CAT Syllabus 2026

CAT has no official syllabus; it is inferred from past papers across three sections — VARC, DILR and QA — each with a 40-minute limit. The exam tests reasoning and comprehension under time pressure rather than memorised content.

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CAT exam pattern

SectionQuestionsDuration
VARC (24 Q · 40 min)2440 min
DILR (22 Q · 40 min)2240 min
QA (22 Q · 40 min)2240 min
Total68120 min

Marking: 3 marks per correct answer, -1 per wrong answer (negative marking). Scale: 0–204.

CAT syllabus — topic-wise

Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC)

Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR)

Quantitative Ability (QA)

How to cover the CAT syllabus

The Common Admission Test (CAT), conducted by the IIMs on rotation, is a national computer-based test for MBA admission to the IIMs and other Indian business schools. It has three sequentially timed sections — VARC, DILR and QA — at 40 minutes each (about 2 hours total), with roughly 66–68 questions (the exact count is set each year). Marking is +3 for a correct answer and −1 for a wrong multiple-choice answer, with no negative marking on type-in-the-answer questions, and results are scaled and reported as percentiles valid for one year.

✅ Preparation tips

  • Practise section selection — you cannot move between sections.
  • Attempt TITA questions freely — they have no negative marking.
  • Take full-length mocks to build the 40-min-per-section rhythm.

⚠️ Common mistakes

  • Guessing carelessly on MCQs under the −1 penalty.
  • Assuming a fixed question count — it changes year to year.

Frequently asked questions

What is the CAT syllabus?

The CAT syllabus covers Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR), Quantitative Ability (QA). CAT has no official syllabus; it is inferred from past papers across three sections — VARC, DILR and QA — each with a 40-minute limit. The exam tests reasoning and comprehension under time pressure rather than memorised content.

What is the CAT exam pattern?

Common Admission Test (IIM) has 68 questions across 3 sections in 120 minutes, with negative marking of -1 per wrong answer.

How many sections are there in CAT?

CAT is organised into 3 sections: VARC (24 Q · 40 min), DILR (22 Q · 40 min), QA (22 Q · 40 min).

Where can I practise the full CAT syllabus for free?

Wrexa Edge offers 10 free full-length CAT mock tests that cover the entire syllabus in the real exam interface, with instant scoring and topic-wise analysis.

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