CAT 2023 Syllabus PDF

The Common Admission Test (CAT) is India's most popular management entrance test to get admission into PGP, FPM, and FABM programmes at the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and over 1,200 B-Schools in India.

Around 2.30 lakh applicants take the CAT exam every year, which is usually held on November the last Sunday. IIM Lucknow is expected to conduct the CAT 2023 exam will likely be held on the 26th of November 2023 (expected date), and online registration will commence in the first week of August 2023. Before starting the CAT preparation, getting familiar with the topics is essential.

Here, we provide complete CAT Syllabus PDF that includes the following information, prepared by our CAT experts:

• An overview of the complete CAT Syllabus.
• CAT Exam Pattern & Eligibility
• Section-wise breakdown of the CAT Syllabus
• Section-wise weightage assigned to topics in the CAT syllabus
• CAT Score vs percentile & changes in exam pattern

The CAT Syllabus PDF is divided into three Sections: Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Ability (QA). Further, each section of the CAT 2023 Syllabus has been divided into sub-topics for better understanding and preparation. Evaluating the CAT syllabus topics and sub-topics from QA, VARC, and LRDI can help you prepare for the exam. Watch the excellent and detailed video below on the latest CAT syllabus (along with section-wise & topic-wise weightage) by Sayali Ma'am, CAT 99.97%iler (IIMA Alumna).

Watch the Video on Detailed CAT Syllabus 2023

Download the latest CAT syllabus PDF by clicking the link below 👇

What is the eligibility for CAT 2023?

CAT Exam Eligibility Criteria:

The CAT is an exam conducted by the IIMs and is held nationwide, so the candidates must fulfil specific eligibility criteria. The requirements to satisfy the CAT exam eligibility criteria are as follows:

1. The applicant should have a bachelor's degree (3 years or 4 years).
   
2. Candidates in the final year of graduation can also apply.
3. The applicant must have a minimum of 50% in graduation (45% for SC/ST/PWD categories) or an equivalent CGPA.

Educational Qualification:

Candidates must have a Bachelor's degree in any discipline from a recognized university.

The applicant must have a minimum of 50% in graduation (45% for SC/ST/PWD categories) or an equivalent CGPA.

Age Limit:

There is no maximum age requirement to take the CAT exam.

Nationality:

Indian nationals are eligible to apply for CAT.

Non-Indian nationals may also be eligible to apply. It is recommended to check the official CAT website for specific details regarding the eligibility of non-Indian students.

Final Year Students:

Candidates appearing for the final year of their Bachelor's degree/equivalent qualification or awaiting results are eligible to apply for CAT.

Such candidates, if selected, will be allowed to join the respective program provisionally only if they submit a certificate from the Principal/Registrar of their college/institution stating that the candidate has completed all the requirements for obtaining the Bachelor's degree/equivalent qualification on the date of issue of the certificate.

Apart from the entrance test, the selection process for various management programs may involve additional components such as written ability tests (WAT), group discussions (GD), personal interviews (PI), and academic performance. The criteria for selection may vary between different institutions.
Candidates interested in applying for CAT are advised to regularly check the official CAT website or the respective IIM websites for updates and detailed information regarding the eligibility criteria and the application process for the specific year in which they plan to appear for the exam.

CAT Exam Section-wise Weightage

In last year's CAT papers, VARC had 24, DILR had 20, and Quant had 22 questions each. In the VARC section, RC will have the most weightage. There will be a sectional cut-off for most of the IIMs. So, it's essential to focus on all the sections.

CAT 2023 Syllabus: Key Topics In Each Section

The CAT syllabus is vast and contains various sub-topics within each section. It is advisable for candidates to thoroughly understand the syllabus and focus on building a strong foundation in each topic.

CAT Syllabus For Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension

There are 24 questions in the verbal ability and reading comprehension segment, with five being TITA-based. Out of the 24 questions, 16 questions are from RCs coupled with eight verbal ability questions. The majority of the questions are about reading comprehension. Some key syllabus topics for the CAT VARC part are listed below.

1. Reading Comprehension Passage-Based Questions
2. Parajumbles - OOC and TITA
3. Para Summary
4. Sentence Completion & Correction
5. Odd Sentences
6. Others - Not coming from the past few years (Fill in the blanks, Vocabulary Based, etc.)

The VARC topic-wise marks distribution for each sub-topic is clearly mentioned in the CAT syllabus PDF based on recent CAT previous year papers.

Some CAT exam questions include applying two or more topics from two or more groups. As a result, after practicing the questions topic by topic, it is necessary to take an adequate number of mock exams to develop the skill of applying the concepts in the appropriate contexts.

In addition, many strategies for answering the same question may exist, and applicants must choose the method that saves the most time.

Please keep in mind that the themes are only illustrative and not exhaustive. After reviewing the previous papers, we discovered that most of the questions fall under the areas covered in this syllabus.

CAT VARC Topic-wise Weightage

CAT VARC Sub Topic-wise Weightage

CAT Syllabus For Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR)

The CAT logical thinking and data interpretation section contains 20 questions, with 6 TITA-based questions. There are 4 sets comprised of 2 sets of 6 questions each and 2 sets of 4 questions each.

Questions from the seating arrangement, blood relations, syllogisms, direction sense exam, and other puzzles are presented in the logical part.

The data interpretation section presents tables, graphs & charts, and caselets.

CAT Logical Reasoning Syllabus:

• Seating arrangement (facing inwards/ outwards).
• Truth-liar concept
• 2D/3D Space LRs
• Networks
• LR based on picking coins
• Scheduling
• Games and tournaments
• Puzzles: Einstein’s puzzle and arrangement puzzles
• Selection with conditions

CAT Data Interpretation Syllabus:

• A line chart, bar chart
• Pie chart
• Unconventional charts - radar chart, bubble chart, area chart
• Tables, tables with missing values, incorrect values & connected data sets
• DI based on growth over years
• Venn diagrams and 4 group Venn diagrams

Download CAT Data Interpretation Questions PDF

The LRDI topic-wise marks distribution for each topic is mentioned in the CAT LRDI syllabus PDF based on recent CAT previous year papers.

CAT LRDI Topic-wise Weightage

CAT Logical Reasoning Topic-wise Weightage

CAT Data Interpretation Topic-wise Weightage 

CAT Syllabus For Quantitative Aptitude

There are a few topics in the quantitative aptitude part that are extremely important and are repeated every year in the CAT exam. This section has 22 questions, 8 of which are TITA-based. The following are some of the most important topics for the Quant syllabus for CAT 2023.

• Arithmetic.
• Algebra.
• Number System.
• Geometry and Mensuration.
• Modern Maths
• Data Sufficienty

1. Number systems:

• Number systems
• Factors
• Properties of numbers
• Type and classification of numbers
• Divisibility rules
• HCF and LCM
• Cyclicity and base theorem
• Remainders and remainder theorems
• Binomial theorem
• The highest power of a number in a factorial.
• Series and Progressions
• Types of series - AP, GP AND HP
• Special series

2. Arithmetic:

• Ratios and proportions
• Averages
• Alligations
• Percentages
• Profit-loss
• Simple interest, compound interest
• Time and work
• Time speed distance
• Relative speed
• Races and headstarts
• Circular tracks
• Pipes and cisterns
• Clocks and calendars

3. Algebra:

• Linear equations
• Special linear equations
• Quadratic equations
• Roots of an equation
• Functions and graphs
• Maxima and minima
• Coordinate geometry
• Inequalities
• Sets
• Inclusion-exclusion principles
• Venn diagrams

4. Geometry and mensuration:

• Triangles
• Similarity, congruence
• Quadrilaterals and other polygons
• Properties of quadrilaterals
• Cyclic quadrilaterals
• Concave and convex polygons
• Circles
• Properties of circles
• 3D geometry - cubes, cuboids, cones, cylinders, spheres and other shapes
• Volumes and surface areas of 3D shapes
• Development of 3D shapes
• Cutting and colouring problems on 3D shapes.

5. Modern math:

• Permutation (arrangement)
• Combinations (selection)
• Arranging similar and distinct objects in similar and distinct groups
• Circular permutation and necklace problems
• Logarithms
• Probability and Combinatorics etc.,

Download CAT Maths formulas PDF

The Quant topic-wise marks distribution for each topic is clearly mentioned in the CAT Quant syllabus PDF based on recent CAT previous year papers.

CAT Quant Topic-wise Weightage

CAT 2023 Quant Sub Topic-wise Weightage (Expected)

Download CAT Quantitative Aptitude Questions PDF

Latest Changes In CAT Syllabus & Exam Pattern

Over the past two years (due to covid pandemic), the CAT 2022, 2021 exam pattern has been changed. Earlier CAT was conducted in a 3-hour pattern with 1 hour for each section.

But, since 2020, the exam moved to a 2-hour format. Check out the CAT exam pattern changes mentioned below in CAT 2022, CAT 2021, CAT 2020, and CAT 2019.

Also, check out the score required for CAT 100%iler, CAT 99%ile & Above.

CAT Exam Year	CAT 2022 Exam Pattern	CAT 2021 Exam Pattern	CAT 2020 Exam Pattern	CAT 2019 Exam Pattern
No. of Questions	66	66	76	100
Marks Per Question	3	3	3	3
Total Score	198	198	228	300
Exam Duration	120 Minutes	120 Minutes	120 Minutes	180 Minutes
Score to get 100 Percentile	145.83 (Maruti Sir, Co-founder of Cracku)	161.36 (Maruti Sir, Co-founder of Cracku)	161	242.15 (Maruti Sir, Co-founder of Cracku)
Score to get  99 Percentile	98	98	101	156
VARC [No. of Questions]	24	24	26	34
LRDI [No. of Questions]	20	20	24	32
QA [No. of Questions]	22	22	26	34

Which IIMs have conducted the CAT exam for the past 16 years?

Key Points About CAT Exam Syllabus PDF

Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC): The CAT syllabus for VARC section focuses on the candidate's English language skills. It includes reading comprehension, grammar, vocabulary, sentence correction, para-jumbles, and para-completion.

Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR): The DILR section of CAT syllabus evaluates the candidate's ability to analyze and interpret complex data and make logical deductions. This section covers data interpretation & sufficiency, logical and analytical reasoning.

Quantitative Ability (QA): The CAT QA section tests the candidate's mathematical and problem-solving skills. It covers arithmetic, algebra, geometry, number systems, percentages, ratios, probability, permutations, and combinations.

As each of these sections significantly influences the final score and percentile after the CAT exam, it is crucial for CAT applicants to fully comprehend and prepare for each section. Your chances of getting a good outcome will increase if you set aside enough time to study and practice.

How to Prepare For CAT 2023 As Per CAT Syllabus?

Preparing for CAT 2023 as per the CAT syllabus requires a structured and strategic approach. Here are some steps you can follow:
1. Understand the CAT syllabus thoroughly before creating a study plan.
2. Gather comprehensive study material and resources aligned with the CAT syllabus.
3. Develop a structured study plan for CAT preparation, allocating time for each section and topic.
4. Focus on building a strong conceptual understanding of each topic.
5. Practice regularly with a variety of question types and difficulty levels.
6. Take CAT mock tests to simulate the exam environment and assess your performance.
7. Manage your time effectively and practice solving questions under time constraints.
8. Analyze your performance, identify weaknesses, and improve them.
9. Regularly revise the topics to reinforce understanding and retention.
10. Stay updated with the latest CAT trends, stay motivated, and believe in your abilities.

CAT 2022 Score vs Percentile - Overall & Sectional Percentiles

Are you planning to score 99%ile in CAT 2023? Check out the CAT 2022 overall & sectionals in score vs percentile. IIM Bangalore conducted CAT 2022 for a total number of 198 marks.

CAT 2022 Overall Score Vs Percentile

CAT VARC Section - Score Vs Percentile

CAT DILR Section - Score Vs Percentile 

CAT Quant Section - Score Vs Percentile 

Last updated: May 30th, 2023, 13:35 IST

Published on: May 29th, 2023, 15:05 IST