CAT Quant Formulas 2026: Topic-wise QA Formula Sheet (Free PDF Downloads)

CAT Quant formulas are the core rules and shortcut identities you need to solve the Quantitative Aptitude (QA) section of the Common Admission Test. They include percentage and profit-loss formulas, compound interest, algebraic identities, logarithm rules and coordinate geometry. CAT 2026 is on Sunday, November 29, 2026, and is conducted by IIM Indore. That leaves you about five weeks to make these formulas automatic.

Speed matters because the QA section gives you 22 questions in 40 minutes, about 1 minute 49 seconds per question, with only a basic on-screen calculator. In CAT 2025, Arithmetic alone made up 7–9 questions in every slot, followed by Algebra. That means formulas like SP = CP × (100 + Profit%)/100 and Average speed = 2xy/(x + y) should come to you without thinking. The payoff is real: CAT 2025 analyses estimated that 9–13 correct-heavy attempts at roughly 80–85% accuracy were enough for a 95+ QA percentile, depending on the slot.

Below you'll find the most-tested CAT Quant formulas, arranged topic-wise:

• Number System
• Arithmetic
• Algebra
• Geometry & Mensuration
• Modern Math

You'll also find free PDF formula sheets and a revision plan you can follow until exam day.

Download FREE Study Material for CAT 2026 by Supergrads

Download Important CAT Quant Formula Sheets PDF Below

How to use this formula sheet: Revise once every week + once before every mock. During analysis, tag 3–5 formulas you forgot and revise only those daily for 7 days.

Tip: Don’t just memorise - solve 5–10 questions per topic to lock the formula into application.

Number System Formula PDF	Download Now
Arithmetic Formula PDF	Download Now
Time, Speed & Distance Formula PDF	Download Now
CAT Geometry Formula Sheet PDF	Download Now

Why Are CAT 2026 Quant Formulas Important? 

CAT is not just about solving questions correctly. You also need to solve them quickly and avoid silly mistakes. This is where knowing the right CAT Quant formulas can help. They can:

• Save time on calculations
• Help you avoid common mistakes
• Make tricky questions easier to approach
• Improve your speed and confidence

Read more & Click to download QA Cheat Sheet

Which CAT Quant Formulas Are Most Important?

The highest-value formulas are in Arithmetic, which made up the largest share of QA questions in CAT 2025. These include percentage change, successive percentage change, profit-loss-discount, simple and compound interest, time-speed-distance and time-work. The next most important are Algebra formulas: quadratic roots, AP/GP sums and logarithm rules. After those come Number System rules such as factor counts and remainders.

Important CAT Quant Formulas List 2026

1.  Number System Formulas

Number of Factors: If N = p^a × q^b × r^c (prime factorisation), N has (a + 1)(b + 1)(c + 1) factors. Example: 72 = 2³ × 3², so it has 4 × 3 = 12 factors.

Trailing Zeros in n!: ⌊n/5⌋ + ⌊n/25⌋ + ⌊n/125⌋ + … Example: 100! has 20 + 4 = 24 trailing zeros.

HCF and LCM of Fractions:

• HCF = HCF of numerators ÷ LCM of denominators
• LCM = LCM of numerators ÷ HCF of denominators

Here is the important CAT Quant Tricks and Formulas list for Number System:

• 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + … + n = n(n + 1)/2
• (1² + 2² + 3² + ….. + n²) = n ( n + 1 ) (2n + 1) / 6
• (1³ + 2³ + 3³ + ….. + n³) = (n(n + 1)/ 2)²
• Sum of the first n odd numbers = n²
• Sum of first n even numbers = n (n + 1)

2. Algebra Formulas

Quadratic Equation ax² + bx + c = 0:

• Roots = (−b ± √(b² − 4ac)) / 2a
• Sum of roots = −b/a
• Product of roots = c/a
• Roots are real when b² − 4ac ≥ 0

Arithmetic Progression (AP):

• nth term = a + (n − 1)d
• Sum of n terms = n/2 × [2a + (n − 1)d]

Geometric Progression (GP):

• nth term = arⁿ⁻¹
• Sum of n terms = a(rⁿ − 1)/(r − 1), for r ≠ 1
• Infinite sum = a/(1 − r), for |r| < 1

Here is the list of all the quant formulas for the CAT exam 2026:

• (a–b)² = (a² + b² – 2ab)
• (a + b)² = (a² + b² + 2ab)
• (a + b)(a – b) = (a² – b²)
• (a + b + c)² = a² + b² + c² + 2(ab + bc + ca)
• (a³ – b³) = (a – b)(a² + ab + b²)
• (a³ + b³) = (a + b)(a² – ab + b²)
• (a³ + b³ + c³ – 3abc) = (a + b + c)(a² + b² + c² – ab – bc – ac)
• When a + b + c = 0, then a³ + b³ + c³ = 3abc
• (a + b)n = an + (nC1)an-1 b + (nC2)an-2 b² + … + (nCn-1)abn-1 + bn

Check: How to prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for CAT exam?

3. LCM and HCF Formulas

Another important section of the Quantitative Aptitude is LCM and HCF. Here is the CAT Quant Tricks and Formulas list that you should be aware of:

• LCM × HCF = Product of the numbers
• LCM of co-prime numbers = Product of the numbers

4.  Percentages Formulas

Successive percentage change: If a value changes by a% and then by b%, the net change is a + b + (ab/100)%. Use negative values for decreases. For example, a 20% rise followed by a 10% fall gives 20 − 10 − 2 = 8% net increase.

y is what % of x: (y/x) × 100 — most-used conversion

Increase N by S%: N(1 + S/100) — growth/hike

Decrease N by S%: N(1 - S/100) — discount/decline

Why are percentages important in CAT?

Percentages are used across multiple topics like profit & loss, SI-CI, and ratios. A strong grasp of percentages helps solve many questions quickly.

Read more: Algebra Topics for CAT

5. Averages Formulas

• Average = (Sum of observations/Number of observations)

6.  Profit, Loss, and Discount Formulas

Here are the important CAT quant formulas for profit, loss and discount

Profit: SP - CP

Loss: CP - SP

Profit %: (Profit/CP) × 100

Loss %: (Loss/CP) × 100

SP (Profit%): CP × (100 + Profit%)/100

SP (Loss%): CP × (100 - Loss%)/100

MP from SP & Discount%: MP = SP × 100 / (100 - Discount%)

Are profit & loss questions easy in CAT?

They are moderate in difficulty but can become tricky when combined with percentages and ratios. Practice helps in mastering them.

Read More: SuperGrads CAT Toppers Interview

7. Speed, Time and Distance Formulas

Here are the important CAT quant formulas for speed, time and distance

Speed: Distance / Time

Distance: Speed × Time

Time: Distance / Speed

Relative speed (same direction): |A - B|

Relative speed (opposite direction): A + B

Average speed (equal distances): (2xy)/(x + y)

How to solve TSD questions quickly?

Use shortcut formulas and practice problems involving relative speed and average speed concepts

Download Maths Mantra Formula Booklet by Supergrads

8. Time and Work Formulas

Here are the important CAT Quant Tricks and Formulas for time and work:

• Work = Rate × Time
• Efficiency ∝ 1/Time
• If A does a work in x days, then A’s 1 day work = 1/x
• Combined Work = A’s work/day + B’s work/day
• Total Time = (Product of days) / (Sum of days)

9. Simple and Compound Interest Formulas

Here are the important formulas for simple and compound interest:

• SI = (P × R × T) / 100
• CI = P(1 + R/100)^T - P
• Amount = P(1 + R/100)^T

Know More | How Many Times CAT Exam is Conducted in a Year

10. Logarithm Formulas

Here are the important CAT quant formulas for logarithms

• log(ab) = log a + log b
• log(a/b) = log a - log b
• log(a^b) = b log a
• log_a a = 1
• log_a 1 = 0
• Change of base: log_b a = log_c a / log_c b

11. Probability Formulas

Here are the important formulas for probability:

• Probability = (Favourable Outcomes) / (Total Outcomes)
• 0 ≤ Probability ≤ 1
• P(A or B) = P(A) + P(B) - P(A and B)
• P(A and B) = P(A) × P(B), if A and B are independent

12. Permutations & Combinations Formulas

• ⁿP_r = n! / (n − r)!
• ⁿC_r = n! / [r!(n − r)!]
• ⁿC_r = ⁿC_n−r
• Circular arrangements of n distinct objects = (n − 1)!

13. Surds and Indices Formulas

Here are the important CAT quant formulas for surds and indices:

• a^m × a^n = a^(m + n)
• (a^m)/(a^n) = a^(m - n)
• (a^m)^n = a^(mn)
• a^0 = 1
• √a × √b = √(ab)
• √a / √b = √(a/b)

Practice with CAT Mensuration Questions

14. Mixtures and Alligations Formulas

Here are the important formulas for mixtures and alligations:

• Average Value = (Sum of quantities × value) / Total quantity
• Alligation Rule:
  (High - Mean) (Mean - Low) = Ratio of Quantities

Check: Venn Diagram Practice Questions for CAT 2026

15. Trigonometry Formulas

Here are the important CAT quant formulas for trigonometry:

• sin²θ + cos²θ = 1
• tanθ = sinθ / cosθ
• cotθ = 1 / tanθ
• Basic Angles:

sin 0° = 0, sin 30° = 1/2, sin 45° = 1/√2, sin 60° = √3/2, sin 90° = 1

Find: Practice with CAT Trigonometry Questions

16. Geometry & Mensuration Formulas

Triangles:

• Area = ½ × base × height
• Heron's Formula: Area = √[s(s − a)(s − b)(s − c)], where s = (a + b + c)/2
• Equilateral Triangle: Area = (√3/4)a²
• Pythagoras: a² + b² = c²

Polygons: Sum of interior angles of an n-sided polygon = (n − 2) × 180°

Circles: Area = πr², Circumference = 2πr

Cylinder: Volume = πr²h, Curved surface area = 2πrh

Cone: Volume = ⅓πr²h, Curved surface area = πrl

Sphere: Volume = (4/3)πr³, Surface area = 4πr²

Cube: Volume = a³, Surface area = 6a²

17. Coordinate Geometry Formulas

Here are the important CAT quant formulas for coordinate geometry:

• Distance between (x1, y1) and (x2, y2) = √[(x2 - x1)² + (y2 - y1)²]
• Midpoint = ((x1 + x2)/2, (y1 + y2)/2)
• Slope of line = (y2 - y1)/(x2 - x1)
• Equation of line: y = mx + c
• Area of triangle = ½ |x1(y2 - y3) + x2(y3 - y1) + x3(y1 - y2)|

Is geometry scoring in CAT?

Yes, geometry can be scoring if you understand concepts and practise regularly. Visualising problems correctly is key to solving them efficiently.

Click Here: Download CAT Arithmetic questions PDF with Solutions

Which topic is most important in CAT QA?

Arithmetic is considered the most important as it carries the highest weightage in most CAT exams and forms the base for other topics.

Check: Geometry Formulas for CAT 2026

Essential CAT Quant Question Papers for Practice

Knowing the formulas is only half the job. You also need to practise them on actual CAT questions. Start with the CAT 2020 question paper to understand the type of Quant questions asked in the exam.

Next, solve the CAT 2021 question paper and then move on to the CAT 2022 and CAT 2023 question papers. These papers will help you practise different question types and work on your speed and accuracy.

For the latest practice, try the CAT 2024 and CAT 2025 question papers. You can also use the CAT 2026 sample papers to practise in a timed setting and check how well you can apply the formulas under exam pressure.

Regular formula revision along with question paper practice will help you get faster, avoid mistakes, and feel more confident while attempting the Quant section.

Tips to Analyse CAT Quant Formulas 2026

• Keep all the important formulas in one place and go through them every few days.
• After learning a formula, solve a few questions based on it.
• Practise quick calculations in your head to save time in the exam.
• Solve mocks with a timer so you get used to recalling formulas quickly.

Check: Para Jumbles Questions for CAT

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Conclusion

By understanding and practising these CAT quant formulas across various topics such as number systems, algebra, percentages, and geometry, you can significantly improve your problem-solving speed and accuracy. Regular practice and familiarity with these formulas will not only build your confidence but also help you tackle even the trickiest questions.

RKeep revising the formulas, practise questions regularly, and try to use what you learn in mock tests. The more you practise, the easier it becomes to recall formulas and solve questions during the exam. Stay consistent with your preparation, and all the best for CAT!