An aptitude test is a systematic means of testing a job candidate’s abilities to perform specific tasks and react to a range of different situations. It was first developed in the early 20th century to assess cognitive abilities. It is a high-level evaluation that is easy to standardize, making it one of the most popular screening methods in the world.
Aptitude tests have a wide range of applications, including recruitment, academic admissions, and career planning. Aptitude tests are a mandatory first round in most campus placements and corporate hiring processes, and there is a significant need for candidates to be skilled in solving these problems quickly and accurately.
Candidates looking for a job in any competitive industry should have a good grasp of quantitative, logical, and verbal reasoning concepts. In this guide, we will outline 55+ aptitude questions and answers for freshers and experienced candidates commonly asked in job interviews and screening tests. These questions cover concepts like percentages, number series, blood relations, and grammar.
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Quantitative Aptitude
1. What is the formula for Profit Percentage?
Profit Percentage is calculated based on the cost price (CP) and selling price (SP).
Profit % = ((SP – CP) / CP) * 100
2. How do you calculate Simple Interest (SI)?
Simple Interest is calculated using the principal amount (P), rate of interest (R), and time period (T).
SI = (P * R * T) / 100
3. What is the formula for Compound Interest (CI)?
Compound Interest is the interest on the principal plus the accumulated interest.
Amount = P * (1 + R/100)^T
CI = Amount – P
4. A man buys an item for Rs. 500 and sells it for Rs. 600. Find the profit percent.
First, find the profit: SP – CP = 600 – 500 = Rs. 100.
Then, apply the formula:
Profit % = (100 / 500) * 100 = 20%
5. How do you find the average of a set of numbers?
The average is the sum of all observations divided by the number of observations.
Average = (Sum of Observations) / (Number of Observations)
6. Find the average of the first 50 natural numbers.
Use the formula for the sum of the first ‘n’ natural numbers: Sum = n(n+1)/2.
Sum = 50(51)/2 = 1275.
Average = 1275 / 50 = 25.5.
7. What is the formula for Time, Speed, and Distance?
The fundamental relationship is:
Speed = Distance / Time
8. A car travels 300 km in 5 hours. What is its speed?
Using the formula:
Speed = 300 km / 5 hours = 60 km/hr.
9. If A can do a job in 10 days and B can do it in 15 days, how long will they take together?
A’s 1 day’s work = 1/10
B’s 1 day’s work = 1/15
Work done together in 1 day = 1/10 + 1/15 = (3+2)/30 = 5/30 = 1/6.
So, they will take 6 days to complete the work together.
Shortcut: (Product of days) / (Sum of days) = (10 * 15) / (10 + 15) = 150 / 25 = 6 days.
10. What is the rule for divisibility by 3?
A number is divisible by 3 if the sum of its digits is divisible by 3.
Example: 123 -> 1+2+3 = 6. Since 6 is divisible by 3, 123 is too.
11. What is the rule for divisibility by 9?
A number is divisible by 9 if the sum of its digits is divisible by 9.
12. How do you find the area of a circle?
The area of a circle is calculated using its radius (r).
Area = π * r²
13. A train 100m long is running at a speed of 30 km/hr. Find the time it takes to pass a man standing near the railway line.
First, convert speed to m/sec. Shortcut: km/hr * (5/18) = m/sec.
Speed = 30 * (5/18) = 25/3 m/sec.
Time = Distance/Speed = 100 / (25/3) = 12 seconds.
14. What is the probability of getting a head when a coin is tossed?
Probability = (Favorable Outcomes) / (Total Outcomes) = 1/2.
15. Two numbers are in the ratio 3:5. If their sum is 80, find the numbers.
Let the numbers be 3x and 5x.
3x + 5x = 80 => 8x = 80 => x = 10.
The numbers are 3*10=30 and 5*10=50.
16. What is n! (n factorial)?
It is the product of all positive integers up to n.
n! = n * (n-1) * (n-2) * … * 1
Example: 5! = 120
17. How many ways can the letters of the word ‘LEADER’ be arranged?
The word ‘LEADER’ has 6 letters. The letter ‘E’ is repeated 2 times.
The formula is n! / p! where n is the total number of letters and p is the number of times a letter is repeated.
Arrangements = 6! / 2! = 720 / 2 = 360.
18. What is the formula for the sum of the first ‘n’ natural numbers?
Sum = n(n+1) / 2
19. What is a prime number?
A prime number is a natural number greater than 1 that has no positive divisors other than 1 and itself. Examples: 2, 3, 5, 7, 11.
20. Find the HCF of 50 and 75.
Use the prime factorization method:
50 = 2 x 5 x 5
75 = 3 x 5 x 5
The common factors are 5 x 5. So, HCF = 25.
Logical Reasoning
21. Find the next number in the series: 2, 5, 10, 17, 26, ?
The pattern is n² + 1.
1²+1=2, 2²+1=5, 3²+1=10, 4²+1=17, 5²+1=26.
The next number is 6² + 1 = 37.
22. Find the missing term: A, C, F, J, O, ?
The gap between letters increases by 1 each time:
A (+2 letters) -> C (+3) -> F (+4) -> J (+5) -> O
The next gap is +6. O + 6 letters = U.
23. If ‘ROSE’ is coded as ‘TQUG’, how is ‘BLUE’ coded?
Each letter is shifted forward by a fixed number of places. R -> T is +2. O -> Q is +2.
Applying the same +2 logic to ‘BLUE’:
B+2=D, L+2=N, U+2=W, E+2=G. So, ‘DNWG’.
24. Pointing to a man, a woman said, “His mother is the only daughter of my mother.” How is the woman related to the man?
Break it down: “the only daughter of my mother” is the woman herself.
The sentence becomes: “His mother is me.”
So, the woman is the man’s mother.
25. A man walks 5 km East, then 5 km South. Where is he now from his starting point?
This forms a right-angled triangle. Use Pythagoras’ theorem: a² + b² = c².
Distance = √(5² + 5²) = √50 = 5√2 km.
The direction is South-East from the starting point.
26. In a row of 15 children, Rajan is 5th from the left. What is his position from the right?
Use the formula:
Position from right = (Total – Position from left) + 1
= (15 – 5) + 1 = 11th.
27. What day of the week was it on 15th August 1947?
This is found using the concept of “odd days” (days remaining after dividing by 7).
Years: Divide 1946 into 1600 + 300 + 46.
Odd days in 1600 years = 0.
Odd days in 300 years = 1.
Odd days in 46 years = 46 + 11 leap years = 57 days. 57 % 7 = 1 odd day.
Total odd days till 1946 = 0 + 1 + 1 = 2.
Months in 1947: Jan(3)+Feb(0)+Mar(3)+Apr(2)+May(3)+Jun(2)+Jul(3)+Aug(15) = 31 days. 31 % 7 = 3 odd days.
Total Odd Days: 2 + 3 = 5.
Day Mapping: 0=Sun, 1=Mon, …, 5=Friday.
So, it was a Friday.
28. At what time between 3 and 4 o’clock are the hands of a clock together?
The hands are together (0° angle) at M minutes past H o’clock.
Shortcut formula: M = (60/11) * H.
Here H=3. M = (60/11) * 3 = 180/11 = 16 and 4/11 minutes.
The time is 16 4/11 minutes past 3.
29. All pens are pencils. All pencils are books. What is the conclusion? (Syllogism)
This is a standard chain argument. If A -> B and B -> C, then A -> C.
So, the valid conclusion is: “All pens are books.”
30. Find the odd one out: Car, Bus, Scooter, Bicycle.
Bicycle. All others run on fuel, while a bicycle is man-powered.
31. What is the reflection of 09:30 in a mirror?
Shortcut: Subtract the time from 11:60.
11:60 – 09:30 = 02:30.
32. How many triangles are in a simple star shape (a pentagram)?
10 triangles. This can be found by counting the 5 small outer triangles and the 5 larger triangles that form the inner pentagon.
33. Which word does not belong: Inch, Centimeter, Yard, Ounce?
Ounce. It is a unit of weight; the others are units of length.
34. If A+B means A is the father of B, and A-B means A is the mother of B, what does P+Q-R mean?
P+Q means P is the father of Q.
Q-R means Q is the mother of R.
So, P is the father of R’s mother. Therefore, P is the maternal grandfather of R.
35. If today is Monday, what will be the day after 61 days?
Find the number of odd days. 61 mod 7 = 5.
The day will be Monday + 5 days = Saturday.
36. Find the next in the series: 1, 8, 27, 64, 125, ?
The series is the cube of natural numbers:
1³=1, 2³=8, 3³=27, 4³=64, 5³=125.
The next number is 6³ = 216.
Verbal Ability
37. What is a synonym for ‘ambiguous’?
Unclear, vague, or equivocal.
38. What is an antonym for ‘benevolent’?
Malevolent, unkind, or cruel.
39. Identify the error: “He is one of the best player in the world.”
The error is ‘player’. The rule is that “one of the” is always followed by a plural noun.
Correct: “He is one of the best players in the world.”
40. Complete the sentence: “He is senior ___ me.”
He is senior to me. (Words like senior, junior, prior, superior are followed by ‘to’, not ‘than’).
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41. What does the idiom “bite the bullet” mean?
To decide to do something difficult or unpleasant that one has been putting off.
42. Choose the correct word: The patient’s condition is (deteriorating/ameliorating) daily.
Deteriorating (which means worsening).
43. Find the correctly spelled word: Acomodation, Accommodation, Accomodation, Acommodation.
Accommodation (double ‘c’ and double ‘m’).
44. What is an analogy? Provide an example.
An analogy shows a relationship or comparison between two things. Example: Fish : Sea :: Camel : Desert. The relationship is ‘lives in’.
45. Rearrange the jumbled sentence: (P) for his team (Q) a great innings (R) the captain (S) played
The correct order is R-S-Q-P.
The captain (R) played (S) a great innings (Q) for his team (P).
46. What is a one-word substitute for “A person who can speak two languages”?
Bilingual.
47. Choose the correct article: “He is ___ honest man.”
He is an honest man. (The article ‘an’ is used before words that start with a vowel sound, even if the first letter is a consonant).
48. Complete the analogy: Doctor : Hospital :: Teacher : ?
School. (The relationship is ‘workplace’).
49. What is a homophone? Give an example.
Homophones are words that sound the same but have different meanings and spellings. Example: ‘to’, ‘too’, and ‘two’.
50. Identify the part of speech for the word ‘brave’ in “The brave soldier.”
Adjective (it describes the noun ‘soldier’).
51. What is the plural of ‘cactus’?
Cacti or cactuses.
52. He has been working here ___ 2015. (Fill in the blank)
since (used for a point in time).
53. What is the passive voice of “She writes a letter”?
“A letter is written by her.”
54. Find the odd one out: Walk, Run, Swim, Think.
Think. The others are physical activities.
55. Choose the correct sentence: “Me and my friend went to the park.” vs “My friend and I went to the park.”
“My friend and I went to the park.” is correct. The rule is to use the subject pronoun (‘I’) and to place yourself last (3rd person then 1st person).
Conclusion
Now that you have looked at the top 55+ aptitude questions and answers for interviews, you’re all ready for the screening round of any job interview. These aptitude questions are surely going to help you ace the first round. With a strong understanding of these fundamental concepts, these interview questions and answers will help you solve problems quickly and accurately.
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