CAT Quant Mock Strategy and Analysis [CAT 2019]

Before we discuss the CAT Quant Mock Strategy and Analysis (QUANT) section, let’s talk about the CAT 2018 Quantitative Aptitude pattern. This will help us prepare for this section, keeping in mind the most recent CAT exam.

Topic	No. of questions	Toughness level
Arithmetic	14	easy – moderate
Algebra	10-11	moderate
Geometry	7	easy – moderate
Number system + Modern Maths	2-3	moderate – difficult

By now, many of you must have realized that the Quantitative Aptitude section of CAT 2018 was quite challenging. In order to cross the 95 percentile mark, students had to answer just 13 out of 34 questions correctly. This emphasizes the importance of assessing the difficulty level of the paper before attempting the section.

Let’s discuss the time allocation strategy for the entire section.

Strategy to allot section time for CAT Quant:

You can divide the sectional time into four parts:

1. The first 10 minutes to scan the section and solve the 2-3 easy questions, simultaneously noting down the topic-wise distribution of the moderate difficulty questions that you think you can solve later
2. The next 30-35 minutes to solve the moderate difficulty questions
3. The next 10 minutes to solve slightly higher difficulty questions, only if you are really good with CAT Quant Mock Strategy and Analysis and have correctly solved all the easy and moderate difficulty level questions
4. The final 5 minutes to scan all the questions that you have solved and to double check for any mistakes

CAT Quant Strategy: The first 10 minutes

This is the most crucial stage. You should spend the first 10 minutes scanning the section and identifying the easy questions. It is important to identify and solve these questions to build confidence. Additionally, note down the moderate difficulty questions that you think you can solve later. This initial scanning will give you an idea of the difficulty level of the paper.

During this time, you should aim to pick at least 5 easy questions and solve them correctly. Look for questions that you feel you have seen before and solve them while being cautious not to fall for any traps or make silly mistakes.

Also, take note of the moderate difficulty questions that you are familiar with and can solve within 180 seconds. Flag any questions that you feel you are nowhere close to the right answer yet.

CAT Quant Strategy: The next 30 minutes

This is the consolidation time where you should focus on solving the moderate difficulty questions. Your confidence and previous learnings will be crucial during this phase. Avoid overthinking or spending too much time on a single question. Flag the question if required and move on to avoid frustration.

Keep in mind that even in the hardest of papers, there will be around 15-17 easy and moderate difficulty level questions. If you can get all these questions correct, you will be in the 99 plus percentile range.

CAT Quant Strategy: The next 10 minutes

At this stage, if you have successfully solved all the easy and moderate difficulty questions, you can focus on the slightly higher difficulty questions. However, only a small percentage of test takers will reach this stage. For most students, it is all about getting a score of 99.5 percentile or above.

CAT Quant Strategy: The last five minutes

Use the last 5 minutes to double check all the attempted questions and ensure that you haven’t made any silly mistakes. Carefully read the last part of each question to make sure you have worked out the right thing. This final scan will help you avoid any errors and improve your overall accuracy.