Games And Tournament Questions In CAT: Solve Easily

Do games and tournament questions in CAT confuse you? Read this article to learn easy steps and know the importance of CAT and good CAT coaching.

Before focusing on games and tournament questions, let’s learn why it is important to do what we are doing. What is the use of the MBA? Why do we need a CAT? And why does CAT ask logical reasoning questions?

MBA is one of the most popular degrees in the whole world. There are many reasons for that.

An MBA from a top B-school is not just a degree. It is proof of your excellence and value, that you provide to the world around you. 

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An MBA enhances your personality from all angles. It makes you more confident and street-smart. You become secure in yourself when you see your projects completing successfully and proving your mettle among the best and the smartest audience.

• You become a team player. You learn delegating tasks.
• With an MBA you can enter any industry that you want to and your opportunities won’t be limited. 
• MBA also improves your strategic thinking. You subconsciously start to weigh the pros and cons of anything, whether in corporate or in personal life. 
• Another benefit of doing an MBA is improved communication skills. Your skills and intelligence are of little use if you cannot explain them to others properly. Another skill you learn is how to persuade people. 
• Time management is one of the most important skills you learn in a management college. MBA involves doing lots of projects, assignments, internships, etc. under tight deadlines and there is no time to waste in those two years.
• Perhaps the greatest asset you get in a business school is the people and the network. Your value is determined by the kind of people you surround yourself with.
• You meet distinguished economists, policymakers, and business leaders as guest lecturers and professors.
• Doing an MBA also broadens your perspective. Many MBA programs in India also give you an opportunity to study for one semester overseas.
• The best management colleges also get you high pay packages. You can afford a better lifestyle and a high standard of living for you and your family.
• You will also get more respect in society as well as the business world.
• Another advantage that is not considered from an MBA is creative thinking. As a manager, you are going to deal with many issues. To solve them, you will need to think innovatively. 

Why CAT?

A good percentile in CAT is the prerequisite to a good business school in India. CAT entrance exam is designed to test the candidates in specific areas and analyze how suitable and effective they will be as managers and CEOs. Almost all business schools in India take admissions based on your CAT score. If you want to be an MBA, CAT is the exam you need to focus your efforts on.

CAT is an online test. The paper has 3 different sections of 

• Quantitative Ability (QA)
• Logical Reasoning (LR) & Data Interpretation(DI) 
• Verbal Ability (VA) & Reading Comprehension (RC)

The Quantitative Aptitude(QA)  section has problems in basic math, based on 10 + 2 level. Questions come from various topics such as Arithmetic, Algebra, trigonometry, statistics, Geometry, profit-loss, and simple interest. The aim of this section is to find a solution to real-world problems using basic math. 

In the Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DI-LR), a set of data is provided to you and you need to answer questions based on that. The data could be in the form of graphs, charts, or tables. This section tests your ability for logical and reasoning ability to evaluate the available information to solve problems. One of the common questions is games and tournament questions in CAT.

The Verbal Ability (VA)  section consists of questions on the correct usage of the English language and rules of grammar. VA problems test the candidate’s ability to arrange paragraphs, judging the tone of statements, completing the sentences, etc.

A candidate gest 3 marks for each correct answer and each incorrect answer causes a deduction of 1 mark. All test scores are neutralized since the exam is conducted in different sets in different sessions.

A good score in CAT doesn’t secure a seat, but it is a requirement for a seat in the best management institutes in India. To get to the best b-schools, you also want to pass their group discussions and personal interview rounds.

CAT is like a gateway to the best B-schools. We have already discussed why you want to be in the best business institution.

A great CAT record essentially raises the prospect of a great learning environment. You get a vast corporate network for a lifetime. You get to meet business leaders and distinguished policymakers and economists. You get great inception in your profession. The best business schools also claim records of 100% placements. That’s how important a good CAT score is.

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How can you enhance your logical reasoning?

What is logical reasoning?

Logical reasoning is the process of examining and investigating a situation from all sides and reaching a reasonable solution. It is very comparable to critical thinking. But logical reasoning involves looking at problems objectively and making rational inferences. When you use the data accessible to brainstorm a problem, you are exercising your logical skills.

We will now learn why logical reasoning helps you become more productive with suggestions on how can you enhance your logical reasoning skills. Because games and tournament questions in CAT are at type of logical reasoning question.

Why are logical reasoning skills necessary?

Games and tournament questions in CAT are at type of logical reasoning question. Logical reasoning skills are necessary as they help you think and reflect through significant decisions, work out problems, generate original solutions, and set goals—all of which are key to the growth of your career.

You will come across many problems and difficulties, no matter whether you are a fresher or a superior employee. The stronger you develop your logical reasoning skills, the easier it would be to reach an answer that would benefit you as well as the business.

How to build logical reasoning ability

There are many ways to grow logical thinking in your daily work. Here are a few methods and tips to strengthen your skills:

1. Cultivate a few creative hobbies: Creative pursuits like drawing, painting, and music can stimulate the artistic part of the mind and helps logical thinking. Creative exercises naturally develop problem-solving abilities that help us become a better problem-solver. Creative activities also help reduce anxiety. When stress levels are low, you have an easier time concentrating and reaching answers. We deal with pressure in many complex ways, but developing our creative thinking is fruitful and can improve both your individual and professional life.

2. Practice questioning everything. One of the most helpful ways to strengthen your logical reasoning skills is to ask questions about anything you typically accept as fact. Regularly probing questions help you see the bigger picture, allowing you to find out-of-the-box answers. Interrogations can also often lead to new findings of facts you did not know or consider earlier, which may raise your curiosity. You can use this system everywhere. Just look around you and try to find out why something is the way it is. Can it be performed any better? Consider a new department at your company you are not really accustomed to and make a list of questions that will help you recognize its role in the company. For instance, if you operate in the sales department and want to understand more about the legal field, consider requesting someone in that department for a brief informational discussion to learn more about their position and day-to-day responsibilities. This will help you see the bigger picture and where everyone fits in the puzzle.

3. Socialize with others. Building connections with several people expand your perspective. It helps you understand various kinds of people. It gives you more chances to grow your logical thinking skills. When you discover someone better and their perspective, it may help you address problems at work in a unique and different way. There are many techniques in which you can develop relationships, like engaging in new and enjoyable activities or just eating in a group in the office. The more you practice issues at the workplace, the easier you will be able to climb in your profession.

4. Learn a new skill. Learning a new skill can also aid your logical thinking skills. When you take every opportunity to learn as much as possible, you can apply an identical approach to your work. Learning a new instrument, for instance, stimulates the prefrontal cortex in the brain that is accountable for deep reflection and awareness. The logical reasoning abilities we develop in this process can help us concentrate on our work more, developing our capacity to solve more problems more efficiently.

5. Try to predict the results of your choices. It is helpful to examine the influence of your decisions in the future. The closer you pay attention to the pros and cons of your choices, the more your vision will develop. Logical reasoning skills can be easily mastered with daily practice. When you do these exercises every day, you will make this approach a habit for making decisions at work with a logical point of view.

GAMES AND TOURNAMENT QUESTIONS IN CAT

In Logical Reasoning very frequently we confront puzzles for eg. games and tournament questions in CAT. One thing you have to accept is that there are many ways to solve games and tournament questions in CAT. There is no specific technique or formulae but looking at the previous papers, you can see a pattern. Let us learn about types of games and tournament questions in CAT.

ROUND ROBIN

Round Robin is a common type of game and tournament question in CAT. Round Robin is a tournament where every team has a match with every other team. there are 8 teams in a sports tournament then every team gets to play 7 matches with 7 other teams. When every team gets to play with every other team precisely once, then it is described as a single round-robin. 

Another example is the English premier league where every club gets to play with every other team twice, once home and once away. This is called a double round-robin. Here each team plays with every other team two times. So in a tournament of 8 teams, each team plays 14 matches. The points are decided based on all the matches. A few facts to learn about the matches:

1. The total number of matches for a single round-robin tournament is NC2, where N is the total number of teams.
2. If there are no ties, the number of wins or losses is the same as the number of matches.
3. In case there are ties, total wins + (total ties/2) = total number of matches.

KNOCKOUT TOURNAMENTS

The knockout tournament is another very common game and tournament question in CAT. In a knockout, the team winning every match of theirs is the winner of the tournament. A knockout tournament has a series of rounds or stages ( like quarter-finals, semi-finals) and in each stage, a certain number of teams are knocked out of the tournament.

Usually, any team that loses a match gets knocked out of the competition. Tennis is an example of a knockout tournament that is commonly asked as games and tournament questions in CAT. 

The total number of players is generally 2p, where k is a natural number. There are cases when the number of players is not 2p too. First, we will discuss the cases where we have 2p players. Few things to remember regarding such tournaments:

1. Total number of matches = Total number of players – 1 (2p-1)
2. Knockout tournaments will generally have players already ranked ie. seeded players.
3. Knockout games will never have a tie. If there is a tie, there will be a tiebreaker match.
4. Upset means a low-seed player defeats an upper-seeded player.
5. The total number of rounds/stages is p (from 2p) and the stage is the final stage.
6. The player ranked the highest plays the player ranked the lowest. The second-ranked player plays the second-last ranked player and so on.

Let us consider an example of games and tournament questions in CAT :

From a group of N contenders, a party has to select a leader. Even after holding a series of meetings, the politicians and the general body failed to reach a consensus. It was then proposed that all N contenders be given a number from 1 to N. Then they will be asked to stand on a podium in a circular pattern, and counting would start from the contender numbered 1. The counting would be done in a clockwise manner. The rule is that every alternate contender would be asked to step down as the counting continued, with the circle getting smaller and smaller, till only one person remains standing. Therefore the first person to be eliminated would be contender number 2.

If N is 545, which position should a contender choose if he has to be the leader?

(a)   3             (b) 67           (c) 195         (d) 323         (e) 451

In this question, it would be about identifying a pattern. If you start small, you will find this pattern:

We recognize that when N is a power of 2, the number of the leader that gets chosen is 1, and then, it moves in a sequence of odd numbers till the next power of 2 comes.

Once you understand the sequence, it is easy to solve the problem. 

We need to find N = 545.

The nearest power of 2 is 512, for which the number of leaders would be 1.

Every subsequent jump of 1 in N will result in a jump of 2 in a number of the leader.

Jumps in N = 545 – 512 = 33

Jump in number of Leader = 66

So, the number of leaders who will get selected is 1 + 66  = 67.

————————————————

Another type of question is a maximum-minimum kind of question that is also a popular type of game and tournament questions in CAT.

Question: The 14 teams that play in the Cricket World Cup 2015 were divided into 2 pools – Pool A and Pool B. Each pool had seven teams. In each pool, each team plays one match with every other team. When the team wins they are awarded 2 points when they lose they get no points. If it’s a tie both teams get 1 point each.

At the end of the pool rounds, the best three teams on the basis of points advanced to the next round which was called the super six round. In the super six-round, all the teams begin with zero points, and the three teams that from Pool A play one match each against all the three teams that from Pool B. Points are awarded as in the pool stage. At the end of the matches, the top four teams on the basis of the points advance to the semi-finals, and the winners of the semi-finals play the finals. 

Step 1: Understand the puzzle

There are two pools A & B each with 7 teams each

Pool Stage: Each play against other teams in the pool

Points – 

2 =win, 

1 = tie, 

0 =loss

Best 3 teams advance to the next round

Superstage: Each team from Pool A plays against every team from Pool B 

Best 4 teams go to next stage

Then the semi-final ( 2 matches- 4 teams) + 1 final(2 teams). –> winner

1. What is the total number of matches played in the world cup?

1. 47   
2. 51  
3. 54  
4. 56

Total number of matches = Pool A matches + Pool B matches + Super Stage matches + Semis + Final

= 7C2 + 7C2 + 3C1 x 3C1 + 2 + 1

= 21 + 21 + 9 + 2  + 1 = 54 matches

The answer is C

2. What is the least number of points with which a team can possibly advance to the super six round?

A.4  

B.5  

C.6  

D.None

This needs to approach in steps.

First, find out the least possible points to advance to the super six stages for the first two teams.

Let’s look at this in this way: best team –> Second best Team —> other teams

Let’s consider that the top team won all its 6 matches. The second team won 5 of its 6 matches (all except with the best team).

With the 5 teams left in the pool who have played 2 matches and lost both 2 (with the top 2 teams). Each team will play 4 matches with other teams. We have to minimize the winner among these (who would be the third team)

If all the games ended in a draw, then all 5 teams will have 4 points, and the net run rate kicks in. So, the last point that the third team can get is a 4.

Option A

3. What is the maximum possible number of points that can be scored by a team and still be eliminated in the pool stage?

A.7  

B.8  

C.9  

D.10

The 4th best team’s maximum points would be:

3 wins with the bottom 3 teams: 6 points

3 draws with the best 3 teams : 3 points

=9 points

Option C

Explanation:

We have to maximize the 4th team’s score.

Sequence: Last 3 teams —> best 4 teams

We need to give the minimum points to the last 3 teams since the 4th has to be given the maximum points.

Any of the bottom 3 teams cannot get zero points because they will be playing with each other. So the 2 points of those 3 games need to be distributed. 6 points they will take evenly. 

Now, to the best 4:

Since these 4 teams won all their matches with the bottom 3.

All the 4 best teams including the 4th team have 3 wins now.

That is 6 points so far.

What we need to do is to give the 4th team the maximum points for the 3 matches and keep them at the bottom.

These 4 teams have to play – there will be a total of 4C2 = 6 games.

12 points to grab.

The average points would be 12/4 = 3 points.

The 4th team cannot get more than the average, then some other team will have a score less than the 4th team and the 4th team would qualify.

The maximum would be 3 points from all these games (all matches draw and loss of net run rate)

So the maximum points the 4th team can get is 6 + 3 = 9 points

Q: What is the minimum number of matches that can be won by a team that reaches the finals?

A.1  

B.2  

C.3  

D.4

Solution:

Pool matches – All matches draw. Teams advances because of the net run rate. No team wins any match!

Super six – All matches draw. Teams advance because of the net run rate. No team wins any match!

Pool & Super six is over without a single win 

Now for any team to reach the finals, it absolutely has to win the semis.

So, a team can reach finals with only that one single win in the Semis

Answer A

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