CAT QA Paper Analysis 2026: Previous-Year Difficulty and Topic-wise Questions
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Content Writer | Updated On - Oct 17, 2026
CAT 2026 will be held on 29 November. In CAT 2025, each QA slot had 22 questions, with Arithmetic and Algebra forming the largest part of the section. QA was reported as moderate in Slots 1 and 3, and difficult in Slot 2.
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2025 QA Structure
−
| Item | 2025 value |
|---|---|
| Questions per slot | 22 |
| Total marks | 66 |
| Time | 40 minutes |
| Correct / wrong MCQ / wrong TITA | +3 / -1 / 0 |
Slot 1 Topic Counts
−
| Area | Questions | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Arithmetic | 1, 4, 7, 15, 17, 20, 21, 22 | 8 |
| Algebra | 2, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 19 | 9 |
| Geometry | 3, 12, 18 | 3 |
| Number properties | 16 | 1 |
| Counting and sets | 8 | 1 |
Slots 2 and 3 Compared
−
| Area | Slot 1 | Slot 2 | Slot 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arithmetic | 8 | 8 | 9 |
| Algebra | 9 | 9 | 7 |
| Geometry | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Number properties | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Counting and sets | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 22 | 22 | 22 |
Algebra includes progressions, functions, logarithms, equations and inequalities.
Reported QA Difficulty
−
| 2025 slot | Reported difficulty |
|---|---|
| 1 | Moderate |
| 2 | Difficult |
| 3 | Moderate |
Reported difficulty: CAT 2025.
Same Attempts, Different Marks
−
| 13-response example | Raw score |
|---|---|
| 10 correct + 3 wrong MCQs | 27 |
| 10 correct + 3 wrong TITA answers | 30 |
CAT QA Paper Analysis FAQs
QA Analysis
When will CAT 2026 QA analysis be available? +
CAT 2026 is scheduled for 29 November. Until then, the 2025 slot-wise analysis can be used to compare topics, question types and reported difficulty.
Why do CAT QA topic counts differ between analyses? +
A progression question may be grouped under Algebra or Modern Mathematics. Functions and integer inequalities can also be classified differently. Here, Algebra includes progressions, functions, logarithms, equations and inequalities; each question is counted once.
Which CAT 2025 slot had the hardest QA section? +
Slot 2 QA was reported as difficult, compared with moderate difficulty in Slots 1 and 3. Its algebra questions included function domains, logarithms and integer restrictions.
Was Geometry the same in all three slots? +
Each slot had three Geometry questions, but the topics differed. They included coordinates, circle chords, tangents, area ratios and triangle relationships.
Is attempting 12 QA questions enough for a high percentile? +
It depends on accuracy and the types of wrong answers. Twelve correct answers give 36 raw marks. Nine correct answers and three wrong MCQs give 24. The percentile also depends on scaling and other candidates' scores, so the same attempt count can lead to different results.
*The article might have information for the previous academic years, please refer the official website of the exam.
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