Don't know how to priorities CAT topics in limited time?. Know which section has highest weightage in CAT 2025 to optimise performance in the exam.
CAT preparation 2025
Starting CAT exam preparation 2025 is a must now, as there's only five months left. To prepare for the CAT exam in an effective manner, it is very important to understand the syllabus and sectional weightage. Since sectional cut off is critical in CAT, candidates need to pay equal attention to all three sections - Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR), Quantitative Aptitude (QA) and Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC). With the limited time in hand, how do you plan to prepare for CAT? It is important to know the weightage of the subjects of CAT exam so that you can focus on maximizing the score in CAT 2025. More importantly you should know which section has the highest weightage in CAT, to make a better strategy.
Sectional cut off is crucial to score high percentile and get selected in a top B-school thus candidates need to prepare equally well for every section. In CAT exam, VARC has the maximum weightage, i.e. 24 questions and 72 marks. Next to VARC, QA has a weightage of 22 questions and 66 marks. DILR section has the minimum weightage in CAT, i.e. 22 questions and 66 marks. Let’s look at the weightage of sub topics in these CAT sections.
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In the following tables you can see which section has highest weightage, sub topics, question type and level of difficulty. These table carry CAT 2025 data, but can be seen are a reference for CAT 2025 weightage is usually the same every year.
VARC has the maximum weightage in CAT exam and it is also the first section of the CAT question paper that candidates have to solve within 40 minutes. Within the VARC section of CAT, reading comprehension has maximum weightage. So, candidates need to focus on RCs during the preparation. Given below is the break up of CAT 2024 VARC section. Usually, there are Parajumble questions in CAT VARC, but in 2024, there wasn't any. In CAT 2025, parajumbles questions many be asked, but they will not be more than 4-5.
| VARC sections |
No. of questions |
Type |
Difficulty Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 |
MCQ |
Medium |
|
| Paragraph completion |
3 |
MCQ |
|
| Summary |
3 |
MCQ |
|
| Odd Sentence Questions |
2 |
TITA |
In the DILR section of CAT 2024, there were 22 questions. Weightage of DI and LR is usually equal. but in 2024 exam, there were more DI sets than LR sets. CAT DILR questions are on the tougher side and also time consuming. They must target at least 12-15 questions in the DILR section with 100 per cent accuracy, to score well.
| Area |
No. of Questions |
Question Type |
Level of Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 |
3 MCQ, 1 TITA |
Easy |
|
| Data Interpretation | 4 |
2 MCQ, 2 TITA |
Moderate |
| Data Interpretation |
5 |
4 MCQ, 1 TITA |
Moderate to Difficult |
| 4 |
5 TITA |
Moderatre |
|
| Logical Reasoning |
5 |
3 MCQ, 1 TITA |
Easy to moderate |
| Overall |
22 |
-- |
Moderate |
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In CAT exam, each candidate gets 120 minutes to solve the paper. There are three sections in CAT Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude. For each section 40 minutes are allotted as sectional time limit. For PwD candidates, the sectional time limit is 53.20 minutes per section. Candidates have to complete each section within the given time limit. Since the CAT is an online mode exam, the test screen will move from first section to the next section automatically as soon as the time limit gets over. Thus candidates have to be mindful of the on-screen timer and pre-decide the number of questions to solve in each section. The Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension section of CAT has 24 questions, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning section has 22 questions and Quantitative Aptitude section has 22 questions. It is not mandatory to solve all the questions in CAT so candidates can devise a strategy to use 40 minutes per section as per their strength and weakness.
There is no difference between slot 1, 2 and 3 of CAT exam paper in terms of structure and patten. The sectional break up, marking scheme and time limit are the same in all slots. However, due to unique sets of questions in each slot leads to difference in difficulty levels. There is usually a slight difference in the CAT question papers of different slots. Sometimes, topic wise weightage of the questions also vary. To negate advantage or disadantage to candidates due to difference in difficulty level of slots, CAT scores are normalised for result preparation.
The weightage of Quantitative Aptitude in CAT is 66 marks. It has a total of 22 questions of moderate to high difficulty. This section of the CAT has traditionally been calculation intensive thus, there is no way out but to practice, practice and practice more. Within the section, Arithmetic has maximum weightage. Check the table below for CAT Quantitative Aptitude weightage.
| Area |
No. of Questions |
Question Type |
Level of Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arithmetic |
8 |
MCQ |
Moderate |
| Algebra |
7 |
MCQ |
Moderate |
| Geometry |
3 |
MCQ |
Moderate |
| Modern Maths |
3 |
MCQ |
Moderate |
| Numbers |
1 |
MCQ |
Moderate |
| Overall |
22 |
-- |
Moderate |
CAT 2025 aspirants must keep in mind that in this exam, it doesn’t matter how many questions they have solved, but what matters is how many questions they have solved correctly because for each incorrect answer one mark is deducted. So, focus on the questions that you can solve accurately. So solve CAT questions of previous years and attempt 30-40 fill length CAT mock tests to improve your speed and accuracy in all the DILR, VARC and Quantitative Aptitude.
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In CAT 2025, the following changes were seen:
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