CAT 2026 Quant Exam Pattern + Score vs Percentile Analysis Using PYQs
Before anything else, you must know the CAT 2026 exam pattern. The table below summarizes all the key details for you
| No of expected questions in CAT 2026 Quant Section | 22 to 24 |
| Sectional time limit | 40 minutes |
| Marking Scheme | +3 for right answer / -1 for wrong answer |
| Types of questions | MCQ (with 4 options) - 15 to 16 TITA (Type in the answer) - 7 to 8 |
No negative marking is awarded for TITA questions
Once you have understood the CAT Quant exam pattern, you also need to understand how many questions you should be able to attempt to get 99+ percentile in CAT 2026 Quant section
| Raw score (Out of 66 marks) | Percentile in CAT | Correct Attempts |
| 30 to 32 marks | 99+ | 13 to 15 |
| 19 to 22 marks | 90+ | 8 to 10 |
| 10 to 12 marks | 80+ | 4 to 5 |
*Solve 80% of the questions with 80% of accuracy to get 99+ percentile in CAT Quant Section
CAT 2026 Quant Section: Important Topics, Weightage & Expected Number of Questions
Now that you understand the CAT score vs percentile mapping, you can begin planning your CAT 2026 preparation more effectively. However, the bigger question remains: How do I crack CAT 2026 in my first attempt? For this, the first step is gaining complete clarity on the CAT QA syllabus and the topic-wise breakup of the section.
Have a look at the table below to understand how many questions are typically asked from each topic in the CAT QA section. This clarity is essential for designing an effective CAT preparation strategy.
| CAT 2026 QA Topics | Number of tentative Questions |
| Arithmetic | 5 to 6 |
| Algebra | 5 to 6 |
| Number System | 4 to 5 |
| Geometry / Co-ordinate Geometry | 3 to 4 |
| Permutation & Combination, Probability | 1 to 2 |
I hope you will utilize the above-mentioned information to make your detailed study plan for CAT Quant section.
Most important Number System, Arithmetic and Algebra topics for CAT 2026
Now it is time for you to start breaking down the important quant topics to be able to focus on topics that can help you maximize your CAT QA score.
In the following table, I have mentioned all the important CAT QA topics from Number system, Arithmetic and Algebra.
| Number System | Arithmetic | Algebra |
| Remainder Theorem | Percentage, Profit & Loss | Progressions |
| LCM and HCF | Averages | Quadratic Equations |
| Factors and Factorials | Ratio & Proportion, Mixture & Alligation | Inequalities |
| Divisibility Rule | Time & Work, Pipe & Cistern | Logarithms |
| Properties of Numbers | Time, Speed & Distance | Functions & Graphs |
| Exponents & Surds | Simple & Compound Interest | Sequence & Series |
Within the broader CAT QA syllabus, there are a few subtopics that certainly contribute at least one question in the CAT exam. These high-certainty topics are follows
| Percentage / Averages | Logarithms |
| Time & Work | Inequalities |
| Time, Speed and Distance | Sequence and Series |
| Ratio & Proportion / Mixture & Alligation | Exponent & Surds |
Most important Geometry & Coordinate Geometry topics for CAT 2026
A majority of CAT aspirants tend to skip Geometry and Coordinate Geometry during their preparation. However, those aiming for a 99+ percentile make sure to understand, revise, and analyze the types of Geometry questions that CAT consistently asks. Scoring just 2–3 correct questions from Geometry can boost your CAT 2026 QA percentile. Let us understand the broad topics that you should go through during your CAT 2026 preparation
| Triangles | Quadrilateral / Polygons | Circles |
| Similarity & Congruency | Kite & Parallelograms – Rhombus, Rectangle, Square | Tangent and Chords |
| Properties of Triangles | Area Problems | Cyclic Quadrilateral and Properties |
| Centroid, Incentre, Orthocenter and Circumcenter | Interior angles & no of diagonals in n sided regular polygons | Area of Sector & length of Arc |
| Area of Triangles | Area of Hexagon and Octagon | Chord Intersection Theorem |
Once you have clarity regarding the most important CAT geometry topics, you should also have a clarity regarding the topics from co-ordinate geometry
| Distance between two points | Equation of Circle |
| Section Formula – Ratio based splitting | Distance of a point from Circle |
| Equation of Line, Slope of lines / parallel lines | Area of triangle & coordinates of various centers |
If you study these topics well, you will be able to solve close to 3 – 4 additional problems in CAT 2026 quant section.
Should I Prepare Permutation & Combination and Probability for CAT 2026?
This topic contributes at the most 1–2 moderately difficult questions in the CAT exam. Therefore, learning the basics of Permutation & Combination is essential for your CAT preparation. However, spending too much time on it may not yield significant returns.
You should understand the basic counting principles, factorials, difference between Permutation & Combination, and solve the CAT previous year questions from this topic.
Is Vedic Math Necessary for CAT 2026 Quant Preparation -
The short answer is no. You don’t have to learn the entire Vedic Math to be able to do well in your CAT 2026 Quant Section. Rather, you need to learn the following concepts to improve your calculations
• Squares from 1 to 100
• Cubes of Natural Numbers from 1 to 25
• Fractions percentage conversion up to 1/30
• Square roots of perfect square numbers
• Cube root of perfect cube numbers
By now, you should clearly understand the CAT QA exam pattern, the most important high weightage topics for CAT QA 2026 exam preparation and score range required to get into an IIMs. I
If you want structured guidance, join Aptitude360’s CAT 2026 courses and start mastering Quant with expert mentors and proven strategies.
