To crack the CAT exam with high percentile, aim to crack Quantitative Aptitude will 100 percent score as it is the only section where you can get a perfect 100. Shiksha brings to you a list of strategies to keep in mind while preparing for CAT Quantitative Aptitude section.
CAT Quantitative Aptitude is the most scoring section of the exam. However, to crack this section one needs to work upon their Mathematical skills a lot. The Quantitative Aptitude section of CAT carries about 22 questions from Algebra, Mensuration, Trigonometry and Modern Maths. These are the topics that we all have studied in school so most of us have the conceptual knowledge. But in CAT, the questions are of advanced level. Candidates need to learn these topics all over again to recall and understand the basics and application again. Not only that, a good number of practice is required to crack CAT Quantitative Aptitude section.
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There is a 90% more chance of getting best college recommendations by sharing preferences.MBA aspirants appearing for CAT 2024 must begin test-based preparation, focused on handling of the question paper in the limited time frame. As per the chronology of the CAT question paper, aspirants will have to start from Section 1, which is, Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension, then move on to Section 2, which is, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning and then Section 3, which is, Quantitative Aptitude. There are few things that you can include in your CAT preparation plan for a better outcome. Shiksha brings to you a list of strategies one must keep in mind while preparing for CAT Quantitative Aptitude.
Q: When should I start preparing for CAT exam?
Aspirants should start preparing for CAT exam at least nine months in before the test date. CAT preparation requires long-term planning thus one must start early. The best time to start CAT preparation is in March. Starting early will also help you assess that whether you need to join a coaching institute or not.
Divide your preparation into two phases -
- Covering the CAT syllabus
- Practicing mock tests, sample questions and revision.
The CAT syllabus includes the following topics:
- Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension: Parajumbles, Parasummary, Sentence Completion and Inferences, Questions based on passages, para meaning, order of sentences
- Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning: Tables, Graphs, Pie Charts, Venn Diagram, Blood Relation, Seating Arrangement, Caselets and Syllogism
- Quantitative Aptitude: Geometry, Algebra, Number System, Arithmetic, Mensuration.
You can read the following CAT books for exam preparation:
- CAT Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning by Gautam Puri
- Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation for the CAT by Nishit K Sinha
- Data Interpretation and Data Sufficiency by Ananta Ashisha
- How to Prepare for Data Interpretation for CAT by Arun Sharma
- How to Prepare for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for CAT by Arun Sharma and Meenakshi Upadhyay
- 30 Days to a More Powerful Vocabulary Mass Market Paperback by Wilfred Funk and Norman Lewis/ Simon and Schuster
- How to Prepare for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for the CAT by Sharma and Upadhyay
- High School English Grammar and Composition by Wren and Martin
- How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for the CAT by Arun Sharma
- Quantitative Aptitude for CAT by Nishit Sinha
- Quantitative Aptitude Quantum CAT by Sarvesh Sharma
- Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations by Abhijit Guha.
Q: Is the CAT syllabus difficult?
Yes, the difficulty level of CAT syllabus is very high as compared to other MBA entrance exams. However, if you prepare well and follow the CAT exam pattern well, you will be able to score well. Besides having an understanding of the CAT syllabus 2025, candidates also need to be well aware of the CAT exam pattern before they start preparing for the exam. The CAT exam pattern was revised in 2021 and the number of questions were reduced from 76 to 66. The structure of CAT 2023 and CAT 2024 was the same. The syllabus is still tougher than other exams.
The most important things to keep in mind are:
- CAT exam mode is online
- Each question carries three marks
- There is negative marking of minus one mark for wrong attempts
The section-wise distribution of questions and difficulty levels as per the latest CAT exam pattern are listed below:
- Quantitative Ability (QA) - 24 questions, difficulty level - moderate to high
- Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) - 20 questions, difficulty level - moderate
- Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) - 22 questions, difficulty level - moderate. to high
Q: Is CAT exam tough for an average student?
CAT is a speed based test which is designed to assess a candidate's analytical aptitude, logical reasoning skills, data interpretation and English comprehension. Now, it may sound tough, but these are the skills which we are taught in school so there is nothing new to learn. What is required is to learn these subjects at advanced level. If you are an average student but have studied Science or commerce in Class-12 and graduation, you will find a lot of familiar topics in Data Interpretation, Quantitative Aptitude and Logical Reasoning. All you will need is brush up the basics and practice the concepts on advance level problems.
However, since the competition is so high in CAT and less than 95 percentile can break your dream of joining a top college like IIM, the preparation for CAT requires a lot of focus, dedication, discipline and diligence. If you can do that, despite being an average student, you can crack the CAT exam.
Six Strategies for Quantitative Aptitude Preparation for CAT 2024
The CAT exam pattern hasn't changed since 2021. The test is conducted for 2 hours and there are 66 questions in total. Quants sections has 22 questions to be solved in 40 minutes. The difficulty level of the CAT is usually high and CAT 2024 will not be any different.
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CAT Quant Preparation: No New Strategy Required
According to MBA expert Pratik Gaur, “The student should continue with the preparation but with a focus on the test taking strategy. He/she should devise a plan for the sections which are now time bound.” Thus, channelise your energies in practicing within the time limit allotted to QA section (40 minutes) rather than working upon new exam strategy for CAT exam.
CAT Quant Preparation: On-Screen Calculator
As CAT 2024 will be conducted in online mode, aspirants taking the exam should be well-versed with computer based mode of the examination. Aspirants cannot carry their own calculator but will be provided on-screen calculator. Although the CAT QA section is calculation centric, aspirants are advised to use calculator only when required. Don’t rely on it. Develop mental calculation skills and keep practicing numerical problems through shortcuts and tricks.
Q: Are six months enough to prepare for CAT?
Q: How would I know my CAT exam centre?
Candidates will know their allotted CAT exam centre only from the admit card. There is no way to know the test centre before the release of the CAT admit card. The examination authority allots a test centre to aspirants in the city of their first preference as mentioned in the city. So, candidates can atleast be assured that they will get a test centre in the city they had chosen as first preference in the CAT application form. However, the venue will be mentioned only on the candidate’s admit card. So as soon as the CAT admit card is released, candidates must check the test city and test centre details. In order to avoid any confusion, they must visit the centre at least once before the exam day.
Q: Which CAT exam slot is the toughest?
Q: What are the best ways to prepare for the DILR section?
The best way to prepare for DILR section is through practice. Before starting the preparation, aspirants should be accustomed to the question types by going through previous years’ question papers and solving those. Since there is not much conceptual understanding required in this section, practice is the key to excel in this area.
Some of the most popular books on DILR section that you can refer are How to Prepare for Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning for CAT by Arun Sharma, Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation for the CAT by Nishit Sinha, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning for CAT by Pearson, to name a few.
Q: Is 6.5 CGPA good for CAT preparation?
CAT Quant Preparation: Select CAT Quant Questions Carefully
The unfortunate part of CAT Quantitative Aptitude section is that there are no non-MCQs so there is a danger of chances of more negative marking in this section as compared to VARC & DILR sections. So, CAT 2024 test takers are advised develop the skill of choosing the right questions to answer. This can be done by practicing sectional CAT mock tests. Note the type of questions that are your strength and choose only such questions to solve in CAT 2024 exam.
| Free VARC Questions with Answers for Practice | Free Quantitative Aptitude Questions with Answers for Practice | Free DILR Questions with Answers for Practice |
CAT Quant Preparation: Practice Mock Tests
CAT mock test plays a vital role in exam preparation. It helps the candidate in getting familiar with the CAT exam pattern and structure and at the same time, help them develop speed and accuracy. CAT aspirants are advised to start attempting at least one QA sectional test every week. This will help them in getting exposure of different types of Quants questions and get into the exam mode. The official CAT mock test is also released a month before the exam. Aspirants must attempt the official CAT mock test at least once to get the hang of the actual exam.
Free Shiksha CAT Mock Test for Practice
| CAT_Mock_Test_1 | CAT_Mock_Test_1_Solutions |
| CAT_Mock_Test_2 | CAT_Mock_Test_2_Solutions |
CAT Quant Preparation: Learn Quant Shortcuts & Tricks
Even though calculator will be available to the students in the CAT 2024, they must still learn shortcuts and tricks for quant section to save precious time. Remember, CAT is a speed based test where you are racing against time. Since, Quantitative Aptitude is the last section of the exam, one is bound to get exhausted and that can affect their speed. So instead of relying on calculator, use your brain. But for that, you’ll need to develop shortcuts and tricks to arrive at accurate answers without actually doing the calculation. So, one thing every candidate must do is memorise Tables up to 20, Square, Square Roots, Cube, Cube Root and other such Mathematical values.
Mentor at coaching centres also provide key tips and shortcuts for getting correct answers faster than the normal way of solving it. You can also check for these in online study forums and communities.
Also Read:
- How to approach Quant section of CAT
- How to prepare for QA section of CAT 2024
- Master the secret of acing in Quantitative Ability in CAT
Quant Books Other Than Coaching Material
After completing prescribed books, practice from a few other CAT study material and CAT mock test from other resources. This will help in strengthening the basics in quant and further improve problem solving skills. Here’s a list of popular Quantitative Aptitude books for CAT preparation:
- NCERT Mathematics books (Class 9-10)
- How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for the CAT by Arun Sharma
- Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations by Abhijit Guha
- Quantitative Aptitude Quantum CAT by Sarvesh Verma
- Quantitative Aptitude for CAT by Nishit Sinha
- Quantitative Aptitude by RS Aggarwal
Also Read:
CAT Percentile Predictor
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Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 14 hours ago
No, SKILL-CAT exam is not compulsory to get into MBA at Symbiosis Skills and Professional University. Candidates can also apply with a valid score of national-level examinations. The accepted entrance exams are CAT/MAT/SNAP/GMAT, etc. After shortlisting candidates based on exam scores, the universit
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Hi Sanjana,
MDI Gurgaon primarily accepts CAT scores for admission to its PGDM programs. For Indian students, a valid CAT score is required. However, for Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), Foreign Nationals, and Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs), a GMAT score is accepted.
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Manipal University offers admission to several MBA courses via its affiliated college called TAPMI Manipal. The institute accepts several national-level entrance exams, such as CAT/ XAT/ CMAT, and NMAT, for admission to the MBA/PGDM courses. During the TAPMI Manipal MBA cutoff 2023, the CAT cutoff p
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Yes, freshers can apply for the MBA program at the National Institute of Financial Management (NIFM). For admission, NIFM considers scores from various entrance exams, including CAT, CMAT, XAT, MAT, and GMAT.
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Is SKILL-CAT compulsory for MBA at Symbiosis Skills and Professional University?