Solve Number System Related Questions in CAT Exam

There is no examination that can be mentioned which does not have any question related to the number system in any way. This concept makes up the very basis of Mathematics. And, it is taught to the junior classes from the ground up. The same is true for the CAT examination. This concept as a whole is quite simple and understandable and is scoring in itself. The simple problems like factorization, divisibility and remainders cover very little time for us to reach a conclusion and are scoring.

How important is the number system in the CAT exam?

The concept of the number system covers a significant part of the quantitative analysis section of the CAT exam. The questions regarding this concept have always been of importance in the CAT exams and continue to be. The number system covers a lot of ground and hence the possibility of getting a question out of any portion of this concept is higher as well. Therefore, it is of much importance for aspirants to have a deep understanding of the matters that are related to the concept of the number system. 

The properties of numbers, HCF and LCM, factorization, divisibility and remainders make up a great part of this concept. And, most of the questions that are asked about this subject are among these few topics. Before gaining knowledge of these, it is a must for you to have a basic understanding of the number system. The difficulty level of the problems related to this concept also varies greatly. So, to have a better understanding of the topic, constant practising is necessary. 

Try to solve the problems that are related to a certain part of the topic. And after that keep on broadening your view of the topics that you are trying to cover. This is the best way to keep on working on difficult topics while practising what you have already understood. 

Practice questions for CAT Number System

• What will be the remainder of the problem: 237/3?
• What will be the remainder of the problem: 347/7?
• What are the factors of the number: 425?
• Give the sum of all the factors of the number: 775?
• What are the conditions for a number to be divisible by 6?
• When will a number be divisible by 3?
• What are the LCM and HCF of the numbers: 235 and 655?
• What is the relation for associativity of the expression: (2 × 3) + 5?

Solved examples of Number System questions for CAT

What is the remainder of the expression: 86/9?

86 can be written as (9 × 10) – 4

Hence, by the remainder theorem, the remainder can be given by the following method:

=9 – 4

=5

What is the remainder of the expression: 270/9?

The number 270 can be written as (9 × 30) + 0

Hence, the remainder of the given expression will be 0.

= 0

What are the factors of the number 40?

All the numbers that can divide the number 40 are as follows:

= 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 10, 20, and 40 are the only numbers that can divide 40. 

Therefore, these are the factors of the given number. 

What are the factors of the number 41?

The number 41 has only two factors; the universal factor and 41. This is seeing as 1 is the universal factor and every number is a factor of itself. 

What is the LCM of 180 and 24?

The given numbers can be written as:

180 can be given as 2 × 2 × 3 × 3 × 5, and

24 as 2 × 2 × 2 × 3

LCM will be given as:

= 2 × 2 × 2 × 3 × 3 × 5

= 360

What is the HCF of 180 and 24?

The given numbers can be written as:

180 is 2 × 2 × 3 × 3 × 5

24 is 2 × 2 × 2 × 3

HCF will be given as:

= 2 × 2 × 3

= 12

Conclusion

Many small and simple topics make up the very basis of the concept of the number system. These topics consist of divisibility, remainder, factorization, properties of numbers and LCM and HCF of the numbers. Besides these, a person must have a general understanding of the number system to be able to grasp this concept in a better way. Thoroughly, this can be said to be one of the easiest chapters in the CAT examinations. And, this has proven to be a good way to score higher in your CAT.