Xth Weekday Finder
Xth Weekday Finder problems ask for the date of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, or 5th occurrence of a specific weekday in a given month. These problems test your ability to calculate weekday positions within a month.
What You'll Learn
Introduction to Xth Weekday Finder
Xth Weekday Finder problems ask for the date of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, or 5th occurrence of a specific weekday in a given month. These problems test your ability to calculate weekday positions within a month.
Prerequisites
How to Solve Xth Weekday Finder Problems
Step 1: Determine the day of week for the 1st of the month
Step 2: Find the date of the first occurrence of the target weekday
Step 3: Add 7 × (n-1) days to find the nth occurrence
Step 4: Ensure the calculated date is within the month
Step 5: For 'last' occurrence, find the date of the last day, then subtract to find the last target weekday
Step 6: For '5th' occurrence, verify that the month actually has 5 of that weekday
Step 7: Present the date
Example Problem
Example: What is the date of the 3rd Monday in September 2024? Solution: Step 1: Sep 1, 2024 is Sunday (let's calculate: Jan 1, 2024 Monday → Sep 1, 2024 is Sunday? Actually Jan 1 Mon → Jan 31 Wed, Feb 1 Thu... Need calculation or reference) Step 2: First Monday of Sep 2024 is Sep 2 Step 3: Second Monday = Sep 9, Third Monday = Sep 16 Answer: September 16, 2024 Example 2: Last Friday of March 2024? Solution: March 31, 2024 is Sunday. Last Friday is March 29 Answer: March 29, 2024
Pro Tips & Tricks
- First occurrence: date = (target_weekday - first_day_weekday + 7) % 7 + 1
- Nth occurrence: date = first_occurrence + 7×(n-1)
- A month has 5 occurrences of a weekday if the first occurrence is on the 1st-3rd (for 31-day month) or 1st-2nd (for 30-day month)
- Last occurrence = first_occurrence + 28 (for 5-occurrence weekdays) or +21 (for 4-occurrence)
- To check if nth occurrence exists: first_occurrence + 7×(n-1) ≤ month_length
- For 'last' weekday, find the date of the last day, then subtract (last_day_weekday - target_weekday + 7) % 7
Shortcut Methods to Solve Faster
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Practice Worksheets
Practice makes perfect! Work through these worksheets to master Xth Weekday Finder. Each worksheet contains 20 questions with detailed explanations. Start from Worksheet 1 and progress through increasing difficulty levels.
Exam Importance
Xth Weekday Finder is an important topic for various competitive exams. Here's how frequently it appears:
Ready to Master Xth Weekday Finder?
Start with Worksheet 1 and work your way up to expert level! Each worksheet includes: