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CAT Syllabus 2025 PDF Download Here [Section Wise & Important Topics]

Author : Lalita Vishwakarma

December 6, 2024

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Overview: The 2025 Common Admission Test (CAT) is set for November 24, likely under the oversight of IIM Calcutta. The first step to begin your preparation is familiarizing yourself with the CAT syllabus 2025 to fully prepare for the exam in the coming few months.

  • The first and most important fact is that the CAT exam syllabus is never released by any IIMs conducting the CAT entrance exam.
  • However, in this blog, we will cover the entire MBA CAT Syllabus 2025 and Pattern based on the previous year's trends.

The questions are based on the previous year's standards of CAT exam questions containing concepts of elementary-level and high school Maths, reading and English comprehension and logical reasoning.

CAT Syllabus 2025 PDF- Section-Wise

This is to inform you that the IIMs do not officially release the CAT exam syllabus PDF 2025.

Moreover, we are dependent on the previous year's pattern and questions asked from the topics from all three sections.

The CAT reasoning syllabus for the Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning section typically includes topics such as puzzles, seating arrangements, data sufficiency, and logical sequences.

There are three sections asked in the CAT 2025 syllabus pdf download for MBA, also called CAT exam subjects, viz.,

Our team has meticulously analyzed the trends of the past few years of the CAT exam to research and compile the entire CAT exam syllabus 2025  into PDF. The CAT Exam Syllabus and Pattern for the MBA, essential topics and respective weightage are listed below:


 CAT Online Coaching

 CAT Online Coaching

CAT Syllabus PDF Download 2025 Quantitative Aptitude 

Topics Sub-Topics
Number System Prime Factorization
Divisibility Rules
Finding Units place and tens place of a number
LCM and HCF
Indices and Surds
Cyclicity
Remainders
Base Change
Factorial
Arithmetic Simple Interest and Compound Interest
Time, Distance and Speed
Mixtures and Allegations
Ratios, Proportions and Variations
Time and Work
Pipes and Cisterns
Percentages
Averages
Profit and Loss
Geometry Circles
Polygons
Triangles
Trigonometry
Lines and Angles
Coordinate Geometry
Algebra Functions and Groups
Inequalities and Modulus
Logarithms
Maxima and Minima
Polynomials
Linear and Quadratic Equations
Algebraic Identities
Modern Mathematics Probability
Permutations and Combinations
Set Theory
Venn Diagram
AP, GP, HP
Binomial theorem

Read more: CAT Exam Analysis

Below is the detailed CAT exam syllabus PDF 2025 for Quantitative Ability:

It becomes important for you to learn about the topic-wise break-up with the weightage of each topic in the CAT 2025 syllabus. This can be done once you thoroughly review the CAT eligibility criteria. In CAT 2023, out of the 22 questions, 8 were TITA questions, and the remaining were MCQs. Over the years, the maximum number of questions in the QA section of CAT have been from Arithmetic. 

Topics Sub-Topics 2023 2022 2021 2020
Slot 1 Slot 2 Slot 3 Total Slot 1 Slot 2 Slot 3 Total Slot 1 Slot 2 Slot 3 Total Slot 1 Slot 2 Slot 3 Total
Arithmetic Ratios, Mixtures, Averages 3 3 3 9 6 4 5 15 5 3 4 12 3 2 4 9
Percents, Profits, SICI 2 3 3 8 2 2 1 5 3 3 4 10 3 3 3 9
Speed, Time, Distance, Races 3 1 1 5 1 1 3 5 1 1 1 3 4 4 3 11
Pipes, Cisterns, Work, Time 1 1 2 4 0 1 2 3 2 2 2 6 0 1 1 2
Algebra Linear and Quadratic 3 2 2 7 1 2 3 6 0 1 1 2 2 4 2 8
Progressions 2 1 2 5 1 2 0 3 1 2 1 4 1 1 0 2
Polynomials 2 2 1 5 2 0 0 2 1 2 1 4 0 1 0 1
Inequalities 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 3 0 1 0 1
Functions 0 0 1 1 3 2 2 7 1 1 1 3 1 1 1 3
Logarithms and Exponents 1 2 3 6 0 1 1 2 1 1 1 3 4 1 4 9
Geometry Geometry 2 2 2 6 0 3 3 6 3 2 1 6 1 3 1 5
Co-Geo 1 1 0 2 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 3
Mensuration 0 0 1 1 2 0 0 2 0 1 3 4 2 1 0 3
Trigonometry 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
NT and Modern Maths Combinatorics 1 0 0 1 1 2 0 3 1 1 0 2 0 0 1 1
Digits 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 2 2 1 1 4 4 2 2 8
Factorials 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Factors 1 2 1 4 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2
Remainders 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Set Theory 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1

Check: CAT Exam Day Instructions

Here is an overview of the four broad areas (in %) covered over the years in the QA section. 

 CAT exam syllabus

 CAT exam syllabus

CAT Syllabus 2025 - Logical Reasoning & Data Interpretation 

Here is the topic-wise syllabus for logical reasoning and Data Interpretation:

DI Topics Tables
Data Caselets – Reasoning-Based DI
Column Graphs
Bar Graphs
Venn Diagrams
Line Charts
Pie Charts
Scatter Plot
Radar Chart
Routes and Network
Bubble Chart
LR Topics Binary Logic
Games and Tournaments
Arrangements
Team Formations
Order and Ranking

Below is the detailed CAT exam syllabus PDF 2025 for Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation:

Check | How to prepare for logical reasoning for CAT

Topics CAT 2020 CAT 2021 CAT 2022 CAT 2023
Slot 1 Slot 2 Slot 3 Slot 1 Slot 2 Slot 3 Slot 1 Slot 2 Slot 3 Slot 1 Slot 2 Slot 3
Routes and Networks - - - - - - 5 5 - - - 5
Tables - 10 - - 6 - - - - 5 5 5
Scheduling, Optimization and Allocation 6 6 6 4 - - 5 - 5 10 - -
Bar Graphs - - 4 4 - - - 5 - - -
Grids 10 8 6 6 - - - 5 5 5 5
Arrangements - 6 6 6 5 - - - -
Word Puzzle - - 4 - 4 6 - - - - - -
Games and Tournaments - - - - - - - - - - - -
Math Puzzles - - 4 - - 4 5 5 - 5 5
Venn Diagrams 8 - 4 - - - 5 5 - - - -
Pie Charts/Doughnut Charts - - - - - - - - -
Scatter Plot - - - - - - - 5 - - - -
Coding/Decoding - - - - - - - - - - - -
Radar Chart - - - - - - - - - - - -
Gnatt Chart - - - - - 4 - - - 5 -

Read More | Strategy to ace your CAT Exam Preparation

Here is an overview of the topics (in %) covered over the years in the DILR section. 

 CAT exam syllabus

 CAT exam syllabus

Check | CAT Exam Preparation Books 2025

CAT Syllabus 2025 - Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension 

CAT exam syllabus PDF 2025 for VARC is provided below. Here are the important topics you must cover for the CAT 2025 syllabus pdf free download and the pattern specifically for the VARC section.

S.No. Important Topics
1 English Usage or Grammar
2 Vocabulary-Based (Synonyms/ Antonyms)
3 Fill in the blanks
4 Sentence Correction
5 Cloze Passage
6 Jumbled Paragraph
7 Meaning-Usage Match
8 Analogies or Reverse Analogies
9 Summary Questions
10 Verbal Reasoning
11 Facts-Inferences-Judgments
12 Reading Comprehension

Below is the detailed CAT exam syllabus PDF 2025 for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension:

Check | What to do after the CAT exam?

Topics 2023 2022 2021 2020
Reading Comprehension 16 16 16 18
Para Summary 2 3 3 3
Para Jumble 2 3 3 3
Odd One Out 2 0 2 2
Sentence Placement 2 2 0 0
Total 24 24 24 26

Among the three sections, describing the syllabus for VARC is the simplest. Reading Comprehension dominates the section with a little more than 65% of the question weightage.

The remaining questions are from Para Summary, Para Jumble, Odd One Out, and Missing Sentence (introduced in CAT 2022). So, building a reading habit is the key to covering the VARC syllabus.

In CAT 2023, 4 passages with a total of 16 questions were asked. 3 Para Summary Questions, 3 Para Jumble Questions and 2 Missing Sentence Questions completed the section. From a total of 24 questions, 3 were TITA questions. 

Check: CAT Exam Slot Timings

Here is an overview of the RC genres (in %) covered over the years in the VARC section. 

 CAT exam syllabus

 CAT exam syllabus

Check | CAT Exam Maths Syllabus

 CAT Online Coaching

 CAT Online Coaching

Conclusion

Keeping updated with the CAT exam syllabus helps you prepare accordingly for the main exam.

Each section of the CAT exam has its importance and marking, so it's important to keep an eye on and have a good grasp on each topic of the different subjects.

Check: List of CAT Exam Centres

Frequently Asked Questions

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