General Awareness / Aptitude
General Awareness/Aptitude in the Bihar Polytechnic entrance combines Bihar-specific static GK with quantitative aptitude and logical reasoning. The GK section rewards exact names, places and dates; the aptitude section rewards clean equation setting.
Bihar-specific awareness
- Capital: Patna. Bihar Diwas is observed on 22 March, marking the creation of Bihar as a separate province in 1912.
- Major rivers: Ganga, Gandak, Kosi, Son, Bagmati and Falgu. The Kosi is called the 'sorrow of Bihar' because of its shifting course and floods.
- Bodh Gaya is where the Buddha attained enlightenment. Nalanda and Vikramshila were ancient centres of learning. Pawapuri is associated with Mahavira's nirvana, and Rajgir with the first Buddhist council.
- The Champaran Satyagraha of 1917 was led by Mahatma Gandhi. Dr Rajendra Prasad, India's first President, was from Bihar. Valmiki National Park lies in West Champaran.
Aptitude rules
- Percentage: x% of N = xN/100. Percentage change = (change/original) × 100.
- Average = sum/count, so sum = average × count. Speed = distance/time.
- Ratio a:b = c:d gives ad = bc; simplify before cross-multiplying.
- For pass-mark problems, let total marks be T and pass marks be P, then translate each statement into an equation.
Worked example
A student scoring 45% fails by 10 marks. Another scoring 60% gets 20 marks more than the pass mark. Find the total marks. Let total = T and pass = P. Then 0.45T = P − 10 and 0.60T = P + 20. Subtract: 0.15T = 30, so T = 200. Then P = 0.45×200 + 10 = 100. Check: 60% of 200 = 120, which is 20 above 100.
Traps
- Do not confuse Bihar Diwas with Independence Day or with the 1936 separation; the date tested is 22 March 1912.
- Do not attach the 'sorrow of Bihar' label to the Damodar; that river is associated with Bengal.
- A 20% increase followed by a 20% decrease gives a 4% net decrease, not zero.
- In average problems, multiply average by count to get the total; do not add them.