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Most CAT aspirants know TITA questions carry no negative marking. But very few have sat down and actually studied the answers - what they look like, which topics produce them, and whether there is a pattern worth exploiting. This blog does exactly that.
Number of TITA Questions in CAT Quant in the Last 5 Years
Before looking for patterns, it helps to know the baseline. Here is how TITA questions have been distributed in the Quant section over the last five years.
Year | Total QA Questions | MCQs | TITA Questions | TITA % of QA |
2021 | 22 | 14 | 8 | 36% |
2022 | 22 | 14 | 8 | 36% |
2023 | 22 | 14 | 8 | 36% |
2024 | 22 | 14 | 8 | 36% |
2025 | 22 | 14 | 8 | 36% |
A few things stand out immediately. The split of 14 MCQs and 8 TITAs has been remarkably consistent since 2021. That is roughly 1 in every 3 Quant questions being a TITA. This consistency is itself a pattern - and a useful one. Going into the exam, you can confidently expect around 8 TITA questions in QA.
Most Repeated CAT Quant Topics for TITA Questions
Not all topics send TITA questions equally. Based on previous year paper analysis, here is how the five major QA topics behave.
Topic | Typical Total Questions in QA | Estimated TITA Questions | Sub - Topics |
Arithmetic | 8 - 9 | 3 - 4 | TSD, Profit & Loss, Mixtures most common |
Algebra | 6 - 7 | 2 - 3 | Equations, Inequalities, Functions |
Number System | 2 - 4 | 1 - 2 | Remainders, Digit-based, Divisibility |
Geometry & Mensuration | 4 - 6 | 1 - 2 | Triangles, Polygons |
Modern Mathematics | 1 - 2 | 0 - 1 | P&C; |
Arithmetic and Algebra together make up the bulk of TITA questions, which makes sense since they also dominate the section overall. Number System, despite having lower overall weightage, punches above its weight in TITA format - many Number System questions are naturally open-ended (e.g., "how many values of n satisfy this condition?"), making them ideal for TITA format.
Geometry is least likely to show up as a TITA. The calculations involved often produce messy or non-integer values, and paper setters seem to prefer MCQ format for those.
Are CAT Quant TITA Answers Always Integers?
This is one of the most CAT important questions, and the answer is: almost always yes, and that matters.
Looking across previous year TITA questions in QA from 2021 to 2025, a clear pattern emerges:
Answer Type | Frequency in QA TITA | Examples |
Non-Negative Integer (0 - 100) | Very common (70 - 75%) | "How many values...", "Find the remainder..." |
Small integer (0 - 20) | Varies (generally 35 - 40%) | Count-based questions, Number Theory |
3 digit integer (100 - 999) | Moderate (15 - 20%) | Arithmetic sums from TSD, Profit & Loss, Interest |
Integers like 0,1,2,5,6,7 | Moderate (2 & 6 is very frequently repeated) | Functions, Logarithms or a few questions from Number System. |
A few specific observations worth noting:
Number System TITAs almost always produce small integers. When a question asks "how many integers between X and Y are divisible" the answer lives in a narrow range. This is a free self-check - if your working gives a fraction, you have made a mistake.
Algebra TITAs are the most likely to produce 2-digit integers, though they can produce single digits too (especially from equation-solving).
Arithmetic TITAs can produce larger numbers, especially when the question involves compound interest, multi-step profit/loss, or time & work problems. However, even here, IIM colleges tend to structure the numbers so the final answer comes out clean.
One reliable observation: CAT TITA answers rarely involve decimals or fractions. If you are getting a messy decimal on a TITA question, reconsider your approach before submitting.
Common CAT Quant TITA Answers Topic-wise in Last 5 Years
Here is a topic-wise mapping of what typical answers look like, built from PYQ analysis.
Topic | Sub-topic | Typical Answer Range | Answer Usually... |
Number System | Remainders | 0 to divisor minus 1 | Single digit or small integer |
Count of numbers | 10 to 200 | 2-digit integer | |
Digit-based | 0 to 9 | Single digit | |
|
Algebra | Equations / Progression | 0 to 100 (Some values go up till 1000) | Integers |
Number of solutions | 0 to 10 | Small integer | |
|
Arithmetic | TSD / Time-Work / Averages / Mixtures | 1 to 500 | Integer or clean fraction |
Profit-Loss / SI-CI | 100 to 10,000 | Integer | |
Modern Math | P&C; / Probability | Up to 1000 (generally under 100) | Integer (P&C; questions like number of ways of distribution) |
Geometry | Area / Length | Varies | Mostly Integer |
The most predictable range is in Number System and Algebra. The least predictable is in Geometry, which is also why it appears as TITA the least. It is important to note that the above values are just the estimates based on previous year papers.
Common Patterns in CAT Quant TITA Answers in the Last 5 Years
After looking at five years of data, these are the clearest patterns:
1. The count has been stable at 8 for five straight years. From 2021 to 2025, every slot across all three days had exactly 8 TITA questions in QA. This is not going to change dramatically - plan your strategy around 8 TITAs.
2. Every topic gets at least one TITA question. No topic is completely safe from TITA. Arithmetic and Algebra get more, but Number System and even Geometry send at least one TITA question in most slots. From Modern Math, sometimes you can get even 0 questions in TITA, as the weightage of this topic in exam also is very insignificant.
3. TITA questions in QA are NOT easier than MCQs. A common misconception. Many TITA questions in Quant are actually harder - the setters sometimes use the TITA format for questions where giving options would make them solvable by back-substitution. Without options, you have nowhere to hide.
4. The answer is always a rational number, most often an integer. This is your biggest practical takeaway. Use it as a sanity check every single time. If your answer is 47.38, stop and recheck. If it is 47, submit confidently.
5. Number System and Algebra TITAs tend to have smaller answers than Arithmetic TITAs. When attempting without full confidence, this is useful. An Arithmetic TITA about compound interest might have an answer of 3,456. A Number System TITA about remainders will almost certainly have a single or double-digit answer.
Should You Attempt All Quant TITA Questions in CAT 2026?
The short answer is: attempt all of them, but do not spend much time on any one of them.
Here is a sharper strategy based on what the patterns reveal:
Attempt immediately if: The question is from Number System or Algebra with a clear approach. These produce clean, verifiable answers. Even a semi-confident answer is worth submitting - there is no downside.
Attempt after MCQs if: The question is from Arithmetic and involves multi-step calculation. Spend time on it only if you can see the full solution path. Partial working often leads to wrong answers on these.
Be cautious with: Geometry TITAs. These are very less likely to predict any pattern. Attempt only if you are confident about the approach.
Use the integer rule actively: Before submitting any TITA, ask yourself - "Is this a clean number?" If yes, submit. If not, either recheck the working or move on and come back later.
One Important thing: TITA questions often take longer than MCQs because you cannot use options to verify. Budget your time accordingly and do not let a single TITA question eat into the time you need for the easier MCQs.
The no-negative-marking advantage is real - but it is only an advantage if you are solving the right questions at the right time. Used smartly, TITA questions in CAT Quant can be the difference between a 90 and a 95 percentile.
Conclusion
CAT Quant TITA questions have shown remarkable consistency over the last five years, both in terms of their count and topic distribution. With around eight TITA questions appearing every year, aspirants can confidently plan their preparation and exam strategy around them. Arithmetic and Algebra continue to dominate the TITA format, while Number System questions often provide highly predictable and integer-based answers. Understanding these patterns can help candidates make smarter decisions during the exam and improve overall accuracy.
The biggest takeaway from this CAT Quant TITA analysis is that answer patterns matter. Most TITA answers are clean integers, making them easier to verify and reducing the chances of random errors. Since there is no negative marking, strategically attempting TITA questions can significantly boost your CAT percentile. By practicing previous year CAT Quant questions, identifying recurring TITA trends, and focusing on high-frequency topics, candidates can maximize their scoring opportunities in CAT 2026 and beyond.
