How to prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for CAT with

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The QA section requires a lot of practise, so in order to free up more time for practising, you
should use all small, straightforward techniques to increase speed and decrease errors.

The quantitative ability section of CAT aims to test three things namely- numerical
ability, mathematical skills and problem-solving skills.
In general, the questions in the quantitative ability section of the CAT are related to
elementary mathematics.
In order to score good marks and clear the CAT cutoff, one needs to be completely
acquainted with the fundamental concepts of solving questions.

All the toppers recommend the LPA strategy – Learn, Practice & Analyse to score
the maximum marks in the QA section. 

Step 0: Understanding the Exam Pattern and Syllabus for CAT

In CAT preparation, what and how much to learn is equally important. You can work
hard, hustle, and put in the hours but the magic happens when you aim to perfect your
skills beforehand.

Understand Exam Pattern First: Out of 76 questions in the CAT exam, Quant
Section consists of 26 questions, and 6-8 questions in the section will be Non-MCQ
type (without negative marking).
Recent Trends: IIMs have started giving more emphasis on Arithmetic questions
in the CAT entrance exam syllabus to promote diversity. While a maximum of 10-14
questions are from Arithmetic, 8-10 questions are from Algebra, and 3-5 questions
are from topics like Geometry, Number systems, and Modern Math. You can find
the number of questions with their weightage in the exam given below:

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 CAT Syllabus: There's no defined syllabus of CAT but EduRev team has done
exhaustive research from previous year papers & best books recommended by the
toppers and have compiled the detailed CAT syllabus, you can check the syllabus
here

CAT Syllabus Topics in Quant Section (with links):

1. Algebra:  Algebra, Linear Equations, Quadratic Equations, Inequalities, Functions,

Progressions
2. Arithmetic: Ratio and Proportion, Percentages, Profit and Loss, Interest (Simple
and Compound), Mixtures and Allegations, Ratios, Mixtures, Averages, Speed,
Time, Distance, Pipes Cisterns & Time work.
3. Number System: LCM and HCF, Number System, Logarithm, Surds and Indices
4. Geometry: Trigonometry, Coordinate Geometry, Geometry/Mensuration
5. Modern Math: Permutations and Combination, Probability, Set Theory

Step 1: Start with attempting Previous Year Papers

It is highly recommended to attempt Previous Year Papers (PYQs) and a Mock test
for the first 2-3 weeks to understand the type of CAT questions, their composition,
subjects/topics which are being asked, and their format.
It is recommended to go for a source that gives you Topicwise questions from
previous year's papers. So that you can have a complete understanding of each topic
and the type of questions asked. You can find these in a course of  Topic-wise Past
Year Questions for CATon EduRev. 
You can get the last 10 years of the CAT exam from here: Previous Year Papers
(PYQs).

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 You can also refer to the past years' questions of Quant from the CAT, XAT, and
SNAP here.

Step 2: Prepare each topic according to its importance

Since you have seen the trends of the CAT exam above, you know that there are
certain chapters that come more frequently than others. You should spend more
time learning and more importantly practicing Algebra, Linear Equations,
Quadratic Equations, Ratio and Proportion, Averages, Speed, Time, Distance, LCM
and HCF, Number System, and Geometry/Mensuration.
Though it is not recommended to leave any topic in your preparation you can
definitely cover only important formulas in less asked chapters. EduRev gives you
well-explained documents that cover the important formulas of each chapter.

Giving your learnings some time: You have to give time to what you have studied. It is not
advised to read too much in one day. Also, the concepts that you have studied today, takes
time to come natural to you while using them in solving questions.

Step 2.1: Perfect your Concepts through Video Lectures & Detailed Notes
You should refer to a single source of notes & video lectures that will help you to
strengthen the concepts and understand the same topic from a different
perspective. 
This will give you a fair idea of the Quantitative Aptitude section and will help you to
keep things in mind for a longer period of time.
Regular revisions through notes and video lectures can help strengthen the basics
and boost one’s confidence in the subject. You can get topic-wise notes & video
lectures in the Quantitative Ability course on EduRev, available on this link
However, if you're a beginner & think that you need to work on your basic
mathematic skills and have ample amount of time for the same, we recommend
studying the basic NCERTs through this Mathematics NCERTs for CAT course
on EduRev.

Step 2.2: Work on Shortcut Techniques

On how to prepare for the CAT quantitative ability, the very first thing that comes to
mind is - How to solve the questions accurately in such a limited time. Hence, in
order to focus on time management for CAT, you must try to find ways of solving
questions in a simplified yet rapid manner. 
It is important to understand and know which formula to apply to which question to
solve it accurately and without letting go of time.

Step 2.3: Practice topic-wise tests

Once the conceptual clarity of each topic is there, you must start practicing and
solving more and more questions. Solving simple examples at first and then
gradually moving toward the difficult questions would be helpful.
You can prepare these topics by giving topic-wise tests for Arithmetic, Number
systems, Geometry, Algebra, Modern Maths etc on EduRev

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Step 3: Focus on Weak Areas

After you have attempted tests, you need to analyze your tests and work on your
weak areas
For this, give a few sectional tests (your weaker section) from here on EduRev.
After a few of them, you will figure out which questions are easy to solve, and which
are the hard ones. Now you need to categorize them into easy, medium, and hard. 
EduRev algorithms also do this for you by categorizing the questions into easy,
medium, and hard levels on the solutions page. It helps you to analyze if you are
wasting time on hard questions or if you are getting the easy ones wrong.
An analysis report is created at the end of each exam, which not only tells you all the
questions you attempted right and wrong, but it also compares the time taken by
you to attempt each question with the average time taken by other students. This
analysis helps you not only improve your accuracy but also your speed, which is
equally important in CAT.  You can also see your progress in a particular area by
applying a course and time filter.

In the last few days, try to solve questions with a higher difficulty level. However, if
they are still giving you a hard time then leave them and focus on solving the easy
one in less time.
To practice questions of a certain level of difficulty, you can make use of our
dynamic tests, which allow you to create a test for yourself, here you can select the
number of questions, the topic, the time, and the level of difficulty.
During the exam, read every question but leave questions that are your weak
points. Don’t waste your time solving them as they will eat up the time which you
could have spent on other questions. The key here is to not skip a question even if it
is from your weak topic, read every question- it might be an easy one.

Step 4: Set a timer for your Sectional Practice

CAT will have sectional timing of 40 minutes to answer one section. As a solution to
"How to Prepare for CAT Quantitative Ability (QA)," you should try to solve the
entire section by keeping an eye on the time. 
Better to move ahead of time as having a buffer time of a minimum of 5 to 10
minutes will leave room for revision on the exam day. CAT toppers suggest that you
should mark important questions and concepts in order to have a quick revision
during the final leg.
. 

Step 5: Solve a lot of Full Mock Tests

It is important to work on the attempt rate first, that is, the number of questions you are
able to attend in the given time, and then focus on improving your accuracy.

You would encounter 2 types of questions: 

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 1. Questions already seen or solved: These are the questions you have already
seen or solved in mock tests or practice. You need to attempt these questions in the
first attempt.
2. Tricky questions: These are questions in which a tricky component is present.
Here you might be able to understand most of the questions, but one part of it
would take time to solve. Attempt these questions in the second attempt.

The framing and language of the questions asked in CAT are the same almost every year,
and once you start giving a lot of tests, this trigger starts becoming repetitive. Being used
to the language can help you remain calm during the exam.

You can practice CAT mocks from the EduRev Platform with a time limit.
Analyzing is very important after every test, EduRev automatically analyzes your
results for you based on speed and accuracy.

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