Question: A phone bought for ₹12,000 is sold for ₹13,800. What is the profit percentage?
Answer: 15%.
Method: Profit = 1,800. Profit % = 1,800 ÷ 12,000 × 100 = 15.
Placement prep
Aptitude test for placement
An aptitude test for placement is the online test most companies use to shortlist freshers before interviews. It usually covers quantitative aptitude, logical reasoning and verbal ability, sometimes with data interpretation or coding. Questions are school-level maths and logic under tight time limits, so regular timed practice matters more than learning new theory.
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Aptitude test for placement: practice questions with answers
Quantitative aptitude
Question: Pipe A fills a tank in 6 hours and pipe B empties it in 9 hours. If both are open, how long does the tank take to fill?
Answer: 18 hours.
Method: Net rate = 1/6 − 1/9 = 3/18 − 2/18 = 1/18 of the tank per hour.
Question: What is the compound interest on ₹10,000 at 10% a year for 2 years, compounded yearly?
Answer: ₹2,100.
Method: Amount = 10,000 × 1.1 × 1.1 = 12,100. Interest = 12,100 − 10,000.
Question: The ages of A and B are in the ratio 4:5. After 6 years the ratio will be 5:6. What is A's present age?
Answer: 24 years.
Method: (4x + 6) ÷ (5x + 6) = 5/6, so 24x + 36 = 25x + 30 and x = 6. A = 4 × 6.
Question: Trains 150 m and 100 m long run in opposite directions at 40 km/h and 50 km/h. How long do they take to cross each other?
Answer: 10 seconds.
Method: Relative speed = 90 km/h = 25 m/s. Distance = 150 + 100 = 250 m. Time = 250 ÷ 25.
Logical reasoning
Question: Find the next number: 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, ?
Answer: 36.
Method: The terms are the squares of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, so the next is 6 × 6.
Question: P, Q, R, S and T sit in a row facing north. R is in the middle and P is at the left end. Q is to the immediate right of R. T is not next to P. Who is second from the left?
Answer: S.
Method: P is 1st, R 3rd, Q 4th. S and T take 2nd and 5th; T cannot be next to P, so T is 5th and S is 2nd.
Question: In a code, TABLE is written as UBCMF. How is CHAIR written?
Answer: DIBJS.
Method: Each letter moves one place forward: C→D, H→I, A→B, I→J, R→S.
Question: Statement: All successful candidates practised daily. Conclusion: Anyone who practised daily was successful. Does the conclusion follow?
Answer: No.
Method: The statement says success needed practice; it does not say practice guaranteed success.
Verbal ability
Question: Fill in the blank: "He has been working here ___ 2022." (since / for)
Answer: since.
Method: Use "since" with a point in time and "for" with a length of time ("for three years").
Question: Choose the word closest in meaning to "diligent": lazy, hardworking, wealthy, quick.
Answer: hardworking.
Data interpretation
Question: A company's sales were ₹40 lakh in 2024 and ₹50 lakh in 2025. What was the growth?
Answer: 25%.
Method: Increase = 10 lakh on a base of 40 lakh: 10 ÷ 40 × 100.
Test-day do's and don'ts
| Do | Don't |
|---|---|
| Read the instructions: sections, timing and whether there is negative marking. | Spend three minutes on one question in a test that allows about one. |
| Answer the questions you are sure of first, then return to the harder ones. | Guess blindly when wrong answers lose marks. |
| Keep an eye on the time for each section if sections are timed separately. | Start the test on a weak internet connection or a low battery. |
| Use the rough sheet for working, neatly, so you can check quickly. | Change answers at the last minute without a clear reason. |
| Attempt every question if there is no negative marking. | Leave verbal ability for the end because it "looks easy". |
How to prepare for a placement aptitude test
Find out the pattern for each company you are targeting: sections, timing and negative marking. Our company guides for TCS NQT and Cognizant link the official pages.
Learn the formulas and short methods for the high-frequency topics: percentages, ratios, averages, profit and loss, time and work, speed and distance, interest.
Practise 20 to 30 timed questions a day, mixing quant, reasoning and verbal, for at least four to six weeks.
Take one full-length timed practice test a week and review every wrong or slow answer.
Keep an error log: the topic, why you got it wrong and the right method. Revise it before each test.
Common mistakes
- Learning tricks without understanding the basic method, which fails on a twisted question.
- Practising without a timer, then running out of time in the real test.
- Ignoring weak topics because the strong ones feel better to practise.
- Relying on "previous year papers" to predict questions instead of mastering the topics.
Which topics come in a placement aptitude test?
Most tests draw from the same pool:
- Quantitative aptitude: number system, percentages, ratios, averages, profit and loss, simple and compound interest, time and work, speed and distance, permutations and probability.
- Logical reasoning: series, coding-decoding, blood relations, directions, seating arrangements, puzzles, syllogisms.
- Verbal ability: grammar, sentence correction, vocabulary, reading comprehension, para jumbles.
- Data interpretation: tables, bar charts and pie charts.
Many IT companies add a coding or programming-logic section.
Is there negative marking in placement aptitude tests?
It depends on the company and the test. Some, such as the TCS NQT, have no negative marking according to TCS iON; others deduct marks for wrong answers. Read the instructions on the test screen before you start, and guess only when you can rule out at least one option or there is no penalty.
What comes after the aptitude test?
Candidates who clear the aptitude test usually move to a technical interview, sometimes a group discussion, and an HR interview. Prepare for those alongside: see HR interview questions and the placement preparation guide.
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Questions freshers ask
Four to six weeks of daily timed practice is enough for most students. Start earlier, ideally in your pre-final year, if maths has not been your strength.
The topics overlap a lot, but the number of questions, timing, difficulty and negative marking differ. Check each company's pattern before the test.
Yes. The maths is school level; what matters is knowing the methods and practising for speed. Reasoning and verbal sections also carry marks and reward practice.
It depends on the test: the instructions on the test screen say whether an on-screen calculator is available. Most tests do not allow your own calculator, so practise mental maths and quick methods for percentages and fractions.