Weekday Count
Weekday Count problems ask how many times a specific weekday (e.g., Monday, Sunday) occurs in a given month or year. These problems test your understanding of how weekdays distribute across months and the pattern of 4 or 5 occurrences.
What You'll Learn
Introduction to Weekday Count
Weekday Count problems ask how many times a specific weekday (e.g., Monday, Sunday) occurs in a given month or year. These problems test your understanding of how weekdays distribute across months and the pattern of 4 or 5 occurrences.
Prerequisites
How to Solve Weekday Count Problems
Step 1: Find the first day of the given month (e.g., what weekday is the 1st?)
Step 2: Determine the number of days in the month (28, 29, 30, or 31)
Step 3: A weekday occurs 4 or 5 times in a month
Step 4: If month has 28 days, each weekday occurs exactly 4 times
Step 5: If month has 29 days, one weekday occurs 5 times (the first day of month)
Step 6: If month has 30 days, two weekdays occur 5 times (first and second day)
Step 7: If month has 31 days, three weekdays occur 5 times (first three days)
Step 8: Identify if the target weekday is among the ones that occur 5 times
Example Problem
Example: How many Mondays are in January 2024? Solution: Step 1: Jan 1, 2024 was Monday (Jan 1 = Monday) Step 2: January has 31 days Step 3: 31-day month: first 3 weekdays occur 5 times Step 4: First day is Monday → Monday occurs 5 times Answer: 5 Mondays Example 2: How many Wednesdays in February 2023? Solution: Feb 1, 2023 was Wednesday, February 2023 has 28 days (non-leap) → each weekday 4 times Answer: 4 Wednesdays
Pro Tips & Tricks
- 28-day month (Feb non-leap): all 7 weekdays occur exactly 4 times
- 29-day month (Feb leap): the first weekday of the month occurs 5 times, others 4 times
- 30-day month: first 2 weekdays occur 5 times, others 4 times
- 31-day month: first 3 weekdays occur 5 times, others 4 times
- The first day of month determines which weekdays are 'frequent'
- For a year, each weekday occurs either 52 or 53 times (52 weeks + 1 or 2 odd days)
Shortcut Methods to Solve Faster
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Practice Worksheets
Practice makes perfect! Work through these worksheets to master Weekday Count. Each worksheet contains 20 questions with detailed explanations. Start from Worksheet 1 and progress through increasing difficulty levels.
Exam Importance
Weekday Count is an important topic for various competitive exams. Here's how frequently it appears:
Ready to Master Weekday Count?
Start with Worksheet 1 and work your way up to expert level! Each worksheet includes: