CAT does not have a fixed syllabus. Lots of students make the common mistake of covering the basic CAT syllabus and believing that their CAT preparation is complete. But, since there is no fixed CAT syllabus similar to Board exams where each chapter and sub-chapters are clearly defined. While studying for CAT using the syllabus, it is important to build skills and know what the test demands.
Here are the three main skills which the CAT exam tests in students:
- Time pressure
- Set Selection
- Accuracy
The biggest mistake to avoid while following the CAT syllabus is assuming that it is fixed or that you have to cover a set of given chapters and that is all. Without properly mapping each topic of the CAT syllabus with the exam pattern, your preparation will not be realistic. Another big mistake which CAT aspirants, especially beginners, usually tend to make is to delay mocks until the CAT syllabus is completed.
If you want to be successful in the CAT 2026 examination, you must take diagnostic mock tests and measure your performance while also making rough notes on your strong and weak areas. Depending on your current mock test percentile range, strong and weak areas, and hours per day, you must prepare a month-wise CAT syllabus plan covering not only the syllabus but also mocks and revision timelines.Â
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Important CAT Exam Details to Avoid Making Mistakes
CAT is a highly competitive exam as around 2.96 Lakh students had registered and the attendance percentage in CAT 2025 was 86%. Last to last year (CAT 2024), the paper was easy but the competition was still high with 2.93 Lakh candidates having appeared for the test in 389 test centres. It is also important to know that the CAT exam has a fixed sectional time limit. The structure of the CAT exam has remained consistent over the years.
| CAT Exam Details to Check Before Starting Preparation Through Syllabus | |||
| Particulars | CAT 2025 | CAT 2024 | CAT 2023 |
| Number of Students Registered | 2.95 Lakh | 3.29 Lakh | 3.28 Lakh |
| Number of Students Appeared | 2.58 Lakh | 2.93 Lakh | 2.88 Lakh |
| Attendance Percentage | 86 | 89 | 88 |
| Test Centres | 339 | 389 | 375 |
| Cities | 170 | 170 | 167 |
| Total Questions | 68 | 68 | 66 |
| Section-wise Questions | VARC: 24 DILR: 22 QA: 22 | VARC: 24 DILR: 22 QA: 22 | VARC: 24 DILR: 20 QA: 22 |
Do Not Ignore CAT Exam Pattern While Covering Syllabus
Simply covering the topics included in the CAT syllabus without mapping them to the actual exam pattern is a common mistake which students tend to make when studying through the syllabus. Your CAT preparation will not be completed if you focus only on completing all the topics in the syllabus. What you actually need to focus on learning are three main skills as follows: time, selection and accuracy. These are some important tips which will help you know what mistakes to avoid while following the syllabus.
- Learn to perform under time constraints
- Know the CAT exam pattern. It is a 2 hour paper with sectional time limits.
- There is no borrowing time from one section onto another.
- CAT exam has a mixed difficulty level of questions
- MCQs in CAT have negative marking while TITA do not.
Studying DILR Topics in Isolation Integrate with VARC and Quant
If you follow the syllabus for DILR, you may end up losing more marks in the CAT exam. Now the question arises on how to cover DILR topics if not through the syllabus. The answer is in the pattern of the section. DILR is based on set selection. More precisely, CAT tests how accurately you select the syllabus so as to avoid losing marks in the details and getting the right answers for all the questions.
| Do’s and Dont’s of CAT DILR Section Preparation While Following the Syllabus | |
| Do’s | Dont’s |
| Do 4-6 full DILR sets daily | Follow a fixed syllabus |
| Set a time limit for completion of 1 set | If no question is solvable under 2 minutes, skip the set and come back to it if you have time left in the section |
| Track time taken to complete the full set and not 1 question from the set. | Take mock tests weekly not once in a while |
| Practice DI and LR together | Don’t practice isolated LR sets and DI sets. |
| Practice sets of all difficulty levels | Avoid practicing only the hard DILR sets |
| Focus on speed + set selection + accuracy | Do not focus on quality over skill-building |
Doing Mocks After Completing CAT Syllabus – Common Mistake
This mistake has consequences on your overall and sectional CAT percentile. To master CAT via syllabus, you must avoid treating mock tests as just practice tests. Take a mock test to check your score, but don’t limit its use there. Real improvement in your CAT preparation comes from knowing which set to skip and identify the test traps. Not only is it important to select the right set in DILR but it is also important to check your accuracy per set.
Here is a simple strategy or element which you can include in your CAT preparation.
| How to Master CAT DILR Section | |
| Rules | What to Do |
| Scan before Selecting | Scan the set for 2 minutes before selecting it |
| Set Time Limit per Set | For each set you practice, set a 8-10 minute time cap. |
| Maintain an Error Log | Jot down all the mistakes, its type and frequency |
| Do Mocks Regularly | Practice mock tests weekly instead of all at once towards the end of your syllabus completion plan. |
