CAT Quantitative Aptitude syllabus is essentially Class 9 and 10 Maths topics of advanced level. CAT 2026 aspirants can check here full list of Maths topics included in CAT Quants syllabus.
CAT quantitative aptitude syllabus
CAT syllabus for Quants includes all important topics from Arithmetic, Algebra and Geometry. The syllabus of Quantitative Aptitude for CAT is vast and requires dedicated preparation. Some of the key areas of CAT Maths syllabus are percentages, profit & loss, interest, ratio-proportion, equations, inequalities, series, triangles, circles, mensuration permutations, combinations, probability, number systems, including divisibility rules, remainders, and LCM/HCF. If you are preparing for the CAT 2026, you must ensure your give special attention to Arithmetic, as most of the questions will be asked from it.
Check the table below for the key topics of CAT Quants syllabus. Aspirants must study these topics in a focused manner to score high in CAT 2026.
CAT Quants Syllabus
The syllabus of quantitative aptitude for CAT is broadly divided into four sections. Check here CAT Quants syllabus, section wise:
- Arithmetic: Percentages, Profit and Loss, Time and Work, Time Speed and Distance, Ratios and Proportions, Simple and Compound Interest, Averages.
- Geometry and Mensuration: Shapes, Circles, Triangles, Quadrilaterals, Solids, Coordinate Geometry, Mensuration of 2D and 3D figures.
- Number System: LCM and HCF, Factorization, Remainders, Divisibility, Base Systems.
- Algebra: Logarithms, Progressions, Polynomials, Inequalities, Linear and Quadratic Equations.
- Modern Maths: Permutations and Combinations, Set Theory, Venn Diagram, Probability.
- Miscellaneous: Trigonometry, Inequalities, Mean, Mode, Median, Logarithms, Linear Surds and Indices, Partnership, Binomial Theorem
Also Read:
CAT QA Syllabus 2026: Topic wise weightage
Given below is the CAT 2025 question paper break up for Quantitative Aptitude. This will give you an idea of how many questions to expect from which topic in CAT 2026. Focus on the CAT Maths syllabus according to the weightage given below for during exam preparation.
| Topics |
Description |
No. of Questions |
Difficulty Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number System |
Factors-1 Digits Based-1 Set Based -1 |
3 |
Easy to Moderate |
| Algebra |
Log-1 Linear Equations-2 Functions-2 Inequality-1 |
6 |
Moderate |
| Arithmetic |
TSD-1 T&W-1 SI CI-1 Percentage-1 Ratio-1 PLD-1 Mixture-1 Maxima/Minima -1 |
8 |
Moderate |
| Modern Math |
P&C -1 |
1 |
Easy |
| Geometry & Mensuration |
Circle- 1 Polygon-1 Coordinate Geometry - 2 |
4 |
Moderate |
Also Read:
Tips to Cover CAT Quants Syllabus
To master this section of CAT, one not only needs to know the basics but also need to know various aspects related to a particular topic, such as which formula is to apply to which questions, what mathematical calculation to be used for quick solution. How many possible answers can be there for a particular question and which one is the correct answer. Another aspect to coverage of CAT quantitative aptitude syllabus is speed. One need to know which type of question can be solved in how much time as, CAT is a speed based test and has sectional time limit of 40 minutes. Here are some tips you might find helpful in covering CAT syllabus for Quant.
- Start CAT 2026 preparation for Quantitative Aptitude with listing down tough topics according to easy, moderate and tough
- Now start with easy topics and plan daily routine for address CAT quant syllabus. All 2-4 hours for it daily.
- Understand the concepts of topics of first and practice a few sample questions to learn application. It is extremely important to learn application of the concepts in Quantitative Aptitude as there can be slight variation in questions from the same topic.
- Learn Mathematical calculation tricks for quickly solving the questions
- Learn Mental Math as it comes in handy while solving Arithmetic and Mensuration questions.
- Learn table up to 20, square, square roots, cube, cube roots, Pi, etc. These are critical for practice.
- CAT will have 22 questions on Quantitative Aptitude to be solved in 40 minutes. Most of the questions will be calculation intensive, so while preparing for it, learn to us onscreen calculator. This is important as part of CAT exam day preparation.
- Join online study groups and doubt clearing forums to be able to get the right guidance at the right time.
Explore more MBA exams with upcoming dates
11 Jun '26
28 Jun '26
1 Dec '25 - 30 Jun '26
13 Jun '26
7 Jun '26 - 14 Jun '26
8 Jun '26 - 14 Jun '26
15 Jun '26
19 Jun '26
8 May '26 - 11 Jul '26
Read More:
CAT QA Questions PDFs for Practice (Free)
Commonly asked questions
CAT lays a lot of emphasis on analytical skills so the questions are asked mostly from those topics which require deep learning and practice. The three sections of CAT question paper are designed in such a way that candidates have to use their ability of minute observation and fast calculation. Shared below are the section wise main topics from which questions are asked in CAT. Verbal Ability: Parajumbles, Parasummary, Sentence Completion and Inferences
- Reading Comprehension: Questions based on passages, Para meaning, Order of sentences
- Data Interpretation: Tables, Graphs, Pie Charts, Venn Diagram, Data Sufficiency
- Logical Reasoning: Blood Relation, Seating Arrangement, Syllogism, Coding-Decoding, Sets and Caselets, Family Tree, Assumptions
- Quantitative Aptitude: Geometry, Algebra Number System Modern Math, Arithmetic, Mensuration
The difficulty level of CAT questions is usually moderate to high. Only a few questions are easy and quick to solve. To crack the CAT exam, one needs to pay attention to the abovementioned topics.
CAT syllabus includes all the important topics of subjects that are relevant for business aptitude. For CAT exam, candidates have to study, Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension VARC Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning DILR and Quantitative Aptitude. Given below are the key topics included in the CAT syllabus.
- VARC topics: Parajumbles, Paracompletion, Parasummary, Verbal Reasoning and Reading Comprehension.
- Quantitative Aptitude topics: Arithmetic, Geometry, Algebra Trigonometry Modern Math, Number System and Mensuration.
- DILR topics: Puzzles, Pie Charts, Venn Diagram, Tables and Bar Graphs, etc.
There are a range of books available for preparation of Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension section of CAT. However, the most recommended books are mentioned below:
- How to Prepare for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for the CAT by Arun Sharma and Meenakshi Upadhyay
- Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for the CAT by Nishit Sinha
- Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis
- High School Grammar and Composition by Wren and Martin
- 30 Days to a More Powerful Vocabulary by Wilfred Funk and Norman Lewis/Simon and Schuster
- For English Grammar and Vocabulary, High School Grammar and Composition by Wren and Martin is the best book.
For Verbal Ability preparation, practice questions of different difficulty levels are a major part of preparation. The abovementioned books are the best resources of Verbal Ability and practice questions. To prepare for Reading Comprehension, candidates should read books, novels, magazines, research papers, newspaper editorials, etc. Along with these books.
The best books for Quantitative Aptitude preparation of CAT exam are listed below. These books are recommended by experts and mentors not only for CAT but also for other MBA entrance exams.
- 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 Verm
- Quantitative Aptitude for CAT by Nishit Sinha
- Quantitative Aptitude by RS Aggarwal
The NCERT Mathematics book is recommended for CAT preparation because it is the best source of building or revisiting the fundamentals of Algebra Geometry, Trigonometry Mensuration and Arithmetic. The NCERT books are extremely helpful to students from non-Engineering background. Quantitative Aptitude books by Arun Sharma, Abhijit Guha, Sarvesh Verma, Nishit Sinha and RS Aggarwal are the main books for CAT preparation as they cover all the topics at advanced level. They also have 1000s of sample questions of easy, moderate and high difficulty levels for practice.
News & Updates
Explore Other Exams
Jul '26 | XAT 2027 registration dates |
Sep '26 | XAT 2027 mock test |
Aug '26 | SNAP 2026 Registration Process |
Nov '26 | SNAP 2026 admit card session 1... |
Aug '26 | NMAT 2026 Registration Window |
Aug '26 | NMAT 2026 Scheduling Window |
17 Oct '24 - 5 Dec '24 | IIFT 2025 registration and app... |
11 Jun '26 | MAT May 2026 CBT Admit Card |
14 Jun '26 | MAT May 2026 CBT |
Jul '26 | IBSAT 2026 Registration |
Dec '26 | IBSAT 2026 Exam Date |
Oct '26 | CMAT 2027 registration and app... |
Jan '27 | CMAT 2027 exam |
30 May '26 | MAH MBA CET 2026 Result (First... |
29 May '26 | MAH MBA CET 2026 Final Answer ... |
27 May '26 - 26 Jun '26 | TANCET Scorecard Download Wind... |
4 Jun '26 - 30 Jun '26 | TANCET counselling registratio... |
Mar '25 | IRMASAT 2025 Final Result Anno... |
Feb '25 | IRMASAT Personal Interviews |
Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 5 hours ago
IIM Calcutta has only mentioned accepting GMAT score for admission into EMBA courses.
However, CAT is commonly accepted by other similar institutes for both MBA and MBAEx courses. Thus, candidates are advised to ask admission desk for confirmation on this question.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 8 hours ago
It is not possible to determine a candidate's admission in IIM Calcutta MBA course through CAT score alone. In Stage 1, a score 85% in CAT will be enough for a general category candidate to be selected for PI+WAT admission stage.
Final admission cutoffs are based on many factors other than CAT score.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 10 hours ago
No, IIM Calcutta cannot get into MBA courses without appearing CAT first. CAT is a mandatory entrance exam and it is conducted every year for admissions into all MBA courses offered by this institute.
However, candidates who are applying for MBAEx course will be required to appear in GMAT for admissi
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 21 hours ago
To get a seat at IFMR Chennai, students have to first appear for any one of the entrance exams accepted by the institute for the MBA/PGDM course admission. CAT, XAT, NMAT, CMAT, Andhra Pradesh ICET, IPAMT and SAT India are the entrance exams accepted by this institute for admission to the management
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 22 hours ago
No, you cannot use the CAT score for direct admission to the MBA/PGDM course at this university.
You would need to first appear for the CAT entrance exam, and then get shortlisted for the PI and or GD rounds to be considered for a seat. Since the CAT cutoff is not released publicly, the closest esti
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 22 hours ago
The Vishwakarma University CAT cutoff 2025 was released for admission to the MBA/PGDM course for the All India quota.
For the General AI category, the estimated Vishwakarma University MBA cutoff 2025 was 50. Students who gained this percentile are then eligible to enter the second round of admission
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered Yesterday
The National Institute of Bank Management Cutoff 2026 for General AI category in CAT exam is 80.
R
Contributor-Level 10
Answered Yesterday
No, you cannot use the CAT exam result for direct admission to the MBA/PGDM course at AIMS Institutes, Bangalore.
The college accepts the CAT, XAT and MAT exam results for admission to the management programme. Students have to first attain the qualifying cutoff percentiles and then sit in the select
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 days ago
Candidates applying for admission in MBA at IIM Raipur should have qualified the CAT exam. Check below the application fee of CAT:
- INR 2,300 for general category students
- INR 1,150 for SC/ST/PwD students
R
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 days ago
To get a seat in the FLAME University of the MBA/PGDM course, you have to appear for any one of the accepted exams, like CAT, XAT, CMAT, etc. After clearing the exam, you have to get shortlisted for further admission round, which involves PI or GD.
The FLAME University CAT cutoff 2025 was 75 for the
N
Contributor-Level 10
Vipra Shrivastava is MA in English Literature from Delhi University with extensive experience in content writing of over 14 years. She has been handling content for Management, Accounting and Commerce streams for 8
Read Full Bio