How to Prepare for CMAT 2026: Quantitative Technique & Data Interpretation Tips
Common Management Admission Test 2026 ( CMAT )
Read key tips to crack Quantitative Technique and Data Interpretation section of CMAT 2026. Also understand types of questions asked in CMAT and how to solve them. Here is a comprehensive preparation plan to crack CMAT Quants and DI.
CMAT preparation for Quantitative Technique (QT) and Data Interpretation (DI) section requires dedication and focus as one needs to be thorough with the Mathematical concepts and theorems. Most of the CMAT aspirants appear for CAT, XAT and SNAP too, thus by the time CMAT exam approaches, they are already familiar with the topics of Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation. In that case, candidates may need to only practice CMAT sample questions and CMAT mock tests along with revision of important concepts to crack the exam.
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Since the Quantitative Technique and Data Interpretation subjects will be clubbed together in CMAT 2026, the stress of solving too many questions per subject will not be there.
Start with understanding the theoretical concepts of the topics included in the CMAT syllabus for Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation. Arithmetic and Algebra are the main topics you should focus on. Since DI is calculation-based, one need not prepare for it separately. Tables and graphs will have Arithmetical calculations. Solve questions of various difficulty levels after completing each topic to understand the application of the concept. This is necessary so that you don't fumble at the later stage of your CMAT 2026 preparation journey, especially in mock tests.
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In this article, we have shared tips and shortcuts to crack Quantitative Technique and Data Interpretation section of CMAT exam, along with other key details about the section. Read on.
- CMAT Exam Highlights 2026: Quantitative Technique & Data Interpretation
- CMAT Syllabus 2026: Quantitative Technique & Data Interpretation
- Best Books for CMAT Preparation 2026: Quantitative Technique & Data Interpretation
- CMAT Preparation 2026: Tips to Crack Quantitative Technique & Data Interpretation
CMAT Exam Highlights 2026: Quantitative Technique & Data Interpretation
- This section of CMAT question paper will have 20 questions in MCQ format.
- Each question will carry 4 marks for right answer and -1 mark for wrong attempt.
- This section will be dominated by Quantitative Technique questions. There will be not more than four to eight questions from Data Interpretation.
- The difficulty level of CMAT exam’s Quantitative Technique & Data Interpretation section is usually moderate to high.
- Out of 20 questions, about 15-17 right attempts are considered as good attempt in this section.
CMAT Syllabus 2026: Quantitative Technique & Data Interpretation
Given below are the main topics of Quantitative Technique and Data Interpretation, candidates need to study for CMAT 2026.
| Quantitative Technique and Data Interpretation Topics for CMAT | ||
|---|---|---|
| Permutations & Combinations |
Number System |
|
| Time-Speed-Distance |
Ratio and Proportion |
|
| Profit and Loss |
Percentages |
Partnership |
| Work and Time |
Allegation & Mixtures |
|
| In-equations |
Tabulation |
|
| Pipes and Cisterns |
||
Also Read:
Best Books for CMAT Preparation 2026: Quantitative Technique & Data Interpretation
Check below the list of best books for CMAT Quantitative Technique and Data Interpretation preparation. Aspirants can refer to additional books along with these for better preparation.
- The Complete Reference Manual for CMAT by SK Sinha, S Satyanarayan and JS Rana
- How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for CAT by Arun Sharma
- Quantitative Aptitude Quantum CAT Common Admission Tests for Admission Into IIMs by Sarvesh K Verma (Arihant)
- Mathematics Books for Standard 8, 9 and 10 by NCERT
- Quantitative Aptitude by Dr RS Aggarwal
- Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations by Abhijit Guha (Mc Graw Hill Education)
- Data Interpretation & Data Sufficiency for CAT/XAT/IIFT/CMAT/MAT/Bank by Disha Experts
- How to prepare for Data Interpretation for CAT by Arun Sharma
Also Read: Best Books for CMAT Preparation 2026
| VARC Preparation Tips | DILR Preparation Tips | QA Preparation Tips |
CMAT Preparation 2026: Tips to Crack Quantitative Technique & Data Interpretation
The difficulty level of Quantitative Technique & Data Interpretation section of CMAT exam is usually high, but if you are strong in Mathematics, scoring well in this section is not too difficult. Keep the following tips in mind during CMAT 2026 preparation for Quantitative Technique & Data Interpretation section:
- This section of CMAT exam is dominated by Quantitative Technique. Data Interpretation questions are usually limited to four to six which are based on Tables.
- Within the Quantitative Technique section, most of the questions are asked from Arithmetic and Algebra. There will be 1-2 questions from other areas of Quant. So, pay special attention on Arithmetic during exam preparation.
- Spend a good amount of time in gaining clarity of concepts, formulae and theorems, even if you’ve studied Mathematics in graduation because that is the base of proper CMAT 2026 preparation.
- After studying a topic, solve a few sample questions for CMAT. This will help you in understanding the application of the theory studied.
- Solving previous year CMAT questions will also help you in assessing whether you have understood the topics or not.
- Both Quantitative Technique and Data Interpretation sections of CMAT are calculation based. There is nothing intuitive about them. So, adequate practice of questions is a must.
- Solve CMAT mock tests, sample papers and previous years question papers to familiarise yourself with a variety of questions based on Quantitative Technique and Data Interpretation.
Practice Free CMAT Mock Test by Shiksha
| CMAT_Mock_Test_1 | CMAT_Mock_Test_1_Solutions |
| CMAT_Mock_Test_2 | CMAT_Mock_Test_2_Solutions |
- CMAT sample paper booklets for practice are available in the market as well as on the internet. Solve a few of them to gain control over tough topics.
- In the last one month before CMAT 2025 exam, start practicing mock tests on alternate days. After every mock test, assess your performance and score to know what are your weak points.
- By practicing CMAT mock tests, you will be able to evaluate your strong and weak areas which will aide you in making the exam strategy. Attempt only those questions which are your type i.e. the ones you can solve accurately.
- Memorise Tables up to 20, Square and Square Roots up to 100, Cubes, Cubes Roots, etc. for quick calculation.
- Devise an exam strategy for the test day. If Quantitative Technique and Data Interpretation are your strong areas, start CMAT 2026 question paper by solving questions from this section.
- In the exam, try to reach the minimum sectional cut-off level first by solving questions from your strength areas and then go ahead with other questions if time permits. You can come back to attempt the remaining questions if time permits.
To conclude, memorizing all the Quants formulae and theorems is the key to crack this section of CMAT exam. Keep aside two hours twice a week for revision of formulae and theorems. If you have conceptual clarity of each of the topics included in the Quantitative Technique & Data Interpretation section of CMAT, you can score well.
All the best!
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 3 weeks ago
CMAT is one of the top accepted exams for admission to MBA-offering universities, including AURO University. As per official sources, the CMAT exam has already been conducted for the 2025 session. The exam was conducted on Jan 25, 2025 by the National Testing Agency. The exam for the 2026 session i
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Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 weeks ago
No, candidates do not have to mandatorily appear for the CMAT entrance exam for MBA in Business Analytics at Marwadi University. Candidates can apply for MBA admissions through any of the national level entrance exam such as CAT, XAT, ATMA and more. However, during admissions into the MBA in Busines
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Yes, it is possible to get an MBA seat at CET Trivandrum with a valid CMAT score. The institute accepts CAT, CMAT, and KMAT scores for MBA admissions. Thus, students who did not appear for CMAT or did not score well can apply via KMAT or CAT scores. Students are selected for the programme after eval
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Contributor-Level 10
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Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
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Contributor-Level 6
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Yes, it is necessary to attempt GK section in CMAT as unlike other MBA entrance exams, scores of GK are included in percentile calculation in CMAT. Total number of GK questions in 20 and attempting 8-10 questions correctly, can get the candidate desired sectional cut off in CMAT. So, while preparing
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