SECTION – I

Number of Questions = 20

DIRECTIONS for Questions 1 to 3: Answer the questions on the basis of the information given below.

The following graph depicts the number of seats won by different political parties in India across four regions
North, West, South and East in the year 2007 against the respective amount of expenditure (in lakhs) allotted
to these parties. On the vertical axis, the number of seats won by any party in excess of 40 is indicated in the
brackets. However, for these observations the value in the horizontal axis is correctly depicted. No party other
than those mentioned here contested the elections.

(SJD - 70) (JNC - 60)

(JNC - 60) (CJP - 50)
40
JNC JNC DPI

30
CSP DPI(M) CJP CSP CJP (CSP) SJD TP
North
South
20
East
CJP TP OCP CSP DPI OCP
West

10
SJD DPI TP SJD DPI
TP DPI(M)

OCP DPI(M) (OCP) DPI(M)

10 20 30 40

Allotted expenditure (in lakhs)

1. Which of the following pairs of political parties won equal number of seats across the country?
(1) OCP, DPI (M) (2) CSP, DPI (3) DPI, TP
(4) CSP, SJD (5) CSP, TP

2. If the performance of a particular party is judged by the parameter ‘S’ where

Number ofseatswon by the party across the country
S= ,
Amountofexpenditure allotted to the party across the country then which of the following pairs of
party return the highest and the lowest value of ‘S’ in that order?
(1) JNC, OCP (2) CJP, DPI(M) (3) CJP, OCP
(4) JNC, DPI(M) (5) TP, SJD

Number ofseatswonbyallthepartiesinthatregion
3. If Return ratio = , then which region had the second
Allottedexpenditureinthatregion
highest return ratio?
(1) South (2) North (3) West (4) East (5) Both (2) and (3)

MBA
001 Test Prep 1
DIRECTIONS for Questions 4 to 6: Answer the questions on the basis of the information given below.

Several teams participated in a football tournament. No match played in the tournament was abandoned and
all the matches either resulted in a win/loss or a draw. The matches played in the tournament had one or the
other of the score lines (1 - 0), (2 - 1), (2 - 0), (3 - 1), (5 - 1), (4 - 1), (5 - 0), (0 - 0), (1 - 1), (2 - 2) and (3 - 3).
The following table provides information about the total number of goals in a match and correspondingly the
%age of matches in the tournament with the same number of goals. The number of matches that resulted in a
draw is 22 percentage points less than the percentage of matches that resulted in a win/loss.

Total number of goals in the match 1 2 3 4 5 6

Percentage of Matches in the tournament 5% 36% 18% 15% 8% 8%

4. Out of the matches in which a total of 2 goals were scored, what could be the minimum number of
wins/losses as a percentage of the total number of such matches?
200 166 80 175 50
(1) % (2) % (3) % (4) % (5) %
9 9 3 9 3

5. Let the total number of matches in the tournament be 200. No match in which 6 goals were scored
ended in a draw. Then the number of matches that resulted in a win/loss and a total of 2 goals does not
exceed
(1) 44 (2) 14 (3) 30 (4) 43 (5) 45

6. The total number of matches in which only one team scored goal(s) as a percentage of the total number
of matches played in the tournament cannot be more than
(1) 35% (2) 43% (3) 49% (4) 45% (5) None of these

DIRECTIONS for Questions 7 to 9:Answer the questions on the basis of the information given below.

The table given below provides information about the range of ages of residents residing in different houses
viz. H(1), H(2), H(3) and so on till H(10) in a particular residential colony. Assume that these are the only
10 houses in the residential colony.

Houses Range of the age of the residents Houses Range of the age of the residents
H (1) 2 - 22 H(6) 38 - 42
H (2) 22 - 26 H(7) 42 - 46
H (3) 26 - 30 H(8) 46 - 50
H (4) 30 - 34 H(9) 50 -54
H (5) 34 - 38 H(10) 54 - 85

7. A group of 10 residents is selected one from each house. The average age of this group is 30. If
Ramdhari, who belongs to this group leaves the group, then the average age of the remaining residents
reduces to 28.5. Later on, two residents from two different houses join this group, bring the average of
all back to 30. These two residents may belong to which of the following houses?
(1) H(2) and H(3) (2) H(5) and H(1) (3) H(2) and H(7)
(4) H(5) and H(3) (5) H(4) and H(7)

MBA
2 Test Prep 001
8. The average age of the 17 residents in the colony is 40. The ages of all the residents when arranged in
an ascending order forms an Arithmetic Progression. The residents in the 3rd, 7th , 9th , 11th and 15 th
positions are expelled from the colony. What is the average age of the remaining residents?
(1) 36 (2) 40 (3) 38 (4) 42 (5) Cannot be determined

9. A group of 10 residents is selected one from each house. The average age of this group is 30. If
Ramdhari, who belongs to this group leaves the group, then the average age of the remaining residents
reduces to 28.5. To which house does Ramdhari belong?
(1) H(2) (2) H(7) (3) H(3) (4) H(6) (5) H(8)

DIRECTIONS for Questions 10 to 13: Each question is followed by two statements, I and II. Answer each
question using the following instructions:
Mark (1) if the question can be answered by using the statement I alone but not by using the statement II
alone.
Mark (2) if the question can be answered by using the statement II alone but not by using the statement I
alone.
Mark (3) if the question can be answered by using either of the statements alone.
Mark (4) if the question can be answered by using both the statements together but not by either of the
statements alone.
Mark (5) if the question cannot be answered on the basis of the two statements.

10. Seema is the class-teacher of a class having 29 students. What is the weight of Seema?
I: Average weight of the class along with Seema is 30 kgs.
II: The average weight of all the students is an integer more than 25 and the weight of Seema is a prime
number.

11. What is the unit’s digit of a natural number N?

I: Unit’s digit of (N + 2)2 is 9.
II: Unit’s digit of ((N – 2)2 )2 is 1.

12. How many rupees does Amit have?

I: If Amit gives few rupees to Ramesh, Ramesh will have 24 rupees, exactly triple of what he had
initially.
II.IIf Amit gives 16 rupees to Ramesh, Ramesh will have exactly 1.5 times of what Amit initially had.

13. ABC is a triangle of integral sides. AD = 5 3 where D is any point on BC as shown in the figure. What
is the length of BC?

5 3

B C
D

I: AB is twice of BD and BD is half of BC.

II: AB.AC = 100

MBA
001 Test Prep 3
DIRECTIONS for Questions 14 to 16: Answer the questions on the basis of the information given below.

There are five friends viz. Dugati, Gandhi, Pikalu, Mishra and Ubuntu. Each of the mentioned persons has
passed out of one of the following universities - JNU, DU, PU, HCU or BHU and has installed a different
operating system(OS) out of Debian, Fedora, Novell, Redhat and Slackware, on their desktops. Each of the
mentioned persons stays in a different city out of Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai and Pune. It is also
known that Pikalu has installed Slackware and has neither passed out of DU nor out of HCU.

Additional information:
i. Dugati stays in Hyderabad.
ii. Ubuntu has installed Fedora and Mishra has passed out of DU.
iii. One who stays in Mumbai has passed out of PU.
iv. Gandhi, who has passed out of BHU, has not installed Redhat.
v. One who has passed out of JNU has installed Novell.

14. For how many of the mentioned persons, is it possible to determine the exact information about the city
in which they stayed, the university they passed out of and the OS they have installed?
(1) 3 (2) 0 (3) 1 (4) 2 (5) 5

15. How many of the following statements can be true?

A. Ubuntu stays in Bangalore, passed out of HCU and has installed Fedora.
B. Mishra stays in Kolkata, passed out of DU and has installed Debian.
C. Gandhi stays in Bangalore, passed out of BHU and has installed Novell.
D. Dugati stays in Hyderabad, passed out of HCU and has installed Redhat.
E. Mishra stays in Bangalore, passed out of DU and has installed Redhat.
(1) 2 (2) 3 (3) 1 (4) 0 (5) 4

16. Who stays in Mumbai ?

(1) Gandhi (2) Pikalu (3) Mishra (4) Ubuntu (5) Cannot be determined

MBA
4 Test Prep 001
DIRECTIONS for Questions 17 to 20: Answer the questions on the basis of the information given below.

The bar charts given below shows the details of the “Budgeted I-Tax” collections and the “Actual I-Tax”
collections of India in each of the years from 2004-05 to 2008-09. Bar Chart-I shows the details of the Total
I-Tax collections and bar chart-II shows the details of the Corporate I-Tax collections. There are only two
categories of taxpayers in India “Individual Taxpayers” and “Corporate Taxpayers”. All the figures are in Rs.
crores.
Total I-Tax collections Corporate I-Tax collections

800 730 715

700 600 560
600 540 500
520 500 425 430
500 405
400 345 335
395 400
300 307 340335

300 275 285 300 235 240

200 200
100 100
0 0
2004-05

2005-06

2006-07

2007-08

2008-09

2004-05

2005-06

2006-07

2007-08

2008-09
Chart I Chart II

Budgeted Actual

 Budgeted I-Tax Collections 

EfficacyRatio =  
 Actual I-Tax Collections 

17. If the absolute growth of Total I-Tax collections (Budgeted) in the year 2007-08 as compared to the
previous year had been the same as the growth of Total I-Tax collections (Actual) in the year 2008-09
as compared to the previous year, then the Individual I-Tax collections (Budgeted) (in Rs. crores) for
the year 2007-08 would have been (Assume all the other values remain the same)
(1) 135 (2) 145 (3) 120 (4) 115 (5) 125
18. For how many of the given years the Efficacy Ratio of at least two out of “Total I-Tax” collections,
“Corporate I-Tax” collections and “Individual I-Tax” collections is greater than 1?
(1) 0 (2) 1 (3) 2 (4) 3 (5) Data Insufficient
19. In which of the following years, for either of the Corporate I-Tax collections or the Total I-Tax collections,
the percentage growth of I-Tax over the previous year for both the Budgeted and the Actual is
approximately the same?
(1) 2005-06 (2) 2006-07 (3) 2007-08
(4) Both 2006-07 and 2007-08 (5) Both 2005-06 and 2007-08

20. Which of the following statements (is/are) true?

I. Percentage contribution of the corporate I-Tax (Actual) collections to the total I-Tax (Actual)
collections has decreased in the year 2008-09 in comparison to the year 2005-06.
II. Simple Annual growth rate of Actual I-Tax paid by the individual taxpayers for the period 2004-05
to 2008-09 is more than 90 percent
III. Efficacy ratio for the “Corporate I-Tax” collections is the highest in the year 2008-09.
(1) I (2) II (3) III (4) II and III (5) I, II and III

MBA
001 Test Prep 5
 SECTION – II

Number of Questions = 20

21. How many four-digit odd integers, greater than 3009 can be formed with the digits 0, 2, 3, 5 and 7, if
repetition of digits is not allowed?
(1) 36 (2) 32 (3) 72 (4) 54 (5) 120

22. A warfare designer has designed a (5 × 5) square grid consisting of 25 squares, each of them having the
same dimensions. He has to place six cannons in the square bunker such that there is atleast one cannon
in each row, no two of them are adjacent to each other in any column. No cannon can be placed in the
shaded region of the figure given below.

1 2 3 4 5
A
B
C
D
E
Fig 1

If due to some constraints, the warfare designer decides to place five cannons instead of six and if he
has already placed one cannon in the square A1 and the second in the square C3, then find the number
of ways in which he can place the remaining cannons.
(1) 12 (2) 8 (3) 20 (4) 32 (5) 16

23. What is the digit at the hundredths place of the number N = 4536 ?
(1) 1 (2) 0 (3) 6 (4) 5 (5) 7

24. The sum of coefficients of the terms which do not contain odd powers of ‘x’ in the expansion of
(x + y)100 + (x – y)100 is
(2100 – 1)
(1) 299 (2) 2100 (3) (2100 – 2) (4) (5) 0
2

25. After three successive changes (two increases and one decrease, not necessarily in that particular order),
 154 
the price of a watch became   of its initial price. If the percentage changes are P, 2P and 4P
 125 
respectively, then what is the value of 4P?
(1) 20 (2) 8 (3) 200 (4) 40 (5) Either (1) or (4)

26. ABC is an equilateral triangle and D is a point on the side BC. A perpendicular DE is drawn from D on
AC and another perpendicular EF is drawn from E on BC. The length of the side BC is 6 cm and the
ratio of the lengths of BD to BC is 1 : 3. Find the area (in square cm) of ∆EFC.
3 3 3 3
(1) 3 (2) (3) (4) 2 (5)
2 4 2

MBA
6 Test Prep 001
DIRECTIONS for Questions 27 and 28: Answer the questions on the basis of the information given below.

Consider a function f(x, n) such that f(x, n) = a(x – n)2 + b(x – n) + c where a, b and c are constants and ‘n’ is
a natural number. It is also given that the roots of the equation ax2 + bx + c = 0 are 2 and 3.

27. If a > 0, then the value of ‘x’ at which f(x, 10) attains its minimum value is
(1) – 25 (2) – 12.5 (3) 25 (4) 12.5 (5) Cannot be determined

28. What are the roots of the equation c(x – 100)2 + b(x – 100) + a = 0?
301 299
(1) 100.5and (2) 99.5and (3) 102 and 103
3 3
(4) – 98 and – 97 (5) Cannot be determined

29. Two circles each of radius ‘r’ units touch each other at the point C 1. With C 1 as the centre, another circle
of radius ‘r’ units, is drawn as shown in the figure given below. Find the area (in square units) of the
shaded region.

C1

 π  π
(1)  3 2 −  r 2
 2
(2)  2 −  r2
 3 ( )
(3) 3 3 − 4 πr2

 π  π
(4)  3 −  r 2 (5)  2 3 −  r 2
 3  2

DIRECTIONS for Questions 30 and 31: Answer the questions on the basis of the information given below.

On a large field, Q is a point to the north of P, R is a point to the east of Q and S is a point to the north of R. The
length of the line segments PQ and RS is 4 kms and 3 kms respectively. At time t = 0, two persons M and N are
at the point P. M and N start walking towards point S with same uniform speed at time t = 0 and t = 15 minutes
respectively. M follows the path PQRS and N follows the direct path PS. Given that both M and N reach point
S simultaneously and PS = 8.75 kms.

30. What is the speed at which M walks?

(1) 10 km/hr (2) 12 km/hr (3) 20 km/hr (4) 14 km/hr (5) 18 km/hr

31. What is the distance between M and N, at t = 30 minutes?

(1) 1 km (2) 3 kms (3) 2 kms (4) 1.5 kms (5) 2.5 kms

32. ‘y’ and ‘z’ are natural numbers and ‘x’ is a real number. Find the number of solutions of the equation
x 2 + y2 + z2 = 3125, if 50 ≤ y < 52 .
(1) 93 (2) 94 (3) 57 (4) 69 (5) 104

MBA
001 Test Prep 7
33. Which out of the following defines the relation between f(x) and g(x)?

f(x) g(x)

(0, k)

45°
x
x
(k, 0)

(1) f(x) = g(k + x) (2) g(x) = f(k + x) (3) g(x) = k – f(x)

(4) f(x) = – k + g(x) (5) g(x) = f(x) – k

34. In a triangle PQR, PQ = 12 cm and QR = 4 3cm. If the measure of ∠ PRQ = 60 °, then what is the ratio
of the inradius to the circumradius of the triangle PQR?
1 1 2 2 1
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5)
( 3+2 ) ( 6 +1 ) ( 3 +1 ) ( 3+2 ) ( 3 +1 )
35. If (2146!)10 = (x)26 , then what will be the number of consecutive zeroes at the end of ‘x’?
(1) (85)10 (2) (177)10 (3) (534)10 (4) (178)10 (5) None of these

DIRECTIONS for Questions 36 and 37: Answer the questions on the basis of the information given below.

120 students are arranged by two teachers Rajesh and Ramesh, in ‘x’ rows and ‘y’ columns such that each
row has the same number of students. Similarly, every column has same number of students. Each of the
students has 15 pencils initially. Every students gets extra pencils from Rajesh. If he is in the mth row, he gets
‘m’ pencils. There after each of the students gives away some pencils to Ramesh. If the student is in the nth
column, he gives away ‘n’ pencils. Finally the total number of pencils with the students is 16 times the total
number of students.

36. What is the value of ‘x’ ?

(1) 12 (2) 15 (3) 10 (4) 20 (5) 24

37. How many pencils did Ramesh distribute to the students?

(1) 780 (2) 680 (3) 640 (4) 760 (5) None of these

αx
38. If f(x) = x 3 − β x 2 – − γ can be factorised as (x − α )(x − β)(x − γ ) , then f(3) is equal to ( α, β and γ are
2
real numbers ≠ 0)
35 31 3
(1) 1 (2) 0 (3) (4) − (5)
4 2 4

MBA
8 Test Prep 001
39. A square ABCD is drawn with P,Q,R and S being the mid-point of sides AD, AB, BC and CD respectively.
A circular arc is drawn with P as a center and radius being greater than half of the side of the square,
passing through Q and S. The arc cuts the line PR at O. What is the measure of the ∠OSR ?
(1) 22.5º (2) 27.5º (3) 28.5º (4) 25º (5) 30º

3 4 5 6
40. Find the sum of the infinite number of terms of the series + + + + ....
4! 5! 6! 7!
1 1 1 1 2
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5)
3 6 4 5 13

MBA
001 Test Prep 9
 SECTION – III

Number of Questions = 35

DIRECTIONS for Questions 41 to 44: In each question, there are three to five sentences. Each sentence has
pair/s of words/phrases that are highlighted. From the highlighted words / phrase(s) select the most appropriate
word(s) / phrases to form correct sentences. Then from the options given choose the right sequence

41. The machine is made up of discrete(A)/discreet(B) parts.

Ramu is a voracious(A)/loquacious(B) reader and has read over 10,000 books.
My neighbour is such a fearsome(A)/fearful(B) man that none of us dare to open the door.
Shekhar Kapur has been approached(A)/broached(B) for writing the foreword(A)/forward(B) for the
book.
(1) ABAAA (2) BAAAA (3) AAAAA (4) AABAA (5) AABBA

42. The latter(A)/later(B) half of the movie was extremely gripping.

I wean(A)/ween(B) that she must have come from heaven.
The marketing manager was asked to garner(A)/gauge(B) key facts and figures from the dealers.
The river has been continuously(A)/continually (B) flowing since ages.
It is sad that he has become rather complacent(A)/complaisant(B) in his duties towards his office.
(1) ABAAA (2) AABBA (3) AAABA (4) AAAAA (5) BAAAA

43. The sledge(A)/hedge(B) was made up of bushes.

Nowadays it is very rare to find empathy(A)/sympathy(B) in bollywood actresses.
The climate is so salubrious(A)/lugubrious(B) that one feels like staying here forever.
After a visit to the church, Sudeep felt surged(A)/purged(B) of all his pent up emotions.
Looking at the dry spell in the past month, a short spell of rainfall seems imminent (A)/eminent(B).
(1) ABBAA (2) ABABA (3) BBABA (4) BBBBA (5) BAABA

44. Radha could no longer bear the banter(A)/saunter(B) of her mother-in-law.

The dog groaned(A)/growled(B) at the stranger forcing him to run.
This suite(A)/suit(B) has a gracious fall.
I will have to be very circumspect(A)/circumscribe(B) in editing this article as it has been written by a
novice.
Please do not offer unnecessary advise (A)/advice(B) to people.
(1) ABABB (2) ABAAB (3) BAAAB (4) ABABA (5) ABBAB

DIRECTIONS for Questions 45 to 48: In each of the following questions, there are sentences that form a
paragraph. Identify the sentence(s) or part(s) of sentences that is/are correct in terms of grammar and usage
(including spelling, punctuation and logical consistency.) Then, choose the most appropriate option.

45. A. Mediocrity acknowledges nothing above itself, while

B. talent, on the other hand, instantly recognises its kin.
C. What are we to think of he who claims talent
D. and still have nothing but scorn for
E. anybody but himself.
(1) A, B, C & E (2) A, B & C (3) A, B & E (4) A & B (5) A & E

MBA
10 Test Prep 001
46. A. The gratitude of every home in our Island
B. goes out to the British airmen who, undaunted by odds,
C. are turning the tide of the World War by their prowess
D. and by their exemplary courage.
E. Never has so many owed so much to so few.
(1) A, B, C, D & E (2) A, C, D & E (3) A, B, C & D
(4) A, B, C & E (5) A, B & E

47. A. Ram failed to understand what had come over his otherwise
B. very reasonable wife that she starts asking him to go after
C. some unknown animal that was apparently an illusion.
D. Moreover, it was getting dark and she clearly knew that darkness
E. is something that can cause one to lose one’s way.
(1) A ,C, D & E (2) B, C, D & E (3) A, C & D
(4) C & D (5) A, B, C & D

48. A. William should not have blown his top

B. as Tom was trying only to help him out.
C. What William construed as interference was, in fact, nothing else
D. but fondness, on Tom’s part, for a brother,
E. who life has been a bit unfair to.
(1) C, D & E (2) B, C, D & E (3) A, C & E
(4) A, C & D (5) A, C, D & E

DIRECTIONS for Questions 49 to 52: Each of the following questions has a sentence with two blanks.
Given below each question are five pairs of words. Choose the pair that best completes the sentence.

49. What Americans mostly remember about the 1970s are ________oil prices and lines at gas stations, but
there was also a severe global food crisis, which caused a lot of pain at the supermarket checkout line
and, much more important, helped cause _______famines in poorer countries.
(1) plummeting, morbid (2) soaring, devastating (3) precipitating, incisive
(4) stable, genocidal (5) towering, assuaging.

50. To many western officials, ________or unhappy by turns with various more colorful figures than
Khamenei, and casting around for the real center of power in Iran’s labyrinth of the democratic and the
deified, the system is equally _________.
(1) acerbic, appealing (2) dotty, abominating (3) enamoured, maddening
(4) enchanted, repulsive (5) disgusted, chaotic

51. As Christianity distanced itself from its origins as a Jewish sect, Christian thinkers found it
increasingly_____ to blame the Jews as a people for the arrest and execution of Christ, and to cast
Judas as the ________ Jew.
(1) cumbersome, holy (2) inopportune, traditional (3) difficult, shameful
(4) benedictory, loathsome (5) convenient, archetypal

52. The final assault came in 2001, when teams of hammer-wielding Taliban____ came to smash works of
art they deemed idolatrous; when they finished, more than 2,000 artifacts lay in _____.
(1) warriors, cinders (2) caliphs, tatters (3) apologists, frays
(4) zealots, smithereens (5) opponents, rust

MBA
001 Test Prep 11
DIRECTIONS for Questions 53 to 56: Read the arguments and answer the questions that follow.

53. Companies have been using the outsource model in order to lower production and service costs,
consequently, taking away jobs from their own countrymen. Market analysts observe that this trend is
vexing many employees and customers. Hence, they urge companies to minimize their outsourcing.
But, to receive tax exemption from the government, companies must have setup at least twenty
outsourcing units.

Assuming that the above argument is true, identify which of the following conclusions is supported by
the argument?

(1) Companies are unable to realize that many of their employees also form a part of their loyal customer
base.
(2) The government is eventually thinking about the benefit of the people and is justified in giving tax
exemption to companies that use the outsource model.
(3) Minimizing costs is the key to running a successful business which is what most people fail to see.
(4) The tax exemption rules of the government work against its own people by causing companies to
set outsource units.
(5) Businesses are all about making profits, eventually, they cause vexation to someone or the other.

54. It was co-incidental that two separate teams of scientists discovered the remains of tyrannosauruses on
two separate locations of the same island. The first team found that the tyrannosaurus, who was a
female, had developed wings; however, it was not possible for it to fly and support its weight during its
flight. The other team discovered that the tyrannosaurus, who was a male, had no traces of wings and its
structure was no different from what was already known to the scientists. Eventually, both the discoveries
made the scientists and island dwellers realize that the island contained many undiscovered treasures
and answers.

Assuming that the above argument is true, identify which of the following statements can be inferred
from the argument?

(1) There are certain islands where traces of dinosaurs and other ancient species can still be unearthed
and studied to fill in the gaps.
(2) The history of evolution provides ample evidence to justify the difference among the male and
female species of a race.
(3) It is possible that some female tyrannosauruses developed wings, but, whether this physical feature
was only specific to females is open to further discovery.
(4) The tyrannosaurus was the only species of dinosaurs that had wings but could not fly due to their
humungous bodyweight.
(5) Scientists are confident that they have already unearthed most of the information about this species
of dinosaurs and can make accurate guesses.

MBA
12 Test Prep 001
55. While analysing the progress of a group of dyslexic children, teachers observed that some children had
shown progress but others, who had joined the training programme at the same time, were still grappling
with the basics. Due to this, teachers were compelled to divide the group further in order to impart
different levels of training. While some children were upset because they had to lose their friends to the
other group, others were disturbed by these changes as, now, they had to team up with new partners.

Assuming that the above argument is true, identify which of the following statements can be concluded
from the above argument?

(1) Teachers do not realize that their actions have a greater impact on children.
(2) Dyslexic children are unable to cope with change in comparison to adults who respond to change
more positively.
(3) Response to training depends upon how positively the child reacts to the training programme and
how effectively it displays in his work.
(4) Some dyslexic children are averse to change because they also suffer from low self esteem and lack
social skills that could help make friends easily.
(5) The rate of progress within a group of dyslexic children can wary irrespective to similarity in training.

56. Psychologists believe that most people judge others just like they would judge a book by its cover and
in ninety percent of the cases most people are wrong. In fact, while judging someone on the basis of
their looks or by first impression, most people fail to realize that the other person could be nervous or
hesitant to open up. Most psychologists are of the view that adults are more afraid of being rejected or
disliked by others, especially housewives who have limited social interaction and are constantly judged
by their peers and in-laws.

Assuming that the above argument is true, identify which of the following statements considerably
strengthens the above argument?

(1) Psychologists explain that when people meet someone for the first time, they are more courteous
and careful so as to not judge the other instantly.
(2) People believe that it is only natural to judge someone on the basis of their looks because it is, after
all, extremely important to get others’ approval.
(3) Many times people are inclined towards judging others on the basis of first impression or physical
appearance because they are biased against people.
(4) Some people undermine physical appearance and believe that good looks are highly overrated.
(5) Psychologists are of the view that personality tests should also include questions based on physical
appearance as it reflects a person’s attitude.

MBA
001 Test Prep 13
DIRECTIONS for Questions 57 to 61: Each of the following questions has a paragraph from which the last
sentence has been deleted. From the given options, choose the one that completes the paragraph in the most
appropriate way.

57. By propounding “Darwinism,” even scientists and science writers perpetuate an impression that evolution
is about one man, one book, one “theory.” The ninth-century Buddhist master Lin Chi said, “If you
meet the Buddha on the road, kill him.” The point is that making a master teacher into a sacred fetish
misses the essence of his teaching. So let us now kill Darwin. That all life is related by common ancestry,
and that populations change form over time, are the broad strokes and fine brushwork of evolution. But
Darwin was late to the party. __________________________________
(1) All Darwin perceived was that selection must work in nature, too.
(2) Scientists often attribute the success of a phenomenon to an individual, thus mitigating the magnitude
of that particular discovery or innovation.
(3) That’s why Darwin must go.
(4) But there’s a limit to how much credit is reasonable.
(5) His grandfather, and others, believed new species evolved.

58. Politically, Sartre tended toward what the French call “libertarian socialism,” which is a kind of anarchism.
Ever distrustful of authority, which he considered “the Other in us,” his ideal was a society of voluntary
eye-level relations that he called “the city of ends.” One caught a glimpse of this in his description of
the forming group (le groupe en fusion) in the Critique. There each was “the same” as the others in
terms of practical concern. Each suspended his or her personal interests for the sake of the common
goal. ____________________________
(1) But that brief taste of genuine positive reciprocity was revelatory of what an authentic social existence
could be.
(2) No doubt these practices hardened into institutions and freedom was compromised once more in
bureaucratic machinery.
(3) Sartre was an advocate of Communist practices and his preachings always reflected an unequivocal
support of the Marxist philosophy.
(4) Each looked up to Che Guevara or Mao and practiced austerity.
(5) It follows that liberation from such violence will come only through the counter violence of revolution
and the advent of a “socialism of abundance”.

59. Bhaskar’s writing is not always very accessible, however. His dense use of technical terms along with
his own considerable vocabulary of neologisms and acronyms mean that his works need to be read at
a rather gradual pace in order to be absorbed. Hence Andrew Collier’s Critical Realism should play an
important role in popularising the work of Bhaskar to the wider audience it deserves. Though not aimed
at the complete philosophical novice, its style is very readable and enjoyable. In many respects Bhaskar
can be seen as a defendant of fairly orthodox Marxist views._______________________
(1) At the same time, his work is remarkably original.
(2) His neologisms do actually serve to illuminate new concepts rather than obscure old ones.
(3) Bhaskar has often been hailed as the harbinger of the Marxist philosophy.
(4) Bhaskar sees the events we observe are caused by a variety of mechanisms- physical, biological,
social etc.
(5) What makes it seem fresh is the insight and thoroughness of his analytical directions.

MBA
14 Test Prep 001
60. The most loyal booster of Kolkata would acknowledge that the city has had some genuinely trying
times in the 60 years since India became independent, starting well before the emergence of Mother
Teresa. The partition that accompanied independence meant that, without substantial help from the
central government, Kolkata had to absorb several million refugees from what became East Pakistan.
There were times in the 1970s and ’80s when it seemed Kolkata would never recover from the trauma
of those refugees, followed by another wave of refugees who came during the war that turned East
Pakistan into Bangladesh. Those were years marked by power outages and labor unrest and the flight of
industry and the breathtaking violence unleashed by the Naxalite movement, which began with peasants
demanding land redistribution in rural West Bengal and was transformed by college students into urban
guerrilla warfare._______________________________
(1) Kolkata, The capital of West Bengal and home of nearly 15 million people, is often mentioned as
the only city in the world that still has a large fleet of hand-pulled rickshaws.
(2) There are still a lot of people sleeping on the streets of Kolkata, but there have been great changes in
recent years.
(3) A politician in Kolkata states that the city is known for Marxism, mishti and Mother Teresa.
(4) In 1985 India’s own prime minister, then Rajiv Gandhi, called Kolkata “a dying city”.
(5) After decades of concentrating on its base among the rural poor and disdaining outside investment,
the Communist Party of West Bengal has fiercely embraced capitalism and modernity.

61. Lucid dreams occur when people realize that they are dreaming. This allows them to wake up in
dreams and guide the scenery, plot and characters in any way they wish. The quality of the senses are
improved so that the dream can be as authentic as real life. Sometimes lucid dreams are even more
vivid, because lucid dreamers are not restricted by the laws of physics. They can move through walls,
become invisible, zoom in on distant locations, teleport, and manipulate colors of the dream
world._________
(1) Lucid dreams are a much more effective way of receiving messages from the unconscious mind.
(2) An experienced lucid dreamer may have lucid dreams every night.
(3) They have the powers to influence the sub-conscious mind of anyone they may choose.
(4) They can even strike up a conversation with their unconscious mind in the form of a cat!
(5) They have the power to solve real-life problems, improve confidence and prophesize the future.

DIRECTIONS for Questions 62 to 75: The three passages given below are followed by a set of questions.
Choose the most appropriate answer to each question.

PASSAGE - I

Language in humans has evolved culturally rather than genetically, according to a study by the University
College London and US researchers. By modeling the ways in which genes for language might have evolved
alongside language itself, the study showed that genetic adaptation to language would be highly unlikely, as
cultural conventions change much more rapidly than genes. Thus, the biological machinery upon which
human language is built appears to predate the emergence of language. According to a phenomenon known
as the Baldwin effect, characteristics that are learned or developed over a lifespan may become gradually
encoded in the genome over many generations, because organisms with a stronger predisposition to acquire
a trait have a selective advantage. Over generations, the amount of environmental exposure required to develop
the trait decreases, and eventually no environmental exposure may be needed - the trait is genetically encoded.
An example of the Baldwin effect is the development of calluses on the keels and sterna of ostriches. The
calluses may initially have developed in response to abrasion where the keel and sterna touch the ground
during sitting. Natural selection then favored individuals that could develop calluses more rapidly, until callus
development became triggered within the embryo and could occur without environmental stimulation. The
PNAS paper explored circumstances under which a similar evolutionary mechanism could genetically assimilate

MBA
001 Test Prep 15
properties of language - a theory that has been widely favoured by those arguing for the existence of ‘language
genes’. The study modeled ways in which genes encoding language-specific properties could have coevolved
with language itself. The key finding was that genes for language could have coevolved only in a highly
stable linguistic environment; a rapidly changing linguistic environment would not provide a stable target for
natural selection. Thus, a biological endowment could not coevolve with properties of language that began as
learned cultural conventions, because cultural conventions change much more rapidly than genes.

The authors conclude that it is unlikely that humans possess a genetic ‘language module’ which has evolved
by natural selection. The genetic basis of human language appears to primarily predate the emergence of
language.

The conclusion is reinforced by the observation that had such adaptation occurred in the human lineage, these
processes would have operated independently on modern human populations as they spread throughout
Africa and the rest of the world over the last 100,000 years. If this were so, genetic populations should have
coevolved with their own language groups, leading to divergent and mutually incompatible language modules.
Linguists have found no evidence of this, however; for example, native Australasian populations have been
largely isolated for 50,000 years but learn European languages readily.

Professor Nick Chater, UCL Cognitive, Perceptual and Brain Sciences, says: “Language is uniquely human.
But does this uniqueness stem from biology or culture? This question is central to our understanding of what
it is to be human, and has fundamental implications for the relationship between genes and culture. Our paper
uncovers a paradox at the heart of theories about the evolutionary origin and genetic basis of human language
- although we appear to have a genetic predisposition towards language, human language has evolved far
more quickly than our genes could keep up with, suggesting that language is shaped and driven by culture
rather than biology.

“The linguistic environment is continually changing; indeed, linguistic change is vastly more rapid than
genetic change. For example, the entire Indo-European language group has diverged in less than 10,000
years. Our simulations show the evolutionary impact of such rapid linguistic change: genes cannot evolve fast
enough to keep up with this ‘moving target’.

62. According to the passage which of the following precedes emergence of languages?
(1) The genetic adaptation to languages. (2) The changing cultural adaptations.
(3) The life mechanism. (4) Cultural conventions.
(5) Gene modeling.

63. Which of the following can be used to equal the Baldwin effect theory as used by the author?
(1) A cat’s affinity for fish. (2) A snake’s hissing.
(3) The petering of the tailbone in humans. (4) A woodpecker’s nest in the trees.
(5) The bat’s blindness.

64. According to the passage, the reason for the negation of the gene theory vis-à-vis language rests upon:
(1) The lack of a stable linguistic environment. (2) The lack of a natural selection.
(3) An unsuitable biological endowment. (4) The presence of cultural conventions.
(5) An inappropriate linguistic environment.

65. Which of the following best summarizes the passage?

(1) Language is determined by biology. (2) Language is motivated by culture.
(3) Grammar evolved through culture. (4) Language is a result of genetic coding.
(5) Language is population specific.

PASSAGE - II
MBA
16 Test Prep 001
Skepticism quite properly forbids us to speculate beyond the content of our present experience and memory,
yet we find it entirely natural to believe much more than that. Hume held that these unjustifiable beliefs can be
explained by reference to custom or habit. That’s how we learn from experience. When I observe the constant
conjunction of events in my experience, I grow accustomed to associating them with each other.

Although many past cases of sunrise do not guarantee the future of nature, my experience of them does get
me used to the idea and produces in me an expectation that the sun will rise again tomorrow. I cannot prove
that it will, but I feel that it must.

Remember that the association of ideas is a powerful natural process in which separate ideas come to be
joined together in the mind. Of course they can be associated with each other by rational means, as they are in
the relations of ideas that constitute mathematical knowledge. But even where this is possible, Hume argued,
reason is a slow and inefficient guide, while the habits acquired by much repetition can produce a powerful
conviction independently of reason. Although the truth of “9 × 12 = 108” can be established rationally in
principle, most of us actually learned it by reciting our multiplication tables. In fact, what we call relative
probability is, on Hume’s view, nothing more than a measure of the strength of conviction produced in us by
our experience of regularity.

Our beliefs in matters of fact, then, arise from sentiment or feeling rather than from reason. For Hume, imagination
and belief differ only in the degree of conviction with which their objects are anticipated. Although this
positive answer may seem disappointing, Hume maintained that custom or habit is the great guide of life and
the foundation of all natural science.

According to Hume, our belief that events are causally related is a custom or habit acquired by experience:
having observed the regularity with which events of particular sorts occur together, we form the association of
ideas that produces the habit of expecting the effect whenever we experience the cause. But something is
missing from this account: we also believe that the cause somehow produces the effect. Even if this belief is
unjustifiable, Hume must offer some explanation for the fact that we do hold it. His technique was to search
for the original impression from which our idea of the necessary connection between cause and effect is
copied. The idea does not arise from our objective experience of the events themselves. All we observe is that
events of the “cause” type occur nearby and shortly before events of the “effect” type, and that this recurs
with a regularity that can be described as a “constant conjunction.” Although this pattern of experience does
encourage the formation of our habit of expecting the effect to follow the cause, it includes no impression of
a necessary connection.

Nor do we acquire this impression (as Locke had supposed) from our own capacity for voluntary motion.
Here the objective element of constant conjunction is rarely experienced, since the actions of our minds and
bodies do not invariably submit to our voluntary control. And even if volition did always produce the intended
movement, Hume argued, that would yield no notion of the connection between them. So there is no impression
of causal power here, either.

Still, we do have the idea of a necessary connection, and it must come from somewhere. For a (non-justificatory)
explanation, Hume refers us back to the formation of a custom or habit. Our (non-rational) expectation that
the effect will follow the cause is accompanied by a strong feeling of conviction, and it is the impression of
this feeling that is copied by our concept of a necessary connection between cause and effect. The force of
causal necessity is just the strength of our sentiment in anticipating efficacious outcomes.

66. According to Hume, the linking of an effect to a cause is based on all of the following except
(1) Our rational thinking. (2) Our expectation.
(3) Our feeling of conviction. (4) The initial impression that we carry
(5) Our sentiment.

MBA
001 Test Prep 17
67. What is the primary purpose of the passage?
(1) To highlight Hume’s theory of the predominance of custom or habit over reason in shaping beliefs
and ideas
(2) To demonstrate the preponderance of belief and reason over sentiments and superstitions
(3) To show the role of the constant conjunction in the formation of ideas about cause and effect
relations
(4) To discuss Hume’s theory regarding objective and subjective experience
(5) To differentiate between the role played by custom and habits in beliefs and imagination

68. Hume would agree with which of the following statements ?

(1) Association of ideas produces habit.
(2) Ideas cannot be associated by rational means.
(3) The self is immaterial in nature.
(4) Expectation of something leads to its experience.
(5) A cause cannot produce an effect.

69. The passage is most probably an extract from:

(1) A treatise on modern sociology
(2) A personal view on the formation of beliefs and ideas
(3) A novel from the Victorian period
(4) A book on the history of philosophy
(5) A work on existentialism

PASSAGE - III

Look around you. On the train platform, at the bus stop, in the car pool lane: these days someone there is
probably faking it, maintaining a job routine without having a job to go to. The Wall Street type in suspenders,
with his bulging briefcase; the woman in pearls, thumbing her BlackBerry; the builder in his work boots and
tool belt - they could all be headed for the same coffee shop, or bar, for the day.

“I have a new client, a laid-off lawyer, who’s commuting in every day - to his Starbucks,” said Robert C.
Chope, a professor of counseling at San Francisco State University and president of the employment division
of the American Counseling Association. “He gets dressed up, meets with colleagues, networks; he calls it his
Western White House. I have encouraged him to keep his routine.”

The fine art of keeping up appearances may seem shallow and deceitful, the very embodiment of denial. But
many psychologists beg to differ.

To the extent that it sustains good habits and reflects personal pride, they say, this kind of play-acting can be
an extremely effective social strategy, especially in uncertain times.

“If showing pride in these kinds of situations was always maladaptive, then why would people do it so often?”
said David DeSteno, a psychologist at Northeastern University in Boston. “But people do, of course, and we
are finding that pride is centrally important not just for surviving physical danger but for thriving in difficult
social circumstances, in ways that are not at all obvious.”

For most of its existence, the field of psychology ignored pride as a fundamental social emotion. It was
thought to be too marginal, too individually variable, compared with basic visceral expressions of fear, disgust,
sadness or joy. Moreover, it can mean different things in different cultures.

MBA
18 Test Prep 001
But recent research by Jessica L. Tracy of the University of British Columbia and Richard W. Robins of the
University of California, Davis, has shown that the expressions associated with pride in Western society -
most commonly a slight smile and head tilt, with hands on the hips or raised high - are nearly identical across
cultures. Children first experience pride about age 2 ½, studies suggest, and recognize it by age 4.

It’s not a simple matter of imitation, either. In a 2008 study, Dr. Tracy and David Matsumoto, a psychologist
at San Francisco State, analyzed spontaneous responses to winning or losing a judo match during the 2004
Olympic and Paralympic games. They found that expressions of pride after a victory were similar for athletes
from 37 nations, including for 53 blind competitors, many of them blind from birth. “It’s a self-conscious
emotion, reflecting how you feel about yourself, and it has this important social component,” Dr. Tracy said.
“It’s the strongest status signal we know of among the emotions; stronger than a happy expression, contentment,
anything.”

70. The passage mainly aims to:

(1) Defend pride in people. (2) Include pride as a positive sign.
(3) Bolster myths about pride. (4) Signal the onset of new challenges.
(5) Undermine the depression.

71. Why, according to the passage, has psychology ignored pride as a fundamental social emotion?
(1) Because it was culturally irrelevant. (2) Because it was too trivial and inconsistent.
(3) Because it not a basic threat. (4) Because it caused unhappiness.
(5) Because it caused differences in people.

72. The lines, “It’s not a simple matter of imitation, either” in the last paragraph connotes which of the
following?
(1) Pride is innate in children. (2) Pride has an unnatural onset.
(3) Pride is the fallout of the imagination. (4) Pride is only found in adults.
(5) Pride hampers growth in children.

73. The passage refers to the blind competitors to mainly highlight which of the following?
(1) The spontaneity of the reaction. (2) The strongest status signal in emotions.
(3) The universality of competitions. (4) The desire to succeed.
(5) The increase in blind competitors.

74. A suitable title for the passage will be:

(1) Pride before everything. (2) Pride hath a fall.
(3) Pride the new emotion. (4) When pride is all you have left.
(5) An about turn.

75. The word “maladaptive” in the passage means:

(1) Unable to adapt. (2) Failure to adapt to social conditions.
(3) Lack of adjustment. (4) Bad behaviour.
(5) Lack of regulation of performance.

MBA
001 Test Prep 19