Quantitative ability is the section that can make or break your dream of landing at prestigious IIMs. If handled precisely it is the most rewarding part, at the same time hustling approach or lack of meticulous analysis can end in disaster as well, in the formof negative marking. This is the reason why this particular section is highly anticipated.
Quantitative ability section can be eagerly awaited or highly scared depending upon one’s academic history or personal liking. Edufoster the best Coaching institute for CAT exam in Kolkata is equipped with highly skilled faculty members, world class infrastructure and unparalleled success history to help you achieve your long cherished dream. Let us look at some out of box approaches that can be the deciding factor in your success and later composition of questions.
Apply these time tested approaches to handle QA questions.
1. Out of box approach:
2. The Conventional approach:
3. POE – Process of elimination approach
4. Meticulous approach
5. Multitasking approach
6. Detecting , understanding and nullifying trap approach
7. Mastering insertion, deletion, strengthening and weakening approach
8. Applying Parallel reasoning approach
9. Understanding Exceptional/ high frequency approach
10. Applying law of average approach
Composition of questions for Quantitative Aptitude for CAT
Algebra and Number Theory:
Algebra and number theory provide the major chunk of questions in any CAT QA section – 55-60%. Topics that you need to look at are Permutations and Combinations,
Probability (very basic, including die 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 usually very simple. Number theory contributes 3-4 questions to every CAT, and so it is a very important topic.
Geometry, Coordinate Geometry and Mensuration:
Not less than 25-30% of questions in the QAs are from these topics. Topics that need to be covered in geometry are basic theorems involving triangles, circles and parallel lines. A frequently asked question in CAT is to find the value of certain angles or length of certain sides. The only things that you need to do in coordinate geometry are straight
lines and circles. Given the equation of a circle, you should be able to comment on the centre and radius of the circle and draw it on a piece of graph paper, and nothing more.
Similarly, 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.
Basic formula on areas, surface areas and volumes of triangles, circles, cylinders, cones, cuboids and spheres are must for Mensuration, .
Arithmetic and Miscellaneous:
. 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. 15-20% of questions in any CAT paperfall under this section. 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. The advice, for dealing with these problems, is to try back-substitution of answer choices, or to avoid these problems altogether.
1. Number System:
- Number Base System
- BODMAS
- HCF/LCM
- AP/GP
- AM/GM/HM
- Central Tendency (Mean/Median/Mode)
- Average
- Ratio and Proportion
- Percentage
2. Algebra:
- Equation
- In-Equation
- Quadratic Equation
3. Time, Speed and Distance
4. Work and Time
5. Profit and Loss
6. Installment Payment
7. Clock
8. Mensuration
9. Allegation and Mixture
10. Work, Pipes and Cisterns
11. Geometry:
- Line
- Angle
- Triangle
- Spheres
- Rectangle
- Cube, Cone, etc
12. Set Theory:
- Venn diagram
- Probability
- Permutation and Combination