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42 Linear and Quadratic Equations PYQ (Solutions)

Master Linear and Quadratic Equations for CAT 2026 with practice questions and detailed explanations

CAT 2025

This includes solving quadratic equations, as well as linear and polynomial equations. It’s a core algebra area.

  • Quadratics have appeared frequently – often 1–2 questions per year.

    • For example, CAT 2019 had 13 algebra questions (which included several on equations).
    • CAT 2020 and 2021 had around 1 question on quadratics per slot.
  • Linear equations (including systems of equations) also pop up; e.g., CAT 2020 had 1–2 per slot.

In aggregate, Algebra (especially quadratics, linear equations, and inequalities) formed a major chunk – about 6–8 questions per paper.

Key point: Almost every CAT paper from 2017–2024 featured at least one equation-solving question, since “quadratics… and linear equations… form a major number of questions” in algebra.

Weightage Over Past Years

YearQ.NODifficulty Level
20257Hard
20243Hard
20237Hard
20227Hard
20213Hard
20205Medium
20195Medium
20182Hard
20173Medium

CAT 2025 Linear and Quadratic Equations questions

Question 1

Slot-1

The number of non-negative integer values of (k) for which the quadratic equation (x^2-5 x+k=0) has only integer roots, is

Question 2

Slot-1

Stocks A, B and C are priced at rupees 120, 90 and 150 per share, respectively. A trader holds a portfolio consisting of 10 shares of stock A, and 20 shares of stocks B and C put together. If the total value of her portfolio is rupees 3300, then the number of shares of stock B that she holds, is

Question 3

Slot-1

A value of (c) for which the minimum value of (f(x)=x^2-4 c x+8 c) is greater than the maximum value of (g(x)=-x^2+3 c x-2 c), is

2
$-\dfrac{1}{2}$
\(-2\)
$\dfrac{1}{2}$

Question 4

Slot-1

If (a-6 b+6 c=4) and (6 a+3 b-3 c=50), where (a, b) and (c) are real numbers, the value of (2 a+3 b-3 c) is

18
20
15
14

Question 5

Slot-2

The equations ( 3 x ^ { 2 } - 5 x + p = 0 ) and ( 2 x ^ { 2 } - 2 x + q = 0 ) have one common root. The sum of the other roots of these two equations is

$\dfrac{2}{3} - p + \dfrac{3}{2}q$
$\dfrac { 8 } { 3 } + p + \frac { 1 } { 3 } q$
$ \dfrac { 2 } { 3 } - 2 p + \frac { 2 } { 3 } q$
$\dfrac { 8 } { 3 } - p + \frac { 3 } { 2 } q$

Question 6

Slot-3

In a school with 1500 students, each student chooses any one of the streams out of science, arts, and commerce, by paying a fee of Rs 1100, Rs 1000, and Rs 800, respectively. The total fee paid by all the students is Rs 15,50,000. If the number of science students is not more than the number of arts students, then the maximum possible number of science students in the school is

Question 7

Slot-3

If f(x)=(x2+3x)(x2+3x+2)f(x) = \left(x^2 + 3x\right)\left(x^2 + 3x + 2\right), then the sum of all real roots of the equation f(x)+1=9701\sqrt{f(x) + 1} = 9701, is

6
-3
-6
3

CAT 2024 Linear and Quadratic Equations questions

Question 1

Slot-1

If the equations x2+mx+9=0x^2 + m x + 9 = 0, x2+nx+17=0x^2 + n x + 17 = 0 and x2+(m+n)x+35=0x^2 + (m+n) x + 35 = 0 have a common negative root, then the value of (2m+3n)(2 m + 3 n) is

Question 2

Slot-2

If xx and yy are real numbers such that 4x2+4y24xy6y+3=04x^2 + 4y^2 - 4xy - 6y + 3 = 0, then the value of (4x+5y)(4x + 5y) is

Question 3

Slot-2

The roots α\alpha, β\beta of the equation 3x2+λx1=03x^2 + \lambda x - 1 = 0, satisfy 1α2+1β2=15\dfrac{1}{\alpha^2} + \dfrac{1}{\beta^2} = 15. The value of (α3+β3)2(\alpha^3 + \beta^3)^2, is

9
16
4
1

CAT 2023 Linear and Quadratic Equations questions

Question 1

Slot-1

The equation x3+(2r+1)x2+(4r1)x+2=0x^3 + (2r+1)x^2 + (4r−1)x+2=0 has 2-2 as one of its roots. If the other two roots are real, what is the minimum possible non-negative integer value of rr?

Question 2

Slot-1

If xx and yy are real numbers such that x2+(x2y1)2=4y(x+y)x^2 + (x - 2y - 1)^2 = -4y(x + y), then value of x2yx - 2y?

0
1
2
-1

Question 3

Slot-1

The number of integer solutions of the equation

2x(x2+1)=5x22|x|(x^2 + 1) = 5x^2

is:

Question 4

Slot-1

Let α\alpha and β\beta be the two distinct roots of the equation 2x26x+k=02x^2 - 6x + k = 0, such that (α+β)(\alpha + \beta) and αβ\alpha \beta are the distinct roots of the equation x2+px+p=0x^2 + px + p = 0. Then, the value of 8(kp)8(k - p) is

Question 5

Slot-2

If p2+q229=2pq20=522pq,p^2 + q^2 - 29 = 2pq - 20 = 52 - 2pq, then the difference between the maximum and minimum possible values of p3q3p^3 - q^3 is:

486
189
378
243

Question 6

Slot-2

Let kk be the largest integer such that the equation (x1)2+2kx+11=0(x-1)^2+2 k x+11=0 has no real roots. If yy is a positive real number, then the least possible value of k4y+9y\frac{k}{4 y}+9 y is

Question 7

Slot-3

A quadratic equation x2+bx+c=0x^2 + bx + c = 0 has two real roots. If the difference between the reciprocals of the roots is 131313\frac{1}{3}, and the sum of the reciprocals of the squares of the roots is 595959\frac{5}{9}, then the largest possible value of (b+c)(b + c) is:

CAT 2022 Linear and Quadratic Equations questions

Question 1

Slot-1

Let aa and bb be natural numbers. If a2+ab+a=14a^2+a b+a=14 and b2+ab+b=28b^2+a b+b=28 , then (2a+b)(2 a+b) equals

7
10
9
8

Question 2

Slot-1

Let a,b,ca, b, c be non-zero real numbers such that b2<4acb^2 \lt 4 a c , and f(x)=ax2+bx+cf(x)=a x^2+b x+c . If the set SS consists of al integers mm such that f(m)<0f(m)\lt0 , then the set SS must necessarily be

the set of all integers
either the empty set or the set of all integers
the empty set
the set of all positive integers

Question 3

Slot-2

Let rr and CC be real numbers. If rr and r-r are roots of 5x3+cx210x+9=05x^3 + cx^2 - 10x + 9 = 0, then cc equals

$-\frac{9}{2}$
$\frac{9}{2}$
$-4$
$4$

Question 4

Slot-2

The number of integer solutions of the equation (x210)(x23x10)=1\left(x^2-10\right)^{\left(x^2-3 x-10\right)}=1 is

Question 5

Slot-2

Let f(x)f(x) be a quadratic polynomial in xx such that f(x)0f(x) \geq 0 for all real numbers xx. If f(2)=0f(2)=0 and f(4)=6f(4)=6, then f(2)f(-2) is equal to

12
36
24
6

Question 6

Slot-3

Suppose kk is any integer such that the equation 2x2+kx+5=02x^2 + kx + 5 = 0 has no real roots and the equation x2+(k5)x+1=0x^2 + (k-5)x + 1 = 0 has two distinct real roots for xx. Then, the number of possible values of kk is

7
8
9
13

Question 7

Slot-3

If (3+22)(3+2 \sqrt{2}) is a root of the equation ax2+bx+c=0a x^2+b x+c=0, and (4+23)(4+2 \sqrt{3}) is a root of the equation ay2+my+n=0a y^2+m y+n=0, where a,b,c,ma, b, c, m and nn are integers, then the value of (bm+c2bn)\left(\frac{b}{m}+\frac{c-2 b}{n}\right) is

3
1
4
0

CAT 2021 Linear and Quadratic Equations questions

Question 1

Slot-1

If rr is a constant such that x24x13=r|x^2 - 4x - 13| = r has exactly three distinct real roots, then the value of rr is

15
18
17
21

Question 2

Slot-2

Suppose one of the roots of the equation ax2bx+c=0ax^2 - bx + c = 0 is 2+32 + \sqrt{3}, where aa, bb and cc are rational numbers and a0a \neq 0. If b=3cb = 3c then a|a| equals

2
3
4
1

Question 3

Slot-2

Consider the pair of equations: x2xyx=22x^2 - xy - x = 22 and y2xy+y=34y^2 - xy + y = 34. If x>yx > y, then xyx - y equals

8
6
7
4

CAT 2020 Linear and Quadratic Equations questions

Question 1

Slot-1

The number of distinct real roots of the equation (x + 1x\frac{1}{x} ) 2 - 3(x + 1x\frac{1}{x} ) + 2 = 0 equals

Question 2

Slot-1

How many distinct positive integer-valued solutions exist to the equation (x27x+11)(x213x+42)=1(x^2 - 7x + 11)^{(x^2 - 13x + 42)} = 1?

6
2
4
8

Question 3

Slot-2

Let f(x) = x² + ax + b and g(x) = f(x + 1) - f(x - 1). If f(x) ≥ 0 for all real x, and g(20) = 72, then the smallest possible value of b is

16
1
4
0

Question 4

Slot-2

In how many ways can a pair of integers (x,a)(x, a) be chosen such that

x22x+a2=0?x^2 - 2|x| + |a - 2| = 0 \, ?

7
6
4
5

Question 5

Slot-3

Let mm and nn be positive integers. If x2+mx+2n=0x^2 + mx + 2n = 0 and x2+2nx+m=0x^2 + 2nx + m = 0 have real roots, then the smallest possible value of m+nm + n is

8
6
5
7

CAT 2019 Linear and Quadratic Equations questions

Question 1

Slot-1

The product of the distinct roots of x2x6=x+2.|x^2 - x - 6| = x + 2. is

-4
-16
-8
-24

Question 2

Slot-1

The number of solutions of the equation x(6x2+1)=5x2|x|(6x^2 + 1) = 5x^2 is

Question 3

Slot-2

Let AA be a real number. Then the roots of the equation x24xlog2A=0x^2 - 4x - \log_{2} A = 0 are real and distinct if and only if

A < $\frac{1}{16}$
A > $\frac{1}{8}$
A > $\frac{1}{16}$
A < $\frac{1}{8}$

Question 4

Slot-2

What is the largest positive integer nn such that

n2+9n+20n24n21\frac{n^2 + 9n + 20}{n^2 - 4n - 21}

is also a positive integer?

6
8
16
12

Question 5

Slot-2

The quadratic equation x2+bx+c=0x^2 + bx + c = 0 has two roots 4a4a and 3a3a, where aa is an integer. Which of the following is a possible value of b2+cb^2 + c?

3721
549
361
427

CAT 2018 Linear and Quadratic Equations questions

Question 1

Slot-1

If u2+(u2v1)2=4v(u+v)u^2 + (u - 2v - 1)^2 = -4v(u + v), then what is the value of u+3vu + 3v?

$\frac{1}{4}$
$\frac{1}{2}$
0
$-\frac{1}{4}$

Question 2

Slot-2

If aa and bb are integers such that 2x2ax+2>02x^2 - ax + 2 > 0 and x2bx+80x^2 - bx + 8 \geq 0 for all real numbers xx, then the largest possible value of 2a6b2a - 6b is [TITA]

CAT 2017 Linear and Quadratic Equations questions

Question 1

Slot-1

If x+1=x2x + 1 = x^2 and x>0x > 0, then 2x42x^4 is:

6 + 4√5
3 + 5√5
5 + 3√5
7 + 3√5

Question 2

Slot-1

If f1(x)=x2+11x+nf_1(x) = x^2 + 11x + n and f2(x)=xf_2(x) = x, then the largest positive integer nn for which the equation f1(x)=f2(x)f_1(x) = f_2(x) has two distinct real roots, is: (TITA)

Question 3

Slot-2

The minimum possible value of the sum of the squares of the roots of the equation x2+(a+3)x(a+5)=0x^2 + (a + 3)x - (a + 5) = 0 is

1
2
3
4

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