Syllabus is a key to crack CAT EXAMINATION. CAT syllabus is generally not changed and same for every year. Every year CAT syllabus is provided to the candidates by the hosting institute which generally changes between IIM'S. Last year 2021 CAT EXAMINATION was hosted by IIM INDORE.
CAT is one of the toughest and most competitive exams in the world with lakhs of aspirants aspiring for a few thousand seats in the best B-Schools. Therefore in order to succeed in this competetive arena, the aspirant needs to ensure that he/she is putting in the right effort in the right way by turning their target to their dreem b-school
CAT papers are made in such a way to have high competition between candidates and select candidates that are best overall.
CAT EXAMINATION SYLLABUS is highly academic. Selected questions are already stored in a question bank and there is a random picking system where computer decides which question to be given to the candidate. CAT EXAMINATION include three sections as given below.
CAT EXAMINATION was used to be held for 3 hrs(180min) with 34,34 and 32 questions in sections. In 2020 CAT changed its pattern to held exams because of co-vid and the exam was limit to 2 hrs(120min> including 26,26 and 24 questions in each sections. Although it does not seem that CAT will continute the same pattern in 2021.
IMPORTANT - Also switching between sections is not allowed in CAT EXAMINATION. But you can switch between questions in one particular section
This is CAT changed syllabus as of 2020
| SECTIONS | MCQ'S | NON MCQ'S | TOTAL QUESTIONS |
|---|---|---|---|
| VARC | 21 | 5 | 26 |
| DILR | 18 | 6 | 24 |
| QA | 20 | 6 | 26 |
This is CAT earlier syllabus before it was changed.
| SECTIONS | MCQ'S | NON MCQ'S | TOTAL QUESTIONS |
|---|---|---|---|
| VARC | NA | NA | 34 |
| DILR | NA | NA | 32 |
| QA | NA | NA | 34 |
The questions which do not have mcq options are called tita questions. There where 11 tita type questions in CAT 2019 question paper. CAT syllabus is very important for candidates to analyse the pattern and keep an estimate of every thing. CAT syllabus is also important in setting up strategies for candidates.
As verbal section looks easy it is not. CAT VARC section is high vocabulary section where there is use of high vocabulary in passages. Thus CAT reading comphrension has to be solved strategically. You need to be aware of a bucket of words that can help you solve pasages easily. VARC section might be easy for the people who read daily and have good reading habbits. As a CAT aspiring candidate you should start reading several months before the exam.
IMPORTANT - Some of the good readings involve reading newspapers, articles, magazines, books etc. Newspaper like ECONOMIC TIMES AND HINDUSTAN TIMES are good for CAT exam as they include good quality english in them.
In the chapters section we have given several synonyms and antyonyms that can help you in VARC section.
The best way to solve RC passages is to read the full passage with active sense of mind. You can keep some keywords for every passage that can help you figure out what the particular passage is about. As it contain quality vocabulary as i said earlier you need to read and listen to new words. understanding the complete passage is the only key as CAT passages are not as they look. You can have a question that you think is related to upward passage but answer can be in the lower pasage. Focus and thoughtfull working of mind is important you should be able to relate to topics. The best way is to solve mock RC passages as many as you can.
DATA INTREPRETATION section is quite easy to solve if you have been through every type of question that are been asked. DILR section is related to arrangements of seperated or not given data in correct way. solving one question correctly will open doors to many other questions that will simultaneously seem easy to you. Sometimes questions have more than one arrangements. In this type of situation you need to draft every single possible outcome and not just think of one and subsiquently answer the questions. DILR section can be considered as one of the high scoring section in CAT. You can make DILR section simple by solving past papers and mocks.
LOGICAL REASONING section can also be one of the high scoring section in CAT. This section includes topics that are logical and seems more easy once praticed. CAT 2015 and CAT 2016 LRDI sections were considered as the most difficult. We have also provided question papers where you can test yourself.
QUNATATIVE APTITUDE has vast amount of topics and so it is also considered as the hardest section in CAT EXAMINATION. Several topics in QA are too lengthy and consume large amount of time. From much research and interviews about candidates we found out that in QA section candidates loose to keep track on time and end up solving less questions. But if you are good at your math you can probably run over others and cope up the lead.