CAT Prep: Dig into information in LR questions to reach conclusion

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MBAUniverse.com News Desk |
July 25, 2013
The LR questions on arrangements require your rapt attention while going through given information in the questions.
The questions on arrangement may be framed to test the ability of the aspirant in arranging alternate shapes in accordance with the given information

Questions based on different types of arrangements call for specific skill to form various geometrical shapes e.g. triangular, rectangular, straight line, square etc. An aspirant shall be required to arrange the material objects, people, animals or abstract ones in any of the above referred or other shape. The questions may be framed to test the ability of the aspirant in arranging alternate shapes in accordance with the given information/data.

Important Guidelines for CAT aspirants to solve LR questions based on Arrangements

  1. Read the question attentively and carefully. Do not skip even a single word
  2. Imagine the situation and try to form a shape to incorporate the given information
  3. The information given in the question must be thoroughly understood and no assumptions other than the provided facts or information should be made
  4. Get the direct and indirect clues that could be used to quickly arrive at the correct answer option
  5. The words like ‘Whether’, ‘if’, ‘unless’, ‘always’, ‘usually’, ‘only’, ‘all’, ‘few’, ‘some’, ’other than’, ‘none’ etc. must be understood in their correct context, as they play a key role in arriving at the answer.
  6. Conclusion will either definitely follow the given information and will be a valid conclusion or it will not definitely follow the information and will be an invalid conclusion. It must be remembered.
  7. Check the answer options on the basis of the drawn figure and if it matches your answer, you are right, if not, you should go for elimination method.

 
Example question –(CAT-2008)
Study the information below and answer questions based on it.

(i)  There are three houses on each side of the road.
(ii)  These six houses are labeled as P, Q, R, S, T and U.
(iii) The houses are of different colours, namely, Red, Blue, Green, Orange, Yellow and White.
(iv) The houses are of different heights.
(v)  T, the tallest house, is exactly opposite to the Red coloured house.
(vi) The shortest house is exactly opposite to the Green coloured house.
(vii) U, the Orange coloured house, is located between P and S.
(viii) R, the Yellow coloured house, is exactly opposite to P.
(ix)  Q, the Green coloured house, is exactly opposite to U.
(x)  P, the White coloured house, is taller than R, but shorter than S and Q.

Question 1:  What is the colour of the house diagonally opposite to the Yellow coloured house?
(1) White
(2) Blue
(3) Green
(4) Red
(5) none of these

Question 2: Which is the second tallest house?
(1) P
(2) S
(3) Q
(4) R
(5) cannot be determined

Question 3: What is the colour of the tallest house?
(1) Red
(2) Blue
(3) Green
(4) Yellow
(5) none of these

How to analyse the given information

According to the given statements following information is available and can be drawn as follows

Category

Analysis-(1)

Analysis-(2)

Shortest

U  (Orange)

U (Orange)

Taller than U (5th)

R  (Yellow)

R (Yellow)

Taller than R (4th)

P  (white)

P (white)

Taller than P (3rd)

S  (Red)

Q(Green)

Taller than S(in A-1) and taller than Q (in A-2)

Q  (Green)

S (Red)

The Tallest (as given)

T (Blue)

T (Blue)

1. T is therefore opposite to S and the colour of S is Red, while colour of P is white, so colour of T is blue.
2. U will be the shortest house situated opposite the green coloured house Q
3. The order of the houses in ascending order is clear as per the table

Picking out the right answer options – Now, we have entire information in chronological order and can answer the questions as follows –
Answer to question-1 – S is diagonally opposite to R (the house with yellow colour) and the colour of S is Red, so option( 4)-Red is the correct answer.
Answer to question-2- Option-(5) –cannot be determined-should be the answer since either Q or S could be the 2nd tallest house.
Answer to question-3- Option-(2)-Since T is the tallest house which is situated opposite to S(the red coloured house and we have already determined the colours of all other houses except Blue) the colour of T is Blue(look at the table)
Author of this article Mr S K Agarwal is CAT Expert & seasoned CAT trainer with over 25 years of experience, & author of many CAT books. He also guides Verbal Ability and LR Section to CAT Aspirants through MBAUniverse.com online coaching classes. Visit the link below for more information and new batch schedules:

http://www.mbauniverse.com/mba-exam-preparation/CAT_Preparation/mba_preparation_package.php

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