Percentage calculation shortcuts for Competitive Examinations

Be it IBPS or SBI PO or any other banking examination, you can expect minimum four to five questions on percentage calculations. It's one of the important topic of Quantitative Aptitude section. The type of problems that involves calculations of percentages are that you might be asked to simplify a problem in which some number will be given in percentage forms; or some values increases or decreases at a percentage rate, you will be asked to find the final values. By further reading this article, you will be able to learn some easy shortcut tricks to find out the percentage of a given number very quickly. Practicing these shortcuts you will be certainly able to save some valuable time of your examination. Before going to the tricks, refresh your knowledge about percentage. Keeping in simple, percentage means out of 100, something that is compared out of 100. That's why, 35% is equal to 35/100 or 45% is equal to 45/100. Now, proceeding towards the shortcuts-

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Find 10% of a Number

To find out 10% of any number, just move a decimal point towards left by one digit. Let's do it with an example,
10 % of 224 = ?
Since there is no decimal point in the number, we will assume it as 224.00
Now moving the decimal by one digit we get 22.4
Therefore, 10% of 224 = 22.4

Find 1% of a number

Method is same as for the above, just instead of one digit move the decimal point towards left by two digit.
Therefore 1% of 224 = 2.24

Find 5% of a number

First find 10% of the number (moving decimal point) and divide it by 2 or First divide the number by two then take 10% of it.
5% of 224 =?
I. 10% of 224 = 22.4
II. Dividing it by 2 =22.2/2 = 11.1

Find 15% of a number

Find 10% of the number plus 5% of the number or half of the 10%.
15% of 224 =?
I. 10% of 224 = 22.4
II. 5% of 224 = 11.1
III. Adding it, 22.4 + 11.1 = 33.5

Find 50% of a number

Just divide the number by 2 to find the 50% of the number.
50% of 224 = ?
Half of 224 is 112

Find 25% of a number

To find 25% of a number, take half of 50% of the number or alternatively you can divide the number by 2.
25% of 224 = ?
I. 50% of 224 = 224/2 = 112
II. Half of 50% = 112/2 = 56

Find 75% of a number

Find out 25% of the number and then subtract it from the given number or alternatively we can say, take 100% of the number ( which is the number itself) and 25% of the number and subtract these two result.
I. 25% of 224 = 56
II. Subtracting it from 224, 224-56 = 168

Find 60% of a number

Add 50% of the number to 10% of the number.
60% of 224=?
I. 50% of 224 = 112
II. 10% of 224 = 22.4
III. Adding, 112 + 22.4 = 134.4

Find 40% of a number

Similarly you can find out 40% of a number by doing 50% minus 10% of the number.

Find 85% of a number

To find 85% of a number, subtract 15% of the number from the given number or alternatively wee can say subtract 15% of the number from the 100% of the number.
85% of 224 = ?
I. 15% of 224 = 33.5 (As we have calculated above)
II. Subtracting it from the given number, 224 – 33.5 = 190.5
Similarly, 95% of a number = The Number – 5% of the number
As we have become familiar within the methods, now let's check few more which are on the next level.

Find 41% of a number

41% of a number = 4 x 10% of the number + 1 % of the number
I. Find 10% of the number
II. Multiply it by 4
III. Then add 1 % of the number.
41% of 224 = ?
41% of 224 = 4 x 10% of 224 + 1% of 224
= 4 x 22.4 + 2.24
= 89.6 + 2.24
= 91.84

Find 97% of a number

Now, have you some idea how to find 97% of a number? Yeah, you can subtract 3% of the number from the given number. 3% can be calculated by multiplying 1% of the number by 3. Do it yourself.

Do you have some more tricks to find out percentage of a number? Let us know. If you have any difficulties or you have found any mistakes in this article, please inform us below in the comment section. See you in the next article with some more shortcut methods.