CCAT Mathematical Reasoning: Number Comparison

In this problem type, a set of 5 numbers will be given. You will be asked to identify either the LARGEST, or the SMALLEST among the set of numbers.

This question type is one of the easiest you will face in the CCAT.

Q1: Which of the following is the smallest value?

0.503, 1.0004, 0.25, 3.14, 0.09

Answer: We have been asked here to find the SMALLEST number.

Scan through all the numbers.

Note that two of the numbers (1.0004 and 3.14) are greater than 1, while the others are smaller than 1. Hence, these 2 numbers are larger than the others and can be discarded.

Next, for the remaining 3 numbers, look at the number of 0s after the decimal point. These are 0 (for 0.503), 0 (for 0.25) and 1 (for 0.09). The more the number of 0s after the decimal, the smaller the number.

Hence, 0.09 is the smallest number.

Q2: Which of the following is the largest value?

0.815, 0.581, 0.851, 0.518, 0.185

Answer: Here we need to find the LARGEST number.

Scan through all the numbers.

Note that no number is greater than 1.

Now, let’s look at the first digit after the decimal sign. The larger the digit, the larger the number. There are 2 numbers which have the digit 8 after the decimal sign (0.815, 0.851), 2 numbers have 5 (0.581 and 0.518), and 1 number has 1 (0.185).

Hence, 0.815 and 0.851 are the two largest numbers. And since the second digit after the decimal (0.815, 0.851) is larger in 0.851, it is the larger number as well.

Hence, 0.851 is the answer.

Now, try the following problems on your own. Solutions are provided later on in the article.

Q-1: Which of the following is the smallest value?

0.2, 0.6312, 0.11, 1.001, 0.09

Q-2. Which of the following is the largest value?

7.01, 7.11, 7.012, 7.112, 7.011

Q-3. Which of the following is the smallest value?

0.612, 0.62, 0.61, 0.611, 0.6112

Q-4. Which of the following is the largest value?

0.526, 0.652, 0.625, 0.256, 0.562

Solutions:

Q-1: Which of the following is the smallest value?

0.2, 0.6312, 0.11, 1.001, 0.09

Answer-1:

We need to find the SMALLEST number here.

First, scan the digits to the left of the decimal sign in each number. One number, 1.001, has a 1 here, others have 0. Hence, 1.001 is the largest number and can be discarded.

For the remaining 4 numbers, look at the digit to the immediate right of the decimal. The digits are: 2, 6, 1 and 0. Of these, the smallest digit is 0, which belongs to 0.09. Hence the last number, 0.09 is the smallest.

Q-2. Which of the following is the largest value?

7.01, 7.11, 7.012, 7.112, 7.011

Answer-2:

The digit(s) to the left of the decimal point is the same here (7) for all the numbers. Hence, we can start moving to the right of the decimal point.

The first digit to the right of the decimal point is 0, 1, 0, 1, 0. We can eliminate the numbers which have 0s, as they will be smaller than the numbers which have 1s.

The numbers with 1s (from above) are 7.11 and 7.112, which we can rewrite as 7.110 and 7.112. Obviously the later number is larger. Hence, the answer is 7.112.

Q-3. Which of the following is the smallest value?

0.612, 0.62, 0.61, 0.611, 0.6112

Answer-3:

Using a similar strategy, the correct answer is 0.61.

Q-4. Which of the following is the largest value?

0.526, 0.652, 0.625, 0.256, 0.562

Answer-4:

0.652

Coming up next: Combinations and Probability: https://av-krishnan.medium.com/cat-mathematical-reasoning-combinations-and-probability-chance-e58bc22a2d88

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