Percentages - Quant/Math - CAT 2013
CAT Sample Questions - Question 4 the day : April 15, 2004
The question for the day is from the topic Percentages.
In an election contested by two parties, Party D secured 12% of the total votes more than Party R. If party R got 132,000 votes, by how many votes did it lose the election?
(1) |
300,000
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(2) |
168,000
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(3) |
36,000
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(4) |
24,000
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Correct choice - (3) Correct Answer -(36,000)
Explanatory Answer
Let the percentage of the total votes secured by Party D be x%
Then the percentage of total votes secured by Party R = (x – 12)%
As there are only two parties contesting in the election, the sum total of the votes secured by the two parties should total up to 100%
i.e., x + x – 12 = 100
2x – 12 = 100
or 2x = 112 or x = 56%.
If Party D got 56% of the votes, then Party got (56 – 12) = 44% of the total votes.
44% of the total votes = 132,000
i.e., = 132,000
ð T = = 300,000 votes.
The margin by which Party R lost the election = 12% of the total votes
= 12% of 300,000 = 36,000.
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