CAT Quantitative Aptitude Preparation Tips

Learn How to prepare for CAT Quantitative aptitude. Know more about Quantitative Aptitude Syllabus for CAT

The Quantitative Aptitude section in the CAT contains basic theory studied in school time up to the 12th slandered, so it is theory that every one of us has learnt at some point of time or the other. Therefore, there is absolutely no need to pick up textbooks with advanced engineering mathematics in them.
The practice tests play a very vital role in the preparation for CAT Quantitative Aptitude questions Students have to take every practice test as seriously as the real CAT. Always try yourself for completion of test in the real time. Engineering students or college students who may be familiar with the theory, it is okay to start off with tests immediately. Those who are working professionals and are away from the basic theory, has to start early with the formulae and theorems that will require for CAT.
Start with small topical tests at the beginning of CAT Quantitative Aptitude preparation. As confidence increases in several topics, start giving full-length QA tests. After gaining confidence in QA, merge individual sectional tests and start answering full length CAT test papers. Always analyse your performance after every test and try to improve the performance. Work on the topics in which you found yourself back. Practice tests with the important and tricky questioning.
Try to work more on topics in which you are weak. Practicing will make you to achieve real time perfection. It is okay to have one weak area, but it will risky for you, and need to do hard work on that topic. Therefore, working hard in every area will serve you the luxury of having all questions to select from in the real CAT.
Quantitative Aptitude Syllabus for CAT has three major parts as

The revision on the above three topics is more important because 25-30% of questions in the QA section covers these topics. Of the three, maximum weightage is given to geometry, although every CAT paper will have 3-4 questions on mensuration, as well as a couple of questions on coordinate geometry. In geometry basic theorems involving triangles, circles and parallel lines are important from the aspects of CAT.
Following type of question are frequently asked in the CAT, to find the value of certain angles or length of certain sides. Therefore, make sure that you cover topics such as congruency and similarity of triangles.
The important topics from coordinate geometry are straight lines and circles. Don’t go into conic sections and other advanced topics. And avoid to solve IITJEE level questions in coordinate geometry. Given the equation of a circle, you should be able to write on the center and radius of the circle and draw it on a piece of graph paper, you should know what the slope and y-intercept of a given straight line equation is, and be able to draw the line on a piece of graph paper.
For some basic formulae on areas, surface areas and volumes of triangles, circles, cylinders, cones, cuboids and spheres refer to the schools. Mensuration problems are like calculus, and requires lots of practice.

Algebra and number theory has number of questions in any CAT QA section(about 55-60%). Topics that needs to be brush up are Permutations and Combinations, Probability (very basic, including dice and card problems and perhaps Bayes theorem), Functions, Progressions (A.P, G.P. H.P. and A.G.P), Logarithms, Equations (Quadratic and Linear/Simultaneous) and, most importantly, Number Theory.
Number Theory problems are comparatively simple, if you know how to do them. They require certain tricks that you can pick up from any good textbook. There are 3-4 questions to every CAT from number theory, and so it is a very important topic. You should be comfortable writing numbers in their algebraic form (e.g. a three digit number having digits xyz can be represented as 100x + 10y + z). You should also learn about divisibility tests and the ‘modulo’ notation and its applications (for programmers, 10%5 = 0 is also referred to as 10 modulo 5 is 0, that is, the remainder when 10 is divided by 5, is zero).

15-20% of questions in any CAT paper fall under this head. Major topics that you need to cover are Set Theory (especially Venn diagrams) and problems on Time, Speed and Distance, both of which are always asked. Both of these topics are covered as part of the school syllabus, but may need some brushing up on. Sometimes, questions on topics such as Linear Programming are also asked.
Miscellaneous problems are those problems which do not fall under any head. They are rarely asked, and even when they do appear in a CAT paper they do not number more than one or two. They are purely tests of mathematical aptitude, and you cannot learn how to solve them. The only advice I can give for dealing with these problems is to try back-substitution of answer choices, or to avoid these problems altogether. Good luck with your preparations for CAT quantitative aptitude questions. Study hard and success will be yours.