How to Prepare for CAT Quantitative Ability?

How to Prepare for CAT Quantitative Ability?- Before getting to how to prepare for CAT 2022, let us have a look at what does it mean? CAT is Common Admission Test which is conducted by IIMs annually to facilitate B-schools including IIMs to shortlist candidates for admission to MBA and PGDM courses. Getting admission into IIMs is a dream for management aspirants. And it can be achieved with right strategy and preparation plan.

For many CAT candidates, though there are a lot of resources for CAT quantitative aptitude preparation online, one of the most challenging/ difficult tasks is to prepare for the CAT quantitative ability section. Most of the CAT toppers consider the QA section as one of the most unpredictable and time-consuming as well. And how to prepare for CAT quantity ability is like a hard nut to crack for non-engineering educational background candidates.

However, it is necessary to know the tips that can flip the page and bring new differences to the overall preparation. With effective CAT quantitative aptitude tips, preparing for CAT can be a lot more easy. Careers360 brings to you what QA is all about, major topics covered in the QA section, resources for CAT 2022 quantitative aptitude preparation online, and topper tips on how to prepare for CAT quantitative ability, and much more.

What is Quantitative Ability?

CAT 2022 will be conducted tentatively on November 27, 2022, in an online mode. The quantitative ability section of CAT 2022 aims to test three things namely- numerical ability, mathematical skills, and problem-solving skills. The quantitative ability or aptitude section is a part of almost all MBA entrance exams. 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. As per the exam pattern of CAT 2022, the quantitative ability is a separate section and will have 40 minutes of sectional timing to solve the related questions.

Major Topics Covered Under CAT Quantitative Ability

Quick Link -

• How to Prepare for CAT 2022 in 6 months
• CAT Sample Paper

How to Prepare for CAT 2022 Quantitative Ability (QA)

CAT 2021 Topper Palli Dolananda Saivardhan, on how to prepare for CAT quantitative aptitude says that her approach was to practice a lot of basic arithmetic questions like percentage, profit, and loss. Along with that geometry and number system have been the key areas of focus for the CAT exam for her. Given below are the some of the tips suggested by experts and toppers for preparing for CAT 2022. The followings will be helpful in acing the CAT 2022 and scoring better.

• Plan Preparation Schedule

• Start With The Basics

• Work on Shortcut Techniques

• Focus on Weak Areas

• Practice with sectional time

• Solve Mock Tests and Previous Year Papers

Draw a Preparation Schedule

A solid preparation starts with a clear-cut timetable. So draw a timetable for CAT preparation and strictly follow it. When it comes to QA, Try to devote at least three hours for this section. According to the previous toppers, it is good to start with the basics. Check out the previous year's question papers of CAT to know which topics are covered under the quantitative ability section. Do not make a monthly planner as it will be difficult to follow in the beginning. So you better start with a weekly planner on how to prepare for quantitative ability accompanied with CAT quantitative aptitude preparation online materials and break it into a daily strategy.

Start With The Basics

Abraham Lincoln said, “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe”. This better applies here to CAT 2022 preparation. Candidates preparing for CAT 2022 should start with the basic questions instead of wasting time on complex topics. Once the conceptual clarity of each topic is there, candidates must start practicing and solving more and more questions. Solving simple examples at first and then gradually moving towards the difficult questions would be helpful.

The key to success in the QA section is getting your concepts right. Candidates who are preparing for CAT without coaching can consider CAT quantitative aptitude preparation online and make online study groups with like-minded people and put up their queries to find basic concepts clearly. The Quantitative ability section is about how much time and practice candidates can put in. The more they practice the better the chances of success. CAT quantitative aptitude preparation online gives them freedom to access the group anytime from anywhere and get the doubts cleared.

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 withing the given time. So better and effective time management for CAT, candidates should focus on learning speed tricks. The online group of CAT quantitative aptitude preparation can be tremendously helpful here in this regard. You will learn the formula to solve QA questions fast with accuracy. While preparing and solving questions of the QA section, it is not advisable to attempt too many questions on guesswork due to negative marking.

Focus on Weak Areas

The thumb rule for CAT 2022 in the initial months of practice is to focus on the areas of improvement and overcome the mistakes with more practice. At the time of preparing the QA section, weaker sections must be given due weightage. However, if candidates start their preparation for CAT 2022 in 3 months it is better to focus on the main areas rather than spending time on weaknesses. As per the toppers of CAT 2021, a fairly good score can be obtained by solving even half a number of questions (correctly) in QA.

Practice with Sectional Time

As mentioned above, CAT 2022 will have sectional timing of 40 minutes to answer one section. As a solution to "How to Prepare for CAT Quantitative Ability (QA)," candidates 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 candidates should mark important questions and concepts in order to have a quick revision during the final leg.

Note - For questions in the QA section, candidates should follow and stick to the two-minute rule i.e. If a question cannot be solved within two minutes of time duration, it is better to move on to the next one. Solving and practicing a good amount of questions will give results in the quantitative ability section.

Top Colleges in India offering MBA

Solve Mock Tests and Previous Year Papers

One of the strategies on how to prepare for CAT quantitative ability is to solve more and more CAT mock tests and CAT quantitative aptitude preparation online practice tests. To test where they stand initially candidates can go for pre-mocks and get a sight of what to study. While once they are done with the practice and revision, they can go to post-mocks of CAT. To get a command over the QA section, it is better to practice it on a regular basis.

Take at least one mock a day as CAT 2022 gets near. Through CAT mock tests, candidates will encounter variations in questions and this will help them improve themselves. Solving CAT Mock Tests and online practice tests for CAT quantitative aptitude preparation will also acquaint candidates with the simulated exam day ambiance. IIMs also provide the facility of official mock tests. The previous year's papers are very useful to analyze the paper pattern and difficulty level of questions.

Quick Links -

• Why Take Mock Tests Before CAT
• Why, When, and How to take CAT Mock Test

Best Books on How to Prepare for CAT Quantitative Ability Section:

Top MBA Entrance Exams