(CAT) - SKILL-SETS DEVELOPMENT APPROACH

SKILL-SETS DEVELOPMENT APPROACH

DATA INTERPRETATION (DI) IS ALL ABOUT A SET OF SKILLS,WHICH IF YOU CAN IDENTIFY AND DEVELOP CORRECTLY,IS PERHAPS THE MOST IMPORTANT TASK IN YOUR DI PREPARATION. THE LOW-DOWN

 

 

IN our last article in this series, we had written about the process of preparation for data interpretation (DI) and had advocated a two dimensional approach (skill development + exposure creation) in conjunction with four umbrella approach for the section — the four lines of preparation when you prepare for DI and LR sections of all management exams — these umbrellas being: traditional data interpretation; advanced reasoning based data interpretation; CAT type reasoning; non CAT reasoning.
   Today, we would like to focus on the skills development approach for DI preparation.
   The key point here is that DI is all about a set of skills, which if you can identify and develop correctly, is perhaps the most important task in your DI preparation. Even when you are continuing your question exposure work, the key issue is: ‘Are you able to identify the skill set and go through a learning curve on the same?’
   What we want to tell you here can be best explained by an example. Consider the following set of questions that had appeared in the DI section of the CAT 2007 paper. Remember that when you are solving this set you are playing for 20 marks in CAT-2007. The value of 20 marks in the paper can be understood if you look at it from the viewpoint that it would convert a 70 percentile to 90+ percentile and an early 90s score to perhaps a 99+ score.
   We would first ask you to try to solve this question set. Given the nature of this set of questions, it can be safely expected that most aspirants should be able to solve this with ease, especially those who are scoring over 70-80 percentile. The only thing that would differ would be the time dimension. While a 70 percentiler might take somewhere between 10-12 minutes to solve this, a 100 percentiler in DI would be able to attempt these in 5-6 minutes.
   Try this: A healthdrink company's research and development department is trying to make various diet formulations, which can be used for certain specific purposes. It is considering a choice of five alternative ingredients (O, P, Q, R, and S), which can be used in different proportions in the formulations. The table gives the composition of these ingredients.
   The cost per-unit of these ingredients is O: 150; P: 50; Q: 200; R: 500; S: 100.
   1. For a recuperating patient, the doctor recommended a diet containing 10% minerals and at least 30% protein. In how many different ways can we prepare this diet by mixing at least two ingredients?
   (1) One (2) Two (3) Three (4) Four (5) None
   Estimated time for a 100 percentiler to solve this: 5-10 seconds
   2. Which among the following is the formulation having the lowest cost per unit for a diet having 10% fat and at least 30% protein? The diet has to be formed by mixing two ingredients.
   (1) P & Q (2) P & S (3) P & R (4) Q & S (5) R and S
   Estimated time for a 100 percentiler to solve this: 30-40 seconds
   3. In what proportion P, Q and S should be mixed to make a diet having at least 60% carbohydrate at the lowest per-unit cost?
   (1) 2:1:3 (2) 4:1:2 (3) 2:1:4 (4) 3:1:2 (5) 4:1:1
   Estimated time for a 100 percentiler to solve this: 30 seconds
   4. The company is planning to launch a balanced diet required for growth needs of adolescent children. This diet must contain at least 30% each of carbohydrate and protein, no more than 25% fat and at least 5% minerals. Which one of the following combinations of equally mixed ingredients is feasible?
   (1) O & P (2) R & S (3) P & S (4) Q & R (5) O and S
   Estimated time for a 100 percentiler to solve this: 30 seconds

SOLUTION 1: OPTION 1

10% minerals is only feasible if we mix O & Q. Any other mix of two ingredients would not give us 10% minerals since one of the ingredients would contain less than 10% and the other would contain at max 10%. The average mineral in the mixture would always be less than 10 in such a case.

SOLUTION 2: OPTION 4

P & S are the cheapest ingredients. However both of them contain no fat. Hence, the second option can be ruled out. Since P is the least cost ingredient, we will try to use P maximum and any other ingredient only to the extent required to meet the constraints. Since P & S is not feasible, using P & O can generate the next lowest cost but that is not an option. Hence, we try the next cheapest combination possible, P & Q. This too will not be feasible since P&Q can never give us 30% protein.
   Hence option 1 is ruled out. Option 3 would give us a feasible mix if we use three units of P and one unit of R. The cost for four units of the mixture would be 50x3+500=650 and the average cost would be 650/4 = 137.5. We now need to check the remaining two options to see whether this cost can be beaten — and it is apparent that for the fourth option if we take a mix of Q & S in the ratio 4:1 the total cost for five units would be 600 and the average cost would be 120. It can be seen that the fifth option will give a higher value. Hence, Q and S is the ideal combination.

SOLUTION 3: OPTION 5

Objective obviously is to maximise P in the mix. Also, it can be seen that option 2 and 5 are the only possibilities (as no other option will give you 60% carbohydrates). Between options 2 and 5, the latter will always be cheaper. You do not need to check this.

SOLUTION 4: OPTION 5

O & P fails because of proteins, R&S fails because of carbohydrates, P & S fails because of Minerals and Q & R fails because of carbohydrates. Only O & S satisfies all conditions.
   By any standard, this set of questions would qualify as pretty simple in the context of the CAT exam. So, the key issue we need to consider is that of the time differential between a 100 percentiler in DI and a 60 percentiler in DI. Obviously a 100 percentiler is much faster in reacting and processing the information while solving the question, because his skill-sets in doing the same things is much faster. Perhaps an analogy to this can be taken from the domain of sports, in cricket, anyone can play a bowler throwing the ball at 50kmph, but it takes a person with special skills to face a bowler bowling 100 miles an hour.
   We would like to end by giving you a brief outline of the skill-set required for preparing for DI. The skill-set can be divided into two
dimensions:
Calculative skills: A function of your ability to add two digit numbers, your ability to multiply two digit numbers, your ability to calculate percentage values and your ability to compare ratios (big and small).
Mathematical knowledge based skills: Number systems-based skills (important for advanced reasoning based DI), venn diagrams, averages and alligations, progressions, percentages and ratios.
Focus on sharpening your skills in these areas and you should definitely be able to create a percentile jump in your scores.