CAT Quant | CAT Quantitative Aptitude | CAT Quantitative Ability

Table of Contents

CAT Quantitative Ability (QA) Marking Scheme
CAT QA Syllabus
CAT QA Section: Key Trends from 2021-2024
Strategy and Preparation Tips for QA
Sample Papers for CAT Quantitative Ability
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The Quantitative Ability section holds a crucial weight in The Common Admission Test, commonly known as CAT. Other than QA, the CAT exam has two sections: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) and Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) Sections. Many aspirants are skeptical when it comes to attempting Mathematical questions in QA, however, in order to get admission in your dream Indian Institute of Management (IIMs) or B-Schools, cracking the code to Quantitative Ability is a must!

An Important Note: The CAT 2025 exam will be held on November 30, 2025. The registrations are open now and will continue through September 13, 2025. Admit cards will be available to download from November 5, 2025 onwards.

1. CAT Quantitative Ability (QA) Section Marking Scheme

The Quantitative Ability (QA) Section is the aspirant's last fight on the day of the CAT exam. The section has 22 questions imposed with sectional timing of 40 minutes. For information on how these questions are divided and marked, refer the table below:

Question Type	Correct Answer	Incorrect Answer	Negative Marking
Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs)	+3 marks	-1 mark	Yes
Type in the Answer (TITA)	+3 marks	0 marks	No

2. CAT QA Syllabus

Many individuals who aspire to appear for CAT get overwhelmed on learning about a section that contains Mathematics. However, while QA is meant to test the candidate’s mathematical aptitude and problem solving skills, the syllabus is often limited to Class 10 syllabus. Furthermore, the CAT 2025 QA section is formulated to test a candidate's mathematical aptitude, ability to handle and solve numerical data under a restricted time frame. In order to ace this section, it is vital that the candidate has some level of concept clarity and can implement those while solving questions.

CAT Quantitative Ability has a wide spectrum of syllabus from arithmetic to advanced concepts. The section’s most popular topics (as observed through years) are mentioned below:

CATEGORY	TOPICS COVERED
Arithmetic	Percentages, Profit and Loss, Simple and Compound Interest, Ratio and Proportion, Time and Work, Time, Speed and Distance, Averages, Mixtures and Alligations
Algebra	Linear and Quadratic Equations, Progressions (AP, GP, HP), Logarithms, Polynomials, Inequalities, Functions
Geometry	Coordinate Geometry, Areas, Volumes, 3D Geometry, Lines, Angles, Triangles, Circles, Polygons
Number System	Divisibility, Factors, Multiples, Remainders, Base Systems, LCM, HCF
Modern Math	Probability, Permutations and Combinations, Set Theory, Sequences and Series

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Now that you have understood the syllabus, Hitbullseye recommends that you waste no time when it comes to stop fearing Mathematics. In order to build confidence, it is wise to start immediately! Click on the link below to download the CAT Quantitative Ability Mockbook, specially curated for aspirants!

3. CAT QA Section: Key Trends from 2021-2024

Since 2021, the CAT QA has been uniform with a total of 22 questions dedicated to this section. However, every year, the difficulty level has been critical to that year, with direct attention on arithmetic, algebra and geometry.

Additionally, arithmetic has dominated the QA section, taking up the 50-60% of the questions. Algebra and Geometry have been recurring with the former gaining more attention over the years. TITA bracket has remained between 3-6 questions in this section.

Take a look at CAT QA Section’s Key Trends over the last five years with the help of the table below:

Year	Difficulty Level	Dominant Topics	Question Analysis	TITA Questions	Good Attempt
2021	Moderate	Arithmetic Algebra Geometry	14 Arithmetic 5 Algebra 3 Geometry	5-6	14-16
2022	Moderate to tough	Arithmetic Algebra Number System	12 Arithmetic 6 Algebra 2 Geometry 2 Number System	4-5	13-15
2023	Tough	Algebra Arithmetic Modern Math	10 Algebra 8 Arithmetic 2 Geometry 2 Modern Math	3-4	12-14
2024	Moderate	Arithmetic Algebra Geometry	13 Arithmetic 5 Algebra 3 Geometry 1 Number System	4	14-16

4. Strategy and Preparation Tips for QA

In an ideal situation, every CAT aspirant is expected to start working on their Quantitative Aptitude almost a year before the anticipated exam date. Those who hold the vision to excel must master the ability to calculate questions quickly through shortcut techniques. Following points can help you secure CAT QA section through efficient problem solving strategies:

Before learning any shortcuts, it is imperative that the aspirant builds fundamental concept clarity. Pick up the most basic resources like the class 9-10 NCERT books to revisit arithmetic, algebra and geometry topics.
To crack this section, experts recommend that the aspirant becomes familiar with some shortcut techniques like vedic maths, percentage-to-fraction conversions, algebra and approximation methods among others to speed up calculations. Find what works for you!
Since arithmetic and algebra have been the two topics shining through the recent years, the aspirant can smartly prioritize practice topics like percentages, linear equations, time and work daily.
Take at least 5 mock tests every week to stimulate the exam environment. Then, make sure to spend some time and analyze mistakes to identify your weaknesses and strengths.
Make it inevitable to take up 25 QA questions everyday. Focus on building speed and accuracy over time by solving a mix of 8-12 arithmetic, 6-8 algebra, and 3-5 geometry or modern math questions.
Bonus Tip! Attempt all the TITA questions without fail. There is no negative marking, thus making it safe to test luck, but logically!

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Now that you have those strategies mugged up subconsciously, waste no time in implementing those! Take this Free CAT QA Sectional Mock Test to make quant your strength!

CAT QA Sectional Test	Take Actual Test
CAT QA Sectional Test

5. Sample Papers for CAT Quantitative Ability
Practicing sample papers is crucial for any CAT aspirant. In order to familiarize yourself with the exam question types and difficulty level. It is important to mock the exam environment. Identify your strengths to beat time! The more QA sectional mock tests you practice, the more you will build on your confidence.

Download the FREE Sectional Sample Papers below and master CAT QA!

CAT QA practice paper

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Sample paper - I

Sample paper - II

Sample paper - III

Sample paper - VI

Sample paper - V

6. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How many questions are there in the CAT 2025 QA Section?

A: The CAT 2025 QA section has 22 questions along with sectional timing of 40 minutes.

What is the marking scheme for the QA Section?

A: Correct answers amount to +3 marks; incorrect MCQs deduct -1 mark. TITA questions do not have negative marking.

What topics are covered in the CAT QA syllabus?

A: The syllabus is vast but dominated by topics like Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, Number System and Modern Math.

How can I prepare for CAT QA?

A: Start by emphasizing arithmetic and algebra questions. Practice shortcuts, take sectional mocks. Look back to analyze mistakes and improve time management.