Q1:

Logarithms

Hard

For a real number xx, if 12,log⁡3(2x−9)log⁡34\frac{1}{2}, \frac{\log _{3}\left(2^{x}-9\right)}{\log _{3} 4}, and log⁡5(2x+172)log⁡54\frac{\log _{5}\left(2^{x}+\frac{17}{2}\right)}{\log _{5} 4} are in an arithmetic progression, then the common difference is

Answer options
Option 1
Correct Answer
Explanation for CAT QA question 1

Q2:

Identities

Hard

If xx is a positive real number such that x8+1x8=47x^8 + \frac{1}{x^8} = 47, then the value of x9+1x9x^9 + \frac{1}{x^9} is

Answer options
Option 2
Correct Answer
Explanation for CAT QA question 2

Q3:

Linear Equation

Medium

For some real numbers aa and bb, the system of equations x+y=4x + y = 4 and (a+5)x+(b2−15)y=8b(a + 5)x + (b^2 - 15)y = 8b has infinitely many solutions for xx and yy. Then, the maximum possible value of abab is

Answer options
Option 2
Correct Answer
Explanation for CAT QA question 3

Q4:

Indices

Medium

Let nn and mm be two positive integers such that there are exactly 4141 integers greater than 8m8^m and less than 8n8^n, which can be expressed as powers of 22. Then, the smallest possible value of n+mn + m is

Answer options
Option 1
Correct Answer
Explanation for CAT QA question 4

Q5:

Inequalities

Medium

Let nn be any natural number such that 5n−1<3n+15^{n-1} < 3^{n+1}. Then, the least integer value of m that satisfies 3n+1<2n+m3^{n+1} < 2^{n+m} for each such nn, is

5
Correct Answer
Explanation for CAT QA question 5

Q6:

Polynomials

Medium

A quadratic equation x2+bx+c=0x^{2}+b x+c=0 has two real roots. It the difference between the reciprocals of the roots is 1/31 / 3 and the sum of the reciprocals of the squares of the roots is 5/95 / 9, then the largest possible value of ( b+cb+c ) is

9
Correct Answer
Explanation for CAT QA question 6

Q7:

Factorisation

Medium

The sum of the first two natural numbers, each having 1515 factors (including 11 and the number itself), is

468
Correct Answer
Explanation for CAT QA question 7

Q8:

Mixture & Alligation

Easy

Anil mixes cocoa with sugar in the ratio 3:23: 2 to prepare mixture AA, and coffee with sugar in the ratio 7:37: 3 to prepare mixture BB. He combines mixtures AA and BB in the ratio 2:32: 3 to make a new mixture CC. If he mixes CC with an equal amount of milk to make a drink, then the percentage of sugar in this drink will be

Answer options
Option 1
Correct Answer
Explanation for CAT QA question 8

Q9:

Time & Work

Hard

Rahul, Rakshita and Gurmeet, working together, would have taken more than 77 days to finish a job. On the other hand, Rahul and Gurmeet, working together would have taken less than 1515 days to finish the job. However, they all worked together for 66 days, followed by Rakshita, who worked alone for 33 more days to finish the job. If Rakshita had worked alone on the job then the number of days she would have taken to finish the job, cannot be

Answer options
Option 3
Correct Answer
Explanation for CAT QA question 9

Q10:

Percentages

Hard

The population of a town in 20202020 was 100000. The population decreased by y%y \% from the year 20202020 to 2021, and increased by x%\mathrm{x} \% from the year 20212021 to 2022, where x and y are two natural numbers. If population in 20222022 was greater than the population in 20202020 and the difference between xx and yy is 10, then the lowest possible population of the town in 20212021 was

Answer options
Option 4
Correct Answer
Explanation for CAT QA question 10

Q11:

Profit & Loss

Hard

A merchant purchases a cloth at a rate of Rs. 100100 per meter and receives 5 cm5 \mathrm{~cm} length of cloth free for every 100 cm100 \mathrm{~cm} length of cloth purchased by him. He sells the same cloth at a rate of Rs. 110110 per meter but cheats his customers by giving 95 cm95 \mathrm{~cm} length of cloth for every 100 cm100 \mathrm{~cm} length of cloth purchased by the customers. If the merchant provides a 5%5 \% discount, the resulting profit earned by him is

Answer options
Option 1
Correct Answer
Explanation for CAT QA question 11

Q12:

Mean, Median & Mode

Medium

There are three persons A,B\mathrm{A}, \mathrm{B} and CC in a room. If a person DD joins the room, the average weight of the persons in the room reduces by xx kg . Instead of DD , if person EE joins the room, the average weight of the persons in the room increases by 2xkg2 \mathrm{x} \mathrm{kg}. If the weight of EE is 12 kg12 \mathrm{~kg} more than that of DD, then the value of xx is

Answer options
Option 2
Correct Answer
Explanation for CAT QA question 12

Q13:

Time, Speed & Distance

Hard

A boat takes 22 hours to travel downstream a river from port A to port B , and 33 hours to return to port A . Another boat takes a total of 66 hours to travel from port BB to port AA and return to port BB. If the speeds of the boats and the river are constant, then the time, in hours, taken by the slower boat to travel from port AA to port BB is

Answer options
Option 4
Correct Answer
Explanation for CAT QA question 13

Q14:

Time & Work

Medium

Gautam and Suhani, working together, can finish a job in 2020 days. If Gautam does only 60%60 \% of his usual work on a day, Suhani must do 150%150 \% of her usual work on that day to exactly make up for it. Then, the number of days required by the faster worker to complete the job working alone is

36
Correct Answer
Explanation for CAT QA question 14

Q15:

Ratio, Proportion & Variation

Medium

The number of coins collected per week by two coin-collectors AA and BB are In the ratio 3:43:4. If the total number of coins collected by AA in 55 weeks is a multiple of 77, and the total number of coins collected by BB in 33 weeks is a multiple of 2424, then the minimum possible number of coins collected by AA in one week is

42
Correct Answer
Explanation for CAT QA question 15

Q16:

Linear Equation

Hard

A fruit seller has a stock of mangoes, bananas and apples with at least one fruit of each type. At the beginning of a day, the number of mangoes make up 40%40 \% of his stock. That day, he sells half of the mangoes, 9696 bananas and 40%40 \% of the apples. At the end of the day, he ends up selling 50%50 \% of the fruits. The smallest possible total number of fruits in the stock at the beginning of the day is

340
Correct Answer
Explanation for CAT QA question 16

Q17:

Triangles

Hard

Let △ABC\triangle ABC be an isosceles triangle such that ABAB and ACAC are of equal length. ADAD is the altitude from AA on BCBC and BEBE is the altitude from BB on ACAC. If ADAD and BEBE intersect at OO such that ∠AOB=105∘\angle AOB = 105^\circ, then AD/BEAD/BE equals

Answer options
Option 3
Correct Answer
Explanation for CAT QA question 17

Q18:

Circles

Medium

A rectangle with the largest possible area is drawn inside a semicircle of radius 22 cm. Then, the ratio of the lengths of the largest to the smallest side of this rectangle is

Answer options
Option 2
Correct Answer
Explanation for CAT QA question 18

Q19:

Polygons

Medium

In a regular polygon, any interior angle exceeds the exterior angle by 120120 degrees. Then, the number of diagonals of this polygon is

54
Correct Answer
Explanation for CAT QA question 19

Q20:

Progression & Series

Hard

The value of 1+(1+13)14+(1+13+19)116+(1+13+19+127)164+……1+\left(1+\frac{1}{3}\right) \frac{1}{4}+\left(1+\frac{1}{3}+\frac{1}{9}\right) \frac{1}{16}+\left(1+\frac{1}{3}+\frac{1}{9}+\frac{1}{27}\right) \frac{1}{64}+\ldots \ldots, is

Answer options
Option 3
Correct Answer
Explanation for CAT QA question 20

Q21:

Progression & Series

Medium

Let an=46+8na_n = 46 + 8n and bn=98+4nb_n = 98 + 4n be two sequences for natural numbers n≤100n \le 100. Then, the sum of all terms common to both the sequences is

Answer options
Option 2
Correct Answer
Explanation for CAT QA question 21

Q22:

Functions

Medium

Suppose f(x,y)f(x, y) is a real valued function such that f(3x+2y,2x−5y)=19xf(3x + 2y, 2x- 5y) = 19x, for all real numbers xx and yy. The value of xx for which f(x,2x)=27f(x, 2x) = 27, is

3
Correct Answer
Explanation for CAT QA question 22

CAT 2023 Quantitative Ability Past Year Question Paper

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