Candidates should understand that they have properly understood the CAT 2025 syllabus. In the syllabus, candidates get all types of topics of the CAT exam. Students have to create a strategy that helps them in the exam. One of the best parts of exam preparation is that students can take mock tests.
What is of CAT Exam
The initial step in CAT preparation is to have thorough information and knowledge of the CAT 2025 syllabus. Furthermore, understanding your sectional strengths and weaknesses can assist you in developing an appropriate schedule and closing any remaining gaps.
The CAT consists of three components. It includes both MCQ and non-MCQ questions, with penalties for improperly answering MCQs. CAT has three key sections: quantitative ability (QA), verbal ability and reading comprehension (VARC), and data interpretation and logical reasoning (DILR).
Before delving into the section-wise syllabus of CAT exam, let’s see its pattern and marking scheme:
What is CAT Exam Pattern
The CAT exam pattern has modified in prior years, particularly due to the pandemic. Here’s a description of the CAT exam pattern:
| Sections | No. of Questions | Duration | Marks |
| Quantitative Ability (QA) | 22 | 40 minutes | 66 |
| Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension(VARC) | 24 | 40 minutes | 72 |
| Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR) | 20 | 40 minutes | 60 |
| Total | 66 | 120 minutes | 198 |
What is CAT Exam Syllabus
IIMs do not give an official CAT 2025 syllabus. However, the majority of the courses are based on middle school Math and English concepts.
Although the syllabus is organized into three parts, the effective number of sections is five because VARC and DILR are separated into two sub-sections.
The Quant portion covers math topics from grades 9 to 10, such as number system, geometry, mensuration, algebra, and arithmetic. The VARC syllabus covers reading comprehension, verbal reasoning, and grammar.
The DILR area includes sets based on Number Series, Graphs, Data Sufficiency, and common reasoning principles.
| CAT Syllabus – Sections | Topics |
|---|---|
| Quantitative Ability (QA) | Geometry, Mensuration, Modern Math’s, Number System, Algebra, Arithmetic |
| Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension(VARC) | Para Summary, Long and Short Passages, Para Jumbles, Odd Sentence Out. |
| Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR) | Clocks and Calendars, Seating Arrangements, Coding-Decoding, Team Formation, Venn Diagrams, Bar Graphs |
What are the CAT 2025 Syllabus Key Highlights
There have been frequent changes in the CAT pattern in terms of the test structure, time duration, scoring scheme, and other key factors. These components are discussed below:
| Key Components | Pattern |
| No.of sections | 3 (VARC, QA, DILR) |
| Test Slots | 3 (Morning, Afternoon, Evening) |
| Time allotted for each section | 40 minutes |
| Total Test duration | 2 hours |
| Total Questions | 66 |
| Total Marks | 198 |
| Total questions in VARC Section | 24 |
| Total questions in QA Section | 22 |
| Total questions in DILR Section | 20 |
CAT 2025 Syllabus: Topic-wise weightage
Each topic has a different weightage in CAT. You can prioritise the sections and start your preparation accordingly. Keep track of the following topics asked in the CAT exam:
| Syllabus | Topics | Weightage |
| Verbal Ability | Para jumbles, Summary Based Questions, Sentence exclusion questions. | 8-10 questions |
| Reading Comprehension | RC passages | The VARC part contains 24 questions, 16 of which are from RC. |
| Quantitative Ability | Number System, Algebra, Geometry, Arithmetic, Mensuration. | Arithmetic and algebra dominate the portion, with each including approximately 8 problems. |
| Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning | Seating Arrangement, Reasoning Based DI, Grid-Based DI, Graphs. Tables, Data Caselets | DI has two sets of ten questions each, as does LR. |
CAT 2025 Syllabus: Section-wise
Quantitative Aptitude (QA) Syllabus
Quantitative Aptitude (QA) Syllabus
The QA portion contains 22 questions, 14 of which are non-MCQ questions. The aptitude syllabus is the largest of the three components. As a result, the majority of the work is spent preparing the QA portion. Arithmetic and algebra are heavily weighted in quantitative analysis. The CAT test has very few geometry-related topics.
Make sure to go through the topics discussed below to ace the exam:
- Number Systems; LCM and HCF; Profit, Loss and Discount; Percentages; Speed, Time and Distance; Time and Work; Simple and Compound Interest; Ratio and Proportion; Averages.
- Quadratic Equations; Linear Equations; Complex Numbers; Logarithm; Binomial Theorem; Sequences and Series; Surds and Indices; Inequalities.
- Probability; Permutation and Combination; Set Theory; Functions; Mixtures and Alligation.
- Geometry; Trigonometry; Coordinate Geometry; and Mensuration.
QA Weightage
| Topics | Weightage(in Percentage) |
| Number System | 5% |
| Algebra | 32% |
| Arithmetic | 36% |
| Modern Math | 5% |
| Geometry and Mensuration | 23% |
Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) Syllabus
This portion of the CAT 2025 syllabus contains 24 questions, 19 of which are non-MCQ questions. The vast bulk of the questions are about reading comprehension. The following are the key themes of this section that must be prepared:
1. Reading Comprehension: The exam has 16 RC questions and 4 passages.
2. Paragraph Summary: This area has gained prominence over the last couple of years.
3. Para-jumbles & Misfit Sentences: These two topics have become regular in the exam over the last couple of years.
More than 70% of VARC is dedicated to RC inquiries solely. It should be noted that there were just 8 VA questions in CAT 2021, and they were all non-MCQ. Some more important areas include:
- Sentence Completion
- Verbal Reasoning: Fact-Inference-Judgement
- Grammar & Usage
- Vocabulary based questions (mainly Fill in the blanks).
VARC Weightage
| Topics | Weightage (in Percentage) |
| Reading Comprehension | 80% |
| Para Summary | 15% |
| Para jumbles | 15% |
| Odd-Sentence Out | 10% |
Books for VARC
- How to Prepare for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for CAT’- by Arun Sharma & Meenakshi Upadhyay
- Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for CAT by Nishit K Sinha
- Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension by Ajay Singh
- Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis
Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) Syllabus
Syllabus for Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR)
In comparison to the other sections of the CAT Exam Syllabus, the DILR section is the most vague. The majority of the questions in DILR are presented in the form of sets, each containing 2-6 questions.
The primary subjects of CAT DI and LR are as follows:
- Caselets, Tables, Bar Graphs, Column Graphs, Line Charts, Venn Diagrams, Pie Charts, and Combinations of two or more types are linked.
2. Games & Tournaments, Number and Letter Series, Calendars; Cubes, Clocks, Venn Diagrams, Binary Logic, Seating Arrangement; Syllogism; Logical Sequence; Logical Connectives; Blood Relations.
DILR Weightage
| Topics | Weightage(no.of questions) |
| Graphs & Bar diagram | 5-8 |
| Tables & Charts | 4-8 |
| Pie charts | 4-5 |
| Graphs & Charts | 7-9 |
Conclusion
Candidates are occasionally taken aback by the CAT. Nevertheless, the majority of queries in the CAT Exam are solvable, as they solely assess the candidates’ comprehension of the fundamental concepts. Consequently, candidates should ensure that they have thoroughly prepared for the fundamentals. The potential for disagreeable surprises is significantly diminished when one adheres to the CAT 2025 Syllabus during the preparation process.
