CAT 2025 Syllabus: Download Section-Wise PDF, Check VARC, DILR & QA Topics, Weightage

By Bhavya Thakkar
21 August 2025

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CAT Syllabus 2025 is focused on major topics of the last ten years' CAT Papers under three sections. The CAT syllabus for 2025 includes Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Aptitude (QA).

The CAT Verbal Ability syllabus includes Para Jumbles, Para Summary, and Odd One Out. The CAT Reading Comprehension Syllabus has passages from literature, business, science, philosophy, and social sciences. The CAT Data Interpretation syllabus consists of questions on Charts and Graphs. CAT Logical Reasoning syllabus contains questions related to arrangements, puzzles, blood relations, syllogisms, and Venn diagrams.

The subjects of CAT Quantitative Aptitude syllabus are arithmetic, algebra, geometry, number systems, and modern mathematics.

The difficulty level of CAT questions makes it highly challenging to score well. CAT 2025 exam will be conducted on November 30, 2025. Thus, it is better to complete the syllabus by August to give enough time for practice and revising important CAT topics. For further details on the CAT syllabus, refer below.

What is CAT Syllabus 2025?

The CAT exam syllabus is directly associated with its pattern. There is no uniform CAT 2025 syllabus. It is developed on the basis of CAT exam pattern and most prominent topics which have been included in the past ten years of CAT papers. The following is an overview of the CAT exam syllabus.

The CAT Verbal Ability syllabus includes topics like Para Jumbles, Para Summary, and Odd One Out.
The CAT Reading Comprehension syllabus contains passages related to subjects such as literature, business, science, philosophy, and social sciences.
For the CAT Data Interpretation syllabus, questions shall be related to charts and graphs.
The CAT Logical Reasoning syllabus contains questions of arrangement, puzzles, blood relations, syllogisms, and Venn diagrams.
The CAT Quantitative Aptitude syllabus includes arithmetic, algebra, geometry, number systems, and modern mathematics.

Arun Sharma books for CAT preparation include chapters that are useful in understanding the CAT exam syllabus. It should be noted that there is no official CAT syllabus for 2025 on the official website. An official CAT website (iimcat.ac.in) does not have an official syllabus.

CAT VARC Syllabus 2025

There are 24 questions in the VARC section, which is the first section of the CAT exam. There are two subsections that constitute this section: reading comprehension and verbal ability. Since there are 12–14 RC-based questions, the questions tend to be moderate to tough in terms of difficulty. Look at the major VARC topics for the CAT exam.

It would be helpful to know the test pattern and question types employed in this section of the CAT 2024 before discussing the exam syllabus.

VPs, RC passages, paragraph completion, summary, and odd sentence problems were four types of questions present in the CAT 2024 VARC section. Follow the slot-by-slot details given below.

Category	Topics
Reading Comprehension	Reading comprehension passages, inference-based questions, tone & style identification
Verbal Reasoning & Logic	Verbal reasoning, verbal logic, para completion and inference, parajumbles, jumbled paragraphs
Grammar & Sentence Structure	Grammar, subject–verb agreement, sentence correction, articles usage, errors in tenses, types of clauses, parts of speech, preposition, phrase modifiers
Vocabulary & Word Usage	Fill in the blanks, sentence completion, one-word substitution, idioms, antonyms, synonyms, different usage of same word, foreign language words used in English
Analytical Verbal Skills	Syllogisms, analogies
Special Question Types	Odd sentence out, contextual vocabulary, analogy-based sentence completion

CAT Syllabus 2025: VARC Topics & Weightage

As previously stated, the CAT VARC portion consists of four key sub-topics: reading comprehension, parajumbles, verbal ability, and sentences. CAT contains no grammar-based questions. The CAT VARC section's composition is largely consistent year after year. The weightage and difficulty level of VARC from previous year's CAT paper are listed below:

VARC Topics for CAT	No. of Questions in CAT Exam	Weightage (%)	Level of Difficulty
Reading Comprehension	16	66.70%	Moderate to Difficult
VA – Parajumbles	3	12.50%	Moderate to Difficult
VA – Odd Sentence	2	8.30%	Easy to Moderate
VA – Summary	3	12.50%	Easy to Moderate
Overall	24	100%	Moderate to Difficult

CAT DILR Syllabus 2025

The second segment of the CAT question exam, Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR), consists of 20 questions to be answered in 40 minutes. This section of the CAT 2024 has 22 questions. It is expected that there will be 22 questions in the CAT 2025. There are two subsections: data interpretation and logical reasoning. Both include ten questions. The majority of the questions are asked in groups of three or four; only a few questions in LR are asked individually. Examine key CAT logical reasoning and data interpretation concepts.

Logical Reasoning (LR)	Data Interpretation (DI)
Blood Relations	Tables
Clocks and Calendars	Pie Charts
Syllogism	Data Sufficiency
Series	Bars & Line Graphs
Statements	Venn Diagram
Proposition	Data Arrangement
Direction Sense	Data Structures
Family Tree	Sets & Caselets
Coding–Decoding	-
Binary Logic	-
Assumptions	-
Seating Arrangement	-
Puzzles	-

CAT Syllabus 2025: DILR Topics & Weightage

Data Interpretation questions frequently involve tables and graphs. However, logical reasoning questions can cover a wide range of topics, including verbal, nonverbal, and abstract thinking. The following is the main structure of the DILR part of the CAT and the level of difficulty as per previous year's CAT question papers:

DILR Topics for CAT	No. of Questions in CAT Exam	Weightage (%)	Level of Difficulty
Data Interpretation (Tables, Charts, Graphs, Caselets, Venn Diagrams)	12	54.50%	Moderate to Difficult
Logical Reasoning (Puzzles, Seating Arrangement, Blood Relations, Binary Logic, etc.)	10	45.50%	Moderate to Difficult
Overall	22	100.00%	Moderate to Difficult

CAT Quantitative Aptitude Syllabus 2025

The CAT question paper concludes with a section on quantitative aptitude. It is frequently the most difficult questions. To master this area, candidates must understand the principles of Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, and Mensuration. It is a calculation-heavy portion that requires a great deal of practice to master. Consider the following critical themes and key points from the CAT Quantitative Aptitude syllabus:

Quantitative Aptitude (QA) for the CAT part evaluates a candidate's mathematical skills, problem-solving ability, and numerical aptitude. Questions in Quantitative Aptitude assess conceptual clarity, logical application, and time management abilities. The CAT Quantitative Aptitude portion covers themes in arithmetic, algebra, geometry, number systems, and current mathematics. Read the CAT Quantitative Ability Exam Pattern.

QA Topics for CAT	Subtopics Included
Arithmetic	Number System, HCF & LCM, Ratio & Proportion, Simplification, Percentages, Averages, Age Calculations, Time & Work, Speed & Distance, Pipes & Cisterns, Profit & Loss
Algebra	Theory of Equations, Quadratic Equations, Sequences & Series, Permutations & Combinations
Geometry & Mensuration	Angles, Lines, Triangles, Circles, Areas & Volumes (Rectangles, Squares, Triangles, Circles, Cubes, Cones, Spheres), Pipes & Cisterns (also appearing under Arithmetic)
Trigonometry	Trigonometric Ratios, Heights & Distances
Modern Math / Number Theory	Functions, Logarithms, HCF/LCM, Sets & Venn Diagrams, Probability
Overall	Quantitative Aptitude (QA) section covers Mathematics topics generally from class 9 to 10 level

CAT Syllabus 2025: Quantitative Aptitude Topics & Weightage

The CAT Quant questions are typically difficult and calculation-based. Mental math is extremely effective in swiftly addressing quantitative questions on a speed-based test like the CAT. To improve their performance, candidates should practice mental math in addition to CAT preparation. The following is the composition of the Quantitative Aptitude section:

QA Topics for CAT	No. of Questions in CAT Exam	Weightage (%)	Level of Difficulty
Arithmetic (Percentages, Profit & Loss, Ratio & Proportion, Time-Speed-Distance, Time & Work, Averages, Mixtures, Simple & Compound Interest, Pipes & Cisterns)	8	36.40%	Easy to Moderate
Algebra (Equations, Inequalities, Functions, Progressions, Logarithms)	6	27.30%	Moderate to Difficult
Geometry & Mensuration (Triangles, Circles, Polygons, Coordinate Geometry, Volumes & Areas)	6	27.30%	Moderate
Number Systems (Divisibility, Factors, LCM-HCF, Remainders, Base Systems)	2	9%	Easy to Moderate
Overall	22	100%	Moderate to Difficult

CAT Exam Pattern 2025

The CAT Syllabus and Pattern have a close relationship. Let's first review the CAT exam pattern before learning about the CAT 2025 syllabus. The three components of the CAT Exam Pattern 2025 are Quantitative Ability, Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning, and Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension. Sub-sections can be created from each part. There are slight variations in the exam format for each of the three CAT exam slots. Additionally, the CAT exam pattern varies slightly from year to year, although the general format has not changed.

Feature	Details
Mode of Exam	Computer-Based Test (CBT)
Total Duration	120 minutes (2 hours)
Total Sections	3 – VARC, DILR, QA
Sectional Time Limit	40 minutes per section
Total Questions	68
Question Type	MCQs & TITA (Type in the Answer)
Marking Scheme	+3 for correct MCQ, –1 for incorrect MCQ, No negative marking for TITA
Language of Paper	English
Exam Slots	3 (Morning, Afternoon, Evening)
Conducting Body	IIM Kozhikode
Test Cities	~170 across India

CAT Marking Scheme

The total marks obtained by candidates in CAT exam is calculated as per CAT marking scheme. For every correct answer, +3 marks are awarded while for -1 marks is deducted as penalty for every incorrect answer. Candidates can check below the marking scheme of CAT MBA exam:

Section	No. of Questions	Marks for Correct Answer	Marks for Incorrect Answer	Total Marks
VARC	24	+3	–1	72
DILR	22	+3	–1	66
QA	22	+3	–1	66
Total	68	—	—	204