CAT 2024 Strategy : Syllabus, Exam Pattern & Important Tips
The CAT 2024 exam is conducted by the reputed IIMs every year on a rotational basis to get into the top business schools of India for various courses. The most popular of such courses is the coveted MBA program. The CAT 2024 exam is the most popular entrance exam, a gateway to 20 IIMs and over 1200 B-schools in India. A proper CAT 2024 strategy requires a candidate’s general aptitude, analytical abilities, and problem-solving skills which are essential for a manager. This is why having a CAT preparation strategy is important. Patience is crucial for the preparation of any competitive exam.
CAT Exam Pattern 2024
In order to build a fool proof CAT 2024 strategy, you need to be well acquainted with the CAT 2024 exam pattern. The CAT Exam is divided into 3 sections, spanning 40 minutes each, making it a 2-hour exam.
As per previous years, the paper pattern has been:
| Details | CAT Exam Pattern 2024 |
|---|---|
| Official Website | iimcat.ac.in |
| Exam Mode | Online |
| Test Duration | 120 Minutes 1. Quantitative Ability (QA) – 40 minutes 2. Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) – 40 minutes 3. Logical Reasonng & Data Interpretation (LRDI) – 40 minutes |
| Type of Questions | Objective Type Questions |
| Number of Sections | 3 Sections 1. Quantitative Ability (QA) 2. Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) 3. Logical Reasonng & Data Interpretation (LRDI) |
| Total Questions | 66 Questions Quantitative Ability – 22 Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension – 24 Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation – 20 |
| Total Marks | 198 |
| Marking Scheme | +3 for every correct answer -1 for every incorrect answer |
The tricky part of the above pattern is that CAT does not allow you to switch between sections, i.e. you have to complete the section within 40 minutes to move on to the next one.
CAT 2024 Important Dates
Following are the tentative important dates for CAT 2024.
| Events | CAT Important Dates 2024 |
|---|---|
| CAT 2024 notification release | 30th July 2024 |
| CAT 2024 registration starts | 2nd August 2024 |
| CAT 2024 Registration ends | 13th September 2024 |
| CAT 2024 admit card | 25th October 2024 |
| CAT 2024 exam date | 26th November 2024 |
| Release of CAT 2024 Response Sheet & Question Paper | 2nd week of December 2024 |
| Last day to challenge answer key | Second week of December 2024 |
| CAT 2024 Result | Second week of January 2025 |
CAT 2024 Eligibility
- Candidates must have completed graduation in any stream with minimum 50% in aggregate (45% for SC/ST/PwD candidates) or equivalent from a recognised university.
- Final year bachelor’s degree candidates or those awaiting their result are also eligible to appear CAT exam.
- Candidates will professional qualifications such as CA/CS/ICWA can also appear in the CAT.
CAT Exam Syllabus 2024
CAT exam is conducted for admission into IIMs, SPJIMR, FMS, MDI, IMT and over 1,200 B-Schools in India. Aspirants generally aim to get into Top 50 B-Schools of India. Covering the entire syllabus is an essential part of your CAT 2024 strategy.
CAT Quant Syllabus 2024 & iQuanta Course Structure
| Topics | Duration of Topics | Sub-Topics | Appln. Sessions | Concptl. Sessions | Total Videos | Total Practice Qs. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Numbers | 3 weeks | 1. Numbers Basics 2. Divisibility 3. Remainders 4. HCF & LCM 5. Tips, Shortcuts & Practice | 6 | 4 | 99 | 290 |
| Arithmetic | 4 weeks | 1. Percentages 2. Profit & Loss 3. Dishonest Seller 4. Simple & Compound Interest 5. Instalments 6. Averages 7. Ratio & Proportion 8. Mixture & Alligation 9. Time & Work | 9 | 6 | 176 | 585 |
| Time, Speed & Distance | 2 weeks | 1. TSD: Basics 2. Relative Speed 3. Circular Motion 4. Tricks to Solve TSD Questions | 5 | 5 | 53 | 215 |
| Modern Math | 3 weeks | 1. Permutations & Combinations: Basics 2. Arranging Distinct and Identical Things 3. Finding the Number of Solutions to Equations 4. Balls & Boxes : Practice Questions 5. Probability | 6 | 4 | 102 | 250 |
| Algebra | 4 weeks | 1. Algebra Basics 2. Quadratic Equations 3. Inequalities 4. Maxima Minima 5. Logarithm & Modulus 6. Graphs 7. Functions 8. Integral Solutions | 8 | 6 | 155 | 365 |
| Progression & Series | 1 week | 1. Sequence & Series (AP, GP, A.G.P) 2. Special Series & Function | 2 | 1 | 36 | 80 |
| Geometry | 3 weeks | 1. Lines & Angles 2. Triangles & Other Polygons 3. Circles Quadrilaterals 4. 3-D Mensuration | 5 | 5 | 106 | 230 |
| Total | 20 weeks | – | 40 | 31 | 727 | 2015 |
So a student following iQuanta CAT Course Structure | For any topic should take 1 Application Class, 1 Conceptual Class, take an assignment available on Dashboard, attend 1 Practice session and then can do self study from IIM ABC Practice Batch. Then move to next topic classes in the same manner.
Topic Wise CAT Quant Weightage
- Arithmetic: 8-9 Questions
- Algebra: 5-6 Questions
- Geometry: 5-6 Questions
Other important topics:
- Numbers: 1-3 question but this topic is going to be your base for all other topics, some concept that you’ll learn in this topic will help you not only in Quant but some DI sets as well.
- Series, logs ,P and C: 3-4 Question
- Miscellaneous: 1-2 Questions
CAT LRDI Syllabus 2024 & iQuanta Course Structure
| Topics | Duration of Topics | Appln. Sessions | Concptl. Sessions | Total Videos | Total Practice Qs. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Data Interpretation 1. Intro & Tools 2. Tables – 1 3. Line & Bar Graphs 4. Pie Charts 5. Misc. Graphs | 4 weeks | 8 | 4 | 40 | 152 |
| Cubes | 1 week | 2 | 1 | 10 | 28 |
| Linear Arrangements | 1 week | 3 | 1 | 15 | 33 |
| Circular Arrangements | 1 week | 6 | 4 | 102 | 250 |
| Venn Diagrams | 2 weeks | 8 | 6 | 155 | 365 |
| Distribution | 1 week | 2 | 1 | 36 | 80 |
| Selection | 1 week | 5 | 5 | 106 | 230 |
| Binary Logics | 1 week | 2 | 1 | 10 | 28 |
| Games & Tournaments | 2 week | 4 | 2 | 20 | 48 |
| Network Flow Diagrams | 1 week | 1 | 1 | 5 | 23 |
| Quant Based DI | 1 week | 1 | 2 | 5 | 26 |
| Total | 16 weeks | 29 | 16 | 155 | 470 |
So a student following iQuanta CAT Course Structure | For any topic should take 1, Application Class, 1 Conceptual Class, take an assignment available on Dashboard, participate in Daily LRDI initiative and then can do self study from IIM ABC Practice Batch. Then move to next topic classes in the same manner.
Topic Wise CAT DILR Weightage
CAT VARC Syllabus & iQuanta Course Structure
| Topics | Duration of Topics | Appln. Sessions | Concptl. Sessions | Total Videos | Total Practice Qs. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grammar 1. Parallel Errors 2. Adverbs 3. Subject-Verb Agreement | 1.5 weeks | 3 | 1 | 36 | 116 |
| Reading Comprehension 1. Science & Tech. 2. Business & Economics 3. Arts, Society & Culture 4. History & Politics 5. Philosophy & Psychology 6. Mixed | 10 weeks | 20 | 10 | 19 | 214 |
| Para Summary | 1 week | 2 | 1 | 24 | 81 |
| Para Completion | 0.5 week | 1 | 1 | 12 | 46 |
| Odd One Out | 1 weeks | 2 | 1 | 24 | 81 |
| Para Jumbles | 1 week | 2 | 1 | 24 | 184 |
| Critical Reasoning & FIJ | 1.5 weeks | 3 | 1 | 36 | 103 |
| Total | 16.5 weeks | 33 | 16 | 246 | 824 |
Topic-Wise CAT VARC Weightage
- RCs: 16 questions (4 sets)
- Parasummary: 3 questions
- Parajumbles: 3 questions
- Odd One Out: 2 questions
The following topics cover the CAT 2024 syllabus, which should make for a wholesome CAT 2024 strategy.
CAT 2024 Preparation
To build a CAT 2024 strategy, understanding the CAT exam syllabus is crucial before you directly jump into your CAT 2024 preparation. After that, analyse the paper pattern by referring to the CAT Past year papers. This analysis will help you identify your weak and strong areas. Using this information, you will understand which area will require more effort from your side.
If you are wondering why you may not be able to solve all the questions, keep in mind that you can master any topic in the CAT syllabus with sufficient practice. For example, quantitative ability is an area found to be most difficult by aspirants from non-engineering backgrounds. Just focus on clearing your basics, then subsequently move on to the trickier concepts; with sufficient practice and a proper CAT 2024 strategy, you can easily score 99+ percentile.
It might take you a lot of time to solve the questions at first but always remember that first you need to work on your accuracy, and with adequate practice, you’ll automatically start taking less time to crack the solution. Solve previous year’s CAT exam papers to get an idea of what kind of questions you’ll be facing.
Once you are confident enough to solve all types of questions from a topic, start appearing for mocks and analyse them. Mocks are very important as taking them will get you into a habit of sitting for a 2 to 3-hour exam. They are also very important to figure out your weaknesses, and once you spot them, you should give them more attention.
Section Wise CAT 2024 Preparation
1. Quantitative Ability (QA)
Get a basic understanding of all topics and solve the question bank provided by iQuanta. Don’t leave any topic as you can get an easy question out of anyone. If you are not comfortable with some topic, just read its basics to solve conceptual problems. It is the most diverse area in the paper, and there are a lot of concepts involved. Hence one must be thorough with almost 95% of them. If the basics are strong, getting 99%ile + is easier for aspirants with a proper CAT preparation strategy.
The major focus should be on arithmetic as it consists of many questions then followed by algebra, geometry, number system and modern maths. Work on calculations so that you can solve basic calculations within seconds. So learn tables and squares of numbers, and you will see that this will definitely increase the speed of solving.
Solve as many questions from every topic, and try to be familiar with all the types of questions by practising lots of varieties.
| CAT 2024 Update : Weak in Quants or Maths? iQuanta is announcing Non Engineer’s Conceptual Videos. It will be a summary of 6th-10th NCERT Maths which will be in alignment with CAT Syllabus. So to cover any CAT Quant Topic, iQuanta will follow 7 steps : 1) Go Through Non Engineer’s Conceptual Videos (Self) 2) Attend Live Stream Class at iQuanta (Mentor Driven) 3) Attend Live Application Class at iQuanta (Mentor Driven) 4) Take 20-30 Dashboard Assignment on that Topic (Self) 5) Attend Practice session on the Topic (Mentor Driven) 6) Take 50 CAT Level Questions on the Topic (Self) 7) CAT 2023 Level Live Marathon on the Topic (Mentor Driven) 24×7 Doubts Solving will go on in iQuanta Secret Group After these 7 steps, your topic will be done and dusted, and we will move to next topic. This Module will be a part of all CAT 2024 Full Course Variants of iQuanta ● Choose your CAT 24 Plan here : https://www.iQuanta.in/cat-2024 ● CAT 24 Course Details & Flow here: https://www.iquanta.in/details/cat-full-course-2024 |
CAT 2024 Quant Strategy For Working & Non- Working Aspirants
1.5 hours/day on weekdays and 5 hours/day on weekends or holidays should be the CAT 2024 strategy for the Quants section for working aspirants. From any standard material, you have in hand, along with iQuanta Sessions.
If you are a non- working aspirant, 3-4 hours per day is the optimium time you should alot to the Quant section.
Keep solving and practising questions on CAT Preparation-iQuanta Group daily and whenever you see the questions, because solving randomly prepares you better than solving them chapter-wise for a competitive exam. (Most Important)
2. Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC)
Subscribe to a daily newspaper and/or a weekly news magazine: 70% of the Verbal Ability section in a typical CAT exam paper comprises Reading Comprehension passages. This section requires a regular reading habit from the candidates. Reading different genres will help you get familiar with various topics that could be brought up for RCs. You’ll see that the RCs on familiar topics seem to be easier than the unknown ones.
After this, you can now start focusing on your speed. Various online sites can determine your reading speed. Start by solving 1–2 RCs a day and then gradually increase them once you start gaining confidence. Try to analyse the tone and the passages. It will eventually come with time.
Indeed, even if you solve only RC with an accuracy of 70% (very achievable), you will comfortably clear your VA cut-offs without even having to touch the dreaded grammar section. This is why RCs should be a major part of your CAT 2024 strategy.
Practice as many previous year papers for the verbal section as you can. It mainly consists of topics like Para-jumbles, Para-summaries, Odd One Out, etc. After you’ve gained at least 80-90% accuracy with the questions and RCs, start appearing for mocks and analyse them so that you can figure out and work out your weaknesses.
Read : CAT VARC Strategy
CAT 2024 VARC Strategy For Working & Non- Working Aspirants
If you are a working aspirant, your CAT 2024 strategy would be to keep a daily practice of reading for at least 30 mins. Basically read some editorials, and also try to summarize from what you read. Try to do this from your office. Practice RCs 1 hour/day on weekdays and 2.5 hours/day on weekends or holidays.
For non-working aspirants, keep a daily practice of reading for at least 30 mins. Practice RCs for 2 hours on a daily basis.
For the VA section, one should keep 2 days for one topic, 45 mins/day on weekdays and 2 hours/day on weekends or holidays.
3. Logical Reasoning & Data Interpretation (LRDI)
LRDI is the most unpredictable section in the CAT exam. The best CAT 2024 LRDI strategy would be to solve as many questions as possible from the question bank.You can start slow and eventually solve at least 4 sets daily comprising of different varieties and be consistent with it.
Make yourself comfortable with diagrams like in seating arrangement, network flow diagram, 4 Set Venn diagram, et cetera. You also need to know every type of graph in the DI section, like the Stacked graphs, Line chart graphs, Layered pie charts, et cetera.
Do not write excessive information and avoid reading the information again and again while solving as it will lead to confusion and silly mistakes. The focus should be on solving the question. This is why it’s very important to build some logic through regular solving puzzle-based questions.
Solve the maximum number of sets as you can in both data interpretation and logical reasoning. You should be familiar with all the types of sets for an effective strategy for the CAT exam.
Read : CAT LRDI Strategy
CAT LRDI Strategy For Working & Non- Working Aspirants
This area generally needs lots of practice to get hands onto a variety of sums. If you are a working aspirant, keep practicing one day LR and another day DI for 45 mins/Day on weekdays and 2 hours/Day on weekends or holidays.
For the non working aspirants, practicing the LRDI sets for 2 hours a day would be sufficient.
Where To Prepare From For CAT 2024 : India’s best CAT Coaching
What Makes iQuanta the Best CAT Preparation Platform?
1. 24×7 Doubt Solving in iQuanta CAT Course
As an aspirant, anyone would want their doubts to be cleared immediately as they arise at any time of the day. This is the ideal situation. Immediate doubt clarification could be a great addition to your exams preparation. This is why we at iQuanta provide free doubts solving mechanisms on our CAT preparation Fb group. Therein, you are able to ask your doubts whenever they arise, i.e, 24×7 doubt solving. All you need to do is post your doubts in the group and it will be resolved within 10 minutes of posting. Know the steps to 24×7 doubt clarification in detail, here.
2. Peer-to-Peer Learning in CAT students Community
A community is very important as having a dedicated community at one place will provide you with the necessary support for your preparation. In our secret Facebook group and in our public Facebook group, every student studies in a group wherein they learn from each other by asking and solving doubts, sharing strategies and uplifting each other by providing motivation. A functioning ecosystem is built that is engaging as well as informative. Know more about iQuanta’s peer-to-peer learning here and how they managed to create an engaging community.
3. iQuanta’s Interactive CAT Classes : Dual Pedagogy
Listening passively has certain disadvantages because one is not actively involved in the learning process. And as we have limited attention spans, any student will not be able to listen attentively for an extended period of time. Hence, short attention spans can be increased through iQuanta’s dual pedagogy wherein the focus is not only on teaching theoretical concepts but also application-based learning. How iQuanta conducts it’s interactive classes? Find out here.
4. iQuanta’s Past Results
iQuanta’s quality preparation materials are reflected in their result with more than 60 students getting 99+%ile. It is important to note that this result came from a single place. At iQuanta, our aim is to provide you with value to enable you to get into your dream bschool.
\ 
Check out how Avinash Singh, a boy who belonged to a village with no schools got 99.5%ile in CAT. To watch more such videos click here.
iQuanta is deeply happy for its students. After burning the midnight oil and after a year of hard work, lots of rigorous sessions, unlimited doubts solving, 400+ iQuanta students got 95%ile+ and 225 got 97+%ile. Click here to check iQuanta’s detailed past CAT results.
We do not just cater to the bright ones. iQuanta also has a history of getting students from a lower to a higher percentile.
For a structured CAT preparation and one-on one counselling, visit the link below.