What is the CAT 2025 Exam Syllabus?
The CAT syllabus 2025 sets a framework for MBAs to effectively structure their preparation journey. Understanding the CAT 2025 syllabus is very important to secure placements in top business schools across India. The CAT exam syllabus is divided into three sections:
- Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR)
- Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)
- Quantitative Aptitude (QA)
Question- What is the syllabus of CAT?
Answer- The Common Admission Test (CAT) exam syllabus is divided into three sections: namely, Quantitative Aptitude (QA), Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), and Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR).
Question- Is 70 a good score in CAT?
Answer- 70 to 80 percentile in CAT is considered a moderate score.
Question- Is CAT a tough exam?
Answer- Yes, the Common Admission Test (CAT) is considered a very tough and most competitive exam in India because of its complex questions, low success rates, unpredictable nature, testing candidates' quantitative aptitude, stringent time constraints, logical reasoning, verbal ability, and decision-making skills.
Question- Which IIM will conduct CAT in 2025?
Answer- The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Kozhikode is conducting CAT 2025.
Question- Is CAT syllabus difficult?
Answer- CAT exam has a high difficulty level because of its pattern, time restrictions, and negative marking.
Detailed CAT Exam Syllabus 2025
Knowing the section-wise CAT 2025 syllabus is essential for making a strategic preparation plan. Additionally, it helps candidates identify their strong and weak areas to facilitate efficient CAT 2025 preparation. Here, we have provided a section-wise, detailed CAT syllabus 2025.
CAT 2025 Syllabus Topics for DILR
The Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) section of the CAT exam consists of 22 questions. Last year, 2 questions were added from this section. Earlier, the DILR section had 20 questions. This section is divided into two parts: data interpretation (DI) and logical reasoning (LR), each comprising 10 questions. Generally, the questions are grouped into 3-4 sets, with only a few stand-alone questions based on LR topics.
Key topics in the DILR syllabus for CAT 2025:
| CAT DILR Topics |
|---|
| Blood Relations | Clocks and Calendars |
| Series | Statements |
| Syllogism | Proposition |
| Venn Diagram | Data Arrangement |
| Direction Sense | Data Structures |
| Tables | Family Tree |
| Binary Logic | Coding-Decoding |
| Assumptions | Pie Charts |
| Data Sufficiency | Puzzles |
| Seating Arrangement | Sets & Caselets |
| Bars & Line Graphs |
|
What to Study From CAT Syllabus for DILR?
This section is more hands-on than simply studying. Interpretation of data in various formats is tested, as is the logical reasoning ability of candidates. Topics to focus on from the CAT syllabus 2025 for DILR include the following:
- Bar Graphs: Candidates need to draw conclusions based on data presented in bar graphs.
- Line Graphs: Questions involve analysing trends and patterns depicted in line graphs and giving the answers to the same.
- Pie Charts: Candidates need to interpret proportions and percentages represented in pie charts. Answers involve making inferences using the given data.
- Tables: The data given in the tables in the questions need to be extracted and used to solve the given problems.
- Caselets: These questions have short paragraphs followed by related data in tables, graphs, or charts. Both the textual information and the given data thereafter must be analysed to give the answers.
- Logical Reasoning Puzzles: Problems based on topics like seating arrangement, blood relations, and arrangements are generally asked.
- Binary Logic: Questions may involve analysing statements and determining their logical validity based on given conditions.
- Logical Deductions: Candidates may be required to make logical deductions based on given premises and draw valid conclusions.
- Venn Diagrams: Questions may involve interpreting relationships between different sets of data using Venn diagrams and answering related questions.
- Data Sufficiency: Candidates may need to determine whether the given data is sufficient to answer a particular question or solve a problem.
- Quantitative Comparison: Questions generally include comparing two quantities and determining their relationship using the given data.
- Cubes and Dice: Manipulation of cubes or dice and identifying patterns as well as solving related problems.
- Logical Connectives: Analysis of statements connected by logical operators like "and," "or," and "not", and drawing conclusions as required.
- Number Series: Identification of patterns in numerical sequences and predicting the next number in the series.
For DILR, practice and more practice with the above topics from the CAT syllabus 2025 will work at scoring well. Candidates need to hone their solving speed, analytical and deduction capabilities for good scores. Hence CAT syllabus 2025 for DILR must be practised well.
Weightage for CAT 2025 DILR Section
The Data Interpretation questions will usually pertain to tables and graphs. However, Logical Reasoning questions can be from various topics such as verbal, non-verbal and abstract reasoning. Take a look at the following table, which lists the basic structure of the DILR section of CAT and the difficulty level as per the previous year's CAT question paper:
| CAT DILR Syllabus | No. of Questions | Level of Difficulty |
| Data Interpretation | 11 | Easy to Moderate |
| Logical Reasoning | 11 | Moderate to Difficult |
| Overall | 22 | Moderate |
CAT 2025 Syllabus Topics for VARC
The VARC section of the CAT exam has 24 questions. This section is divided into two main areas: verbal ability and reading comprehension. Generally, reading comprehension (RC) constitutes a significant portion of this section, comprising around 12–14 questions, while the remaining 10–12 questions come from verbal ability (VA) topics.
Here are the important topics in the CAT 2025 VARC Syllabus:
| CAT VARC Topics |
|---|
| Fill in the Blanks | Reading Comprehension |
| Subject-Verb Agreement | Verbal Logic |
| Sentence Completion | Paracompletion and Inference |
| Verbal Reasoning | Article Usage |
| Different Usages of the Same Word | Grammar |
| Idioms | Analogies |
| Errors in Tenses | Antonyms |
| Foreign Language Words Used in English | Syllogisms |
| Sentence Correction | One Word Substitution |
| Prepositions | Types of Clauses |
| Parts of Speech | Phrase Modifiers |
NOTE: Last year, Para-Jumble topics were completely removed from the CAT 2023 question paper. Hence, the CAT 2025 conducting body is expected to follow the same this year as well. Anyway, candidates are advised to study and practice Para-Jumble topics as well.
What to Study from the CAT Reasoning Syllabus?
1. Reading Comprehension (RC): Since passages can be drawn from literature, science, social sciences, business, and technology, students should practice the following:
- Understanding the central theme and main idea
- Grasping details, facts, and arguments
- Analysing the tone, style, and purpose
- Concluding inferring implied meanings
- Finally attempting to answer questions based on the content in the given passage
2. Vocabulary: An important aspect of the CAT 2025 exam, candidates are required to be familiar with a wide range of words and their meanings. Vocabulary-related questions may include:
- Synonyms and Antonyms
- Word Usage and Contextual Meaning
- Analogies
- Idioms and Phrases
3. Grammar and Usage: To accurately answer the CAT question paper for VARC, candidates require a strong grasp of grammar rules and a command of language usage. Topics to focus on from the CAT 2025 syllabus for VARC include
- Sentence Correction
- Error Spotting
- Sentence Completion
- Grammar-based Questions (Parts of Speech, Tenses, Subject-Verb Agreement, etc.)
4. Critical Reasoning: This section requires the ability to evaluate arguments and make logical deductions. Topics include:
- Strengthening and Weakening Arguments
- Assumptions, Inferences, and Conclusions
- Logical Deductions
- Cause and Effect Reasoning
5. Paragraph Completion: To answer questions of this type, candidates need to select the most appropriate sentence that will complete a given paragraph both logically and cohesively.
6. Summary: These questions require condensing the main ideas of a passage into a concise summary. Candidates must retain the essential information in the summary.
7. Reading and Comprehending Different Text Forms: Essays, articles, editorials, literary excerpts, etc., may be given. Candidates must be adept at understanding various writing styles and textual structures. This requires much practice from the CAT syllabus 2025.
8. Contextual Understanding: These questions require the ability to understand the usage of certain words, phrases, or sentences within a passage and the context in which they are used.
CAT Syllabus 2025: VARC Topics & Weightage
CAT VARC section will include four major subtopics, based on which the candidates will be tested. These subtopics will include: Reading Comprehension, Parajumbles, Verbal Ability and Odd Sentence. There will be no grammar-based questions in CAT. The composition of the CAT VARC section usually remains the same every year. Check out the CAT VARC weightage and difficulty level of VARC as per the last year's CAT paper:
| VARC Topics for CAT | No. of Questions in CAT Exam | Level of Difficulty |
| Reading Comprehension | 16 | Moderate to Difficult |
| VA-Parajumbles | 3 | Moderate to Difficult
|
| VA- Odd Sentence | 2 | Easy to Moderate |
| VA-Summary | 3 | Easy to Moderate
|
| Overall | 24 | Moderate to Difficult
|
CAT 2025 Syllabus Topics for QA
The Quantitative Aptitude (QA) section contains the most challenging questions in CAT. To score well in this section, candidates must have a thorough understanding of key mathematical concepts, including arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and mensuration.
Here are important topics and concepts in the CAT 2025 QA syllabus:
