Quantitative Aptitude: 10 Important Topics for Banking Prelims

Quant preparation becomes easier when chapters stop looking like unrelated formulas. Percentages help with profit and loss; ratios help with mixtures; averages help with Data Interpretation. Build those connections before trying to solve every question faster.

This is a preparation-priority list, not an official ranking of topic weightage. Check your target exam's current syllabus and scheme before choosing practice sets.

1. Number operations and simplification

Practise order of operations, fractions, decimals, powers and roots. Estimate before calculating to catch large errors. For example, 48 divided by 6 multiplied by 2 is 16: division and multiplication have equal priority and are evaluated left to right. Do not automatically multiply everything before dividing.

2. Percentages

Learn the base value in every statement. A price rises from 200 to 250: the rise is 50/200 multiplied by 100, or 25%. A fall from 250 to 200 is 50/250 multiplied by 100, or 20%. Reversing a change does not preserve the percentage.

3. Ratios and proportions

Translate a ratio into units before substituting numbers. If A:B = 3:5 and the total is 64, eight units equal 64. One unit is eight, so A = 24 and B = 40. A common error is dividing by one ratio term instead of the sum.

4. Averages

Average equals total divided by count. If five numbers have an average of 18, their total is 90. Adding 30 makes the new total 120 across six numbers, so the new average is 20. Track both the total and the count when a member joins or leaves.

5. Profit, loss and discount

Profit percentage normally uses cost price as its base; discount percentage uses marked price. If an item costs 800 and is sold for 920, profit is 120 and profit percentage is 15%. If its marked price was 1,000, the discount was 8%. Those are different questions about the same transaction.

6. Simple and compound interest

For simple interest, use principal multiplied by annual rate multiplied by time, with the percentage conversion. Compound interest applies the growth factor for each compounding period. At an assumed 10% compounded annually, 1,000 becomes 1,210 after two years; interest is 210. Check compounding frequency before choosing a formula.

7. Time, work and efficiency

Use a common work unit. If A completes a job in six days and B in three, choose total work as six units. A does one unit per day and B does two; together they finish in two days. Add work rates, not completion times.

8. Speed, time and distance

Keep units consistent. A distance of 150 km covered in three hours gives 50 km/h. To convert km/h to m/s, multiply by 5/18. For two equal distances travelled at different speeds, do not take the simple arithmetic mean of speeds; calculate total distance divided by total time.

9. Equations, quadratic comparisons and series

These are distinct skills, so practise them separately within your plan. An equation requires valid algebra; a comparison requires checking all relevant roots; a series requires a rule consistent with the terms. Do not decide a relationship from only the larger root of each quadratic.

10. Data Interpretation

Read the title, units, categories and footnotes before calculating. In a table where sales are shown in thousands, a value of 12 represents 12,000, not 12. If a question asks for the share of a category, identify the correct total before forming the fraction.

A useful study order

Use a small untimed set to establish understanding, then a short timed set to test execution. If you still cannot explain the setup, reducing the timer will usually add pressure rather than fix the concept.

Practice questions

These original practice questions are for learning; they are not claimed as previous-year exam questions.

Question 1

A quantity increases from 80 to 100. What is the percentage increase?

1. 20%
2. 25%
3. 30%
4. 40%

Answer: B. 25%. The increase is 20 on a base of 80: 20/80 x 100 = 25%.

Question 2

A:B = 2:3 and A+B = 75. Find A.

1. 25
2. 30
3. 35
4. 45

Answer: B. 30. Five units equal 75, so each unit is 15. A is two units, or 30.

Question 3

A finishes a job in 12 days and B in 6 days. How long together at constant rates?

1. 3 days
2. 4 days
3. 6 days
4. 9 days

Answer: B. 4 days. Their combined rate is 1/12 + 1/6 = 1/4 of the job per day.

Question 4

An item costs 400 and is sold at 15% profit. Find the selling price.

1. 415
2. 440
3. 460
4. 480

Answer: C. 460. Profit is 15% of 400 = 60. Selling price is 460.

Conclusion

Improve one relationship at a time and review why a wrong method failed. The best topic order is the one that builds foundations you can reuse, while your exam's official syllabus determines the final coverage.

Keep practising with PrepZen

Use PrepZen Quant practice to reinforce calculations and revisit mistakes after each study block. Get PrepZen on Google Play and use its learning and practice features alongside your study plan.