Concepts CAT keeps repeating

143 ideas have come up in three or more CAT questions since 2017. Each page lists every question that tested the idea, across years, so you can see how CAT varies the same method.

Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC)

ConceptQuestionsYears
Spotting the one claim the passage does not support — society and politics passages402017–2025
Spotting the one claim the passage does not support — science and technology passages302017–2025
Spotting the one claim the passage does not support — history and anthropology passages212017–2024
Drawing out what the passage implies but never states — science and technology passages202017–2025
Drawing out what the passage implies but never states — history and anthropology passages122017–2025
Why a line, example or reference is in the passage — society and politics passages182017–2025
Why a line, example or reference is in the passage — science and technology passages162017–2025
The central idea or primary purpose — science and technology passages132017–2025
Spotting the one claim the passage does not support — philosophy and psychology passages212017–2025
Drawing out what the passage implies but never states — society and politics passages162017–2025
The central idea or primary purpose — society and politics passages142017–2025
Which new fact would strengthen or weaken the argument — science and technology passages102018–2025
What the author would agree or disagree with — society and politics passages92018–2025
Why a line, example or reference is in the passage — history and anthropology passages92017–2025
Spotting the one claim the passage does not support — literature and the arts passages172019–2025
Locating a detail the passage states directly — society and politics passages152017–2025
Locating a detail the passage states directly — philosophy and psychology passages112017–2023
Which new fact would strengthen or weaken the argument — society and politics passages112018–2024
The central idea or primary purpose — philosophy and psychology passages92017–2025
Why a line, example or reference is in the passage — philosophy and psychology passages82019–2023
Locating a detail the passage states directly — history and anthropology passages72017–2025
What the author would agree or disagree with — history and anthropology passages62018–2023
Drawing out what the passage implies but never states — philosophy and psychology passages92019–2025
Locating a detail the passage states directly — science and technology passages82017–2024
Spotting the one claim the passage does not support — economics passages82017–2024
Why a line, example or reference is in the passage — literature and the arts passages82019–2025
Drawing out what the passage implies but never states — literature and the arts passages82020–2025
Which new fact would strengthen or weaken the argument — philosophy and psychology passages62019–2025
The central idea or primary purpose — history and anthropology passages52017–2025
The central idea or primary purpose — literature and the arts passages42020–2025
The central idea or primary purpose — economics passages42017–2025
Drawing out what the passage implies but never states — economics passages82020–2025
Locating a detail the passage states directly — literature and the arts passages62019–2025
What the author would agree or disagree with — philosophy and psychology passages52020–2023
Why a line, example or reference is in the passage — economics passages52019–2025
What the author would agree or disagree with — economics passages42019–2024
Which new fact would strengthen or weaken the argument — literature and the arts passages32019–2024
The author's tone or attitude — mixed subjects32020–2024

Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR)

ConceptQuestionsYears
Cross-classification of a population by two or three attributes; fill the contingency table352017–2023
Venn diagram: counts of items belonging to overlapping categories (3-4 sets)332017–2024
Scatter/bubble plot DI: read coordinates and areas to compare entities212018–2025
Network of roads/lines with travel times or distances; routes and schedules272017–2024
Weighted or total score across several parameters with qualification thresholds222017–2021
Queue simulation: arrivals served by counters/rides/doctors in time slots222017–2023
Sales/revenue DI with percentage shares across segments and years202018–2024
Assign items into ordered slots/issues/shelves under grouping conditions162019–2021
Election vote counts: deduce votes/shares of candidates162020–2024
Distribute items among people under value/total constraints142017–2024
Fill a grid with symbols/numbers obeying adjacency or ordering rules132018–2024
Reconstruct individual values from mean, median, mode, range or min/max192023–2024
Small integer counts per entity per day/match under sum and ordering clues152022–2023
Individual competition over several rounds; reconstruct round scores and standings142019–2021
Pairwise interactions within a group (calls, replies, relationships)142021–2025
Assign distinct numeric values to entities from ordering and ratio clues132017–2025
Line of sight on a grid: who can see/reach whom along rows, columns, diagonals122017–2019
Values placed in a grid layout, deduced from row and column totals112020–2024
Four-player game over several rounds with points/money exchanged per round112020–2022
Who engaged with whom over which consecutive years (contracts/training spans)112020–2025
Managers/coaches give ratings to members of their groups; deduce assignments102024–2025
3x3 grid of boxes each holding three sacks/pouches of coins, equal row/column totals92019–2023
Tournament with groups: reconstruct match schedule and results92021–2024
Currency exchange rates and conversions92018–2025
Table with missing entries completed from additional clues82020–2024
Pooled testing: mix samples to identify the defective one82020–2021
Letters coded as digits; decode from given coded words/sums82018–2019
Trade flows between countries: imports, exports, tariffs, balances92025
Gantt-style bar chart: start/end days of tasks or orders82021
Circular seating with players moving or passing around the circle82025

Quantitative Ability (QA)

ConceptQuestionsYears
Average changes when members join or leave the group62017–2025
Maximise or minimise one value given an average and distinct/bounded others82018–2022
Repeated replacement of a mixture: concentration × (1 − f) each time62018–2025
Discriminant conditions for real, distinct or no real roots62017–2022
Exponential equation turned into a quadratic in a^x62017–2025
Integer equations solved by listing factor pairs52017–2025
Infinite geometric series: a/(1 − r)52017–2025
Marked price, discount and profit: MP × (1 − d) = CP × (1 + p)62017–2025
Mixing solutions in a given ratio to find an unknown strength52017–2021
Work completed in phases as workers join, leave or slow down52018–2025
Person-days or person-hours are proportional to work done52020–2025
Count divisors of a special form using prime-factor exponents52019–2025
Counting numbers with distinct digits under conditions52020–2024
Symmetric functions of roots via sum and product (Vieta)52017–2024
Area of a region bounded by modulus graphs52017–2023
Logs with bases that are powers of one base: convert to a common base52017–2025
AP problems: write terms as a + (n − 1)d and solve52017–2025
Regular hexagon as six equilateral triangles52017–2025
Selling parts at different prices, rest as a mixture, to hit an overall profit42018–2022
Comparing simple and compound interest on the same principal42019–2025
Successive resales: multiply the profit and loss factors along the chain42017–2024
Adding the same amount to each changes the ratio; difference stays fixed42017–2024
Minimum or maximum of a quadratic at its vertex42020–2025
Polynomial or rational inequalities by the sign of factors42017–2024
Set equal powers or logs to a common k and take logs42017–2020
Compare powers by summing exponents or taking logs42018–2025
Three-set Venn diagrams: maximise or minimise a region42020–2025
Rectangle or box in a circle or sphere: diagonal = diameter42018–2024
Medians and centroid: 2:1 split and equal-area pieces42017–2024
Parallelogram diagonals bisect each other: share a midpoint42017–2025
Capital split across different interest rates: total interest62019–2025
Integer solutions of a linear equation with count and range constraints52020–2025
AM–GM bound on a sum of reciprocal-type terms52020–2023
Sums of |x − a|: distance on the number line52017–2022
Change of base: log_a b = 1 / log_b a52018–2021
Integer solutions of x + y + z = n with lower or upper bounds52017–2022
Chord and centre: r^2 = d^2 + (half chord)^252018–2025
Transferring between two vessels and back: track each liquid42019–2025
Work done in a repeating daily roster of workers42021–2024
After meeting, speed ratio = √(ratio of remaining times)42020–2023
Delay or stoppage on the way: new speed needed to arrive on time42020–2025
Two items at different profit/loss rates: overall profit equation42019–2023
Rearrange into a sum of squares equal to zero, so each square is zero42018–2024
Equations with |x|: split into sign cases and count roots42019–2023
Triangles with a common height: areas proportional to bases42021–2023
Adding a pure component to shift a mixture's concentration32020–2024
Pipes and cisterns with a draining pipe: net rate = fill − drain32017–2023
Meeting time moving towards each other vs. in the same direction32018–2022
Late at one speed, early at another: solve for distance32017–2024
Boats and streams: upstream = b − s, downstream = b + s32017–2025
Races: 'A beats B by x' as distance ratios over the course32017–2020
One starts later from the other end: cover the head start, then meet32017–2020
Loan repaid in instalments under compound interest32018–2025
Two successive percentage changes with related rates32021–2024
Total change from parts growing at different percentages32019–2021
Pass mark from two scores relative to it32018–2020
Combined average of two groups from group sizes and averages32017–2025
Writing a number as m^n: n must divide every prime exponent32018–2024
Equate exponents of each prime on both sides32019–2025
Unique, none or infinitely many solutions of a 2×2 linear system32020–2024
Multiplicative functional equations: evaluate at prime powers32017–2024
nth term = S_n − S_(n−1)32018–2022
Circular segment area = sector − triangle32017–2024
Chords in a circle: similar triangles and power of a point32019–2025
Regular polygons: exterior angle = 360°/n32019–2023
Two kinds of workers or pipes in two combinations: solve for unit rates42018–2019
Two mixing ratios give two equations for the components' values32018–2025
Wages split in proportion to the work each person did32017–2021
Trains crossing: relative speed covers the sum of lengths32020–2021
Transfer between two holders changes the ratio; total stays fixed32018–2025
Common terms of two APs form an AP with difference = LCM32019–2023
Chained logs telescope via change of base32020–2024
Rhombus: side and area give the diagonals via (d1 ± d2)^232021–2025
Incircle of a right triangle: r = (a + b − c)/232021–2024
Remainder of a large power: find the cycle of remainders32024