CAT Questions | CAT Arithmetic Questions | Ratios, Mixtures and Averages

CAT Questions from Ratios and Proportions, Mixtures, Alligations and Averages are a part of CAT Arithmetic in the CAT Exam. They are regularly tested and have been constantly appearing in Quantitative Aptitude Section of CAT Exam. The concepts from Ratios and Proportions, Mixtures and Averages are particularly interesting as they are relatable and can be applied in real life scenarios. CAT exam does not only check for formulaic knowledge in this idea, but also for strong fundamentals and application of the concepts involved. One can usually expect 5~6 questions from these ideas in the CAT exam. Make use of 2IIMs Free CAT Questions, provided with detailed solutions and Video explanations to obtain a wonderful CAT score. If you would like to take these questions as a Quiz, head on here to take these questions in a test format, absolutely free.

  1. CAT Averages : Maximum value

    Consider a class of 40 students whose average weight is 40 kgs. m new students join this class whose average weight is n kgs. If it is known that m + n = 50, what is the maximum possible average weight of the class now?

    A. 40.18 kgs

    B. 40.56 kgs

    C. 40.67 kgs

    D. 40.49 kgs

    Correct Answer

    Choice B
    40.56 kgs



  2. CAT Averages : Maximum possible value

    The average score in an examination of 10 students of a class is 60. If the scores of the top five students are not considered, the average score of the remaining students falls by 5. The pass mark was 40 and the maximum mark was 100. It is also known that none of the students failed. If each of the top five scorers had distinct integral scores, the maximum possible score of the topper is......

    A. 99

    B. 100

    C. 87

    D. 95

    Correct Answer

    Choice A
    99



  3. CAT Ratios and Proportions - Number Systems

    The ratio of a two-digit natural number to a number formed by reversing its digits is 4 : 7. Which of the following is the sum of all the numbers of all such pairs?

    A. 99

    B. 198

    C. 330

    D. 132

    Correct Answer

    Choice C
    330



  4. CAT Mixtures and Alligation - Fun question

    Three friends A, B and C play a game in a pub. The rules are simple. Whenever there is a contest between any two of them, the one who has a higher percentage alcohol should pour 200 ml of his wine into the one having lower percentage alcohol. The game starts as a contest between A and B, then B and C and then C and A. Post this, the game continues in the same cycle on and on. If a player has emptied all his alcohol, then the remaining two play the game with the same rules. If two players have the alcohol of the same percentage level, the younger one pours 200 ml of his alcohol into the elder one’s glass. All three of them start the game with 600 ml of wine. A’s wine has 60% alcohol, B’s has 48% alcohol and C’s has 50% alcohol. They take 3 minutes to play one round of this game. D, a fourth friend leaves the pub immediately after the game begins, returns after an hour and drinks wine from the person who has the highest alcohol percentage. What is the concentration of the alcohol that D had?

    A. 51.5%

    B. 52.67%

    C. 53%

    D. Cannot be determined

    Correct Answer

    Choice B
    52.67%



  5. CAT Averages - Range

    5 Scores in a classroom are broken into 5 different ranges, 51-60, 61-70, 71-80, 81-90 and 91-100. The number of students who have scored in each range is given below.
    51 to 60 - 3 students, 61 to 70 - 8 students, 71 to 80 - 7 students, 81 to 90 - 4 students, 91 to 100 - 3 students.
    Furthermore, we know that the number of students who scored 76 or more is atleast one more than those who scored below 75. What is the minimum possible average overall of this class?

    A. 72

    B. 71.2

    C. 70.6

    D. 69.2

    Correct Answer

    Choice C
    70.6


  6. CAT Averages - Mean Median

    The median of n distinct numbers is greater than the average, does this mean that there are more terms above the average than below it?

    Correct Answer

    Can not be determined


  7. CAT Averages - Mean and Range

    In a class of 5 students, average weight of the 4 lightest students is 40 kgs, Average weight of the 4 heaviest students is 45 kgs. What is the difference between the the maximum and minimum possible average weight overall?

    A. 2.8 kgs

    B. 3.2 kgs

    C. 3 kgs

    D. 4 kgs

    Correct Answer

    Choice C
    3 kgs


  8. CAT Ratios - Linear Equations

    Janta Airline has a free luggage allowance for its passengers. If any passenger carries excess luggage, it is charged at a constant rate per kg. The total luggage charge paid by Ravind Jekriwal and Pranas Shubhan is Rs. 1100. If both Ravind and Pranas had carried luggage twice the weight than they actually did, their luggage charges would have been Rs. 2000 and Rs. 1000 respectively. What was the charge levied on Ravind’s luggage?

    A. Rs. 800

    B. Rs. 700

    C. Rs. 600

    D. Rs. 900

    Correct Answer

    Choice A
    Rs. 800


  9. CAT Mixtures and Alligations - Number Systems

    1 unit of x% alcohol is mixed with 3 units of y% alcohol to give 60% alcohol. If x > y, how many integer values can x take?

    A. 19

    B. 20

    C. 21

    D. 13

    Correct Answer

    Choice D
    13



  10. CAT Averages - Mean Median

    In a sequence of 25 terms, can 20 terms be below the average? Can 20 terms be between median and average?

    Correct Answer

    Yes & No



  11. CAT Averages - Sets of numbers

    From 10 numbers, a, b, c,...j, all sets of 4 numbers are chosen and their averages computed. Will the average of these averages be equal to the average of the 10 numbers?

    Correct Answer

    Yes



  12. CAT Mixture of two mixtures

    Class A has boys to girls in the ratio 2 : 3, Class B has girls to boys in the ratio 5 : 3. If the number of students in Class A is at least twice as many as the number of students in Class B, what is the minimum percentage of boys when both classes are considered together?

    A. 33.33%

    B. 40%

    C. 39.17%

    D. 37.5%

    Correct Answer

    Choice C
    39.17%



  13. CAT Averages - Mixtures

    One needs to recognize that averages and mixtures are effectively two sides of the same coin. This question is designed to drive home that point.

    Correct Answer

    Difference between average of class A and class C: 8.5



  14. CAT Averages - Sets of numbers

    Natural numbers 1 to 25 (both inclusive) are split into 5 groups of 5 numbers each. The medians of these 5 groups are A, B, C, D and E. If the average of these medians is m, what are the smallest and the largest values m can take?
    How many students have taken only one subject?

    Correct Answer

    Choice C
    9, 17



  15. CAT Mean and Range

    Consider 4 numbers a, b, c and d. Ram figures that the smallest average of some three of these four numbers is 30 and the largest average of some three of these 4 is 40. What is the range of values the average of all 4 numbers can take?
    What percent of students took English and Math but not Science?

    Correct Answer

    Choice B
    Range from 32.5 to 37.5



  16. CAT Mixtures - Alloys

    100 kgs of an alloy of tin and lead in the ratio 1:3 is mixed with x kgs of an alloy of tin and lead in the ratio 3:2. If the overall alloy should contain between 40% and 50% tin, what is the range of values x can take?

    A. 100 kgs ≤ x ≤ 200 kgs

    B. 80 kgs ≤ x ≤ 240 kgs

    C. 110 kgs ≤ x ≤ 220 kgs

    D. 75 kgs ≤ x ≤ 250 kgs

    Correct Answer

    Choice D
    75 kgs ≤ x ≤ 250 kgs



  17. CAT Mean, median, maximum

    The average of 5 distinct positive integers if 33. What are the maximum and minimum possible values of the median of the 5 numbers if the average of the three largest numbers within this set is 39?

    Correct Answer

    23, 25, 38, 39, 40



  18. CAT Change in average

    Consider 5 distinct positive numbers a, b, c, d, and e. The average of these numbers is k. If we remove b from this set, the average drops to m (m is less than k). Average of c, b, d and e is K. We also know that c is less than d and e is less than k. The difference between c and b is equal to the difference between e and d. Average of a, b, c and e is greater than m. Write down a, d, c, d and e in ascending order.

    Correct Answer

    Ascending order should be e, c, a, d, b



  19. CAT Mean, Median, Maximum, Minimum

    Average of 6 distinct positive integers is 33. The median of the three largest numbers is 43. What is the difference between the highest and lowest possible median of the 6 numbers?

    Correct Answer

    Highest and lowest possible median is 38



  20. CAT Ratios of two mixtures

    In class A, the ratio of boys to girls is 2 : 3. In class B the ratio of boys to girls is 4 : 5. If the ratio of boys to girls in both classes put together is 3 : 4, what is the ratio of number of girls in class A to number of girls in class B?

    Correct Answer

    35



  21. CAT - Number of students

    A certain number of badges were distributed among a class of students. The student who got 1/6th of the total number of badges actually got 5 times the average number of badges the others got! How many students were there in the class?

    A. 30

    B. 26

    C. 11

    D. 31

    Correct Answer

    Choice B
    26



  22. CAT - Age of the twin children

    The average age of a couple was 24 years. After their 1st and 2nd children (twins) were born, the average age of the family became 13.5 years. The average age of the family just after 3rd child was born was 13.2 years. The average age of the family after 4th child was born was 16 years. The current average age of the family is 19 years. What is the current age of the twin children?

    A. 14 years

    B. 15 years

    C. 11 years

    D. 12 years

    Correct Answer

    Choice D
    12 years



  23. CAT - Minimum number of fruits

    A fruit seller has oranges, apples and guavas in the ratio 2:5:8. The number of apples is more than the number of oranges by a number that is a multiple of both 6 and 8. What is the minimum number of fruits in his shop?

    A. 240

    B. 360

    C. 120

    D. 90

    Correct Answer

    Choice C
    120



  24. CAT - Number of coins

    A, B and C have a few coins with them. 7 times the number of coins that A has is equal to 5 times the number of coins B has while 6 times the number of coins B has is equal to 11 times the number of coins C has. What is the minimum number of coins with A, B and C put together?

    A. 110

    B. 174

    C. 154

    D. 165

    Correct Answer

    Choice B
    174



  25. CAT Mixtures and Alligation

    6 kg of Rs 8/kg wheat is mixed with 3 kg of another type of wheat to get a mixture costing Rs 10/kg. Find the price of the costlier wheat.

    A. Rs 12/kg

    B. Rs 14/kg

    C. Rs 16/kg

    D. Rs 6/kg

    Correct Answer

    Choice B
    Rs 14/kg



  26. CAT Mixtures and Alligation

    3L of milk are drawn from a container containing 30L of milk. It is replaced by water and the process is repeated 2 times. What is the ratio of milk to water at the end?

    A.

    B.

    C.

    D.

    Correct Answer

    Choice C
    729271



  27. CAT Mixtures and Alligation

    40% of a club’s revenue comes from people of 25 years of age while 60% of its revenue comes from people of 35 years of age. If the club raises its fee by 20% for its 25 years old members and 30% for 35 years old members, what is the percentage increase in overall revenue of the club?

    A. 26%

    B. 25%

    C. 24%

    D. 23%

    Correct Answer

    Choice A
    26%



  28. CAT Mixtures and Alligation

    A mixture of 100 litres of spirit and alcohol contains 25% alcohol. How much more alcohol should be added to the mixture to increase the percentage of alcohol to 30% in the new mixture?

    A. 3.33 litres

    B. 4 litres

    C. 5.67 litres

    D. 7.14 litres

    Correct Answer

    Choice D
    7.14 litres



  29. CAT Mixtures and Alligation

    Ram borrows Rs 4000 on simple interest from Shyam for a period of 4 years. He borrows a portion of amount at 2% interest and the remaining at 5%. If the interest Shyam earns is Rs 480, How much money did Ram borrow at 2% interest rate?

    A.

    B.

    C. 3000

    D. 2000

    Correct Answer

    Choice A
    8003



  30. CAT Mixtures and Alligation

    A milkman purchases milk at Rs 20/litre and mixes 4 litres of water in it. By selling the resultant mixture at the rate of Rs 20/litre, he earns a profit of 40%. The amount of mixture he had with him to sell was:

    A. 10 litres

    B. 12 litres

    C. 14 litres

    D. 4 litres

    Correct Answer

    Choice C
    14 litres



  31. CAT Averages : Alligation

    What is the ratio in which water should be mixed with a coke concentrate costing Rs 15/litre to make a profit of 30% by selling the resultant drink at Rs 18/litre?

    A. 12 : 1

    B. 11 : 1

    C. 1 : 10

    D. 1 : 12

    Correct Answer

    Choice D
    1:12



  32. CAT Averages : Alligation

    A mixture of 40 litres of milk and water, contains 20% of water. How much water must be added to the above mixture to make the water 25% of the resultant mixture?

    A. 3 l

    B. 2.33 l

    C. 2.67 l

    D. 4 l

    Correct Answer

    Choice C
    2.67 l



  33. CAT Ratios - Alligation

    A man buys juice at Rs 10/litre and dilutes it with water. He sells the mixtures at the cost price and thus gains 11.11%. Find the quantity of water mixed by him in every litre of juice.

    A. 0.1 l

    B. 0.909 l

    C. 0.125 l

    D. 0.111 l

    Correct Answer

    Choice D
    0.111 l



  34. CAT Mixtures - Alligation

    Two tanks of similar volume are full of a mixture of oil and water. In the first, the ratio of oil and water is 5:8 and in the second, it is 7:19. If both these tanks are poured in a larger tank, what would be the resultant ratio of oil and water?

    A. 1 : 3

    B. 17 : 52

    C. 151 : 304

    D. 17 : 35

    Correct Answer

    Choice D
    17:35



  35. CAT Averages - Alligation

    A vessel is full of a mixture of methanol and ethanol in which there is 20% ethanol. 10 litres of mixture are drawn off and filled with methanol. If the ethanol is now 15%, what is the capacity of the vessel?

    A. 40 l

    B. 30 l

    C. 50 l

    D. 36 l

    Correct Answer

    Choice A
    40 l



  36. CAT Alligation

    In Kaziranga national park, the residents are either Hippopotamus or Peacocks. When the heads are counted, it comes out to be 96 and when the legs are counted it is 336 in number. Find the number of peacocks in the park.

    A. 72

    B. 24

    C. 48

    D. 80

    Correct Answer

    Choice B
    24



  37. CAT Alligation

    What would be the ratio of milk and water in a final mixture formed by mixing milk and water that are present in three vessels of capacity 1l, 2l, and 3l respectively and in the ratios 5:1, 3:2 and 4:3 respectively?

    A. 747:443

    B. 787:1260

    C. 787:473

    D. 747:473

    Correct Answer

    Choice C
    787:473



  38. CAT Averages

    A group of 20 people has the oldest person with 90 years of age. The average of the group is reduced by 4, if the oldest person is reduced by someone new, Find the age of the new person.

    A. 80 years

    B. 60 years

    C. 30 years

    D. 10 years

    Correct Answer

    Choice D
    10 years



  39. CAT Averages

    Ram travels half of his journey by train at 80 kmph, half of the remaining with bus at 40 kmph and the rest with cycle at 20 kmph. Find his average speed during the entire journey.

    A. 33.33 kmph

    B. 40 kmph

    C. 50 kmph

    D. 45 kmph

    Correct Answer

    Choice B
    40 kmph



  40. CAT Averages

    Sambhunath had a great job in India but he went abroad to earn more money. He realized he had to make at least USD 6000/month in order to justify his foreign trip. He recorded an average of USD 5,500/ month for the first 11 months. What should be his earning on the last month in order for his foreign visit to make sense?

    A. 9500

    B. 11,500

    C. 11,000

    D. 10,500

    Correct Answer

    Choice B
    11,500



  41. CAT Averages

    A group of people decided to cut 128 trees in a certain number of days. For the first 4 days, they were able to achieve their planned per day target. However, for the remaining days, the group was able to cut 4 more trees daily than planned. In this way, the group had cut 164 trees one day before the planned finish date. What was the number of trees the group was planning to cut per day?

    A. 16

    B. 32

    C. 8

    D. 64

    Correct Answer

    Choice C
    8



  42. CAT Averages

    There are 500 rooms in a multi-floored hotel. However, due to a change in rule, the hotel has to decrease the number of floors by 5. However, the management is able to put 5 more rooms in each floor. Over all, the number of rooms in the hotel decreases by 10%. Find the number of floors and the number of rooms/floor the hotel originally had?

    A. 10 floors 50 rooms

    B. 20 floors 20 rooms

    C. 20 floors 25 rooms

    D. 50 floors 10 rooms

    Correct Answer

    Choice C
    20 floors 25 rooms



  43. CAT Averages

    For a global sports event, Nike has to make 810 pair of shoes while Adidas has to make 900 pair of shoes, in the same period of time. Nike could complete the order 3 days before the scheduled time while Adidas completed the order 3 days before Nike. How many pair of shoes did each make per day if Adidas made 21 more shoes per day than Nike?

    A. 44 and 65

    B. 21 and 42

    C. 34 and 55

    D. 54 and 75

    Correct Answer

    Choice D
    54 and 75



  44. CAT Averages

    In olympics, a game has 2 groups A and B having participants from 20 and 25 countries respectively having an average score of 20 and 25 respectively. Also,
    A: Highest score: 25 Lowest score: 15
    B: Highest score: 32 Lowest score: 24
    What can be the minimum and maximum value of B’s average if 5 teams are transferred from A to B?

    A. 25 and 25

    B. 22.5 and 25

    C. 23.33 and 26

    D. 23.33 and 25

    Correct Answer

    Choice D
    23.33 and 25



  45. CAT Averages

    In the previous question, what can be the minimum and maximum value of A’s average if 5 teams are transferred from B to A?

    A. 20.8 and 22.4

    B. 20.6 and 22.6

    C. 20.8 and 22.8

    D. 20.8 and 21.8

    Correct Answer

    Choice D
    20.8 and 21.8



  46. CAT Averages

    If the average of 9 consecutive number is T. How much will the average increase by if the next 3 consecutive numbers are also added?

    A. 3

    B. 1.5

    C. T

    D. Can’t be determined

    Correct Answer

    Choice B
    1.5



  47. CAT Averages

    If the product of n distinct positive integers is nn. What is the minimum value of their average if n = 6?

    A. 6

    B. 10

    C.

    D. 8

    Correct Answer

    Choice D
    8



  48. CAT Averages

    If M is a positive integer such that average of 31, 33, M, 36. 37 lies b/w 40 and 43 (both inclusive). What is the number of possible values of M?

    A. 16

    B. 20

    C. 24

    D. No such M exists

    Correct Answer

    Choice A
    16



  49. CAT Averages

    Average of ‘n’ number is t. One of the numbers ‘s’ is replaced by ‘z’ and the new average becomes u. What is the relation b/w n, t, s, u and z?

    A. =

    B. =

    C. =

    D. =

    Correct Answer

    Choice C
    (t-u)(s-z) = 1n



  50. CAT Averages

    Arun has 13 boxes of chocolates with him, with an average of 17 chocolates per box. If each box has at least 11 chocolates and no two boxes have equal number of chocolates, then what can be the maximum possible number of chocolates in any box?

    A. 23

    B. 25

    C. 29

    D. Cannot be determined

    Correct Answer

    Choice A
    23