CAT Syllabus 2026: Section-wise Topics, Weightage & Download PDF
The CAT does not release an official syllabus. But after analysing 10 years of question papers — including the most recent CAT 2025 — the topics that appear consistently are very clear. This guide gives you every topic, its weightage, what actually appeared in CAT 2025, and the exact order to prepare them in.
Key Highlights
- The CAT syllabus has 3 sections — VARC (24 Qs), DILR (22 Qs), QA (22 Qs) — total 68 questions in 120 minutes
- IIM has never released an official CAT syllabus PDF — this guide is built from 5 years of actual papers
- Arithmetic and Algebra together cover ~70% of the Quant section
- Reading Comprehension makes up 66% of VARC — it is the backbone of the section
- DILR has no fixed topic structure — set selection skill matters more than topic coverage
- The CAT syllabus has remained largely stable since 2021 — only difficulty and weightage shift
Before anything else, one fact every aspirant should know: IIM does not publish an official CAT syllabus document. There is no PDF, no official notification, no government-released topic list. What every coaching guide calls the CAT syllabus is derived from careful analysis of 10+ years of actual CAT papers.
The CAT syllabus tests three core capabilities: reading and comprehension under time pressure, data and logical reasoning, and mathematical problem-solving. Once you understand what each section actually demands, preparation becomes much more focused
CAT Syllabus 2026 — Exam Pattern at a Glance
| Section | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| VARC | 24 | 72 | 40 min |
| DILR | 22 | 66 | 40 min |
| QA | 22 | 66 | 40 min |
| Total | 68 | 204 | 120 min |
Marking scheme: "For full marking scheme, TITA rules and section-switching restrictions → CAT Exam Pattern 2026"
CAT VARC Syllabus
The VARC section splits into Reading Comprehension (RC) and Verbal Ability (VA). RC dominates with 16 out of 24 questions. You will face 4 passages of 500–700 words each, with 4 questions per passage. All RC questions are MCQ with negative marking.
Reading Comprehension — 16 Questions (~66%)
| RC Topic Category | Frequency |
|---|---|
| Philosophy, Culture, Sociology | Very High |
| Economics, Finance, Business | High |
| Science, Technology, Environment | Moderate |
| History, Literature, Law | Low |
RC question types you will face:
- Inference-based — conclusions from what the passage implies, not just states
- Author's tone — the writer's attitude toward the subject
- Detail-oriented — locate specific facts within the passage
- Logical structure — how a paragraph is organised
- Vocabulary in context — meaning of a word as used in the passage
The most important skill for RC is not knowing the topic — it is reading complex prose quickly and extracting meaning accurately. Build this by reading The Economist, NCERT humanities texts, and quality long-form journalism daily.
Verbal Ability — 8 Questions (~33%)
| VA Topic | Questions | Type | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Para Jumbles | 2–3 | TITA — No −ve | Moderate–Hard |
| Para Summary | 2–3 | MCQ | Easy–Moderate |
| Odd Sentence Out | 2 | TITA — No −ve | Easy–Moderate |
Note: Grammar correction, vocabulary questions, fill-in-the-blanks, and analogies are not part of the current CAT VARC syllabus. They were removed years ago.Para Jumbles and Odd Sentence are TITA format questions. For TITA marking rules and attempt strategy → CAT Exam Pattern 2026"
CAT 2025 VARC Slot-wise Analysis
CAT 2025 (conducted November 30, 2025 by IIM Kozhikode) introduced one notable change in VARC — Para Jumbles shifted from MCQ to TITA format, benefiting prepared aspirants. RC and VA questions were interspersed throughout the section rather than grouped separately.
| Slot | RC Topics Covered | Difficulty | Good Attempts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slot 1 | Inequality, Consumer Behaviour, Electronic Music, Ill-effects of Dams | Moderate–Difficult | 17–18 Qs |
| Slot 2 | AI & ChatGPT, Astronomy, Science, Craftsmanship vs Materialism | Moderate–Hard | 15–17 Qs |
| Slot 3 | Ethics and AI, Tribal Art, Literature, Language & Culture | Moderate | 16–18 Qs |
CAT 2026 prep tip: Since CAT 2025 interspersed RC and VA questions, practise both in mixed order. Students who planned to finish VA first and then RC were caught off guard by this structure change.
CoachifyLive Resource
VARC Essentials → Builds RC speed, paragraph logic, and sentence flow from the ground up.
CAT DILR Syllabus
DILR is the most misunderstood section of the CAT syllabus. Many aspirants try to prepare it like a topic list. That does not work. DILR gives you 4–5 sets of interconnected questions, and your job is to decide which sets to attempt in 40 minutes. Set selection is the real skill — not topic coverage.
Data Interpretation
- Bar graphs, Line graphs, Pie charts
- Tables and Caselets
- Venn diagrams (complex, 4-set)
- Scatter plots, Radar charts
- Percentage and ratio calculations
- Growth rates and data comparison
Logical Reasoning
- Seating Arrangements
- Scheduling and Allocation
- Games and Tournaments
- Routes and Networks
- Mathematical / Numerical Logic Puzzles
- Coding-Decoding, Number Series
CAT 2025 DILR Slot-wise Analysis
CAT 2025 introduced a key change: the DI/LR distribution was variable across slots — unlike CAT 2024's fixed 3 DI + 2 LR pattern. Graph-based DI questions were fewer; all slots were heavier on Numerical Logic–driven LR sets.
Also read :- Solve CAT DILR questions
| Set | Type | Description | Qs | Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LR | Arrangement-based set | 5 | Moderate |
| 2 | DI | Web-based chart / data table | 4 | Easy–Mod |
| 3 | LR | Games and Tournament | 5 | Difficult |
| 4 | Hybrid | Quant + LR — trains, routes, prices, seats | 4 | Moderate |
| 5 | LR | Employee data — 4 quarters, 3 tables | 4 | Moderate |
| Set | Type | Description | Qs | Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DI | Data interpretation heavy set | 4 | Easy–Mod |
| 2 | DI | Graph and table combination | 5 | Moderate |
| 3 | LR | Scheduling / Allocation set | 4 | Moderate |
| 4 | LR | Numerical Logic-based | 5 | Moderate |
| 5 | DI | Caselet-based DI | 4 | Easy |
| Set | Type | Description | Qs | Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LR | Arrangement — complex conditions | 5 | Mod–Difficult |
| 2 | DI | Graph-based DI | 4 | Moderate |
| 3 | LR | Numerical Logic — heavy calculations | 5 | Difficult |
| 4 | LR | Games / Tournament variant | 4 | Mod–Difficult |
| 5 | LR | Network / Route-based | 4 | Difficult |
CAT 2025 DILR takeaway: Graph-based DI reduced sharply. Numerical Logic sets dominated across all three slots. Two sets were doable per slot — selecting them quickly was the difference-maker. Practise the 2-minute scan technique before diving into any set.
CAT 2024 DILR Slot-wise Analysis
CAT 2024 had a fixed 3 DI + 2 LR structure across all slots. DILR was moderate-to-easy compared to 2025, making it a useful contrast reference.
Slot 1 — Medium to Difficult
| Set | Description | Qs | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stock price candlestick graph | 4 | Easy |
| 2 | 3 people visiting countries (bar graph) | 4 | Medium |
| 3 | 6-team tournament (2 groups) | 5 | Medium |
| 4 | Web surfers assigning stars | 4 | Easy–Med |
| 5 | Two candidates contesting election | 5 | Med–Hard |
Also read : CAT Exam Pattern 2026 — Sections, Marks & Marking Scheme
Slot 2 — Easy to Medium
| Set | Description | Qs | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rating of 8 gymnasts | 5 | Easy–Med |
| 2 | 6 firms, PAT graphs | 4 | Easy |
| 3 | Walkways schematic diagram | 4 | Medium |
| 4 | 1–10 numbers in 10 slots with conditions | 5 | Med–Hard |
| 5 | eCommerce rating distribution | 4 | Easy |
Slot 3 — Easy to Medium
| Set | Description | Qs | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | App subscription bar graph | 4 | Easy |
| 2 | Room temperature line graph | 5 | Easy–Med |
| 3 | Network of roads and ATMs | 4 | Med–Hard |
| 4 | Proteins / Carbohydrates in food items | 5 | Easy–Med |
| 5 | GDP of 10 countries (table) | 4 | Medium |
CoachifyLive Resource
DILR Essentials → Trains set-cracking frameworks across all difficulty levels — from easy DI to hard Numerical Logic.
CAT Quant Syllabus
The Quant section of the CAT syllabus is the most clearly defined of the three. It is based on Class 9–10 mathematics but applied at a higher problem-solving level. Five topics, clearly weighted — here is the full breakdown:
Also practice: CAT Quant questions
| Topic | Qs | Weight | Key Sub-topics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arithmetic | 8–10 | ~40% | Percentages, Ratios, TSD, Time & Work, Profit & Loss, SI/CI, Averages, Mixtures |
| Algebra | 5–7 | ~30% | Linear & Quadratic Equations, Inequalities, Logarithms, Functions, Progressions AP/GP/HP |
| Geometry | 2–4 | ~15% | Triangles, Circles, Quadrilaterals, Mensuration 2D/3D, Coordinate Geometry |
| Number System | 1–2 | ~7% | Divisibility, Remainders, HCF/LCM, Cyclicity, Factorials |
| Modern Maths | 1–3 | ~7% | Permutations & Combinations, Probability, Set Theory |
The single biggest prep mistake in QA: Spending equal time on all topics. Number System and Modern Maths together average just 3–4 questions. Arithmetic and Algebra together average 15–17. Spend your time where the marks actually are.
CAT 2025 QA Actual Question Distribution
CAT 2025 QA was slightly tougher than CAT 2024. Arithmetic continued to dominate but with longer calculations and trap-heavy setups. Geometry reduced significantly. Algebra featured logarithmic inequalities and complex quadratics. Slot 3 was the hardest QA slot.
| Topic | Slot 1 | Slot 2 | Slot 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arithmetic | 8 | 10+ | 8 |
| Algebra | 4 | 4 | 7 |
| Numbers | 4 | 4 | 1 |
| Modern Maths | 3 | — | 3 |
| Geometry | 3 | 3 | 3 |
Good attempts for 99th percentile (CAT 2025): 13–14 questions at 80%+ accuracy was sufficient across all slots. Accuracy over volume — this is the QA mantra.
CAT 2024 QA Actual Question Distribution
CAT 2024 QA was moderate overall. Arithmetic appeared exactly 8 times in all three slots without exception — this is a clear signal of where to focus your preparation.
| Topic | Slot 1 | Slot 2 | Slot 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arithmetic | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| Algebra | 7 | 5 | 7 |
| Geometry | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Modern Maths | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Numbers | 1 | 3 | 1 |
CoachifyLive Resource
Quant Essentials → Covers every high-weightage topic in the right sequence — Arithmetic first, then Algebra, then the rest.
Has the CAT Syllabus Changed in 2026?
The CAT syllabus topics have been stable for over a decade. What has changed is the exam structure and difficulty calibration:
| Change | When | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Total questions: 100 → 66 | 2014 | Major structural shift |
| TITA questions introduced | 2015 | Strategy changed for VA and QA |
| Section-wise time limits | 2015 | Cannot move between sections |
| DILR questions: 20 → 22 | CAT 2024 | More DILR to attempt |
| Total: 66 → 68 questions | CAT 2024 | Marginal overall change |
| Para Jumbles: MCQ → TITA | CAT 2025 | Benefits prepared aspirants (no −ve marking) |
| DILR: fixed → variable DI/LR split | CAT 2025 | Requires broader set-type preparation |
For CAT 2026, the same structure is expected to continue — 68 questions, 40 minutes per section, VARC 24 / DILR 22 / QA 22. No major change to the CAT syllabus has been announced.
Section-wise Prep Tips
- Read one complex non-fiction article daily — philosophy, economics, science policy. Not fiction.
- Practise Para Jumbles and Summary daily — 2–3 questions, consistently, not in bursts
- CAT 2025 interspersed RC and VA questions. Practise both in mixed order — not RC first, then VA
- Solve one complete DI set and one LR set every single day
- Practise the 2-minute scan — decide to attempt or skip a set before diving in
- Prioritise Numerical Logic sets in practice — they are now a fixture of every CAT paper
- CAT 2025 QA had longer calculations — on-screen calculator speed matters
- Start with Arithmetic fundamentals — reach 90% accuracy before focusing on speed
- Memorise tables up to 25, squares up to 30, cubes up to 15 — saves 20–30 sec per question
- Skip questions where you don't know the method — every wrong MCQ costs 4 net marks
How Long Does It Take?
| Time Available | Strategy |
|---|---|
| 12 months | Full foundation → topic-wise practice → sectional mocks → full mocks → revision cycle |
| 6 months | Skip low-weightage topics initially. Go deep on Arithmetic, Algebra, RC, and Para Jumbles first |
| 3 months | Only high-weightage: RC + Para Jumbles (VARC), Arithmetic + Algebra (QA), 3–4 DILR set types |
Conclusion
The CAT syllabus is not a list of topics to memorise — it is a framework for developing three core skills under time pressure: reading comprehension, logical reasoning, and mathematical problem-solving.
Arithmetic dominates Quant. RC dominates VARC. Set selection dominates DILR. CAT 2025 reinforced all three of these patterns — and added a clearer emphasis on Numerical Logic in DILR and longer calculation sets in QA.
Start with the highest-weightage areas, build accuracy before speed, take mocks regularly, and analyse every result. That is the complete approach to the CAT syllabus — nothing less, nothing more.
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