UPSC Prelims 2024·CSAT·Quantitative Aptitude·Arithmetic

Two candidates X and Y contested an election. 80% of voters cast their vote and there were no invalid votes. There was no NOTA (None of the above) option. X got 56% of the votes cast and won by 1440 votes. What is the total number of voters in the voters list?

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Last updated 8 Jul 2026, 4:39 pm IST
  1. A15000Correct
  2. B12000
  3. C9600
  4. D5000

Explanation

Here's a brief explanation:

  1. Calculate the vote share difference: Candidate X got 56% of the votes cast. Since there were only two candidates and no NOTA, Candidate Y got (100% - 56%) = 44% of the votes cast. The difference in their vote shares is 56% - 44% = 12% of the votes cast.

  2. Determine the total votes cast: X won by 1440 votes, which corresponds to the 12% difference. So, 12% of (Votes Cast) = 1440. Votes Cast = 1440 / 0.12 = 12000 votes.

  3. Calculate the total number of voters in the list: 80% of the voters cast their vote, which amounts to 12000 votes. So, 80% of (Total Voters in List) = 12000. Total Voters in List = 12000 / 0.80 = 15000.

Therefore, the total number of voters in the voters list is 15000.

Analyzing the options: A) 15000: This is the correct total number of voters in the list. B) 12000: This is the total number of votes cast, not the total voters in the list. C) 9600: This is not directly derived from the problem's main steps. D) 5000: This value is too small and incorrect.

The final answer is A.

Quantitative Aptitude: Two candidates X and Y contested an election. 80% of voters cast their vote and there were no invalid votes. There was n

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