Most Asked Topics in CAT Quant: 2017–2025 Data from 612 Questions
Chapter-by-chapter ranking of every CAT QA question from 2017 to 2025, with unit weightage, recent trends and a study order based on the data.
The most asked topics in CAT Quant from 2017 to 2025 are Number Theory, Time-Speed-Distance, Progressions, Quadratic Equations and Time & Work. Together these five chapters account for 213 of the 636 chapter tags in nine years of CAT QA papers (33.5%). At the unit level, Arithmetic (37.3%) and Algebra including Number Theory (41.8%) make up about seven of every ten questions, while Geometry has slipped from 18.6% in 2017–19 to 13.8% in 2021–25.
Below is the full chapter ranking, the unit roll-up, how the mix has shifted, a year-by-year read and a study order built on the numbers. Every chapter name links to its practice page with actual CAT questions and worked solutions.
How we counted
We took every QA question from the 24 CAT Quant slot papers on our site for 2017–2025 (612 questions) and tagged each one by chapter. A few questions test two chapters and carry two tags, so the tag total (636) is slightly higher than the question count. Shares in this post are shares of tags. CAT 2017–2019 had two slots with 34 QA questions each, 2020 had three slots of 26, and 2021–2025 have had three slots of 22. Because the later years have more slots, raw counts lean towards 2020–2025; shares and the 2017–19 vs 2021–25 comparison correct for that. A handful of QA questions are tagged with logical-reasoning chapters (Venn diagrams, clocks) because that is what they test; we kept them in the table rather than hide them.
Most asked topics in CAT Quant: 2017–2025 ranking
The last column shows in how many of the 24 slot papers the chapter appeared at least once. That is the number to watch: a chapter that shows up in nearly every slot is a question you will almost certainly face, whichever slot you get.
| Rank | Chapter | Unit | Qs 2017–25 | Share | Qs 2021–25 | Papers it appeared in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Number Theory | Number System | 51 | 8.0% | 30 | 23 / 24 |
| 2 | Time, Speed & Distance | Arithmetic | 47 | 7.4% | 18 | 24 / 24 |
| 3 | Progressions | Algebra | 41 | 6.4% | 21 | 23 / 24 |
| 4 | Quadratic Equations | Algebra | 39 | 6.1% | 24 | 24 / 24 |
| 5 | Time & Work | Arithmetic | 35 | 5.5% | 20 | 22 / 24 |
| 6 | Logarithms | Algebra | 32 | 5.0% | 13 | 22 / 24 |
| 7 | Surds & Indices | Algebra | 31 | 4.9% | 19 | 20 / 24 |
| 8 | Mixture, Alligation, Removal & Replacement | Arithmetic | 29 | 4.6% | 15 | 23 / 24 |
| 9 | Average | Arithmetic | 29 | 4.6% | 17 | 23 / 24 |
| 10 | Functions & Graphs | Algebra | 28 | 4.4% | 12 | 21 / 24 |
| 11 | Profit & Loss | Arithmetic | 28 | 4.4% | 15 | 19 / 24 |
| 12 | Quadrilaterals & Polygons | Geometry | 27 | 4.2% | 16 | 20 / 24 |
| 13 | Percentage | Arithmetic | 27 | 4.2% | 11 | 17 / 24 |
| 14 | Inequalities & Modulus | Algebra | 26 | 4.1% | 16 | 18 / 24 |
| 15 | Triangles | Geometry | 24 | 3.8% | 14 | 18 / 24 |
| 16 | Permutation & Combination | Modern Math | 22 | 3.5% | 12 | 17 / 24 |
| 17 | Simple & Compound Interest | Arithmetic | 21 | 3.3% | 13 | 19 / 24 |
| 18 | Ratio, Proportion & Variation | Arithmetic | 21 | 3.3% | 14 | 18 / 24 |
| 19 | Circles | Geometry | 20 | 3.1% | 8 | 15 / 24 |
| 20 | Simple Equations | Algebra | 18 | 2.8% | 14 | 12 / 24 |
| 21 | Coordinate Geometry | Geometry | 14 | 2.2% | 6 | 11 / 24 |
| 22 | Mensuration | Geometry | 13 | 2.0% | 2 | 9 / 24 |
| 23 | Venn Diagram (in QA) | Other (Venn/clocks-style) | 7 | 1.1% | 2 | 6 / 24 |
| 24 | Sets | Modern Math | 3 | 0.5% | 1 | 2 / 24 |
| 25 | Clocks (in QA) | Other (Venn/clocks-style) | 1 | 0.2% | 1 | 1 / 24 |
| 26 | Trigonometry | Geometry | 1 | 0.2% | 0 | 1 / 24 |
| 27 | Miscellaneous | Other (Venn/clocks-style) | 1 | 0.2% | 0 | 1 / 24 |
Read the top of the table together with the last column. Number Theory appeared in 23 of 24 papers, Time, Speed & Distance and Quadratic Equations in all 24, and Average, Mixtures and Progressions in 23 each. In practice almost every CAT QA slot since 2017 has had a Number Theory question, a TSD question and a quadratic question.
Unit-wise weightage: Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, Modern Math
We derive the unit from each chapter's title on our site ("Arithmetic - ...", "Algebra - ..."). On our site Number Theory sits under Algebra, but most aspirants treat Number System as its own unit, so we split it out here.
| Unit | Qs 2017–25 | Share 2017–25 | Share 2017–19 | Share 2021–25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arithmetic | 237 | 37.3% | 37.7% | 36.8% |
| Algebra | 215 | 33.8% | 31.8% | 35.6% |
| Number System | 51 | 8.0% | 5.5% | 9.0% |
| Geometry | 99 | 15.6% | 18.6% | 13.8% |
| Modern Math | 25 | 3.9% | 4.5% | 3.9% |
| Other (Venn/clocks-style) | 9 | 1.4% | 1.8% | 0.9% |
- Arithmetic is the steadiest block: 37.7% in 2017–19 and 36.8% in 2021–25. Expect 7–9 of the 22 questions.
- Algebra (excluding Number Theory) rose from 31.8% to 35.6%. With Number Theory included it is now level with Arithmetic.
- Number System grew from 5.5% to 9.0%.
- Geometry fell from 18.6% to 13.8%: about three questions per slot now, against six or seven in a 34-question 2017–19 slot.
- Modern Math (permutations, combinations and counting, sets) stays small at about 3.9%: usually one question per slot.
Trend: 2017–19 vs 2021–25
The table compares chapter shares in the old two-slot, 34-question format with the current three-slot, 22-question format. These are the chapters whose share moved the most.
| Chapter | Qs 2017–19 | Share 2017–19 | Qs 2021–25 | Share 2021–25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number Theory | 12 | 5.5% | 30 | 9.0% |
| Quadratic Equations | 10 | 4.5% | 24 | 7.2% |
| Surds & Indices | 8 | 3.6% | 19 | 5.7% |
| Simple Equations | 1 | 0.5% | 14 | 4.2% |
| Average | 7 | 3.2% | 17 | 5.1% |
| Time, Speed & Distance | 18 | 8.2% | 18 | 5.4% |
| Percentage | 13 | 5.9% | 11 | 3.3% |
| Mensuration | 9 | 4.1% | 2 | 0.6% |
| Logarithms | 14 | 6.4% | 13 | 3.9% |
| Circles | 9 | 4.1% | 8 | 2.4% |
Three things stand out. First, Number Theory, Quadratics and Surds & Indices have grown: questions on divisibility, remainders, integer solutions, roots and exponent equations are now about a fifth of the paper (21.9% of 2021–25 tags). Second, Simple Equations went from 1 tag in 2017–19 to 14 in 2021–25 (6 in 2025 alone): these are word problems that turn into two or three linear equations. Third, standalone Mensuration and Percentage questions have faded. Percentage still underlies most Arithmetic, but as a step inside a Profit & Loss, Interest or Mixture question rather than as a question of its own.
Year-by-year notes
- 2017: Progressions led with 7 tags; Mensuration (4) and P&C (5) were unusually strong. Geometry overall was 18.1% of tags.
- 2018: Logarithms, Time & Work, TSD and Mixtures each had 6. A heavy Arithmetic year (38.7%).
- 2019: Percentage and TSD with 7 each; Progressions 6. The last year with real Geometry depth (Circles 4, Mensuration 3, Triangles 3).
- 2020: TSD peaked at 11 tags across three 26-question slots, and Number Theory jumped to 9.
- 2021: Time & Work (6) on top, Quadrilaterals & Polygons 5, Arithmetic at 40.9%, its highest share in the period.
- 2022: Quadratics and Number Theory 6 each, Average 5, Simple Equations and Triangles 4 each.
- 2023: Number Theory 8, the highest single-year count for any chapter in 2021–25; Surds, Quadratics and Progressions 6 each.
- 2024: Number Theory 7 and Surds & Indices 6 again. Algebra plus Number System was 44.8% of tags.
- 2025: Simple Equations and Number Theory 6 each, then Quadratics, Surds, Time & Work and TSD with 4. No Mensuration at all; Algebra alone (excluding Number Theory) was 37.9%. See the slot-wise detail in our CAT 2025 paper analysis.
A prioritised CAT Quant study order
This order follows the 2021–25 counts (the current pattern) but keeps foundations first, because some lower-ranked chapters feed the top ones.
- Foundations, about a week: Percentage and Ratio, Proportion & Variation. Only 11 and 14 direct questions in 2021–25, but they are the language of every Arithmetic question.
- Tier 1, 15 or more questions in 2021–25: Number Theory (30), Quadratic Equations (24), Progressions (21), Time & Work (20), Surds & Indices (19), Time, Speed & Distance (18), Average (17), Quadrilaterals & Polygons (16), Inequalities & Modulus (16), Mixture, Alligation, Removal & Replacement (15), Profit & Loss (15). This tier is 63.2% of recent tags.
- Tier 2, 10–14 questions: Simple Equations, Triangles, Simple & Compound Interest, Logarithms, Permutation & Combination and Functions & Graphs.
- Tier 3, fewer than 10: Circles, Coordinate Geometry, Mensuration and Sets. Learn the core results and do the past questions; do not sink weeks here.
If you are short on time before CAT 2026 (Sunday 29 November 2026; confirm on iimcat.ac.in), Tier 1 alone covers most of what each slot asks. For how this fits with VARC and DILR, see the CAT Quant preparation guide and the overall CAT preparation strategy.
How to practise each top chapter on apti4all
- Work the chapter page from the top. Each chapter page lists real CAT questions with step-by-step solutions. For Number Theory and Quadratics, do every CAT question from 2017 onwards before touching older years; the style has changed.
- Build timed mixed sets. Once three or four Tier 1 chapters are done, use the test builder to make a 22-question, 40-minute set from those topics. Mixing chapters trains the skill CAT tests most: picking which questions to leave.
- Keep a mistake notebook. Save the questions you got wrong or guessed to your mistake notebook (sign in first) and redo them after a week.
- Take full slot papers. Attempt recent papers in exam conditions, for example CAT 2025 QA Slot 2, CAT 2024 QA Slot 1 and CAT 2023 QA Slot 3. The full list is on the CAT previous year papers page.
- Daily habit. One problem a day from the question of the day keeps the less frequent chapters warm.
About a third of CAT QA questions are TITA (type in the answer, no options): about 8 of 22 per slot in our records for 2021–2025. TITA has no negative marking, so practise solving fully rather than eliminating options. The other sections have their own patterns: see CAT DILR set types and CAT VARC question types.
Frequently asked questions
Which is the most important topic in CAT Quant?
By count, Number Theory: 51 tags from 2017 to 2025 and 30 in 2021–25 alone, appearing in 23 of 24 slot papers. Time-Speed-Distance is second over nine years and appeared in every paper.
Is Arithmetic or Algebra more important for CAT?
They are now about level. In 2021–25 Arithmetic was 36.8% of tags and Algebra was 35.6%, or 44.6% with Number Theory included. In 2017–19 Arithmetic was clearly ahead.
Can I skip Geometry for CAT?
Not entirely. Geometry is down to 13.8% of recent tags, about three questions per slot, but Triangles and Quadrilaterals & Polygons each appeared in 18–20 of 24 papers. Deprioritise deep Mensuration and Trigonometry first; they have barely appeared since 2019.
How many questions are asked in CAT Quant?
22 questions in 40 minutes in 2021–2025, of which about 8 per slot were TITA in our records. Marking is +3 for a correct answer and −1 for a wrong MCQ, with no negative marking on TITA. The CAT exam pattern guide has the details.
Where can I practise CAT Quant questions topic-wise?
Start from topic-wise preparation, open any chapter from the ranking table above, and solve the past CAT questions with solutions. The CAT syllabus guide lists every chapter.