9 Quant Tricks For CAT

The following blog consists of 9 must-know CAT quant tricks and shortcuts.

The QA section is one of the most important and high-scoring sections of the CAT. Students strong in the Quantitative Ability section often tend to maximize their marks in this section to cover up for a not-so-good performance in the other two sections, namely VARC and DILR. Having said this, the QA section can also turn out to be a nightmare for several CAT aspirants if certain things are not kept in mind while preparing for it. This is a section that has a predefined syllabus as far the CAT is concerned and hence a systematic preparation is necessary to ace this section. There are several DO’s and DON’Ts when it comes to the Quantitative Ability section of the CAT. Mentioned below are 9 tricks for the CAT quant section (Do’s and Don’ts) that can go a long way to help you excel in this quantitative aptitude section.

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Trick 1 – Knowing a formula is not enough

In the Quantitative Ability section of the Common Admission Test, memorizing all formulas will not help you out unless you know the applications and limitations of each one of them. Try to know the concept attached to each formula and this CAT quant tip will help you out at times when you cannot decide which of the two formulas you need to apply.

Trick 2 – Thorough practice is the key

Each concept/formula that you have studied, unless backed by thorough practice, is of little use. The more you practise, the better you become in this section. There is no exception to this rule.

Trick 3 – Become familiar with the type of questions asked

You need to familiarize yourself with the type of questions asked in the past, which concepts are generally tested, which topics are out of scope and what CAT Quant tips/tricks can get you in the top 0.1 percentile.  You can have a look at the CAT Previous Year Papers here: CAT Previous Years Papers

Trick 4 – Do not leave out any concept completely in your preparation

The Quantitative Ability section in the CAT has a mix of easy, moderate and difficult questions. There are often easy questions that can be solved in less than half a minute by the direct application of a specific formula/concept. Even if you don’t excel in this concept, you should be capable enough to spot questions like these and attempt them.

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Trick 5 – Do not focus only on getting questions right

Often when we prepare, getting a question right is our motive, but the focus should be on getting it right in the minimum time possible. If you could solve a question in 2 minutes, go ahead and look at the solution to see if you can find a different approach or a trick there which can take you to the right answer in a minute’s time.

Trick 6 – Let go of your ego

This is one of the most essential quant trips for CAT. You may be a master in quants. You may be thorough with all underlying concepts and basics, but this one thing can take away everything from you with a very little fault of your own. You need to understand that there will be some questions in the CAT in which you will definitely be stuck for a long time, but these questions are there for a reason. They are there to test your temperament and attitude when you are stuck with a problem. Remember that there are plenty of other questions in the exam to be attempted. Decide on a threshold, say 3 minutes, at the end of which, if you are stuck with a question without getting anywhere close to the answer, just move on.

Trick 7 – Narrow down on your strategy before you sit for the exam

Try out different strategies while you take mocks/sectionals, and come out with a strategy that maximises your score/correct attempts. Candidates often tend to attempt the quant section in multiple rounds, solving easy questions in the first round and comparatively difficult/lengthy questions in the subsequent rounds. You do not have to necessarily follow a similar strategy. You can devise out your own strategy, one that suits you. You can get access to 3 Free CAT Mocks here: 3 Free CAT Mocks

Trick 8 – Never let the remaining two sections affect your performance in this section

One of the worst features of the QA section is that it comes last and immediately after one of the most frightening sections, DILR. The CAT is known to test our emotional quotient along with our intelligence quotient. A bad performance in the DILR section often keeps us from approaching the QA section with the right mindset, affecting our performance drastically. This CAT tip can drastically change your percentile in this section.

Trick 9 – Know your strong suites

Knowing your strengths and weaknesses before the exam can really save a lot of time in quants. A person with the knowledge of the same can effectively decide at once on whether or not to attempt a question. Often, people who score a high percentile in the quantitative ability section are not those who are equally proficient in each and every subtopic, but those who are well aware of what he/she needs to attempt or leave out. Remember this tip for CAT quant and this will help you a lot in optimizing your time while going through the Quants section.

You can access important Quant formulas here: CAT Quant Formulas here. Knowing and following these CAT quant tricks mentioned above will be surely helpful to save your time and increase attempt rate and accuracy.