CAT Syllabus Detail for CAT Exam 2025
The CAT syllabus is extensive and requires ample time and patience to cover thoroughly. While there is no set schedule for the CAT, the test focuses on middle school Math and English courses. Many students suffer anxiety because they are unsure about the curriculum and the topics they must learn before the test.
This article will provide detailed information about the CAT syllabus 2025 which will help the candidates overcome their fear of attempting the CAT exam.
CAT syllabus 2025 – Sectional Division
The CAT exam has three sections, each section carries MCQ and non-MCQ questions. Each section has a different weight.
Listed below are the CAT 2025 sections:
- Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC)
- Quantitative Ability (QA)
- Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR)
CAT Exam Pattern
First of all, candidates must understand the test structure to determine timelines, marks per section, and other points.
Particulars | Details |
No. of Questions | 66 |
Time allotted | 2 hours |
Section-wise Questions | VARC: 24 DILR: 20 QA: 22 |
Time per Section | 40 minutes |
Mode | Computer-based |
Medium | English |
Type of Questions | MCQs & Non-MCQs |
CAT syllabus 2025: Marking Scheme
The marking scheme for the CAT exam is shown below:
Questions | Marks |
MCQs | +3 for every correct answer -1 mark for every incorrect answer |
TITA-Type Questions | +3 for every correct answer No negative marking for incorrect answer |
CAT syllabus 2025
Keep in mind the following content. Each subject has a varied weightage in the CAT. Candidates should work on their weakest areas while practicing their stronger sections to reinforce the essential principles of all subjects. Stay updated on the exam topics asked in the CAT exam. Here is a comprehensive overview of the CAT exam syllabus by section. Review all these details and plan your preparation accordingly.
VARC Section
VARC is the first part in the exam. It has two subparts: Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension. Take a look at some key points of this section:
VARC Syllabus | ||
Fill in the blanks | Para Completion and inference | Verbal Logic |
Verbal Reasoning | Subject-verb agreement | Para jumbles |
Sentence completion | Foreign language words used in English | Different usage of the same word |
Grammar | Reading Comprehension | Idioms |
Syllogisms | Analogies | Antonyms |
Jumbled paragraphs | Sentence correction | One-word substitution |
Parts of speech | Preposition | Types of Clauses |
Phrases Modifiers | Errors in tenses | Articles usage |
For the past few years, this section has mainly focused on 3 topics:
Reading Comprehension
The questions are of three types: Fact-based, Inference-based, & Vocabulary-based.
The RC part of CAT 2021 has more inferential questions than CAT 2020, making it significantly more challenging.
The fact-based questions demand answers based on facts mentioned in the passage. They are the easiest questions in this section.
The Inference-based questions are trickier since the aspirant has to deduce the tone and theme of the author before answering these questions.
Jumbled Paragraphs
- There is no option for error as these are TITA-based questions.
- In these questions, 4-5 phrases are presented in sequence.
- These sentences form a paragraph, and the aspirant must find out the right sentences.
- The aspirant needs to identify the paragraph’s first and last sentence.
- It is very simple since the first line presents a subject and the final sentence offers a judgment or conclusion.
- Following this, the first phrase should flow in continuous sequence, and so on.
Odd Sentence in Paragraph Jumbles
- These questions have also been TITA-based.
- Candidates must identify the right sentence.
- These questions may be easy or difficult.
- It’s also conceivable that a new subject is presented but not explored further.
DILR Section
The 2nd section of this exam is DILR. It is further subdivided into 2 sections: Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning.
Here are some of the important topics of DILR:
DILR Syllabus | ||
Blood Relations | Clocks and Calendars | Syllogism |
Series | Statements | Venn Diagram |
Proposition | Data Arrangement | Data Structures |
Direction Sense | Family Tree | Tables |
Coding-Decoding | Binary Logic | Pie Charts |
Assumptions | Seating Arrangement | Data Sufficiency |
Puzzles | Sets & Caselets | Bars & Line Graphs |
Data Interpretation
- This section consists of caselets and tables. The data is presented in the form of bar graphs, column graphs, Venn diagrams, lines, and pie charts.
- Aspirants are asked to answer questions based on the facts presented in the following forms or syllabus. Candidates must arrange the material intuitively to answer the questions.
- In many questions, variables will have to be left untouched.
- The candidate needs to solve as many problems as possible and go through the previous years’ papers.
Logical Reasoning
- This section covers such as numbers and sequences, arrangements, syllogisms, logical sequences, blood connections, calendars, cubes, and clocks.
- The questions are usually a combination of many topics.
- The are many topics in the reasoning section, and the combination can lead to very complicated sets.
- The major concern with solving questions in the LR section is to solve them as expeditiously as possible.
QA Section
QA is the last component of the CAT exam. This section is divided into three sections. The majority of the time is spent preparing for the QA portion, which needs extensive practice.
Some of the important topics of QA are as follows:
QA Syllabus | ||
Geometry | Ratios and Proportion | Inequalities |
Trigonometry | In-equations Quadratic and linear equations | Work and Time |
Algebra | Surds and Indices | Percentages |
Mensuration | Time-Speed-Distance | Logarithms |
Partnership (Accounts) | Number System | Square Root and Cube Root |
Profit & Loss | Geometric Progression | Probability |
Mean, mode, median | Binomial theorem | Simple interest and compound interest |
All these topics are important. Students should need to clear their basic concepts for the preparation. For more scoring, students should need to practice regularly.