Here is the individual, year-wise breakdown for the 2025, 2024, and 2023 CAT Quantitative Aptitude section. Each year has exactly 3 slots of 22 questions each (66 questions per year). Since there are exactly 22 questions per slot, the absolute number of questions in each slot directly translates to the percentage weightage for that slot. Use this to prioritise study time proportionally while retaining coverage across all areas.
Year 2025: Analysis
The 2025 paper presents a highly balanced distribution across all four topic areas. Arithmetic and Algebra each account for roughly one-third of questions per slot, Geometry is lean but entirely consistent at exactly 3 questions in every slot, and Number Theory holds firm at 4 questions per slot. The table below summarises category-wise question counts and percentage weightage across all three slots.
I. Macro-Level: Category-Wise Weightage (2025)
| Subject / Category | Slot 1 Questions | Slot 1 Weightage (%) | Slot 2 Questions | Slot 2 Weightage (%) | Slot 3 Questions | Slot 3 Weightage (%) |
|---|
| Arithmetic | 7 | 31.82% | 8 | 36.36% | 8 | 36.36% |
| Algebra | 8 | 36.36% | 7 | 31.82% | 7 | 31.82% |
| Geometry & Mensuration | 3 | 13.64% | 3 | 13.64% | 3 | 13.64% |
| Number Theory & PnC | 4 | 18.18% | 4 | 18.18% | 4 | 18.18% |
| Grand Total | 22 | 100.00% | 22 | 100.00% | 22 | 100.00% |
II. Micro-Level: Topic-Wise Distribution (2025)
1. Arithmetic (Slot 1: 7 Qs | Slot 2: 8 Qs | Slot 3: 8 Qs)All seven core arithmetic sub-topics appeared across the three slots, each contributing 1-2 questions. Time & Work was the most consistent sub-topic - present in all three slots and appearing twice in Slot 3. Mixtures & Alligation and Profit, Loss & Discount also featured in every slot. No single sub-topic dominated any one slot.
| Topic | Slot 1 | Slot 2 | Slot 3 | Total (2025) |
|---|
| Averages | - | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Percentages & Ratios | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 |
| Profit, Loss & Discount | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Simple & Compound Interest | 1 | 1 | - | 2 |
| Mixtures & Alligation | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Time, Speed & Distance | - | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Time & Work (incl. Pipes) | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Arithmetic Sub-total | 7 | 8 | 8 | 23 |
2. Algebra (Slot 1: 8 Qs | Slot 2: 7 Qs | Slot 3: 7 Qs)
Logarithms appeared exactly once in every single slot across 2025 - treat this as a guaranteed topic. Quadratic Equations featured strongly in Slots 1 & 2, with questions focused on integer roots and common negative roots. Progressions (AP/GP) and Functions both appeared across all three slots. Inequalities appeared in Slots 2 & 3. Surds & Exponents appeared only once (Slot 3).
| Topic | Slot 1 | Slot 2 | Slot 3 | Total (2025) |
|---|
| Linear Equations | 2 | - | 1 | 3 |
| Quadratic Equations | 2 | 2 | - | 4 |
| Inequalities | - | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Functions & Composite Functions | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Logarithms | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Surds & Exponents | - | - | 1 | 1 |
| Progressions (AP / GP) | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Algebra - Integer / Constraint Problems | - | 1 | - | 1 |
| Algebra Sub-total | 8 | 7 | 7 | 22 |
3. Geometry & Mensuration (Slot 1: 3 Qs | Slot 2: 3 Qs | Slot 3: 3 Qs)
Geometry was the lightest but most consistent category - exactly 3 questions in every slot, a pattern that holds across all three years. The three questions rotated across Triangles/Polygons, Circles, and 2D Mensuration. Coordinate Geometry appeared only once (Slot 1). No 3D Mensuration questions appeared in 2025. Focus on inscribed figures, tangent-chord properties, and area calculations.
| Topic | Slot 1 | Slot 2 | Slot 3 | Total (2025) |
|---|
| Triangles & Polygons | - | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Circles | 1 | 1 | - | 2 |
| Mensuration - 2D (Area / Perimeter) | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Coordinate Geometry | 1 | - | - | 1 |
| Geometry Sub-total | 3 | 3 | 3 | 9 |
4. Number Theory & PnC (Slot 1: 4 Qs | Slot 2: 4 Qs | Slot 3: 4 Qs)
Number Theory alone accounted for 3-4 questions per slot. Characteristic forms: digit-sum of a large power; count of divisors of a specific form (e.g., 3r+1); remainder on dividing a power by a small prime; 4-digit numbers satisfying arithmetic constraints. Permutation & Combination appeared once (Slot 1 - combinatorics of ordered choices). Set Theory / Venn diagrams appeared in Slot 3.
| Topic | Slot 1 | Slot 2 | Slot 3 | Total (2025) |
|---|
| Number Theory (Remainders, Divisors, Digits) | 3 | 4 | 3 | 10 |
| Permutation & Combination | 1 | - | - | 1 |
| Set Theory / Venn Diagrams | - | - | 1 | 1 |
| NT & PnC Sub-total | 4 | 4 | 4 | 12 |
Year 2024: Analysis
The 2024 paper closely mirrors the 2025 structure, with Algebra marginally heavier than Arithmetic in Slots 2 & 3. A notable feature was the presence of 3D Mensuration in Slot 1 and a stronger showing of Surds & Exponents across all three slots. Functions appeared in varied forms - floor function, absolute value equations, and functional equations - making it one of the most versatile Algebra sub-topics. Slots 1 & 2 are verified from the official PDF; Slot 3 is compiled from verified public sources.
I. Macro-Level: Category-Wise Weightage (2024)
| Subject / Category | Slot 1 Questions | Slot 1 Weightage (%) | Slot 2 Questions | Slot 2 Weightage (%) | Slot 3 Questions | Slot 3 Weightage (%) |
|---|
| Arithmetic | 8 | 36.36% | 7 | 31.82% | 7 | 31.82% |
| Algebra | 7 | 31.82% | 8 | 36.36% | 8 | 36.36% |
| Geometry & Mensuration | 4 | 18.18% | 3 | 13.64% | 3 | 13.64% |
| Number Theory & PnC | 3 | 13.64% | 4 | 18.18% | 4 | 18.18% |
| Grand Total | 22 | 100.00% | 22 | 100.00% | 22 | 100.00% |
II. Micro-Level: Topic-Wise Distribution (2024)
1. Arithmetic (Slot 1: 8 Qs | Slot 2: 7 Qs | Slot 3: 7 Qs)
All seven core sub-topics appeared in Slot 1. Averages, SI & CI, Mixtures, TSD, and Profit-Loss each appeared across all three slots. Time & Work featured in Slots 1 & 2. The distribution was very even - typically 1 question per sub-topic per slot with Percentages & Ratios occasionally picking up 2.
| Topic | Slot 1 | Slot 2 | Slot 3 | Total (2024) |
|---|
| Averages | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Percentages & Ratios | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| Profit, Loss & Discount | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Simple & Compound Interest | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Mixtures & Alligation | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Time, Speed & Distance | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Time & Work | 1 | 1 | - | 2 |
| Arithmetic Sub-total | 8 | 7 | 7 | 22 |
2. Algebra (Slot 1: 7 Qs | Slot 2: 8 Qs | Slot 3: 8 Qs)
Logarithms, Surds & Exponents, Functions, and Progressions all appeared in every slot - four guaranteed Algebra sub-topics. Functions appeared in especially varied forms: floor function (largest integer not exceeding √n, Slot 1), absolute value (Slot 2), and multiplicative functional equations where f(xy) = f(x)f(y) + f(x) + f(y) (Slot 2). Quadratic Equations featured in all three slots, and Inequalities in Slots 2 & 3.
| Topic | Slot 1 | Slot 2 | Slot 3 | Total (2024) |
|---|
| Linear Equations | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Quadratic Equations | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Inequalities | - | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Functions (Floor / Absolute Value / Functional Eq.) | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| Logarithms | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Surds & Exponents | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Progressions (AP / GP / Series) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Algebra Sub-total | 7 | 8 | 8 | 23 |
3. Geometry & Mensuration (Slot 1: 4 Qs | Slot 2: 3 Qs | Slot 3: 3 Qs)
Slot 1 had 4 Geometry questions - the highest single-slot count across all three years - due to an additional 3D Mensuration question (rectangular box inscribed in a sphere). Coordinate Geometry appeared in Slot 1 (area of region bounded by inequalities in XY-plane) and in Slot 2 (incircle radius of triangle with given vertices). Circles appeared in all three slots.
| Topic | Slot 1 | Slot 2 | Slot 3 | Total (2024) |
|---|
| Triangles & Polygons | - | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Circles | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Mensuration - 2D | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Mensuration - 3D | 1 | - | - | 1 |
| Coordinate Geometry | 1 | - | - | 1 |
| Geometry Sub-total | 4 | 3 | 3 | 10 |
4. Number Theory & PnC (Slot 1: 3 Qs | Slot 2: 4 Qs | Slot 3: 4 Qs)
Remainder questions on dividing a large power (10¹⁰⁰ by 7 in Slot 1; 3³³³ by 11 in Slot 2) appeared prominently. Factorisation equations such as mⁿ = 2²⁵ × 3⁴⁰ (Slot 2) also tested Number Theory. PnC appeared in all three slots: surjective function counting (Slot 1), route counting through towns (Slot 2), and arrangement/selection problems (Slot 3).
| Topic | Slot 1 | Slot 2 | Slot 3 | Total (2024) |
|---|
| Number Theory (Remainders, Divisors, Digits) | 2 | 3 | 3 | 8 |
| Permutation, Combination & Counting | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| NT & PnC Sub-total | 3 | 4 | 4 | 11 |
Year 2023: Analysis
The 2023 paper had the heaviest Arithmetic weightage across all three years, particularly in Slot 2 where 9 of 22 questions were Arithmetic. Time & Work was extraordinarily prominent in Slot 3 - three questions including a multi-person work problem and a pipes-and-cistern problem. A distinctive 2023 signature was "constraint-based algebra" - questions asking for the minimum or maximum of an expression subject to integer or natural number conditions - which appeared in all three slots. Geometry held to its consistent 3 questions per slot.
I. Macro-Level: Category-Wise Weightage (2023)
| Subject / Category | Slot 1 Questions | Slot 1 Weightage (%) | Slot 2 Questions | Slot 2 Weightage (%) | Slot 3 Questions | Slot 3 Weightage (%) |
|---|
| Arithmetic | 8 | 36.36% | 9 | 40.91% | 8 | 36.36% |
| Algebra | 7 | 31.82% | 6 | 27.27% | 7 | 31.82% |
| Geometry & Mensuration | 3 | 13.64% | 3 | 13.64% | 3 | 13.64% |
| Number Theory & PnC | 4 | 18.18% | 4 | 18.18% | 4 | 18.18% |
| Grand Total | 22 | 100.00% | 22 | 100.00% | 22 | 100.00% |
II. Micro-Level: Topic-Wise Distribution (2023)
1. Arithmetic (Slot 1: 8 Qs | Slot 2: 9 Qs | Slot 3: 8 Qs)Arithmetic was the dominant category in 2023, especially in Slot 2 (41%). Time & Work was the highest-frequency single sub-topic in 2023 - 6 questions in total across three slots, with 3 in Slot 3 alone. This included multi-person problems, pipes-and-cistern, and harmonic progression applications. Mixtures, TSD, and Profit-Loss each appeared in every slot. Averages and Percentages & Ratios were also consistent across all slots.
| Topic | Slot 1 | Slot 2 | Slot 3 | Total (2023) |
|---|
| Averages | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| Percentages & Ratios | 2 | - | 1 | 3 |
| Profit, Loss & Discount | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Simple & Compound Interest | 1 | 1 | - | 2 |
| Mixtures & Alligation | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Time, Speed & Distance | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| Time & Work (incl. Pipes & HP) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
| Arithmetic Sub-total | 8 | 9 | 8 | 25 |
2. Algebra (Slot 1: 7 Qs | Slot 2: 6 Qs | Slot 3: 7 Qs)
Algebra was slightly lighter in 2023 compared to 2024-25. Logarithms, Inequalities, Surds, and Progressions all appeared in every slot. The defining feature of 2023 Algebra was the "integer constraint" question type: find the smallest possible total, the minimum number of coins, or the least value of an expression given integer or natural number conditions. Functions were absent from 2023, becoming a notable new entrant in 2024.
| Topic | Slot 1 | Slot 2 | Slot 3 | Total (2023) |
|---|
| Quadratic / Algebraic Equations | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| Inequalities | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Logarithms | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Surds & Exponents | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Progressions (AP / GP / HP) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Algebra - Integer / Constraint Problems | 2 | - | 2 | 4 |
| Algebra Sub-total | 7 | 6 | 7 | 20 |
3. Geometry & Mensuration (Slot 1: 3 Qs | Slot 2: 3 Qs | Slot 3: 3 Qs)
Geometry held exactly 3 questions in every slot in 2023, continuing the unbroken pattern across all nine slots in this analysis. Cyclic quadrilateral and tangent-chord circle questions featured in Slot 1. Triangle areas-in-AP (Slot 1) was a distinctive cross-topic question combining Geometry and Progressions. Polygon diagonal counting (interior angle exceeds exterior angle by a given value) appeared in Slot 3.
| Topic | Slot 1 | Slot 2 | Slot 3 | Total (2023) |
|---|
| Triangles & Polygons | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Circles (incl. Cyclic Quadrilateral) | 1 | 1 | - | 2 |
| Mensuration - 2D | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Geometry Sub-total | 3 | 3 | 3 | 9 |
4. Number Theory & PnC (Slot 1: 4 Qs | Slot 2: 4 Qs | Slot 3: 4 Qs)
Number Theory appeared exactly 3 times per slot in all three slots. Characteristic forms included: counting positive integers up to 1000 with non-repeating digits satisfying a digit-sum condition (Slot 1); coin ratio with LCM divisibility constraints (Slot 3); and standard remainder / factor problems. PnC appeared once per slot in each case.
| Topic | Slot 1 | Slot 2 | Slot 3 | Total (2023) |
|---|
| Number Theory (Remainders, Divisors, Digits) | 3 | 3 | 3 | 9 |
| Permutation, Combination & Counting | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| NT & PnC Sub-total | 4 | 4 | 4 | 12 |
Three-Year Trend: 2023 - 2025
The table below shows the average number of questions per slot for each topic across all three years. Use this to identify the topics that are non-negotiable and calibrate how much time to invest in each area.
I. Macro-Level: Average Questions per Slot (2023-2025)
| Category | 2023 Avg / Slot | 2024 Avg / Slot | 2025 Avg / Slot | 3-Year Avg / Slot |
|---|
| Arithmetic | 8.3 | 7.3 | 7.7 | 7.8 |
| Algebra | 6.7 | 7.7 | 7.3 | 7.2 |
| Geometry & Mensuration | 3.0 | 3.3 | 3.0 | 3.1 |
| Number Theory & PnC | 4.0 | 3.7 | 4.0 | 3.9 |
| Total | 22.0 | 22.0 | 22.0 | 22.0 |
II. Micro-Level: Topic Consistency Across All 9 Slots (2023-2025)
| Topic | 2023 (S1 / S2 / S3) | 2024 (S1 / S2 / S3) | 2025 (S1 / S2 / S3) | Slots Present (out of 9) |
|---|
| Profit, Loss & Discount | 1 / 1 / 1 | 1 / 1 / 1 | 1 / 1 / 1 | 9 / 9 |
| Mixtures & Alligation | 1 / 1 / 1 | 1 / 1 / 1 | 1 / 1 / 1 | 9 / 9 |
| Logarithms | 1 / 1 / 1 | 1 / 1 / 1 | 1 / 1 / 1 | 9 / 9 |
| Progressions (AP / GP) | 1 / 1 / 1 | 1 / 1 / 1 | 2 / 1 / 1 | 9 / 9 |
| Mensuration - 2D | 1 / 1 / 1 | 1 / 1 / 1 | 1 / 1 / 2 | 9 / 9 |
| Number Theory (Remainders / Divisors) | 3 / 3 / 3 | 2 / 3 / 3 | 3 / 4 / 3 | 9 / 9 |
| Time & Work | 1 / 2 / 3 | 1 / 1 / - | 1 / 1 / 2 | 8 / 9 |
| Time, Speed & Distance | 1 / 2 / 1 | 1 / 1 / 1 | - / 1 / 2 | 8 / 9 |
| Averages | 1 / 2 / 1 | 1 / 1 / 1 | - / 1 / 1 | 8 / 9 |
| Percentages & Ratios | 2 / - / 1 | 2 / 1 / 2 | 3 / 2 / 1 | 8 / 9 |
| Quadratic Equations | 1 / 2 / 1 | 1 / 1 / 1 | 2 / 2 / - | 8 / 9 |
| Simple & Compound Interest | 1 / 1 / - | 1 / 1 / 1 | 1 / 1 / - | 7 / 9 |
| Surds & Exponents | 1 / 1 / 1 | 2 / 1 / 1 | - / - / 1 | 7 / 9 |
| Inequalities | 1 / 1 / 1 | - / 1 / 1 | - / 1 / 1 | 7 / 9 |
| Triangles & Polygons | 1 / 1 / 2 | - / 1 / 1 | - / 1 / 1 | 7 / 9 |
| Circles | 1 / 1 / - | 1 / 1 / 1 | 1 / 1 / - | 7 / 9 |
| Permutation, Combination & Counting | 1 / 1 / 1 | 1 / 1 / 1 | 1 / - / - | 8 / 9 |
| Functions | - / - / - | 1 / 2 / 2 | 1 / 1 / 2 | 6 / 9 |
| Coordinate Geometry | - / - / - | 1 / - / - | 1 / - / - | 2 / 9 |
Note on interpretation: Treat these year-wise distributions as diagnostic - they indicate topics that were emphasised in each year's paper and thus help plan focused revision. However, maintain broad coverage across all topics since year-to-year and slot-to-slot variation is common. A topic absent in one slot frequently reappears with higher frequency in the next.
