Mensuration for CAT, MAT, SNAP, XAT Exams

By : Raghavendra Singh

Updated : Dec 29, 2020, 9:05

The literal meaning of mensuration is measurement. The mensuration definition in mathematics remains the same, i.e., the act of measuring. We can measure the curved surface area, total surface area, volume, etc., for various solid figures with mensuration formulas. Mensuration concepts and questions are asked in the CAT exam. You should be well-rehearsed with mensuration questions along with short tricks to beat the CAT exam. Mensuration for CAT basically needs knowing the formulas very well and then applying them according to the questions. Once you know the formulas and concepts, it becomes easy for you to solve and score in the questions related to MEnsuration for CAT. Various mensuration topics cover different shapes and their respective mensuration formulas. Read on to know more about mensuration for the CAT exam.

Important Mensuration Topics for CAT

Various shapes and formulas for their curved surface area, total surface area, and volume are given below:

Name of Shape	Explanation	Curved Surface Area	Total Surface Area	Volume
Cube	All the sides of a cube are equal, and suppose that the length of each side in a cube is ‘a’.	4a²	6a²	a³
Cuboid	Let the length, breadth, and height of the cuboid be ‘l’, ‘b’, and ‘h’, respectively.	2 (l + b) h	2 (lb + bh + hl)	lbh
Right Circular Cylinder	Let the radius of the cylinder be ‘r’, and the height be ‘h’.	2πrh	2πr(h + r)	πr²h
Right Circular Cone	Let the radius of the cone be ‘r’, and the perpendicular height from vertex to base be ‘h’. Let the length of the cone be ‘l’.	πrl	πr(l + r)	(⅓)π r²h
Sphere	Let the radius of the sphere be ‘r’.	4πr²	4πr²	4/3)πr³
Solid Hemisphere	Let the radius of the sphere be ‘r’.	2πr²	3πr²	2/3πr³
Hollow Hemisphere	Let the radius of the shape be ‘r’.	2πr²	2πr²	2/3πr³

Tips to Solve Mensuration Questions

You should learn the mensuration formulas and refer to mensuration examples to be able to solve numerical problems.
You should also be prepared with the mensuration formulas of the frustum, pyramid, prism, polygon, etc., as a few questions can be asked regarding these shapes in the CAT exam.
You can use post-its with mensuration notes in your study room to learn mensuration formulas easily.
You can apply various short tricks to solve mensuration questions quickly, like symmetry assumption and option elimination. One should also refer to the previous years’ CAT mensuration questions and answers.

Importance of Mensuration in CAT Exam

Of the 34 questions asked in the QA section of the CAT exam, approximately 7 questions are asked regarding mensuration. About 5-7 questions are enough to decide one’s overall result in a competitive exam.
Mensuration questions in the QA section of the CAT exam will judge your mathematical, calculation, and numerology skills along with accuracy.
You have to solve 34 questions in 40 minutes in the QA section of the CAT exam. Mensuration questions will, thus, also test your speed of solving quantitative questions.
Each question in the CAT exam is of 3 marks. Mensuration questions also carry 3 marks each and can make a huge difference to one’s overall score and selection. Mensuration also has many real-life applications, like calculating the cost of renovating/painting buildings, fencing, etc.

Most Recommended Books for Mensuration

Some of the most used books for preparing mensuration questions for the CAT exam are as follows:

Book	Author
NCERT Mathematics from Class 9 to 12	NCERT
R.D. Sharma (9th and 10th)	R.D. Sharma
Magical Book on Quicker Maths	M. Tyra
Advance Maths	Sarvesh Sharma

Why Prepare Mensuration from BYJU'S Exam Prep?

BYJU'S Exam Prep will help you in preparing for CAT Exam in the best way. You will be provided with mensuration study guides, mensuration quizzes. CAT aspirants can easily download a number of mensuration questions and answers PDF from BYJU'S Exam Prep. Students can get complete knowledge about the mensuration questions for CAT via the BYJU'S Exam Prep mobile application, website, or YouTube channel. You will get access to previous years’ question papers with BYJU'S Exam Prep. You will also come across mensuration tricks for solving questions quickly in the CAT exam. There are a plethora of mensuration practice questions on BYJU'S Exam Prep to prepare for your CAT exam.

FAQs

1. What are the topics asked in the QA section of the CAT exam?

Questions in the CAT exam are asked from various topics, like simple and compound interest, probability, geometry and mensuration, number system, logarithms, trigonometry, etc.

2. What are the various sections of the CAT exam?

The various sections in the CAT exam are QA, data interpretation and logical reasoning, and verbal ability and reading comprehension

3. Can I find mensuration questions with solutions on BYJU'S Exam Prep?

Yes, you can find mensuration questions and solutions on BYJU'S Exam Prep, including previous years’ exam questions. You can also practice mensuration test questions with the quizzes provided by BYJU'S Exam Prep.

4. Is geometry different from mensuration?

Geometry is the study of the relationship between points, lines, surfaces, etc., along with its properties, while mensuration is the measurement of the perimeter, area, volume, etc, of shapes.

5. What is the exam duration of CAT?

In the CAT examination, you will have to solve 100 questions under three sections in 120 minutes.