QA MADE EASY

DIVISIBILITY RULES
Introduction to Divisibility Rules
• Divisibility rules help quickly determine if a number is
divisible by another without performing full division.
• These rules are useful for efficiently solving problems in
competitive exams like CAT.
Divisibility Rule for 2
Rule:
A number is divisible by 2 if its last digit is even (0, 2, 4, 6, or
8).
Example: 246 is divisible by 2 because the last digit (6) is
even.
Divisibility Rule for 4
Rule:
A number is divisible by 4 if the number formed by its last
two digits is divisible by 4.
Example: 112 → Last two digits are 12, which is divisible by
4, so 112 is divisible by 4.
Divisibility Rule for 8
Rule:
A number is divisible by 8 if the number formed by its last
three digits is divisible by 8.
Example: 512 → Last three digits are 512, which is
divisible by 8, so 512 is divisible by 8.
Divisibility Rule for 3
Rule:
A number is divisible by 3 if the sum of its digits is
divisible by 3.
Example: 123 → 1 + 2 + 3 = 6 (which is divisible by 3), so
123 is divisible by 3.
Divisibility Rule for 9
Rule:
A number is divisible by 9 if the sum of its digits is
divisible by 9.
Example: 459 → 4 + 5 + 9 = 18 (which is divisible by 9), so
459 is divisible by 9.
Divisibility Rule for 5
Rule:
A number is divisible by 5 if its last digit is 0 or 5.
Example: 135 is divisible by 5 because its last digit is 5.
Divisibility Rule for 10
Rule:
A number is divisible by 10 if its last digit is 0.
Example: 470 is divisible by 10 because its last digit is 0.
Divisibility Rule for 7
Rule:
Double the last digit, subtract it from the remaining
number. If the result is divisible by 7, the original number
is divisible by 7.
Example: 203 → 20 - 2(3) = 14 → 14 ÷ 7 = 2, so 203 is
divisible by 7.
Divisibility Rule for 13
Rule:
Take the last digit, multiply it by 9, and subtract it from
the remaining number. If the result is divisible by 13, the
number is divisible by 13.
Example: 221 → 22 - (9×1) = 13 → 13 ÷ 13 = 1, so 221 is
divisible by 13.
Divisibility Rule for 19
Rule:
Take the last digit, multiply it by 2, subtract it from the
remaining number. If the result is divisible by 19, the
original number is divisible by 19.
Example: 361 → 36 - (2×1) = 34 → 34 ÷ 19 = 1 remainder
15 (not divisible by 19).
Divisibility Rule for 6
Rule:
A number is divisible by 6 if it is divisible by both 2 and 3.
Example: 54 is divisible by 6 because it's divisible by 2
(last digit is even) and by 3 (sum of digits is 9, divisible by
3).
Divisibility Rule for 12
Rule:
A number is divisible by 12 if it is divisible by both 3 and
4.
Example: 336 → 336 is divisible by 3 (sum of digits is 12)
and 4 (last two digits 36 are divisible by 4), so 336 is
divisible by 12.
Divisibility Rule for 15
Rule:
A number is divisible by 15 if it is divisible by both 3 and
5.
Example: 225 → Divisible by 3 (sum of digits 9) and by 5
(ends in 5), so 225 is divisible by 15.
Divisibility Rule for 33
Rule:
A number is divisible by 33 if it is divisible by both 3 and
11.
Example: 297 → 2 + 9 + 7 = 18 (divisible by 3) and (2 - 9 +
7 = 0) divisible by 11. Therefore, 297 is divisible by 33.
Practice Questions (Basic CAT-Level)
Is 864 divisible by 2, 3, and 6?
Is 112 divisible by 4 and 8?
Is 215 divisible by 5 and 10?
Is 221 divisible by 13?
Is 361 divisible by 19?
Is 54 divisible by 6?
Is 336 divisible by 12?
Is 225 divisible by 15?
Is 297 divisible by 33?
Additional Practice Questions (What Should Be
Added or Subtracted)
1. What should be added to 382 to make it divisible by
9?
Solution Strategy:
Sum of digits of 382 = 3 + 8 + 2 = 13.
To make it divisible by 9, we need the sum of the digits to
be divisible by 9.
Add 4 to make the sum 17, which is divisible by 9.
2. What should be subtracted from 1256 to make it
divisible by 4?
Solution Strategy:
Last two digits of 1256 = 56, which is divisible by 4.
Hence, 1256 is already divisible by 4, and nothing needs
to be subtracted.
3. What should be added to 738 to make it divisible by
7?
Solution Strategy:
738 ÷ 7 = 105 remainder 3.
To make it divisible by 7, subtract 3 from 738 or add 4
(since 7 - 3 = 4).
4. What should be subtracted from 3456 to make it
divisible by 8?
Solution Strategy:
Last three digits of 3456 = 456, which is divisible by 8.
Hence, 3456 is already divisible by 8, and nothing needs to be
subtracted.
5. What should be added to 567 to make it divisible by 5?
Solution Strategy:
Since 567 ends in 7, add 3 to make it end in 0 (567 + 3 =
570).
Slide 22: More Advanced Practice (What Should Be Added or
Subtracted)
6. What should be added to 239 to make it divisible by
11?
Solution Strategy:
Apply the divisibility rule for 11:
(2 - 3 + 9) = 8.
To make it divisible by 11, subtract 8 from 239 or add 3
(since 11 - 8 = 3).
7. What should be subtracted from 925 to make it
divisible by 6?
Solution Strategy:
First, check divisibility by 2 and 3.
925 is divisible by 5 (ends in 5), but not divisible by 2 (odd
number) or 3 (sum of digits = 16).
To make it divisible by 6, subtract 1 to get 924 (which is
divisible by both 2 and 3).
8. What should be added to 543 to make it divisible by 4?
Solution Strategy:
Last two digits of 543 = 43 (not divisible by 4).
To make the number divisible by 4, add 1 to 543 to get 544
(last two digits 44 are divisible by 4).