Remainders II

Numbers is one of the most important topics for CAT and other management entrance exams, questions
from which have appeared consistently and in significant numbers in all these exams.

Key concepts discussed:

a + b
a
b
= Rem + Rem
Rem

d
d
d

a b
a
b
Rem
= Rem d Rem d
d

(nd 1)k
k
Rem
= ( 1) , where k is a natural number.
d

ak Nc
Rem
= 1, where a and d are co-prime, Nc is the number of co-prime to d which are less
d
than d and k is a natural number.
ak d
k
Rem
= a , where a and d are co-prime, d is a prime and k is a natural number.
d

Highlight: This session deals with questions which are based on finding the remainder when a number in
exponential form is divided by another number. Questions in the session are of easy to moderate difficulty
level.

Session

Numbers

The questions discussed in the session are given below along with their source.
Q1.

What is the remainder when 496 is divided by 6?

(a) 0
(b) 2
(c) 3

(d) 4
(CAT 2003 (R))

Q2.

The remainder, when (1523 + 2323) is divided by 19, is

(a) 4
(b) 15
(c) 0
(d) 18
(CAT 2004)

Q3.

3
3
3
3
If x = 16 + 17 + 18 + 19 , then x divided by 70 leaves a remainder of

(a) 0

(b) 1

(c) 69

(d) 35
(CAT 2005)

Q4.

What are the last two digits of 72008?

(a) 21
(b) 61
(c) 01

(d) 41

(e) 81
(CAT 2008)

Q5.

After the division of a number successively by 3, 4 and 7, the remainders obtained are 2, 1 and 4
respectively. What will be the remainder if 84 divides the same number?
(a) 80
(b) 75
(c) 41
(d) 53
(CAT 2002)

Q6.

Find the remainder when 6100 is divided by 101

(a) 15
(b) 1
(c) 3

(d) 17
(CL material)

Numbers

Session

Errata:
Despite the best of our efforts, minor slips have crept into this session which are elaborated
below for your convenience.
In question no. 3, at 6:12, GP writes the formula as - a3 + b3 = (a + b)(ab + a2 + b2 ) , which
should actually be a3 + b3 = (a + b)( ab + a2 + b2 ) . However, it does not have a bearing on the
calculations that he has done thereafter.

Session

Numbers