Abhishek
Abhishek Dhawan
Assistant Manager – Editorial Content
Updated on Jul 28, 2025 13:50 IST

Quantitative Skills or the Mathematics and Data Interpretation section is one of the crucial areas of the NMAT exam. This article of Shiksha brings a detailed preparation strategy for the Quantitative Skills section of the NMAT exam.

NMAT Quantitative Skill Preparation

NMAT Quantitative Skill Preparation: GMAC compiles questions from three sections, including the Quantitative Skill section, to design the NMAT exam. With more than 90,000 candidates taking NMAT exam every year, NMAT is among the most sought-after MBA entrance exam for admission in India. Although NMAT is a student-friendly exam, candidates must not take the preparation lightly. The difficulty standards of the NMAT exam is at par with some of the toughest MBA entrance exams. Therefore, candidates can not get away with minimal preparation.

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Quantitative Skill section of the NMAT exam is among the toughest section. Therefore, candidates must provide extra effort while preparing for this section. Test takers find the NMAT Quantitative Skill section among the most time-consuming section. This article of Shiksha brings a detailed preparation plan for NMAT Quantitative Skills section.

Q:   What is the difficulty level of NMAT exam?
A:

The NMAT exam is conducted for MBA admission across multiple B -schools across India and abroad. Based on feedback from test takers of the past exam sessions, test takers found the exam to be moderate to tough in terms of difficulty standards. If compared with other MBA entrance exams, NMAT is comparatively easy as the candidates have the liberty to appear for the test three times and use the best scores for admission. Additionally, candidates can schedule the exam based on his/her convinience.

However, the level of difficulty can vary from year to year. Success in any entrance exam ultimately depends on the candidate's preparation and performance on the exam day.

Q:   How do I prepare for the NMAT?
A:

You may be eligible for admission to the best management colleges in India and abroad based on your NMAT score. Therefore, performing well on this exam becomes essential. You can use the following expert strategy to clear the NMAT:

  1. Before beginning your preparation, familiarize yourself with the NMAT's syllabus and exam format.
  2. Create a schedule to finish the NMAT syllabus.
  3. Choosing the best books and study materials to cover the NMAT syllabus
  4. To prepare for the Language section, concentrate on vocabulary since it is a key element of this section.
  5. Develop reading habits and conceptual clarity in grammar to perform well on the language section.
  6. Basic concepts should be conceptually clear and practiced in order to prepare the quantitative section.
  7. You should practice a lot of questions on arrangements and puzzles in order to do well on the logical reasoning section.
  8. Before the exam, go over all crucial ideas, calculations, and theorems several times.
  9. Start practicing mock tests and previous year's questions one month before the exam.
  10. Analysing mock results will help you continuously raise your score over time.
Q:   How can I prepare for the CAT and NMAT simultaneously?
A:

The sections in CAT and NMAT exam are on similar lines. The space below mentions the similarities in the syllabus and exam sections:

  1. Quantitative Aptitude in CAT and Quantitative Skills in NMAT: The Quantitative Aptitude section of the CAT and the Quantitative Skills section of the NMIMS Management Aptitude Test are both based on very similar topics. If the candidates prepare for the Quantitative Aptitude section of the Common Admission Test, which requires knowledge of higher-level topics, they can easily solve the Quantitative Skills section of the NMIMS Management Aptitude Test since the same foundation topics are covered thoroughly in the Common Admission Test preparation.
  2. DILR in CAT and logical reasoning in NMAT: The DILR section in the Common Admission Test exam is a combination of data interpretation and logical reasoning, whereas, in the NMIMS Management Aptitude Test, the section is solely logical reasoning. These two sections of the respective exams are different from the other sections. As a result, anyone hoping to pass the NMAT by GMAC should devote enough time to studying for the reasoning section of the exam, as the syllabus covered in the CAT-D section will not suffice. 
  3. VARC in CAT and Language Skills in NMAT: The VARC section of the Common Admission Test combined verbal ability and reading comprehension. Reading comprehension in Common Admission Test usually comes with tricky passages, whereas the passages in NMAT are relatively straightforward. Vocabulary- and grammar-based questions have more weight in the Language Skills section of the NMIMS Management Aptitude Test. However, the CAT VA will include reasoning-based questions. Students who want to prepare for NMIMS Management Aptitude Test and Common Admission Test at the same time must pay close attention to the Language Skills section of the NMIMS Management Aptitude Test after the Logical Reasoning section.
Table of content
  • Components of Quantitative Skills
  • Best Books for NMAT Quantitative Skills Preparation
  • Preparation Tips for NMAT Quantitative Skills Section

Components of Quantitative Skills

In the old exam pattern of NMAT, the Quantitative Skills section carried the highest weightage, which was 48 out of 120 questions. From the previous examination session, all the sections of NMAT by GMAC has equal weightage of 36 questions each in all the sections. The quantitative Skills section carries questions from topics including Data Sufficiency and Data Interpretation as well. Following are the common topics of the Quantitative Skills section of the NMAT exam:

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  • Number System

  • Algebra

  • Percentage

  • Profit & Loss

  • Geometry

  • Mensuration

  • Permutation and Combination

  • Simple and Compound Interest

  • Ratio and Proportion

  • Alligations and Mixtures

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Best Books for NMAT Quantitative Skills Preparation

Some of the most commonly referred books for NMAT preparation for the Quantitative Skills section are as follows:

Books

Authors

Quantitative Aptitude for CAT

Arun Sharma

Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations

R.S. Aggarwal

How to prepare for Data Interpretation for CAT

Arun Sharma

The Pearson Guide to Quantitative Aptitude

Dinesh Khattar

Quantitative Aptitude Quantum CAT

Sarvesh K Verma

Also Read: Best Books For NMAT Preparation

Preparation Tips for NMAT Quantitative Skills Section

Get familiar with questions and topics: First and foremost, it is important to get well abreast of the question types commonly asked in NMAT. For this, refer to past five to six years of NMAT question papers and solve the questions to analyse your present preparation level and decide the preparation strategy accordingly.

Select topics to go ahead with: By now, you must have realised your strengths and weaknesses. This is high time for you to zero down on the topics you are absolutely confident about in the Quantitative Skills section. Make sure that you prepare these topics in such a way that you are able to solve even the toughest questions from these areas with complete accuracy. For doing that, you need to combine your preparation with theoretical understanding as well as practice.

Q:   Which is the best book of logical reasoning and data interpretation for the CAT XAT NMAT MAT and SNAP exams?
A:
A list of the best Books on Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation for the CAT XAT NMAT MAT and SNAP exams is mentioned below: 1- Logical and Analytical Reasoning by Ashok Gupta. 2- Logical Reasoning by Arihant. 3- The Great Book of Puzzles & Teasers by George J Summer. 4- A Modern Approach to Logical Reasoning by RS Aggarwal. 5- How To Prepare Logical Reasoning for CAT by Arun Sharma. 6- Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation for CAT by Nishit K Sinha. 7- Nishit Sinha's The Pearson Guide to Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation. 8- How to prepare for Logical Reasoning for the CAT by Arun Sharma. 9- How to prepare for Data Interpretation for the CAT XAT NMAT etc. By Arun Sharma. 10- How to prepare for Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning for CAT by Arun Sharma. I hope this will help you.

Mock tests and practice: Take at least two to three NMAT mock tests weekly and get them analysed by an expert or your mentor. Follow the expert advice to modify your preparation process. After completing each chapter, solve the practice papers to encounter each question types and difficulty level.

Smart Tricks and Shortcuts: Speed is crucial for a test like NMAT. Moreover, since there is no negative marking scheme, you may tend to attempt all 32 questions, but remember that you will get only 52 minutes for this section. Hence, manage your time effectively by spending as less time per question as possible. For this, work out on smart tricks and short cuts which will not only save your time but will also ensure accuracy. Focus on methods of approximations, mental calculations and eliminations.

Maintain Handbook of Formulae and Tricks: Quantitative Skills or Mathematics is all about applying the right formula and question-solving technique. After completing each chapter, make notes on the important points, formulae, tips and tricks. This will help you in last-minute revision.

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About the Author
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Abhishek Dhawan
Assistant Manager – Editorial Content
With a creative soul, Abhishek is inclined towards anything in the creative space be it drawing, painting, craft, or writing. He has been working in the ed-tech industry since he started his career. Besides creative Read Full Bio
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