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CAT Syllabus: The Common Admission Test (CAT) is a popular management exam in which thousands of students appear every year. The CAT exam provides an opportunity for aspirants to get entry into the top IIMs and study the management course they want. The syllabus is crafted keeping in mind the several subjects that come into the examination. CAT examines the analytical, decision-making, and management skills of the candidate. The level of questions varies from medium to difficult in the CAT exam. The CAT syllabus is vast and covers most of the topics from logical reasoning, quantitative aptitude, and the English language. Continue reading the blog post below to learn more about the CAT syllabus.
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Detailed CAT Syllabus 2024
Understanding the CAT syllabus is required to get an idea of what kind of questions you are going to face in the examination. There are mainly three sections that come in the examination. The computer-based test (CBT) has a duration of 2 hours and consists of a total of 66 questions. Let’s take a look at the sections of the CAT exam and other details about them.
| Sections | Marks | No. of Questions |
| Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension(VARC) | 72 | 24 |
| Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning(DILR) | 60 | 20 |
| Quantitative Aptitude (QA) | 66 | 22 |
| Total | 198 | 66 |
The time allotted for each section is 40 minutes and the medium of examination is English.
DILR Syllabus for CAT
The Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning section includes mixed questions from both DI and LR sub-sections. DI questions mainly include questions related to charts, graphs, bar graphs, etc. However, the Logical Reasoning(LR) sub-section contains information in a structured format checking the analytical abilities of the candidates. Some of the important topics that are included in the DILR section are:
| Data Interpretation | Logical Reasoning |
| Column and Bar Graphs | Binary Logic, Connectives, and Blood Relations |
| Venn Diagrams | Matching/ Puzzles |
| Line & Pie Charts | Number and Letter Series |
| Tabular DI & Caselets | Seating Arrangement and Coding-Decoding |
| Logical Sequence |
The questions of both DI and LR are equally distributed in the section and candidates can score well by attempting these questions.
QA Syllabus for CAT
The Quantitative Aptitude section covers topics from basic mathematics to the high level for checking the understanding of the candidates about the subject. Candidate should do the proper practice of the topics included in the subjects. The important topics from the QA section of the CAT exam are:
| Arithmetic | Number System | Algebra | Geometry | Modern Maths |
| Averages | Base System | Linear Equations and Inequalities | Angles | Permutations & Combinations |
| Ratio & Proportion | Higher Powers | Logarithms | Circles | Roots |
| Mixtures & Alligations | LCM & HCF | Higher Order Equation | Parallel Lines | Progressions |
| Profits and Loss | Divisibility | Graphs | Quadrilaterals | Probability |
| Pipers and Cisterns | Digits and Remainders | Quadratic Equations | Trigonometry | Geometric Arrangements |
| Speed, Time & Distance | Complex Numbers | Modulus | Coordinate Geometry Mensuration | |
| Percentages | Factors | Sequence and Series | Triangles | |
| Simple & Compound Interest | Surds and Indices | Maxima and Minima | Polygons |
VARC Syllabus for CAT
The verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension(VARC) section of the CAT exam mainly checks the candidate’s vocabulary, grammar, and understanding. They must have a strong knowledge of the subject and proper practice of the questions related to the subject. The VARC section mainly focuses on topics related to grammar. The topics related to the VARC section of the exam are given below in the table
| VARC section topics for the CAT examination | ||
| Reading Comprehension | Grammar (tenses, prepositions, etc.) | Para jumbles |
| Synonyms & Antonyms | Homonyms & Homophones | Para-completion |
| Inferences | Odd one out | One-word substitution |
| Verbal logic | Syllogism | Analogies |
Section-Wise Analysis of the CAT syllabus
Do the section-wise analysis of the CAT syllabus before starting to prepare. It will help in understanding the different topics and preparing a timetable for studying. Check the topics in which you can perform well and get a strong command over them. The list of topics along with their weightage in the CAT examination is explained below:-
| Section | Topics | Weightage |
| Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) | Blood Relations, Clocks and Calendars, Directions, and Syllogism, Graphs, Charts, Tables, and other visualization | 30% – 32% |
| Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension(VARC) | Reading Comprehension Passages, Para summary, Para Jumbles, Inferences, and Odd sentence out. | 32 to 34% |
| Quantitative Aptitude(QA) | Number System, Arithmetic, Averages, Trigonometry, Percentages, Geometry, and Mensuration | 34 to 36% |
CAT Exam Preparation Tips for Students
The students are required to make a proper strategy for the preparation of the CAT exam. CAT syllabus is vast so a master plan is required to clear the exam. Here, we have mentioned some important tips that will help boost your preparations.
- The syllabus and exam pattern grasp are crucial to make a powerful strategy. It will help you cover all the topics related to the subject.
- The habit of reading is a must as it will help in improving the grammar part of the examination. It also provides the idea of the passage that you are going to face in the examination.
- Make notes of the formulas and tricks of mathematics and reasoning topics. Keep on revising the formulas so that to remember them at the time of examination.
Related Reads
FAQs
The candidate applying for the CAT examination should have a Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 50% marks or equivalent(that is 45% for other categories such as SC/ST/PwD) from a recognized educational institution.
The weightage of the DILR section in the CAT exam is around 30 to 32%.
Most of the Venn diagrams questions include 2 to 3 variable types in the CAT examination.
The CAT syllabus is vast as questions vary from moderate to difficult level so it requires months of preparations and practice to clear the exam.
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