CAT exam syllabus 2026 will require detailed study. The topic pool is large with varied types of questions to master. Be it VA, RC, DI, LR or QA, all these require deep understanding and a lot of practice. Check below CAT 2026 syllabus for exam preparation.
CAT syllabus for MBA
CAT 2026 syllabus includes Verbal Ability, Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation, Logical Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude. These subjects are included in the CAT syllabus by the IIMs to evaluate MBA aspirant’s communication, reasoning and analytical skills.
Eversince the inception of CAT exam, the syllabus has remained the same only the weightage of topics has changed. CAT 2026 aspirants must start preparation now so that, so that they have atleast 3 months to complete the entire CAT syllabus. Extensive study of CAT topics is essential to be able to crack practice questions and mock tests. So spend quality time on exam syllabus. CAT 2026 will be conducted on November 29, 2026 so divide six months into syllabus coverage and mock practice. Before that, check ou the opics included in CAT syllabus 2026, topic wise weightage and books to refer, in this article.
Download: Last 5-Year CAT Question Papers PDFs
- CAT 2026 Syllabus Highlights
- CAT 2026 Syllabus PDF Download
- CAT VARC Syllabus 2026
- CAT DILR Syllabus 2026
- CAT Quantitative Aptitude Syllabus 2026
- Best Books to Cover CAT Syllabus 2026
- CAT 2026 Syllabus: Number of good attempts section wise
- Download CAT Question Paper PDFs
CAT 2026 Syllabus Highlights
CAT is a high difficulty level exam. The syllabus includes a lot of topics. The key to crack it is to know what and how much to study. Check below key highlights of CAT syllabus 2026:
| CAT exam particulars |
Details |
|---|---|
| Number of sections |
|
| Questions per section |
VARC - 24 DILR - 22 Quantitative Aptitude -22 |
| Marks per section |
VARC - 72 DILR - 66 Quantitative Aptitude -66 |
| Question type |
MCQ and TITA |
CAT 2026 Syllabus PDF Download
Get here free PDF of CAT 2026 syllabus having detailed description of topics and their weightage that you need to study for the exam.
Also Read:
CAT exam pattern
CAT VARC Syllabus 2026
CAT VARC is passage heavy section. There are no direct grammar or spelling questions. Candidates would be required to do a lot of reading and practice for both verbal ability and reading comprehension, to crack this section.
| Section |
Topics |
No. of Questions out of 24 |
Weightage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension |
RC questions are usually of the following types: Inference based Specific details Application/purpose based Logic based |
16 |
67% |
| Parajumbles |
Rearranging a set of sentence to make a meaningful paragraph |
3 |
12.5% |
| Parasummary |
Identifying a sentence indicating the core theme or meaning of a para |
3 |
12.5% |
| Odd Sentence |
Finding the sentence that does not belong to the set |
2 |
8.3% |
CAT DILR Syllabus 2026
20 CAT DILR questions are divided into 11 each for DI and LR. Both these sub sections usually have set based questions. Check the below table to know important topics of DILR.
| Data Interpretation |
Logical Reasoning |
|---|---|
| Caselets and Data Interpretation based on Percentages and Ratios, Averages and Weighted Averages, Profit and Loss, Growth Rates, Data Comparison, Venn Diagrams, Tables-Based DI, Routes and Networks, Mathematical Puzzles, Graphs |
Seating Arrangements, Blood Relations, Direction Sense, Syllogisms, Clocks and Calendars, Coding-Decoding, Number Series, Logical Sequences, Puzzles, Games and Tournaments |
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CAT Quantitative Aptitude Syllabus 2026
CAT Quantitative Aptitude Syllabus is broadly divided into 5 main Maths topics, Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, Modern Math and Numbers. Check below topics and weightage for CAT 2026 quantitative aptitude preparation:
| Section |
Topics |
No. of Questions out of 22 |
Weightage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arithmetic |
Ratio and Proportion, Simple and Compound Interest, Averages and Mixtures, Profit, Loss, Discount, Time-Speed-Distance, Time-Work, Percentages, Pipes and Cisterns, Boats and Streams, Partnerships |
8-10 |
40% |
| Algebra |
Functions, Logarithms, Sequences and Series, Linear Equations, Quadratic Equations, Inequalities, Progressions (AP, GP, HP), Maxima and Minima, Polynomials |
5-7 |
30% |
| Geometry |
Triangles, Circles, Quadrilaterals, Lines and Angles, Polygons, Mensuration (2D and 3D), Coordinate, Trigonometry |
1-3 |
15% |
| Numbers |
Number System, Natural Numbers, Whole Numbers, Integers, Rational and Irrational Numbers, Real Numbers, Divisibility and Remainders, Factors and Multiples, HCF and LCM, Prime and Composite Numbers, Cyclicity and Factorials, Base System, Surds and Indices |
1-2 |
5%-7% |
| Modern Math |
Probability, Permutations and Combinations, Set Theory, Venn Diagrams, Binomial Theorem, Functions and Graphs |
2-4 |
5%-7% |
Also Read:
Best Books to Cover CAT Syllabus 2026
For syllabus coverage, the basic requirement is recommended CAT books. Listed below are section wise best books for CAT that have proven success rate of over decades.
| CAT Books for VARC |
CAT Books for DILR |
CAT Books for Quantitative Aptitude |
|---|---|---|
| How to Prepare for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for the CAT by Arun Sharma and Meenakshi Upadhyay |
A Modern Approach to Logical Reasoning by RS Agarwal How to Prepare for Logical Reasoning for CAT by Arun Sharma |
NCERT Mathematics books (Class 9-10)
How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for the CAT by Arun Sharma
Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations by Abhijit Guha
Quantitative Aptitude for CAT by Nishit Sinha |
Also Read:
- 32 best books for CAT 2026 preparation
- CAT 2026 preparation- Key tips and strategy
- What is the best time to start CAT 2026 preparation?
- How to prepare for CAT in six months?
- CAT preparation road map: month wise strategy
CAT 2026 Syllabus: Number of good attempts section wise
While preparing for the CAT exam, it is very important to know how many questions it solve in the given time limit, as it is neither mandatory, nor possible to attempt all of them. IIMs and top B-Schools consider sectional scores also for candidate shortlisting, so it is critical to approach CAT exam syllabus keeping in mind what and how much to study for 99+ percentile.
| Section |
Total questions |
Number of good attempts |
|---|---|---|
| VARC |
24 |
14-16 |
| DILR |
22 |
10-11 |
| Quantitative Aptitude |
22 |
10 |
| Total |
68 |
36 |
Read More:
CAT 2026 Quant strategy to score 25 marks and 95+ percentile
Download CAT Question Paper PDFs
Shiksha has provided below previous years CAT Question Paper PDFs for candidates to download and understand the exam syllabus accurately.
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Commonly asked questions
CAT lays a lot of emphasis on analytical skills so the questions are asked mostly from those topics which require deep learning and practice. The three sections of CAT question paper are designed in such a way that candidates have to use their ability of minute observation and fast calculation. Shared below are the section wise main topics from which questions are asked in CAT. Verbal Ability: Parajumbles, Parasummary, Sentence Completion and Inferences
- Reading Comprehension: Questions based on passages, Para meaning, Order of sentences
- Data Interpretation: Tables, Graphs, Pie Charts, Venn Diagram, Data Sufficiency
- Logical Reasoning: Blood Relation, Seating Arrangement, Syllogism, Coding-Decoding, Sets and Caselets, Family Tree, Assumptions
- Quantitative Aptitude: Geometry, Algebra Number System Modern Math, Arithmetic, Mensuration
The difficulty level of CAT questions is usually moderate to high. Only a few questions are easy and quick to solve. To crack the CAT exam, one needs to pay attention to the abovementioned topics.
CAT syllabus includes all the important topics of subjects that are relevant for business aptitude. For CAT exam, candidates have to study, Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension VARC Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning DILR and Quantitative Aptitude. Given below are the key topics included in the CAT syllabus.
- VARC topics: Parajumbles, Paracompletion, Parasummary, Verbal Reasoning and Reading Comprehension.
- Quantitative Aptitude topics: Arithmetic, Geometry, Algebra Trigonometry Modern Math, Number System and Mensuration.
- DILR topics: Puzzles, Pie Charts, Venn Diagram, Tables and Bar Graphs, etc.
The best books for Quantitative Aptitude preparation of CAT exam are listed below. These books are recommended by experts and mentors not only for CAT but also for other MBA entrance exams.
- NCERT Mathematics books (Class 9-10)
- How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for the CAT by Arun Sharma
- Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations by Abhijit Guha
- Quantitative Aptitude Quantum CAT by Sarvesh Verm
- Quantitative Aptitude for CAT by Nishit Sinha
- Quantitative Aptitude by RS Aggarwal
The NCERT Mathematics book is recommended for CAT preparation because it is the best source of building or revisiting the fundamentals of Algebra Geometry, Trigonometry Mensuration and Arithmetic. The NCERT books are extremely helpful to students from non-Engineering background. Quantitative Aptitude books by Arun Sharma, Abhijit Guha, Sarvesh Verma, Nishit Sinha and RS Aggarwal are the main books for CAT preparation as they cover all the topics at advanced level. They also have 1000s of sample questions of easy, moderate and high difficulty levels for practice.
There are a range of books available for preparation of Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension section of CAT. However, the most recommended books are mentioned below:
- How to Prepare for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for the CAT by Arun Sharma and Meenakshi Upadhyay
- Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for the CAT by Nishit Sinha
- Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis
- High School Grammar and Composition by Wren and Martin
- 30 Days to a More Powerful Vocabulary by Wilfred Funk and Norman Lewis/Simon and Schuster
- For English Grammar and Vocabulary, High School Grammar and Composition by Wren and Martin is the best book.
For Verbal Ability preparation, practice questions of different difficulty levels are a major part of preparation. The abovementioned books are the best resources of Verbal Ability and practice questions. To prepare for Reading Comprehension, candidates should read books, novels, magazines, research papers, newspaper editorials, etc. Along with these books.
Commonly asked questions
Candidates must read books on economy, philosophy, science, astronomy, psychology, sociology, history, geography, psychoanalysis, economics, astronomy, art & culture, literature, fiction novels, auto-biographies and biographies. Most of the passages that appear in any MBA entrance exam are based on these topics. The RC passages length may vary but most of the times the language is tough with foreign words and expressions or a good amount of data.
It is also recommended to candidates to read research papers, survey reports, etc. to have the practice of understanding and relating data in a quick read. Always refer to dictionary for word meanings while reading books.
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 9 hours ago
Yes, DBS Global University accepts valid CAT scores for MBA admissions. If you meet the required eligibility criteria, you can apply using your CAT score without appearing for the university's entrance exam. Depending on the admission process, you may also be invited for an online interview. With it
C
Beginner-Level 5
Answered 2 days ago
No, CAT is not compulsory to get admission in TITE - Templecity Institute of Technology and Engineering. The college accepts entrance exams such as: OJEE/ATMA/CAT/MAT. Candidates wishing to get admission into this programme should have passed graduation with at least 50% marks.
R
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 days ago
No, CAT is not compulsory to get admission in MBA at College of Engineering, Pune. The college consider svalid score of entrance exams such as:
- MAH-CET (The primary state-level exam considered for Maharashtra students)
- CAT
- CMAT
- XAT
R
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 days ago
Yes, personal interview round for MBA admission is mandatory for all candidates regardless of which exam they apply through. Candidates applying through CAT result for PP Savani University can only skip SLMET written test during MBA admission process.
Their final evaluation will be based on combined
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 days ago
Xavier Institute of Management and Informatics does accepts CAT scores for admission in MBA programme. However, it is not compulsory. Aspirants can also get admission based on their qualifying exam scores and performance in the PI round.
N
Guide-Level 15
Answered 4 days ago
Candidates preparing for CAT may not need to prepare for KLMAT Management separately, as the syllabus is the same and the test structure is also similar. However, one should make sure they practice KLMAT sample papers from a month before the exam as the question type and difficulty level will be dif
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 4 days ago
Candidates who want to apply for Sharda University, Greater Noida MBA course must secure a CAT/ XAT percentile of 65% to skip SUAT. For MAT applicants, this score stands at 75% for MBA admissions at Sharda, Greater Noida.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 5 days ago
Yes, you can get scholarship for MBA in Adamas University based on CAT score according to the following criteria:
CAT Score | Scholarship |
|---|---|
80 percentile & above | 50% of the 1st Semester Fee |
70 percentile to 79.99 percentile | 25% of the 1st Semester Fee |
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 5 days ago
No, CAT is not compulsory to get admission in MBA at IILM University Gurgaon. Candidates wishing to get admission in MBA should have passed Graduation with at least 50% marks. The university offer admission based on entrance exam score such as:
- CAT
- XAT
- MAT
- NMAT
- CMAT
- GMAT
R
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
The CAT 2026 cutoff has not been released yet. However, as per the 2025 cutoff, for admission to PGDM International Business at FORE School of Management, the last round cutoff percentile stood at 75 for the General AI category.
Additionally, the XAT cutoff 2026 for the same course also stood at 75
Contributor-Level 10
Vipra Shrivastava is MA in English Literature from Delhi University with extensive experience in content writing of over 14 years. She has been handling content for Management, Accounting and Commerce streams for 8
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