daily commute, but not the long rides.
Q. A new electric SUV in the market, within his budget, nearly has the same look andfeel of his present SUV.
R. EVs cannot be driven beyond a speed of 70 kmph.
S. New charging stations on the main highway, connecting his city to the closestmetro city, may come up in another year.
T. The only shop, selling EVs in his city, is ready to trade in Raghubir’s SUV at areasonable price.
The above listed factors have been arranged in a DECREASING order of influence inthe options given below.
Which of the following options will BEST help Raghubir buy an electric vehicleimmediately?

TQRPS

QRTPS

QTPSR

TQRSP

SPTQR

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Comprehension:
Korkai is a serene village, nestled in a small island, separated from the mainland by a strait— the world forgot to name. Its inhabitants are mostly fishermen; a few are cattle-grazers too. A boat ride across the strait is the only mode of transport to the mainland. Budugu, the boatman, ferries people, cattle, and bicycles across the strait in his boat for a living. The remoteness and the lack of connection to the mainland has served him well. He has a family of five. His two daughters are away studying in a city college and dream of corporate jobs in the cities. His ailing mother and wife complete his family. Budugu sent his daughters to study in the city as there is only one school in Korkai, run by an NGO. The NGO prepares the village kids for higher studies. For those who cannot go to cities, the NGO teaches them about the virtues of the local way of life. Budugu is a member of the village Panchayat that runs the village administration. At Korkai, hardly anyone remembers the local MLA or MP. Interestingly, the local MLA visited last week, and informed the islanders of major changes planned for the region: urgent construction of a bridge connecting the island to the mainland, and real estate development. She announced that the island will become a well-known eco-tourism destination in the state. She stressed that the local livelihood, dependent on fortunes at the sea, might enjoy the certainty in minimum wages, meted out by the eco-resort owners. Nevertheless, some villagers fear that the bridge will irreversibly change their lives and livelihoods.

Question 7

Budugu fears that the proposed bridge will leave him jobless, and is determined to do something about it. He wants to gather effective support in order to get the construction of the proposed bridge delayed.
Which of the following will be the MOST feasible option for Budugu to gather effective support?

Form a boat rowers' association and sit on a hunger strike to protest the proposed bridge

Inform the environmental experts in the nearby cities that the strait is home to rare fish, frogs and turtles

Suspend his boat services till the villagers start supporting his cause

Partner with the local NGO and campaign that the developments will ruin the local way of life

Get a resolution passed by the Panchayat that the bridge will ruin the local way of life

Video Solution

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Question 8

The local MLA is worried about the resistance to the project. This project, like her other successful projects in nearby villages, was supposed to garner a significant amount of funding. Moreover, it would make her the face of development in the state; perhaps, even would land her a ministerial berth. However, Budugu’s activism has cast the project in a bad light among the popular minds. The MLA wants to protect her pro-development image.
Which of the following is the BEST course of action for the MLA?

Create a fishermen and boat rowers’ cooperative in the island and donate generously to it

Invite the village Panchayat for a discussion on a possible compromise solution

Appoint a task force to find alternative land nearby for the project

Discredit Budugu in a public meeting by announcing that he is putting his interests over and above the village development

Publicise widely that the project will improve the socio-economic condition of the island

Video Solution

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Question 9

As the project gets delayed, Budugu becomes a well-known social activist with a lot of followers. When Pragati, his elder daughter, finishes her education and starts looking for employment, a few known corporates refuse her a job because of her father’s “anti-development” stand.
Which of the following options BEST communicates to the corporates that Pragati has an identity of her own?

Start a blog and update it regularly with views on current affairs

Discuss in a social media post why she supports the proposed development in her island village

Showcase on social media the accolades and awards she received in her college

Stop using her last name in her job applications

Go all out on social media to explain how her father’s activism is misconstrued by certain corporates

Video Solution

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Comprehension:
A2Z is a state-funded leading engineering college in the country, renowned for its teaching and placements. Now, A2Z aspires to be a global leader in research as well. A2Z has, therefore, decided to push for better quality research from its newly recruited faculty members. In the past, a few faculty members were confirmed because of their exceptional teaching feedback even though their research output was below par. Currently, the Dean, in consultation with the academic council, has included the quality of research as a mandatory requirement along with teaching excellence for the confirmation of the newly recruited faculty members. (The academic council comprises of the senior faculty members from different departments.)
Initially, newly recruited faculty members are put on probation for three years. Either they are confirmed or their probation is extended or their services are terminated, based on teaching and research contributions. Once confirmed, their job is secure along with other additional perquisites.
Aparna joined the social sciences department of A2Z two years back. She is amongst the many faculty members, recruited after the new norms for confirmation were introduced. She completed her doctorate from a reputed university in the USA, with a significant research contributions. However, after joining A2Z, Aparna got deeply involved in social outreach as COVID-19 was spreading. Though her social outreach has given her immense satisfaction, she has nothing to show against research contributions; further, it has impacted her teaching effectiveness. Her confirmation is due in a year.

Question 10

The Dean, during the annual appraisal of Aparna, realizes that her research contribution needs considerable investment of time and efforts. He is concerned that her performance could set a wrong precedent for the new faculty recruits. The dean wants to communicate to the new faculty recruits that research contribution is critical.
Which of the following actions will BEST help the Dean in achieving the objective, while being fair to Aparna?

Appreciate Aparna’s social outreach, but advise her to focus on research and teaching contributions as they are essential for confirmation

Extend Aparna’s probation period by an additional year, while reminding her about the research and teaching contributions needed for confirmation

Increase her teaching and research requirements, while extending her probation period by two years

Exhort Aparna to suspend her social outreach activities till the end of her probation, and to focus on research and teaching instead

Suggest Aparna to start looking for a new job in the time available to her

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Question 11

One year on, Aparna continues with her social work. Gradually, she gets closer to the end of her probation and she has not much to show against her teaching and research contributions. However, her social work has been widely appreciated by the local media. The Chief Minister of the state wants Aparna to take a larger role in social outreach and assist the government.
The Dean is afraid that not confirming Aparna might prompt her to leave the institution, sending a wrong signal to the outside world. However, he also wants to send a message to the newly joined faculty members that teaching and research contributions are essential for confirmation.
Which of the following actions by the Dean is the MOST sustainable given the circumstances?

Confirm Aparna, but freeze her increments and promotions until her research contributions are as per the expected standards

Offer Aparna a five-year contractual position after which she has to leave irrespective of her contributions

Declare that Aparna’s extraordinary achievement deserves to be treated exceptionally, and confirm her

Extend Aparna’s probation by three years, and tell her that she would have to leave if her research and teaching do not improve in that period

Offer to create a non-teaching position of outreach officer for Aparna, but terminate her from the teaching position

Solution

Option D is the correct answer as extending Aparna's probation provides her with an extended period to enhance her research and teaching contributions. This acknowledges her valuable social outreach work while also giving her a clear timeframe to meet the institution's expectations.

By informing Aparna that her probation is extended due to the need for improvement in her research and teaching, the Dean effectively communicates the importance of meeting these expectations for confirmation. This ensures transparency and clarity regarding the institution's requirements.

This option strikes a balance between retaining Aparna's talents and ensuring that she meets the institution's standards. It acknowledges her potential contributions while also setting clear expectations for her to fulfill in order to secure a permanent position.

By specifying that Aparna would have to leave if her research and teaching do not improve within the extended probationary period, the option holds her accountable for meeting the institution's expectations. This incentivizes Aparna to actively work on improving her performance.

Overall, Option D offers a pragmatic approach that addresses both the institution's need to maintain academic standards and Aparna's potential to contribute positively, thereby ensuring sustainable decision-making in the given circumstances.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Question 12

A few months later, Aparna, during an interview with the local media, inadvertently expresses her fear that she might be let go by A2Z because she has not met its teaching and research requirements. Consequently, the academic council urges the dean to review the faculty confirmation policy.
The Dean, however, believes that any change in the policy will be a setback to the institute's aspirations of becoming a global leader in research.
Which of the following actions by the Dean will be the MOST appropriate, given the circumstances?

Give an interview to a local newspaper and share Aparna’s lack of research and poor teaching feedback

Confirm Aparna, but ask her to issue a public statement, acknowledging the importance A2Z gives to research contributions

Convey to Aparna that the institute is eager to retain her; however, emphasize that she should focus on research to get confirmed

Tell Aparna that she is being let go for insulting the college on a public platform

Confirm Aparna, but make it clear that her future promotions will be tied to her research contribution and teaching feedback

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Comprehension:
Fundamental Research in Science for Corporate Applications (FuRSCA) is an R&D unit of a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU). FuRSCA’s employees are research scientists who assist the Public Sector Undertaking through their R&D. Given the far-reaching implications of its research, FuRSCA was established as a separate entity near the factory of the PSU. FuRSCA has three levels of hierarchy viz.: junior, senior and chief scientists and all of them reside on the campus. Hence, every scientist, regardless of hierarchy, resides in a house that is similar in all aspects. Though the scientists are entitled to a house rent allowance(HRA), given the distance of FuRSCA from the city, housing them on the campus makes sense.

The new recruits are provided a transit accommodation in the institute’s studio apartments, until vacant houses are available. For these recruits, a queue has been created on the basis of their date of joining and not on hierarchy, with the most recent recruit going to the last in the queue. Execution of this policy is the responsibility of the FuRSCA Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), who reports to the Director of FuRSCA.

Question 13

Harsh Kohli resides in house no. 324. Since long, Harsh wants to move from a 3 series house to a 2 series house because his mother-in-law, a chief scientist, lives alone in house no. 225. A few years back, Harsh formally requested the CAO to allow him to move to a 2 series house whenever available. Recently, when house no. 224 becomes vacant, Harsh appeals to the CAO for that house, citing his earlier request. Currently, there are five scientists waiting in the queue and Sauf Tangud is on the top of the queue.
From the following options, choose the BEST action to be taken by the CAO without violating the existing housing policy.

Allot house no. 224 to Sauf, asking Harsh to negotiate a possible swap with Sauf

Ask Harsh to join the queue because scientists in the queue should be given priority

Ignore Harsh’s request since it violates the housing policy

Ask Harsh to move to the house no. 224 immediately, and allocate Harsh’s house to Sauf

Create a separate queue for extant residents and give them the first right to refuse

Video Solution

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Question 14

Rawng Regrud joins FuRSCA recently and is placed third in the housing queue. He has been temporarily housed in a studio apartment. Given that the studio apartment is too small, he requests his sister to take care of their ailing parents while he awaits a regular house allotment. As months pass, his sister finds it difficult to accommodate her parents along with her in-laws. She requests Rawng to accommodate them with his family. Since he is third in the queue, he may not get a house allotted in the near future. He approaches the CAO with a request to be moved up the queue on humanitarian grounds.
Which of the following responses by the CAO shall be perceived as the most appropriate by all the stakeholders?

Ask Rawng to meet with the director of FuRSCA and present his case to get an exception.

Ask Rawng to negotiate and arrive at a consensus with the two scientists ahead in the queue which the CAO shall implement.

Inform Rawng that nothing can be done since violation of rules will set a wrong precedence.

Facilitate Rawng in getting a house in the city, along with a free commutation for the first three months.

Move Rawng to the top of the queue, and make a rule that scientists with ailing parents shall be given preference.

Video Solution

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Question 15

Of late, the CAO has received several requests from the residents of 3 series housesto move to other series houses. The CAO is aware that this is largely because oftheir own noisy factory nearby. Due to limited housing available on the campus, hemust do something before the problem worsens. He wants to find a solution thatmakes the lives of 3 series residents more comfortable.
Which of the following actions can BEST help the CAO in achieving his goal?

Provide 3 series residents with a hardship allowance of 15% of basic salary

Offer a higher HRA to 3 series residents, nudging them to move to the city

Introduce a policy of accelerated promotion for junior scientists living in 3 series quarters

Appeal to the top management to make the factory work for only five days a week

Install expensive sound proof windows in the 3 series quarters

Video Solution

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Comprehension:
Future Leaders is one of the most prestigious private schools in a small town, next to an industrial hub. Most of its students come from affluent families, but there are some who belong to middle-income and lower-middle-income families as well. The school charges an annual fee of ₹2 lakhs, inclusive of all charges, payable at the beginning of the academic year. Roughly 20% of the fees collected goes into paying the salaries of the teachers, another 30% for the upkeep of the school, and roughly 20% for miscellaneous expenses in running day-to-day businesses like supply, cleaning etc. The remaining goes into an exigency corpus.

This year, like the rest of the country, the town has been hit by the coronavirus pandemic. The classes have been shifted online. The local authorities have mandated that all schools have to reduce their fees by 20%. Further, parents should be given extended time to pay the fees if they are in financial distress. Six months into the academic year, only 40% of the parents have paid even the reduced annual fees.

Question 16

Ajay Biswas, the rector of the school, is alarmed by the shortfall in fee payments and wants to find the best solution to manage the situation. He does not want to trouble parents who might be genuinely in financial distress, but feels that there may be a possibility that many parents are taking advantage of the situation.
Which of the following actions by the school will BEST make financially capable parents pay the fees?

Call parents every three days, requesting them to pay the fees and help their school out

Share through local newspapers that the school is facing financial crunch and may have to close down if parents don’t pay fees

Offer 10% and 5% discounts to parents paying fees within the next one week and two weeks respectively

Give a 10% bonus marks to all those students who have paid the fees

Ask parents to submit a proof of financial distress within two weeks, failing which can bar their wards from attending classes

Video Solution

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Question 17

The board of trustees of the school is concerned about the current financial situation and has called Biswas for a meeting. The trustees have thought of the following actions, as listed below, to improve the school finances immediately:

P. Appeal to the local industrialists to donate to the school
Q. Withhold 20% of teachers' salary till the situation improves
R. Ask parents to pay up within a week or show a proof of financial distress
S. Stop online classes for a week to signal the desperate financial crunch
T. Start an extra section in every class and offer admission to whoever is willing to pay fees
Biswas is tasked to find the most feasible way of alleviating the financial crunch immediately.

Which of the following combinations of the above-listed actions, in a DECREASING order of preference, will BEST help Biswas in achieving his goal?

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TSRPQ

QRSPT

PSTRQ

RSQTP

Video Solution

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Question 18

Teachers of Future Leaders contribute to its stellar reputation. Moreover, they assist the school in arriving at several critical decisions. Biswas resents their involvement in school matters as he has to listen to their collective voice rather than the other way around.
Biswas feels that the current situation offers him an opportunity to get back at the teachers. He wants to discuss the possibility of reducing teachers’ salaries by 20% with the board of trustees.
Which of the following, if true, will BEST enable Biswas to present his case for reducing teachers’ salaries?

Two other well-known private schools in the city, struggling to survive, have resorted to a pay cut

Future Leaders pays higher salaries to its teachers in comparison to the other schools inthe city.

Most of the teachers are alumni of the school, and hence, should be asked to give back to the school through a pay cut

30% of the most experienced teachers may resign if there is a pay cut

Teachers' salaries are a significant part of the school’s operating cost

Video Solution

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Comprehension:
Dileep Dosan sells dosas in front of an upscale hospital at a city in Punjab. He only sells two varieties of dosas: plain for ₹25 and masala for ₹40.

His dosa stall is popular amongst the hospital staff members, who mostly hail from South India and form his core clientele. They frequently visit his stall during office hours as they find his dosas to be reasonably priced. Though the hospital staff members can visit the upscale food court on the top floor of the hospital, they prefer his stall for breakfast and lunch, and even for occasional evening snacks. His daily sale volume varies between 300 and 400 dosas, in which the demand for masala dosas is around 50-60%.

Question 19

One day, Dileep, while walking through the hospital food court, sees a vacant spot.He wonders if he can shift his stall to that spot.
Which of the following information will dissuade him the MOST from shifting his stall to the food court?

The food court closes by 10:30 pm, though his current stall is open till midnight.

The food court has no other stall selling dosas.

The food court sees a daily foot fall of about 5000 people.

All the restaurants in the food court, except the fast-food stalls, sell North Indian meal during lunch time.

On enquiry, he learnt that the cheapest dish in the food court is priced at ₹200.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Comprehension:
Dileep Dosan sells dosas in front of an upscale hospital at a city in Punjab. He only sells two varieties of dosas: plain for ₹25 and masala for ₹40.

Question 20

Dileep shifts his stall to the hospital food court. He prices his plain dosa at ₹40 and masala dosa at ₹60. However, two months on, he is serving only about 150 dosas per day. The clientele is mostly the same hospital staff members, who had been his customers before he moved to the food court.
Which of the following actions will BEST help Dileep in increasing his sales?

Reduce price by 20% for hospital staff, and increase the price by 50% for others

Introduce a South Indian meal, exclusively for the hospital staff members at a discounted rate of ₹40 per plate

Increase prices of all the food items by 50% and introduce a new Shezwan dosa at ₹200 a plate

Add more varieties of dosas at higher price points, and reduce plain and masala dosaprices to ₹25 and ₹40 respectively

Introduce a North Indian meal, and give a discount of 20% to the hospital staff members

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Comprehension:
Dileep Dosan sells dosas in front of an upscale hospital at a city in Punjab. He only sells two varieties of dosas: plain for ₹25 and masala for ₹40.

Question 21

On the first anniversary of his stall at the food court, Dileep reviews his customer base. Almost all of his customers are the hospital staff members. Though he wishes to serve the general visitors at the hospital, they avoid his stall. On enquiring, he discovers that visitors generally avoid his stall because it is majorly frequented by the hospital staff members, giving it a feel of a staff canteen.
Dileep realizes his best efforts have not given him any extra sales and the visitors can potentially increase his revenue by a considerable amount.
Which of the following options can BEST help Dileep in discouraging hospital staff members from visiting his stall while increasing his overall revenue?

Charge the hospital staff members a premium to offset the losses due to their presence

Request the hospital management to prohibit hospital staff from entering the food court

Introduce a massive discount on price for the next two months to increase the footfall

Appeal to the hospital management to give a space in the staff room where an exclusive dosa counter can be set up by Dileep

Provide a discount to those hospital staff members who order on phone, and deliverfood in their staffroom

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the three questions that follow.

The occasion was a hyper publicised switch-on ceremony of solar power facilities on an island, with many villages, in the Bay of Bengal. PK was the brand ambassador of a Multinational Company (MNC) that was banking heavily on this CSR initiative to strengthen its presence in India. For the millions of fans, enamoured by the aging super star’s Robinhood like onscreen exploits, the pre-event speech of PK was their first glimpse into his off-screen persona. After an emotional speech that extolled the virtues of electricity as a driver of wellbeing & need for inclusive growth, PK with a flourish of his hand hit the button to remotely switch on the solar power facilities. Tens of media cameras stationed in all the island villages, started beaming live feed across the world. Quickly, the event turned from one of joy to something of shock and horror, as all the thatched households on the island caught fire. A few villagers were seriously injured in the fire. Watching the coverage, PK slapped the MNC representative standing next to him, on live camera, and collapsed on a couch with his head in his hands.

Question 1

Soon after, the MNC filed a case against PK for criminal assault and tarnishing its brand image.

Which of the following is the MOST appropriate reason for the MNC to file a case against PK?

It is a message to the MNC’s stakeholders that it will not tolerate such inappropriate behaviour.

The MNC is forced to respond, given the public slapping of its representative.

The MNC intends to arrest its dropping sales, post the incident, through affirmative action.

The highly brand conscious MNC is using PK to divert public attention.

The MNC’s mission statement includes “employee first, customer second.”

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the three questions that follow.

Question 2

Post the slapping incident, there was a strong social media backlash against PK. His PR team suggested the following social media releases that he could use not only to defend himself but also to garner positive reactions.

Which of the following social media releases will BEST help PK achieve the purpose?

The MNC deserved more than just a slap for its irresponsible actions.

He reacted as the sight of the villages ablaze was unbearable.

His onscreen Robinhood image influences his off-screen behaviour.

The plight of the islanders deserved an immediate delivery of justice.

He strongly believes in an eye for an eye.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the three questions that follow.

Question 3

A few months passed and the slapping incident still garnered a good number of views on social media. PK’s publicist was aware that PK harboured a desire to join politics. She wanted PK to make the most of the publicity around the incident before it fadeed away from public memory in the next few months.

Which of the following options will BEST help PK take just advantage of the situation?

He should visit the island and publicly promise to rebuild the island villages, and publicise it in the social media.

He should launch the “Slap the Greedy” campaign, and urge his fans to slap greedy officials.

He should announce that he is entering politics with a slogan “One Tight Slap.”

He should meet the MNC representative he slapped and apologise to him in a public meeting.

In his upcoming movie, in the opening scene, he should slap and shame a treacherous corporate official who swindles poor villagers.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the three questions that follow.

Churna is a peaceful village, surrounded by thickly forested high hills that isolate it from the rest of the world. Agriculture is the main occupation of the Churna villagers. Moreover, the forests provide seasonal fruits, tubers, medicinal herbs, and other forest produce in abundance. For all material needs not produced locally, the Churna villagers depend on Tendua, a faraway town.

Once a month, the Churna women would arduously trek with the surplus produce to Tendua. In the Tendua market, they convey the virtues of their produce through a beautiful song and dance routine. Reputed for their hard-bargaining skills, they always manage to extract a premium barter from the traders, more than fulfilling all their other material needs.

Question 4

Damdu, an ambitious trader of Tendua, wants to have exclusive access to all the surplus produce from Churna.

Which of the following offers to the Churna village will BEST help Damdu achieve her objective?

Damdu should offer to set up a shop in Churna, which will barter all the material requirements of the village.

Damdu should offer to provide colourful sarees that the women of Churna fancy.

Damdu should offer to transport the villagers’ monthly material purchases from Tendua to Churna for free.

Damdu should offer to educate the Churna villagers about cash transactions.

Damdu should offer novel products, unseen by the Churna villagers.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the three questions that follow.

Question 5

The head woman of Churna grants exclusive access to the surplus produce to Damdu. However, Damdu’s euphoria dies down when she finds fewer takers for Churna’s produce in Tendua. This trend continues for the next few months.

Which of the following could be the MOST possible reason for Damdu finding fewer takers for Churna’s produce at Tendua?

Damdu cannot sing and dance simultaneously.

Hard bargaining experience offered by Churna’s women is missed by the traders of Tendua.

The traders in the Tendua market miss the aesthetics of the beautiful song and dance by Churna women.

Churna’s produce is one of the many items in Damdu’s inventory.

The Churna women offered the authenticity that Damdu could not match.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the three questions that follow.

Question 6

A few months after granting exclusive access to Damdu, the village council of Churna meets to discuss the progress. After much debate and heated discussions, the village council decides to terminate the contract with Damdu. The village council feels that if the contract continues, then:

1. Over time, Churna’s produce will lose its association with Churna.
2. Churna's people will be ignorant of new developments in the market.
3. Churna’s dance and song will lose their identity.
4. Churna’s people will lose social interaction with the outer world.
5. Churna’s people will lose their hard bargaining skills.

Which of the above concerns, when arranged in descending order of significance, will BEST support the decision to terminate the contract with Damdu?

1, 2, 4, 5, 3

2, 3, 4, 5, 1

1, 3, 2, 5, 4

1, 2, 5, 3, 4

5, 3, 4, 2, 1

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the three questions that follow.

Saradeep was the proprietor of Saradeep & Sons Pvt. Ltd., an auto parts manufacturing company. He had three children--Taapsi, Kesar and Sandeep. His wife passed away when Sandeep, the youngest kid of the family, was only eight years old. Taapsi, being the eldest sibling, was more of a mother to Kesar and Sandeep.

Taapsi and Kesar joined Saradeep’s business right after college because Saradeep trusted them immensely. He once told Kesar, “I want key positions to be held by the people I trust."

Saradeep wanted Sandeep also to join his business like Kesar and Taapsi. Saradeep felt that Sandeep had a strong business sense, probably the best among his three children. Hence, Saradeep wanted Sandeep to take his higher education in business studies. However, Sandeep had other aspirations; he wanted to become a lawyer. Of late, he was offered admission to the prestigious National Law School, Bengaluru. As soon as he received the admission offer, he rushed to share this news with his family members.

Question 7

Sandeep shared the news of the admission offer first with Kesar, who exhibited mixed feelings. He was happy for Sandeep’s admission to the National Law School; nevertheless, he was concerned about their father’s reaction. Moreover, Saradeep had an anxiety attack a few months back and was working from their family mansion in Shimla. Kesar advised Sandeep to delay sharing his selection news with their father.

Which of the following, if true, will BEST enable Sandeep share the news with Saradeep without delay?

Since childhood, Sandeep, before going to bed, usually shared all happenings of the day with Saradeep.

Kesar had always been paranoid about his family ever since the untimely demise of his mother.

Saradeep did not talk to Sandeep for weeks, because he did not get the news of Sandeep’s bike accident immediately from him.

Even after the anxiety attack, Saradeep walked four kilometres daily.

Saradeep regarded Law as a respectable profession.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the three questions that follow.

Taapsi and Kesar joined Saradeep’s business right after college because Saradeep trusted them immensely. He once told Kesar, “I want key positions to be held by the people I trust."

Question 8

Saradeep requested Kesar to decide on the head of a new manufacturing plant. The plant and its culture had to be moulded in the same way as their other plants. Kesar wanted to identify a candidate, acceptable to Saradeep.

Which of the following candidates is the BEST choice for the position?

Taapsi, who headed another plant which was two hours away from the new plant, could be requested to take the additional charge.

Dhanush, the most technically qualified employee, who joined the organisation three years back, straight from college.

Sandeep who had about ten months left to join the National Law School.

Suhasini, an MBA graduate and Kesar’s wife, who had been a homemaker for fifteen years.

Surendra, the deputy head of their largest plant, who had been with them for thirty years, and would retire in seven years.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the three questions that follow.

Taapsi and Kesar joined Saradeep’s business right after college because Saradeep trusted them immensely. He once told Kesar, “I want key positions to be held by the people I trust."

Question 9

Kesar was also concerned about Taapsi’s reaction to Sandeep joining the National Law School. She wanted to be a fashion designer; however, Saradeep dissuaded her from doing anything other than production engineering. She was very upset with her father’s decision back then; nevertheless, over time, she became a staunch supporter of her father’s values and beliefs. Currently, she headed one of the plants, which also happened to be the best run company plant. Kesar felt that she would not take Sandeep’s decision well; she might try to prevent Sandeep from pursuing higher studies in Law.

Which of the following, if true, will BEST assuage Kesar’s fear regarding Taapsi?

Taapsi, in a marked departure from family tradition, was fully supported by her family when she decided to marry her batchmate, soon after college.

Taapsi, in a fashion school convocation speech, said that she still harboured a dream of quitting the family business for becoming a fashion designer.

Taapsi mentored an online start-up, dedicated to women’s fashion, in her free time.

When Sandeep was eight, he supported Taapsi’s desire to pursue fashion designing.

Taapsi gifted Sandeep a sports bike on his 19th birthday even when Saradeep was completely against it.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the three questions that follow.

Himaja was among the top ten students of her Business Management batch. She got placed in a reputed strategy consulting firm during campus placements. She was delighted to work under Nirmal, her superior, who was known for grooming many stars in the organisation. Nevertheless, he was also regarded as a hard taskmaster. Though she was a fresh recruit, she longed to be in a client-facing role.

Question 10

During an informal office gathering, Himaja mustered up courage to ask Nirmal for a client-facing role.

Which of the following reasons, if true, will BEST justify Nirmal saying “no” to Himaja?

Clients do not appreciate strategic discussions with fresh recruits.

Himaja’s teammates are not happy with her communication skills.

Himaja needs to improve her presentation skills.

Clients do not take young women seriously during discussions.

Himaja leaves early and client meetings go late into the night.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the three questions that follow.

Question 11

Due to her constant pleading, Nirmal assigned Himaja a client-facing role in his project. Nirmal instructed her that he would do all the talking during meetings, and she would diligently listen and take notes. However, in the first meeting, Himaja made a comment which contradicted Nirmal. In the next, she interrupted the client while he was making a point. This offended the client, resulting in Nirmal apologising to the client to save the project.

Which of the following is the MOST appropriate action that Nirmal should take against Himaja’s behaviour?

Caution Himaja that she would lose client-facing roles if she does not appreciate the rationale behind his instructions.

Recommend Himaja for a five-day listening-skills workshop.

Await the half-yearly performance review, due in two months, and submit a strong report against Himaja.

Ask Himaja's project teammates to have a chat with her on how to behave in client meetings.

Have a chat with Himaja later in the evening, explain the delicate situation she had put him in during the meetings, and request her not to repeat it.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the three questions that follow.

Question 12

Another month passed, and Himaja was working under Shreya in a different team. Shreya was impressed by Himaja’s enthusiasm and sincerity. She asked Himaja to accompany her to a meeting with a new client. During the meeting, Himaja made a statement that offended the client. Shreya tried to diffuse the situation by asking Himaja to apologise. Though Himaja apologised, she defended her statement. This infuriated the client further, who categorically told that the statement of Himaja was against his organisation’s core values. He specifically told Shreya that unless concrete steps were taken against Himaja, he would not get into any business with the firm.

Which of the following is the MOST appropriate action that Shreya should take in the interest of all parties?

Should move Himaja to a non-client facing role in the current project, and explore client facing roles in other projects.

Should assure the client that Himaja will be transferred, but send Himaja for a two-week vacation to rejuvenate instead.

Should castigate Himaja using strong words in front of the client, and later in the evening, share how much Shreya loved Himaja’s comment.

Should advise Himaja to look for a role outside the consulting industry since her competencies are not appreciated by clients.

Should defend Himaja, knowing fully that most probably Shreya will lose the client.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the three questions that follow.

Ashraf has been working at a cybersecurity company called NuTech Pvt. Ltd. for seven years. Having missed a promotion in the previous appraisal cycle, Ashraf is anxious about it in the upcoming cycle. Ashraf is aware that the HR head is meeting the top management to discuss promotions sometime soon. (At NuTech, the HR head recommends names for promotions to the top management based on inputs from the functional teams.)

On a Friday afternoon, Ashraf receives an email from Sridevi, the HR head. It reads, “Hi, I need an urgent favour from you; please respond if you are free.” It was the first time that Sridevi ever contacted him. Surprised, Ashraf immediately replies back saying, “Sure! How can I help you, Sridevi? Regards, Ashraf.” In a couple of minutes, he receives a reply: “Ashraf, I am in the middle of an important meeting, but have to urgently send gift vouchers worth ₹50,000 to one of our important clients. If you could, please purchase and send the gift vouchers to the email address given below, at the earliest.” Ashraf , without any delay, sends gift vouchers worth ₹50,000 to the given email address.

Question 13

Ashraf feels happy after this brief email interaction with Sridevi.

Which of the following statements, if true, will BEST make Ashraf strongly hopeful about his imminent promotion?

Sridevi is known for her elite social circle and extravagant life style.

Ashraf has heard from his industry friends that HR heads accept favours for recommending employees’ promotions.

It is for the first time ever that Sridevi directly approached Ashraf to contact a client.

Ashraf’s immediate junior, Shamsher, who worked closely with Sridevi, was promoted last year.

Sridevi chose Ashraf over others for help, while in the midst of a meeting with the top management.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the three questions that follow.

Question 14

Ashraf does not hear anything from Sridevi in the next few days. Anxious, he meets up with Sridevi and enquires if the gift vouchers were appreciated by the client. This surprises Sridevi who closely scrutinises Ashraf’s emails and discovers that they originated from sridevi@nutich.com, instead of sridevi@nutech.com, her official email ID.

Taken aback, Ashraf requests Sridevi’s help in getting compensated by the company for his ₹50,000 loss. Sridevi asks Ashraf to justify his compensation demand. Ashraf gives the following reasons:

1. I erred; however, my financial rectitude is on record.
2. I acted in the greater interest of the company.
3. The spam mail reached my inbox due to the failure of the company’s email filter.
4. A NuTech employee, who was robbed of ₹20,000 of company’s cash, was not punished.
5. In the past, some of my acquaintances had been similarly duped.

Which of the abovementioned reasons, in a combination, will BEST help Sridevi take up the issue with the top management?

2, 3, 4

1, 2, 3

2, 3, 5

1, 2, 4

3, 4, 5

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the three questions that follow.

Question 15

Sridevi begins to doubt Ashraf’s competencies, given the way he handled the phishing emails. Thus, she convenes a meeting with the senior leadership to discuss Ashraf’s role in the company.

In the meeting, she shares the following observations:

1. Ashraf is poor at verbal communication, which is critical at subsequent levels.
2. Ashraf should have been perceptive, even though the company’s email filter failed him.
3. Ashraf joined the email filter team one month prior to his receiving the phishing emails.
4. Ashraf rushed to act on Sridevi’s request despite his busy schedule.
5. Ashraf appears to be highly anxious to get promoted.

Which of the above observations, in a combination, if true, shall BEST go against Ashraf’s chances of getting promoted?

1, 2, 5

2, 3, 4

1, 2, 3

1, 3, 5

2, 3, 5

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the three questions that follow.

Rohini is one of the most popular faculty members in the finance department, known for her in-class engagement with students. Every year, she offers an elective Financial Risk and Derivatives Management in the fourth term which gets subscribed by about hundred students. This year, owing to Covid-19, she is forced to teach the course online, that too, in the fifth term. The fifth term is notorious for its non-negotiable teaching slots. To enable her teaching, Rohini uses her favourite laptop, Maplebook Lite, sold by Maple.

Rohini converts her family bedroom into a “working room” because of the strong wifi signals. The room is mostly used by Rohini for taking her classes; however, Rinku, her husband, also uses it for running his meetings. Rohini has two children, aged 5 and 8, who use the living room as their playground. During meetings and classes, the working room is shut to save it from unwanted disturbance and noises from the living room.

It is 3:10 p.m. and Rohini’s penultimate session of the course is going to end in twenty minutes. As usual, Rinku enters the room with a cup of Darjeeling tea. Just before entering, he asks his kids to stop playing for some time. He quietly places the teacup on Rohini’s study table and exits the room, leaving the door ajar. As soon as he leaves, a tennis ball comes thundering inside, crashing into her Maplebook monitor. The monitor breaks and Rohini’s class ends abruptly, much before the scheduled time.

Question 16

What should be BEST held responsible for the accident?

Rinku Singh not waiting for the class to get over before serving tea

Rohini not locking the door from inside during class hours

The kids not checking the door before resuming play

Covid-19 imprisoning Rohini and her children in a closeted space

Rinku Singh leaving the door ajar

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the three questions that follow.

Question 17

Rohini has her concluding session scheduled the very next day.

Which of the following is the BEST course of action for Rohini regarding the final session?

She should defer the session until she finds a suitable slot.

She should inform the students that the course is deemed concluded with 19 sessions.

She should cancel the session and ask students to mail video presentations on the topic she intended to teach.

She should request Swarna, her colleague, to take her session the next day.

She should take her last session on her mobile phone and request students to tolerate the inferior experience.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the three questions that follow.

Question 18

With the sixth term round the corner, Rohini goes to the Maple service centre only to find that the replacement for her crashed monitor may take several weeks. However, Dhanraj, the service centre head, offers to replace the damaged monitor with a monitor from a used laptop. He assures Rohini that the used monitor is as good as a new one.

Which of the following options, if true, will give Rohini the BEST reason to accept the offer?

Dhanraj is a friend of Rohini’s colleague Swarna.

Rohini is a long-time customer of the Maple store which runs the service centre.

Dhanraj offers a three-month personal assurance on the used monitor.

Her husband’s meetings will be few and far between in the next few weeks.

Rohini has to start her sixth term course in a month.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the three questions that follow.

Amish is the marketing head of an e-commerce firm named FillInCart (FICT). Recently, FICT signed a contract with a top celebrity to endorse their firm. A few months later, the celebrity was signed as the ambassador to promote tourism in a small country, Wadiya, ruled by a dictator. The dictator, in his zeal to bring peace to the region, brutally supressed an armed uprising in Wadiya. He is currently facing sanctions, imposed by a few countries. When the news of the celebrity’s association with Wadiya becomes public, calls for boycott of FICT start trending on social media.

Question 19

TRACT, a major travel and hospitality conglomerate, operates globally with a significant presence in Wadiya. Ever since the celebrity has signed the contract with Wadiya Tourism, the number of international tourists in Wadiya has increased manyfold. Companies like TRACT have a great hope towards the future of tourism in Wadiya. Consequently, TRACT is looking forward to increase its investments in Wadiya. However, TRACT is concerned about the social media backlash against the celebrity. TRACT fears that the celebrity may terminate his contract with Wadiya Tourism.

Which of the following data, available in the public domain, will BEST assure TRACT that the celebrity will continue his association with the tourism sector of Wadiya?

A week back, the celebrity released videos of the interiors of Wadiya where the poor need help.

Last fortnight, the celebrity declared in the social media that upliftment of the poor is his biggest goal in the coming decade.

Recently, the celebrity pledged 5% of his annual income towards global poverty alleviation.

A week back, the celebrity signed on as the goodwill ambassador of the kingdom of Dubiya, where, recently, the king ferociously crushed insurgency.

Last week, the celebrity announced that any backlash against him is a support for terrorism.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the three questions that follow.

Question 20

Amish is concerned with the trending boycott calls and its probable impact on FICT’s brand image.

Given the social media backlash, which of the following courses of action will help Amish BEST defend FICT’s continued association with the celebrity?

Publicise on social media that FICT has nothing to do with the celebrity’s association with other brands.

Declare on social media that FICT chose the celebrity for his philanthropic works.

Withdraw all advertisements, involving the celebrity, from all the media platforms till the social media moves to another issue.

Ignore social media backlash, assuming that in a few days a new issue will start trending.

Publicise on social media that the celebrity’s endorsement of Wadiya Tourism will help improve the livelihoods of Wadiya's poor.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the three questions that follow.

Question 21

FICT’s closest competitor, ShopAtUs (SAU), wants to grab this opportunity. They have come up with a slogan, “Never at the cost of human rights!” which has started trending in the social media. Amish is unsure if he should respond to the social media campaign of the competitor.

Which of the following options, if true, will BEST assure Amish that SAU’s slogan is not affecting FICT’s business negatively?

FICT’s average monthly sales volume has increased by 5% since the SAU slogan launch, driven by the sales to repeat customers.

FICT’s average monthly sales revenue has decreased by 3% overall when compared with the same month previous year.

Number of visitors to FICT’s home page has increased by 15% since the SAU slogan launch.

More people are looking for Cash on Delivery for the high-end products since the SAU slogan launch, which is against company’s policies.

FICT’s average monthly sales revenue has increased by 1% overall since last month.

Instructions

Read the situation below and answer the 3 associated questions:
When Deepti opened the package, she was aghast. She received cotton pillow covers instead of satin pillow covers, she had ordered. Deepti ordered them for her father from a popular e-commerce website that hosted products of many sellers.
Confused, Deepti contacted the seller’s office using the details given on the package. The seller’s representative profusely regretted and promised to send the satin pillow covers at no extra cost. He added that Deepti need not return the cotton covers she received. Deepti happily accepted the deal.
A few days later, Deepti received another package from the seller. Unfortunately, this package also contained cotton pillow covers. Completely disillusioned with the seller’s professionalism, Deepti decided to put to use these cotton pillow covers also.

Question 1

A few days later, Deepti received an email from the e-commerce website, requesting her to share feedback about the seller. Deeply frustrated with the overall online purchasing experience, she deliberately ignored it.
Later that evening, over supper, her father opined that the balcony curtains needed to be changed. He suggested that they be bought from a local shop. “If something went wrong, we could at least yell at the seller,” he added.
Deepti stared at her laptop and began writing her feedback.
What would Deepti DEFINITELY achieve by giving feedback?

Prove a point to her father

Release her frustration

Coerce the e-commerce website to punish the seller

Instigate people against the seller

An act of social service

Instructions

Question 2

In the feedback column, Deepti awarded 1-star out of the maximum 5 stars to the seller and described her negative experience.
Later that evening, the sales head called and pleaded with her to retract her feedback and upgrade them to 5-star, as they had already fired the employee concerned. He appealed that they were a young organization and that their sales were getting badly affected.
Given the circumstances, what should be the IDEAL response?

She should retain the feedback but award 3-star as a consolation measure.

She should stick to her feedback and the stars awarded since she reported only what had taken place.

She should retract the feedback and award 5-star as the seller has already punished the concerned employee.

She should order again with the same seller and share her renewed experience.

She should retract the feedback and award 5-star since sales are getting affected.

Instructions

Question 3

After a few months, the sales head enquired, “In case you are using the cotton pillow covers and like them, kindly rate them on the e-commerce website. It will help us serve our customers better.”
Later that evening, her father remarked, “You know, I really love these pillow covers though I am not sure why you bought so many of them”.
Which of the following reasons gives Deepti the BEST rationale to ignore the sales head’s request?

Acceding to the request will imply that she was wrong in ordering satin pillow covers in the first place.

If the seller truly cared about customers, they should have shipped the satin pillow covers by now.

Her review will lack credibility since there is no proof that she purchased the product.

Acceding to the request benefits just the seller while her sore experience remains.

Cotton pillow covers were delivered erroneously. Hence the seller does not deserve appreciation.

Instructions

Read the situation below and answer the 3 associated questions:
Rakesh, who hailed from Dhanbad, worked in Jamshedpur with SPCIL, a government construction company. Although HR policies concerning job security & work-life balance attracted Rakesh to SPCIL, over time he found his work monotonous with no growth opportunities. However, the proximity to Dhanbad enabled him to visit his parents at his convenience.

Recently Rakesh applied to Grow and Prosper (G&P), a multinational company engaged in construction related operations, making inroads into many Indian states. G&P interviewed Rakesh and offered him three times his current salary at SPCIL.

Question 4

While considering G&P’s offer, Rakesh pondered over the following facts:
1. A recent government policy made poor performance punishable by salary reduction or dismissal.
2. The first assignment at G&P is a bridge construction project in a village near Dhanbad.
3. With his current savings, Rakesh need not depend on regular income for at least six months.
4. Though an exemplary performer, Rakesh has hardly been recognized at SPCIL.
5. Based on the annual performance review at G&P, Rakesh will either earn double the salary or get fired.

Which of the following combinations of the above facts will BEST help Rakesh decide on joining G&P?

5, 4, 2

1, 3, 4

1, 4, 5

2, 4, 3

4, 3, 5

Instructions

Question 5

While mulling over the offer, Rakesh consulted Manikandan, his trusted senior at SPCIL. Manikandan, who had friends in G&P, disclosed that it preferred government employees for its projects in Jharkhand, Bihar and Chhattisgarh. “Once the project is completed, G&P may not need your skills,” observed Manikandan.

Which of the following, if true, will BEST enable Rakesh to decide on the offer?

During the interview, G&P quizzed if Rakesh would sustain his relationship with his former colleagues at SPCIL.

Through social media, Rakesh discovered that Manikandan’s contact, who had left SPCIL to join G&P, is no longer with G&P.

Senior-level employees at G&P, who began their career in similar projects, are now confined to their desk at the head office for almost a decade.

As G&P also planned to enter two Southern states, it has decided to recruit people from those states.

Manikandan stopped both of his sons from taking up private-sector jobs, given his loyalty to the government.

Instructions

Question 6

Rakesh, in his current job, came across incidences of bribing by private sector officials. He wondered if he might have to bribe government officials while at G&P.
He reflected on his interview with G&P:
1. The interviewers were puzzled how Rakesh could manage his EMIs with his current income.
2. One interviewer was constantly probing how Rakesh managed to meet his project deadlines with little cooperation from his subordinates.
3. “What would you do if your project has a fortnight’s deadline and it takes a month to obtain a permit?,” asked another interviewer.
4. A question that intrigued Rakesh was, “Should a pack of dacoits share their loot with one of their gang, who had killed a bystander against their motto ‘Thou shalt not kill’?”

Which of the following sequences of the above statements is in the MOST appropriate DESCENDING order of bribing undertones?

3, 4, 1 ,2

4, 3, 2, 1

4, 1, 2, 3

1, 3, 2, 4

3, 1, 2, 4

Solution

Let's look at what each statement means in the context of bribery.

Statement 1 asks about managing EMIs on the current salary, which is really checking Rakesh’s financial situation. It may sound like a simple concern, but it hints that his official income might not cover his lifestyle. In fields where unofficial earnings(taking bribes, for example) are common, this question quietly checks if the candidate is used to getting extra money through things like commissions or bribes.

Statement 2 asks how Rakesh meets project deadlines even when his team does not cooperate. This is about how he uses influence and control at work. It checks if he gets results only by following rules or also by using informal methods. Bribery could be one way, but the question could also be answered by talking about leadership, persuasion, or discipline, so the hint at bribery is not strong.

Statement 3 gives a real problem: getting a permit that officially takes a month, but the project deadline is only two weeks away. This makes it impossible to finish on time if you follow the rules. The question quietly suggests looking for solutions outside the normal process, and this often means bribing officials to speed up approvals. Here, the hint at bribery is clear and practical.

Statement 4, involving dacoits and a violated moral code, is an ethical analogy. It examines whether collective benefits should override ethical breaches by individuals. While the metaphor uses criminals, it does not refer to bribery directly or even operationally. Any connection to corruption is abstract and philosophical rather than procedural.

Now, looking at the statements, we can say that Statement 3 has the strongest bribing undertone because it constructs a real-world administrative deadlock that almost requires bribery to resolve. Statement 1 comes next because it indirectly normalises undeclared income by questioning financial viability on official pay alone. Statement 2 is weaker, as bribery is only one of several ways to interpret how cooperation or results might be secured. Statement 4 is the weakest because it is essentially a moral thought experiment, with only a distant and symbolic link to corruption. So, the best order from strongest to weakest bribery undertone is 3, 1, 2, 4, which matches option E.

Instructions

Read the situation below and answer the 3 associated questions:
Two industrial towns, Jayanagar and Ramnagar, about 15 kms. apart, are similar in land area, population, ethnic diversity and per capita incomes.
Jagdeep Singh owns a bakery named Le Baguette in Jayanagar. He specializes in croissants, masala bread and whole wheat bread; eggless cakes are also a favorite.
Among the four bakeries in Jayanagar, Jagdeep’s bakery with a market share of 30% is second only to the oldest Le Croissant bakery whose market share is 40%. Le Croissant commands a loyal customer base and does not offer eggless varieties.

Question 7

Jagdeep has decided to open a branch in Ramnagar. Which of the following facts about Ramnagar will BEST support his decision?

3% of Le Baguette’s current revenue comes from Ramnagar.

Jagdeep has managed to acquire a big space in Ramnagar at a nominal rent.

Before starting his own bakery, Jagdeep was supplying bread to most bakeries in Ramnagar.

Ramnagar is served by 4 bakeries, with the two largest bakeries having market shares of 55% and 25% respectively.

Le Croissant’s Ramnagar branch struggles with a market share of 10%.

Instructions

Question 8

Jagdeep wishes to open a 100% eggless branch in Ramnagar. To explore feasibility, he collected the following facts:
1. Eggless products account for 30% of Le Baguette’s sales.
2. At least 20% of all bakery sales in Ramnagar is from eggless products.
3. The eggless varieties of Le Baguette contain minute traces of egg.
4. Le Baguette currently makes 3% of its revenue from Ramnagar customers and all of it comes from eggless products.
5. Le Croissant’s Ramnagar branch struggles with a market share of 10%.

From the combinations below, in the DESCENDING order of effectiveness, choose the one that BEST supports Jagdeep’s decision.

5, 2, 1

2, 1, 3

2, 4, 1

4, 3, 2

5, 4, 1

Instructions

Question 9

From a newspaper, Jagdeep has learnt that Americans use their own ovens to bake ready-to-bake products, sold by some bakeries. This idea is apparently catching up in Indian metros as well.
Jagdeep wants to try this out in his bakery. He has gathered the following facts:
1. US bakeries that also sell ready-to-bake products earned higher revenues compared to those that do not.
2. Around 7% of Jagdeep’s regular customers own baking ovens in their homes.
3. The sale of baking ovens in India is forecast to increase by 12% every year, for the next three years.
4. 50% of Jagdeep’s regular customers are fulltime working couples.
5. In Indian metros, ready-to-bake products give higher profit margins compared to finished products.

Select the BEST of the following sequences of the above facts, in DESCENDING order of effectiveness, to support Jagdeep.

2, 5, 1, 3, 4

3, 4, 5, 1, 2

1, 5, 3, 2, 4

2, 3, 5, 1, 4

3, 2, 1, 4, 5

Instructions

Read the situation below and answer the 3 associated questions:
A Multinational Company (MNC) sources pristine natural spring water from Bori, a village in Satpura mountains. The unprocessed natural spring water is directly bottled by the MNC. The company brands it as “Natural Spring Water” and sells at 50% premium vis-a-vis other brands that sell processed water.

The local panchayat, under the Panchayati Raj Act, 1992 controls the spring water usage. Hence, the company signed a 30-year contract with the panchayat for exclusive access to the spring water for business purposes. This contract contributes 50% to the panchayat’s revenues besides providing 250 jobs in the panchayat. The spring also meets domestic and agricultural needs of the people of Bori and the surrounding villages.

Question 10

Chanchala owns a small parcel of farming land in Bori. She grows cannabis in some part of her land and earns a significant amount of money from it. Soon after the bottling plant was commissioned, Chanchala, instigated by a landlord with a vested interest, starts accusing the MNC of robbing her of water and impacting her livelihood. She threatens to take the MNC to court.
Which of the following options will BEST solve the MNC’s problem?

Promise to employ Chanchala’s 17-year-old son as he turns 18

Request the panchayat to excommunicate Chanchala for cultivating cannabis

Buy Chanchala’s produce at a premium of 30% to the market price

Get the villagers employed by the MNC to persuade Chanchala not to sue

Compensate the monetary loss as perceived by Chanchala

Instructions

Question 11

The MNC has spotted traces of chemicals in their fortnightly water quality analysis. The MNC realizes that this is due to the contaminated agricultural runoff, flowing into the spring from the nearby fields where farmers use pesticides and fertilizers.
This requires an immediate solution. Which of the following options will BEST resolve the situation for the MNC?

Continue bottling the natural spring water without processing since the villagers drink it as it is

Since the customers trust the MNC to do what is good for them, remove the contaminants and continue to brand as “Natural Spring Water”

Rebrand “Natural Spring Water” as “Purified Spring Water” after removing the contaminants through charcoal filtering

Close down the bottling plant until the problem is resolved and inform the media that customer interests override profit concerns

Source water from an uncontaminated natural spring 150 kms away at an addition of 50% to the total cost

Instructions

Question 12

The MNC is concerned about chemical contamination of the natural spring water due to the agricultural runoff with pesticides and fertilizers. The MNC is looking for a sustainable solution to this contamination.

Which of the following courses of action will BEST solve the issue?

Negotiate with the Panchayat to gain control of the entire spring and provide alternate sources of irrigation for farming

Change branding from “Natural Spring Water” to “Processed Drinking Water”

Move to another state with unexploited natural springs

Coax the farmers in the natural spring’s catchment to move to organic farming

Acquire all agricultural land in the natural spring’s catchment and afforest them

Instructions

Read the situation below and answer the 3 associated questions:
The Small Shop, selling computer peripherals, is the only one of its kind in the remote village of Turturunk. Because online purchases take two weeks or more to arrive, The Small Shop is a quick stop for buying items such as pen drives and USB cables. Besides selling computer peripherals, The Small Shop also undertakes repairs of out-of-warranty products.

Question 13

The Small Shop which earlier recorded an annual increase of approximately 12% in revenues has been stagnating at 4% for the last three years, during which e-commerce sidelined brick and mortar outlets. The shop is struggling to increase profitability. In general, The Small Shop has been offering a discount on MRP to compete with e-commerce prices.
Which of the following is the BEST reason for The Small Shop NOT to reduce the current discount offered to the customers?

A large fading sign prominently placed behind the shop’s cash counter reads “in business and in life, always be fair”.

Recently customers from a nearby village have started shopping at The Small Shop for low-end peripherals, accounting for around 3% of the shop’s total revenues.

To cover insurance costs, e-commerce has begun charging a delivery fee from last year.

A new resident who earlier worked in the computer hardware industry is contemplating starting a business in Turturunk.

Even though e-commerce offers a greater range of choices, villagers prefer buying readily available products from The Small Shop.

Instructions

Question 14

The Small Shop wants to increase the variety of products sold, including expensive ones. However, it is averse to accumulating unsold products, specifically of the expensive kind.
Which of the following is the BEST option if The Small Shop wants to increase the variety of the products it sells?

The Small Shop should make an arrangement with a retailer of the nearest city. The shop can spare one of its employees once a week to procure the weekly requirements.

The Small Shop should focus only on low-end peripherals that currently contribute to 60% of its revenues.

The Small Shop should get suppliers to courier its requirements to the shop whenever needed. The suppliers require that The Small Shop orders a minimum quantity every month.

The Small Shop should acquire extra space at lower rentals available at a distance of three kilometres from its current location.

The Small Shop should focus exclusively on high-end peripherals which contribute to 10% of its revenues but 25% of its profits.

Instructions

Question 15

An emerging brand offers a franchise to The Small Shop for repairing its products, on a condition that other brands are not to be repaired. Repairs currently account for 15% of its revenues.
Which of the following, if true, will BEST help The Small Shop to decide on the franchise?

The Small Shop will have to send two of its employees for a three-month training if it wishes to be a franchisee. The emerging brand will bear the training cost.

The upcoming brand is very new and needs franchisees desperately.

Revenues from repairs are expected to increase by about 3-5 percent annually.

No big and reputed brand has shown any interest in franchising The Small Shop.

For the first three years, the emerging brand has offered to pay a fixed amount equal to the revenues earned from repairs the previous year.

Instructions

Read the situation below and answer the 3 associated questions:
Vindhya, Shabnam and Amala are interning at a software organization as part of the requirement of their B-school curriculum.
The organization has allotted each of them a project based on their area of specialization. In the first meeting with the HR head, they are informed of a PPO possibility (pre-placement offer, i.e., an offer to join the company after their MBA), based on their performance. All of them are eager to convert their internship into a job offer.
Each of them is assigned a mentor who evaluates the intern's performance along with the HR head.

Question 16

In the second week of her eight-week internship, Amala realizes that the project requires inputs from subjects she studied in her third trimester. However, during the third trimester, Amala was significantly distracted by an inter-college sports meet, affecting her grasp of the subjects.
Which of the following is the MOST appropriate way forward for Amala?

Amala should request her mentor to allocate a different project because of her limited familiarity with the inputs required.

Amala should disclose to the mentor her limited understanding of the required inputs and seek his suggestions.

Amala should seek Shabnam’s help who performed well in the third trimester.

Amala should realize that she may not get a PPO and so focus on networking with the experienced talent in the organization.

Amala, after studying the organization for a week, should design her own project and pitch it to her mentor.

Instructions

Question 17

Vindhya’s project is about understanding employee perception regarding the organization’s HR policies. Against her own instinct, she is suggested by her mentor to interview only the good performers identified by his office because poor performers, he believes, usually crib against the policies.

Which of the following courses of action will BEST enable Vindhya to provide the organization with a complete picture?

Vindhya should completely comply with her mentor’s suggestion.

Vindhya should ignore her mentor’s directive, collect data from all, but compile reports separately for the good performers and the poor performers.

Vindhya should report this restraint to the HR head requesting her immediate intervention in the project.

Vindhya should request the HR Head to allot her another mentor without divulging the reason.

Vindhya should meet only those identified by her mentor, but also collect information from them as why their other colleagues are disgruntled.

Instructions

Question 18

Shabnam, who is working on sales executives’ work-life balance, has collected the following details about their frequent travels:

1. Frequent meetings help strengthen relationships with key customers.
2. Travelling has no effect on the personal lives of the sales executives as most of them are single.
3. Travel enhances the financial health of the sales executives since their fixed salaries are low.
4. Frequent travel has no significant impact on market budget, given the current high margins from sales.
5. The sales executives have the autonomy to decide the frequency of their travel.

Shabnam thinks that the frequency of travel is higher than required.
Which of the following combinations of the above reasons can enable Shabnam BEST substantiate her thinking?

1, 2 and 4

2, 3 and 4

3, 4 and 5

2, 3 and 5

1, 3 and 5

Solution

We have to choose the statements which will substantiate Shabnam's thinking that the frequency of travel is higher than required.

Statement 1 can be dismissed as it will do the opposite job.

Statement 2 can also be dismissed as it is not true for all the employees. Also, this situation is subject to change as more of them get married.

Statement 3 is a valid point. As their fixed salaries are low and travelling improves their financial health, the sales executives are more inclined to take more trips than necessary.

Statement 4 is also valid as frequent visits are not required if they don't have any effect on the budget, even though the margins are high in sales. This would mean that there is no advantage to frequent travel.

Statement 5 is also valid. Since the executives have the autonomy to decide the frequency of travel, they can travel more than required.

Thus, 3, 4 and 5 are valid points to substantiate Shabnam's thinking.

Hence, the answer is option C.

Instructions

Read the situation below and answer the 3 associated questions:
A powerful, intelligent king Vanamali once ruled over an ancient kingdom, Vanarajya. The kingdom was known for its high mountains and sprawling plains, and ninety percent of its land was under forest cover. Trade in forest produce was the mainstay of its economy, supported by subsistence agriculture.
With the increase of population, over time the forest in the plains was cleared for agriculture. The forest in the mountains continued to supply nutrient-enriched water and abundant forest produce to the plains. As a result, agricultural yields were bountiful. The plains prospered as compared to the mountains.

Question 19

The increasing prosperity of the plains people tempted those in the mountains to divert forest land for agriculture. Vanamali was afraid that expansion of agriculture would result in deforestation of the mountains.

Which of the following is the BEST course of action for Vanamali to conserve the mountain forest?

Institute a mechanism that ensures plains people pay royalty, to be transferred to mountain people for maintaining forest cover

Declare a “Mountain Day” when plains people meet and thank mountain people for sustaining their agriculture

Constitute a committee to protect the forest with powers to punish those who fell trees

Urge the elders of the mountains to come up with agricultural practices that ensure no erosion of forest cover

Levy a tax on traded agricultural produce from the plains to cross-subsidize supplies to mountain people

Instructions

Question 20

Vanamali, afraid of further deforestation, issued a diktat against felling of trees in the mountains. In due course, thanks to the booming agriculture, the king along with plains people began to prosper. However, mountain people became relatively poor, thanks to Vanamali’s diktat.

Which of the following options should mountain people choose to BEST protect their long-term interests?

Sell forest produce exclusively to the neighbouring kingdoms

Seek employment in the plains

Ignore Vanamali’s diktat and divert forest land for agriculture

Charge a premium on forest produce and issue hunting permits

Stop the flow of rivers to the plains

Instructions

Question 21

The village elders of the mountains had informed Vanamali about the presence of a precious metal in abundance under a large part of the forest. They pleaded with him to repeal his diktat and permit felling of trees for mining.
Vanamali knew that the precious metal would make his kingdom prosper. However, he was worried that mining would reduce the flow of nutrients, water and forest produce to the plains.
Vanamali’s advisor Vanapandit presented the following action plans for his consideration:
1. Repeal the forest diktat and charge hefty royalty for mining in the mountains
2. Permit mining in the mountains and enforce rainwater harvesting in the plains
3. Permit mining in the mountains and begin afforestation in the plains
4. Continue with the forest diktat in the mountains
5. Permit limited mining in rotation but maintain the forest diktat in the rest of the mountains

Which of the following sequences of action plans, in the DESCENDING order of their ability to contribute to Vanarajya’s sustainable prosperity, will be the MOST appropriate for Vanamali?

5, 2, 4, 3, 1

4, 5, 2, 3, 1

4, 2, 5, 1, 3

3, 5, 2, 1, 4

5, 3, 2, 4, 1

Instructions

Read the following caselet and answer the questions that follow:

Thakur Raja, a young cabinet minister, glanced through the notes of his secretary regarding the recent controversies on ‘Racket’, the most popular game of the country. While International Racket Association (IRA) has agreed to implement Drug Testing Code (DTC), the Racket Club which controls the entire Racket related activities had some reservations regarding the initiative. A majority of the citizens eagerly awaited their country's participation and performance at the international competitions during the Champions Trophy. Due to the popularity of the game, 70% of the total revenue associated with the game originates from the country. Hence, the Racket Club has earned high bargaining power with the IRA and can influence decisions not aligned with its interests. Three of the most popular and senior players of the Club, including the captain, are against the imposition of DTC citing security reasons. A decision against the interests of these players might result in law and order problems throughout the country. Other players support the decision of their senior colleagues and if the Racket Club refuses, players may support the rebel Counter Racket Club, a new national level initiative. The Counter Racket Club can challenge the monopoly of the Racket Club, if it succeeds in attracting some popular players.

Raja was a great soccer player and has major reservations against racket. According to him, racket has negative influence on the country’s youth and distracts them from productive work. He also considers drug testing as an essential feature of any sports and games across the world. As the new cabinet minister for Youth and Sports, he needs to take some important decisions on this contentious issue.

Question 1

If Thakur Raja wants to create a lasting impact, the most reasonable option for him is to:

Force the Racket Club to accept all regulations relating to drug testing.

Enforce drug testing while providing adequate security to all players.

Get popular Racket players to endorse Soccer.

Ban Racket as a sport, citing its negative influence on youth.

Align with Counter Racket Club and reinforce their initiatives.

Instructions

Read the following caselet and answer the questions that follow:

Question 2

Identify the best argument for Raja to decide in favor of the IRA.

Raja is interested in making Racket less popular in the country.

Three of the top international teams are keen on implementing DTC.

The next World cup is scheduled to be held in a country which has made DTC mandatory.

Raja and the President of the Racket Club are political opponents and could use the present issue to settle their mutual scores.

Raja can justify his decision citing his position as a cabinet minister.

Instructions

Read the following caselet and answer the questions that follow:

Question 3

According to DTC, each athlete/sportsperson needs to submit their schedule for the next three months specifying an hour each day when they can be randomly tested for drugs. DTC also ensures the confidentiality of the submitted schedule by:

i. Limiting access of player-supplied information only to two senior officers.
ii. Allowing these officers to access the schedule of only those sports persons who are randomly selected for testing.
iii. Introducing similar security features for DTC database as is the case with financial institutions.

The top three popular players realize security is the only reason for them to get a favorable decision from Raja. Hence during discussions, they should focus on all options except:

Recent report includes their country to be among the top five nations vulnerable to data security breach.

DTC is unwilling to share details with security agencies of officers involved in background check.

Any leak of their private schedules may result in huge public gathering and it will make the job of security agencies very difficult.

Popular Racket players are on the hit list of terrorist organizations.

It is difficult to provide adequate security coverage in large stadiums where Racket is played.

Instructions

Read the following caselet and answer questions that follow:

Sanchit group of Hospitals seeks to improve the success rate and patient satisfaction rate by 100% in the next year. However, the management can't afford to send doctors for professional development outside the country nor afford purchasing more equipment. As an in-house measure, the managing board thought of having doctors with high patient satisfaction to mentor those with less. Most of the doctors found it an interference by the management, judgmental and an expression of distrust. There were, however, some isolated few who found it a novel way of learning from each other. The doctors felt the management should instead increase consultancy fees and spend more on recruiting more paramedics who could spend time with patients, rather than blame doctors and decided to call it quits. For the management, this would mean loss of patients.

Question 4

Consider the following actions:

1. Conduct a survey of all stakeholders and ascertain their needs and suggestions.
2. Build consensus among doctors and paramedics on a possible way forward.
3. Prepare an action plan that details the road map along with financial implications.
4. Design differential service packages based on the affordability of the patients.
5. Run a brainstorming session among the leading doctors of the area.

Which of the following sequence of actions is most appropriate for the hospital administration in achieving their goal?

5 , 4 , 2

1 , 5 , 3

4 , 2 , 1

4 , 5 , 2

1 , 2 , 3

Instructions

Read the following caselet and answer questions that follow:

Question 5

Which of the following decisions is most likely to satisfy all the stakeholders?

Increase the income of doctors and paramedics, and the ambiance of the hospital.

Give 30% discount on medicines purchased from the hospital store.

Increase the income of doctors and the number of paramedics.

Raise income of doctors and reduce the waiting time of patients.

Allow doctors to choose patients based on income levels, thus profiting both patients and the organization.

Instructions

Read the following caselet and answer questions that follow:

Question 6

Given the current situation, which of the following is the most interactive and effective way to increase the learning among paramedics and doctors?

Get doctors and paramedics with high satisfaction rates document their success stories for use of others.

Encourage paramedics and doctors to pursue courses over MOOC platform, at their own cost, which shall be partially subsidized after successful completion.

Ask doctors and paramedics with high satisfaction rate to give lectures to others before start of work.

Implement professional development standards for staff linking it with an accountability framework.

Create groups of paramedics and doctors, to meet everyday and discuss their insights and experience of the day.

Instructions

Read the following caselet and answer the questions that follow:

Mrs. Bhalla is the principal of ‘Happy Public School’. While it is a private school, the trust is socially sensitive and as part of their “Spread Happiness Policy” provides quality education to many needy students from low income neighborhood for free. She received a strange complaint from some of the affluent parents regarding their discomfort with allowing poor children to study along with their kids. They were concerned more about their manners, habits and language than about schooling. They wanted the trust to either start a separate shift for such children or remove them from the school since they are supporting them. On the other hand, the parents of the poor children complained of bullying and teasing and shared their concern regarding the mental trauma their children undergo. While Mrs. Bhalla, by no means wants to yield to the demands of the affluent parents, she also cannot ignore them since some of them have been making substantial donations to the school.

Question 7

Which of the following is most likely to get the affluent parents to accept the school’s policy?

Accept the suggestion of affluent parents to start a separate shift for the poor students.

Invite professionals to conduct workshop for the poorer children so that they learn basic manners, habits and language.

Meet the two parent groups separately, understand their key concerns and seek solutions from both.

Invite the founder of the school to clarify to all parents the school’s policy.

Share the fact, that the government instituted school ranking, places 25% weight to policies similar to the school's.

Instructions

Read the following caselet and answer the questions that follow:

Question 8

While Mrs. Bhalla understands the problems of overcrowded classrooms and classroom management, she foresees in them an opportunity to develop more sensitive and self-motivated learners.

Mrs. Bhalla is considering the following actions:

1. Take the student and teacher councils on board and seek their ideas to redress the challenge the school faces.
2. Brainstorm with teachers and students on a strategy to engage all learners in teams for meaningful learning and healthy relationships.
3. Encourage students for self-learning and teachers into more supervisory roles to ensure discipline.
4. Engage students in a process of periodic reflection so that they can get in touch with their thoughts, feelings and actions towards self and others.
5. Create achievement based student groups to encourage competition and ease classroom management.

Which of the following combination of actions would be most effective in developing sensitive and self-motivated learners?

1 , 2 , 3

1 , 3 , 5

2 , 1 , 5

5 , 4 , 3

1 , 2 , 4

Instructions

Read the following caselet and answer the questions that follow:

Question 9

Which of the following options will empower students the most?

Ensure no kid from poor income group is detained.

Maximise students learning achievement.

Help students relate learning to their real life experiences.

Ensure rich kids to get to know those on whom their money is spent.

Encourage students to ask questions that teacher find difficult to answer.

Instructions

Read the following caselet and answer questions that follow:

Divya grew up in a business family in Hyderabad. As a Systems engineer she travelled extensively on business deals and later settled in her in-law’s place in Warangal. Once during her visit to Thailand she got to taste some roll over ice cream. Interestingly, a few weeks later, she came across an advertisement from a reputed Bangalore based Rollover Handcrafted Ice Cream Company calling for expression of interest from potential franchises.

Warangal did not have any quality ice cream parlour. The company wanted the potential franchisees to invest Rs. 20 lacs and 700 square feet space. Profits were to be shared in 3:7 ratio between the company and the franchisee. Divya was excited, but was wondering if Rs. 20 lacs was too much to invest. Further, she did not have the entire amount and was thinking of taking a loan. She enquired with the Rollover franchisees and found that a franchisee in Hyderabad had sales revenue varying between 5 and 6 lacs rupees per month with a profit margin between 25-30%. Divya decided to go ahead.

Warangal had three main areas -Kazipet, Jangaon and Warangal. All areas were linked by good roads. Kazipet was a business area where most high end retail formats were located. It was also the education hub of the city. Jangaon, on the other hand, was a growing lower middle class business area and Warangal was mostly residential.

Divya favoured Kazipet. However, she soon encountered problems. Not only was it difficult to obtain space in Kazipet but property rentals touched 30-40 rupees per square feet per month as against Jangaon and Warangal where it was 15-20 rupees per square feet per month. Divya’s friend, who lived in Jangaon, told her that a few branded outlets were opening in Jangaon and it appeared to be the fastest growing market in Warangal with the highest percentage of teenagers. But, Divya was not in favour of Jangaon. She hoped to target college going crowd of Kazipet. High real estate prices in Kazipet and lower profitability estimate in Jangaon market confused Divya.

Question 10

Which of the following options, if true, would most likely interest Divya to start a franchise?

Doctors of the area do not consider Ice cream to be a major cause of obesity.

A bank is ready to give her a quick loan.

She can charge high prices for her ice creams without losing customers.

Her friend who runs a restaurant recently in Kazipet is doing good business.

In recent times, a couple of franchisees shut down within months of starting.

Instructions

Read the following caselet and answer questions that follow:

Question 11

Which of the following is least likely to demotivate Divya?

Investing a huge amount may not bring expected returns.

The bank would insist on loan repayment on a monthly basis.

The property rentals would soon go up in Kazipet.

Unlike Hyderabad, people in Kazipet don’t seem to like Rollover ice cream.

Rollover franchise in Hyderabad is making huge profits.

Instructions

Read the following caselet and answer questions that follow:

Question 12

What could be the most likely reason for Divya opting for Kazipet?

Spiralling real-estate prices in Kazipet.

No branded outlets is likely to come up in Jangaon in the near future.

High percentage of teenagers in Kazipet attracted to Rollover ice cream.

High density of population in both Warangal and Jangaon.

She felt, college going crowd is excited about the latest in ice creams.

Instructions

Read the following caselet and answer questions that follow:

Question 13

Which is the most important decision criterion for Divya to consider in such a business situation?

Attracting customers through big discounts in the initial phase of business.

Consistent increase in the number of customers in the future.

Range and variety of ice-cream flavours.

Availability of space in premium locality.

Availability of loan at low interest rate.

Instructions

Read the following caselet and answer the questions that follow:

The Public Relations Department of an organization has spent only 4 crores of its allocated 16 crores on publicity. There are 2 months left in the financial year. Due to shortage of officers, the Assistant Director, Operations has been given an additional charge of publicity. Because of his other commitments, he is unable to find time to undertake tasks such as baseline study, ascertaining communication needs, testing proposed messages and media channels, deciding optimum periodicity, measuring impact, etc. He also argues spending the rest of the budget is unnecessary because their regular programs are already widely known. His boss, the Director, however, feels that only by utilizing the entire budget can a similar amount be demanded the next year. He also thinks that there is nothing like enough publicity.

Question 14

Which of these is the best course of action for the department?

Repeat the advertising done so far 3 times over and thus exhaust the entire amount.

Rely on the operational experience of the Director and the Assistant Director and start spending the optimal amount right away.

Surrender the budget right away so it can be utilized by other departments.

Hire a specialized external agency which will study the gaps and needs within a fortnight and follow it's recommendations.

Request higher authorities to reallocate the remaining amount to other departments of the organization.

Instructions

Read the following caselet and answer the questions that follow:

Question 15

Which of these new developments, if true, would most justify a larger utilization of the advertising budget?

Advertising agencies have announced a 25% reduction in rates.

An internal committee of the organization has made strong recommendations to improve service delivery.

The organization has approved a new major scheme for immediate implementation.

The findings of a baseline study on assessing communication needs are now available.

A new Assistant Director has been posted to exclusively look after publicity.

Instructions

Read the following caselet and answer the questions that follow:

Due to increased competition, Electro Automobiles, the Indian subsidiary of Robert Automobile Company (RAC) reported lower sales and profits. RAC expects its new model Limo, developed especially for value conscious customers of India and China, would revive its fortunes. In order to prevent customers from buying competing products, RAC announced the launch of Limo six months ahead of schedule. Unrest in its Indian supplier resulted in delayed delivery of essential components to its main plant. Hence, Limo was launched on schedule only in China. Within a short span, Limo captured 30% of the Chinese market , which was 200% higher than expectation. Indian customers were becoming increasingly restless because they couldn't get a Limo in India. Electro’s dealers were worried, customers might switch to other cars.

Question 16

The indian subsidiary is concerned that the delay in launching the product will give undue advantage to some competitor. The organization was considering the following strategies to keep customers engaged with the company:

1. Ask the dealers to encourage their prospective customers to seek similar products from the competition, rather than wait for Limo’s launch.
2. Suggest the dealers to accept booking for Limo, announcing the launch within six months of booking, while in reality plan to keep postponing launch indefinitely.
3. Run full page advertisements in the papers, every month, to keep the interest in the model from ebbing, with no mention of the launch date.
4. Import parts from outside India, and launch the product, at a 30% premium, planning a relaunch a few years later of the indianized version.
5. Go against its worldwide policy of non-interference in supplier plants, and announce a hefty bonus to the employees of the supplier with a hope to temporarily bring the plant to life.
6. Promise the supplier plant (that has some unrest) a higher margin share of about 5% compared to what was shared earlier, with an eye to stem the unrest.

Which of the following combination of responses above, will most likely keep the prospective customers engaged with the company and not jump to some competitor’s product?

1 , 2 , 3

2 , 3 , 4

3 , 2 , 5

1 , 5 , 6

3 , 4 , 5

Instructions

Read the following caselet and answer the questions that follow:

Question 17

Mr. Murugan from Chennai experienced the comfort of Limo during his visit to China. He was willing to deposit an approximate price of Limo to buy the first available unit from Mr. Ahmed, a dealer in Chennai. Electro Automobile is yet to announce the actual price, and the process for allocation of the vehicles.
Which of the following is the best option for Ahmed?

Collect 50% of the entire amount Mr. Murugan is willing to deposit as advance and the remaining at the time of launch.

Collect the entire amount Mr. Murugan is willing to deposit after clarifying that delivery and price is subject to the company policy.

Collect the amount and transfer it to the account of Electro Automobiles, instead of keeping it in his personal account.

Collect the amount from Mr. Murugan. Later when the delivery is delayed, blame it on RAC’s problems.

Not collect the amount, but suggest to Mr. Murugan to write to Electro Automobiles.

Instructions

Read the following caselet and answer the questions that follow:

You are a Human Resource (HR) Manager in the HR Department of Vikash Educational Charitable Trust. You organize and support recruitment and training, provide secretarial support for disciplinary investigations and keep personnel records of staff. You report to Ms. Deelipa, one of the two Senior HR Managers who reports to the HR Director.

Question 18

For the post of Consultant Professor in the Trust, two internal candidates, Mr. Rana and Mr. Charan were interviewed. Mr. Charan was selected as he was considered to be academically gifted with impressive leadership skills, even though he had less experience than the other. Three days later, Mr. Rana came to your office complaining that the selection was unfair as he had more experience than Mr. Charan.

Which of the following is the best way to handle the issue raised by Rana?

Tell Mr. Rana, that you empathize with him, but the process was fair, and details of the assessment could be shared with him.

Tell Mr. Rana that if he is interested, he could write to the HR Director and you would act as per the directives received.

Offer tea to Mr. Rana and say that you can understand why he is upset. Let him have a bit of a moan and help him get it out of his system.

Tell Mr. Rana that the Institute finds the right person for the job, not the one who has been around the longest.

Warn Mr. Rana that his complaint will be construed as misdemeanour and held against him in the next promotion cycle.

Instructions

Read the following caselet and answer the questions that follow:

Question 19

Ms. Deelipa has asked you to conduct a Non Teaching Staff Induction Training. You are to call for a tender from various agencies with specifications that include the contents, duration, experience, budget and other relevant information. You then need to shortlist five agencies from the list of 20 and make a presentation within two days.

Review the following responses:

1. Rate all 20 agencies on a scale of 1 to 5 on information available and select the top 5.
2. Select the five lowest bids based on the price quoted.
3. Seek selection criteria from Deelipa and the HR Director and shortlist the bidders accordingly.
4. Follow the advise of a person who has completed a similar task.

Select the best of the following responses in the descending order of effectiveness?

4 , 1 , 3

1 , 3 , 4

3 , 2 , 4

1 , 2 , 3

3 , 1 , 2

Instructions

Read the following caselet and answer the questions that follow:

Question 20

The Vikash Trust has recently been plagued by a high turnover of teaching assistants with many looking for higher salary and better facilities. You have been asked to design and run a campaign to attract and appoint 10 teaching assistants. One of your measures of success will be the retention of the new recruits. You have 4 weeks for the interview.

Review the following:

1. Shortlist apt candidates who reflect values of the Trust from among respondees to your wide advertisement campaign.
2.Design an ad that attracts candidates with values that matches the Trust's, release it at an appropriate time and re-validate the candidates' credentials at the time of shortlisting.
3. Repeat the process that was followed by the Trust last time.
4. Seek expert advice on drafting an attractive advertisement.

Select the best of the following responses in the descending order of effectiveness?

4 , 1 , 2

2 , 1 , 3

4 , 3 , 1

1 , 2 , 3

2 , 3 , 4

Solution

Since the turnover of applicants is already quite high, investing money on designing an attractive advertisement would be redundant. Note that 4 talks about an 'attractive' investment and not an appropriate advertisement, and hence, would not be suitable. Thus, we need to order 1,2,3 and 3 now, as these are better than 4, which is directly eliminated.

1. The problem here is to sift the candidates from such a large pool. Since 1 does not provide a way to do that, and advises to go the long route, it would not be that effective.

2. Filtering the candidates, in the beginning, would ensure that only the right and motivated candidate make it to the interview. Hence, 2 would be the most effective.

3. Following the last year's procedure would be the least effective as it might not be prepared to deal with the increased influx of applications.

Thus the decreasing order of effectiveness would be 2, 1, 3.

Instructions

Read the following caselet and answer the questions that follow:

Question 21

The new induction training program has been a roaring success. All new induction courses for the next 12 months have been tightly scheduled. This morning, you receive a call from Mr. Surya, the Head of the Trust requesting you to train eight newly recruited teaching assistants before they start their job next month. You explain that all the slots are fully booked for the next 3 months, but he insists that the new teaching assistants be trained immediately, to hopefully reduce turnover among them. You speak to Deelipa, who wants you to deal with the issue on your own.

Review the following responses that you wish to communicate to Mr. Surya:

1. Inform him that once the schedules are drawn up, it is not possible to effect any change as the reputation of the Trust would be at stake.
2. Suggest that a new agency may be permitted to run induction sessions for these teaching assistants, as a special case.
3. Tell him that if some inductees dropout in the first month, at least some teaching assistants can be accommodated.
4. Tell him that since no space is available in the induction training sessions for three months, you, as the HR manager would conduct induction sessions for them after office hours.

Select the best of the following responses in the descending order of effectiveness.

2 , 1 , 3 , 4

3 , 2 , 1 , 4

3 , 2 , 4 , 1

2 , 4 , 3 , 1

2 , 3 , 1 , 4

Solution

Mr. Surya, the Head of the Trust is requesting to train eight newly recruited teaching assistants before they start their job next month. Even though all the slots are fully booked for the next 3 months, the training of the new teaching assistants is crucial. As the slots are fully booked for the next 3 months, a new agency can be appointed for the task of training. Thus, statement 2 is the best possible action. In case 2 is not possible, then it would be fair for the HR Manager to conduct induction sessions for training after office hours. Thus, statement 4 can be followed next. In case both 2 and 4 are not possible, it would be prudent to honestly inform the Head that some teaching assistants could be accommodated only if some inductees dropped out in the first month. Hence, statement 3 follows next. Also statement 1 can only be the last possible course-of-action due to it being confrontational in nature.

Hence, the correct answer is option D.

Instructions

Answer the following questions on the basis of information given in the following situation.

Satyender heads a branch of a Micro-Finance company. The company provides small-size loans catering to rural households. As the head of the branch, he supervises three collection officers - Palani, Sayed, and Godwin. Palani was recently transferred by the company from another branch.

Question 1

Sayed feared Palani's transfer may pull down the performance of the branch, as he felt Palani was transferred due to his poor performance in the previous branch.

Which of the following information will most likely assuage Sayed's fear?

In the past 12 years as the head of branch, Satyender has exceeded targets every time.

Palani has been a top performer in the organization; his performance has deteriorated only in the last three years.

The branch's performance has been good for the past 10 years; Sayed has joined the organization 3 years back.

When Sayed joined as a fresher in this branch, others in the branch had feared that he might bring down the performance of the branch.

While calculating the branch's performance, the branch head has the choice to exclude new joinee's performance.

Instructions

Answer the following questions on the basis of information given in the following situation.

Question 2

Three months later, Palani submitted local travel bills to Satyender for reimbursement. Satyender realized that the bill amount was 30% higher than expected.

Which of the following options, if true, will enable Satyender take a decision that shall set a precedent, which is least likely to be misused in the future?

Palani being new to the area uses autorickshaws which are more expensive than personal motorcycles used by other collection officers.

Unlike his colleagues, Palani's house has very poor public transport connectivity.

Unlike his colleagues, Palani's sales territory has a powerful competitor.

Unlike his colleagues, Palani's customers can meet him only during weekends.

Unlike his colleagues, Palani has to visit customers repeatedly as they require additional persuasion.

Instructions

Answer the following questions on the basis of information given in the following situation.

Question 3

Satyender is allocating territories to his subordinates for the coming financial year. So far, Palani's performance has been poor and this allocation will decide his future in the organization.

Which of the following information will be the least useful to Satyender in taking a fair allocation decision?

Sayed's territory has shown consistently good performance in the past three years.

Sayed's territory faces stiff competition from a well-known brand.

A new territory that faces competition from two relatively unknown brands.

Godwin's territory has shown consistent results in the past three years.

Godwin's territory performance has been flat for the past two years.

Solution

To make a decision, there must be a factor that encourages/discourages the distribution of territories to his subordinates.

Options A shows that Sayed has been a good performer, and can be allotted a fair share of the territories. Option B shows that Sayed is in a tight spot, and hence can be allowed to focus more on his territory and not assign him significantly more territories.

Similarly, Options D and E provide info as to how the performance of Godwin has been. They would help Satyender to decide to assign more territories or fewer territories according to the performance of Godwin over the past years.

Note that C provides no such factor of consideration. It merely states that there is a new territory that faces stiff competition. What about the other territories, what should be their distribution? Even we are unsure about this territory. Let us say Palani's performance is poor. But should this territory be assigned to Godwin or Sayed, who is a better performer? Hence, C does not lead us anywhere.

Instructions

Madhuri Apte, a busy professional, rents out her studio apartment located in South Mumbai. Since she stays three hours away from the studio apartment, she uses a networked digital lock to monitor the property remotely. Each customer gets a temporary and unique access code for the digital lock that enables them to enter the studio apartment for the duration of stay. The apartment’s entrance door can also be opened with physical keys and Madhuri Apte has two such keys in her possession.

Madhuri Apte has employed a cleaner who has a permanent access code to enter the apartment for cleaning every day. She is available only between 15:00 hrs and 17:00 hrs.

Madhuri Apte’s apartment caters largely to international customers. A customer typically stays for 3 days, paying an average rent of $125 per day.

Question 4

While Madhuri Apte's studio apartment gets good feedback on other aspects, many seem unhappy as they found the operation of the digital lock complicated.

Which of the following options is the best for Madhuri Apte in this context?

Madhuri should switch to a physical lock.

Madhuri, on request, should send one of the physical keys five days ahead of customer's arrival at an extra charge of $75.

Madhuri should request the cleaner to explain the working of the digital access code to customers for an extra charge.

Madhuri should do nothing as digital locks shall be the norm in the future.

Madhuri should create a video manual on "how to use the digital access code" and e-mail it to the customers before their arrival.

Solution

Switching to physical lock will be a retrograde step. Digital lock provides Madhuri with an option to monitor her apartment remotely and a physical lock will not allow her to do the same. Therefore, we can eliminate option A.

We can eliminate option B too since it suffers from the same flaw as option A.

It has been given that the cleaner will be available only for a limited period every day. Therefore, the cleaner cannot be asked to explain the working of digital lock and hence, we can eliminate option C as well.

Madhuri cannot afford to be indifferent. Doing so will result in unsatisfied customers. Therefore, we can eliminate option D as well.

Option E states that Madhuri should educate her customers using a video on how to operate the digital lock. Releasing such a tutorial will ensure that the grievance of the customers get redressed. Also, Madhuri can continue using the digital lock as well. Therefore, option E is the right answer.

Instructions

Madhuri Apte has employed a cleaner who has a permanent access code to enter the apartment for cleaning every day. She is available only between 15:00 hrs and 17:00 hrs.

Madhuri Apte’s apartment caters largely to international customers. A customer typically stays for 3 days, paying an average rent of $125 per day.

Question 5

Madhuri's apartment received good feedback from the guests, except with respect to the operation of the digital lock. She decided to leave a spare physical key in the house for her guests. Recently some of the guests had forgotten to leave the key behind during checkout. Making a spare key will cost $500 and will take about 10 days to arrive. She was confused if she should continue leaving the spare key and was looking for a way out.

Which of the following would be the best way out for her?

Keep Digital lock as the only option and communicate to customers.

Be present during checkout to ensure the key is returned.

Request the cleaner to be present during checkout.

Send polite reminders to guests before checkout date and on the day of checkout to leave the key behind.

Charge security deposit of $100 which will be forfeited if the keys are not left behind.

Instructions

Answer questions 33-35 on the basis of information given in the following situation.

Rose is the Queen of Kingdom A and Emily is the Queen of Kingdom B; both share a common border. They also share a border with Kingdom C, a much larger kingdom, ruled by King Jonathan who has expansive ambitions. Though individually their armies were no match to his might, together their armies were more powerful than King Jonathan’s army.

Jonathan’s kingdom also bordered Kingdom K on the opposite side, making Kingdom C a buffer state between Kingdoms A, B and K. Kingdom K is ruled by King Summer Sault, who united a group of warring and belligerent tribes under his aegis. Kingdom K and Kingdom C had continuous skirmishes with each other.

Question 6

Jonathan realized that he has limited arms and ammunition to fight on all the three fronts simultaneously. Therefore, he planned to double the arms and ammunition which will take a few years. When this news reached Emily and Rose they held a secret meeting to discuss the situation.

Which of the following actions, by Emily and Rose, will be the best suited to delay Jonathan's plan?

Emily and Rose should send arms and ammunition to Summer Sault for the next few years.

The two queens should meet Jonathan and attempt to sign a peace pact.

Emily and Rose should also double their armies.

Emily and Rose should attack Jonathan immediately.

The two queens should ignore the news.

Instructions

Answer questions 33-35 on the basis of information given in the following situation.

Question 7

Jonathan aims to invade and annex Kingdom K once and for all.

Which of the following options will best enable him to accomplish the ambition?

He should request the cooperation of Queen Rose and Queen Emily.

He should sign a peace pact with Queen Rose and Queen Emily.

He should try and create a rift between the two Queens.

He should secretly invest in doubling his army, by reducing all other expenditure.

He should attack all three kingdoms simultaneously, giving them no time to cooperate.

Instructions

Answer questions 33-35 on the basis of information given in the following situation.

Question 8

King Summer Sault was growing tired of the warring tribes, who slowed down the overall economic development of Kingdom K.

Which of the following is the best option for King Summer Sault to focus on economic development?

Align with Jonathan to eliminate one or two of the tribes and instil fear in others.

Align with the two Queens to eliminate a few tribes and unify the rest.

Design annual economic plans, with each plan named after a different tribe.

Create a rift among the tribes and instigate a civil war.

Request Jonathan to send teachers, doctors and artists to improve economic development of Kingdom K.

Instructions

Answer questions 36-38 on the basis of information given in the following situation.

Ava is the CEO of Ratan Brothers, a bicycle manufacturing company. The organization is doing well financially, with a steadily increasing share price. Recently, Ava promoted Bhushan, her nephew, to the position of head of procurement after he completed five years in the organization. After the promotion, he was automatically inducted into the quality council headed by Ava.

Dev and Sons is a supplier to Ratan Brothers. It supplies “ball bearings”, an important part of any bicycle. After Bhushan took over, he switched to a new supplier citing quality deficiencies in Dev and Sons’ product. Dev and Sons responded by publicly declaring that quality was not compromised. Further, it alleged that its competitor bribed Bhushan to get the contract.

Question 9

Post this public allegation, the share price of Ratan Brothers started falling.

Which of the following is the best option for Ava to immediately stem the falling stock prices?

Fire Bhushan, blacklist Dev and Sons and inform the press.

Issue a press statement that a committee has been formed to look into the matter.

Issue a press statement that the company's quality standards have increased and that anyone is welcome to scrutinize the relevant documents.

Cancel the remaining order and call for a fresh tender.

Do nothing, as Bhushan, as the head of procurement, has the right to decide on the supplier.

Instructions

Answer questions 36-38 on the basis of information given in the following situation.

Question 10

Under pressure from media and suppliers, Ava constituted a cross-functional committee of senior executives to investigate Dev and Sons' allegation against Bhushan. The committee exonerated Bhushan. However, rumors within the organization began to spread that the decision was influenced by nepotism.

Which of the following should be the best response from Ava?

Do nothing, as the committee has exonerated Bhushan.

Force Bhushan to resign temporarily. Make an independent enquiry, if found innocent, reinstate Bhushan.

Communicate to all shareholders that these kinds of practices are very common in organizations.

Sack all those employees who questioned the authority of Ava.

Explain in a town hall meeting, open to all the employees, how the decision to exonerate Bhushan was taken.

Instructions

Answer questions 36-38 on the basis of information given in the following situation.

Question 11

A few months after the issue of Dev and Sons, a vigilance committee discovered some financial irregularities attributable to Bhushan in his earlier stint as a senior manager in marketing. The board of directors was concerned about this and demanded a response from the CEO.

Ava contemplated following responses:
1. Offer to resign from the post of CEO, since as the CEO she is ultimately responsible for everything in the organization.
2. Sack Bhushan immediately and make the reason public.
3. Have a town hall meeting with all the employees and deny any financial irregularities in the organization.
4. Communicate to the board that as the CEO, the organization's financial health is her top priority, on which she has delivered stellar performance in the last five years.
5. Inform the board that Bhushan was promoted because his initiatives helped the company immensely.

Which of the following sequence of actions is the most appropriate for Ava?

5,2,1

5,4,3

1,2,3

2,1,4

3,4,1

Instructions

Answer questions 30-32 on the basis of information given in the following situation.

Lal & Sons, a family business, comprises three different companies in three different industries. Sudarshan Lal was heading this entire business from the inception. Two years ago, he hired three managers, one for each company and Chhaganlal Jha as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to look after the entire business. These three managers are reporting to the CEO. However, Sudarshan Lal and his family still own the entire business, though they are not involved in day to day operations.

Question 12

Two years after the handing over, Sudarshan was concerned that none of the companies, except one, is profitable.

Which of the following information, if true, will most likely reduce Sudarshan's concerns?

A leading financial institution recently advised its investors to purchase the shares of the two loss making companies with a long term outlook.

The Corporation's performance was stagnant for three years, before Sudarshan handed it over to professionals.

The best performing division belongs to an industry, which is growing in double digits.

People holding senior positions have been replaced two years ago by fresh and young talent.

The rate at which employees are leaving the best performing division is higher than the industry average.

Solution

A per the information provided in the question we need to look for a case that provides the required assurance of how the current and the future prospects may turn out.

Since a financial institution that acts as an independent researcher has a very positive outlook towards the loss-making company's prospects in the future. This provides the required assurance for not just Sudarshan but for all the key stakeholders. Hence is very crucial to understand how things stand currently for the company.

It will be appropriate that it was handed over to professionals but unless any results are provided from the professional advice this might not be significant enough to assure Sudarshan.

The huge success in one industry cannot be translated or expected to compensate for the loss in the other two industries.

We are not aware if the replaced employees are incompetent or poorly performing employees. Hence this does not hold significance in assuring the required confidence.

If people are leaving at a much higher rate compared to the industry average then this becomes a matter of concern and hence is not correct.

Instructions

Answer questions 30-32 on the basis of information given in the following situation.

Question 13

Some of the senior employees who left Lal & Sons in recent past have complained to Sudarshan that the long cherished values of the organization such as respect for elders, job security etc. are being compromised.

Which of the following options, if true, will indicate to Sudarshan that the employees are misleading him?

The replaced employees have been average performers for many years.

When senior employees were assigned to lead challenging but critical positions in the organization, they resigned.

The senior employees were replaced by people below them and not from outside the organization.

The replaced senior employees had only 4 more years of service and were not compensated for the pre-mature termination.

The number of senior employees voluntarily leaving this organization is lower than the industry average.

Instructions

Answer questions 30-32 on the basis of information given in the following situation.

Question 14

Chhaganlal Jha, the CEO, was certain that someone in his leadership team was leaking information to Sudarshan Lal, well before Chhaganlal communicated.

Given the following options, how best should Chagganlal Jha respond to this situation?

Chhaganlal should request Sudarshan to kindly wait for him to communicate as informal sources may lead to misinformation.

Chhaganlal should complain about this to Sudarshan and threaten to resign.

Chhaganlal should request his team to continue passing information, since it brings down the communication barrier.

Chhaganlal should understand that this is bound to happen and should not bother.

Chhaganlal should threaten his team that one of them will be fired by the weekend if this practice of passing information doesn't stop immediately.

Solution

The leakage of information should be prevented. Sudharsan Lal is supposed to know the proceedings of the company but it should be through a formal communication channel.

We can eliminate option B since it proposes an immature course of action.
Option C can be eliminated as well since it proposes no step to curb the leak of information.
We can eliminate option D since it does not propose any course of action.
Option E can be eliminated as well since it spoils the relationship between him and the business heads. Also, it fails to find out the person responsible for leaking the information and even if someone is fired, there is no way to know whether Chhaganlal has fired the right person.

Chaganlal should request Sudharsan to be patient till he gives out the information. This will ensure that Sudharsan will not have the need to depend on second-hand information and hence, will address the root cause of the issue. Therefore, option A is the right answer.

Instructions

Answer questions 42-43 on the basis of information given in the following situation.

Three persons, A, B and C, lived on an island hill. A lived on the top of the island hill, B occupied the middle portion of the hill and C occupied the bottom of the hill. The top of the hill received good rainfall, the main source of water in the hill, though this portion of the hill had few trees. The middle of the hill however was lush with trees offering timber. The bottom of the hill had a good amount of stones and sand. A, B and C assessed their wealth in terms of ownership of timber, water, stones and sand available in the island hill only. During heavy rains, stones and sand from the top and middle portion of the hill rolled over to the bottom. When the rains stopped, both A and B claimed that some stones rolled down from their lands to the land occupied by C. They wanted the stones back. But C argued that rolling down of stones is a natural process.

Question 15

All three approached a wise man for the settlement of the ownership dispute.

Which of the following is the best option available for the wise man?

Award ownership of stones to A.

Permit A to build a dam so that B and C are deprived of water.

Award ownership of stones to C, as stones rolled down naturally.

Award equal rights to all three over all the resources.

Award A, ownership of water and C, ownership of stones.

Instructions

Answer questions 42-43 on the basis of information given in the following situation.

Question 16

Six months later, the three realized that the solution offered by the wise man in the previous question wasn't working to the satisfaction of all, because it did not help them find the appropriate value of resources. Therefore, they reverted to status quo ante. After one year, all three of them wanted to construct a house each, on their respective property. Three types of resources-1.Timber, 2.water and 3.stone & sand- were required to build a house. While each had one resource in abundance none of them had all the three in sufficient quantity. They still could not come to an agreement on how to fairly value and use each other's resources to construct the house. They again approached the wise man for advice.

The wise man studied the situation carefully and proposed the following actions:
1. The governing body of the United Federation of Islands, of which the island hill is a part, should take ownership of all the three properties and construct houses for the three.
2. Each person should own one third of each of the resources.
3. The three persons should arrive at the value of resources by trading the resources among them.
Which of the following is the most appropriate in the best interests of A, B and C?

1 only

2 only

3 only

1 and 2 only

All of 1, 2 and 3

Instructions

Answer questions 44-45 on the basis of information given in the following situation.

Ramesh, the owner of an auto-component manufacturing company in Sanand, had just returned after attending the funeral of his employee, Pankaj Kumar, who had died of cancer at the age of 35. Pankaj was a hardworking and sincere employee with impeccable performance record. Pankaj was the sole bread earner for his family with negligible savings and was survived by his wife and two school going children. His wife will get around 8 lakh rupees accrued to Pankaj as social security benefit.

A large number of employees wanted the organization to employ Pankaj’s wife on compassionate grounds so that she could support her family. Though Ramesh was sympathetic to the demand, he realized that this could set a precedence, where the organization will have to provide jobs for everyone with similar conditions in the future. In fact, only recently, Ramesh had refused a request for a job to the daughter of an employee, who had died a few months before he was to retire.

Question 17

Ramesh formed a committee to look into this matter and the committee came up with the following suggestions:
1. Create a fund to take care of immediate family expenses.
2. Finance the school and college education of his children.
3. Sponsor the vocational education of his wife and subsequently help her find a job.
4. Purchase insurance for all the family members.
5. Request all employees of the organization to contribute towards the welfare of the family.

Which of the following options, from the above suggestions, will be the most sustainable for Pankaj's family?

1 and 2

2 and 3

3 and 4

4 and 5

3 and 5

Instructions

Answer questions 44-45 on the basis of information given in the following situation.

Question 18

Ramesh, along with senior managers, was in the process of designing a policy to deal with such issues in the future.

Which of the following policy statements will be the least amenable to misuse in the future?

The firm should provide one job to any of direct dependents of the deceased employee.

The firm should provide one job to any dependent, if employee dies during the service.

The firm should provide one job to any dependent, if the family does not have any other support and employee dies during service.

The firm should provide help to the dependent family members in pursuing good education and employment.

The firm shall constitute a committee, with fair representation from all stakeholders, to decide on the course of action based on specifics of the case.

Question 1

Analyse the following caselet and answer the question that follows:

Genius Consulting is a boutique consulting firm started by Shirish, Balram, Rahman and Xavier, four friends from a premier business school. They committed themselves to abide by two principles: a) not to indulge in anything unethical and b) share earnings equally.

Genius Consulting could not get a significant project till the following year, when they managed a big one after Rahman’s father referred their firm to his top management. Convinced of the team’s talent following an impressive presentation, the top management awarded them the project even though six other referred teams made presentations.

The day following the presentations, they met to decide the way forward for the organization. Which of the following choices would be the most appropriate for Genius Consulting?

As this project violates both their principles, Genius consulting should not take up the project.

Due to the violation of the first principle Genius consulting should not take up this project.

They should take up the project. Further, since Rahman had agreed to equal sharing, he is not entitled to finder’s fee.

They should take up the project and as the referral helped them survive, Rahman should be paid finder’s fee.

They should take up the project. But, in order not to violate the principles, Rahman can be paid finder’s fee this year and an equal amount be deducted from his compensation the next year.

Question 2

Analyse the following caselete and answer the question that follows:

As a newly started organization in the IT sector, Saksha IT is a fast growing 400 employee organization. Its head, Saksha Kumar believes in building an organization driven by humility. Which of the following policies would best help him achieve that?

Employees shall, in their annual evaluation form, be asked to acknowledge three of their shortcomings, overcoming which will make them better.

Employees shall be asked to share with their peers three shortcomings they had noticed about their peers.

The immediate superiors would suggest three shortcomings their subordinates have to work on in a given period.

Everyone, beginning with Saksha, shall be asked to share three of their weaknesses, in a public forum.

Employees shall be asked to overcome three shortcomings in the following year. Improvement, if noticed would attract rewards.

Question 3

Analyse the following caselete and answer the question that follows:

Principal Maheshwari of BINK School of Management is facing a problem that calls for quick action. She received an anonymous mail one day, possibly from one of the students, complaining about outdated syllabi, medicore teachers and poor choice of courses on offer.
Which of the following is the best course of action available to the Principal?

She should invite students to discuss any problem openly, one on one or in small groups, promise to act on them but firmly condemn the culture of anonymous mails.

She should update the students about the efforts the institute is taking in sprucing up the syllabi, hiring talented faculty etc., but make no reference to the letter.

She should convene a meeting of the faculty at the earliest and get them to work on updating the syllabi and also arrange a faculty development program but keep mum about the letter.

She should convene a meeting of the faculty and talk about the letter as a symptom of a deeper malaise, ask them to update the syllabi and also organize a faculty development program.

She should ignore the letter and not think about it at all.

Instructions

Mrs Biswas was to retire in one year after serving in the construction department of the Gujarat government for more than thirty years. After retirement, she wanted to spend her retired life along with Mr Biswas, a retired school teacher in a small town in Kerala. They had two children, both studying in Bengaluru. The Biswas’ wished to construct a house in Kerala with their life savings.

The couple gathered information about owning a house in Kerala. They had four options:
1.Buy a fully furnished house from a big developer.
2.Buy a semi-furnished house from big developer and furnish it.
3.Get a local unregistered contractor to construct a house and furnish it.
4.Mr Biswas with inputs from the family could supervise the construction of a house back in Kerala by employing the best material, engineers, masons and labourers.

Question 4

Which option would ENSURE the best control of quality of construction for the Biswas’?

The first option would ensure the best quality.

The second option would ensure the best quality.

The third option would ensure the best quality.

The fourth option would ensure the best quality.

Any of the options will equally ensure the best quality.

Instructions

Question 5

Which of the following additional information, IF TRUE, would improve the chances of the third option being preferred?

Based on the current information, with no additional information, the third is the best option.

Among local property holders, the contractor in the third option enjoys a good reputation.

Big developers are less open to changes in design.

Mr Biswas cannot stay back alone to supervise the construction.

The Biswas’ want to select the furniture on their own.

Instructions

Question 6

The Kerala Government recently announced a policy: In case of major quality infringement, the builder will pay a penalty of 50% of the price of the house in addition to the price of the house, to the client within a year of notice.
Rank in ASCENDING order the options that would ensure “control of quality”.

1,2,3,4

2,3,4,1

3,1,2,4

4,3,1,2

4,1,2,3

Instructions

Girirajan an unemployed youngster from Kumbakonam, Tamilnadu, visited Singapore where his school friend worked as software engineer. In Singapore, Girirajan realized that there were a lot of Tamils in “Little India” area. He soon assessed that there were very few restaurants serving authentic Tamil food and decided to set-up a restaurant “Giri’s” in “Little India” serving authentic Tamil food in traditional banana leaf. Customers loved the food. Very soon word spread about the good quality food served in the traditional way. Girirajan expanded operation recruiting 10 employees, all Tamils.

Six months later, Girirajan realized that a lot of Kannadiga and Telugu customers started visiting the restaurant along with their Tamil friends. One day, a Kannadiga customer looking for Devangere Benne Dosa suggested that it may not be a bad idea for Girirajan to serve Karnataka and Andhra cuisines along with Tamil.

With time, the popularity of the reastaurant kept soaring. As a result, a lot of Malays, Indonesians and Chinese started visiting the restaurant. His software engineer friend advised to cater to customers of all nationalities. Despite his desire to go grand, Girirajan realized he did not have enough money to get extra space anywhere in Singapore and banks were also reluctant to lend.

One day, while assessing the business, he realized that the restaurant had 90% occupancy rate during peak hours and 40% during the non-peak hours. Both figures were increasing with time.

Question 7

Which of the following options would be most suitable for the growth of the business?

Include Karnataka and Andhra cuisines in the menu.

Include Indonesian and Chinese in the menu.

Keep the focus on Tamil food only with an increased focus on quality improvement.

Expand to include either Karnataka and Andhra cuisines or Indonesian and Chinese cuisines.

Include Karnataka and Andhra cuisines as well as Indonesian and Chinese.

Instructions

One day, while assessing the business, he realized that the restaurant had 90% occupancy rate during peak hours and 40% during the non-peak hours. Both figures were increasing with time.

Question 8

Girirajan started analyzing his quarterly customer data to assess growth opportunities. He discovered that 20% of his customers are Kannadigas and many of them were requesting for a few Karnataka dishes. He was not sure if it was a good idea to serve Karnataka food. He wanted to experiment before taking the final call. Which of the following options will be worth experimenting in the next fortnight?

Introduce a Karnataka food day every week to please the Kannadiga customers.

Recruit a few Kannadiga waiters to interact with Kannadiga customers.

Rename a few Tamil dishes as Karnataka dishes.

Serve Karnataka dishes as and when requested by customers without the menu displaying these dishes.

Add a few Karnataka dishes to the cuisine and display these in a separate menu.

Instructions

One day, while assessing the business, he realized that the restaurant had 90% occupancy rate during peak hours and 40% during the non-peak hours. Both figures were increasing with time.

Question 9

Giriraja experimented with Karnataka food for a fortnight. He collected sales data for Karnataka food along with the trend of overall sales for the last seven days. Which of the following datasets, IF TRUE, will give Girirajan greater confidence to continue serving Karnataka food? (Figures below represent Karnataka food sales as percentage of total sales.)

14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, with total sales trend increasing by 0.4%.

20, 20, 20, 20, 20, 20, 20, with total sales trend increasing by 0.4%.

50, 47, 44, 40, 47, 45, 40, with total sales trend remaining same.

45, 44, 43, 42, 41, 40, 39, with total sales trend remaining same.

20, 50, 10, 45, 43, 13, 36, with total sales trend coming down.

Instructions

A University coach was asked to select teams in three sports: Shooting, Cricket (batsmen only) and “Snakes & Ladder”. The honest and keen observer head boy of the school informed the coach that he had observed 100 students playing the three games - shooting, cricket and “Snakes & Ladder”. In shooting, all students were given 100 chances to hit a target. In cricket, a batsman faced a maximum of 100 balls, provided he DID NOT GET OUT. In “Snakes & Ladder”, every student could play 100 matches, one each with the other students and one against a computer. In shooting, a player got one point for hitting the target and zero point for missing the target. In cricket, a batsman got one point for hitting the ball and zero point for missing it. In “Snakes & Ladder”, a person got one point for winning the game and zero for losing. To the coach’s utter surprise, the distribution of points across all three games was the same. It was as follows:

The coach has to select a team of eleven in each sport.

Question 10

Which of the following options is the best way to select the “Snakes & Ladder” team?

The coach must select all students between 80 and 99.

The coach must select both the students between 90 and 99.

The coach must select at least 6 students between 40 and 59.

The coach must not select students between 0 and 9.

The coach can ignore the data in the table and randomly pick any 11 prayers.

Instructions

The coach has to select a team of eleven in each sport.

Question 11

Which of the following options is the best way of selecting the Shooting team?

The coach should select all students in 80-99 ranges.

The coach should select both the students in 90-99 range; others can be from any of the other ranges.

The coach should select at least 6 students between 40 and 49.

The coach should not select students between 40 and 89.

The coach can pick randomly any 11 players from any of the ranges.

Instructions

The coach has to select a team of eleven in each sport.

Question 12

Which of the following options is the correct statement for picking up the cricket team?

The coach should never select the player in the range of 0-9 points.

The coach should never select players from the range of 50-59.

The coach should never select players from the range of 70-79.

The coach should definitely select players only from the range of 80-99.

None of the above.

Instructions

A college campus with a population of around 2,000 of whom 200 were children, 1,200 people between 15 and 45 years, 500 people between 45 and 65 and around 100 people more than 65 years of age. The campus has two big gates opening out to the city. There are 400 cars and 500 motorbikes inside the campus. The residents relied on these vehicles to visit the city located 10 kilometres away.

Now, with land within the campus becoming scarce, the chief administrator (CA) found the growing demand for parking lot difficult to handle. The faculty, staff and students wanted increased parking space. In the past six years, the parking requirement on campus had doubled. The CA found it inappropriate to construct parking lots from the students’ fee, even though those with vehicles may not complain about it.

Besides creating parking problems, the CA felt that these vehicles added to the pollution and made residents less responsible toward each other. The risk to the children and the elderly because of over-speeding was menacing. Therefore, the CA wanted to reduce the number of vehicles in the campus. Many faculty members, students and staff members, however, felt that demand for more parking space was natural as vehicles were required to go to the market, railway station, airport, and inter-state bus terminal all located in the city. They also told the CA that the elderly, sick and the toddlers relied only on these vehicles.

After listening to all stakeholders, the CA wanted to solve these problems while ensuring the campus remained responsible and green.

Question 13

Which of the following actions would best satisfy all the stakeholders within the campus?

Levy extra fee on students to construct additional parking lots inside the campus. Students should pay for up-keep of the campus.

Let all vehicles be parked in a college-managed space outside the campus while two battery operated vehicles handle exigencies inside the campus.

Bring all stakeholders to the discussion table.

To reduce carbon footprints, only pooled vehicles should be allowed to operate inside the campus.

Charge significant fee from any vehicle entering or leaving the campus.

Instructions

After listening to all stakeholders, the CA wanted to solve these problems while ensuring the campus remained responsible and green.

Question 14

Which of the following would be the best option to increase revenue, decrease carbon footprint and still satisfy all the stakeholders in the campus?

Make substantial collection from vehicles entering or leaving campus and construct a parking lot outside the campus.

Levy extra fee on the students and build extra parking lots inside the campus.

Bring all stakeholders to table and let them build consensus.

To reduce the carbon footprint, only pooled vehicles be permitted on campus.

Let all vehicles be parked in a managed space outside the campus while battery operated vehicles parked at the two gates can be use inside the campus.

Instructions

Vimla is the domestic help for Shreya and her neighbour Padma; both live in a posh gated community. Vimla not only cleans the house, but also cooks for both the families. Shreya treasures Vimla ever since she joined her family four years ago. Vimla joined Padma’s household this year.

Question 15

One evening Shreya trying to pay the pizza delivery was surprised to find a few five hundred rupee notes missing from her purse that she was sure were there earlier. She wants to ascertain if someone has stolen the money. On reflecting, the following facts crossed her mind:

1.In the last one year, Shreya had noticed cash missing on three occasions.
2.Shreya’s husband also shared that a few notes were missing from his wallet, though he was not sure if they were stolen.
3.Her eldest son had been pestering Shreya for more pocket money for the last three weeks; in the last few days, he had stopped doing so.
4.In the last one year, Vimla had received six mails from her family asking for money.
5.Her eldest son’s expenditure had gone up in the last few days.

Which of the following combinations of the above statements would DECREASE the likelihood that Vimla has stolen the money?

1 and 3

1 and 4

1 and 5

2 and 4

3 and 5

Instructions

Question 16

Padma discovered some money missing from her purse. She suspects that Vimla has stolen it. She wants to prevent the stealing from happening again and is contemplating the following actions:

1.She should let it pass, since to err is human.
2.She should confront Vimla and tell her that she knows the truth and the act is unpardonable regardless of her past service and she is thinking of terminating her services.
3.She should tell Vimla that she is aware someone has stolen money from the house but is not sure who it is.
4.She should share with Vimla that neighbours think Vimla has stolen the money she doesn’t, but is interested in finding out the truth.
5.She should directly ask Vimla if she stole the money, promising her no punishment if she confesses.

Arrange the following combinations of the above actions in the DECREASING order of appropriateness.

1, 5, 4

2, 4, 1

2, 5, 4

3, 5, 4

5, 2, 4

Instructions

Shyam prepares and sells piping hot puri and sabji (gravy) from 7:00 am to 9:00 am (both inclusive) through a stall at XLRI campus. Presently, he has just a single oven, which can do only one job at a time. It takes 30 minutes to cook one handi (a large bowl) of sabji, sufficient for 12 customers. It takes him 10 minutes to prepare 2 plates of puri at a time. While the cost of a plate of puri-sabji is ₹ 10, the price is ₹ 25. Puri stays hot for only 5 minutes after preparation, while sabji stays hot for 30 minutes only. It takes 10 minutes to reheat the sabji which stays hot for another 30 minutes. If he brings a handi of hot sabji from home, the transport would cost him ₹ 50. It can also stay hot for 30 minutes excluding the transportation time. Currently, every 20 minutes five plates are ordered. All unsold quantities are distributed at cost after 9:30 am.

Question 17

Find the maximum number of plates of puri-sabji Shyam can sell in the first hour of business?

Video Solution

Instructions

Question 18

Shyam’s puri-sabji became famous. Now he gets 5 orders per 10 minutes and has invested in an additional oven. As he is working alone on both the ovens simultaneously, now in any one oven it takes him 45 minutes to cook one handi of sabji,15 minutes for 2 plates of puri and 15 minites to reheat the sabji. He can bring only one handi from home. What will be his maximum daily profit?

₹ 250

₹ 280

₹ 300

₹ 330

₹ 360

Video Solution

Instructions

Question 19

Shyam’s stall was becoming popular by the day. Now he gets 5 customers every 10 minutes. After buying a second oven, he employed a helping hand, Aman at ₹ 100 for two hours. Aman can cook one handi of sabji in 20 minutes or can prepare 3 plates of puri in 10 minutes. Reheat time for sabji is 10 minutes. None of them can work on both the ovens simultaneously.
Which of the following options will help Shyam maximize his daily profit, if he does NOT bring sabji from home?

Shyam should dismiss Aman because his wage are more than the benefits he brings.

Shyam will prepare only puri and Aman will prepare only sabji.

Shyam will prepare only sabji and Aman will prepare only puri.

Shyam and Aman will prepare both puri and sabji.

Options B, C and D will yield the same profit.

Video Solution

Instructions

A pastor had eaten at restaurant with his troup of ten and his family. It is a norm to tip the waiter and about 20% of a waiter’s salary comes from these tips. However, while paying the bill, the pastor crossed out the automatic 18% tip charged for parties of more than eight and wrote “I give God 10% why do you get 18%?” above his signature. The chagrined waitress at the restaurant posted a photo of this on the social media. She was subsequently fired for violating company’s policy on customer privacy.

This would have been understandable if the restaurant had not posted just 2 weeks ago a customer receipt that was complimenting them. Social media and social activists came heavily upon the management’s ambivalent stand and the firing of the waitress. In response, the company posted a note on their social media page defending their actions. This quickly drew over 10,000 comments, mostly negative, to which the management started responding by posting the same note over and over again. There were also accusations of the company deleting negative comments and blocking users. The restaurant also experienced a sizable drop in their footfall.

Question 20

Who/what is the main cause for the situation becoming unmanageable?

The pastor for flouting the norm of restaurant.

The waitress for violating customer privacy.

The management for not taking action against the pastor.

The management for giving out disproportionate punishment to waitress.

The management for removing negative comments from the social media.

Instructions

Question 21

The downward spiral continued for the restaurant as the management persisted in defending their actions and argued with those who criticised them. By the following week, the original post had generated over 18,000 negative comments.

Which of the following is the best way forward for the restaurant at this juncture?

Unconditionally restore the waitress to her former position and salary on the ground that she was never at fault in the first place.

Apologise to and reinstate the waitress and ask her to apologize for her breach of customer privacy and post both the apologies on social media.

Reinstate the waitress provided she apologises for her breach of customer privacy and post that apology on the restaurant’s social media page.

Reinstate the waitress if and only if she apologizes for her breach of customer privacy and posts that apology on her social media page.

Recruit two waitress at a higher wage but stick to the original decision of firing the waitress.

Instructions

Analyse the following caselet and answer the question that follow:

Purushottam Bhatnagar own and operates a sweetshop Puru and Sons. He is about 60 years old is eager to hand over the business to his sons Ratan and Pramod. He however, fears that his sons, fresh from college may not understand the tricks of the trade.

Question 1

Purushottam sends a batch of sweets to the police station across the street every day. Ratan construed it as a bribe and wanted to stop this practice.

Which of the following arguments, IF TRUE, would BEST convince Ratan NOT to given up this practice?

In the last three years, three attempts to burgle Puru and Sons were effectively foiled by the police.

Each policeman receives only two piece of sweet, too small to be considered a bribe.

The police in return send two policemen in mufti to mingle with the customers during rush hours to prevent pickpockets.

Every day, Purushottam also sends a batch of sweets to the school next to the station, an orphanage nearby and the temple at the end of the street.

Purushottam’s competitor Uttampurush who runs a sweetshop in the same street and his neighbour Mahapurush who runs a samosa stall, both do similar things every day.

Instructions

Question 2

Purushottam’s eldest son discovered that the shop repackaged sweets that were close to expiry and sold them at a discount under different names. These sweets usually get sold very fast. But his son was concerned about the possible consequences of this practice. Purushottam was thinking of the following arguments to convince his son.

1. These sweets are consumed the same day and therefore there is no cause for worry.
2. Reduced prices give enough indication about the sweets to the customers.
3. These products are preferred by those who cannot afford full price and in a way, this is a service done to them.
4. In the past 30 years not a single person has reported ill because of consumption of these sweets.
5. Repacking and selling sweets is a common practice.

Which combination of arguments below is MOST LIKELY to convince Ratan?

1 and 3

1 and 4

2 and 3

2 and 5

4 and 5

Instructions

Question 3

Purushottam’s younger son Pramod discovered that 10% of their customers whom Purushottam called privileged customers purchased sweets at prices fixed 10 years ago (which is significantly lower than the current prices). Purushottam told him, “This 10% are my core and loyal customers with whom I have personal connect and therefore they deserve this privilege”. Pramod refuted his father’s argument citing the following Information.

1. These customers are from the top 20% of the income bracket of the city.
2. These customers frequently purchase from other sweetshops at market prices.
3. None of them recognises and greets Purushottam at the shop or at anywhere else.
4. None of them was present at Pramod’s marriage.
5. These customers actually buy sweets at Puru and sons for others not part of the core and loyal customer group.

Which of the following combination of the above will MOST LIKELY convince Purushottam to charge market price to all?

1 and 2

2 and 4

2 and 5

3 and 4

4 and 5

Instructions

Analyse the following caselet and answer the questions that follow:

The City of Yashmund is served by licensed taxis operating on officially sanctioned metered rates and driven by licensed drivers who do not own the taxis but pay a monthly rent to the taxi-owners. Shailesh Nair, the mayor of Yashmund, perceived that most of these taxis do not offer sufficient comfort and safety to passengers.

Question 4

The Mayor wants the owners and drivers to care about comfort.
Which of the following decisions, IF TAKEN, is MOST LIKELY to increase the comfort levels of passengers?

The mayor issues a guideline that taxis will be randomly inspected by the police for the comfort level.

The mayor ensures banks grant drivers loans to own cars. Owner driven cars generally offer greater comfort.

The mayor introduces licensing of air-conditioned taxis which can charge increased rates to the rich customers.

The mayor introduces a feedback system that records passenger satisfaction with comfort levels; this will affect renewal of annual taxi license

The mayor permits doubling metered rates which will ensure enhanced income for owners to invest in greater comfort.

Instructions

Question 5

The mayor wants to involve the car owners in finding a solution to the problem of comfort and safety. He is concerned that the customers may not be willing to pay more for safety.

Which of the options below is MOST LIKELY to convince the owners?

The taxi owners who clear comfort-inspection can charge higher rentals from the drivers and drivers with impeccable safety record can charge the same from customers

The taxis that clear comfort-inspection can charge 25% above the metered rates; studies have shown that customers are willing to pay around 18% extra for comfort.

If a taxis owner has a consistent record of comfort and safety the government will subsidize a second loan.

Taxis can charge 25% more if they clear comfort-inspection. However, owners of the taxis found compromising on safety will be jailed.

Taxis that pass comfort-inspection test can charge 25% more. Should they violate any traffic rule this privilege would be withdrawn.

Instructions

Analyse the following caselet and answer the question that follow:

Nicky, Manoj and Benita are graduates from a top ranked B-school. They joined ABC corporation a year ago. ABC is known for its performance oriented culture. This is the first time the organization recruited from a top ranked B-school. They are part of a five member team with two others from lower ranked B-schools. Nicky, Manoj and Benita draw 40 percent higher salaries than other team members. This team reports to Amelia Ganeshmurthi, a senior Executive.

Question 6

Amelia is disappointed with the performance of Nicky, Manoj and Benita. She came to know that ABC was not their first choice and they had spent the first ten months applying to other organizations. However, they have now started liking ABC and promised to do their best henceforth. Amelia has to rate their annual performance and decide about their future. She has the following choices:
1. Fire them from ABC for insincerity and save the organization’s time and money.
2. Given them average ratings with a year to prove their worth and fire them from ABC if they fail to show significant progress.
3. Impose a pay-cut of 15% since they have not delivered on the promise, but give them relatively high ratings.
4. Given them relatively poor ratings with one year time to improve and fire them from ABC if they fail to show significant progress.
5. Give them high ratings and give them a second chance to prove their worth.

Which of the following options rank the above choices in the order of MOST APPROPRIATE to LEAST APPROPRIATE?

1, 2, 4

2, 1, 4

4, 2, 5

4, 3, 1

5, 2, 3

Video Solution

Instructions

Question 7

Recruiting Nicky, Manoj and Benita was part of a larger initiative to make the organization attractive to prospective employees. Recently Amelia’s boss informally told her that the trio’s perception of the organization might influence future recruitment from top B-schools. However, the trio had already expressed their unhappiness about the organization to Amelia. She suspected that her promotion due next year might depend on the trio!

Which of the following is the BEST way for Amelia to deal with this situation?

Henceforth, she should be lenient with the trio.

She should promise the trio an early promotion if they can help her recruit good talent from top B-schools.

Henceforth, she should occasionally invite the trio for dinner and informal outings.

She should tell her boss that it is unfair to link her promotion to the trio’s behaviour.

She should convey the trio’s unhappiness to her boss.

Video Solution

Instructions

Question 8

Nicky’s performance on the job is disappointing though she is considered a very helpful person outside the workplace helping her teammates and others in the organization with their personal needs e.g. finding a place to rent, a good place to get homely food etc. On the other hand, Manoj and Benita are performing well in their respective jobs and are perceived by their teammates as important to the team. But they are not interested in helping outside the workplace. Amelia has to decide the future of the trio. She has the following options:
1. Inform the higher authorities about Nicky’s poor performance and ask them to take a call.
2. Send Nicky for a one month training earmarked for top performing employees.
3. Serve Nicky an ultimatum to improve within the next six months or get fired.
4. Even though they performed well, give Manoj and Benita average ratings because of their disinterest in helping outside workplace.
5. Give Manoj and Benita high ratings based on their performance.

Which of the following combination of above options will be the MOST APPROPRIATE?

1 and 5

2 and 4

2 and 5

3 and 4

3 and 5

Video Solution

Instructions

Analyse the following caselet and answer the questions that follow:

Six people working at the Bengaluru office of Simsys are planning to buy flats at a real estate project at Whitefield. Their preferences are listed below:

They have identified 7 real estate projects with following facilities available (marked with √):

A person is ‘satisfied’ if a project meets all three preferences.

Question 9

Identify the project(s) where NONE of the 6 persons will be ‘satisfied’.

M only

N only

P only

N and P only

In all projects at least one person will be ‘satisfied’.

Instructions

They have identified 7 real estate projects with following facilities available (marked with √):

A person is ‘satisfied’ if a project meets all three preferences.

Question 10

Identify the project(s), where AT LEAST 3 of the persons will be ‘satisfied’.

M only

S only

Q and R only

M, Q and S only

M, Q and R only

Instructions

They have identified 7 real estate projects with following facilities available (marked with √):

A person is ‘satisfied’ if a project meets all three preferences.

Question 11

The marketing managers of all the six projects have agreed to add a recreation club and a car parking facility to the projects. In this changed scenario identify projects where AT MOST 2 of the 6 persons will NOT be ‘satisfied’.

N, Q and R only

P only

M and P only

N and P only

M, N and P only

Instructions

Analyse the following caselet and answer the question that follow:

Chatterjee, the MLA of Trikathapur, owes his election success to his close friend and businessman Ghosh. The victory had appeared unlikely for Chatterjee after the arrival of Bhowmick, a budding politician with hordes of money. However, his clean image along with Ghosh’s money ensured Chatterjee’s resounding victory.

Question 12

After the elections, Ghosh requested Chatterjee to sanction the land adjoining his factory, for expansion. However, the requested government land was a green belt reducing harmful pollution from the factory.

Which of the following is the BEST option for Chatterjee in these circumstances?

Chatterjee should approve the sale only after Ghosh plants a large number of trees around the factory and the city.

Chatterjee should oblige Ghosh provided he recruits 20 locals as his employees on condition that they plant and maintain a tree each in their locality.

As Ghosh is paying market rates Chatterjee should approve the sale with no rides.

Chatterjee should approve the sale and ensure that the green belt is shifted to a different tract of land outside the city, purchased from the proceeds of the sale.

Chatterjee should unconditionally approve the transfer of the land to Ghosh as a token of gratitude.

Video Solution

Instructions

Question 13

Inspired by Bhowmick’s manifesto, Chatterjee is contemplating a green policy which can adversely affect Ghosh’s business interest.

Which of the following actions from Ghosh is likely to convince Chatterjee NOT to pursue this policy?

Request Chatterjee to defer implementation of the green policy by 3 years, the time needed to make his factory green.

Remind Chatterjee that it is for his clean image that people voted him and not for Bhowmick’s green policy.

Warn Chatterjee that all industrialists will turn against him and despite his clean image he may be hated by the industry.

Appeal to Chatterjee’s sympathy citing the potential loss his business will suffer if the policy were to be implemented.

Threaten Chatterjee that he should not take his loyalty for granted as Bhowmick has invited him to join his party.

Video Solution

Instructions

Analyse the following caselet and answer the questions that follow:

Recently a private food testing agency reported the presence of a harmful chemical in Crunchy Chips, a product of a fast moving consumer goods giant. The report sparked a nationwide Outcry.

Question 14

Rajan Shekhawat, the CEO of the company, feared this incident might affect the company’s image among consumers. Rajan had the following options:
1. Apologizing publicly for this inconvenience and immediately withdrawing the products from all stores.
2. Communicate ‘the correct findings’ to the public.
3. Hire a reputed independent testing agency to verify the claims of the report.
4. Establish internal mechanisms to prevent repetition of such incidences in future.
5. Give higher incentives to distributors and retailers for selling the company brands.

Which of the following would be the MOST APPROPRIATE ORDER of options for Rajan, starting from the immediate?

3, 1, 5

3, 2, 4

1, 3, 5

1, 2, 5

5, 3, 2

Instructions

Question 15

Mukesh Routray, a shopkeeper in a remote village was surprised to read in the newspaper, his only source of information, about harmful chemicals in Crunchy Chips. He had stocked a large quantity of Crunchy Chips for the forthcoming festive season. He also realized that people in his village are completely unaware of this controversy. He had the following options:
1. Sell the entire stock at a discount before the news spreads.
2. Destroy the entire stock and advise customers not to buy this product from other shops as well.
3. Donate the entire stock of Crunchy Chips to a local orphanage.
4. Inform customers about the controversy but understate its seriousness.
5. Ignore the news and sell the stock at the forthcoming festive season as planned.
6. Explore the veracity of the report and then take decision

If arranged from ethical to unethical which of the following is DEFINITELY the WRONG order?

6, 5, 1

6, 1, 4

4, 5, 1

2, 4, 3

2, 4, 1

Instructions

Question 16

An independent and trustworthy confidante of Rajan Shekhawat, the CEO of the company, informed him that one of their main competitors had bribed the food testing agency to manipulate the report.

Which of the following actions will BEST help Crunchy Chips to bounce back?

Proclaim over the media that their product is completely safe.

Secretly hire a food testing agency to ascertain the quality of the competitor’s product.

Hire another food testing agency to test and communicate the outcome to the consumers.

File a defamation case against the competitor for their alleged involvement in the conspiracy

File a defamation case against the food testing agency.

Instructions

Analyse the following caselet and answer the questions that follow:

Kamal Chinnappa, Vimal Rao, Ganesh Krishnan and Dinesh Kumar own a saloon each on the Barbil street. They are the only hairdressers on that street. Each of them offered three services viz. haircut, shaving and hair-dye. One evening, all four of them met in a nearby tea-stall and agreed to charge Rs. 100 for any of the three services (haircut, shave and hair-dye) on weekdays. They also agreed to increase this rate to Rs. 115 on weekends and holidays. All verbally decided to implement the agreement.

Question 17

The following day Kamal, being the most competent hairdresser on the street, was contemplating charging higher than agreed upon price.

Which of the following would enable him to charge more with minimal violation of the agreement?

He should introduce a new and specialized service at Rs. 130.

He should open another shop on the same street and charge Rs. 150.

He should charge Rs. 130 for those wanting to jump the queue.

He should charge Rs. 115 for a service to a particular customer and give the next service free.

He should open his shop two hours before others and close it two hours after.

Instructions

Question 18

Vimal relies heavily on a bunch of loyal customers. He is concerned about retaining them.

Which of the following options should he choose if he does not want to violate the agreement?

He should charge differential rates for loyal customers.

He should charge the loyal customers lower.

He should make every third visit free for his loyal customers.

He should charge all the agreed upon price

He should allow his loyal customers to jump the queue.

Solution

The hairdressers have agreed on the prices. So, changing the price in any manner would be violation of the agreement. Thus, options A, B, C incorrect. Note that option C is making the price 0 which is also in violation of agreement.

In decision making questions, it is important to focus on the premise of the question. The central purpose of the shopkeeper is to avoid any violation of agreement while retaining his loyal customers. The option that fits both is the best fit.

In option D, he does not violate the agreement but he is not doing anything to retain the loyal customers.

Hence option E is the best fit among the given options where loyal customers are benefited while not violating the agreement.
It is entirely true that jumping queue is a moral quandary in itself but as per the central purpose of the author, option E is the lesser of the evils and logically coherent.
Hence, option E is the correct answer.

Instructions

Analyse the following caselet and answer the questions that follow:

Geetha Gawde can cultivate up to 6 crops a year. Crop A and B are ready for harvest in 2 months; crop C and D in 3 months, and crop E and F in 4 months. Crop A can be cultivated from January to June; crop B can be cultivated from April to September; crop C can be cultivated from May to December; crops D as well as E can be cultivated from August to December, and crop F from November to May. If Geetha plans a change of crop the soil should be left fallow for one month; however, if the same crop is sown no fallow time is needed. Sowing takes place only at the beginning of a month. Geetha can only harvest a maximum of 1000 units of any crop at any point in time. The production cost per unit (incurred at the time of sowing) and price per unit of crop are as follows:

For Geetha soil preparation does not incur any cost. If a crop is abandoned before the scheduled harvesting, she gets no money. Geetha is preparing a cropping schedule to maximize her annual profits (i.e. price – cost). She plans to replicate the schedule in the coming years.

Question 19

Which of the following would DEFINITELY be a part of the ideal schedule?

Cultivate crop B in August or September.

Cultivate crop B from April to September.

Do not cultivate any crop in August but cultivate crop D in September.

Cultivate crop D or crop E in August or September.

Do not cultivate any crop in August; but cultivate crop D or crop E in September.

Video Solution

Solution

As per the given conditions the following details have been mentioned .

Now Since for the months of January , February and March we have crop A for use .

So We select crop A for the months of January and February and earns a profit of USD 40000 . (1)

The author wants to replicate the same schedule for the upcoming years.

So If he wants to use Use crop A for the upcoming years in the month of January we must make sure that the month pf December must be left empty because we cannot use crop A in the month of November .

Considering crop A and crop B only they could be used from January to September . A period of 9 months . The reason for considering B is that it requires low time frame and relatively higher profits .

If we plan to use only A and B for the period of 9 months we are left with a period of 3 months and since we cannot sow a crop in the month of December and we are left with October and November .No crop can be completely harvested in the period of 2 months . Hence we must stop using A and B even before the month of September is reached.

While considering a set of crops the choice must be made on the basis of low time period and High Returns .

After February is complete we can extend the crop A once more or twice more which gives us returns of USD 80000 for the period of Jan to April or USD 120000 from Jan to June .

The other case leaves us with taking a gap of 1 month in the month of March and sowing B in April .

If B is sowed in April and May it would provide a return of USD(40000+ 50000) =USD 90000 . (2)

If B is sowed in 2 consecutive sessions of April, May and June, July we earn USD (40000 +100000) = USD 140000 . (3) .

Until the month of August the best choice is sowing A from Jan to Feb , Leaving the land empty for March and sowing crop B from April to July .

After July taking a gap of 1 more month to sow a different crop and make sure the crop is harvested in 3 months since

December cannot be used.

The best choice is to sow crop D which is harvested in three months September , October and November and generate a profit of USD 60000 .

The final result is as follows :

Instructions

Question 20

Which of the following schedules would maximize her annual profit while minimizing the costs, if Geetha decides NOT to repeat a crop in a calendar year?

Crops A, B and E

Crops B, D and F

Crops B, D, E and F

Crops C, D and F

Crops A, B, D or E