CAT SYLLABUS
CAT Syllabus 2021 consists of three major sections: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Aptitude. VARC CAT syllabus has topics based on vocabulary, passage reading, grammar skills, and more. DILR CAT syllabus has topics based on word puzzles, seating arrangements, and more. CAT QA syllabus analyzes the arithmetic, advanced maths, algebra, and more skills of the candidate.
Here in this post, we have mentioned everything you need to know about the CAT exam syllabus for MBA.
Table of Contents
- CAT Exam 2021: Key Topics
- Major Changes In The CAT Exam Syllabus
- Syllabus For Quantitative Aptitude
- Important Topics For QA CAT Syllabus
- Syllabus For Data Interpretation And Logical Reasoning
- Important Topics For CAT VARC Syllabus
- Syllabus for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension
- Important Topics For CAT VARC Syllabus
- CAT Exam Pattern 2021
- Frequently Asked Questions for CAT Syllabus.
CAT Exam 2021: Key Topics
Before diving into the detailed CAT syllabus for the 2021 CAT exam, here are a few important topics. The topics mentioned in this section are those from which questions were asked in the past few years of the CAT exam. While preparing for your CAT examination, you need to focus on these topics mainly.
| Section 1: VARC | Para jumbles, Reading Comprehension, Para summary, Sentence Completion and Inferences, Verbal Ability. |
| Section 2: DILR | Seating Arrangement, Graphs, Tables, Data Caselets, Blood Relation, and Syllogism. |
| Section 3: QA | Mensuration, Algebra, Geometry, Arithmetic, Number System |
Major Changes In The CAT Exam Syllabus
Although there is no change in the CAT 2021 syllabus this year, there are a few changes in the composition of the topic-wise questions. Given below is the revised pattern of the 2021 CAT syllabus.
| CAT Syllabus and Pattern | Change |
|---|---|
| Exam duration | Reduced from 3 hours to 2 hours |
| Exam slots | Increased from 2 slots to 3 slots |
| Total score | Reduced from 300 to 228 |
| Total questions | Reduced from 100 to 76 |
| Total questions in VARC section | Reduced from 34 to 26 |
| Total questions in the DILR section | Reduced from 32 to 24 |
| Total questions in the QA section | Reduced from 34 to 26 |
Syllabus For Quantitative Aptitude
- The questions for Quantitative Aptitude are based on mathematics topics. These topics are mainly from your class 10 syllabus.
- The QA section of the CAT exam consists of both MCQ and Non-MCQ questions. However, the number of questions in the section varies.
- This section mainly focuses on the mathematical problems which will help to analyze the candidate’s mathematical knowledge.
- There is no negative marking for detailed answers.
| CAT Syllabus for Quants | Important Topics |
|---|---|
| Arithmetic | HCF, Time & Work, Number System, Age Calculation, Average, LCM, Simplification, Percentage, Ratio & Proportion, Distance. |
| Geometry | Circles, Triangles, Angles, Lines. |
| Calculus | Function, Maxima and Minima. |
| Algebra | Quadratic Equation, Sequence & Series, Permutation & Combination, Theory of Equations. |
| Mensuration | Squares, Pipes and Cistern, Areas and Volumes- Rectangle, Circles, Cones, Cubes, Spheres, Triangle. |
| Trigonometry | Heights, Distances, and Trigonometric Ratios. |
Important Topics For QA CAT Syllabus
- There are 26 questions in this section.
- The arithmetic chapter has the most weightage when compared to all the topics. Arithmetic is the second important topic after reading comprehension in terms of mark allotment in the CAT 2021 exam. Most of the CAT quant section questions are from general mathematic concepts like number system, geometry, profit and loss, and more.
- When comparing the CAT previous year’s question papers, it is shown that “arithmetic” has the most weightage. The second in the list is “modern mathematics.” Modern maths has topics like Logarithm, Set theory, Progression, Functions, and more.
- We recommend you mainly focus on algebra, geometry, modern maths, and arithmetic. These topics have a maximum weightage.
Syllabus For Data Interpretation And Logical Reasoning
- This section is divided into two: Data interpretation and Logical reasoning.
- Data interpretation consists of both MCQ and Non-MCQ questions.
- CAT DI mainly focuses on the student’s ability to analyze and come up with conclusions from the given data.
- Logical Reasoning or LR helps to test the logical thinking of the student and its use in everyday problems.
| Data Interpretation Syllabus for CAT Examination 2021 | Line graph, Bar graph, Tables, Caselets, Pie charts, Data sufficiency, Combination of graphs, Caselets, Games and tournaments |
|---|---|
| Logical Reasoning Syllabus for CAT Examination 2021 | Prepositions, Puzzles, Statements, Clocks and calendars, Logical matching, Assumptions, Data arrangements, Venn diagram, Logical connectives, and Statements. |
Important Topics For CAT VARC Syllabus
- DILR has four sets each of LR and DI.
- However, there were three sets from DI and four from LR, while one set combined DI and LR. This section has played an important role in finding the real CAT candidate in the last three years. Moreover, the difficulty keeps increasing year by year.
- The DI section is further divided into “Reasoning Based Questions” or “Calculation Based Questions.”
- There is no dedicated weightage or topic preferences. So it is recommended to practice as much as possible, mainly the CAT previous years’ question paper.
Syllabus for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension
- The VARC section analyzes the language and comprehension skills of the students.
- The comprehension passages test the ability to comprehend the meaning of the given passage.
- The questions asked from the reading comprehension passage can differ. They can ask true/false questions, the author’s point of view, the main idea of the passage, the purpose of the story, and more.
- The questions in the Reading comprehension are MCQs, while the questions in the Verbal ability are Non-MCQs.
- Mostly 70% of the questions in this section are from Reading comprehension.
| VARC Syllabus for CAT Examination 2021 | Critical reasoning, Para jumble, Idioms, Grammar and usage, Para completion, Section correction, Fill in the blanks, Word usage, Para summary. |
Important Topics For CAT VARC Syllabus
- According to the last examination update, the verbal section of the CAT question paper was combined with the reading comprehension and is now known as VARC.
- In this section, the questions are grammar, sentence correction, vocabulary, fill in the banks. However, these types of questions have not appeared in the last three years.
- Questions from concepts like para jumble play an important role in this section. This section is not much difficult when compared to the other sections. So you can do well and score good marks.
CAT Exam Pattern 2021
The CAT exam pattern was revised in 2020. Here are a few things you need to keep in mind:
- CAT exam is now held online.
- Each right answer gives you three marks.
- There is a negative marking for detailed questions. You lose one mark for a wrong attempt.
| Section Name | Number Of Questions | Time Allotted |
|---|---|---|
| Quantitative Aptitude | 26 | 40 minutes |
| VARC | 26 | 40 minutes |
| DILR | 24 | 40 minutes |
| Total | 76 | 120 minutes (2 hours) |
Frequently Asked Questions for CAT Syllabus.
1. What are the subjects in the CAT syllabus?
The CAT syllabus 2021 is divided into three sections: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Aptitude (QS).
2. Does the CAT syllabus change every year?
The CAT syllabus is the same every year. There has been no change in the syllabus from the time the exam was started. However, the number of questions and the marking schemes might vary from year to year.
3. What is the duration of the CAT exam?
The duration of the CAT exam is 2 hours (120 minutes). The time limit for each section is 40 minutes.
4. Which section of the CAT exam is the toughest?
Although the CAT exam is tough, most candidates find VARC difficult, long, and tricky. Moreover, the logical reasoning questions can be very confusing and tricky.
5. Which section of CAT 2021 will carry maximum marks?
The VARC and QA section have equal marks while the weightage for DILR is less.
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