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How to prepare for CAT Quantitative Aptitude? Tips and Tricks
Common Admission Test 2025 ( CAT )
Admit Card - 5 Nov '25 - 30 Nov '25
Candidates preparing for CAT 2025 must read below to know key tips and tricks for Quantitative Aptitude section of the exam. Aspirants will need these quick tips for CAT Quantitative Aptitude on the exam day for solving the questions quickly and accurately.
CAT exam is considered to be a tough entrance exam, mainly because its Quants questions pose challenge to both Engineering and non-Engineering candidates. Quantitative Aptitude is one of the toughest section of CAT for most students as is it calculation and formula based. CAT Quantitative Aptitude or Quant comprises numerous theorems, formulas and long calculations.
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This section of the CAT exam requires extra attention from students of non-Engineering background as they leave Maths after class 12. Even for candidates with Engineering background, it is tough to crack this question, if they haven't done enough practice. Since this is one of the challenging sections of CAT exam, candidates must learn shortcuts and tricks that can help them save time and develop accuracy. Read below in detail to know how to prepare for CAT Quantitative Aptitude section.
Q: Is the CAT syllabus difficult?
Q: What are the best ways to prepare for the DILR section?
A:
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 it necessary to have Maths background to perform well in DILR?
A:
While candidates belonging to Science and Engineering background do have an edge over Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), it is not impossible for students from non-Science background to crack this section of an MBA entrance exam. They do need to prepare harder which includes going back to study fundamentals of Mathematics such as Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry and Mensuration.
With regular practice and understanding of the question types and topics, candidates, irrespective of the educational background, can crack this section. Aspirants must note that it is important to identify the weak areas and improve on them to get a stronghold on this section. For Logical Reasoning, a good amount of practice of sample questions will be enough.
Table of content
- How to Prepare for CAT 2025: Quantitative Aptitude
- Quantitative Aptitude Questions Expected in CAT 2025 Question Paper
- How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for CAT 2025
How to Prepare for CAT 2025: Quantitative Aptitude
It has been proven that it is possible to score 100 percentile in CAT Quantitative Aptitude section. Many candidates in the previous years have scored 100 percentile in this section. So, it is possible this year too. CAT 2025 question paper will see around 22 questions on Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry and Modern Mathematics. Focus more on Arithmetic chapters as the CAT question paper is usually dominated by this topic.
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One thing that most candidates miss out in the Quantitative Aptitude section of CAT is accuracy. Rather than focusing on the number of questions attempted, one must focus on accuracy of solutions. So even if you do not attempt all the CAT questions, you can still score great marks in the section. To get a better understanding of the difficulty level of the Quantitative Aptitude, let us have a look at the CAT exam pattern:
| CAT Exam Features |
CAT Quantitative Aptitude Details |
|---|---|
| Total number of Questions in QA |
22 |
| Type of Questions in QA |
MCQs, no negative marking |
| Marks for Each Correct Answer |
+3 |
| Negative Marks for Each Wrong Answer |
-1 |
| Difficulty Level of QA |
Generally Moderate to High |
Quantitative Aptitude Questions Expected in CAT 2025 Question Paper
Based on the last year's CAT question paper, we have estimated the topic wise break up of Quantitative Aptitude section of CAT 2025. Take a look at the table below:
| CAT QA Topics |
No. of Questions |
Ideal Attempt |
|---|---|---|
| Arithmetic |
11 |
7-9 |
| Algebra |
5 |
2 -3 |
| Geometry & Mensuration |
3 |
2 |
| Number System |
2 |
1-2 |
| Modern Math |
1 |
0-1 |
How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for CAT 2025
Shiksha brings to you some tips and tricks on how to prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for CAT 2025:
Q: Why is CAT considered a difficult MBA entrance exam?
A:
The CAT is conducted as a difficult MBA entrance exam because it is the main national level test for MBA Admission in India. Over 2 Lacs candidates appear for it every year. Thus, the competition is high. The question paper is set by the IIM. Even though the score is accepted by over 1300 colleges the top colleges accept above 90 percentile. The Iims have cut offs above 95 percentile. It has been seen that out of the total number of test takers which is usually around 2 Lacs, only about 20 candidates are able to score 99-100 percentile. The difficulty level of CAT is the highest among all the MBA entrance exams in India. It is conducted for 2 hours and has 66 questions in total to solve. However, the difficulty level of all the questions from VARC DILR and Quantitative Aptitude is high. The VARC has tough and long Reading Comprehension passages. The Data Interpretation tables and charts are dense and calculation intensive. Logical Reasoning questions are also on the tougher side. Moreover, there is sectional time limit of 40 minutes for each section. Candidates have to complete a section in the given time limit only.
Begin with the basics
The key to excel in the Quantitative Aptitude section of CAT is to get the basics right. It is extremely important have conceptual clarity of QA topics and know the formulae by heart. Start by covering the CAT Quantitative Aptitude syllabus. Learn concepts thoroughly so that you can apply them to various types of Quantitative Aptitude questions with ease and speed. Once your concepts are clear, start attempting practice questions. Practice a large number and a variety of CAT Quantitative questions to gain control on all topics. Start by attempting easy questions first, and then move on to the difficult ones.
Also Read:
| Permutation and Combination | Probability | Simple Interest Formulae |
| Square Root and Cube Root | Mean, Mode, Median | Mensuration Formulae |
| Binomial Theorem | ||
Use shortcuts to solve CAT Quantitative Aptitude questions
Once you are confident of the concepts, switch to learning shortcuts of solving QA questions. Mental calculation is one of the best ways to solve Quants questions quickly. Work towards it. When attempting the questions, use shortcuts to reach the answer instead of using long methods. This will save time and will ensure accuracy.
Plan your CAT Quantitative Aptitude schedule
CAT Quantitative Aptitude requires a lot of practice, and creating a schedule is of utmost importance. Each topic of QA needs enough attention and time. Spread out the CAT syllabus equally so that do not miss out any important topic. One of the tricks here is to identify your weak areas and devote more time to that topic. Create a day-wise schedule and stick to it.
Attempt a range of CAT mock tests
There is nothing better than attempting previous years' CAT question papers and mocks tests as possible. The more you practice, the better you get! A mock test can help an individual analyse his/her performance in the section. This can help in assessing your shortcomings and which topics need practice.
Pay attention to CAT Quants sectional time limit
Time management plays an important role in CAT. The exam has sectional limit of 40 minutes for each section. While attempting mock tests, do not focus only on attempting the question. Focus on both speed and accuracy. It is advised to keep two minutes for every question in the CAT exam. In case it is taking more than two minutes to solve a particular question, it is advisable to move on to the next one.
CAT 2025 will be conducted on November 30, 2025 in three sessions. There is no change in the CAT Quants syllabus. Candidates appearing for the exam must keep the above mentioned points in mind while preparing for the Quant section. Regular practice and revision of important formulas can ensure a good score in CAT Quantitative Aptitude section.
| VARC preparation tips for MBA | DILR preparation tips for MBA |
Also Read:
- How To Prepare for CAT 2024: Preparation Tips & Strategies
- How to Prepare for CAT 2024 in 6 Months
- Best Books for CAT Preparation 2024
- CAT Preparation Tips by Toppers
- CAT Preparation Tips by Experts
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Aishwarya Bhatnagar
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