CAT Syllabus: Topics, Books, and Recent Changes Organised by Section
In light of the fact that the IIMs do not offer an official syllabus, the CAT syllabus is often based on historical trends each year. Three sections will make up the CAT syllabus:
- Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)
- Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR)
- Quantitative Aptitude (QA)
The majority of the CAT syllabus is devoted to school-taught English and maths ideas. The most frequent topics and questions can be determined based on an examination of the prior papers even if there is no set syllabus.
- Grammar, reading comprehension, inferences, and verbal reasoning are just a few of the English-related topics covered in the VARC part.
- However, DILR demands that data be interpreted using the information presented in the form of graphs, charts, and layouts.
- Algebra, arithmetic, geometry, current maths and other middle school mathematics topics are covered in the QA component of the CAT exam syllabus.
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CAT Highlights
A computer-based test (CBT) will be used for the CAT 2023 Exam. Due to the pandemic, the CAT exam format modified in prior years. Following is a breakdown of the syllabus based on the previous exam format:
Key Components | Details |
Time allotted | 2 hours |
Total No. of Questions | 66 |
No. of Questions Section-wise | VARC: 24 DILR: 20 QA: 22 |
Time allotted per section | 40 minutes each |
Mode of Examination | Computer-based |
Medium of Examination | English |
CAT Syllabus: Overview
In order to maximise their scores in each subject of the CAT Exam Syllabus, applicants need to be aware of its immensity. Understanding the CAT’s section breakdown and the relative importance of the various sections and themes will help you better prepare for the exam.
Section | MCQs | Non-MCQs | Total Question | Details |
VARC | 19 | 5 | 24 | 4 passages of RC with 4 questions each. 3 parajumbles, 2 para completions, 3 parasummary |
DILR | 15 | 5 | 20 | 4 sets of 5 questions each covering topics of bar graphs, missing data and puzzles |
QA | 14 | 8 | 22 | Dominated by arithmetic and algebra with 4 questions of geometry |
Total | 48 | 18 | 66 | Â |
CAT Syllabus: Section-wise Analysis
Each candidate can create their own list of strengths and weaknesses by going through each subject that is expected to be covered in the CAT 2023 Syllabus, and they can then create a study plan for the exam based on that list. The candidate will achieve high scores on the CAT Exam by selecting the appropriate questions and making sure that the attempt accuracy is high. The subjects that a candidate has to know about for each exam section are listed below.
CAT Syllabus Sections | Topics | Weightage for 2022 |
Verbal Ability | Para jumbles, Para summary, and Inferences | 10% |
Reading Comprehension | RC passages | 24% |
Logical Reasoning | Blood Relations, Syllogism, Directions, Clocks & Calendars, Logical Connectives and Sequences | 16% |
Data Interpretation | Tables, Graphs, Charts and other forms of visualization | 16% |
Quantitative Aptitude | Geometry, Trigonometry, Averages, Percentages, Number Systems, Arithmetic, Mensuration | 34% |
CAT VARC Syllabus
The first component of the test, the VARC section, has a 40-minute time limit. With almost 70% of the section’s overall score going towards reading comprehension, this section’s weighting is heavily skewed in that direction. The subjects that ought to be covered in the CAT VARC syllabus 2023 are listed below:
CAT VARC Syllabus | |
Jumbled Paragraph | Reading Comprehension |
Summary Questions | Para Completion |
Odd-sentence-out | |
CAT DILR Syllabus
In comparison to the other portions in the CAT Exam Syllabus, the DILR section, the second section of the exam, has the least definition. The CAT syllabus 2023 includes the following two subsections under the DILR section:
Data Interpretation: You will be asked to answer questions based on the data that is presented to you in the form of a graph, chart, or other type of visualisation.
Logical Reasoning: In this section, you can be provided material that is not structured and asked to structure it and determine the answer to the given questions.
An outline of the subjects covered by the CAT DILR syllabus is provided below:
CAT DILR Syllabus | ||
Tables | Caselets | Logical Sequence |
Bar Graphs | Line Charts | Syllogism |
Column Graphs | Venn Diagrams | Logical Connectives |
Pie Charts | Calendars | Blood Relations |
Number and Letter Series | Clocks | Binary Logic |
Cubes | Seating Arrangement | Logical Matching |
Since there are almost similar numbers of questions in the DI and LR sub-sections, students who are more at ease in one of the sub-sections can still pass the cut-off provided they tackle that portion of the CAT 2023 Paper effectively.
The CAT DILR Section has, however, undergone some modest changes recently. Instead of the rigid, separate DI and LR questions that were examined earlier, the questions are a blend of both.
CAT Quant Syllabus
Since it includes all aspect of mathematics that is covered in school, the CAT QA Syllabus has the largest section. Major subjects covered by the CAT QA Syllabus include:
Arithmetic: All students should prepare for this topic since it has the most questions on it in the majority of the CAT Exams.
ALGEBRA: The second-highest weighted topic in terms of the number of CAT Exam questions is algebra.
Numbers: To avoid losing out on easy marks, aspirants should be familiar with the fundamentals of the topics since they are frequently checked in the CAT Exam.
Geometry: This subject, which is frequently tested, includes mensuration, coordinate geometry, and geometry. Candidates will be able to attempt at least a few questions from the topic in the CAT 2023 Exam if they have a basic understanding of the subject.
The following are some of the subjects included in the CAT quant syllabus:
CAT Quant Syllabus | ||
Number Systems | HCF & LCM | Profit, Loss and Discount |
Speed, Time & Distance | Percentages | Simple and Compound Interest |
Averages | Ratio & Proportion | Time & Work |
Linear Equations | Quadratic Equations | Complex Numbers |
Logarithm | Sequence and Series | Inequalities |
Surds & Indices | Probability | Permutation and Combination |
Set Theory & Function | Coordinate Geometry | Geometry |
Mixtures and Alligations | Mensuration | Trigonometry |
CAT Syllabus: Best Books for CAT Preparation
There are several publications available to help you start preparing for the CAT and improve your performance. To develop an exam strategy, you must first comprehend the CAT syllabus and exam format before you get into the preparation. The study materials you pick must give you a thorough overview of the CAT, its syllabus, and test format in addition to examples and a practise question bank.
The finest books to start your CAT preparation are listed below.
CAT Sections | Book |
VARC | Past Years’ CAT Questions (G.K. Publications), Word Power Made Easy (Norman Lewis), Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (Gautam Puri) |
DILR | Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (Gautam Puri), How to Prepare for Data Interpretation for CAT (Arun Sharma), A Modern Approach to Logical Reasoning (R.S. Aggarwal) |
QA | NCERT Mathematics Books (Class 6-10), CAT Quantitative Aptitude (Gautam Puri), Quantitative Aptitude For Competitive Examinations (RS Aggarwal) |
