CAT Arithmetic Questions with Solutions PDF

Updated on Oct 14, 2026 16:28 IST

By Abhishek Dhawan, Deputy Manager - MBA & BBA Content

CAT Arithmetic questions are typically of moderate difficulty level. They have not been known to pose any sort of challenge to students in exams. Arithmetic forms the bulk of the Quantitative Aptitude section of CAT exam. Typically, 8-10 questions on arithmetic come every year. These questions are of multiple choice or type-in-the-answer type from the following topics – Averages, Mean Median Mode, Percentages, Ratio and Proportion, Simple and Compound Interest, Profit and Loss, Mixtures and Allegations, Time and Work, Time Speed and Distance. If your multiplication, division and percentage calculation skills are strong, then these topics won’t give you too much of trouble.

Take a look at some of the CAT arithmetic questions below. Solve them to assess your proficiency in this topic. You need to solve CAT Arithmetic questions every day as part of CAT 2026 preparation. Please also take a look at the CAT Arithmetic PDF Guide. The guide is available for free download and can be used for CAT 2026 Quantitative Aptitude Preparation.

Table of contents

CAT Arithmetic Sample Questions with Answers
CAT Arithmetic Topic Breakdown
CAT Arithmetic Weightage & Past Year Trends (CAT 2020 - 2025)
Important CAT Arithmetic Formulas
How to Prepare CAT Arithmetic Topics
FAQs on CAT Arithmetic

CAT Arithmetic Sample Questions with Answers

CAT Arithmetic Questions for Practice with Answers

Check below a few arithmetic questions of CAT exam level along with answers. Further below, we have provided a free downloadable PDF of CAT Arithmetic questions sets with solutions.

Question 1: There is an increment of 600 gm in the average weight of students in a class when some new students join the class. If the average weight of the new students is 3 kg more than the average weight of the old students, then what is the ratio of the number of old students to the number of new students?

a) 1:4

b) 1:2

c) 4:1

d) 3:1

Answer: 4:1

Question 2: Two trains A and B started simultaneously from stations X and Y, respectively. Both the trains move towards each other with their constant speeds. Train A travels from station X to station Y in 10 minutes, while train B travels from station Y to station X in 9 minutes after meeting train A. Then, what is the total time taken, in minutes, by train B to travel from station Y to station X?

a) 6

b) 15

c) 10

d) 12

Answer: 15

Question 3: Ankita bought 4 kg cashews, 14 kg peanuts, and 6 kg almonds when the cost of 7 kg cashews is equivalent to the cost of 30 kg peanuts or 9 kg almonds. She mixed all these nuts together and marked a price on the mixture in such a way that she can earn a profit of ₹1752. She sold 4 kg of the mixture at the marked price and sold the rest at a discount of 20%, earning a total profit of ₹744. Find the total amount, in rupees, that Ankita spends on buying almonds?

a) 1680

b) 1176

c) 2520

d) 1440

Answer: 1680

Question 4: A mixture of lemon juice and sugar syrup in equal proportion is taken and another mixture is formed by mixing the first mixture with sugar syrup in the ratio 1 : 3. Then find the ratio of the lemon juice and sugar syrup in the second mixture?

a) 1:4

b) 1:5

c) 1:6

d) 1:7

Answer: 1:7

Question 5: Average weight of 30 students is 42 kg. When a teacher joins, average rises to 44 kg. Find the teacher's weight.

a) 96 kg

b) 100 kg

c) 104 kg

d) 106 kg

Answer: 104 kg

Question 6: The difference between CI and SI on Rs. 5,000 for 2 years at 8% p.a. is:

a) Rs. 28

b) Rs. 32

c) Rs. 36

d) Rs. 40

Answer: Rs. 32

Question 7: A boat goes 30 km upstream in 3 hours and 28 km downstream in 2 hours. Find the speed of the stream.

a) 2 km/h

b) 3 km/h

c) 4 km/h

d) 5 km/h

Answer: 2 km/h

Question 8: How many natural numbers between 1 and 200 are divisible by 3 but not by 9?

a) 44

b) 45

c) 46

d) 48

Answer: 44

Practice CAT Arithmetic Questions: Master various types of Arithmetic questions for CAT exam.

CAT Arithmetic Practice Test PDF

CAT Arithmetic Topic Breakdown

When preparing for the CAT Arithmetic topics, aspirants must ensure they have complete clarity of the following concepts:

Percentages
Profit, Loss & Discount
Simple & Compound Interest (SI & CI)
Ratio and Proportion
Averages, Mixtures & Alligations
Time and Work
Time, Speed and Distance

Check: Shiksha CAT mock tests

Check out Shiksha CAT percentile predictor to evaluate your performance.

CAT Arithmetic Weightage & Past Year Trends (CAT 2020 - 2025)

Check the below table for the number of Arithmetic questions asked in the last few years in CAT exam.

CAT Exam Year	Number of Arithmetic Questions
CAT 2020	10
CAT 2021	10
CAT 2022	8
CAT 2023	7
CAT 2024	8
CAT 2025	8

Check out Shiksha CAT College Predictor to know which are the colleges you can get with your exam score.

Important CAT Arithmetic Formulas

Profit / Loss Percentage:

Profit% = (SP-CP/CP) X100
Loss% = (CP-SP/CP) X 100

Discount and Markup:

Discount = Marked price (MP) - Selling Price (SP)

MP/CP = 100+profit%
100-discount %

Dishonest Dealer Faulty Weights:

Profit % = (Time Value –False Value) x 100
False Value

Simple & Compound Interest

Simple Interest:

SI = PxRxT | Amount (A) = P +SI
100
Compound Interest:

A= P (1+R/100)^T| CI = A-P

Download the CAT Arithmetic Study Guide PDF shared above on this page for complete list of formulas.

How to Prepare CAT Arithmetic Topics

Arithmetic is easier than Algebra and Geometry both in terms of theory and practice. Candidates can master CAT Arithmetic questions by practicing sample questions of various difficulty levels. Here’s what you should do:

First of all, study all the Arithmetic topics in detail. Study from How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for CAT by Arun Sharma
Memorise important formulae and concepts of each Arithmetic sub topic
Practice various sample CAT questions. Use recommended question banks for Arithmetic
Solve all the Arithmetic questions asked in CAT exam in last five year. Refer previous years’ CAT question papers for the same.

*Refer the downloadable PDF given above for detailed assistance.

Also Read: CAT 2026 quant strategy to score 25 marks and get 95 percentile

FAQs on CAT Arithmetic

Check below a few Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on CAT Arithmetic preparation:

Q: How many questions are asked from Arithmetic in CAT?

Usually about 7-8 questions are asked from Arithmetic in CAT exam. It is a high scoring topic as maximum questions are doable.

Q: Is Arithmetic important for CAT Quantitative Aptitude?

Yes, Arithmetic section is the most important topic of CAT Quantitative Aptitude as it carries maximum weightage in this section and the questions are mostly easy to crack.

Q: Which is the best book or resource for CAT Arithmetic?

To prepare for CAT Arithmetic section, refer to Class 9 and 10 NCERT Math books. These books will help you recap fundamental concepts and formulae. For advance level questions, refer Arum Sharma and Nishit Sinha books recommended for CAT quantitative aptitude preparation.