Quick answer: track your QA accuracy, not just attempts. Most QA errors are misreads and calculation slips rather than missing concepts, so add two checks to every answer: reread the last line of the question, and test your answer against the options or a quick estimate. Aim for 80%+ accuracy before trying to raise attempts.
The maths: why accuracy beats attempts
CAT MCQs give +3 for a correct answer and −1 for a wrong one; TITA questions have no negative marking. So every wrong MCQ costs you four marks compared with getting it right, and one mark compared with leaving it.
| Attempts | Accuracy | Correct | Wrong | Net score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | 62% | 10 | 6 | 24 |
| 13 | 77% | 10 | 3 | 27 |
| 11 | 91% | 10 | 1 | 29 |
| 14 | 86% | 12 | 2 | 34 |
The first three rows get the same ten questions right. The student who attempted five fewer questions scored five more marks, and saved the time those five questions took. That time is what lets you reach the last row: more correct answers at the same high accuracy.
See our marks vs percentile guide for what a few extra sectional marks can mean for your percentile.
Where QA errors come from
Before fixing accuracy, find out what kind of errors you make. Go through your last three mocks and tag every wrong QA answer:
- Misread: answered for the wrong quantity, missed “not”, “integer”, “minimum”, “distinct”, or a unit.
- Calculation: right method, slip in arithmetic or algebra.
- Setup: wrote the wrong equation or diagram from a correct understanding.
- Concept: did not know or misremembered the method.
- Forced: attempted under time pressure without real confidence.
Most students find that concept errors are a minority. That is good news: misreads and slips can be cut in days with habits, while concept gaps take weeks. Our mock analysis template has a ready-made log for this.
Fast checks that catch errors
1Reread the last line before you mark
The question asks for one thing. Before you click, reread the final sentence and ask: is my number that thing? This alone catches answers given for x when the question asked for 2x, or for the total when it asked for the difference.
2Use the options
For MCQs, the options are free information. Check whether your answer has the right size and form (integer, fraction, units digit). Where it is quick, plug an option back into the condition. If your answer is not an option, do not pick the nearest one; find the slip or skip.
3Estimate before you calculate
A five-second rough estimate (“about 40%, so about 300”) catches decimal slips and inverted ratios. If your exact answer is far from your estimate, recheck.
4Write cleanly on the rough sheet
Many calculation errors are copying errors: a 6 read as 0, a dropped minus sign. Number your rough work by question and keep each one in its own box. It feels slow; it is faster than redoing a question.
5Plug in small numbers for algebra
For general expressions, test with n = 1 or 2, or x = 0. If the options disagree for that value, you can often pick the right one without finishing the algebra.
When guessing makes sense
With four options, +3 and −1, a pure random guess has an expected value of 0.25 × 3 − 0.75 × 1 = 0. On average, it neither helps nor hurts, but it adds risk.
- Eliminated one option confidently: expected value becomes +0.33 per guess.
- Eliminated two: +1 per guess.
- TITA: no negative marking, so an attempt with a reasonable answer never costs marks, only time.
So: do not guess blindly on MCQs, but an educated guess after real elimination is worth taking, and a TITA you have partly worked out is worth entering.
A two-week accuracy drill
- Daily: 15 QA questions from mixed topics, timed loosely (about 2.5 min each).
- Apply all five checks to every answer, even if it feels slow.
- Log accuracy and tag every error.
- Same daily set, now at about 2 minutes per question.
- Keep checks 1 and 2 on every question; use 3–5 when unsure.
- In your next mock, set a rule: no blind MCQ guesses.
At the end, compare your mock accuracy and error tags with the three mocks before. If misreads dropped but concept errors did not, your next two weeks should go to the weakest topics.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good accuracy in CAT QA?
Many serious aspirants aim for about 80% or higher on their attempts. Below about 70%, the negative marks usually cost more than the extra attempts gain.
Should I attempt more questions or improve accuracy first?
Accuracy first. Once you are consistently above about 80%, add attempts gradually and watch whether accuracy holds.
Do TITA questions have negative marking?
In recent CAT papers, no. A wrong TITA answer scores zero, the same as leaving it blank.
