CAT 2020 Slot 1 QA Q12 Percentages & Profit-Loss

Question 12 of the Quantitative Ability (QA) section, CAT 2020 Slot 1, with CAT's official answer and a worked solution.

A person spent Rs 50000 to purchase a desktop computer and a laptop computer. He sold the desktop at 20% profit and the laptop at 10% loss. If overall he made a 2% profit then the purchase price, in rupees, of the desktop is

TITA: type in the answer. There are no options and no negative marking.

Answer: 20000 Percentages & Profit-Loss TITA

Solution

  1. Desktop D, laptop \(50000-D\). Profit: \(0.2D - 0.1(50000-D) = 0.02\times50000 = 1000\).
  2. \(0.3D = 6000 \Rightarrow D = 20000\).

Shortcut. Alligation: +20 and -10 around +2 give ratio 12 : 18 = 2 : 3, so desktop = 2/5 of 50000.

Same concept in other years

See every question on Two items at different profit/loss rates: overall profit equation.

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