XAT 2015 — LRDI Question 2
Answer the questions on the basis of information given in the following case.
Bright Engineering College (BEC) has listed 20 elective courses for the next term and students have to choose any 7 of them. Simran, a student of BEC, notices that there are three categories of electives: Job-oriented (J), Quantitative-oriented (Q) and Grade-oriented (G). Among these 20 electives, some electives are both Job and Grade-oriented but are not Quantitative-oriented (JG type). QJ type electives are both job and Quantitative-oriented but are not Grade-oriented and QG type electives are both Quantitative and Grade-oriented but are not Job-oriented. Simran also notes that the total number of QJ type electives is 2 less than QG type electives. Similarly, the total number of QG type electives is 2 less than JG type and there is only 1 common elective (JQG) across three categories. Furthermore, the number of only Quantitative-oriented electives is same as only Job-oriented electives, but less than the number of only Grade-oriented electives. Each elective has at least one registration and there is at least one elective in each category, or combinations of categories.
Simran prefers J-type electives and wants to avoid Q-type electives. She noted that the number of only J-type electives is 3. Raj’s preference is G-type electives followed by Q-type electives. However, they want to take as many common electives as possible. What is the maximum number of electives that can be common between them, without compromising their preferences?
Answer & solution
- A
3
- B
4
5
- D
7
- E
Not possible to answer from the above information.
Electives common between Simran and Raj are JG type electives. i.e., (z + 4)
Referring to the previous solution, as x = 3, 3z + y = 7
As y ≥ 2, the only possible integer solution to 3z + y = 7 is (z, y) ≡ (1, 4)
Thus, a maximum of 5 electives can be common between Simran and Raj, without compromising their preferences.
Hence, option (c).