Difference between CAT and GMAT Syllabus: Topic-wise Comparison
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CAT and GMAT are two MBA entrance exams that are very different from each other. Their purpose is different from each other and so is the syllabus. Check here the key difference between CAT and GMAT syllabus.
Difference between CAT and GMAT syllabus - Common Admission Test or CAT and Graduate Management Aptitude Test or GMAT are the two top MBA entrance exams. Since they both are for MBA admission, many candidates think the syllabus for both is same. But that is not so. CAT and GMAT syllabus may largely be same but there are a lot of dissimilarities. Since GMAT is an international test, it's pattern and nature of questions are different from CAT (domestic exam).
You can't prepare for both CAT and GMAT simultaneously due to vast difference between pattern and structure. For both CAT and GMAT, single minded focus and dedicated exam preparation is necessary. So, in the choice between GMAT vs CAT, you must choose the one based on your future plan - MBA in India or MBA abroad. In this article we have listed the difference between CAT and GMAT to help you in making a decision.
- What is the Difference between CAT and GMAT Syllabus?
- CAT vs GMAT: Difference in Syllabus
- GMAT syllabus
- CAT syllabus
- CAT vs GMAT: Difference in Exam Pattern
What is the Difference between CAT and GMAT Syllabus?
The biggest difference between CAT syllabus and GMAT syllabus is the composition of topics and difficulty levels of chapters. In this article, we will discuss the syllabus of CAT and GMAT and their differences and similarities.
Commonly asked questions
Yes, GMAT exam syllabus is quite vast and despite some topic slashes like sentence correction, geometry and AWA (essay), the syllabus still has lots of topics. The Quant section has the maximum topics and is one of the biggest sections. Followed by Verbal Reasoning section where reading and critical analysis is tested. Finally, the latest Data Insights section is the next the biggest section with graph interpretation, data interpretation and tables along with other topics. Thus, GMAT includes a wide range of topics to test its applicants for admissions.
CAT is a national level test, while GMAT is a global entrance exam for MBA admissions. While CAT is accepted only in Indian MBA colleges, GMAT is accepted in both Indian as well as foreign MBA colleges. In India, GMAT is mostly accepted for admission to MBA/PGDM and Executive MBA programmes and is accepted for Foreign/NRI/PIO students.
The main difference between CAT syllabus and GMAT syllabus is the section - Analytical Writing Assessment, which is a subjective section. One has to write a short essay on the give topic in AWA. CAT has no subjective question.
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 vs GMAT: Difference in Syllabus
CAT syllabus comprises - Quantitative Aptitude (QA), Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC).
GMAT syllabus comprises - Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning and Data Insights. Let’s take a look at the topics included in CAT and GMAT.
Also Read: GMAT vs CAT: Differences and Similarities
GMAT syllabus
A key aspect of GMAT is that, it doesn't include Essay Writing anymore. The Quants section of GMAT does not have Geometry. There is no sentence correction either in Verbal Reasoning.
GMAT Syllabus: Verbal Reasoning section
Check the table below for Verbal Reasoning topics included in the GMAT exam syllabus.
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GMAT Syllabus: Quantitative Reasoning
Check the table below for Quantitative Reasoning topics included in the GMAT exam syllabus.
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GMAT Syllabus: Data Insights
Check the table below for Data Insights topics included in the GMAT exam syllabus.
| Data Insights topics for GMAT |
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Commonly asked questions
The following topics have been removed from GMAT's syllabus upon transition:
- Sentence Correction
- Geometry
- Analytical Writing Assessment or the AWA section which was the essay section
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.
CAT books by Arun Sharma, Nishit Sinha, RS Agarwal and Abhijit Guha are good and exhaustive, but you should refer to more study material like sample test papers and mock tests for a complete preparation.
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.
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CAT syllabus
The syllabus of CAT is prescribed by the IIMs and it is the most comprehensive set of topics related to Language Comprehension, Quantitative Aptitude and Logical Reasoning.
CAT Syllabus: Quantitative Aptitude
Check the table below for Quantitative Aptitude topics included in the CAT exam syllabus.
| Quantitative Aptitude topics of CAT |
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CAT Syllabus: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension
Check the table below for VARC topics included in the CAT exam syllabus.
| VARC topics for CAT |
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CAT Syllabus: Logical Reasoning
Check the table below for Logical Reasoning topics included in the CAT exam syllabus.
| Logical Reasoning topics for CAT |
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CAT Syllabus: Data Interpretation
Check the table below for Data Interpretation topics included in the CAT exam syllabus.
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CAT vs GMAT: Difference in Exam Pattern
Let’s take a look at the main difference between GMAT exam pattern and CAT exam pattern:
| Features |
GMAT exam pattern |
CAT exam pattern |
|---|---|---|
| Sections |
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| Number of sections |
Four |
Three |
| Total number of questions |
64 |
68 |
| Exam duration |
2 hours 15 minutes |
2 hours |
| Question type |
MCQs |
MCQs and key-in answers |
| Sectional flexibility |
Can decide order of sections to answer |
Have to follow chronology of the CAT question paper |
| Total number of attempts |
Can take the exam five times a year |
Can take the exam only once a year |
| Marking scheme |
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Bottomline
Conducted by the Indian Institute of Management, CAT is a national level entrance exam accepted by over 1,600 B-Schools in India for admission. GMAT, is a global exam valid for admission to 2,100 management institutes across the world and over 100 Indian B-schools. IIMs accept GMAT for Executive MBA programmes and in case of foreign category students. But many MBA colleges in India accept CAT and GMAT both for admission to their MBA/PGP, EPGP, PhD and other courses. So, the choice of exam solely depends on choice of college.
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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