CAT Exam Syllabus 2023: Important Topics & Weightage

CAT syllabus is divided into three subjects: Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Aptitude (QA). The CAT exam syllabus is dynamic, so you need to know the syllabus in detail. Here in this post, we have explained the syllabus 2022 in detail.
CAT Syllabus 2022 Overview
- The CAT VARC section covers different topics relating to English Grammar, Verbal Reasoning, and Reading Comprehension.
- The CAT QA section includes maths topics such as Arithmetic, Geometry, Algebra, Trigonometry, and Mensuration.
- The CAT DILR syllabus includes topics that involve analysis like Puzzles, Tables, and Bar Graphs.
CAT Important Topics & Weightage
Although there were changes in the CAT exam pattern, the syllabus has not changed in the last 10 years. Here are the important topics of CAT syllabus:
CAT Syllabus | Topics for 2022 | Weightage |
Verbal Ability | Para jumbles, Para summary, Sentence Completion, and Inferences | 10% |
Reading Comprehension | RC passages | 24% |
Data Interpretation | Tables, Graphs, Venn Diagram | 16% |
Logical Reasoning | Caselets, Blood Relation, Seating Arrangement and Syllogism | 16% |
Quantitative Aptitude | Geometry, Algebra, Number System, Arithmetic, Mensuration | 34% |
Latest Changes in Syllabus
As mentioned earlier, there are no changes in the syllabus. The conducting authorities have only made changes in the number of questions. The total number of questions have been reduced from 100 to 66 in the last two years. Check the table below for details.
Exam Syllabus & Pattern | Changes in CAT 2019 to 2020 | Changes in CAT 2020 to 2021 |
Total questions | Reduced from 100 to 76 | Reduced from 76 to 66 |
Total score | Reduced from 300 to 228 | Reduced from 228 to 198 |
Total questions in VARC section | Reduced from 34 to 26 | Reduced from 26 to 24 |
Total Questions in DILR section | Reduced from 32 to 24 | Reduced from 24 to 20 |
Total Questions in QA section | Reduced from 34 to 26 | Reduced from 26 to 22 |
CAT Syllabus 2022
Here in this section, we have given the syllabus for CAT exam in detail.
CAT Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension Syllabus
The first section in the CAT question paper is VARC. The section is divided into two parts: Verbal ability and reading comprehension. Here is the complete CAT 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 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 |
CAT Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning Syllabus
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning is the section and most important section in the question paper. It needs to be solved after the VARC section. This section is divided into Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning.
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 |
CAT Quantitative Aptitude Syllabus
The Quantitative Aptitude is the third and the last section in the CAT question paper. Here is the CAT QA syllabus in detail:
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 |
CAT Exam Pattern 2022
Apart from the syllabus, the candidates also need to know about the CAT exam pattern 2022 before they start preparing for the exam. The IIM made changes in the exam pattern in 2021. The number of questions was reduced from 76 to 66. Here are a few things you need to keep in mind:
- CAT exam mode is online
- Each question carries three marks
- There is a negative marking of minus one mark for wrong attempts
Here is the section-wise distribution of the CAT exam pattern:
Section Name | No. of Questions | Allotted Time |
Quantitative Ability (QA) | 24 | 40 minutes |
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR) | 20 | 40 minutes |
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) | 22 | 40 minutes |
Total | 66 | 120 minutes |
Conclusion
More than lakhs of students appear for the CAT exam every year. The exam is conducted in three slots. The official notification for the CAT 2022 exam is yet to be released.
Before you start preparing for the exam, you need to know the syllabus and exam pattern in detail. Here in this post, we have explained the CAT syllabus 2022 in detail.
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