Section 3:Past Years' Solved Questions from the IIFT
1.IIFT 2011
Directions for Questions 1 to 3:
Read the following instructions and answer the questions. After a discussion at a high level meeting of government officers, the criteria for issuing of import/export licence to eligible business firms for the year 2011-12 were finalised as follows. The firms must--
I. Have a Grade-A certified unit for any products.
II. Not have any legal dispute case against it.
III. Possess minimum assets worth '40 lakhs.
IV. Submit an environment clearance certificate issued by the Pollution Control Board (PCB) of
the state where the firm is located.
V. Deposit the margin money of ' 1 lakh.
VI. Arrange for three guarantors with their personal identity cards (IDs).
- Explanation :
Solutions for Questions 1 to 3:
In these questions, for each of the situations described you have to check which of the conditions given in the original description matches and which ones do not match before you make a decision on either issuing a license, rejecting the license demand referring to the Development Commissioner, Handloom or referring to the Director of Industry. Also it might benefit you in case you make a mental note in your mind to think of the option of referring to the Development Commissioner if and only if the firm is a "traditional handloom production unit" (of course the other condition being that the criteria of having a Grade A certified unit for any products (criteria I) is not met); Also make a mental note that referral to Director Industry can happen under two circumstances: (i) Being a local employment provider/thread supplier/cloth supplier but not having an environmental clearance from the Pollution Control Board; (ii) Not able to deposit the sum of ` 1 Lakh but being able to deposit at least ` 50000 (additional point here being that in this case the firm would be able to get only an import license). Based on the above structures and logical 'forks' set up in your mind you can then move onto the individual questions in the set. 1. The first sentence says that Mahalaxmi Weaving Center is a traditional handloom production unit. Once you read this, you should first look for whether it meets the "Grade A certification" criteria. As you read further you realise that it does not have a Grade A certification, as nothing is mentioned specifically about it. Thus, if it meets all the other criteria the case would need to be referred to the Development Commissioner, Handloom. Checking for theother conditions, you can clearly see that the other conditions from II to VI are being met. Thus, we refer the case to the Development Commissioner, Handloom and option (c) is the correct answer. - Explanation :
The first statement confirms that conditions II and III are met. The second statement confirms conditions V and VI, while the last statement about Ramayan Enterprise confirms that it meets conditions I and IV too. Since the firm meets all of the six conditions a license can be issued to the firm. Option (a) is the correct answer.
- Explanation :
For Hirabhai Handlooms, the moment you read the first statement (that it is a traditional Gujarati handloom firm) your immediate reaction should be to look for whether it also meets criteria I. If it does not meet that criteria but meets all other criteria we can conclude that the case may be referred to the Development Commissioner, Handloom.
On scanning the remaining language it can be seen that it does not have a Grade A certified unit for any product. However, if we check for the other conditions, it can be seen that it does not meet condition II as it is not explicitly stated that it does not have any legal dispute against it. Since the question explicitly asks us to decide on the basis of the information provided about the firm and not to assume anything, we should take a decision of not issuing a license to the firm. Option (b) is the correct answer
Ans .
(c) May be referred to the Development Commissioner, Handloom
Ans .
(a) Licence can be issued
Ans .
(b) Licence not to be issued
Directions for Questions 4 and 5:
Each of the questions below starts with a few statements, followed by four conclusions numbered 1, 2, 3 and 4. You have to consider every given statement as true, even if it does not conform to the accepted facts. Read the conclusions carefully and then decide which of the conclusion(s) logically follow(s) from the given statements, disregarding commonly known facts.- Explanation :
The initial thought for this question is based on the figure below (Note: For the figure below, the circles for boys shown as boys 1 and boys 2 represent two possibilities about how boys could be placed and differ from each other in the context of the relationship that is shared between observers and boys.)
At this stage if you try to visualise where the teachers circle would be represented in the figure above, you would be able to visualise at least 4 to 5 places where the teacher's circle could be drawn. Some of these are represented in the modified figure below. Note that the darker circles shown in the figure below are some of the possibilities where "Teachers" could be placed vis-a-vis scholars and observers.
In order to decide which conclusions are definitely true, you must think of the conclusions which you cannot negate, no matter where you draw the teacher's circle. Thus, for instance in this problem, it is clear that we cannot draw the teachers' circle in such a way that conclusion 1-some scholars are boys, is rejected (also realise that in order to reject 'some scholars are boys' you would need to have at least 1 feasible situation where no scholars are boys).
Thus, conclusion 1 is definitely true. Similarly conclusion 3 (some observers are boys) cannot be rejected because we cannot draw even a single figure where no observers are boys. Also understand here that conclusions 2 and 4 do get rejected and this can be seen on the basis of the following feasible diagram:Figure rejecting conclusion 4, i.e. some teachers are scholars, by showing that no teachers are scholars is a feasible possibility in this situation.
Similarly, the following possibility rejects conclusion 2-some scholars are not boys, by showing that it is possible that all scholars are boys.
- Explanation :
In this case, the solution figure is relatively less complex with a lower number of possibilities which you need to consider. The most logical figure in this case is as seen below-fixing the relationships between Teachers, Professors, Researchers and Consultants
Note here that the circles for any two consecutive variables could overlap each other in such a case as the relationship "All teachers are professors" essentially throws up two basic figures as shown below:
Based on this realisation, you can also visualise the other extreme for the problem solution figure, i.e. all the four circles overlap each other as shown below:
Or the following situation where three circles overlap each other as shown in the figure below where Professors, Researchers and Consultants overlap each other:
Based on these possible figures we can clearly see that none of the first three conclusions can be rejected. This is based on the following thought process:
Conclusion 1 is definitely true: We cannot reject 'Some consultants are teachers' as we cannot show 'No consultants are teachers'. Conclusion 2 is definitely true: We cannot reject 'All professors are consultants' as we cannot show 'Some professors are not consultants'. Conclusion 3 is also definitely true: We cannot reject 'Some researchers are teachers' as we cannot show 'No researchers are teachers'. Conclusion 4 is something that does not necessarily follow as we can clearly see in the figures above that while all professors are teachers is a possibility and would occur if the teacher and professor circles overlap each other, it is not something that is definitely true as we can clearly see that it is possible that some professors are not teachers as seen in the figure above where the four circles were different from each other.Thus, the correct answer should state: 1, 2 and 3 are true. However, this option does not exist in the options given and hence the correct answer is option (d), i.e. none of these.
Ans .
(a) (a) and (c) follow
Ans .
(d) None of the above
Directions for Questions 6 and 7:
Study the information given below carefully to answer the following questions. In a certain code language the following lines are written as: 'lop eop aop fop' means 'Traders are above laws'; 'fop cop bop gop' means 'Developers were above profitable'; 'aop bop uop qop' means 'Developers stopped following traders'; 'cop jop eop uop' means 'Following maps were laws'.- Explanation :
The following table can be drawn in order to get the information in place before we start drawing our conclusions:
Based on the information in the table above, we can make the following conclusions:
-
1. From Clues 1 and 3, we get that traders is the only common word between the two and
code 'aop' is the only common code between clues 1 and 3. Thus, traders = aop.
Using the same logic and combining 2 statements at a time the following additional
conclusions can be drawn:
2. Using clues 3 and 4 we get: following = uop
3. Using clues 1 and 2: above = fop
4. Using clues 1 and 4: laws = eop
5. Using clues 2 and 3: developers = bop
6. Using clues 2 and 4: were = cop
7. Using conclusions 1, 3 and 4 we get: are = lop
8. Using conclusions 3, 4 and 5 we get: profitable = gop
9. Using conclusions 1, 2 and 5 we get: stopped = qop
10. Using conclusions 1, 3 and 4 we get: maps = jop
Based on these conclusions we can now solve questions 6 and 7. For question 6 we have from the conclusions 5, 7, 2 and 4 that the codes used for the sentence "Developers are following laws" would be bop, lop, uop and eop. Option (b) matches this condition and hence is the correct answer
- Explanation :
For question 7 we have: qop = stopped gop = profitable cop = were and eop = laws and hence the statement would be "Profitable laws were stopped". Option (a) is the correct answer
Ans .
(b) 'lop bop eop uop'
Ans .
(a) Profitable laws were stopped
Directions for Questions 8 and 9:
In each of the following letter series, some of the letters are missing, which are given below it. Choose the correct alternative- Explanation :
Options (a) and (b) do not make any sense if they are put in the blanks of the series sequence: DEFFDEEFDDEFEDEDF using the option (a) shows no consistent pattern.
Similarly the sequence DEFFDEEFDDEFDDEFF got by using the option (b) also shows no consistent pattern and hence can be rejected.
The sequence formed using option (c) is: DEFFDEEFDDEFFDEEF. This sequence makes sense if you were to break the sequence into 3 terms at a time. You will get the sequence as: DEF - FDE - EFD - DEF - F-E - EFIn the above sequence it can be seen that there is always a sequential order in which the three letters appear and also the second group of 3 alphabets starts from the last letter of the first group of 3 alphabets. And this trend continues uninterrupted throughout the sequence. Hence, we can mark option (c) as the correct answer
- Explanation :
The first three options give the following sequences:
-
(1) AOPOPQOPQRRQPOQPOROO-Makes no sense as the letter A has no role to play in
the sequence.
(2) QOPOPQOPQORQPORPOROO-Again this sequence makes no sense as there is no
logical pattern that can be spotted, especially with the logic of introducing R midway in
the series. Also, no pattern can be spotted even on breaking the series into parts with 3, 4
or even 5 terms, 4 terms or even 5 terms in the series to break it into parts.
(3) QOPOPQOPQRRQPOOPOROO-Again, npoattern can be spotted as there is no logic
for the introduction of R midway through the series.
Thus, option (d) is correct.
Ans .
(c) EFFDFE
Ans .
(d) None of the above
Directions for Questions 10 and 11:
In each of the following questions, find the relationship that can definitely be deduced on the basis of the relations given. The symbols used to define the relationship are as follows: @ means 'greater than' # means 'less than' $ means 'not equal to' % means 'equal to'- Explanation :
The relationships are:
3M = 2N and N = 3O Æ 3M = 6O.Thus, 4M = 2O which is represented as 2O % M in option (c).
- Explanation :
The relationships given in the problem are:
(i) N > P, (ii) P < O, (iii) O > M and (iv) N = M. Combining (i) and (iv) we get:
N = M and hence both are greater than P. At this point if we use the third relationship which tells us that O is greater than M we get a combined relationship as: O > M = N > P.Option (a) is the correct answer as O @ N means O > N.
Ans .
(c) 2 O % M
Ans .
(a) O @ N
Directions for Questions 12 and 13:
In each question given below, a statement is followed by three courses of action numbered 1, 2 and 3. You have to assume everything in the statement to be true, and then decide which of the three suggested courses of action logically follow(s).- Explanation :
The first course of action follows because running an expanded public awareness programme on primary education is likely to have a positive impact on the way the parents are thinking about educating their children; and in the case of primary education the decision making essentially lies with the parents only as the child is too young to decide on his own. The second course of action also follows, as giving a compensation to those parents whose children are in school is likely to substantially mitigate the 'negative' financial effect that sending the children to school is likely to have on the family's immediate short term financial condition.
The third course of action is also a logical one to be followed as strengthening laws on universal education and implementing the ban on child labour more rigorously is likely to dissuade parents from sending their children to work at an age when they should be in school. Thus, all the three courses of action follow in this case and hence option (d) is the correct answer.
- Explanation :
In this case too all the three courses of action are logical and hence each of them should be implemented.
The first course of action is valid because widely publishing the forecast in the media is likely to inform the relevant stakeholders of the impending situation and help them take their own preventive steps well in advance. The second course of action too is logical as preparing the drought relief team and making it ready for relief work well in advance would improve the efficacy of the relief operations that they would be required to undertake in case the forecast comes true.The third course of action is also obviously valid as advising people to go for drought resistant varieties would help them mitigate the negative financial effects of a failed crop. If we check the options, none of the first three options gives us the option of selecting all courses of action. Thus, we select option (d) as the correct option.
Ans .
(d) All follow
Ans .
(d) None of the above
Directions for Questions 14 and 15:
Read the following information carefully to answer the questions given below it. Mr. Malhotra's family is a traditional joint family from Jalandhar with six persons from three generations. Each member of the family has different food preference and they support different sports/games. Only two couples are there in the family. Rakesh likes continental food and his wife neither likes dry fruits nor supports gymnastics. The person who likes egg supports Rugby and his wife likes traditional food. Mona is the mother-in-law of Sonalika and she supports Athletics. Varun is grandfather of Tarun and Tarun, who likes Punjabi food, supports Basketball. Nuri is the granddaughter of Mona and she supports Badminton. Nuri's mother supports horse riding.- Explanation :
The two married couples are Varun-Mona and Rakesh-Sonalika. Option (a) is correct
- Explanation :
Tarun likes Punjabi food and he supports Basketball. Option (d) is correct
Ans .
(a) Mona-Varun and Rakesh-Sonalika
Ans .
(d) None of the above
Directions for Questions 16 and 17
Read the following paragraph and the conditions following it to answer the questions. The Vice Chancellor of a University wants to select a team of five member organising committee for the next convocation of the University to be held in March 2012. The committee members are to be selected from five shortlisted professors (Prof. Ahuja, Prof. Banerjee, Prof. Chakravarty, Prof. Das and Prof. Equbal) and four short listed students (Prakash, Queen, Ravi and Sushil). Some conditions for selection of the committee members are given below:-
I. Prof. Ahuja and Sushil have to be together.
II. Prakash cannot be put with Ravi.
III. Prof. Das and Queen cannot go together.
IV. Prof. Chakravarty and Prof. Equbal have to be selected.
V. Ravi cannot be selected with Prof. Banerjee.
- Explanation :
Solutions for Questions 16 and 17:
This question can be classified under team formations and the basic process in order to solve such questions is essentially to make a mental note of all the constraints that the problem set places for the selection and then look at the individual questions in the set and try to check out which combination does not disobey any of the constraints of the selection situation. In this question, if we denote the professors as A, B, C, D and E while we denote the students as P, Q, R and S respectively we can note the constraints as follows: (a) A-S have to be together; (b) P-not with R; (c) D-not with Q; (d) C and E have to be part of the 5 member team irrespective of anything else; (5) R-not with B With these constraints in front of us we can move on to solve the question set: 16. If there are three professors and D is one of them, we also know that the other two must be C and E. Further if D is selected, then amongst the four students P, Q, R and S we cannot select Q (due to constraint 3 shown above). This leaves us with only P, R and S for selection and two of them have to be selected as the question tells us that there are two students on the committee. Also from the first constraint A & S have to be together. Since, A is not selected amongst the three professors, S would also not be eligible for selection. Thus, the two students have to be P and R.The selection is C, E, D, P and R. Option (d) is the correct answer as none of the first three options gives us the C, E, D, P, R combination.
- Explanation :
If A and C are selected, E would also be selected (as both C and E are to be compulsorily taken). Taking A would mean also taking S. Each of the first three options gets rejected for the people who cannot be selected because each of these contains E's name. Hence, option (d) is the correct answer
- Explanation :
The logic for EXAMINATION to be coded as 56149512965 is that each letter is represented by the sum of the digits of it's position in the English alphabet. Thus, X being the 24th letter is represented by 6, E being the 5th letter is represented by 5, A = 1, M is the 13th letter and hence gets represented by 4 and so on. Thus, GOVERNMENT would become:
G = 7; O Æ 15th letter = 6; V Æ 22nd letter = 4; E = 5; R Æ 18th letter = 9; N Æ 14th letter = 5; M Æ 13th letter = 4; E = 5; N = 5 and T = 2.
Thus GOVERNMENT = 7645954552. Option (a) is the correct answer - Explanation :
The logic for HORSE to be coded as 71417184 is that each letter is represented by a number which is 1 less than it's position in the English alphabet. Thus, H being the 8th letter is coded as 7, while O being the 15th letter is coded as 14 and so on.
MONKEY by the same logic would become: 12141310424. Option (b) is the correct answer.
Ans .
(d) None of the above
Ans .
(d) None of the above
Ans .
(a) 7645954552
Ans .
(b) 12141310424
Directions for Questions 20 and 21:
Read the following information carefully and mark the correct answer to the questions given below. Sampada Apartment is a housing society formed by a group of professors of a University. It has six flats on a floor in two rows facing North and South which are allotted to Prof. Purohit, Prof. Qureshi, Prof. Rathor, Prof. Sawant, Prof. Tripathy and Prof. Usman. Prof. Qureshi gets a North facing flat and it is not next to Prof. Sawant's flat. Prof. Sawant and Prof. Usman get their flats which are diagonally opposite to each other. Prof. Rathor gets a south facing flat which is next to Prof. Usman's flat. Prof. Tripathy's flat is North facing.- Explanation :
P, R and U get South facing flats as deduced above and hence, option (c) is the correct answer.
- Explanation :
From the final conclusions above, it is quite clear that there is no change in U's neighbour if P and T interchanged their flats. Option (a) is correct.
Ans .
(c) Prof. Usman, Prof. Rathor and Prof. Purohit
Ans .
(a) Prof. Rathor