CAT Past Year Question Paper Solution - 1998 | Additional Study Material for CAT PDF Download

 Page 1


Page 1
CAT 1998 Actual Paper
Scoring table
    Section
EU 1 to 50 50
QA + AR 51 to 95 45
RC 96 to 145 50
DI + DS 146 to 185 40
T otal 185
T otal
questions
T otal
attempted
T otal
correct
T otal
wrong
Net
Score
 Time
T aken
Question
number

	






1 d 2 b 3 c 4 a 5 a 6 b 7 d 8 b 9 d 10 c
11 a 12 b 13 b 14 a 15 c 16 b 17 d 18 b 19 c 20 c
21 b 22 a 23 b 24 c 25 a 26 b 27 a 28 a 29 d 30 b
31 b 32 b 33 d 34 b 35 d 36 a 37 b 38 b 39 a 40 c
41 a 42 c 43 b 44 a 45 b 46 a 47 c 48 d 49 d 50 a
51 b 52 c 53 c 54 b 55 a 56 c 57 c 58 a 59 b 60 b
61 c 62 b 63 d 64 a 65 d 66 a 67 a 68 c 69 b 70 a
71 c 72 c 73 a 74 b 75 a 76 c 77 d 78 a 79 b 80 d
81 c 82 b 83 d 84 a 85 a 86 b 87 b 88 c 89 a 90 c
91 c 92 b 93 c 94 c 95 a 96 b 97 c 98 b 99 c 100 a
101 c 102 d 103 b 104 b 105 a 106 d 107 d 108 a 109 c 110 b
111 b 112 a 113 c 114 a 115 d 116 b 117 c 118 b 119 b 120 a
121 a 122 d 123 c 124 b 125 c 126 b 127 b 128 a 129 b 130 c
131 b 132 a 133 b 134 d 135 c 136 c 137 b 138 a 139 a 140 b
141 c 142 a 143 b 144 a 145 a 146 a 147 c 148 c 149 c 150 b
151 d 152 b 153 d 154 b 155 a 156 b 157 a 158 b 159 a 160 a
161 b 162 d 163 b* 164 a 165 b 166 b 167 b 168 c 169 b 170 b
171 d 172 d 173 c 174 d 175 c 176 a 177 d 178 c 179 d 180 a
181 a 182 a 183 a 184 c 185 b
Page 2


Page 1
CAT 1998 Actual Paper
Scoring table
    Section
EU 1 to 50 50
QA + AR 51 to 95 45
RC 96 to 145 50
DI + DS 146 to 185 40
T otal 185
T otal
questions
T otal
attempted
T otal
correct
T otal
wrong
Net
Score
 Time
T aken
Question
number

	






1 d 2 b 3 c 4 a 5 a 6 b 7 d 8 b 9 d 10 c
11 a 12 b 13 b 14 a 15 c 16 b 17 d 18 b 19 c 20 c
21 b 22 a 23 b 24 c 25 a 26 b 27 a 28 a 29 d 30 b
31 b 32 b 33 d 34 b 35 d 36 a 37 b 38 b 39 a 40 c
41 a 42 c 43 b 44 a 45 b 46 a 47 c 48 d 49 d 50 a
51 b 52 c 53 c 54 b 55 a 56 c 57 c 58 a 59 b 60 b
61 c 62 b 63 d 64 a 65 d 66 a 67 a 68 c 69 b 70 a
71 c 72 c 73 a 74 b 75 a 76 c 77 d 78 a 79 b 80 d
81 c 82 b 83 d 84 a 85 a 86 b 87 b 88 c 89 a 90 c
91 c 92 b 93 c 94 c 95 a 96 b 97 c 98 b 99 c 100 a
101 c 102 d 103 b 104 b 105 a 106 d 107 d 108 a 109 c 110 b
111 b 112 a 113 c 114 a 115 d 116 b 117 c 118 b 119 b 120 a
121 a 122 d 123 c 124 b 125 c 126 b 127 b 128 a 129 b 130 c
131 b 132 a 133 b 134 d 135 c 136 c 137 b 138 a 139 a 140 b
141 c 142 a 143 b 144 a 145 a 146 a 147 c 148 c 149 c 150 b
151 d 152 b 153 d 154 b 155 a 156 b 157 a 158 b 159 a 160 a
161 b 162 d 163 b* 164 a 165 b 166 b 167 b 168 c 169 b 170 b
171 d 172 d 173 c 174 d 175 c 176 a 177 d 178 c 179 d 180 a
181 a 182 a 183 a 184 c 185 b
Page 2 CAT 1998 Actual Paper
1. d 'To forge' implies to create a lasting relationship based
on hard work. ‘forge ... links’ (smithy) makes better
engineering sense than ‘build links’ or ‘create links’.
‘Links’ also goes with the purpose - Aeroplanes.
2. b Bank deposits 'swelled' implies that they increased to
a great extent. The banking industry can flourish, not
the deposits. Bank deposits cannot be ‘enhanced’ or
‘flummoxed’.
3. c The original phrase is the best suited for the given
sentence. The ‘revival’ has taken place, hence (a) is
not true. (d) also cannot be true in light of the ‘revival’.
(c) is a more precise choice than (b).
4. a 'At will' fits here perfectly in contrast to 'freely'.
‘umbrage’ can be given without intention, so (b) is not
right. (d) does not make sense. ‘scolding’ happens
spontaneously most of the times, hence it is unlikely
that it involves a decision-making process.
5. a 'To write at random' is more concise than 'to write at a
random speed' and conveys the meaning perfectly.
‘writing without affectation’ in no sense means writing
‘fast’ or ‘with speed’. We choose (a) over (b) because
of the parallel construction with ‘write without
affectation’.
6. b 'Lukewarm' fits in the first blank, and in the second,
we need a verb. So 'electrifies' is the best suited of all
the given choices. ‘boiling’ and ‘fascinating’ cannot
grammatically fit the second blank. ‘almost’ and
‘genuinely’ are unlikely to go together.
7. d Social studies, science matters of health and safety
and the atmosphere of the classroom, help in formation
of proper emotional responses. Hence these can be
referred to as the ‘important areas’. ‘things’ is too vague
a word to fill the first blank. Emotional reactions cannot
be ‘inculcated’. Given ‘basis’ and ‘formation’, the second
word is more appropriate to fill in the second blank.
8. b 'Audilble' sounds as opposed to 'visual' symbols, fits
here. ‘without making intelligible sounds’ does not make
sense in the sentence. ‘aural’ and ‘vocal’ are technical
words that draw attention away from the crux of the
sentence i.e. one need not be heard all the time to gain
meaning.
9. d Learning is always more efficient when it is fun and
less efficient when it is a drudgery (boring). Learning
need not be efficient when it is fast or rapid, this may
lead to loss of retention. Never can learning be more
efficient when it is tedious.
10. c The rulers get too much power while those who are
ruled show passive obedience. (d) makes an
incomplete sentence with the second phrase. It is
unlikely that a crusade is pointless. (a) does not make
sense. (c) shows a proper parallel and logical
structure.
11. a (a) has is the only pair of words that fits in without
creating any contradictions. When it comes to
arithmetic, you can count the number of copy cats
(imitation). This inference does not come across in
choices (b), (c) and (d).
12. b The farmers are protesting and want their voice to be
heard. (a) and (d) do not fit into the semantic context
of the sentence. The farmers, by themselves, cannot
curb the prices, so (c) is not right.
13. b In terms of general rules, science as a news agency
is comparable to other news agencies. ‘principal’
means ‘chief’ and this is not the meaning that the
sentence is trying to convey, so (a) and (c) are wrong.
‘in spirit and form’ also sounds directionless, when
the sentence is saying that the underlying values are
the same.
14. a 'Actuated' means motivated. Leaders cannot be ‘led’.
One cannot categorise people ‘by’ desires. ‘convinced’
similarly sounds vague.
15. c 'Buy cheap and sell dear' is the only option that will,
without any doubt, lead to a commercial success. (d)
gives an unwarranted warning. (a) is not sound
commerce. (b) is needlessly verbose, as compared
to (c). (c) sounds like a formula, it is also the best
choice after the hyphen.
16. b After 1, (C) states a fact about salvation. (B) states
the Christian belief in that regard. (A) opposes it to
Buddhism, by using 'but'. (D) elaborates the fact.
17. d After the factors stated in 1, (A) states the relationship
between size of a state and development. (B) states
that the problems of agricultural sector will remain
with us in the next century. (C) emphasizes the need
to improve agriculture. (D) states that rural India has
to start moving, an idea that is continued in (6).
18. b (B) shows the relationship between a magazine and
its editor, ‘editors’ are referred to as ‘they’. (C) states
that the number of editors should be determined by
the contributions it gets. (D) continues with this fact.
(A) follows by using 'furthermore'.
19. c (B) follows (1) by using ‘especially’. (D) explains the
‘NRI phase'. (A) states that the East and the West
meet in the NRIs. (C) states a fact that has been
overlooked, and (6) tells us that the festival of feature
films and documentaries is trying to fill this gap.
20. c (C) gives a reason for a market for Indian art coming
into being. (B) states what simultaneously happened
in India. (A) states what happened as a fallout of the
festivals of India. (D) elaborates on it and leads to (6).
21. b (B) introduces a figure walking slowly, (A) describes
it. (D) states that Annete followed the figure with a
triumph of recognition, and (C) tells us the name of the
figure and states that 'she' followed him.
22. a (C) states that learning is important. (A) states that in
contrast today unlearning is the real challenge. (D)
followed by (B) states why unlearning is a real
challenge.
23. b (B) states that 'we' reached the field soaked. (D) states
that Claudius was standing there. (C) states the effect
of being wet on Claudius, and (A) elaborates on it.
Page 3


Page 1
CAT 1998 Actual Paper
Scoring table
    Section
EU 1 to 50 50
QA + AR 51 to 95 45
RC 96 to 145 50
DI + DS 146 to 185 40
T otal 185
T otal
questions
T otal
attempted
T otal
correct
T otal
wrong
Net
Score
 Time
T aken
Question
number

	






1 d 2 b 3 c 4 a 5 a 6 b 7 d 8 b 9 d 10 c
11 a 12 b 13 b 14 a 15 c 16 b 17 d 18 b 19 c 20 c
21 b 22 a 23 b 24 c 25 a 26 b 27 a 28 a 29 d 30 b
31 b 32 b 33 d 34 b 35 d 36 a 37 b 38 b 39 a 40 c
41 a 42 c 43 b 44 a 45 b 46 a 47 c 48 d 49 d 50 a
51 b 52 c 53 c 54 b 55 a 56 c 57 c 58 a 59 b 60 b
61 c 62 b 63 d 64 a 65 d 66 a 67 a 68 c 69 b 70 a
71 c 72 c 73 a 74 b 75 a 76 c 77 d 78 a 79 b 80 d
81 c 82 b 83 d 84 a 85 a 86 b 87 b 88 c 89 a 90 c
91 c 92 b 93 c 94 c 95 a 96 b 97 c 98 b 99 c 100 a
101 c 102 d 103 b 104 b 105 a 106 d 107 d 108 a 109 c 110 b
111 b 112 a 113 c 114 a 115 d 116 b 117 c 118 b 119 b 120 a
121 a 122 d 123 c 124 b 125 c 126 b 127 b 128 a 129 b 130 c
131 b 132 a 133 b 134 d 135 c 136 c 137 b 138 a 139 a 140 b
141 c 142 a 143 b 144 a 145 a 146 a 147 c 148 c 149 c 150 b
151 d 152 b 153 d 154 b 155 a 156 b 157 a 158 b 159 a 160 a
161 b 162 d 163 b* 164 a 165 b 166 b 167 b 168 c 169 b 170 b
171 d 172 d 173 c 174 d 175 c 176 a 177 d 178 c 179 d 180 a
181 a 182 a 183 a 184 c 185 b
Page 2 CAT 1998 Actual Paper
1. d 'To forge' implies to create a lasting relationship based
on hard work. ‘forge ... links’ (smithy) makes better
engineering sense than ‘build links’ or ‘create links’.
‘Links’ also goes with the purpose - Aeroplanes.
2. b Bank deposits 'swelled' implies that they increased to
a great extent. The banking industry can flourish, not
the deposits. Bank deposits cannot be ‘enhanced’ or
‘flummoxed’.
3. c The original phrase is the best suited for the given
sentence. The ‘revival’ has taken place, hence (a) is
not true. (d) also cannot be true in light of the ‘revival’.
(c) is a more precise choice than (b).
4. a 'At will' fits here perfectly in contrast to 'freely'.
‘umbrage’ can be given without intention, so (b) is not
right. (d) does not make sense. ‘scolding’ happens
spontaneously most of the times, hence it is unlikely
that it involves a decision-making process.
5. a 'To write at random' is more concise than 'to write at a
random speed' and conveys the meaning perfectly.
‘writing without affectation’ in no sense means writing
‘fast’ or ‘with speed’. We choose (a) over (b) because
of the parallel construction with ‘write without
affectation’.
6. b 'Lukewarm' fits in the first blank, and in the second,
we need a verb. So 'electrifies' is the best suited of all
the given choices. ‘boiling’ and ‘fascinating’ cannot
grammatically fit the second blank. ‘almost’ and
‘genuinely’ are unlikely to go together.
7. d Social studies, science matters of health and safety
and the atmosphere of the classroom, help in formation
of proper emotional responses. Hence these can be
referred to as the ‘important areas’. ‘things’ is too vague
a word to fill the first blank. Emotional reactions cannot
be ‘inculcated’. Given ‘basis’ and ‘formation’, the second
word is more appropriate to fill in the second blank.
8. b 'Audilble' sounds as opposed to 'visual' symbols, fits
here. ‘without making intelligible sounds’ does not make
sense in the sentence. ‘aural’ and ‘vocal’ are technical
words that draw attention away from the crux of the
sentence i.e. one need not be heard all the time to gain
meaning.
9. d Learning is always more efficient when it is fun and
less efficient when it is a drudgery (boring). Learning
need not be efficient when it is fast or rapid, this may
lead to loss of retention. Never can learning be more
efficient when it is tedious.
10. c The rulers get too much power while those who are
ruled show passive obedience. (d) makes an
incomplete sentence with the second phrase. It is
unlikely that a crusade is pointless. (a) does not make
sense. (c) shows a proper parallel and logical
structure.
11. a (a) has is the only pair of words that fits in without
creating any contradictions. When it comes to
arithmetic, you can count the number of copy cats
(imitation). This inference does not come across in
choices (b), (c) and (d).
12. b The farmers are protesting and want their voice to be
heard. (a) and (d) do not fit into the semantic context
of the sentence. The farmers, by themselves, cannot
curb the prices, so (c) is not right.
13. b In terms of general rules, science as a news agency
is comparable to other news agencies. ‘principal’
means ‘chief’ and this is not the meaning that the
sentence is trying to convey, so (a) and (c) are wrong.
‘in spirit and form’ also sounds directionless, when
the sentence is saying that the underlying values are
the same.
14. a 'Actuated' means motivated. Leaders cannot be ‘led’.
One cannot categorise people ‘by’ desires. ‘convinced’
similarly sounds vague.
15. c 'Buy cheap and sell dear' is the only option that will,
without any doubt, lead to a commercial success. (d)
gives an unwarranted warning. (a) is not sound
commerce. (b) is needlessly verbose, as compared
to (c). (c) sounds like a formula, it is also the best
choice after the hyphen.
16. b After 1, (C) states a fact about salvation. (B) states
the Christian belief in that regard. (A) opposes it to
Buddhism, by using 'but'. (D) elaborates the fact.
17. d After the factors stated in 1, (A) states the relationship
between size of a state and development. (B) states
that the problems of agricultural sector will remain
with us in the next century. (C) emphasizes the need
to improve agriculture. (D) states that rural India has
to start moving, an idea that is continued in (6).
18. b (B) shows the relationship between a magazine and
its editor, ‘editors’ are referred to as ‘they’. (C) states
that the number of editors should be determined by
the contributions it gets. (D) continues with this fact.
(A) follows by using 'furthermore'.
19. c (B) follows (1) by using ‘especially’. (D) explains the
‘NRI phase'. (A) states that the East and the West
meet in the NRIs. (C) states a fact that has been
overlooked, and (6) tells us that the festival of feature
films and documentaries is trying to fill this gap.
20. c (C) gives a reason for a market for Indian art coming
into being. (B) states what simultaneously happened
in India. (A) states what happened as a fallout of the
festivals of India. (D) elaborates on it and leads to (6).
21. b (B) introduces a figure walking slowly, (A) describes
it. (D) states that Annete followed the figure with a
triumph of recognition, and (C) tells us the name of the
figure and states that 'she' followed him.
22. a (C) states that learning is important. (A) states that in
contrast today unlearning is the real challenge. (D)
followed by (B) states why unlearning is a real
challenge.
23. b (B) states that 'we' reached the field soaked. (D) states
that Claudius was standing there. (C) states the effect
of being wet on Claudius, and (A) elaborates on it.
Page 3 CAT 1998 Actual Paper
24. c (A) states that Alex had never been happy with his
origins. (C) states what he would rather have been.
(B) states what he tries to do to rectify the facts, and
(D) shows his wife's reaction to his actions.
25. a (B) states the influence of Indian colours and cuts on
Western styles. (A) states that it is seen most on the
beaded evening wear. (D) tells us the most popular
colours and (C) states how the international fashion
scene has been affected by the Indian outfits.
26. b (D) introduces the point of emergence of theocratic
states. (B) states how it benefits the politicians. (C)
shows how the politicians act and (A) concludes the
paragraph.
27. a (C) introduces the subject of the passage. (A)
describes him. (B) shows why he was in that place,
and (D) describes his mental state.
28. a (A) shows the director walking into the room. (C) tells
us that the managers stared at him. (B) states Mitch's
reaction, and (D) states what he finally did.
29. d (A) states the influence of Third Reich. (D) elaborates
on the events that accompanied the Third Reich. (C)
states that while speaking out against Hitler, Americans
favoured isolationist policies, and (B) elaborates on
such policies.
30. b (A) introduces Of Studies as the main idea of the
passage. (B) states that the essay requires complete
attention of the reader. (C) states Bacon’s stand on
studies, and (D) continues with the same.
31. b (C) relates logic to reasoning. (A) states what
reasoning means. (B) states what logical reasoning
covers, and (D) states how we can understand
arguments and draw inferences correctly.
32. b If Sita is not sick, it follows that she is careless. One of
the either/or conditions hold good.
33. d Ram does not eat hamburgers, so it follows that he
does not get a swollen nose. When X, then Y. Not Y,
hence not X.
34. b If the employees have confidence in the management,
it follows that they are hostile. The first of the either/or
condition is false, so the second one has to be true.
35. d None of the given options relates logically to the given
statements.
36. a As all irresponsible parents do not shout, it follows
that the children cavort. When X, then Y. X, hence Y.
37. b If only strong have biceps and no faith is strong, it
follows that no faith has biceps. In A, X and Y need
not overlap. In B, the Sona and crazy set need not
overlap. In D there is no logical conclusion at all.
38. b In (C) and (D) the first two statements do not logically
lead to the third. In C, we do not know if the hand and
the head set overlap. D leads to an unpredictable
conclusion. The icicles which are cycles are at least
men. In B, if no teeth is yellow, no girl can be yellow,
since all girls are teeth.
39. a If no sun is not white, it implies that all sun is white. All
moon is sun, so it follows that all moon is white. B and
C lead to undefined conclusions. In D, there is a
possibility that X and Y sets can intersect.
40. c If all Ts are square and all squares are rectangular, it
follows that all Ts are rectangular. Also, if idiots are
bumblers and bumblers fumble, it follows that idiots
fumble. In B, there is a possibility that fat and huge
sets need not intersect. D plays with words and leads
to uncertain conclusion again.
41. a As the passage says that efficiency won't be content
to reign in the shop, but will follow us home, it implies
that efficiency can become all-pervading. (b) is not
the focus of the questions. (c) goes beyond the scope
of the argument.
42. c As each project is being stalled for some reason or
the other and no consensus has been reached on
any of the projects, we can infer that the projects will
be stalled for an indefinite period. (a) is stated in the
argument, and (b) is likely to be a conclusion.
43. b The passage states that designations are forgotten
during the meetings and even a sales engineer can
question the CEO on company policies. The company’s
ulterior motive is not the focus of the argument, so (a)
and (c) are ruled out.
44. a The passage states that the rape of Indian architectural
wealth can be attributed to the blend of activist disunity
and local indifference. (b) may not be true as Indians
may be gullible. (c) and (d) are stated in the passage.
45. b The moral police feel that Fire would influence the
Indian psyche and ruin the moral fabric of the nation,
which it should not be allowed to do.  (a) is not true, as
Indian audiences may be discriminating. (c) is not an
inference, it is true to a certain extent.
46. a The passage states that the rich have never felt
secure against the poor and their aggressiveness
stemmed from fear of the poor. (b) refutes the
conclusion in the argument.
47. c The passage states that the second kind of traveller
visits only such monuments as the time at his  disposal
allows him to contemplate without irreverent haste.
The preference of the writer is not the focus of the
argument, hence (a) is wrong. (b) is too caustic.
48. d None of the given options is supported by the passage.
(c) may not be true in the immediate temporal context
of the argument. (b) is clear from the argument, it is
not an inference. (a) is, of course, wrong.
49. d The passage supports none of the given options. (c)
does not seem to be true in light of facts presented in
the passage. (b) is stated anyway in the passage.
What the director aimed at does not seem to be the
focus of the argument, which discusses a general
consequence.
Page 4


Page 1
CAT 1998 Actual Paper
Scoring table
    Section
EU 1 to 50 50
QA + AR 51 to 95 45
RC 96 to 145 50
DI + DS 146 to 185 40
T otal 185
T otal
questions
T otal
attempted
T otal
correct
T otal
wrong
Net
Score
 Time
T aken
Question
number

	






1 d 2 b 3 c 4 a 5 a 6 b 7 d 8 b 9 d 10 c
11 a 12 b 13 b 14 a 15 c 16 b 17 d 18 b 19 c 20 c
21 b 22 a 23 b 24 c 25 a 26 b 27 a 28 a 29 d 30 b
31 b 32 b 33 d 34 b 35 d 36 a 37 b 38 b 39 a 40 c
41 a 42 c 43 b 44 a 45 b 46 a 47 c 48 d 49 d 50 a
51 b 52 c 53 c 54 b 55 a 56 c 57 c 58 a 59 b 60 b
61 c 62 b 63 d 64 a 65 d 66 a 67 a 68 c 69 b 70 a
71 c 72 c 73 a 74 b 75 a 76 c 77 d 78 a 79 b 80 d
81 c 82 b 83 d 84 a 85 a 86 b 87 b 88 c 89 a 90 c
91 c 92 b 93 c 94 c 95 a 96 b 97 c 98 b 99 c 100 a
101 c 102 d 103 b 104 b 105 a 106 d 107 d 108 a 109 c 110 b
111 b 112 a 113 c 114 a 115 d 116 b 117 c 118 b 119 b 120 a
121 a 122 d 123 c 124 b 125 c 126 b 127 b 128 a 129 b 130 c
131 b 132 a 133 b 134 d 135 c 136 c 137 b 138 a 139 a 140 b
141 c 142 a 143 b 144 a 145 a 146 a 147 c 148 c 149 c 150 b
151 d 152 b 153 d 154 b 155 a 156 b 157 a 158 b 159 a 160 a
161 b 162 d 163 b* 164 a 165 b 166 b 167 b 168 c 169 b 170 b
171 d 172 d 173 c 174 d 175 c 176 a 177 d 178 c 179 d 180 a
181 a 182 a 183 a 184 c 185 b
Page 2 CAT 1998 Actual Paper
1. d 'To forge' implies to create a lasting relationship based
on hard work. ‘forge ... links’ (smithy) makes better
engineering sense than ‘build links’ or ‘create links’.
‘Links’ also goes with the purpose - Aeroplanes.
2. b Bank deposits 'swelled' implies that they increased to
a great extent. The banking industry can flourish, not
the deposits. Bank deposits cannot be ‘enhanced’ or
‘flummoxed’.
3. c The original phrase is the best suited for the given
sentence. The ‘revival’ has taken place, hence (a) is
not true. (d) also cannot be true in light of the ‘revival’.
(c) is a more precise choice than (b).
4. a 'At will' fits here perfectly in contrast to 'freely'.
‘umbrage’ can be given without intention, so (b) is not
right. (d) does not make sense. ‘scolding’ happens
spontaneously most of the times, hence it is unlikely
that it involves a decision-making process.
5. a 'To write at random' is more concise than 'to write at a
random speed' and conveys the meaning perfectly.
‘writing without affectation’ in no sense means writing
‘fast’ or ‘with speed’. We choose (a) over (b) because
of the parallel construction with ‘write without
affectation’.
6. b 'Lukewarm' fits in the first blank, and in the second,
we need a verb. So 'electrifies' is the best suited of all
the given choices. ‘boiling’ and ‘fascinating’ cannot
grammatically fit the second blank. ‘almost’ and
‘genuinely’ are unlikely to go together.
7. d Social studies, science matters of health and safety
and the atmosphere of the classroom, help in formation
of proper emotional responses. Hence these can be
referred to as the ‘important areas’. ‘things’ is too vague
a word to fill the first blank. Emotional reactions cannot
be ‘inculcated’. Given ‘basis’ and ‘formation’, the second
word is more appropriate to fill in the second blank.
8. b 'Audilble' sounds as opposed to 'visual' symbols, fits
here. ‘without making intelligible sounds’ does not make
sense in the sentence. ‘aural’ and ‘vocal’ are technical
words that draw attention away from the crux of the
sentence i.e. one need not be heard all the time to gain
meaning.
9. d Learning is always more efficient when it is fun and
less efficient when it is a drudgery (boring). Learning
need not be efficient when it is fast or rapid, this may
lead to loss of retention. Never can learning be more
efficient when it is tedious.
10. c The rulers get too much power while those who are
ruled show passive obedience. (d) makes an
incomplete sentence with the second phrase. It is
unlikely that a crusade is pointless. (a) does not make
sense. (c) shows a proper parallel and logical
structure.
11. a (a) has is the only pair of words that fits in without
creating any contradictions. When it comes to
arithmetic, you can count the number of copy cats
(imitation). This inference does not come across in
choices (b), (c) and (d).
12. b The farmers are protesting and want their voice to be
heard. (a) and (d) do not fit into the semantic context
of the sentence. The farmers, by themselves, cannot
curb the prices, so (c) is not right.
13. b In terms of general rules, science as a news agency
is comparable to other news agencies. ‘principal’
means ‘chief’ and this is not the meaning that the
sentence is trying to convey, so (a) and (c) are wrong.
‘in spirit and form’ also sounds directionless, when
the sentence is saying that the underlying values are
the same.
14. a 'Actuated' means motivated. Leaders cannot be ‘led’.
One cannot categorise people ‘by’ desires. ‘convinced’
similarly sounds vague.
15. c 'Buy cheap and sell dear' is the only option that will,
without any doubt, lead to a commercial success. (d)
gives an unwarranted warning. (a) is not sound
commerce. (b) is needlessly verbose, as compared
to (c). (c) sounds like a formula, it is also the best
choice after the hyphen.
16. b After 1, (C) states a fact about salvation. (B) states
the Christian belief in that regard. (A) opposes it to
Buddhism, by using 'but'. (D) elaborates the fact.
17. d After the factors stated in 1, (A) states the relationship
between size of a state and development. (B) states
that the problems of agricultural sector will remain
with us in the next century. (C) emphasizes the need
to improve agriculture. (D) states that rural India has
to start moving, an idea that is continued in (6).
18. b (B) shows the relationship between a magazine and
its editor, ‘editors’ are referred to as ‘they’. (C) states
that the number of editors should be determined by
the contributions it gets. (D) continues with this fact.
(A) follows by using 'furthermore'.
19. c (B) follows (1) by using ‘especially’. (D) explains the
‘NRI phase'. (A) states that the East and the West
meet in the NRIs. (C) states a fact that has been
overlooked, and (6) tells us that the festival of feature
films and documentaries is trying to fill this gap.
20. c (C) gives a reason for a market for Indian art coming
into being. (B) states what simultaneously happened
in India. (A) states what happened as a fallout of the
festivals of India. (D) elaborates on it and leads to (6).
21. b (B) introduces a figure walking slowly, (A) describes
it. (D) states that Annete followed the figure with a
triumph of recognition, and (C) tells us the name of the
figure and states that 'she' followed him.
22. a (C) states that learning is important. (A) states that in
contrast today unlearning is the real challenge. (D)
followed by (B) states why unlearning is a real
challenge.
23. b (B) states that 'we' reached the field soaked. (D) states
that Claudius was standing there. (C) states the effect
of being wet on Claudius, and (A) elaborates on it.
Page 3 CAT 1998 Actual Paper
24. c (A) states that Alex had never been happy with his
origins. (C) states what he would rather have been.
(B) states what he tries to do to rectify the facts, and
(D) shows his wife's reaction to his actions.
25. a (B) states the influence of Indian colours and cuts on
Western styles. (A) states that it is seen most on the
beaded evening wear. (D) tells us the most popular
colours and (C) states how the international fashion
scene has been affected by the Indian outfits.
26. b (D) introduces the point of emergence of theocratic
states. (B) states how it benefits the politicians. (C)
shows how the politicians act and (A) concludes the
paragraph.
27. a (C) introduces the subject of the passage. (A)
describes him. (B) shows why he was in that place,
and (D) describes his mental state.
28. a (A) shows the director walking into the room. (C) tells
us that the managers stared at him. (B) states Mitch's
reaction, and (D) states what he finally did.
29. d (A) states the influence of Third Reich. (D) elaborates
on the events that accompanied the Third Reich. (C)
states that while speaking out against Hitler, Americans
favoured isolationist policies, and (B) elaborates on
such policies.
30. b (A) introduces Of Studies as the main idea of the
passage. (B) states that the essay requires complete
attention of the reader. (C) states Bacon’s stand on
studies, and (D) continues with the same.
31. b (C) relates logic to reasoning. (A) states what
reasoning means. (B) states what logical reasoning
covers, and (D) states how we can understand
arguments and draw inferences correctly.
32. b If Sita is not sick, it follows that she is careless. One of
the either/or conditions hold good.
33. d Ram does not eat hamburgers, so it follows that he
does not get a swollen nose. When X, then Y. Not Y,
hence not X.
34. b If the employees have confidence in the management,
it follows that they are hostile. The first of the either/or
condition is false, so the second one has to be true.
35. d None of the given options relates logically to the given
statements.
36. a As all irresponsible parents do not shout, it follows
that the children cavort. When X, then Y. X, hence Y.
37. b If only strong have biceps and no faith is strong, it
follows that no faith has biceps. In A, X and Y need
not overlap. In B, the Sona and crazy set need not
overlap. In D there is no logical conclusion at all.
38. b In (C) and (D) the first two statements do not logically
lead to the third. In C, we do not know if the hand and
the head set overlap. D leads to an unpredictable
conclusion. The icicles which are cycles are at least
men. In B, if no teeth is yellow, no girl can be yellow,
since all girls are teeth.
39. a If no sun is not white, it implies that all sun is white. All
moon is sun, so it follows that all moon is white. B and
C lead to undefined conclusions. In D, there is a
possibility that X and Y sets can intersect.
40. c If all Ts are square and all squares are rectangular, it
follows that all Ts are rectangular. Also, if idiots are
bumblers and bumblers fumble, it follows that idiots
fumble. In B, there is a possibility that fat and huge
sets need not intersect. D plays with words and leads
to uncertain conclusion again.
41. a As the passage says that efficiency won't be content
to reign in the shop, but will follow us home, it implies
that efficiency can become all-pervading. (b) is not
the focus of the questions. (c) goes beyond the scope
of the argument.
42. c As each project is being stalled for some reason or
the other and no consensus has been reached on
any of the projects, we can infer that the projects will
be stalled for an indefinite period. (a) is stated in the
argument, and (b) is likely to be a conclusion.
43. b The passage states that designations are forgotten
during the meetings and even a sales engineer can
question the CEO on company policies. The company’s
ulterior motive is not the focus of the argument, so (a)
and (c) are ruled out.
44. a The passage states that the rape of Indian architectural
wealth can be attributed to the blend of activist disunity
and local indifference. (b) may not be true as Indians
may be gullible. (c) and (d) are stated in the passage.
45. b The moral police feel that Fire would influence the
Indian psyche and ruin the moral fabric of the nation,
which it should not be allowed to do.  (a) is not true, as
Indian audiences may be discriminating. (c) is not an
inference, it is true to a certain extent.
46. a The passage states that the rich have never felt
secure against the poor and their aggressiveness
stemmed from fear of the poor. (b) refutes the
conclusion in the argument.
47. c The passage states that the second kind of traveller
visits only such monuments as the time at his  disposal
allows him to contemplate without irreverent haste.
The preference of the writer is not the focus of the
argument, hence (a) is wrong. (b) is too caustic.
48. d None of the given options is supported by the passage.
(c) may not be true in the immediate temporal context
of the argument. (b) is clear from the argument, it is
not an inference. (a) is, of course, wrong.
49. d The passage supports none of the given options. (c)
does not seem to be true in light of facts presented in
the passage. (b) is stated anyway in the passage.
What the director aimed at does not seem to be the
focus of the argument, which discusses a general
consequence.
Page 4 CAT 1998 Actual Paper
50. a The Indian middle-class, what it wants and what it
buys has been the focus of economic policies since
the mid-80s. (b) infers far beyond what can be
reasonably inferred from the argument.
51. b In one day, A would do 
1
3
of the job, B would do 
4
1
 of
the job and C would do 
6
1
of the job.
Hence, if all three of them work simultaneously, in one
day they would do 
4
3
6
1
4
1
3
1
=
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
+ + of the job.
Hence, to complete the entire job together they would
take 
3
4
 days.
Shortcut:
A can complete the job in 3 days. So A, B and C
combined will take less days than A alone to finish the
job. So straightway option (b).
52. c If n
3
 is odd, then n should also be odd. Hence, n
2
should also be odd, not even. So only I and II are true.
53. c We can see that there are two types of cost: (i)
Transportation cost (viz. hiring truck) and (ii) storing
cost. It can be seen that the daily production is far
less than the capacity of the truck. So a truck can be
hired to carry multiple days production at one go. So
as long as the storing cost is less than the cost of
hiring the truck (i.e. Rs. 1,000), it makes sense to
store the production. When the storing cost exceeds
Rs. 1,000, it is best that the entire lot be sent to the
market. The cost pattern is as given in the following
table:
Units 
produced
Units to 
be stored
Cost    
of 
storing 
(Rs.)
Cost of 
sending 
to the 
market 
(Rs.)
Should 
you 
hire 
truck?
Cost 
Incurred 
(Rs.)
150 150 750 1,000 No 750
180
(150 + 180) 
= 330
1,650 1,000 Yes 1000
120 120 600 1,000 No 600
250
(120 + 250) 
= 370
1,850 1,000 Yes 1,000
160 160 800 1,000 No 800
120
(160 + 120) 
= 280
1,400 1,000 Yes 1,000
150 150 750 1,000 Yes* 1,000
6,150 Total Cost
* In spite of the fact that storing is cheaper than hiring
truck on the last day, we have to do with the latter
option because everything that is manufactured has
to be sent to the market.
So according to this table, if the truck is hired on 2nd,
4th, 6th and 7th days, total cost = Rs. 6,150. But is this
the most cost-effective scheme? It can be seen that
we are hiring truck on two consecutive days (6th and
7th). Hence, since everything that is manufactured
has to be sent to the market, we have yet another
option of hiring the truck on the 5th day and sending
the 6th and 7th days production together on the last
day. In that case, the cost on 5th day would be Rs.
1,000 (i.e. Rs. 200 more than the present cost), the
cost on the 6th day would be (120 × 5) = Rs. 600 (i.e.
Rs. 400 less than the present cost) and the cost on
the 7th day would be Rs. 1,000 (the same as the
present cost). Hence, we can say that the total cost
would actually come down by (+200 – 400 = – 200)
Rs. 200.
Hence, this becomes the most cost-effective scheme.
So we should hire trucks on 2nd, 4th, 5th and 7th
days.
 54. b If the storage cost is reduced to Re 0.8 per cubic feet,
then the cost pattern is as given in the following table.
Units 
produced
Units to 
be stored
Cost    
of      
storing 
(Rs.)
Cost of 
sending 
to the 
market 
(Rs.)
Should 
you 
hire 
truck?
Cost 
incurre
d (Rs.)
150 150 120 1,000 N o 120
180 (150 + 180) 
= 330
264 1,000 N o 264
120 (330 + 120) 
= 450
360 1,000 N o 360
250 (450 + 250) 
= 700
560 1,000 N o 560
160 (700 + 160) 
= 860
688 1,000 N o 688
120 (860 + 120) 
= 980
784 1,000 N o 784
150 (980 + 150) 
= 1130
904 1,000 Yes ** 1,000
3,776 Total cost
** In spite of the fact that storing is cheaper than hiring
truck on the last day, we have to do with the latter
option because everything that is manufactured  has
to be sent to the market.
Hence, the most cost-effective scheme would be
sending the entire production on the 7th day.
55. a Let there be x bacteria in the first generation i.e. n
1
 = x.
? n
2
 = 8x,  but only 50% survives
? n
2,survived
 
8x
4x
2
==
n
3
 = 8(4x),  but only 50% survives
n
3,survived
 = 4
2
x
Similarly,
n
7survived 
= 4
7–1
x = 4096 million
? x = 1 million.
Page 5


Page 1
CAT 1998 Actual Paper
Scoring table
    Section
EU 1 to 50 50
QA + AR 51 to 95 45
RC 96 to 145 50
DI + DS 146 to 185 40
T otal 185
T otal
questions
T otal
attempted
T otal
correct
T otal
wrong
Net
Score
 Time
T aken
Question
number

	






1 d 2 b 3 c 4 a 5 a 6 b 7 d 8 b 9 d 10 c
11 a 12 b 13 b 14 a 15 c 16 b 17 d 18 b 19 c 20 c
21 b 22 a 23 b 24 c 25 a 26 b 27 a 28 a 29 d 30 b
31 b 32 b 33 d 34 b 35 d 36 a 37 b 38 b 39 a 40 c
41 a 42 c 43 b 44 a 45 b 46 a 47 c 48 d 49 d 50 a
51 b 52 c 53 c 54 b 55 a 56 c 57 c 58 a 59 b 60 b
61 c 62 b 63 d 64 a 65 d 66 a 67 a 68 c 69 b 70 a
71 c 72 c 73 a 74 b 75 a 76 c 77 d 78 a 79 b 80 d
81 c 82 b 83 d 84 a 85 a 86 b 87 b 88 c 89 a 90 c
91 c 92 b 93 c 94 c 95 a 96 b 97 c 98 b 99 c 100 a
101 c 102 d 103 b 104 b 105 a 106 d 107 d 108 a 109 c 110 b
111 b 112 a 113 c 114 a 115 d 116 b 117 c 118 b 119 b 120 a
121 a 122 d 123 c 124 b 125 c 126 b 127 b 128 a 129 b 130 c
131 b 132 a 133 b 134 d 135 c 136 c 137 b 138 a 139 a 140 b
141 c 142 a 143 b 144 a 145 a 146 a 147 c 148 c 149 c 150 b
151 d 152 b 153 d 154 b 155 a 156 b 157 a 158 b 159 a 160 a
161 b 162 d 163 b* 164 a 165 b 166 b 167 b 168 c 169 b 170 b
171 d 172 d 173 c 174 d 175 c 176 a 177 d 178 c 179 d 180 a
181 a 182 a 183 a 184 c 185 b
Page 2 CAT 1998 Actual Paper
1. d 'To forge' implies to create a lasting relationship based
on hard work. ‘forge ... links’ (smithy) makes better
engineering sense than ‘build links’ or ‘create links’.
‘Links’ also goes with the purpose - Aeroplanes.
2. b Bank deposits 'swelled' implies that they increased to
a great extent. The banking industry can flourish, not
the deposits. Bank deposits cannot be ‘enhanced’ or
‘flummoxed’.
3. c The original phrase is the best suited for the given
sentence. The ‘revival’ has taken place, hence (a) is
not true. (d) also cannot be true in light of the ‘revival’.
(c) is a more precise choice than (b).
4. a 'At will' fits here perfectly in contrast to 'freely'.
‘umbrage’ can be given without intention, so (b) is not
right. (d) does not make sense. ‘scolding’ happens
spontaneously most of the times, hence it is unlikely
that it involves a decision-making process.
5. a 'To write at random' is more concise than 'to write at a
random speed' and conveys the meaning perfectly.
‘writing without affectation’ in no sense means writing
‘fast’ or ‘with speed’. We choose (a) over (b) because
of the parallel construction with ‘write without
affectation’.
6. b 'Lukewarm' fits in the first blank, and in the second,
we need a verb. So 'electrifies' is the best suited of all
the given choices. ‘boiling’ and ‘fascinating’ cannot
grammatically fit the second blank. ‘almost’ and
‘genuinely’ are unlikely to go together.
7. d Social studies, science matters of health and safety
and the atmosphere of the classroom, help in formation
of proper emotional responses. Hence these can be
referred to as the ‘important areas’. ‘things’ is too vague
a word to fill the first blank. Emotional reactions cannot
be ‘inculcated’. Given ‘basis’ and ‘formation’, the second
word is more appropriate to fill in the second blank.
8. b 'Audilble' sounds as opposed to 'visual' symbols, fits
here. ‘without making intelligible sounds’ does not make
sense in the sentence. ‘aural’ and ‘vocal’ are technical
words that draw attention away from the crux of the
sentence i.e. one need not be heard all the time to gain
meaning.
9. d Learning is always more efficient when it is fun and
less efficient when it is a drudgery (boring). Learning
need not be efficient when it is fast or rapid, this may
lead to loss of retention. Never can learning be more
efficient when it is tedious.
10. c The rulers get too much power while those who are
ruled show passive obedience. (d) makes an
incomplete sentence with the second phrase. It is
unlikely that a crusade is pointless. (a) does not make
sense. (c) shows a proper parallel and logical
structure.
11. a (a) has is the only pair of words that fits in without
creating any contradictions. When it comes to
arithmetic, you can count the number of copy cats
(imitation). This inference does not come across in
choices (b), (c) and (d).
12. b The farmers are protesting and want their voice to be
heard. (a) and (d) do not fit into the semantic context
of the sentence. The farmers, by themselves, cannot
curb the prices, so (c) is not right.
13. b In terms of general rules, science as a news agency
is comparable to other news agencies. ‘principal’
means ‘chief’ and this is not the meaning that the
sentence is trying to convey, so (a) and (c) are wrong.
‘in spirit and form’ also sounds directionless, when
the sentence is saying that the underlying values are
the same.
14. a 'Actuated' means motivated. Leaders cannot be ‘led’.
One cannot categorise people ‘by’ desires. ‘convinced’
similarly sounds vague.
15. c 'Buy cheap and sell dear' is the only option that will,
without any doubt, lead to a commercial success. (d)
gives an unwarranted warning. (a) is not sound
commerce. (b) is needlessly verbose, as compared
to (c). (c) sounds like a formula, it is also the best
choice after the hyphen.
16. b After 1, (C) states a fact about salvation. (B) states
the Christian belief in that regard. (A) opposes it to
Buddhism, by using 'but'. (D) elaborates the fact.
17. d After the factors stated in 1, (A) states the relationship
between size of a state and development. (B) states
that the problems of agricultural sector will remain
with us in the next century. (C) emphasizes the need
to improve agriculture. (D) states that rural India has
to start moving, an idea that is continued in (6).
18. b (B) shows the relationship between a magazine and
its editor, ‘editors’ are referred to as ‘they’. (C) states
that the number of editors should be determined by
the contributions it gets. (D) continues with this fact.
(A) follows by using 'furthermore'.
19. c (B) follows (1) by using ‘especially’. (D) explains the
‘NRI phase'. (A) states that the East and the West
meet in the NRIs. (C) states a fact that has been
overlooked, and (6) tells us that the festival of feature
films and documentaries is trying to fill this gap.
20. c (C) gives a reason for a market for Indian art coming
into being. (B) states what simultaneously happened
in India. (A) states what happened as a fallout of the
festivals of India. (D) elaborates on it and leads to (6).
21. b (B) introduces a figure walking slowly, (A) describes
it. (D) states that Annete followed the figure with a
triumph of recognition, and (C) tells us the name of the
figure and states that 'she' followed him.
22. a (C) states that learning is important. (A) states that in
contrast today unlearning is the real challenge. (D)
followed by (B) states why unlearning is a real
challenge.
23. b (B) states that 'we' reached the field soaked. (D) states
that Claudius was standing there. (C) states the effect
of being wet on Claudius, and (A) elaborates on it.
Page 3 CAT 1998 Actual Paper
24. c (A) states that Alex had never been happy with his
origins. (C) states what he would rather have been.
(B) states what he tries to do to rectify the facts, and
(D) shows his wife's reaction to his actions.
25. a (B) states the influence of Indian colours and cuts on
Western styles. (A) states that it is seen most on the
beaded evening wear. (D) tells us the most popular
colours and (C) states how the international fashion
scene has been affected by the Indian outfits.
26. b (D) introduces the point of emergence of theocratic
states. (B) states how it benefits the politicians. (C)
shows how the politicians act and (A) concludes the
paragraph.
27. a (C) introduces the subject of the passage. (A)
describes him. (B) shows why he was in that place,
and (D) describes his mental state.
28. a (A) shows the director walking into the room. (C) tells
us that the managers stared at him. (B) states Mitch's
reaction, and (D) states what he finally did.
29. d (A) states the influence of Third Reich. (D) elaborates
on the events that accompanied the Third Reich. (C)
states that while speaking out against Hitler, Americans
favoured isolationist policies, and (B) elaborates on
such policies.
30. b (A) introduces Of Studies as the main idea of the
passage. (B) states that the essay requires complete
attention of the reader. (C) states Bacon’s stand on
studies, and (D) continues with the same.
31. b (C) relates logic to reasoning. (A) states what
reasoning means. (B) states what logical reasoning
covers, and (D) states how we can understand
arguments and draw inferences correctly.
32. b If Sita is not sick, it follows that she is careless. One of
the either/or conditions hold good.
33. d Ram does not eat hamburgers, so it follows that he
does not get a swollen nose. When X, then Y. Not Y,
hence not X.
34. b If the employees have confidence in the management,
it follows that they are hostile. The first of the either/or
condition is false, so the second one has to be true.
35. d None of the given options relates logically to the given
statements.
36. a As all irresponsible parents do not shout, it follows
that the children cavort. When X, then Y. X, hence Y.
37. b If only strong have biceps and no faith is strong, it
follows that no faith has biceps. In A, X and Y need
not overlap. In B, the Sona and crazy set need not
overlap. In D there is no logical conclusion at all.
38. b In (C) and (D) the first two statements do not logically
lead to the third. In C, we do not know if the hand and
the head set overlap. D leads to an unpredictable
conclusion. The icicles which are cycles are at least
men. In B, if no teeth is yellow, no girl can be yellow,
since all girls are teeth.
39. a If no sun is not white, it implies that all sun is white. All
moon is sun, so it follows that all moon is white. B and
C lead to undefined conclusions. In D, there is a
possibility that X and Y sets can intersect.
40. c If all Ts are square and all squares are rectangular, it
follows that all Ts are rectangular. Also, if idiots are
bumblers and bumblers fumble, it follows that idiots
fumble. In B, there is a possibility that fat and huge
sets need not intersect. D plays with words and leads
to uncertain conclusion again.
41. a As the passage says that efficiency won't be content
to reign in the shop, but will follow us home, it implies
that efficiency can become all-pervading. (b) is not
the focus of the questions. (c) goes beyond the scope
of the argument.
42. c As each project is being stalled for some reason or
the other and no consensus has been reached on
any of the projects, we can infer that the projects will
be stalled for an indefinite period. (a) is stated in the
argument, and (b) is likely to be a conclusion.
43. b The passage states that designations are forgotten
during the meetings and even a sales engineer can
question the CEO on company policies. The company’s
ulterior motive is not the focus of the argument, so (a)
and (c) are ruled out.
44. a The passage states that the rape of Indian architectural
wealth can be attributed to the blend of activist disunity
and local indifference. (b) may not be true as Indians
may be gullible. (c) and (d) are stated in the passage.
45. b The moral police feel that Fire would influence the
Indian psyche and ruin the moral fabric of the nation,
which it should not be allowed to do.  (a) is not true, as
Indian audiences may be discriminating. (c) is not an
inference, it is true to a certain extent.
46. a The passage states that the rich have never felt
secure against the poor and their aggressiveness
stemmed from fear of the poor. (b) refutes the
conclusion in the argument.
47. c The passage states that the second kind of traveller
visits only such monuments as the time at his  disposal
allows him to contemplate without irreverent haste.
The preference of the writer is not the focus of the
argument, hence (a) is wrong. (b) is too caustic.
48. d None of the given options is supported by the passage.
(c) may not be true in the immediate temporal context
of the argument. (b) is clear from the argument, it is
not an inference. (a) is, of course, wrong.
49. d The passage supports none of the given options. (c)
does not seem to be true in light of facts presented in
the passage. (b) is stated anyway in the passage.
What the director aimed at does not seem to be the
focus of the argument, which discusses a general
consequence.
Page 4 CAT 1998 Actual Paper
50. a The Indian middle-class, what it wants and what it
buys has been the focus of economic policies since
the mid-80s. (b) infers far beyond what can be
reasonably inferred from the argument.
51. b In one day, A would do 
1
3
of the job, B would do 
4
1
 of
the job and C would do 
6
1
of the job.
Hence, if all three of them work simultaneously, in one
day they would do 
4
3
6
1
4
1
3
1
=
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
+ + of the job.
Hence, to complete the entire job together they would
take 
3
4
 days.
Shortcut:
A can complete the job in 3 days. So A, B and C
combined will take less days than A alone to finish the
job. So straightway option (b).
52. c If n
3
 is odd, then n should also be odd. Hence, n
2
should also be odd, not even. So only I and II are true.
53. c We can see that there are two types of cost: (i)
Transportation cost (viz. hiring truck) and (ii) storing
cost. It can be seen that the daily production is far
less than the capacity of the truck. So a truck can be
hired to carry multiple days production at one go. So
as long as the storing cost is less than the cost of
hiring the truck (i.e. Rs. 1,000), it makes sense to
store the production. When the storing cost exceeds
Rs. 1,000, it is best that the entire lot be sent to the
market. The cost pattern is as given in the following
table:
Units 
produced
Units to 
be stored
Cost    
of 
storing 
(Rs.)
Cost of 
sending 
to the 
market 
(Rs.)
Should 
you 
hire 
truck?
Cost 
Incurred 
(Rs.)
150 150 750 1,000 No 750
180
(150 + 180) 
= 330
1,650 1,000 Yes 1000
120 120 600 1,000 No 600
250
(120 + 250) 
= 370
1,850 1,000 Yes 1,000
160 160 800 1,000 No 800
120
(160 + 120) 
= 280
1,400 1,000 Yes 1,000
150 150 750 1,000 Yes* 1,000
6,150 Total Cost
* In spite of the fact that storing is cheaper than hiring
truck on the last day, we have to do with the latter
option because everything that is manufactured has
to be sent to the market.
So according to this table, if the truck is hired on 2nd,
4th, 6th and 7th days, total cost = Rs. 6,150. But is this
the most cost-effective scheme? It can be seen that
we are hiring truck on two consecutive days (6th and
7th). Hence, since everything that is manufactured
has to be sent to the market, we have yet another
option of hiring the truck on the 5th day and sending
the 6th and 7th days production together on the last
day. In that case, the cost on 5th day would be Rs.
1,000 (i.e. Rs. 200 more than the present cost), the
cost on the 6th day would be (120 × 5) = Rs. 600 (i.e.
Rs. 400 less than the present cost) and the cost on
the 7th day would be Rs. 1,000 (the same as the
present cost). Hence, we can say that the total cost
would actually come down by (+200 – 400 = – 200)
Rs. 200.
Hence, this becomes the most cost-effective scheme.
So we should hire trucks on 2nd, 4th, 5th and 7th
days.
 54. b If the storage cost is reduced to Re 0.8 per cubic feet,
then the cost pattern is as given in the following table.
Units 
produced
Units to 
be stored
Cost    
of      
storing 
(Rs.)
Cost of 
sending 
to the 
market 
(Rs.)
Should 
you 
hire 
truck?
Cost 
incurre
d (Rs.)
150 150 120 1,000 N o 120
180 (150 + 180) 
= 330
264 1,000 N o 264
120 (330 + 120) 
= 450
360 1,000 N o 360
250 (450 + 250) 
= 700
560 1,000 N o 560
160 (700 + 160) 
= 860
688 1,000 N o 688
120 (860 + 120) 
= 980
784 1,000 N o 784
150 (980 + 150) 
= 1130
904 1,000 Yes ** 1,000
3,776 Total cost
** In spite of the fact that storing is cheaper than hiring
truck on the last day, we have to do with the latter
option because everything that is manufactured  has
to be sent to the market.
Hence, the most cost-effective scheme would be
sending the entire production on the 7th day.
55. a Let there be x bacteria in the first generation i.e. n
1
 = x.
? n
2
 = 8x,  but only 50% survives
? n
2,survived
 
8x
4x
2
==
n
3
 = 8(4x),  but only 50% survives
n
3,survived
 = 4
2
x
Similarly,
n
7survived 
= 4
7–1
x = 4096 million
? x = 1 million.
Page 5 CAT 1998 Actual Paper
56. c PQ = PE + FQ – FE
= radius of circle 1 + radius of circle 2 – FE
= 20  + 20 – 12 = 28
Similarly, QR = 20 + 20 – CD = 40 – 10 = 30
and PR = 20 + 20 – AB = 40 – 5 = 35
So perimeter of PQR ? = 28 + 30 + 35 = 93
P
FE
Q
A
1
2
3
B C
D
R
57. c Since both 2 and 1 are positive, (2 # 1) = 2 + 1 = 3.
()( ) . 8 2 2 1 2 1
3 2 1
= = × = ?
+
Thus, the given expression is equal to 
8
3
.
58. a Let us first simplify the numerator. Since 1 is positive,
(1 # 1) is 1 + 1 = 2 which again is positive. Then
(1 # 1) # 2 = 2 # 2 = 2 + 2 = 4
Now note that log
10
 0.1
= log
10
 10
–1
 =   –1
Then 10
1.3
 log
10
 0.1= 10
1.3
 × (–1) is negative.
So 10
1.3
 ? log
10
 0.1 = 1
Hence, the numerator is equal to 4 –1 = 3
Since 1 × 2 = 2 is positive, ()( ) . 8 2 2 1 2 1
3 2 1
= = × = ?
+
So the denominator = 8. Hence, the answer is 
8
3
.
59. b The best possible way to solve this is to check each
of the given answer choices. In options (a), (c) and
(d), either both X and Y are positive or both X and Y
are negative. Since we have (–Y) in the numerator of
our expression and (–X) in the denominator, X and Y
will never be both positive and neither will XY be
positive. Hence, both the numerator and the
denominator of our expression will be 1 and the value
will always be 1. Hence, the only possible answer
choice is (b).
60. b Since MPB is a three-digit number, and also the square
of a two-digit number, it can have a maximum value of
961 viz. 31
2
. This means that the number BE should be
less than or equal to 31. ? B can be 0, 1, 2 or 3.
Since the last digit of MPB is also B, it can only be 0 or
1 (as none of the squares end in 2 or 3). The only
squares that end in 0 are 100, 400 and 900. But for
this to occur the last digit of BE also has to be 0. Since
E and B are distinct integers, both of them cannot be 0.
Hence, B has to be 1. BE can be a number between 11
and 19 (as we have also ruled out 10), with its square
also ending in 1.
Hence, the number BE can only be 11 or 19. 11
2
 = 121.
This is not possible as this will mean that M is also
equal to 1. Hence, our actual numbers are 19
2
 = 361.
Hence, M = 3.
61. c The maximum and the minimum five-digit numbers that
can be formed using only 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 exactly once are
43210 and 10234 respectively. The difference
between them is 43210 – 10234 = 32976.
62. b
tu
Ten's place Unit's place
u > t
Case (i): t = 1
u can be 2, 3, 4, 5 ? 4 possibilities
So total possible number that can be formed
= 4 × 3 × 2 × 1
Case (ii): t = 2
u can be 3, 4, 5 ? 3 possibilities
So total possible number that can be formed
= 3 × 3 × 2 × 1
Case (iii): t = 3
u can be 4, 5 ? 2 possibilities
So total possible number that can be formed
= 2 × 3 × 2 × 1
Case (iv): t = 4
u can be 5 ? 1 possibility
So total possible number that can be formed
= 1 × 3 × 2 × 1
Hence, total possible number = (4 + 3 + 2 + 1) 3 = 60
63. d Since A and B are moving in opposite directions, we
will add their speeds to calculate the effective speeds.
In other words, in the first hour they would effectively
cover a distance of (4 + 2) = 6 km towards each other.
In the second hours, they would effectively cover a
distance of (4 + 2.5) = 6.5 km towards each other.
In the third hour, (4 + 3) = 7 km.
In the fourth hour, (4 + 3.5) = 7.5 km and so on.
We can see that the distances that they cover in each
hour are in AP, viz. 6, 6.5, 7, 7.5 ... with a = 6 and d =
0.5. Since they have to effectively cover a distance of
72 km, the time taken to cover this much distance
would be the time taken to meet each other. So the
sum of the first n terms of our AP has to be 72.
If we are to express this in our equation of sum of first
n terms of the AP, we will get S
n
 = 
2
n
 × [2a + (n – 1)d].
Substituting our values, we will get
72 = 
2
n
 × [12 + 0.5(n – 1)]
Solving this, we get n = 9 hr. In 9 hr A would have
covered (9 × 4) = 36 km.
So B would also have covered (72 – 36) = 36 km.
Hence, they would meet mid-way between A and B.
64. a If P is true, then both Q and R have to be true. For S to
be true, either Q or R must be false. Hence, if P is true,
S cannot be true.