April 20, 2026
Overview: Among the three sections of CAT 2026, the Quantitative Aptitude (QA) segment consistently determines who clears the 95th percentile and who doesn't. It is challenging by design, rewarding by outcome, and absolutely conquerable with the right preparation system.
This blog compiles 100 CAT quantitative aptitude questions across all key topics, complete with correct answers, a topic-wise weightage breakdown, difficulty analysis, and the expert strategy framework SuperGrads uses in its classroom programmes. Whether you are starting your preparation or sharpening your exam-week skills, this resource is built to deliver real value.
The following section answers the most common questions students ask before diving into CAT quantitative aptitude preparation. These are structured for quick reference.
How many questions are asked in CAT QA?
CAT 2024 had 22 questions in the Quantitative Aptitude section — typically a split of 14–16 MCQs and 6–8 TITA (Type In The Answer) questions. This distribution varies slightly year to year.
What is the difficulty level distribution in CAT QA?
Approximately 25–30% of questions are Easy, 40–45% are Moderate, and 25–30% are Difficult. Scoring 16–18 correct answers typically corresponds to the 95th percentile or higher.
Which topics are most important for CAT quantitative aptitude questions?
Arithmetic (30–35%), Algebra (20–25%), Number System (15–20%), and Geometry & Mensuration (15–20%) collectively account for over 85% of all CAT quant questions asked in any year.
Is there negative marking in CAT QA?
Yes. MCQs carry a penalty of −1 mark per wrong answer. TITA questions have no negative marking. This makes selective, accurate attempt strategy critical for maximising your net score.
| Number System CAT Questions PDF | |
| Arithmetic CAT Questions PDF | |
| Number Theory CAT Questions PDF | |
| Quadratic Equation CAT Questions PDF | |
| CAT Inequalities Questions PDF | |
| Logarithms, Surds & Indices Questions PDF | |
| Time, Speed & Distance Questions PDF | |
| Linear Equations Questions PDF | |
| Ratio, Proportion & Variations Questions PDF | |
| Simple Interest - Compound Interest Questions PDF | |
| Profit & Loss CAT Questions PDF |
|
Total Questions |
22 |
|
MCQs |
14–16 |
|
TITA Questions |
6–8 |
|
Negative Marking |
−1 (MCQ only) |
|
Time Allotted |
40 minutes |
|
Highest Weightage Topic |
Arithmetic (30–35%) |
| CAT Syllabus | CAT Geometry Syllabus | Quant Syllabus |
| Maths Syllabus | Reasoning Syllabus | DILR Syllabus |
| English Syllabus | VARC Syllabus | DILR Topics |
The following CAT quantitative aptitude questions are modelled on the actual exam pattern and calibrated to CAT difficulty. Work through each topic block systematically and review answers immediately to build genuine reasoning clarity.
ARITHMETIC — 20 Questions
Q1. A trader marks goods 40% above cost price and offers a 20% discount. What is the profit percentage?
Answer: C) 12%
Q2. Two pipes A and B fill a tank in 12 and 18 hours. Pipe C empties it in 36 hours. If all three are open, how long to fill the tank?
Answer: A) 9 hrs
Q3. If 20% of A = 30% of B, then A : B is:
Answer: B) 3:2
Q4. Train A of length 200 m passes a platform of 300 m in 25 seconds. What is its speed in km/h?
Answer: A) 72 km/h
Q5. A sum doubles in 8 years at simple interest. In how many years will it triple?
Answer: B) 16 years
Q6. A mixture of 60 litres contains milk and water in ratio 7:3. How many litres of water must be added to make it 3:7?
Answer: C) 80 litres
Q7. If the selling price of 20 articles equals the cost price of 25 articles, the profit percentage is:
Answer: B) 25%
Q8. A boat goes 30 km upstream in 3 hours and 30 km downstream in 2 hours. The speed of the current is:
Answer: B) 2.5 km/h
Q9. A, B, C complete work in 10, 15, 20 days. They start together but A leaves after 2 days. How many more days do B and C take?
Answer: A) 4.5 days
Q10. A shopkeeper gives 2 articles free on purchase of 10. The effective discount percentage is:
Answer: B) 16.67%
Q11. Population increases 10% in year 1 and decreases 10% in year 2. Net percentage change is:
Answer: B) −1%
Q12. Two cars cover the same distance in 5 and 6 hours. If the faster car's speed is 12 km/h more, find the distance.
Answer: C) 360 km
Q13. Compound interest on ₹10,000 at 10% p.a. for 2 years exceeds simple interest by:
Answer: B) ₹100
Q14. In what ratio must rice at ₹45/kg be mixed with rice at ₹60/kg so the mixture costs ₹50/kg?
Answer: B) 2:1
Q15. A man spends 75% of his income and saves ₹3,000. His monthly income is:
Answer: C) ₹12,000
Q16. A is twice as efficient as B. Together they finish work in 10 days. How long for A alone?
Answer: B) 15 days
Q17. The average of 5 numbers is 40. If one is excluded, the average drops to 35. The excluded number is:
Answer: B) 60
Q18. A train crosses a pole in 9 seconds and a 240 m bridge in 21 seconds. The length of the train is:
Answer: C) 180 m
Q19. A dealer buys at 20% discount on MRP and sells at 10% discount. His profit percentage is:
Answer: C) 12.5%
Q20. The difference between a two-digit number and the number formed by reversing its digits is 36. How many such numbers are possible?
Answer: C) 6
ALGEBRA — 20 Questions
Q21. If x + 1/x = 3, find x² + 1/x².
Answer: A) 7
Q22. The sum of roots of 2x² − 5x + 3 = 0 is:
Answer: B) 5/2
Q23. If f(x) = x² − 3x + 2, find f(f(0)).
Answer: B) 2
Q24. The 10th term of an AP is 52 and the 3rd term is 10. The common difference is:
Answer: C) 6
Q25. Find the sum of the first 20 terms of the AP: 5, 8, 11, …
Answer: C) 680
Q26. For what value of k does kx² + 4x + 4 = 0 have equal roots?
Answer: B) 1
Q27. A GP has first term 3 and common ratio 2. The 6th term is:
Answer: B) 96
Q28. Solve: |2x − 5| ≤ 9. The solution set is:
Answer: A) −2 ≤ x ≤ 7
Q29. If log 2 = 0.301 and log 3 = 0.477, the value of log 12 is:
Answer: A) 1.079
Q30. How many integers x satisfy x² − 5x − 6 < 0?
Answer: C) 5
Q31. The product of two consecutive even integers is 288. The larger integer is:
Answer: B) 18
Q32. If a + b = 10 and ab = 16, then a² + b² is:
Answer: A) 68
Q33. Find x if 3^(2x−1) = 27.
Answer: B) 2
Q34. If the AM of two numbers is 10 and their GM is 8, the numbers are:
Answer: A) 4 & 16
Q35. The sum of an infinite GP is 12 and its first term is 4. The common ratio is:
Answer: C) 2/3
Q36. The number of real roots of x⁴ − 5x² + 4 = 0 is:
Answer: B) 4
Q37. If f(x) = (x+2)/(x−3), then f⁻¹(x) is:
Answer: A) (3x+2)/(x−1)
Q38. The expression (x² − 9)/(x − 3) equals x + 3 for:
Answer: A) All integers except x = 3
Q39. The sum of all values of x satisfying x² − |x| − 6 = 0 is:
Answer: A) 0
Q40. If α and β are roots of x² − px + q = 0, then α² + β² equals:
Answer: A) p² − 2q
NUMBER SYSTEM — 20 Questions
Q41. The remainder when 2^100 is divided by 3 is:
Answer: B) 1
Q42. HCF of 72, 108, and 180 is:
Answer: C) 36
Q43. The number of factors of 360 is:
Answer: C) 24
Q44. The units digit of 7^95 is:
Answer: C) 7
Q45. LCM of two numbers is 120 and HCF is 10. If one number is 40, the other is:
Answer: C) 30
Q46. Two-digit numbers divisible by both 3 and 5:
Answer: B) 6
Q47. The remainder when 17 × 19 × 23 is divided by 7 is:
Answer: C) 3
Q48. A number when divided by 5, 6, and 8 leaves remainder 4. The smallest such number is:
Answer: C) 124
Q49. Prime numbers between 50 and 80:
Answer: C) 7
Q50. N = 2^a × 3^b × 5^c has 18 factors with a > b > c. The minimum value of N is:
Answer: A) 180
Q51. Which pair is a perfect square? (441, 512, 676, 800)
Answer: C) Both 441 & 676
Q52. Trailing zeros in 7! (5040) are:
Answer: B) 1
Q53. 1000 can be expressed as a product of two co-prime numbers in how many ways?
Answer: C) 4
Q54. If p is a prime > 5, then p mod 6 is:
Answer: C) Either 1 or 5
Q55. Sum of all 3-digit numbers divisible by 7 is:
Answer: A) 70,329
Q56. Smallest number to be subtracted from 4000 to make it a perfect square is:
Answer: A) 39
Q57. Find the remainder when 14^15 + 15^14 is divided by 5.
Answer: A) 0
Q58. The greatest 4-digit number divisible by 15 is:
Answer: C) 9990
Q59. If 5^n ends in 0, then n is:
Answer: C) Impossible (5^n always ends in 5)
Q60. The LCM of first 10 natural numbers is:
Answer: B) 2520
GEOMETRY & MENSURATION — 20 Questions
Q61. Area of an equilateral triangle with side 6 cm is:
Answer: A) 9√3 cm²
Q62. In a right-angled triangle, hypotenuse is 13 cm and one leg is 5 cm. The other leg is:
Answer: C) 12 cm
Q63. A circle has a chord of 8 cm at 3 cm from the centre. The radius is:
Answer: B) 5 cm
Q64. Volume of a cone with radius 7 cm and height 12 cm (π = 22/7) is:
Answer: A) 616 cm³
Q65. Two similar triangles have sides in ratio 3:5. The ratio of their areas is:
Answer: C) 9:25
Q66. Diagonals of a rhombus are 24 and 10. Its perimeter is:
Answer: A) 52 cm
Q67. The angle subtended by a diameter at the circumference is:
Answer: C) 90°
Q68. Total surface area of a hemisphere of radius 7 cm (π = 22/7) is:
Answer: A) 462 cm²
Q69. In triangle ABC, angle A = 60°, angle B = 70°. The exterior angle at C is:
Answer: C) 130°
Q70. Distance between (3, −4) and (−3, 4) on a coordinate plane is:
Answer: C) 10
Q71. In a circle with radius 10, a chord subtends a central angle of 60°. The chord length is:
Answer: B) 10 cm
Q72. If the circumradius of an equilateral triangle is 6, the side is:
Answer: B) 6√3 cm
Q73. A trapezium has parallel sides 10 and 14 cm with height 6 cm. Area is:
Answer: B) 72 cm²
Q74. The slope of a line perpendicular to 2x − 3y + 5 = 0 is:
Answer: B) −3/2
Q75. A sector of radius 14 cm subtends 90°. Its area (π = 22/7) is:
Answer: A) 154 cm²
Q76. In triangle PQR, PQ = QR = 5 and PR = 6. The median from Q has length:
Answer: A) 4 cm
Q77. The locus of a point equidistant from two fixed points is:
Answer: C) Perpendicular bisector
Q78. If sides of a triangle are 7, 24, 25, it is:
Answer: C) Right-angled
Q79. A cube of side 4 cm is melted into a sphere. The radius of the sphere is approximately:
Answer: A) ~2.48 cm
Q80. The area of a circle inscribed in an equilateral triangle of side 6 cm (π = 22/7) is:
Answer: C) ~9.57 cm²
MODERN MATH (P&C, Probability, Set Theory) — 10 Questions
Q81. In how many ways can 5 books be arranged on a shelf?
Answer: C) 120
Q82. Probability of drawing a king from a standard deck of 52 cards:
Answer: D) Both A & C
Q83. From 6 men and 4 women, a committee of 4 with at least 2 women can be formed in:
Answer: D) 111 ways
Q84. In a group of 70 people, 37 like coffee and 52 like tea. Each likes at least one. How many like both?
Answer: B) 19
Q85. Two dice are rolled. Probability that the sum is at least 10:
Answer: A) 1/6
Q86. Number of ways to select 3 vowels from EQUATION:
Answer: C) 20 (⁶C₃)
Q87. A bag has 3 red and 5 blue balls. Two drawn without replacement. P(both red) =
Answer: A) 3/28
Q88. 4-digit numbers using digits 1–7 without repetition:
Answer: B) 840
Q89. In a class of 40, 20 play cricket and 25 play football. 10 play both. How many play neither?
Answer: C) 5
Q90. If ⁿC₂ = 21, then n =
Answer: C) 7
TIME, SPEED & WORK — 10 Questions
Q91. A covers 1 km in 5 min, B in 6 min. By how much distance does A beat B in a 1 km race?
Answer: C) 166.7 m
Q92. 6 workers complete work in 12 days. Workers needed to finish in 8 days:
Answer: C) 9
Q93. A car averages 40 km/h for 100 km and 60 km/h for next 100 km. Average speed is:
Answer: A) 48 km/h
Q94. Trains of 100 m and 80 m in opposite directions at 72 and 54 km/h. Time to cross each other:
Answer: C) 6 sec
Q95. A and B alternate (starting A) completing work in 10 and 20 days. Total days to finish:
Answer: C) 13.5 days
Q96. Man walks at 4 km/h, cycles at 12 km/h. Covers 48 km in 6 hours. Distance walked:
Answer: D) 12 km
Q97. Pipe A fills in 4 hrs, B in 6 hrs. Time to fill 2/3 of tank together:
Answer: B) 1.6 hrs
Q98. A is 3× as fast as B and finishes 40 days ahead. Days to finish together:
Answer: C) 15 days
Q99. A to B at 60 km/h, return at 40 km/h. Average speed for round trip:
Answer: A) 48 km/h
Q100. 12 men complete work in 20 days. After 5 days, 4 more join. Remaining days needed:
Answer: C) ~12 days
Knowing how to approach CAT quantitative aptitude questions under exam conditions is a skill that separates average scorers from those in the 95th percentile. The following framework is used by SuperGrads coaches in live classroom sessions.
The most common mistake students make is rushing to calculate before understanding what is being asked. Spend 10–15 seconds reading the question stem carefully before picking up your pencil.
Recognise whether the problem belongs to Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, or Number Theory. Each category has a defined set of tools. With practice, this mapping takes under five seconds.
Not every CAT quant question demands precise arithmetic. For percentage, ratio, or average problems, intelligent approximation often delivers the correct option in under 30 seconds.
If a question resists your approach within 90 seconds, switch to option elimination. Ruling out two obviously incorrect choices raises your probability of a correct guess to 50%.
In a 40-minute section with 22 questions, attempt easy questions in ~1.5 min, moderate ones in ~2 min, and reserve 3+ minutes for the difficult ones you consciously choose to attempt.
Quick Tips to Boost Accuracy
Understanding where CAT Quantitative Aptitude Questions come from is the foundation of smart preparation. The table below is built on data from six years of CAT papers and represents the most reliable guide for allocating your study time.
|
Topic |
Avg. Qs/Year |
Weightage |
Key Sub-Topics |
Priority |
|
6–8 |
30–35% |
Profit & Loss, Ratio, TSD, Work, Percentages, SI/CI |
High |
|
|
4–6 |
20–25% |
Quadratics, Progressions, Functions, Inequalities, Logs |
High |
|
|
3–5 |
15–20% |
Divisibility, HCF/LCM, Remainders, Factors, Units Digit |
High |
|
|
Geometry & Mensuration |
3–4 |
15–20% |
Triangles, Circles, Coordinate Geometry, Solid Geometry |
Medium |
|
Modern Math |
1–3 |
5–10% |
P&C, Probability, Set Theory |
Medium |
|
Logarithms & Surds |
1–2 |
5–8% |
Log properties, Surd simplification |
Low |
A student who masters Arithmetic and Algebra alone can confidently attempt well over 50% of all CAT quant questions in a given paper — making these two topics the highest-leverage areas for any CAT aspirant.
The goal in CAT is not to attempt all questions it is to maximise your net score. Understanding the difficulty distribution allows you to make smarter attempt decisions under pressure.
Easy (~28%)
6–7 questions per paper. Must-attempt. Standard single-step formulas. Target 100% accuracy — these are marks you cannot afford to drop.
Moderate (~44%)
9–10 questions. Attempt 7–8 selectively. Two-step logic, some calculation. This is where your percentile is won or lost.
Difficult (~28%)
6–7 questions. Attempt only 2–3 based on topic strength. Complex multi-step. Never force these — the time cost rarely pays off.
A student who attempts 15 questions and gets 13 correct scores higher than one who attempts 22 and gets 15 correct. In CAT QA, selective precision consistently outperforms aggressive volume.
Percentile Target Guide
|
Target Percentile |
Recommended Attempts |
Minimum Accuracy |
Expected Net Score |
|
85th Percentile |
12–14 |
75% |
24–30 |
|
90th Percentile |
14–16 |
80% |
32–38 |
|
95th Percentile |
15–17 |
85% |
38–48 |
|
99th Percentile |
17–20 |
88%+ |
50–60 |

The Quantitative Aptitude section of CAT is demanding by design — but it is fully conquerable with consistent, strategy-driven preparation. The 100 CAT quantitative aptitude questions in this guide, the topic-wise weightage data, and the difficulty analysis all point to the same conclusion: the quality of your preparation matters far more than natural aptitude.
Students who solve CAT quant questions every day, review their mistakes rigorously, and work within a structured programme consistently outperform those who rely on unguided practice. The path to a 99th percentile score is not a mystery it is a system.
Join SuperGrads CAT Online Coaching today for a free trial class. Experience our QA methodology first-hand and see why thousands of CAT aspirants trust us to take them to the IIMs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the weightage of the Quantitative Aptitude (QA) section in the CAT exam?

Are there negative marks for incorrect answers in the QA section?

Which topics in the QA section are generally considered the most scoring?

How much time should I allocate to the QA section during my preparation?

Is it advisable to guess answers in the QA section?

What types of CAT Exam Quantitative Aptitude Questions are included in the CAT exam section?

How can I prepare for the CAT Exam Quantitative Aptitude Questions of the CAT exam?

How can I improve my accuracy in CAT Quant Questions?

What topics are commonly covered in CAT Quant Questions?

How many questions are there in CAT Quantitative Aptitude?

Are CAT Quantitative Aptitude questions mostly Arithmetic or Algebra?

Do TITA questions in CAT Quant have negative marking?

What is the best way to use these CAT Quant PDFs?

Are these CAT Quantitative Aptitude questions suitable for beginners?

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