CAT Quant (QA): topics and how to prepare

What is QA in CAT?

QA tests school-level maths applied in CAT-style problems. Unlike VARC and DILR, it has no passages or sets. Every question stands alone, so you can skip one and move to the next. The official 2026 mock has 22 QA questions, 14 MCQ and 8 TITA, worth 66 marks.

QA comes last, after 80 minutes of other work. Plan for that when you practise.

Which topics come in CAT QA, and how many questions each?

These counts are from coaching analyses and they disagree with each other by one to three questions per topic. Some of their own tables do not add up cleanly. Use them as a rough guide, not as an exact map.

Modern maths here means permutation and combination, probability, sets and sequences. Rough weightage for planning, from the same coaching analyses: arithmetic 35 to 40 percent, algebra 20 to 35 percent, geometry about 14 percent, number system 5 to 18 percent and modern maths 5 to 18 percent. Indicative only. CAT has no official syllabus, as the CAT syllabus page explains.

How to prepare for CAT Quant, topic by topic

The advice below is general prep advice, not a claim about what the IIMs will ask.

Arithmetic

It is the largest block in every year we checked, so it pays to be fast here. Cover percentages, profit and loss, ratio and proportion, time and work, time, speed and distance, averages, mixtures and interest. Learn to set up a question in one line, and to use the on-screen calculator only when needed.

Algebra

Linear and quadratic equations, inequalities, functions, logarithms, surds and indices, and progressions. Practise forming equations from word problems, and testing answer options instead of solving when that is quicker.

Geometry and mensuration

Triangles, circles, polygons, coordinate geometry and the area and volume of common solids. Keep a short list of formulas and redo it often. Draw every figure.

Number system

Factors, remainders, divisibility, base systems and the last digits of powers. Questions are short, and a clear rule often solves them.

Modern maths

Counting, probability, sets and sequences. These need careful reading more than calculation. The share has moved between years, so do not skip it.

How to approach TITA and MCQ in QA

A wrong MCQ costs 1 mark and a correct one earns 3. A TITA has no negative marks, and the answer is a whole number typed on the on-screen keypad. The marking is on the CAT exam pattern page.

• On a TITA, always enter your best answer, even a partial guess. It costs nothing.
• On an MCQ, a guess is worth it only if you can drop at least one option for a reason.
• For an MCQ, check the options before you solve. Substituting an option is often quicker than solving.
• For a TITA, check that your answer is a whole number. If you get a fraction, you probably made a slip.
• Make two passes. In the first, take the questions you can do in about two minutes. In the second, return to the longer ones.

Try this under timed conditions with our free sample mock. After it, the percentile predictor can turn your score into an estimate. For a study plan across all three sections, see CAT preparation.

Take free CAT mock 1 (full length)

Last checked 8 Nov 2026. Found an error? Tell us and it goes on the errata page.