Partnership
Master important formulas and concepts with our comprehensive guide
Important Formulas & Concepts
Study MaterialPartnership
Partnership is one of the most important arithmetic topics in Quantitative Aptitude. Questions from this chapter are frequently asked in SSC, Banking, Railway, CDS, NDA, CAT, UPSC, and placement examinations.
Partnership problems are based on the sharing of profit or loss among two or more persons who jointly invest money in a business for a certain period of time.
This chapter is directly connected with:
- Ratio and Proportion
- Percentage
- Profit and Loss
- Simple Interest
- Time and Work
Why Partnership is Important?
- Frequently asked in competitive examinations.
- Easy and scoring arithmetic topic.
- Based mainly on ratio concepts.
- Useful in business and commerce calculations.
- Improves logical and analytical thinking.
What is Partnership?
When two or more persons invest money in a business and share profit or loss according to their investments and investment duration, such an association is called:
Partnership
The persons involved in the business are called:
Partners
Basic Concepts of Partnership
1. Investment
The amount invested by a partner in the business is called:
Capital or Investment
2. Time Period
The duration for which money remains invested in the business is called:
Investment Period
3. Profit Sharing
Profit or loss is distributed among partners according to:
Investment × Time
✔ Profit sharing in partnership is always proportional to the product of capital and time.
Important Formula of Partnership
Profit Sharing Ratio = Capital × Time
If:
- A invests x for p months
- B invests y for q months
Then:
A's Profit : B's Profit = xp : yq
Case 1: Same Time Investment
If all partners invest money for the same duration, then profit sharing ratio is directly proportional to their investments.
Profit Ratio = Investment Ratio
Example:
A invests 20000
B invests 30000
Both invest for 1 year.
Profit ratio:
= 20000 : 30000
= 2 : 3
Case 2: Different Time Investment
If partners invest for different durations, then:
Profit Ratio = Capital × Time
Example:
A invests 10000 for 12 months.
B invests 15000 for 8 months.
Ratio:
= 10000 × 12 : 15000 × 8
= 120000 : 120000
= 1 : 1
Types of Partnership
1. Simple Partnership
If partners invest:
- Different capitals for same time
- OR same capital for different time
Then such partnership is called:
Simple Partnership
2. Compound Partnership
If partners invest:
- Different capitals
- AND different time periods
Then such partnership is called:
Compound Partnership
Types of Partners
1. Active or Working Partner
A partner who:
- Invests money
- Participates in business activities
- May receive salary or bonus
Such a partner is called:
Active or Working Partner
2. Sleeping Partner
A partner who:
- Only invests money
- Does not participate in business activities
Such a partner is called:
Sleeping Partner
Important Partnership Formulae
| Concept | Formula |
|---|---|
| Profit Sharing Ratio | Capital × Time |
| A's Profit Share | (A's Ratio / Total Ratio) × Total Profit |
| Simple Partnership | Profit ∝ Investment |
| Compound Partnership | Profit ∝ Capital × Time |
| Monthly Investment | Capital × Months |
| Yearly Investment | Capital × Years |
How to Solve Partnership Problems?
- Identify each partner's investment.
- Identify the investment duration.
- Multiply capital by time.
- Form the profit-sharing ratio.
- Distribute total profit according to ratio.
Partnership with Admission of New Partner
Sometimes a new partner joins the business after a certain time.
In such cases:
- Calculate separate investment periods.
- Use capital × time for each partner.
- Find the final ratio.
Partnership with Salary or Commission
Sometimes an active partner receives:
- Salary
- Commission
- Bonus
These amounts are deducted from total profit before distribution.
✔ Salary or commission is deducted first, remaining profit is divided according to partnership ratio.
Important Concepts for Competitive Exams
1. Profit Depends on Two Things
Profit ∝ Capital × Time
2. Same Investment Period
If time is same:
Profit Ratio = Capital Ratio
3. Same Investment Amount
If investment amount is same:
Profit Ratio = Time Ratio
Common Mistakes in Partnership
- Ignoring investment duration.
- Incorrect multiplication of capital and time.
- Forgetting to deduct salary or commission.
- Errors in ratio simplification.
- Using wrong time units.
Important Exam Tips
- Always use Capital × Time method.
- Convert years into months whenever necessary.
- Simplify ratios carefully.
- Practice admission and withdrawal cases regularly.
- Remember salary deduction concept.
- Verify calculations before final answer.
- Use ratio method for faster calculations.
Quick Formula Revision
| Condition | Profit Ratio |
|---|---|
| Same Time | Capital Ratio |
| Same Capital | Time Ratio |
| Different Capital & Time | Capital × Time |
Partnership is one of the easiest and most scoring chapters in Quantitative Aptitude. Strong understanding of capital-time relationships and ratio calculations helps candidates solve partnership problems quickly and accurately in competitive examinations.