Puzzle on Liner Equation - There are four groups of Mangoes, Apples and Bananas

Question:  There are four groups of Mangoes, Apples and Bananas as follows:
Group I : 1 Mango, 1 Apples and 1 Banana
Group II : 1 Mango, 5 Apples and 7 Bananas
Group III : 1 Mango, 7 Apples and 10 Bananas
Group IV : 9 Mango, 23 Apples and 30 Bananas

Group II costs Rs 300 and Group III costs Rs 390.

Can you tell how much does Group I and Group IV cost?

Answer:    Group I costs Rs 120 and Group IV costs Rs 1710

Solution: 

Assume that the values of one mango, one apple and one banana are M, A and B respectively. From Group II : M + 5A + 7B = 300 From Group III : M + 7A + 10B = 390 Subtracting above to equations : 2A + 3B = 90 For Group I : = M + A + B = (M + 5A + 7B) - (4A + 6B) = (M + 5A + 7B) - 2(2A + 3B) = 300 - 2(90) = 300 - 180 = 120 Similarly, for Group IV : = 9M + 23A + 30B = 9(M + 5A + 7B) - (22A + 33B) = 9(M + 5A + 7B) - 11(2A + 3B) = 9(300) - 11(90) = 2700 - 990 = 1710 Thus, Group I costs Rs 120 and Group IV costs Rs 1710.

Puzzle on Logical Reasoning - Five friends with surname Batliwala, Pocketwala, Talawala, Chunawala and Natakwala have their first name and middle name....

Question:  Five friends with surname Batliwala, Pocketwala, Talawala, Chunawala and Natakwala have their first name and middle name as follow.

Four of them have a first and middle name of Paresh.

Three of them have a first and middle name of Kamlesh.

Two of them have a first and middle name of Naresh.

One of them have a first and middle name of Elesh.

Pocketwala and Talawala, either both are named Kamlesh or neither is named Kamlesh.

Either Batliwala and Pocketwala both are named Naresh or Talawala and Chunawala both are named Naresh.

Chunawala and Natakwala are not both named Paresh.

Who is named Elesh?

Answer:    Pocketwala is named Elesh.

Solution: 

From (1) and (7), it is clear that Batliwala, Pocketwala and Talawala are named Paresh. From (6) and (5), if Pocketwala or Talawala both are named Kamlesh, then either of them will have three names i.e. Paresh, Kamlesh and Naresh. Hence, Pocketwala and Talawala both are not named Kamlesh. It means that Batliwala, Chunawala and Natakwala are named Kamlesh. Now it is clear that Talawala and Chunawala are named Naresh. Also, Pocketwala is named Elesh.

Tips to Write Best Statement of Purpose (SOP) for MBA Admission Interviews

The SOP is the first opportunity to talk directly to the admissions committee, to make you stand out from among a pool of similarly qualified candidates, to convince the committee that you have the spark, the thirst for knowledge that could add value to your class. SOP gives you a wonderful platform to highlight the best in you. When you apply, each of the parameters in the application viz., Letter of recommendations, extra-curricular achievements, and work profile - adds an extra dimension to your personality. But it is the SOP that brings your candidature to life – which is why each essay is read carefully by at least two and often four or five people before a decision is taken on your application.

Understanding SOP:

The Statement of Purpose is your personal statement about who you are, what has influenced your career path so far, what your professional interests are and where you plan to go from here. You are required to highlight your purpose of pursuing management career, reasons of choosing a particular institute you are applying to and skills that you have gained till date. A perfect combination of all these makes an ideal SOP.

How to write a SOP:

a)    Identify the objective: Usually the purpose is to persuade the admissions committee that you are an applicant they should choose. You may want to show that you have the ability and motivation to succeed in life or you may want to show the committee that you are the kind of candidate who will do well in the business management.

b)    Prepare a Structure: Right structure of the SOP will guide your thoughts through out the essay. It makes great sense to prepare a skeleton first and then add the flesh.

c)    Identify your achievements: While highlighting different skills, you should mention your achievements and describe how they have helped you in making the person you are.

d)    Identify the major setbacks in your professional life and the learning from them: Having some setbacks in careers in common, but what you learn from them and how you improve after that is more important.

e)    Make it Unique: The people who read your application have been doing so for years and are skilled at spotting fakes. Your SOP should reflect the real you – so do not borrow it from someone.

The Don’ts:

a)    Do not be verbose: Using jargons may make the panel read your SOP; but getting your ideas right is possibly more important and hence using the right words is crucial.

b)    Do not cross your word limit: If it’s, let’s say, 800 words, keep your SOP around 700 to 830 words.

c)    Do not over praise the institute: Highlight the advantages that the institute provides as compared to another institute of same standard but be sure when to stop.

d)    Do not try to pretend: Do not try to tell the admissions committee what you think they want to hear. Be honest, look inside yourself and do your best.

e)    Do not try to justify your under performances: Rather try to share the learning from your failures.

Preparing ten to twelve drafts over a period is common as writing your Statement of Purpose (SOP) is a long and intensive process. It is necessary to put in this hard work to come up with something that is uniquely yourself, and which convinces the admissions committee that you are right for their school. This is a great opportunity to look inside yourself and be rewarded by a better understanding of who you are and what you want.


By - Hitesh Devalia
Team Endeavor

The author is COO, Endeavor Careers Pvt. Ltd., and a versatile CAT/GMAT trainer.