CAT Syllabus
CAT conducts online examinations to shortlist candidates for the MBA and postgraduate programs in the IIMs and other Business Colleges. The syllabus and Exam pattern plays a very important role in the preparation for any examination. It is good to have updated information on the syllabus for any competitive exam. Proper information regarding the CAT Syllabus and Exam Pattern will help candidates create an effective preparation strategy. This section will help you with complete details of the CAT exam covering the detailed exam syllabus and the exam pattern.
CAT Syllabus 2024
Candidates who are preparing to appear in the CAT 2024 examination must have all the updates regarding the latest exam pattern and the syllabus. CAT consists of only one stage of the Computer Based Examination which is conducted in various test centers all over India. It is an objective-type test and the final result is decided based on the candidates’ performance in this computer-based test. We have mentioned below the CAT 2024 Syllabus and Exam Pattern to give a better idea to the candidates.
CAT Syllabus Latest Changes
| Syllabus & Pattern for CAT | Changes in CAT 2019 to 2020 | Changes in CAT |
| Total Questions | 76 instead of 100 | Decrease from 76 to 66 |
| Total score | Decrease from 100 to 76 | Decrease from 228 to 198 |
| Total questions in the VARC section | Decrease from 34 to 26 | Decrease from 26 to 24 |
| Questions asked overall in the DILR section | Decrease from 32 to 24 | Decrease from 24 to 20 |
| Total Questions in the QA section | Decrease from 34 to 26 | Decrease from 26 to 22 |
CAT 2024 exam syllabus has three distinct sections which are:
CAT Exam Pattern 2024
The CAT 2024 exam pattern is as follows
| CAT Section | Questions | MCQs | Non-MCQs | Maximum Marks |
| Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) | 26 | 18 | 8 | 78 |
| Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR) | 24 | 18 | 6 | 72 |
| Quantitative Aptitude (QA) | 26 | 18 | 8 | 78 |
| Total | 76 | 54 | 22 | 228 |
Note: There will be a negative marking of 1 mark for the MCQ while no negative marking in Non-MCQ questions.
CAT Syllabus and Exam Pattern 2024 – CAT Exam Guidelines 2024
As per the previous year’s notification, IIMs conducted the CAT 2024 in the exam pattern for CAT 2021 entrance examination. The revised duration of the test will be 120 minutes. There will be three sections:
Section I: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension
Section II: Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning
Section III: Quantitative Ability
- Candidates will be allotted exactly 40 minutes for answering questions in each section and they will not be allowed to switch from one section to another while answering questions in a section.
- Some questions in each section may not be of multiple-choice type. Instead, direct answers will have to be typed on the screen. Also, they will allow the use of a basic on-screen calculator for computation.
CAT 2024 Syllabus
- QA or Quantitative Aptitude
- DILR or Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning
- VARC or Verbal and Reading Comprehension
Once you have familiarized yourself with the CAT exam pattern, take a look at the syllabus for each section. Here’s the detailed syllabus you need to know.
CAT Syllabus 2024 – Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension
The first section in the CAT exam is VARC, which stands for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension. This section has two parts. Let’s go through some essential topics and key points of this section.
| 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 |
Topic Wise Questions in CAT VACR
| Topics | Number of questions expected |
| Para-Jumbles | 2-4 |
| Sentence Completion & Correction | 2-3 |
| Odd Sentences | 1-2 |
| Others (Fill in the blanks, Vocabulary Based, etc.) | 1-2 |
CAT Syllabus 2024 – Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning
The second section in the CAT exam is DILR, which stands for Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning. This section is split into two parts: Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning. Here are the important topics you should focus on for this section.
| 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 |
The number of expected questions from the topics in the CAT DILR Section is given below:
| Topics | Total Number of Questions |
| Graph, Bar diagram | 6-8 |
| Tables & Charts | 5-8 |
| Graphs, Charts | 7-10 |
| Tables, Pie chart | 4-5 |
CAT Syllabus 2024 – Quantitative Aptitude
The last section of the CAT question paper is Quantitative Aptitude. It should be completed in the final 40 minutes of the exam. Let’s take a look at the important topics and key points for this section.
| 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 |
Number of Topics and Expected Questions in CAT QA Section
| Topics | Total Number of Questions |
| Arithmetic Questions | 10-12 |
| Geometry & Mensuration | 7-8 |
| Algebra | 6-7 |
| Number System | 4-5 |
| Others | 2-3 |
CAT Syllabus and Exam Pattern 2024 – Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. How many sections are there in the CAT exam?
Ans. The CAT exam consists of three sections, namely quantitative ability, verbal ability, and data interpretation and logical reasoning.
Q2. What is the time provided for each section in the CAT exam?
Ans. In the CAT exam, candidates are given 40 minutes for each section. Once the 40 minutes are over, the test for that section will be completed.
Q3. How many questions are asked in each section of the CAT exam?
Ans. The CAT exam comprises a total of 76 questions. The distribution of questions in each section is as follows:
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) section: 26 questions.
Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) section: 24 questions.
Quantitative Ability (QA) section: 26 questions.
