CAT 2026 Section-wise Syllabus
The CAT exam does not have a fixed, published syllabus. The topics below are derived from 10 years of CAT question paper analysis and represent what you will realistically encounter.
📖 VARC — 24 Questions | 40 min
Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension
Reading Comprehension — 4 passages × 4 questions (16 Qs)
Para Jumbles — 2 questions
Para Summary — 2 questions
Odd Sentence Out — 2 questions
Para Completion — 2 questions
📊 DILR — 22 Questions | 40 min
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning
Logical Reasoning Sets (2–3 sets)
Data Interpretation Sets (1–2 sets)
Tables, Charts, Bar Graphs, Venn Diagrams
Arrangements, Puzzles, Networks
Games and Tournaments
🔢 QA — 22 Questions | 40 min
Quantitative Ability
Arithmetic — 40% weightage (highest)
Algebra — 20% weightage
Geometry & Mensuration — 18%
Number Theory — 12%
Modern Math (P&C, Probability) — 10%
💡 PRO TIP — VARC CAT RC passages in recent years have come from philosophy, social science, and economics. Avoid reading only business articles. Diversify your reading — try Aeon, The Atlantic, and Livemint opinion pieces for 20 minutes daily.
Year-wise Exam Pattern Trend (2021–2025)
Year
Total Questions
VARC
DILR
QA
Key Change
CAT 2025
68
24
22
22
No major change from 2024
CAT 2024
68
24
22
22
VARC increased from 24; stable year
CAT 2023
66
24
20
22
DILR reduced by 2 questions
CAT 2022
66
24
20
22
Same as 2021 — stable pattern
CAT 2021
66
26
20
26
Reduced from 100 in 2019 — new era begins
CAT Exam Scoring, Normalization & Percentile
CAT is conducted in 3 slots on a single day. Since different slots have different question sets, raw scores are normalized across slots to ensure fairness. Here is how it works:
Concept
What It Means
Raw Score Your actual marks: (+3 per correct MCQ, −1 per wrong MCQ, +3 per correct TITA)
Scaled Score Your raw score adjusted using a normalization formula to account for difficulty differences across slots
Percentile % of candidates who scored below you. 99 percentile = you scored higher than 99% of all test-takers
Normalization formula IIM uses equi-percentile method — not a simple average. Your slot's difficulty is factored in precisely.
📊 CAT Score vs Percentile — Quick Reference (Based on CAT 2025 Pattern)
IIM Cutoffs & Top Colleges Accepting CAT 2026
Category
Institution
CAT Percentile (Overall)
Sectional Cutoff (approx.)
BLACKI IIMs IIM A, B, C, L, K, I
99–100
85–90 per section
Other Old IIMs IIM Shillong, Rohtak, Ranchi, Raipur, Tiruchirappalli, Udaipur, Kashipur
95–99
75–85 per section
New IIMs IIM Amritsar, Bodh Gaya, Jammu, Nagpur, Sambalpur, Sirmaur, Visakhapatnam
85–95
65–80 per section
Top Non-IIM Schools FMS Delhi, MDI Gurgaon, SPJIMR Mumbai, IIT-B SJMSOM, IIFT Delhi
97–99
80–90 per section
Mid-Tier B-Schools MICA, SIBM, SCMHRD, GIM Goa, TAPMI, FORE, IMI
85–95
70–80 per section
Other Colleges 1,200+ B-schools across India
50–85
Varies by institution
⚠️ CRITICAL — Sectional Cutoffs Are Non-Negotiable All IIMs apply sectional cutoffs in addition to the overall cutoff. A 99 overall percentile with a 60 percentile in VARC will get you rejected from every top IIM. Your weakest section will be your biggest barrier — start fixing it now.
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5 Mistakes That Kill Your CAT Exam Score
These are not generic tips. These are the specific, documented patterns that separate candidates who plateau at 90 percentile from those who break 99.
Mistake 1: Attempting Every Question in QA
Most aspirants try to solve all 22 QA questions. The result: 6–8 questions solved accurately in 40 minutes, with 6 wrong attempts dragging the score down through negative marking.
✅ The Fix: Target 14–16 attempts in QA, not 22. Spend 2.5 minutes scanning all questions first, then solve only those you are 80%+ confident about. A score of 14 correct × 3 = 42 raw QA marks puts you in the 92–95 percentile range.
Mistake 2: Ignoring DILR Until 2 Months Before the Exam
DILR is the only CAT section where prior academic knowledge gives you zero advantage. It is a pure skill — built through consistent practice of 3–4 set types per day. Starting DILR in September is too late.
✅ The Fix: Solve 2 DILR sets daily from April onwards. Focus on the 5 high-frequency set types: Arrangements, Games & Tournaments, Networks, Binary Logic, and Scheduling. These alone account for 70%+ of DILR questions.
Mistake 3: Taking Mocks Without Analysing Them
The most common waste in CAT preparation. A student who takes 25 mocks and reviews none is worse off than a student who takes 10 mocks and spends 3 hours reviewing each one.
✅ The Fix: For every mock: (a) identify the 5 questions you got wrong that you should have gotten right, (b) identify your time-management error — which section did you overspend on, and (c) note 1 concept gap to fix before the next mock.
Mistake 4: Treating All RC Passages the Same
Reading all 4 RC passages with equal effort is a time trap. CAT RC passages vary significantly in complexity — some yield 4 correct answers in 6 minutes; others take 12 minutes and yield 2 correct answers.
✅ The Fix: Spend the first 90 seconds of VARC scanning all 4 passage openings. Rank them by predicted difficulty and start with the easiest 2. Return to harder passages if time allows. This one change can improve your VARC percentile by 5–8 points.
Mistake 5: Not Tracking Section-wise Percentile Trends
Most aspirants know their overall percentile but cannot name their weakest section's percentile trend over 10 mocks. IIMs screen on sectional percentiles — your overall score is irrelevant if one section is consistently at 70.
✅ The Fix: Maintain a mock tracker spreadsheet with: Overall %ile | VARC %ile | DILR %ile | QA %ile — for every mock. Your weakest section needs a dedicated 30-minute daily slot until it crosses 85 percentile consistently.
CAT 2026 Preparation Strategy for 99 Percentile
Phase-wise Study Plan
Phase
Months
Focus
Daily Hours
Milestone
Phase 1 — Foundation March – May
Complete concept coverage for all 3 sections. NCERT Math for QA, grammar basics for VARC, introduction to DILR set types.
2–3 hrs
Baseline mock score above 60 percentile
Phase 2 — Speed Build June – August
Practice 100+ questions daily across sections. Focus on accuracy first, then speed. Start sectional mocks.
4–5 hrs
Sectional mocks above 80 percentile consistently
Phase 3 — Full Mocks September – October
2 full mocks per week. 3+ hours of review per mock. Fix weak areas between mocks. Finalize section-attempt strategy.
5–6 hrs
Full mock overall percentile above 90
Phase 4 — Refinement November (pre-exam)
Light revision only. 1 mock per week. Finalize time management strategy. Rest and mental preparation.
2–3 hrs
Confident in strategy. No new topics.
💡 PRO TIP — The 30-Mock Rule The minimum number of full-length CAT mocks to appear confident on exam day is 30 mocks . Less than 20 and you are underexposed to the variety of DILR sets. More than 50 without deep analysis is counterproductive. Quality of review matters more than quantity of mocks.
CAT 2026 — Pre-Exam Day Checklist
Use this checklist the night before and morning of the CAT exam. Save it or screenshot it.
Admit card printed (minimum 2 copies) — downloaded from iimcat.ac.in
Valid photo ID (Aadhaar / PAN / Passport) — same as uploaded at registration
Exam centre address confirmed and route planned — visit the centre once before exam day if possible
Report 1 hour before slot start (not just reporting time — 1 hour before exam start)
No electronic devices — no phone, no smartwatch, no Bluetooth devices at the centre
Transparent water bottle and stationery (as permitted — check admit card instructions)
Section-attempt strategy confirmed in your mind — order, target attempts, time splits
8 hours of sleep the night before — cognitive performance drops 15–20% with less than 7 hours
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Conclusion
The CAT exam 2026 rewards those who understand what the exam actually demands — not just effort, but the right strategy applied consistently over 8–9 months. Most aspirants who miss the 99 percentile mark do not lack intelligence; they lack a structured plan, mock analysis discipline, and sectional balance.
Start today. Registration opens in August 2026 — but your preparation window is right now.
Related Articles: CAT Syllabus 2026 · CAT Registration 2026 · CAT Exam Pattern 2026 · CAT Eligibility 2026 · IIM Admission Criteria
All dates are based on historical CAT patterns and will be updated after the official CAT 2026 notification (expected July 2026). Source: iimcat.ac.in official communications.
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