CAT Exam Syllabus for 2026 Exam

CAT exam syllabus is the first thing every MBA aspirant must check before starting their exam preparation. It helps aspirants understand what topics to study and how to manage their time wisely. The CAT syllabus for MBA covers three main sections: Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Aptitude (QA).

CAT is conducted by the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and is known as one of the toughest entrance exams for MBA admissions in India. The CAT syllabus for MBA mostly remains the same every year. So keep reading to understand the complete syllabus for CAT exam.

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CAT Exam Syllabus for 2026 Exam- What to Expect?

CAT exam syllabus for 2026 is expected to follow the same pattern as the previous years. It will have three main sections: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Aptitude (QA).

• In the VARC section, most questions are based on reading comprehension passages. Aspirants have to read the passages and answer related questions. There are no direct grammar or vocabulary questions in this section.

• The DILR section will have a mix of data interpretation and logical reasoning questions. These usually come in sets of 4 to 5 questions, where test takers need to read the data carefully and solve puzzles or logic-based problems.

• In the Quantitative Aptitude section, the focus is mostly on Arithmetic and Algebra. So, it is important for aspirants to spend more time learning these two topics, as they carry a large part of the questions.

CAT Exam 2026 Overview

CAT Exam 2026 is going to be a computer-based entrance test conducted for admission into MBA and other management programs at IIMs and many top B-schools in India. The exam is held once a year and tests an aspirant's skills in English, math, logic, and data interpretation. Based on the expected pattern from the CAT syllabus 2025, here’s what aspirants can expect in the CAT Exam 2026:

CAT Exam Subjects with Weightage

Each section in the CAT exam has a time limit of 40 minutes, making the total exam time 120 minutes.

• The VARC section has 24 questions and makes up around 36% of the total marks.

• The DILR section has 22 questions and covers about 32% of the total paper.

• The QA section also has 22 questions, and its weightage is 32%.

Therefore, all three sections of the CTA exam syllabus are important, and aspirants must prepare well for each one to get a good overall score. Knowing the CAT exam subjects and their weightage helps in planning a better study strategy.

Check Out: CAT 7 Years Chapterwise & Topicwise Previous Years Solved Questions

Section-Wise MBA CAT Exam Syllabus

Those who are preparing to appear for the Common Admission Test (CAT) exam in 2026 can use the CAT syllabus 2025 as a guide for their preparation, since the updated syllabus for 2026 is yet to be officially released. The MBA CAT exam syllabus usually remains the same every year, with only minor changes, if any.

Check out the subject-wise MBA CAT exam syllabus along with the important topics from each section. Knowing the detailed syllabus for CAT exam will help aspirants focus on the right areas and plan their preparation with more clarity.

VARC Syllabus for CAT Exam

The VARC section (Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension) is the first part of the CAT exam syllabus. It has 24 questions and is divided into two parts: Reading Comprehension (RC) and Verbal Ability (VA). Most of the questions come from RC, which makes this section a bit lengthy and moderate to difficult in terms of level.

Even though there are many topics in English grammar, CAT generally does not ask direct grammar questions. Aspirants can check CAT syllabus 2025 for VARC given here to prepare for the upcoming 2026 exam, as the topics are expected to stay the same.

• Reading comprehension passages

• Parajumbles and jumbled paragraphs

• Odd sentence out

• Summary writing

• Fill in the blanks

• Sentence completion

• One-word substitution

• Sentence correction

• Subject-verb agreement

• Prepositions and articles

• Usage of idioms and phrases

• Different meanings of the same word

• Foreign language words used in English

• Verbal reasoning and verbal logic

• Analogies and antonyms

• Syllogisms

• Types of clauses and modifiers

These topics from the MBA CAT exam syllabus are important for building strong verbal ability skills, and practicing them regularly will help aspirants score well in this section. Find the topic-wise number of questions and their difficulty level based on the previous CAT exams here:

DILR MBA CAT Exam Syllabus for 2026

The Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning or DILR section is the second part of the CAT exam syllabus. It checks how well aspirants can understand data and solve reasoning problems. As per the recent CAT syllabus 2025, this section often has 22 questions: 11 from Data Interpretation (DI) and 11 from Logical Reasoning (LR). The time given for this section is 40 minutes.

In the MBA CAT exam syllabus, DILR is generally seen as a scoring section, but it needs practice. Most questions come in sets of 3 to 4 based on one case or data set. A few reasoning questions may also be asked as stand-alone problems. The difficulty level ranges from easy to tough depending on the type of question. Here are the important topics from the DILR CAT syllabus for MBA:

• Bar Graphs and Line Graphs

• Tables and Pie Charts

• Caselets and Data Sets

• Binary Logic

• Syllogisms

• Blood Relations

• Seating Arrangements

• Venn Diagrams

• Direction Sense

• Puzzles

• Data Sufficiency

• Coding-Decoding

• Clocks and Calendars

• Statements and Assumptions

• Series and Propositions

• Family Tree

• Data Structures

• Data Arrangement

Practicing these topics regularly helps aspirants solve DILR sets faster and with more accuracy in the exam. Also check out the question-wise weightage and difficulty level of this section below based on previous years papers:

CAT Exam Syllabus for Quantitative Aptitude

The Quantitative Aptitude (QA) section is the final part of the CAT exam syllabus. This section generally needs the most calculation and is considered one of the toughest sections in the CAT paper. It checks how well aspirants understand basic math concepts and how quickly they can solve numerical problems.

According to the MBA CAT exam syllabus, most questions in this section come from Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, and Modern Maths. To score well in QA, aspirants must learn the formulas, practice regularly, and improve their mental math skills. Find the important topics from CAT exam syllabus for quantitative aptitude here:

• Geometry

• Ratios and Proportion

• Inequalities

• Trigonometry

• Quadratic and Linear Equations

• Work and Time

• Algebra

• Surds and Indices

• Percentages

• Mensuration

• Time, Speed, and Distance

• Logarithms

• Partnership (Accounts)

• Number System

• Square Root and Cube Root

• Profit and Loss

• Geometric Progression

• Probability

• Mean, Mode, Median

• Binomial Theorem

• Simple Interest and Compound Interest

Also check the topic-wise weightage of the quantitative aptitude section here:

CAT Exam Subjects Preparation Tips

MBA CAT exam has three subjects: VARC, DILR, and QA. Each subject checks different skills. Many aspirants feel confused about how to start preparing for each CAT exam subject. That’s why it is important to follow a smart method for every section. Aspirants can find some subject-wise tips here to boost their exam preparations:

VARC Section Preparation Tips:

VARC section of CAT exam syllabus mainly tests the reading and understanding skills of test-takers. To score well in this subject:

• Start by reading every day. It can be newspapers, storybooks, or online articles. This builds habit and improves reading speed.

• Reading Comprehension (RC) covers a big part of this section. So, practice at least 1 to 2 RC passages daily.

• While reading, try to understand the main idea, tone, and what the author is trying to say. That helps in answering questions faster.

• Grammar and vocabulary are also important. Try to learn 5 to 10 new words every day. Use a small notebook or a flashcard app.

• Practice parajumbles and sentence arrangement questions often, even if they don’t come every year. They can be tricky, and you don’t want to get stuck.

• Use previous years CAT papers and mock tests to get used to the question style.

Preparation Tips for CAT Quantitative Aptitude Section

QA section of the MBA CAT exam syllabus is usually the toughest for many aspirants. But if the basics are strong, it becomes easier. So aspirants need to:

• Focus on understanding the concepts of Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, and Number Systems. Don’t just memorize; know how formulas work.

• Make a formula notebook. Write all important formulas and revise them daily.

• Start solving easy questions first. Then move to medium and difficult ones.

• Try solving questions in three rounds:

• In the first round, only understand the question and method.

• In the second round, try to solve with full accuracy.

• In the third round, solve again, but now with speed.

• Use MBA CAT mock tests to check overall progress. Analyze each and every mistake and rework them.

• Improve mental calculation skills because it saves a lot of time in the real CAT 2026 exam.

Preparation Tips for Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR)

DILR section from the syllabus for CAT exam checks how well applicants understand data and how logically they solve problems. To prepare smartly for this section:

• Start with the basics by learning tables up to 20, squares up to 30, and cubes up to 20. These help with faster calculation.

• For Data Interpretation (DI), practice reading graphs, pie charts, and bar diagrams. Focus on speed and accuracy.

• Logical Reasoning (LR) has no formulas. It's all about practice. Try puzzles, seating arrangements, blood relations, and number series regularly.

• Make it a habit to solve 1 DI set and 1 LR set daily. Don’t skip because maintaining consistency helps a lot here.

MBA CAT Exam Preparation Books

CAT exam syllabus can be well understood by solving previous years’ papers. It helps aspirants identify which topics are most commonly asked and how the difficulty level changes each year. To do this well, aspirants need CAT study material that not only provides past questions but also explains them in a simple way.

That's why the "CAT Chapterwise and Topicwise Previous Years Solved Questions (2024–2017)” book by PW can be a good option for this purpose. It covers the complete MBA CAT exam syllabus and the latest questions. This MBA CAT preparation book also includes trend analysis, mind maps, and 5 online CBT mock tests to give a real exam experience and boost overall preparation.

CAT Exam Syllabus 2026 FAQs

Q.1. Who will release the CAT exam syllabus for 2026?

Ans. The CAT exam syllabus for 2026 will be released by the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs).

Q.2. What are the CAT exam subjects?

Ans. There are three main CAT exam subjects, such as Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Aptitude (QA).

Q.3. When is the CAT 2026 exam scheduled?

Ans. CAT 2026 is expected to be held on Sunday, November 29, 2026. The official notification will be released by the IIM, who will be conducting the exam.

Q.4. How to prepare for CAT 2026?

Ans. Start by understanding the MBA CAT exam syllabus and focus on all three sections: VARC, DILR, and QA. Practice regularly, solve previous years’ papers, and take mock tests to improve speed and accuracy.