CAT Syllabus 2023: Here we have discussed the syllabus of the CAT exam. The IIMs do not release the fixed syllabus for the CAT exam. The questions are mostly asked on the basis of middle school Math and English topics. What we have presented in the article is based on the general topics asked in the CAT exam. The CAT (Common Admission Test) is a computer-based test conducted by one of the IIM’s every year on a policy of rotation. These test scores are calculated on the basis of candidate performance in quantitative ability, verbal ability, data interpretation and logical reasoning. This test was started by the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) to select desired students for their various business administration programs using the test.

CAT Syllabus 2023

CAT Syllabus 2023 is vast and law students preparing for the entrance test must be aware of the important details about the exam pattern, marking scheme, exam duration, number of questions asked and other information. Check the important points of the CAT Syllabus and Exam Pattern in the table below.

CAT Syllabus 2023
ParticularsDetails
Name of the Section
  1. Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC)
  2. Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR)
  3. Quantitative Aptitude (QA)
Duration of the CAT Exam2 Hours (120 Minutes)
Section-wise Duration40 Minutes for Each Section (VARC, DILR, QA).
53 Minutes 20 Seconds for PwD candidates for each section.
Slot-wise Session
  1. Slot 1: 8:30 am - 10:30 pm (Morning Session)
  2. Slot 2: 12:30 pm - 2:30 pm (Afternoon Session)
  3. Slot 3: 4:30 pm - 6:30 pm (Evening Session)
Number of Questions76 Questions (54 MCQs and 22 Non-MCQs)
CAT exam total marks228 marks
Mode of the CAT 2023 examComputer-Based Mode (CBT)
Marking Scheme
  1. For every right answer, +3 will be awarded
  2. For every wrong answer in MCQs, -1 will be deducted
  3. No negative marks for Non-MCQs

CAT 2023 Notification & Exam Date Out- Click to Check

CAT Exam Pattern 2023

Before getting into the CAT Syllabus let us have a look at the Exam Pattern. Check out the table for the general points of the exam pattern of the CAT Exam below.

CAT Exam Pattern 2023
Number of sections3
Duration of exam40 minutes per section
Number of questions76
Total marks228
Language of question paperEnglish
Number of answer choices4

CAT Section Wise Exam Pattern

Check the section-wise exam pattern of the CAT exam in the table below:

CAT SectionQuestionsMCQsNon-MCQsMaximum Marks
Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC)2618878
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR)2418672
Quantitative Aptitude (QA)2618878
Total765422228

CAT Syllabus 2023

After acquainted yourself with the exam pattern of the CAT exam you can have a look at the section-wise syllabus of the CAT exam. Check the detailed syllabus below.

CAT Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension Syllabus 2023

Out of the three sections, the VARC section is the first section that is to be solved in the exam. The section has two sub-parts, Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension. Take a look at important topics and some key points of this section.

CAT VARC Syllabus 2023
Fill in the blanksPara Completion and inferenceVerbal Logic
Verbal ReasoningSubject-verb agreementPara jumbles
Sentence completionForeign language words used in EnglishDifferent usage of the same word
GrammarReading ComprehensionIdioms
SyllogismsAnalogiesAntonyms
Jumbled paragraphsSentence correctionOne word substitution
Parts of speechPrepositionTypes of Clauses
Phrases ModifiersErrors in tensesArticles usage

The topic-wise questions in CAT VACR are given in the table below.

TopicsNumber of questions expected
Para-Jumbles2-4
Sentence Completion & Correction2-3
Odd Sentences1-2
Others (Fill in the blanks, Vocabulary Based, etc.)1-2

CAT Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning Syllabus 2023

Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR) is the second section of the CAT exam. This section is divided into two sub-sections: Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning. Check the important topics of the section.

CAT DILR Syllabus 2023
Blood RelationsClocks and CalendarsSyllogism
SeriesStatementsVenn Diagram
PropositionData ArrangementData Structures
Direction SenseFamily TreeTables
Coding-DecodingBinary LogicPie Charts
AssumptionsSeating ArrangementData Sufficiency
PuzzlesSets & CaseletsBars & Line Graphs

The number of expected questions from the topics in the CAT DILR Section is given below:

TopicsTotal Number of Questions
Graph, Bar diagram6-8
Tables & Charts5-8
Graphs, Charts7-10
Tables, Pie chart4-5

CAT Quantitative Aptitude Syllabus 2023

Quantitative Aptitude is the last section of the CAT question paper and is to be solved in the last 40 minutes of the exam. Take a look at important topics and some key points of this section.

CAT Quantitative Aptitude Syllabus 2023
GeometryRatios and ProportionInequalities
TrigonometryIn-equations Quadratic and linear equationsWork and Time
AlgebraSurds and IndicesPercentages
MensurationTime-Speed-DistanceLogarithms
Partnership (Accounts)Number SystemSquare Root and Cube Root
Profit & LossGeometric ProgressionProbability
Mean, mode, medianBinomial theoremSimple interest and compound interest

The number of topics and expected questions in CAT QA Section 

TopicsTotal Number of Questions
Arithmetic Questions10-12
Geometry & Mensuration7-8
Algebra6-7
Number System4-5
Others2-3
CAT Syllabus 2023: FAQs

There are three sections in the CAT exam namely quantitative ability, verbal ability, data interpretation and logical reasoning.

The candidates will be provided 40 minutes for each section in the exam. The test for that section will be over after completion of 40 minutes.

There are a total of 76 question in the CAT exam. the section-wise question distribution are as follows VARC-26, DILR- 24 and QA- 26.

The CAT written exam is of 228 marks. The marks distribution is as follows VARC-78, DILR- 72 and QA- 78.

The CAT score is valid for one year only.

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