Not every student attends coaching classes but they still clear CMAT. Believe that a paper is not a place for Research given the fact that there is negative marking. Hence attempt only those question types that you are familiar with. Do not attempt any new kind of question in the paper that you haven't practised.Focus on getting 20-22 questions right in the first round and then go for the others. Attempt the QA section in 3 Rounds starting with the easiest questions and do not be afraid of leaving difficult questions unattempted. Go through the questions sequentially but will attempt only those questions that are from your area of interest or topics that I am comfortable with that are not lengthy and that do not confuse you in the first reading that can be attempted in about 90 seconds. Difficult questions from your area of interest will be marked in Round 1 and attempted only in Round 2. If time is available, attempt remaining questions in Round 3.
QA can be categorised into Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry and Advanced Mathematics. Practise chapter by chapter and develop mental calculations. Like practise more of basic summation, subtraction, fractions and tables. Numbers, Percentage, Profit and Loss, Simple and Compound Interest, Ratio, Proportionality, Time-Distance, Time-Work, Mixtures, Averages, Partnership, Permutation and Combinations, Probability, Set Theory, Progression and Series, Line, Angles, Triangles, Quadrilaterals, Polygon, Circles, Ares, Volume, Height and Distance, Coordinate Geometry, Basic Trigonometry are few important topics.
Because this section involves mathematics and takes most of your time, your focus should be on solving the problems efficiently in the beginning. Even if it takes time, practise upto perfection. Practise as many questions as you can in the conventional way. As and when you get a grip on the subject, you can go for short cuts. Memorise tables, square roots, cube roots, conversion from percent to fraction, etc. Solve sample papers on Mathematics. In the beginning, do not worry about the time it takes. As you practise, you will get the hang of the subject and it will be easier for you.