Quantitative Aptitude or Numerical Ability is a vital part of every major government exam, including Banking, SSC, Railways, and Insurance. With lakhs of candidates appearing every year, mastering math tricks and shortcuts gives you a competitive edge. To crack these exams in 2025, it’s not about solving every question it’s about solving them faster and smarter than others.
To support your exam preparation, we’ve put together a collection of easy math tricks and shortcuts. These are meant to help you solve questions faster and with better accuracy. Using these simple methods, you can save time on calculations, which is useful during Bank, SSC, Railways, and other government exams. Let’s go through them and see how they work.
Why Maths Shortcuts Are Important for Banking Exams
Banking exams test your speed and accuracy in solving quantitative aptitude questions. With limited time, using maths shortcuts and calculation tricks can help you solve problems faster. These maths tips reduce long steps and make tough questions easier to handle. Mastering the right techniques can give you an edge in exams.
Here are 10 shortcuts to make your preparation faster and smarter:
Shortcut 1: Square of Numbers Ending in 5
Trick:
To square any number ending with 5, use:(a5)² = a × (a + 1) | 25
Example:
What is 75²?
→ 7 × (7+1) = 56, then just add 25
→ 75² = 5625
Shortcut 2: Multiplying Numbers Close to 100
Trick:
If both numbers are close to 100, use this:
Let the numbers be (100 – a) and (100 – b), then:= 10000 - 100(a + b) + (a × b)
Example:
What is 96 × 97?
a = 4, b = 3
→ 10000 – 100(4+3) + 4×3 = 10000 – 700 + 12 = 9312
Shortcut 3: Multiply Any 2-Digit Number by 11
Trick:
For any number “ab”, insert (a+b) between the digits.
If the sum exceeds 9, carry the extra digit.
Example:
56 × 11 → 5 (5+6) 6 = 5(11)6 → Add carry
→ 5+1=6, so result = 616
Shortcut 4: Divisibility Check in Seconds
- Divisible by 3: Sum of digits divisible by 3
- Divisible by 4: Last two digits divisible by 4
- Divisible by 11: Alternate digit sum difference divisible by 11
Example: Is 3724 divisible by 4?
→ Check 24 → Yes → So Yes
Shortcut 5: Percentage-to-Fraction Quick Conversions
| Percentage | Fraction |
| 10% | 1/10 |
| 12.5% | 1/8 |
| 20% | 1/5 |
| 33.33% | 1/3 |
| 75% | 3/4 |
Use these during ratio, profit-loss, and discount-based questions to save time!
Shortcut 6: Fastest Average Calculation
When calculating the average of consecutive numbers, just take the middle number.
Example: Average of 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 = 13
Shortcut 7: Distance, Speed, and Time
If a person covers the same distance at speed ‘a’ and returns at speed ‘b’, then:
Average Speed = (2ab)/(a + b)
Example:
Speed to and fro: 40 km/hr and 60 km/hr
→ Avg speed = (2×40×60)/(40+60) = 4800/100 = 48 km/hr
Shortcut 8: Compound Interest with Different Rates
If interest rate varies each year, use:
Amount = P(1 + R1/100)(1 + R2/100)…
Example:
P = ₹10,000, R1 = 5%, R2 = 10%, R3 = 8%
→ Amount = 10000 × 1.05 × 1.10 × 1.08 = ₹12474
Shortcut 9: Multiply Numbers Between 10–20 Easily
Use this trick for numbers between 11 and 19:
Formula: (a + b) × 10 + (a × b)
Example:
13 × 14 = (13+14)×10 + (3×4) = 27×10 + 12 = 282
Shortcut 10: Solve in Mind – Square of Any Number
For numbers near a base like 50, 100, etc.
Let’s square 103:
→ 100² = 10000
→ Add: 2×100×3 = 600
→ Add: 3² = 9
→ 103² = 10609
Quick Maths Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Ans. Math tricks help you solve questions faster and more accurately, which is crucial in exams with strict time limits.
Ans. Yes, they are useful for Banking, SSC, Railways, Insurance, and other major government exams.
Ans. Definitely—practicing these tricks regularly boosts calculation speed and saves time during exams.
Ans. Create a small cheat sheet and revise common conversions like 12.5% = 1/8, 33.33% = 1/3, etc.
Ans. No, these are simple, exam-focused tricks anyone can learn with regular practice.
Ans. You can apply and practice these tricks in Oliveboard’s free and paid mock tests for various exams.
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