2IIM CAT Exam Syllabus 2023

CAT Exam Syllabus
CAT is a computer-based objective exam that has 3 sections – Verbal Ability, Data
Interpretation & Logical Reasoning and Quantitative Ability. The sections have nearly equal
weightage. For a long time, from 2010-2019 roughly it was a 3-hour exam. The pandemic has
seen it transform into a 2-hour exam. Around 75% of the questions are MCQs (Multiple-
Choice Questions) while the rest are TITA (Type in the Answer). The MCQs carry negative
marks for incorrect answers, while TITA ones do not.
Broadly, the CAT syllabus covered comprises of math learnt in classes VI to X of schooling.
Although the framework has been broadly constant throughout the past 15 years, there are
some specific patterns that emerge if we scroll through the data. The video below gives a
wonderful overview of what we can take away from the past few years’ papers.
CAT Exam Overview (CAT 2022)
Section Duration No of MCQ’s No of TITA (Non MCQ’s) Total
VARC 40 minutes 21 3 24
DILR 40 minutes 14 6 20
QA 40 minutes 14 8 22
Total 120 minutes 49 17 66
As we dive deeper into the sections and take them up one by one, we will take
you through the CAT Syllabus followed by our analysis of the CAT previous
year papers to give you a glimpse of what you can expect in the upcoming
CAT exam.
Best CAT Online Coaching

Overall CAT Syllabus and CAT Exam Pattern
Before we look into the CAT syllabus, here is a quick recap of key facts about the exam:
• CAT Exam was a 3-hour (180 min), computer-based exam until 2019. It is not held in
offline mode.One of many things that swayed away from normal in the last 3 years was
the CAT exam duration. CAT 2020, CAT 2021, and CAT 2022 was conducted in three
slots of 2 hours each.
• The exam is held in three slots—morning, afternoon and evening—on the same day. The papers
are different in these sessions, but the scores are normalized to account for the
differences.
• The exam comprises of 3 sections— Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension
(VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DI/LR) and Quantitative Ability
(QA).
• In the last few CATs, the order of the sections has been VARC first, followed by DILR,
followed by QA. Switching between sections is not possible. There are no breaks
between sections.
• There were 66 questions in all. Most questions are Multiple Choice Questions
(MCQs),with 4 answer choices, one of which is right. About one-third of the paper,
however, consists of objective but non-MCQ questions. These are of the Type-In-
The-Answer (TITA) kind.
• MCQs carry 3 marks for a right answer and -1 mark for a wrong answer, but there is
no negative marking for TITA questions.
• A simple, on-screen calculator is provided for the QA and DI/LR sections.
• Any Bachelor’s degree holder (with 50% at least marks) and any candidate in the final
year of their graduation can write CAT.
• The official website for CAT: CAT Website
• CAT 2019 had the following pattern: (3hr format)
VARC: 34, DILR: 32, Quant: 34 (60 minute per section), and the entire exam was
conducted in 2 slots.

Diving deeper into CAT VARC Syllabus
In terms of CAT Syllabus across the sections, the VARC section is the simplest to describe.
Building a habit of reading is the closest to what one might call as Syllabus. If you are looking
at a timeline north of 4 months, you have a great time window to build up the habit of
reading. You should check out the video below for more information than just Reading, how
to make the most of this etc.
CAT 2019 (3hr Format):
VARC Sub- Description Question Type No. of

section Questions
CAT Reading This section 4-5 MCQs based on each passage 24
Comprehension comprises of 5
RC passages
which are
usually 600-700
words in length
CAT Verbal Paragraph 3-4 questions, usually TITA, 10
Ability Jumbles involving rearrangement of
sentences in the right order.
Paragraph 2-3 questions, MCQs, involving
Summary identification of the best
summary for a given paragraph.
Sentence 2-3 questions, involving
Elimination identification of the odd sentence
in a given set of sentences.
Others Questions of these types are less
common:
• Paragraph Completion
• Sentence Correction
• Critical Reasoning
• Fact Inference Judgement

Success Factor Key Resource Big Takeaway
Reading Habit Bharath's Reading List RC is the elephant in the room

Diving deeper into CAT LRDI Syllabus
The DILR section has been elusive in terms of giving us a definitive syllabus for this section.
We can of course paint a broad picture with the information we have obtained through
taking this exam over the years. In case you are looking to know how to prepare for this
section, head out to the above link. But if you are keen to understand the section first, watch
this video and then scroll down!
Data Bar graph, line graphs, pie charts, tables, Venn diagrams, word problems, combination
Interpretation of graphs
Logical Puzzles based on visualization, math puzzles, games and tournaments, calendar,
Reasoning sequencing, grid puzzles, seating arrangement, direction- based puzzles

Success Factor Key Resource Big Focus Area
1. Variety in puzzles 2IIM Free Question Bank Previous year Papers
2. Detailed solutions

Diving deeper into CAT Quant Syllabus
The Quantitative Aptitude section is the most robust section in terms of
something that can give you a definitive syllabus. Do not fret looking at the
enormous list of topics listed below. Following the Pareto principle, a collection
of a few key topics can help you get up to 90+ percentile. Watch the video
below to get more clarity on the CAT syllabus for the Quantitative Aptitude
section of the CAT exam.
Approx. No. of
QA Topic Key Concepts Questions
Arithmetic Percentages 11 - 12
Time Speed Distance
Pipe Cisterns, Work Time
Profit and Loss
Mixtures
Averages
Ratios and Proportion
Simple Interest Compound Interest
Geometry Triangles, Circles, Quadrilaterals 7-8

Mensuration
Coordinate Geometry
Trigonometry
Algebra Linear and Quadratic Equations 6-8

Functions
Polynomials
Inequalities
Arithmetic and Geometric Progressions
Number Theory HCF LCM 6-8

and Modern Math Factors and Multiples
Factorials, Remainders
Set Theory
Permutation Combination, Probability
Logarithms

Further breaking down the segments topic-wise:
Success Factor Key Resource Big Takeaway

1. Strong Fundamentals 1. 2IIM Free Question Bank Arithmetic alone can take you to
2. Excellent Drill 2. 2IIM YouTube Channel 90th percentile

Useful Links:
Best CAT Online Coaching!
Best IPMAT Coaching
All about CAT Exam
CAT Syllabus
How to Prepare for CAT
How to Prepare for CAT Quantitative Aptitude
How to Prepare for CAT Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension
How to Prepare for CAT Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning
Bharath’s Reading List

2IIM CAT Exam Syllabus 2023

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CAT Exam Syllabus

CAT Exam Overview (CAT 2022)

Section Duration No of MCQ’s No of TITA (Non MCQ’s) Total

Best CAT Online Coaching

Best CAT Online Coaching

CAT 2019 (3hr Format):

VARC Sub- Description Question Type No. of

Best CAT Online Coaching

Best CAT Online Coaching

Best CAT Online Coaching

Best CAT Online Coaching

Geometry Triangles, Circles, Quadrilaterals 7-8

Algebra Linear and Quadratic Equations 6-8

Number Theory HCF LCM 6-8

Best CAT Online Coaching

Success Factor Key Resource Big Takeaway

Best CAT Online Coaching

Best CAT Online Coaching!

Best IPMAT Coaching

All about CAT Exam

How to Prepare for CAT

How to Prepare for CAT Quantitative Aptitude

How to Prepare for CAT Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension

How to Prepare for CAT Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning

Bharath’s Reading List

Best CAT Online Coaching

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