MAH-CET 2026 — Mathematics PYQ

We need to form a 3-digit number. Let's visualize the three places of the 3-digit number as:

$$\text{[Hundreds place]}\text{[Tens place]}\text{[Ones place]}$$

We are given $5$ distinct digits: $\{1,2,3,4,5\}$, and repetition is not allowed.

• Hundreds Place: We can choose any of the $5$ given digits. So, there are $5$ ways to fill this place.

• Tens Place: Since one digit is already used and repetition is not allowed, we are left with $4$ digits. So, there are $4$ ways to fill this place.

• Ones Place: After filling the first two places, we are left with $3$ remaining digits. So, there are $3$ ways to fill this place.

According to the Fundamental Principle of Counting, the total number of ways to form the 3-digit number is the product of the number of choices for each place:

$$\text{Total 3-digit numbers}=5\times 4\times 3$$

$$\text{Total 3-digit numbers}=60$$