It is very important for MBA aspirants to know what is the CAT syllabus! Knowing the entire syllabus is the very first step of the preparation strategy. CAT syllabus covers the three sections of the exam which is Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension, Quantitative Aptitude and Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation. As per the latest CAT exam syllabus Average, Ratio, Mixture & Alligation, Profit & Loss, SI, CI, Percentages, TSD & Time and Work and Geometry has the highest weightage in the Quant section.
CAT Syllabus Highlights
| Sections in CAT Syllabus | 3 – Quants, LRDI and VARC |
| Ideal Time Required to Cover the Syllabus | 3 – 4 Months |
| Offical CAT Exam Syllabus | It is not released officially, based on trends and exam pattern |
| High Weightage Topics | Arithmetic, Algebra, Reading Comprehensions, Tables, Pie Charts, Bar and Line Graphs, Caselets, Mixed-data sets, Seating arrangements, puzzles, games & tournaments |
DILR section has topics such as Venn Diagrams, Caselets, Games & Tournaments, Quant-based LR, Scatter Chart, Table & Graphs, Pie Charts in the CAT syllabus. The VARC CAT syllabus has Reading Comprehension (RC) (4 RC Sets of 4 Questions Each), Para Jumble, Para Completion, etc. The entire syllabus of CAT can be covered in 3-6 months easily. This blog has all details about the CAT exam syllabus with the latest syllabus pdf. and download the latest CAT syllabus 2026 here.
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CAT Syllabus Subjects
The syllabus of CAT exam has a total of 3 subjects or sections which are-
1. Quantitative Aptitude – This section checks the mathematical aptitde of the test takers. But the mathematics is of school level. There will be a total of 22 sections from Quants section in the exam.
2.Data Interpretation and Logical Resoning – This section tests the analytical skills along with logical reasoning capabilities and it will have 22 questions in total.
3.Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension – This section asseses your vocabulary, grammar and ability to comprehend passages. This section has a total of 24 questions.
CAT Quants Syllabus
CAT Quantitative Section is considered as the most scoring section if one has covered all the topics as it is mostly numerical based and if your fundamentals are strong and you know all the formulas. CAT QA Syllabus has topics such as Percentages, Profit & Loss, Divisibility, SI & CI, Ratio & Proportion, Averages, Remainder Theorem, Trains & Boats, Mixture & Alligation, Time & Work, Pipes & Cisterns, Time, Speed, Distance, Races, Properties of Integers, Factors, LCM & HCF, Factorial, Trailing Zeroes, Last Digits. Check the detailed CAT syllabus for the Quant Section.
CAT Exam Syllabus – Quantitative Aptitude
| Topics | Topics Included |
| Arithmetic | Percentages, Profit & Loss, SI & CI, Ratio & Proportion, Averages, Mixture & Alligation, Time & Work, Pipes & Cisterns, Time, Speed, Distance, Races, Trains & Boats |
| Algebra | Linear Equations, Quadratic Equations, Polynomials, Indices & Surds, Logarithms, Inequalities, Sequence & Series, Functions, Graphs, Modulus |
| Geometry | Triangles, Quadrilaterals, Polygons, Circles, Mensuration (3D), Coordinate Geometry |
| Number System | Properties of Integers, Divisibility, Factors, Remainder Theorem, LCM & HCF, Factorial, Trailing Zeroes, Last Digits |
| Modern Maths | Set Theory, Probability, Permutation & Combination |
CAT Quants Important Topics – 2017-2024
| Topics | Questions | Percentage |
| Time Speed Distance | 45 | 8.24% |
| Sequence & Series | 36 | 6.59% |
| Logarithms | 33 | 6.04% |
| Time and Work | 31 | 5.68% |
| Quadratic Equations | 29 | 5.31% |
| Functions | 29 | 5.31% |
| Percentage | 26 | 4.76% |
| Profit & Loss | 26 | 4.76% |
| Average | 26 | 4.76% |
| Mixture & Alligation | 26 | 4.76% |
| Factorials, GIF, Misc | 20 | 3.66% |
CAT VARC Syllabus
The Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension section and in this section RC comprises more than 60% of the total marks whereas the remaining percentage is evaluated for Verbal Ability. As per the latest CAT syllabus for VARC there are 4 RC sets that have a total of 4 questions each. Art & Culture, Science & Technology, Psychology & Philosophy, Business & Economics, Society & Politics, Environment, Abstract, etc. are some of the RC genres for CAT.
CAT Exam Syllabus – VARC
| Particulars | Exam Details |
| Para Summary | 1 – 3 Questions |
| Odd One Out | 1 – 3 Questions |
| Para Jumble | 1 – 3 Questions |
| Para Completion | 1 – 3 Questions |
| Total VA Questions | 24 |
| Reading Comprehension | 4 RC sets × 4 questions each = 16 |
CAT Syllabus RC Genres
- History
- Art & Culture
- Business & Economics
- Society & Politics
- Environment
- Science & Technology
- Psychology & Philosophy
- Abstract
- Legal Discussion
CAT VARC Important Topics – 2017 – 2024
| Subtopic (Genre) | Count | Percentage |
| Science and Technology | 21 | 23.33% |
| Philosophy | 14 | 15.56% |
| Business and Economics | 11 | 12.22% |
| History | 11 | 12.22% |
| Art and Culture | 10 | 11.11% |
| Culture and Society | 10 | 11.11% |
| Environment | 9 | 10.00% |
| Psychology | 4 | 4.44% |
| Grand Total | 90 | 100.00% |
Frequency of these genres from which questions have come in CAT 2017 – 2024.
CAT VARC Last Year Analysis
| Slot | Title | Type | Genre |
| CAT 2024 Slot 1 | The Western Barred Bandicoot Revival | RC | Environment |
| Economics, Human Behaviour, and Interdisciplinary Borrowing | RC | Business and Economics | |
| Crafts, Creativity, and the Modern Labour Market | RC | Culture and Society | |
| Streaming, Cultural Memory, and Digital Ownership | RC | Culture and Society | |
| Naturalization of Linguistic and Visual Codes | VA – Parasummary | Philosophy | |
| Renaissance Music and Emotional Balance | VA – Paracompletion | Art and Culture | |
| The Brain’s Evolutionary Architecture | VA – Paracompletion | Science and Technology | |
| Animal Emotions and Shared Brain Structures | VA – Parasummary | Science and Technology | |
| Public Transport Decline in Western Cities | VA – Odd One Out | Culture and Society | |
| The Silk Roads and Global Connectivity | VA – Paracompletion | History | |
| Peter Singer and Animal Rights | VA – Odd One Out | Philosophy | |
| usability | VA – Parasummary | Science and Technology | |
| CAT 2024 Slot 2 | Interdisciplinary Collaboration between Physicists and Other Scientists | VA – Parasummary | Science and Technology |
| The Ethics and Transparency of Peer Review in Academia | RC | Culture and Society | |
| Medieval Spice Trade and European Colonial Expansion | RC | History | |
| Unintended Consequences of Technological Innovation | RC | Science and Technology | |
| Drivers of Carnivore–Human Conflicts | RC | Environment | |
| Creativity and Freedom in Comedy | VA – Parasummary | Culture and Society | |
| Early Globalization before European Exploration | VA – Paracompletion | History | |
| Information Warfare and the DIME Model | VA – Parasummary | Science and Technology | |
| Louis Kervran and Elemental Transmutation in Chickens | VA – Paracompletion | Science and Technology | |
| The Superiority of Night Owls | VA – Paracompletion | Psychology | |
| The Biological and Social Basis of Gender | VA – Odd One Out | Psychology | |
| Cultivated Meat and Innovation in Food Production | VA – Odd One Out | Business and Economics | |
| CAT 2024 Slot 3 | Lyric Poetry and Marxism | VA – Parasummary | Art and Culture |
| The Napalm Girl Photograph | VA – Paracompletion | History | |
| Regulating Biotechnology | VA – Parasummary | Science and Technology | |
| Planetary Protection and Human Exploration of Mars | RC | Science and Technology | |
| Somalia’s Drought and Humanitarian Crisis | VA – Paracompletion | Environment | |
| Language Extinction and Liberal Arts Education | RC | Culture and Society | |
| Return-to-Office Costs and Inflation | VA – Paracompletion | Business and Economics | |
| Moutai’s Marketing and Chinese Nationalism | RC | Business and Economics | |
| Synaptic Pruning and Visual Development | VA – Odd One Out | Science and Technology | |
| Forecasting Accuracy and Intelligence Analysis | VA – Odd One Out | Psychology | |
| The Tradwife and Cultural Performance | VA – Parasummary | Culture and Society | |
| AI, Language, and the Future of Democracy | RC | Science and Technology |
CAT Syllabus – Types of Reading Passages and their Types
| Reading Passage Type | Weightage |
| Descriptive Passages | Less |
| Narrative Passages | Less |
| Argumentative Passages | Most |
| Analytical Passages | Most |
| Abstract Passages | Less |
CAT LRDI Syllabus
This section is said to be unpredictable as there is no fixed syllabus, however a deep analysis into the previous year trends will help one to know its syllabus. CAT syllabus for these sections includes questions based on Linear Arrangement, Ranking & Order, Caselets, Circular Arrangement, Line & Bar Graphs, Quant-based DI, Scatter Chart, Cubes and more. Check the Updated CAT Syllabus for LRDI Section:
LRDI CAT Exam Syllabus
| Logical Reasoning | Data Interpretation |
| Puzzles | Pie Charts |
| Venn Diagrams | Line & Bar Graphs |
| Linear Arrangement | Cubes |
| Circular Arrangement | Scatter Chart |
| Caselets | Quant-based DI |
| Ranking & Order | DI Tables |
| Selection & Distribution | Table & Graphs |
| Games & Tournaments | — |
| Quant-based LR |
CAT LRDI Most Important Questions
| Subtopic (Genre) | Count | % of Total |
| Caselets | 18 | 15.79% |
| Reasoning Based DI | 16 | 14.04% |
| Quant Based Reasoning | 13 | 11.40% |
| Venn Diagram | 10 | 8.77% |
| Special Charts | 9 | 7.89% |
| Scheduling Based Puzzle | 9 | 7.89% |
| Distribution Based Puzzles | 8 | 7.02% |
| Tables | 7 | 6.14% |
| Games & Tournament | 7 | 6.14% |
| Bar Graphs | 6 | 5.26% |
| Network & Routes | 5 | 4.39% |
| Ranking & Ordering | 3 | 2.63% |
| Arrangement | 3 | 2.63% |
| Grand Total | 114 | 100.00% |
How Much Time Will it Take to Complete CAT Syllabus 2026 for a 99+ Percentile?
| Particulars | Details |
| December – Build Your Basics | Focus on strengthening fundamentals by reading editorials daily, solving puzzles, and beginning Quant basics with Number System. |
| January to June – Completing the Syllabus | In this phase finish all important topics across Quant, VARC, and LRDI while making your concepts strong. |
| July to September – Mock Test and Practicing Each Topic | Now start taking full-length mock tests and analyze your mock performance. Work on every section while practicing moderate to hard-level questions. |
| October to November – Complete Revision and Crash Course | Focus on complete revision of the entire syllabus, re-attempt difficult areas, strengthen formulas and shortcuts, and follow a structured crash course to polish your preparation. |
Final Outcome – By building basics first, completing the syllabus three times, practicing CAT-level questions, taking full mocks, and finishing with thorough revision, you create a disciplined preparation journey capable of achieving a 99.9 percentile using the iQuanta resources effectively.
CAT Exam Syllabus Mistakes to be Avoided While Preparation
Every CAT aspirants commit some common mistakes while covering the syllabus which acts as a hindrance in their preparation. Check the details here:
- Treating Each and Every Topic Equally – Many aspirants focus on assume that every topic is extremely crucial and treats them equally. But this is not the real case scenario. You have to very carefully analyze the exam trends and analyse the high weightage topics and pay special attention to them while covering the CAT syllabus.
- Failing in Time Management – Managing your time during the coverage of CAT exam syllabus is important. The syllabus of Common Admission Test is quite vast and should be covered strategically. One should not cover each topic giving equal attention and priority.
Tring to Finish the Entire Syllabus Without Clearing Basics – Toppers have always recommended to first master the core areas and then move to advanced topics. Building a strong foundation is important to get a 99+ percentile in the exam.
Toughest Topic of CAT Syllabus
The toughest topic might differ from person to person. For students who belong have an engineering background might find Quant section very easy where a non math student might find it the most difficult. So this depend on the academic proficiency of the students, subjects they have studied and level of preparedness.
What to Expect in the Exam from CAT Syllabus?
CAT Quants Section
- Around 8 questions are from Arithmetic.
- From number system, 1-3 questions.
- 5-7 Algebra questions.
- 3 Questions from Geometry and Mensuration.
- 0-3 questions from modern maths.
CAT VARC Section
- Sentence correction & completion
- Para Jumbles
- Summary-based questions
CAT LRDI
- 2 sets of data interpretation and logical reasoning or a combination of both
- Bar graphs, arrangements, missing data, and puzzles (games)
CAT Syllabus – FAQs
The CAT syllabus is not released by the conducting body officially. Click here to download the latest and most updated syllabus of CAT exam.
CAT exam syllabus has very basic school level mathematics. Therefore, non math students must not worry about this section as they already have studied these topics previously.
CAT exam syllabus 2026 covers a total of 3 sections – Quants, LRDI and VARC. Quants – Arithmetic, Geometry, Algebra, Numbers and Modern Mathematics; LRDI – Seating Arrangements, Data Comparison, Puzzles, Games and Tournaments, Tables-Based DI, VARC – Para Summary, Para Jumbles, Odd One Out and Reading Comprehensions are some of the important topics in the latest CAT syllabus.
