CAT Syllabus 2022: The Common Admission Test (CAT) 2022 syllabus will not officially be released by IIM Ahmedabad. Candidates can, however, understand the syllabus for CAT 2022 by looking at previous years’ CAT question papers. The CAT Syllabus is composed into three sections: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Aptitude (QA). The CAT exam syllabus is extensive, therefore candidates appearing for the exam in 2022 should organize their preparation strategies in advance. English Grammar, Verbal Reasoning, and Reading Comprehension are all included in the VARC section of the CAT 2022 syllabus. All topics in Mathematics from Class 9 to 10 are covered in the QA section, including Arithmetic, Geometry, Algebra, Trigonometry, and Mensuration. The CAT 2022 DILR syllabus includes topics like puzzles, tables, and bar graphs that require analytical interpretation of data.
On November 27, 2022, IIM Ahmedabad will conduct the CAT 2022 exam, with no changes to the syllabus. CAT Exam syllabus is the first and foremost important step in getting admission to IIM. By having a deep analysis of the section-wise syllabus, will help candidates in scoring well. Candidates must read this article to have detailed information on CAT Latest Syllabus.
Table of Contents
CAT Syllabus Overview
The CAT syllabus is vast and test-takers who are gearing up for this must work with utmost dedication to score well. Before going into the deep analysis of CAT 2022 syllabus, let’s check the key topics included in the same. The topics mentioned below include questions that have been asked in the CAT exam over the past few years. While preparing for CAT exam, the candidate’s main focus should be on the below topics.
| Section | Important Topics |
| Quantitative aptitude | Number system, Geometry, Algebra, Mensuration, Time & work |
| Logical Reasoning & Data Interpretation | Seating arrangement, Blood relation, Syllogism, tables, graphs, data cases |
| Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension | Para-Jumbles & para-summary, sentence completion, inference, RC passages based questions. |
Each section has important topics that are a part of MBA CAT syllabus 2022.
CAT 2022 Overview
CAT, a common aptitude management test is a gateway for admission to 20 IIMs and over 1200 B-Schools of India. Aspirants appearing for CAT should have a clear idea about the test that are appearing for. The table below shows some of key highlights of the CAT exam. Before obtaining into the details of CAT exam, let us have a look at the exam highlights.
| Exam Name | Common Admission Test (CAT) 2022 |
| Conducting Body | Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad |
| Institutes Accepting CAT Score | IIMs, IITs, IISc, and other participating institutes |
| Course | Postgraduate Management Programs (MBA/PGDM) |
| Level of Exam | National Level |
| Type of Questions | MCQs and Non-MCQs |
| Number of Sections | Three |
| Total Number of Questions | 76 |
| Time Duration | 2 hours |
| Negative Marking | -1 for Incorrect Attempts in MCQ |
| Mode of Exam | Online |
| Application Mode | Online |
| Exam score validity | One year |
| Official Website | iimcat.ac.in |
Key Changes in CAT Syllabus
Before beginning to prepare for CAT exam, it is highly crucial that candidates must be informed of the changes that are there in the CAT syllabus so as to score well. It is unlikely that there will be any alternation in the exam syllabus just there will be a change in the composition of the topic-wise questions. Let’s have a check at the below-mentioned changes that have been introduced in the CAT 2022 syllabus and the exam pattern.
| CAT Syllabus & pattern | Change |
| Exam duration | Reduced from 3 hours to 2 hours |
| Exam slots | Increased from 2 to 3 (observing the Covid-19 pandemic situation ) |
| Total question | Reduced from 100 to 76 |
| Total marks | Reduced from 300 to 228 |
| Total question in VARC question | Reduced from 34 to 26 |
| Total question in DILR section | Reduced from 32 to 24 |
| Total question in QA section | Reduced from 34 to 26 |
The detailed syllabus topics from each chapter is given in the article and this even explains about comprehensive analysis on the weightage of each chapter for better understanding.
CAT Syllabus 2022
Go through the section-wise CAT 2022 syllabus from the section mentioned below:
Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension
IIM CAT 2022 Verbal ability & Reading Comprehension consists of all the sub-topics asked questions of CAT. This is the first section of CAT question paper and the candidate has to appear for this first. From the past few years, it has been seen that vocabulary testing methods have switched & now CAT usually asks vocabulary questions via readable comprehension passages, thus giving aspirants an opportunity to exclude the meaning of work from the context.
Other than this, synonyms and antonyms are also included in the CAT exam and syllabus. Other than this, filling in the blanks, grammatical application, assumptions and judgments & correction in sentences has been also asked in the past but they play a significant role in other MBA gateway.
The below table shows what type of questions and what section-wise questions are asked in the CAT exam.
| Grammar or English usage | Synonyms Antonyms | Fill in the blanks |
| Meaning/ usage match | Jumbled paragraph and close passage | Verbal reasoning |
| Reading comprehension | Analogies & Reverse analogies | Summary questions |
| Facts inference judgements | Verbal logic | One -word substitution |
Verbal Ability in CAT Syllabus 2022
The verbal ability section or VARC has concentrated mainly on the three types of questions. These includes:
- Jumbled Paragraph
- Summary questions
- Odd sentences in Paragraph Jumbles
Detailed Information on Jumbled paragraph
- In this, they form a paragraph and candidate has to choose the most appropriate order for the sentence group for solving these questions.
- In these type of questions, 4 to 5 sentences are out of order.
- Candidates should identify the first and last sentence of paragraph.
- This makes the question easier as the first sentence introduces a topic, therefore the last sentence makes some sort of judgement or decision.
- The second sentence should lead to first one.
Detailed Information on Summary Questions
- Small passages of 80-100 words that has 4 options
- Candidate has to find the best option that depicts the summary of paragraph.
- In these type of questions, it is important to find opytions that do not conflict with passage.
- On eliminating the wrong options in the questions, correct answer will appear.
Detailed Information on Odd Sentence in Paragraph
- The main motive of this type of question is to identify the sentences that does not match with the theme of remaining paragraph.
- These questions difficulty level may change from easy to difficult depending on how they are shown.
- For easy question sentence will be about something completely different from the theme of the rest of paragraph whereas for difficult question, the sentence will depend on the same topic but will differ slightly depending on the concept.
- One of the possible correct option is to have a sentence that introduce a topic within unrelated theme.
Key Points Related to Verbal Ability
- The total number of questions asked in this part of section is between 8 to 10.
- This part mainly includes Non-MCQ type of questions.
- Negative marking does not prevails for this type of questions as it is Non-MCQ.
- As per the previous year exam, CAT syllabus in VA section includes questions from Para-jumbles, error correction in para, out of context sentence in para and vocabulary.
Question Weightage in Verbal Ability
In verbal ability, the weightage of questions according to the syllabus is shown in the below table.
| Topics | Number of questions |
| Para-Jumbles | 2-4 |
| Sentence completion & correction | 2-3 |
| odd sentences | 1-2 |
| Others i.e. fill in the blanks, vocabulary based etc | 1-2 |
Reading Comprehension
The reading comprehension section mainly contains questions that are based on the reading passages. Questions that mainly include questions of inference-based, fact-based, and vocabulary-based. Fact-based questions require answers based on the facts that is mentioned in the paragraph. These are one of the easiest questions in this section. Assumption-based questions are tricky questions and this will reduce the tone and theme of the candidate before answering the questions.
Key Points Related to Reading Comprehension
- Total amount of questions included are 22-26.
- As these questions are of MCQs type, so there is negative marking for wrong answers.
- This sections consists of four long paragraph and one short paragraph.
- As per the previous year trends, this section will have atleast 900 words and short passgae will have 500-600 words.
- Comprehension passage mainly involve around topics such as politics, environment and society.
- One mark will be deducted for every wrong answer.
Question Weightage in Reading Comprehension
In reading comprehension, the weightage of questions according to the syllabus is shown in the below table.
| Total number of passages | 4 to 5 |
| Total number of questions | 24 |
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning
The Data Interpretation & Logical reasoning section is the second part of the CAT exam. This section is divided into two sub-segments i.e. Data interpretation & logical reasoning. DILR is a tricky section for test-takers but the level of difficulty has been reduced over the years. One of the difficult problems in this section is unpredictability of this section. The candidate must wrap up this section in 40 minutes whereas for PWD candidates the sectional duration is 53 minutes and 20 seconds. This sections check the problem-solving skills of the candidate and know how well versed you are with organized and unorganized data.
The below table shows what type of questions and what section-wise questions are asked in the CAT 2022 exam:
| Bar Graphs & Column Graphs | Caselets & tables |
| Combination of two or more types linked to each other | line charts & pie chart |
| Number & letter series | Binary logic |
| Connectives | Matching or puzzles |
| Blood relations | Venn Diagram |
| Syllogism | Logical sequence |
| Calendars, cubes, and clocks | seating arrangement |
Key Points Related to Data Interpretation
- This segment of DILR involves questions that are multiple choice questions and non-multiple choice questions.
- There is no fixed numbers of MCQs and Non-MCQs.
- Negative marking occurs for incorrectly answered MCQs questions.
- No negative marking occurs for wrong Non-MCQs question.
Logical Reasoning
This segment of DILR sections includes topics from logical reasoning that are arrangements, numbers and sequences, logical sequence, syllogisms, calendars, clocks and cubes, and blood relations. The number of topics covered for rationality is numerous and the combination further leads to tricky compilations. This is one of the difficult sections of the CAT exam. Reasoning topics include more complex sets when linked to each other. Candidates must not spend more time solving LR questions. Solving a certain number of questions with utmost accuracy will suffice in scoring a good percentage. This section analyses the aspirant’s logical and analytical skills.
Key Points Related to Logical Reasoning
- The number of questions of LR in DILR section includes between 15 to 20.
- For every incorrect answer, negative marking persists.
- There are both MCQ and Non-MCQs question in this segment.
- For every wrongly answered MCQ, there will be negative marking.
- No negative marks for Non-MCQs questions.
Question Weightage in DILR Section
In DILR, the weightage of questions according to the syllabus is shown in the below table.
| Topics | Number of questions |
| Graph, bar diagram | 6-8 |
| Tables & charts | 5-8 |
| Graphs & charts | 7-10 |
| Table, pie chart | 4-5 |
Quantitative Aptitude
Quantitative aptitude is the last section of the CAT exam paper and this section must be wrapped up within 40 minutes. Few topics that are asked in this section are very difficult and are repeated every year in the CAT exam. The total number of questions asked in the Quantitative aptitude section is 26 questions out of which 8-9 questions are TITA-based. Quantitative aptitude section includes questions that are from the topic of arithmetic, mathematics, trigonometry, and algebra. This section analyses the mathematical skills and calculation ability. Test seekers must be well versed with each and every topic of basic Mathematics i.e. School level Maths to solve this section.
The below table shows what type of questions and what section-wise questions are asked in the CAT exam:
| LCM & HCF | Ratio & proportion |
| Percentages | Probability, permutation & combination |
| Averages | Surds & indices |
| Number system | logarithm |
| Profit, loss & discount | set theory |
| Simple & compound interest | inequalities |
| speed, Time & distance | Functions & geometry |
| Time & work | Mixture & allegations |
| Quadratic & linear equations | Trigonometry |
| Complex numbers | Algebra |
Note-
- Preparing commerical Maths is easy as the number of questions involved in this is small and the formulas to be implemented must be learned frequently.
- Arithmetic questions are very basic and easy to prepare and these topics are in arithmetic are class 10 and the only trick is to solve them fast.
- There are many rules and formulas while catering to geometry type questions and finding the most important geomtric rules is important as this will help candidate in solving the question frequently.
- Trigonometry are used in solving question, this is one of the main part of CAT test.
- Sequence and series is another topic that must be included in CAT exam and other management entrance exams. This will help in resolving questions that are based on this type of questions.
- Alligations & mixtures are almost likely to be similar. These type of questions are occassionally asked in CAT and are easy to solve if practiced well.
Key Points Related to Quantitative Aptitude
- This section mainly comprises of 26 questions.
- This section will have question type i.e. MCQs and Non-MCQs. The total MCQs question is 18 and there are 8 MCQs.
- Negative marking persists for MCQs. For every incorrect question, one marks is deducted.
- For Non-MCQs type question, there are no negative marks.
Question Weightage in Quantitative Aptitude
In the Quantitive Aptitude section, the weightage of questions according to the syllabus is shown in the below table:
| Topics | Total number of questions |
| Arithmetic questions | 10-122 |
| Geometry & Mensuration | 7-8 |
| Algebra | 6-7 |
| Number system | 4-5 |
| others | 2-3 |
CAT Exam Pattern
CAT aspirants must be familiar of the CAT Exam pattern 2022 as this serves as an effective tool for scoring good marks. Let’s have a look at the below table that shows the overview of CAT exam pattern & test structure. This will help candidates in getting a brief idea about the structure of the exam and so they must prepare accordingly. The question paper of CAT is usually of moderate difficulty level with QA section creating more challenges & hurdles with the tough questions. Let’s check the highlights of CAT exam pattern here:
| Exam Type | Online |
| Question type | MCQs & Non-MCQs |
| Duration of exam | 40 minutes 53 minutes and 20 seconds (for PwD candidates) |
| Total number of questions | 76 |
| Total marks | 228 |
| Section-wise number of questions | VARC-26 DILR- 24 QA-26 |
| Language of question paper | English |
| Number of answer choices | 4 |
| Marking Scheme | 3 marks are awarded for every correct answer -1 for every wrong MCQ question No negative marking for wrong Non-MCQ questions |
Section-Wise CAT Exam Pattern
IIM Ahmedabad, the exam conducting body has released the overall and the sectional CAT exam pattern 2022. During the duration of exam, the candidate will not be able or allowed to switch between the section. Let’s check at the section-wise exam pattern of the CAT exam.
| Section as per IIM CAT Exam pattern 2022 | Total questions | MCQs | Non-MCQs | Maximum marks |
| Verbal ability & reading comprehension | 26 | 18 | 8 | 78 |
| Data Interpretation & logical reasoning | 24 | 18 | 6 | 72 |
| Quantitative aptitude | 26 | 18 | 8 | 78 |
| Total | 76 questions | 54 | 22 | 228 marks |
Changes in CAT Exam Pattern?
Over the last few years, the CAT syllabus has remained the same and a slight change is observed in the exam pattern this year. Few unique changes that have been introduced in the CAT Exam pattern are highlighted below:
- The duration of exam has been reduced from 180 minutes to 120 minutes. Each sectional time is of 40 minutes for candidates whereas 53 minutes 20 seconds.
- The number of exam slots has been increased from 2 to three. Slot 1 timing is 8:30 am to 10:30 am, Slot 2- 12:30 pm-2:30pm and Slot 3 is 4:30 pm-6:30pm.
- Candidate can select upto 6 cities for allotment of CAT exam centre.
How has CAT Exam Pattern evolved over the years?
CAT exam pattern 2022 has changed from the previous year i.e., 2020. By having a check at the below table, candidates will get a fair idea about the exam pattern of the CAT exam that how it has evolved from the past years. CAT Exam mainly has 3 sections that are verbal & Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative aptitude. One thing that is constant for the past few years is the sections of the CAT exam. There is no difference observed in the CAT exam pattern marking scheme.
| YearModerate to EasyYear | Number of questions | Difficulty level | Duration | Conducting body |
| 2021 | 76 | Moderate to high | 2 hours | IIM Ahmedabad |
| 2020 | 76 | Moderate to high | 2 hours | IIM Indore |
| 2019 | 100 | Moderate to high | 3 hours | IIM Kozhikode |
| 2018 | 100 | Moderate to high | 3 hours | IIM Kolkata |
| 2017 | 100 | Moderate | 3 hours | IIM Lucknow |
| 2016 | 100 | Moderate to difficult | 3 hours | IIM Bangalore |
| 2015 | 100 | Moderate to difficult | 3 hours | IIM Ahmedabad |
| 2014 | 100 | Moderate to Easy | 2.50 hours | IIM Indore |
| 2013 | 60 | Moderate to Easy | 2.20 hours | IIM Indore |
| 2012 | 60 | Moderate to Easy | 2.20 hours | IIM Indore |
| 2011 | 60 | Moderate to Easy | 2.20 hours | IIM Calcutta |
CAT Exam Analysis
Section-wise topics or chapters that are a part of CAT Exam syllabus 2022 will be helpful for candidates in getting an idea of how to prepare for the exam and what are the topic will consume maximum time. CAT 2022 Exam Syllabus, the test-aspirants must also have knowledge of the weightage of each topic in the exam. According to the previous year CAT Exam Questions, we have provided the CAT topic-wise weightage for each section which will play a pivotal role in your CAT Exam Preparation.
CAT Preparation Books
CAT is a recognized management entrance exam in the country for admission to MBA courses. There are a lot of unique books that are available & helpful in preparing for CAT 2022. Some of the best books for CAT 2022 exam along with the CAT syllabus in detailed are mentioned in this article. By going through CAT preparatory exam books & syllabus, you can easily achieve well and seek admission in IIMs. With the help of accurate and effective books along with mock tests, students can easily clear the exam.
Below is a list of books mostly recommended for CAT preparation.
Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC)
| The Pearson Guide To verbal ability & logical reasoning | Nishit Sinha |
| Word power made easy | Norman Lewis |
| How to prepare for VARC for CAT | Arun Sharma & Meenakshi Upadhyay. |
Data Interpretation & logical reasoning
| Data Interpretation & Data sufficiency | Ananta Ashisha |
| How to prepare for DILR for CAT | Arun Sharma |
| Logical Reasoning & Data interpretation for CAT | Nishit K. Sinha |
Quantitative Aptitude
| QA for CAT & other MBA entrance exam | Trishna Knowledge system |
| How to prepare for Data Interpretation for CAT | Arun Sharma |
| Complete CAT digest, by Tata McGraw-Hill | Arun Sharma |
| Quantitative aptitude for Competitive examination | Eabhijit Guha |
CAT Preparation Tips
Some of the key points on how to begin CAT preparation are listed below:
- Make a list of topics according to strengths and weaknesses.
- Candidates must get in touch or join groups on social media platform such as Facebook. YouTube, Telegram etc.
- Collect relevant study material and recommended CAT books for preparation.
- Make every day study plan and try to cover atleast one topic per day from VARC, DILR & QA.
- Practice two-three questions for the topic studies on the same day to assess how much you have grabbed from the same.
- With passing of days, increase the pace of study and try to learn more lession in one day. By doing this, candidate will get more revision time.
FAQs on CAT Syllabus
While searching for information related to CAT topics candidates have a lot of questions in their minds. Below we have arranged some of them:
| Q: Can a change be expected in the CAT Syllabus 2022? Ans: CAT exam syllabus remains the same every year but the distribution of questions in each section of the questionnaire changes frequently |
| Q: How much time is enough to complete the CAT syllabus 2022? Ans: Completion of the CAT syllabus depends on the candidate’s time management skills & ability to understand the topics. Some candidates are able to complete the same within 4 months while some are able to complete the same by taking almost a year or more to cover CAT syllabus 2022. |
| Q: What is the marking scheme of CAT 2022? Ans: The total marks of the CAT exam are 228 marks i.e. 3 marks are awarded for every correct answer and one mark is deducted for every wrong answer. |
| Q: How can I prepare for the CAT syllabus? Ans: CAT requires constant practice and time management. To cover the complete CAT Exam Syllabus 2022 one must focus on all the 3 sections. |
| Q: Can I prepare for CAT by just practicing CAT mock tests? Ans: No, Candidates are advised to first go through the exam syllabus and get in detail about all the exam patterns, syllabus, and topics. Candidates must read the difficult topics too before preparing for the CAT mock tests. |
| Q: What are the subjects included in the CAT syllabus? Ans: CAT syllabus includes all the important topics of three sections or subjects that include verbal ability & reading comprehension, data interpretation & logical reasoning & quantitative ability. The candidate needs to focus mainly on topics such as Algebra, Geometry, tables, graphs, Venn diagram, blood relation, number series, coding-decoding. |
| Q: Is the syllabus of CAT the same as other MBA entrance exams? Ans: Syllabus of CAT is similar to other MBA exams. MBA entrance exams have the verbal ability, reading comprehension, data interpretation, logical reasoning, and quantitative aptitude as key subjects. The difficulty level of CAT is higher than other exams. |
| Q: Which section of the CAT exam is the toughest? Ans: CAT exam is tough, it has been observed over the last few years that VARC is tough as reading comprehension passages are long and tricky. These are time-consuming so most candidates find this topic toughest. |
| Q: By when should the candidate finish studying the CAT syllabus to be able to have enough time to practice mock tests? Ans: Aspirants should complete the CAT syllabus by September end so that they can give proper October and November to mock tests. The candidate must make a plan that the candidate should wish to plan out the preparation timetable. |
| Q: Are General knowledge questions asked in CAT? Ans: CAT does not ask General knowledge questions. All questions are from three segments such as verbal ability & reading comprehension, data interpretation & logical reasoning & quantitative ability. |
In order to get through CAT, you need to be up-to-date with the above topics as these topics play a major role in shaping up your score in the exam. Along with practicing the topics mentioned above you need to practice CAT Mock Test Series. You can solve Quantitative Aptitude and Reasoning Ability questions and for other topics, you can join an online test series. Since the questions asked in CAT are somewhat similar to Banking exams you can take free mock tests from the link below without signing up.
Related links:
Get all the latest CAT Exam notifications along with the latest syllabus and pattern of exams at Embibe. Also, read various articles that will increase the efficiency in an engaging interactive way to prepare for CAT.
We hope this detailed article on CAT Syllabus 2022 helps you. If you have any queries, drop your queries in the comment section below and we will get back to you at the earliest.