CAT Exam Syllabus 2025 for VARC, DILR & QA – Important Topics, Weightage

Candidates preparing for the CAT exam must thoroughly understand the CAT exam syllabus 2025 and then acquaint themselves with the subjects outlined in the syllabus. The CAT Syllabus for MBA has three sections – 

• Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) – To evaluate the reading and comprehension skills of an MBA aspirant.
• Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) – To evaluate the reasoning and data interpretation skills of an MBA aspirant.
• Quantitative Aptitude (QA) – To evaluate the familiarity of numbers and usage in different forms of an MBA aspirant.

Above all, the CAT exam is all about evaluating a candidate’s ability to handle pressure under given circumstances within a specific time frame. Candidates will be allotted 40 minutes for each section to solve a particular section, with a timer constantly ticking above their heads all the time. The CAT exam 2025 is scheduled to be conducted on 30th November 2025 as per the previous year’s trends. 

Also Read – CAT Notification 2025

CAT Exam Syllabus 2025 – Key Highlights

CAT Exam Pattern 2025

The CAT exam pattern 2025 is expected to remain similar to recent years, with a total of 66 questions divided across VARC, DILR, and QA sections. Each section will have a 40-minute time limit, and the test will be conducted in a computer-based format. The questions will be a mix of MCQs (with +3 for correct answers and -1 for wrong ones) and TITA (no negative marking).

CAT 2025 Syllabus for MBA – Subjects-wise Weightage

IIM, the conducting body of the CAT exam, does not release any official CAT exam syllabus or any section-wise distribution of questions. However, based on previous years’ trends, the section-wise allocation of questions to each CAT subject of the exam is given below.

CAT 2025 VARC Syllabus – Important Topics & Weightage

In the VARC section of the CAT syllabus 2025, you will be given 4 reading passages of around 450 words each and 8 questions of verbal ability. 

CAT VARC Syllabus 2025 for Reading Comprehension

These passages will be drawn from contemporary or historically relevant fiction, science, politics, psychology, and more will be of a slightly more difficult level than that of a class 12th RCs.

1. Science & Technology
2. Business & Economics
3. Arts, Society & Culture
4. History & Politics
5. Philosophy & Psychology
6. Miscellaneous

Each paragraph will be followed by a series of questions that will demand you to demonstrate your comprehension and linguistic skills, including your abilities to:

• Read and grasp the paragraph’s core message, as well as any arguments or opinions presented in the passage.
• Based on the reading, draw deductions and conclusions.
• Summarise the passage.
• Compare and contrast the various arguments or perspectives presented in the passage.
• Recognize the meaning of certain words and phrases in the context of the passage.

CAT DILR Syllabus 2025

Out of all the subjects, the DILR section is one of the hardest in the CAT exam syllabus. The questions will be in the form of Data Interpretation, which requires applicants to deduce information from the supplied paragraph and respond accordingly. 

The CAT DILR section’s goal is to assess the candidate’s critical thinking skills to find patterns, logical relationships, and correct incorrect arguments. Each passage will be followed by a series of questions in which you will be required to:

• Identify and deduce the passage’s requirements.
• Determine the passage’s implications and apply your conclusions to a variety of factual circumstances.
• Draw comparisons and links, discover contradictions and equivalents, and evaluate the effective solutions to the given problem.

CAT Syllabus 2025 For QA

The entire CAT QA syllabus is divided into five main spheres, namely Algebra, Arithmetic, Geometry, Modern Math, and Number Systems, with the topics inside as follows:

1. Arithmetic – Percentages, Ratios, Averages, Time and Work, Time, Speed & Distance, Profit and Loss and more.
2. Algebra – Linear Equation, Quadratic Equation, Modulus, Logarithm, and more. 
3. Geometry – 2D & 3D Figures, Mensuration, Polygons, Circles and more.
4. Modern Math – Permutation and Combinations, Probability, and more.
5. Number System – Divisibility, Factors, HCF and LCM, and more.

CAT 2025 QA Syllabus – Important Topics & Weightage

In a fast-paced test like CAT, which evaluates a candidate’s aptitude and time management skills, being good at mental math can help in quickly solving QA questions. The table below provides a fair idea of the weightage of topics covered under the CAT QA syllabus 2025 and their difficulty levels.

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