Chapter 6 of 16

38%

Tamil Nadu (TNBSE)Class 6 Mathematics★ 3-6 marks in the TN Class 6 Term 1 exam through systematic-listing and reasoning questions

Information Processing (Term 1) - Systematic Listing

Samacheer Kalvi (TN State Board) Class 6 Maths — Term 1 Chapter 6, Information Processing. Listing possibilities in a systematic, orderly way and completing structured sets without missing or repeating any case, with worked examples, exercises and quick revision.

⏱ 12 min readEasy difficulty✓ Free · NCERT-aligned

Worksheet

Podcast

Listen as a conversation

A teacher & a student talk through the chapter — in your language.

Mind Map

The chapter at a glance

Every concept and exam-favourite branch — revisable in 5 minutes.

…

Study Guide

Night-before notes

Key points, glossary and the questions most likely to show up.

…

VocabularyBuild your vocabularyLexiGenome mines the key words and schedules them with spaced repetition.Mine words →

By the end of this chapter you'll be able to…

1Explain why systematic listing is needed
2List all possibilities in an orderly way
3Avoid missing or repeating cases
4Complete structured sets
5Note whether repetition is allowed

💡

Why this chapter matters

Listing possibilities systematically builds logical thinking and is the basis of counting and probability. These reasoning skills are tested in the TN Class 6 Term 1 exam.

Before you start — revise these

A 5-minute refresher here will save you 30 minutes of confusion below.

🔗

Class 5 — Patterns

Ordering and patterns.

Information Processing (Systematic Listing) — Class 6 Maths (Samacheer Kalvi)

TN State Board (Samacheer Kalvi) Class 6 Mathematics, Term 1 — Chapter 6. Listing all possibilities in order.

1. About this chapter

This chapter teaches systematic listing — writing out all the possibilities of a situation in an orderly way so that none is missed and none is repeated — and completing structured sets of information.

2. Why list systematically?

When we list at random we may miss some cases or repeat others.
A systematic order (smallest first, fixing one part at a time) makes sure the list is complete and correct.

3. How to list in order

Fix the first part, then change the others one at a time; then change the first part and repeat.
Example: two-digit numbers using 1, 2, 3 (digits may repeat) → fix tens = 1 → 11, 12, 13; tens = 2 → 21, 22, 23; tens = 3 → 31, 32, 33. That gives 9 numbers, none missed.

4. Worked examples

Example 1. List all two-digit numbers formed from 4 and 5 (digits may repeat). 44, 45, 54, 55 → 4 numbers.

Example 2. A child has a red and a blue shirt and a black and a white pant. List the shirt-pant pairs. Red-Black, Red-White, Blue-Black, Blue-White → 4 pairs.

Example 3. Why list in order? To make sure no possibility is missed or repeated.

5. Exercises (Samacheer Kalvi)

List all two-digit numbers using the digits 2, 3 and 4 (digits may repeat).
A coin is tossed twice. List all the possible outcomes.
Ramya has 2 caps and 3 bags. List all the cap-bag combinations.
List all the ways to arrange the letters A, B in a row.
Complete the pattern set: (1,1), (1,2), (1,3), (2,1), … up to (3,3).

6. Common mistakes

Mistake: Listing randomly and missing cases. Fix: Use a fixed order (change one part at a time).
Mistake: Repeating the same case. Fix: Cross off or check each listed case to avoid repeats.
Mistake: Forgetting that some items can repeat (or cannot). Fix: Read the question — note whether repetition is allowed.

7. Quick revision

Term 1 · Ch 6 · systematic listing.
List possibilities in an orderly way so none is missed or repeated.
Fix one part, vary the others, then change the fixed part and repeat.
Check whether repetition is allowed before listing.

Key formulas & results

Everything you need to memorise, in one card. Screenshot this for revision.

Systematic order

fix one part, vary the others, then change the fixed part

Complete list.

Goal

no case missed, no case repeated

Orderly listing.

Repetition check

decide if items may repeat

Read the question.

Counting

count the complete ordered list

Leads to probability.

⚠️

Common mistakes & fixes

These are the exact errors that cost students marks in board exams. Read them once, save yourself the trouble.

WATCH OUT

✗ Listing randomly and missing cases

✓ Use a fixed order — change one part at a time.

WATCH OUT

✗ Repeating the same case

✓ Cross off or check each listed case to avoid repeats.

WATCH OUT

✗ Forgetting whether items can repeat

✓ Read the question to see if repetition is allowed.

NCERT exercises (with solutions)

Every NCERT exercise from this chapter — what it covers and how many questions to expect.

Listing numbers

List numbers from given digits.

Questions

Listing combinations

List pairs and outcomes.

Questions

Completing sets

Complete structured patterns.

Questions

Practice problems

Try each one yourself before tapping "Show solution". Active recall > rereading.

Q1EASY· Listing

List all two-digit numbers formed from 4 and 5 (digits may repeat).

▶ Show solution

44, 45, 54, 55 (4 numbers).

Q2EASY· Combinations

A child has a red and a blue shirt and a black and a white pant. List the shirt-pant pairs.

▶ Show solution

Red-Black, Red-White, Blue-Black, Blue-White (4 pairs).

Q3EASY· Outcomes

A coin is tossed twice. List the possible outcomes.

▶ Show solution

HH, HT, TH, TT.

Q4MEDIUM· Listing

How many two-digit numbers can be formed using 2, 3, 4 (repetition allowed)?

▶ Show solution

9 (3 choices for each digit: 3 × 3).

Q5EASY· Reasoning

Why should we list in order?

▶ Show solution

So that no possibility is missed or repeated.

Q6EASY· Combinations

Ramya has 2 caps and 3 bags. How many cap-bag combinations are there?

▶ Show solution

2 × 3 = 6 combinations.

5-minute revision

The whole chapter, distilled. Read this the night before the exam.

•Term 1 Chapter 6 of Samacheer Kalvi Class 6 Maths.
•Systematic listing writes all possibilities in an orderly way.
•The goal is to miss none and repeat none.
•Fix one part, vary the others, then change the fixed part and repeat.
•Check whether repetition is allowed before listing.
•A complete ordered list lets you count the possibilities correctly.

Tamil Nadu (TNBSE) marks blueprint

Where the marks come from in this chapter — so you can plan your prep.

Typical chapter weightage: 3-6 marks across listing and reasoning

Question type	Marks each	Typical count	What it tests
Listing	2	1-2	Ordered lists of possibilities
Combinations	2	1	Pairs and outcomes
Reasoning	1	1	Why list systematically

Prep strategy

Always fix one part and vary the rest
Tick off cases to avoid repeats
Check if repetition is allowed
Count the complete list at the end

Where this shows up in the real world

This chapter isn't just an exam topic — it lives in the world around you.

Choices

Listing outfit or menu combinations.

Probability

Listing outcomes is the start of probability.

Problem solving

Orderly listing prevents missed cases in puzzles.

Exam strategy

Battle-tested tips from teachers and toppers for this chapter.

Choose a clear order before listing
Tick each case as you write it
Note repetition rules
Count the list to give the total

Going beyond the textbook

For olympiad aspirants and curious learners — topics that build on this chapter.

List all three-digit numbers using 1, 2, 3 without repeating a digit.
How many ways can three friends stand in a row?

Where else this chapter is tested

CBSE board isn't the only one — other exams test this chapter too.

TN Class 6 Term 1 ExamMedium

Logical Reasoning / OlympiadMedium

School unit testsHigh

AI helpers for this chapter

Generate more practice on the fly, or have the chapter explained at a different level.

⚡

Generate 5 more questions

Fresh MCQs + short-answer items based on this chapter, plus answer keys.

🧠

Explain at a different level

Re-explain the chapter at the level you actually want.

📝 My notes

Saved on this device — sign in to sync · how this works

0/600

Questions students ask

The real ones — pulled from the Q&A community and tutor sessions.

When you list without a system you can easily skip some possibilities or write the same one twice, giving a wrong or incomplete answer.

By listing every possibility once in order, you can simply count them to find the total number of outcomes — the basis of later counting and probability.

Practice more, ask doubts, find a tutor

Tamil Nadu (TNBSE) Class 6 mock tests

Tamil Nadu (TNBSE) Class 6 PYQs

Ask in Q&A

Mathematics flashcards

Related chapters

Students who read Information Processing (Term 1) - Systematic Listing usually read these next.

Numbers (Term 1) - Whole Numbers

Samacheer Kalvi (TN State Board) Class 6 Maths — Term 1 Chapter 1, Numbers. Reading and writing large numbers, place value and the Indian and international systems, ascending and descending order, rounding (estimation), the properties of whole numbers and the BODMAS rule, with worked examples, exercises and quick revision.

Introduction to Algebra

Samacheer Kalvi (TN State Board) Class 6 Maths — Term 1 Chapter 2, Introduction to Algebra. Constants and variables, writing algebraic expressions, using a variable to describe patterns, and forming and solving simple linear equations from word problems, with worked examples, exercises and quick revision.

Ratio and Proportion

Samacheer Kalvi (TN State Board) Class 6 Maths — Term 1 Chapter 3, Ratio and Proportion. The meaning of a ratio, equivalent ratios and simplest form, the meaning of proportion, and the unitary method for solving everyday problems, with worked examples, exercises and quick revision.

Geometry (Term 1) - Lines and Angles

Samacheer Kalvi (TN State Board) Class 6 Maths — Term 1 Chapter 4, Geometry. Points, lines, rays and line segments, measuring angles with a protractor, the types of angles, special angles (30°, 45°, 60°, 90°, 120°) and supplementary angles, with worked examples, exercises and quick revision.

🧑‍🏫