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CAT Syllabus 2023 and Exam Pattern for MBA Courses, VARC, DILR, and QA

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
Particulars Details
Name of the Section
  1. Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC)
  2. Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR)
  3. Quantitative Aptitude (QA)
Duration of the CAT Exam 2 Hours (120 Minutes)
Section-wise Duration 40 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 Questions 76 Questions (54 MCQs and 22 Non-MCQs)
CAT exam total marks 228 marks
Mode of the CAT 2023 exam Computer-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 sections 3
Duration of exam 40 minutes per section
Number of questions 76
Total marks 228
Language of question paper English
Number of answer choices 4

CAT Section Wise Exam Pattern

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

CAT Section Questions MCQs Non-MCQs Maximum Marks
Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) 26 18 8 78
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR) 24 18 6 72
Quantitative Aptitude (QA) 26 18 8 78
Total 76 54 22 228

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 blanks Para Completion and inference Verbal Logic
Verbal Reasoning Subject-verb agreement for jumbles
Sentence completion Foreign language words used in English Different usage of the same word
Grammar Reading Comprehension Idioms
Syllogisms Analogies Antonyms
Jumbled paragraphs Sentence correction One word substitution
Parts of speech Preposition Types of Clauses
Phrases Modifiers Errors in tenses Articles usage

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

Topics Number of questions expected
Para-Jumbles 2-4
Sentence Completion & Correction 2-3
Odd Sentences 1-2
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 Relations Clocks and Calendars Syllogism
Series Statements Venn diagram
Proposition Data Arrangement Data Structures
Direction Sense Family Tree Tables
Coding-Decoding Binary Logic Pie Charts
Assumptions Seating Arrangement Data Sufficiency
Puzzles Sets & Caselets Bars & Line Graphs

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

Topics Total Number of Questions
Graph, Bar diagram 6-8
Tables & Charts 5-8
Graphs, Charts 7-10
Tables, Pie chart 4-5

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
Geometry Ratios and Proportion Inequalities
Trigonometry In-equations Quadratic and linear equations Work and Time
Algebra Surds and Indices Percentages
Measurement Time-Speed-Distance Logarithms
Partnership (Accounts) Number System Square Root and Cube Root
Profit & Loss Geometric Progression Probability
Mean, mode, median Binomial theorem Simple interest and compound interest

The number of topics and expected questions in CAT QA Section

Topics Total Number of Questions
Arithmetic Questions 10-12
Geometry & Mensuration 7-8
Algebra 6-7
Number System 4-5
Others 2-3
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