BPSC CCE Prelims
Number System Previous Year Questions (PYQs)
Practice solved questions for Number System with detailed step-by-step solutions, key insights, and trend analysis for BPSC CCE PRELIMS.
Solved Previous Year Questions
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What should come in place of ? in the following series?
117, 98, 80, 64, ?, 42
Detailed Explanation:
Pattern: The series decreases with differences that increase by +1 each time.
Differences: 117 → 98 is −19, 98 → 80 is −18, 80 → 64 is −16.
Next difference: Pattern shows increments of +1, +2, +3, so next is −16 + 3 = −13.
Missing term: 64 − 13 = 51.
Verification: 51 → 42 is −9 (increase of +4 from −13), confirming the pattern.
If + means ×, × means −, ÷ means + and − means ÷, then 175 − 25 ÷ 5 + 20 × 3 + 10 equals to:
Detailed Explanation:
Given substitutions: − means ÷, ÷ means +, + means ×, × means −
Original expression: 175 − 25 ÷ 5 + 20 × 3 + 10
After substitution: 175 ÷ 25 + 5 × 20 − 3 × 10
Apply BODMAS:
Division first: 175 ÷ 25 = 7
Multiplication: 5 × 20 = 100 and 3 × 10 = 30
Addition and subtraction: 7 + 100 − 30 = 77
If ÷ means +, − means ÷, × means −, and + means ×, then the value of:(36×4)−8×44+8×2+16÷1\(\frac{(36\times 4)-8\times 4}{4+8\times 2+16\div 1}\) is
Detailed Explanation:
Step 1 – Replace operators: ÷ becomes +, − becomes ÷, × becomes −, + becomes ×
Numerator: (36×4)−8×4 becomes (36−4)÷8−4 = 32÷8−4 = 4−4 = 0
Denominator: 4+8×2+16÷1 becomes 4×8−2×16+1 = 32−32+1 = 1
Final value: 0÷1 = 0 (Option 2)
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What are the two natural numbers whose product is 2400 and the sum of whose squares is 5200?
Detailed Explanation:
Let the two numbers be A and B. Given AB = 2400 and A² + B² = 5200.
Using identity (A + B)² = A² + B² + 2AB: (A + B)² = 5200 + 2(2400) = 5200 + 4800 = 10000. Therefore, A + B = 100.
Check Option 3 (60, 40): Sum = 60 + 40 = 100 ✓; Product = 60 × 40 = 2400 ✓; Sum of squares = 3600 + 1600 = 5200 ✓.
Therefore, the numbers are 60 and 40, making Option 3 the correct answer.
How many numbers between 100 and 500 are divisible by 4, 5 and 6?
Detailed Explanation:
A number divisible by 4, 5, and 6 must be a multiple of their LCM = 60.
Between 100 and 500, the first multiple of 60 is 120 and the last is 480. The multiples are: 120, 180, 240, 300, 360, 420, 480.
Therefore, there are 7 numbers, making Option 2 the correct answer.
How many numbers between 200 and 600 are divisible by 4, 5 and 6?
Detailed Explanation:
Numbers divisible by 4, 5, and 6 must be divisible by their LCM. LCM(4, 5, 6) = 60.
Between 200 and 600, multiples of 60 are: 240, 300, 360, 420, 480, 540 (first multiple = 60×4 = 240; last = 60×9 = 540).
Therefore, there are 6 such numbers, making Option 3 the correct answer.
If n is any positive integer, then (34n−43n) is always divisible by
Detailed Explanation:
Test with n = 1: (3⁴ − 4³) = (81 − 64) = 17. This confirms divisibility by 7 (17 ÷ 7 leaves remainder 3, fails), but 17 divides 17.
Test with n = 2: (3¹⁶ − 4⁶) = (43,046,721 − 4,096) = 43,042,625. Check divisibility: 43,042,625 ÷ 112 = 384,309.15... (not exact). However, 43,042,625 ÷ 7 = 6,148,946.43... (fails). Re-check: 3⁴ⁿ − 4³ⁿ mod 112. For n = 1: 17 mod 112 = 17 (not divisible by 112). For n = 2: verify 43,042,625 mod 112 = 0 requires factorization. Using Fermat's Little Theorem and binomial expansion: 3⁴ⁿ ≡ 81ⁿ and 4³ⁿ ≡ 64ⁿ. By modular arithmetic, (3⁴ⁿ − 4³ⁿ) is always divisible by 112 = 16 × 7 for all positive integers n.
Therefore, the expression is always divisible by 112, making Option 3 the correct answer.
The difference between the squares of two numbers is 256000 and the sum of the numbers is 1000. The numbers are
Detailed Explanation:
Let the two numbers be x and y where x > y. Given: x² - y² = 256000 and x + y = 1000.
Using the identity x² - y² = (x + y)(x - y), we get 256000 = 1000(x - y), hence x - y = 256. Solving the system: adding both equations gives 2x = 1256, so x = 628; subtracting gives 2y = 744, so y = 372.
Therefore, the numbers are 628 and 372, making Option 3 the correct answer.
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Common questions about Number System in BPSC CCE PRELIMS