CAT Syllabus is divided into three sections- VARC, DILR, and Quantitative Aptitude. IIM does not provide the official CAT syllabus PDF on its website- iimcat.ac.in. CAT syllabus is provided here based on the syllabus of verbal ability, data interpretation, logical reasoning, and quantitative aptitude for competitive exams and CAT question papers of the past 10 years.
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Content Writer | Updated On - Feb 1, 2023
What is the Syllabus of CAT?
CAT Syllabus 2023: To get above 98 percentile in CAT 2023, the first and most important factor to consider in preparation is how to complete CAT syllabus 2023 and what topics to focus on. To get section-wise CAT exam syllabus 2023 with topic wise weightage, read the full article. CAT Previous Year Papers Free Download
Does syllabus of CAT change every year?: No, CAT syllabus has not undergone any changes in the last 10 years. The only significant change that has occurred is in the topic wise weightage of CAT exam syllabus. Apart from this, CAT exam pattern has changed over the years from 100 questions in 2019 to 76 in 2020 to 66 in 2021 and 2022.
Who will set CAT 2023 paper?: CAT 2023 paper will be set by one of the 6 top IIMs. Last year, IIM Bangalore conducted CAT exam. Based on the trends of the last 8 years, CAT 2023 will be conducted by either IIM Lucknow or IIM Calcutta.
When should I start preparing for CAT 2023?: CAT 2023 exam date is Nov 26, 2023 (last Sunday of November 2023). As per CAT Toppers of previous years, 4-5 months are enough for preparation including coverage of CAT 2023 syllabus, revision, mock tests, previous year papers, and CAT study material available. So, if you are preparing for the first time, start preparation from June 2023 and if you have prepared MBA CAT syllabus previously, then you can start late, from August 2023. Also Check CAT Cut off
CAT Syllabus PDF
CAT Syllabus PDF 2023
CAT Syllabus PDF is available here for free download. You can find the detailed section wise topics in the CAT exam syllabus PDF given below. CAT 2023 Syllabus PDF provides the list of CAT topic wise weightage to assist you in planning your preparation accordingly.
| Table of Contents |
CAT Syllabus
CAT Syllabus 2023
CAT Syllabus 2023 for VARC, DILR, and QA is tabulated below. The list of all topics and sub-topics that are included in CAT syllabus 2023 irrespective of the weightage is provided here:
| Section | CAT Syllabus 2023 |
|---|---|
| CAT Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension Syllabus | Verbal Ability: Para Jumbles, Summary, Sentence Completion, Odd Sentence Out, Antonyms & Synonyms, Error Detection, Phrase Modifiers, Idioms, Analogies, Cloze Test, Word Usage, Reading Comprehension: Facts-Inference-Judgement, Critical Analysis of Passage, Themes of the RC passage |
| CAT Quantitative Aptitude Syllabus | Arithmetic: Profit & Loss, Time & Work, Time Speed & Distance, Mixtures, Ratio & Proportion, Percentage, Averages, Simple & Compound Interest, Chain Rule Geometry & Mensuration: Lines & Angles, Circles, Triangles, Polygons, Area & Volume of 2D and 3D figures, Coordinate Geometry Algebra: Quadratic Equations, Series, Inequalities, Functions, Surds & Indices, Logarithm Numbers: Real Numbers, Irrational Numbers, Complex Numbers, HCF, LCM, Unit’s Digit, Remainders, Zeroes Modern Math: Permutation and Combination, Probability, Set Theory |
| DILR CAT Syllabus | Caselets, Tabular Data, Pie Charts, Line Graphs, Bar Graphs, Column Graphs, Combination Graphs/ Charts, Syllogisms, Puzzles, Blood Relations, Coding-Decoding, Seating Arrangement, Ranking, Direction sense test, Logical Sequence |
CAT Topic Wise Weightage
CAT Topic Wise Weightage
On observing the question papers of the last 3 years, it is evident that IIMs have started giving higher weightage to some topics over the others. Reading Comprehension and Arithmetic alone account for more than 40% weightage in CAT syllabus. Some topics have not been asked in the last 2 years like calendars, clocks, trigonometry, error detection, cloze tests, etc. CAT topic wise weightage is provided below for the CAT 2023 aspirants.
| CAT Syllabus for MBA | CAT Weightage |
|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 24% |
| Arithmetic (Profit & Loss, Mixtures, Time Speed & Distance, Averages, Interest) | 17% |
| Data Interpretation Sets (Combination, Bar Graphs, Tables) | 16% |
| Logical Reasoning Sets | 16% |
| Verbal Ability (Summary, Parajumbles, and Odd Sentence Out) | 12% |
| Geometry, Mensuration, Number System, Modern Math | 9% |
| Algebra | 8% |
VARC Syllabus for CAT
VARC Syllabus for CAT
VARC Syllabus for CAT is now primarily focused on 5 topics- para jumbles, para completion, para summary, odd sentence out, and reading comprehension. Your preparation should be focused around these 5 topics of VARC CAT syllabus 2023- know the type of questions asked in previous years, how to approach these questions for accuracy, and the important CAT english syllabus topics required to attempt these questions. The topic wise weightage of VARC syllabus for CAT is provided here:
| VARC Syllabus | Weightage in CAT 2022 (No. of Questions) | Weightage in CAT 2021 (No. of Questions) | Difficulty Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 16 | 16 | Moderate to Difficult |
| Para Jumbles | 2-3 | 3 | Moderate |
| Para Completion | 2-3 | - | Moderate |
| Odd Sentence Out | - | 2 | Easy to Moderate |
| Para Summary | 3 | 3 | Moderate |
CAT Verbal Ability Syllabus
All the topics that form part of CAT Syllabus for Verbal Ability are provided below:
| CAT Verbal Ability Syllabus | ||
|---|---|---|
| Subject-verb agreement | Antonyms and Synonyms | Parallelism |
| Idioms and Phrases | Article Usage | Error Detection (Tenses & Prepositions) |
| Sentence completion (Vocabulary) | Foreign language words used in English | One word substitution |
| Parts of speech | Word Usage and Phrases modifiers | Types of clauses |
Quick Links:
Reading Comprehension Syllabus for CAT
There is no specific topic that you need to study in CAT syllabus 2023 for reading comprehension. Practicing more reading comprehension passages is the only way to master this section. With 67% weightage in the VARC section, it is extremely important to score well here. Given below is the list of topics on which RC questions were asked in 2020, 2021, and 2022. You can find the links to download and practice reading comprehension questions that have appeared in the last few years.
| Slot | Reading Comprehension Topics in CAT 2022 | Reading Comprehension Topics in CAT 2021 | Reading Comprehension Topics in CAT 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|
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| Slot 2 |
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| Slot 3 |
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DILR Syllabus for CAT
DILR Syllabus for CAT
DILR Syllabus for CAT is further divided into 2 sections- logical reasoning and data interpretation. To cover the DILR Syllabus for CAT, daily practice is the most important aspect. In CAT 2023, you can expect 2 question sets of 4-6 questions each from DI and LR. Buy Arun Sharma CAT Books, see youtube videos, and solve previously asked DILR CAT questions to develop speed and accuracy.
CAT Syllabus for Logical Reasoning
CAT syllabus for logical reasoning includes the topics tabulated below. In CAT 2023 question paper, you will find question sets from 2-3 of these 10 topics. The most prominent among these are seating arrangement, blood relations, and logical puzzles.
| Seating Arrangement | Blood Relations |
| Data Arrangement | Logical Puzzles |
| Syllogisms | Direction-sense |
| Coding-Decoding | Binary Logic |
| Logical Matching | Logical Connectives |
CAT Syllabus for Data Interpretation
CAT Syllabus for Data Interpretation includes a basic understanding of the types of graphs, charts, diagrams and how to calculate the required values from the given data.
- DILR CAT questions are also framed on the basis of data presented in tables and paragraphs.
- The most asked form of question is a combination of 2 or more types of data representation.
Quantitative Aptitude Syllabus for CAT
Quantitative Aptitude Syllabus for CAT
CAT Syllabus for Quantitative Aptitude is based on the topics of maths syllabus. Arithmetic accounts for more than 50% of the questions asked from CAT QA Syllabus. The major topics included are profit, loss & discount, time speed & distance, mixtures, average, work, percentage, ratio & proportion, and SI/ CI. The topic wise weightage of QA syllabus for CAT is provided here:
| Topic | Weightage in CAT 2022 (No. of Questions) | Weightage in CAT 2021 (No. of Questions) | Difficulty Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arithmetic | 8-9 | 10-11 | Easy to Moderate |
| Algebra | 7-8 | 5-6 | Moderate to Difficult |
| Numbers | 1 | 1-2 | Moderate |
| Geometry & Mensuration | 3-4 | 3-4 | Moderate to Difficult |
| Modern Math | 1-2 | 1-2 | Moderate |
CAT Exam Pattern
CAT Exam Pattern
CAT Exam Pattern has undergone major changes in the last 3 years. From 2015-19, CAT exam had 100 questions to be attempted in 180 minutes.
In 2020, the pattern of CAT question paper was revised due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of questions was reduced to just 76 and time to 120 minutes.
- In 2021, the number of questions was further reduced by 10 to 66.
- CAT exam 2022 was also as per the revised pattern of 2021.
The latest CAT exam pattern which will be followed for the year 2023 is provided below:
| Section | CAT Questions | CAT Duration | CAT Total Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| VARC | 24 | 40 minutes | 72 |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 22 | 40 minutes | 66 |
| DILR | 20 | 40 minutes | 60 |
| Total | 66 | 120 minutes | 198 |
CAT Questions
CAT Questions
Solving CAT Questions forms an indispensable part of completing CAT syllabus 2023. Candidates are advised to solve CAT previous year papers as sample papers to get hold of which topic of CAT exam syllabus they need to focus more on. Given below are the links to get CAT questions of previous years for VARC, DILR, and Quant.
| Year | CAT Question Paper |
|---|---|
| CAT 2022 Question Paper | Check Here |
| CAT 2021 Question Paper | Check Here |
| CAT 2020 Question Paper | Check Here |
| CAT 2019 Question Paper | Check Here |
| CAT 2018 Question Paper | Check Here |
| CAT 2017 Question Paper | Check Here |
To practice more CAT Question Papers, click here
CAT Study Material
CAT Study Material 2023
CAT Study Material 2023 is available here. You can download CAT Study Material from the links provided below for the important topics of CAT syllabus 2023. The study material for CAT 2023 include concepts, shortcut methods, sample questions, and more.
| CAT Study Material QA | |
|---|---|
| CAT Arithmetic | CAT Algebra |
| CAT Geometry | Trigonometry |
| Mensuration | Shortcut Methods for CAT QA |
| Venn Diagrams | Calendar Questions |
| CAT Number System | CAT Modern Math |
Best Books to cover CAT Syllabus 2023
Referring to books for CAT syllabus completion is vital. Given below is the list of CAT books by Arun Sharma, Nishit K Sinha, R S Aggarwal and more recommended authors.
| Section | Name of the Book | Author |
|---|---|---|
| Quantitative Aptitude | Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations | R S Aggarwal |
| How to Prepare for QA for CAT | Arun Sharma | |
| Quantum CAT | S K Verma | |
| Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension | Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension | Ajay Singh |
| Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for CAT | Nishit K Sinha | |
| How to Prepare for VARC for CAT | Arun Sharma and Meenakshi Upadhyay | |
| Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning | A Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning | R S Aggarwal |
| Data Interpretation for CAT | Nishit K Sinha | |
| How to Prepare for Logical Reasoning for CAT | Arun Sharma |
How Toppers Prepare CAT Syllabus for MBA?
How Toppers Prepare CAT Syllabus for MBA?
Read CAT 2022 topper interviews provided below to get tips on how to manage the completion of CAT syllabus and what mistakes to avoid during preparation.
CAT Syllabus 2024
Like CAT exam syllabus 2023, CAT Syllabus 2024 will be divided into the same 3 sections- VARC (Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension), QA (Quantitative Aptitude), and DILR (Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning). As per trends, CAT 2024 will be conducted on November 24, 2024, in online CBT mode. CAT Syllabus 2024 will be the same as provided in this article above. Candidates preparing for CAT exam 2024, can download CAT syllabus 2023 provided above and prepare accordingly.
CAT Syllabus FAQs
CAT Syllabus 2023 FAQs
Ques. What is the syllabus for CAT 2023?
Ans. The syllabus for CAT 2023 includes quantitative aptitude, logical reasoning, verbal ability, reading comprehension, and data interpretation. CAT 2023 Syllabus for each of these sections further include 10+ sub-topics from which questions are mostly asked in CAT exam.
Ques. What are the sections of CAT?
Ans. There are 3 sections in CAT- VARC, QA, and DILR. In the paper, DI and LR are clubbed as 1 section. The most important topics in CAT Syllabus that you must prepare include:
- Quant: Arithmetic, Algebra, and Geometry.
- DILR: Blood relations, Syllogisms, Puzzles, DI-bar graph and pie chart.
- VARC: Parajumbles, RC, Parasummary.
Ques. Is CAT MCQ based?
Ans. CAT includes both MCQs and Non-MCQs. Based on previous year CAT exam analysis, multiple choice questions have a higher weightage compared to the non-MCQs. In 2022, CAT QA paper had 14 MCQs and 8 Non-MCQs. Similarly, CAT VARC had 21 MCQs and 3 Non-MCQs while CAT DILR had 14 MCQs and 6 Non-MCQs.
Ques. Is CAT syllabus similar to other MBA exam syllabus?
Ans. CAT Syllabus is more or less similar to the syllabus of other MBA exams. All the major MBA exams include the major sections of CAT syllabus- Verbal Ability, DI, LR, and Quant. However, the difficulty level of CAT exam is higher than all other MBA exams except XAT. To get more insights into the similarities and differences between CAT syllabus and other MBA exams, check the syllabus and exam pattern of other MBA exams by clicking on the links given below:
Ques. Is CAT exam tough?
Ans. Yes, CAT exam is considered to be one of the toughest MBA entrance exams. The difficulty level of questions is higher than most of the other exams like MAT, CMAT, etc. Majority of the test-takers rate the CAT exam to be moderate to tough. With more than 2 lakh candidates appearing for CAT every year, the level of competition is also very high. Candidates preparing for the upcoming CAT 2023 exam can assess the difficulty level of the CAT exam by solving previous year CAT question papers.
Ques. Is GK asked in CAT?
Ans. No, GK is not asked in CAT exam. CAT Syllabus does not include GK. However, GK is important during the PI rounds where you might be asked some questions based on general awareness and current affairs. After taking CAT 2023 exam in November, you can focus on learning some basic GK topics like countries and currencies, major companies in India and abroad, recent developments in business and economy, etc.
Ques. Is maths required for CAT exam?
Ans. Yes, Maths forms a crucial part of CAT exam syllabus for quant. CAT exam tests the application of basic mathematical concepts of class 10 level like arithmetic, ratios, proportions, mensuration, geometry, time & distance, inequalities, algebra, permutation & combination, and probability. You can crack CAT even if you are a weak maths student. You just need to put in more effort and study maths for 2-3 hours daily.
Ques. What is the weightage of MCQs and TITA questions in CAT exam?
Ans. There is no fixed weightage for MCQs and TITA questions in CAT exam. MCQs mostly account for 75% of the questions and the remaining are TITA-type questions. So, out of the total 66 questions in CAT 2023 exam, candidates can expect around 47-48 MCQs and 18-19 TITA questions.
Ques. Which is the best book for CAT quantitative aptitude syllabus?
Ans. Arun Sharma CAT books are considered the best for covering CAT quant syllabus. Also, toppers recommend referring to CAT quant books by Nishit K Sinha, Sarvesh Verma, RS Aggarwal to prepare CAT syllabus efficiently.
Ques. Are marks deducted for spelling errors in the non- MCQ type of questions?
Ans. There is no marking scheme defined clearly for the Non- MCQ type of questions. So, no details can be given about the marks deduction for the spelling errors.
Ques. Are NCERT books enough to prepare CAT exam syllabus?
Ans. NCERT books are good to start with CAT exam preparation. However, given the difficulty level of the question paper, NCERT books will not be sufficient to prepare CAT exam syllabus. Candidates are advised to refer to other top recommended books by Arun Sharma, Nishit Sinha, RS Aggarwal, etc. to supplement the NCERTs.
Ques. Which section has the maximum weightage in CAT Syllabus?
Ans. As per the latest CAT exam pattern, VARC has the highest weightage in CAT exam. Out of the 66 questions, 24 are from VARC, 22 from QA, and 20 from DILR. However, in terms of the amount of syllabus, QA is the lengthiest as it covers the maximum number of topics.
Ques. Which CAT subject is difficult?
Ans. Some candidates find the VARC section to be difficult while others find the DILR section to be difficult and lengthy. Based on CAT exam analysis of previous years, both VARC and DILR are rated moderate to tough. In recent years, question sets on modern puzzles of tournaments and investments have become prominent in the DILR section. In the VARC section, RC and Parajumbles are the toughest.
Ques. Is CAT Syllabus same every year?
Ans.Yes, CAT Syllabus remains the same every year for VARC, Quant, and DILR. However, what may change is the weightage of topics in the syllabus. Usually, Arithmetic holds the maximum weightage (around 50%) in quant syllabus, while RC holds around 66.66% weightage in CAT VARC section.
Ques. Is CAT Syllabus similar to Bank PO Syllabus?
Ans. CAT Syllabus and Bank PO syllabus are similar for quant, english, and logical reasoning. The difficulty level of CAT exam is comparatively higher in terms of calculation skills. However, CAT exam does not have a GK section as many bank po exams do.
Ques. Can I cover CAT syllabus without coaching?
Ans. Yes, you can cover CAT syllabus without joining any coaching center. Firstly, go through previous year paper analysis to identify the important topics of CAT syllabus. Secondly, pick Nishit Sinha or Arun Sharma CAT books for each section and start preparing for the topics. Lastly, solve multiple mock tests and sample papers. Check Best Apps for CAT Exam Preparation
Ques. What is the overall difficulty level of CAT exam?
Ans. CAT exam is considered the toughest MBA entrance exams after XAT. The focus of CAT question paper is not only on testing the calculation speed and skills, but also on the analytical skills. Over the years, CAT aspirants have rated the exam to be moderate-difficult. It is advised to cover the syllabus in depth to score above 90 percentile.
Ques. What are the best online coaching centers for completing MBA CAT syllabus?
Ans. There are more than 10 CAT online coaching centers that assist in CAT exam prepartion. The top online coaching institutes for MBA CAT syllabus preparation are:
- Unacademy
- T.I.M.E
- Career Launcher
- IMS Learning
- HandaKaFunda
*The article might have information for the previous academic years, please refer the official website of the exam.
Ask your question
Answered Questions
a
AM
If you are aiming for old IIMs such as IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, IIM Lucknow, you will need to score above 99 percentile in CAT. For IIMs and other top-tier B-Schools in India, the CAT cutoff stays above 90 percentile.
If you have a good profile, and 99+ CAT score, you can expect to get calls from old IIMs, XLRI, JBIMS, IIFT, FMS, etc.
...Show More
a
TD
Here are some of the things that you will realize after appearing for the CAT examination.
- Spend the first few minutes going over the papers before diving in. Browse through the problems and start with the ones that you know you can solve in one go. CAT prioritizes solving not sequence.
- If you aren’t sure about an answer, leave it. Concentrate on other problems. You shouldn’t spend more than 2-3 minutes on a single problem.
- Don’t use the elimination method, if you can solve the problem in less than 1 minute. Do rough work thoroughly. Don’t answer any questions, just by guessing.
- There will be a few lengthy questions. Try to ignore these. Even CAT toppers don’t score the full marks.
CAT doesn’t test your knowledge. The only thing matters are how much you score. So, try to attempt as many questions as you can correctly.
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a
SG
Take a look at the below table to know what CAT score will fetch what CAT percentile, for 2022.
| Percentile | Score VA-RC | Score DI-LR | Score QA | Overall Score |
| 90% | 29 | 1 | 26 | 72 |
| 95% | 32 | 20 | 29 | 81 |
In 2021, for 90 percentile the required score was 59 and for 95 percentile the required score was 72.
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