The conducting body does not define a specific syllabus for the CAT exam. However, over the years certain topics have appeared regularly in the exam. So, we can define the CAT syllabus in terms of these topics. Here is the section-wise CAT syllabus.
CAT Syllabus: VARC
VARC (Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension) is one of the sections in the CAT exam. It assesses a candidate’s proficiency in English language skills, including reading comprehension, grammar, vocabulary, and verbal reasoning. While the CAT syllabus does not explicitly mention specific topics, here are some important areas that are often covered in the VARC section:
- Reading Comprehension: This is a significant part of the VARC section. Questions are asked based on passages from various topics such as social sciences, humanities, business, and sciences. Key skills tested include understanding the main idea, inference, author’s tone, vocabulary in context, and critical reasoning.
- Grammar and Usage: Questions related to grammar test a candidate’s knowledge of sentence structure, parts of speech, tenses, subject-verb agreement, parallelism, modifiers, and usage of idioms and phrases.
- Vocabulary: CAT often includes questions that assess a candidate’s vocabulary skills. This may involve antonyms, synonyms, analogies, fill-in-the-blanks with appropriate words, contextual usage of words, and idioms and phrases.
- Para-jumbles: Para-jumbles require rearranging a set of jumbled sentences to form a coherent paragraph. Candidates need to identify the correct sequence based on logical flow, transitional words, and contextual understanding.
- Para-summary: In this type of question, a paragraph is given, and candidates are asked to select the most appropriate summary or title for the passage from the options provided. It tests the ability to comprehend and summarize the main idea of a passage.
- Critical Reasoning: Questions in this category evaluate a candidate’s ability to analyze arguments, draw logical inferences, identify assumptions, evaluate the strength of arguments, and spot logical fallacies.
CAT Syllabus: DILR
DILR (Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning) is another section of the CAT exam that assesses a candidate’s ability to analyze and interpret data, make logical deductions, and solve complex problems. Although the CAT syllabus does not provide a specific list of topics for DILR, here are some important areas that are often covered:
- Data Interpretation (DI): This section involves analyzing and interpreting data presented in various forms, such as tables, graphs, charts, and diagrams. Questions may require calculation, comparison, percentage calculation, averages, ratios, and data analysis based on different business scenarios.
- Logical Reasoning (LR): Logical Reasoning questions evaluate a candidate’s ability to make logical deductions, identify patterns, and solve problems based on given information. Topics covered may include seating arrangement, blood relations, direction sense, puzzles, syllogisms, analogies, coding-decoding, series completion, and logical connectives.
- Data Sufficiency: Data Sufficiency questions test a candidate’s ability to analyze the given data and determine whether the information provided is sufficient to answer the question. It requires critical thinking and logical reasoning skills.
- Graphs and Charts: Questions based on graphs, charts, and diagrams may require interpreting and analyzing data presented visually. Candidates need to extract relevant information, make calculations, and draw conclusions based on the given graphs or charts.
- Tables and Caselets: Tables and caselets provide data in tabular form or as short passages. Candidates need to extract information, understand the context, and answer questions based on the given data.
- Venn Diagrams: Questions related to Venn diagrams involve determining relationships between different sets or groups and solving problems based on the given information.
CAT Syllabus: QA
Quantitative Ability (QA) is a crucial section of the CAT exam that evaluates a candidate’s mathematical and problem-solving skills. While the CAT syllabus does not provide a specific list of topics for QA, here are some important areas that are often covered:
- Arithmetic: This topic covers various fundamental concepts such as percentages, profit and loss, time and work, time, speed and distance, ratios and proportions, averages, simple and compound interest, partnerships, and mixtures and allegations.
- Algebra: Algebraic concepts include equations (linear and quadratic), inequalities, functions, progressions (arithmetic, geometric, and harmonic), and logarithms.
- Geometry: This topic encompasses various concepts such as lines, angles, triangles, quadrilaterals, circles, polygons, mensuration (areas, volumes), coordinate geometry, and trigonometry.
- Number System: Questions in this category involve concepts related to divisibility, remainders, prime numbers, factors and multiples, highest common factor (HCF) lowest common multiple (LCM), and number properties.
- Modern Mathematics: This category includes topics such as permutations and combinations, probability, set theory, and number series.
- Data Interpretation: While DI is primarily part of the DILR section, it also involves quantitative calculations. Questions in this area may require analysis and interpretation of data presented in tables, charts, graphs, and other formats.
Why is it important to know the CAT syllabus?
- Effective Preparation: Knowing the CAT syllabus helps you plan your study schedule and resources efficiently, focusing on the areas that require more attention.
- Targeted Study: It allows you to prioritize topics based on their weightage, ensuring thorough understanding and practice of key areas.
- Time Management: Understanding the syllabus helps in allocating time to different sections, maximizing your efficiency during the exam.
- Familiarity with Exam Pattern: It helps you become acquainted with the question types, format, and structure of the CAT exam.
- Confidence Boost: Knowing the syllabus boosts your confidence by giving you a clear roadmap to follow, reducing anxiety and uncertainty.
- Avoiding Unnecessary Topics: It prevents wasting time on irrelevant subjects and focusing your energy on what is essential for the exam.
- Higher Success Rate: A thorough knowledge of the CAT syllabus increases your chances of scoring well and achieving success in the exam.
Knowing the CAT syllabus is important as it aids in effective exam preparation, allows targeted studying, facilitates strategic time management, builds familiarity with the CAT exam pattern, and boosts candidates’ confidence. It serves as a roadmap for success in the CAT exam.
