Common Admission Test (CAT) is the most important and most accepted exam in India to get into a top MBA college. From top IIMs like IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore, and Calcutta to top non-IIMs like FMS, SPJIMR, and MDI Gurgaon–CAT is the exam that is eligible to get into such prestigious colleges. To prepare for CAT 2025, aspirants should be well-versed with the common admission test syllabus and CAT 2025 marking scheme. For instance, aspirants must lookout for the most important topics in CAT such as percentage, profit & loss, time & work, Time, Speed & Distance, Geometry, and Algebra in Quants; table & graphs, venn diagram, puzzle, board games, selection & distribution, arrangement, games & tournaments in DILR; reading comprehension of various genres and verbal in VARC. The CAT 2025 syllabus is vast and confusing for first-time test-takers. Therefore, in this blog, we will explore in-depth details about the common admission test syllabus, including all sections, to help you score in the 99+ percentile in CAT 2025.
Common Admission Test Syllabus 2025
Before starting, aspirants should remember that CAT is conducted by IIMs and doesn’t officially reveal the syllabus. However, they do reveal the paper pattern and possible questions type in their free mock tests on official portal to let aspirants know about real-life exam dashboard and navigation. Therefore, the below common admission test syllabus is updated on the basis of CAT 2024 exam syllabus.
CAT 2025 Exam Pattern
| Exam Section | Questions | Time |
| Reading Comprehension & Verbal Ability | 24 | 40 Minutes |
| Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning | 22 | 40 Minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 22 | 40 Minutes |
CAT 2025 VARC Syllabus
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) is the first section of the CAT exam. It consists of two parts: the first is Reading Comprehension, where you answer questions based on passages from various topics; the second is Verbal Ability, which tests your logical reasoning through questions like para summaries, odd one out, para jumbles, and sentence insertion. But the sectional time of 40 minutes remains the same, and the order of questions is at random. Considering past performance and trends, VARC is the most scoring section and most important to cover effectively in the common admission test syllabus.
CAT 2025 VARC Syllabus
| Syllabus | Number of Questions |
| Reading Comprehension (RC)– 4 RC Sets of 4 Questions Each | 16 |
| Para Summary | 1-3 |
| Odd One Out | 1-3 |
| Para Jumble | 1-3 |
| Sentence Insertion | 1-3 |
| Total | 24 |
Reading Comprehension Genres
| Science & Technology | Social Issues | History |
| Business & Economics | Social Science | Environment |
| Art & Literature | Psychology | Philosophy |
CAT 2025 DILR Syllabus
CAT Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR) is often seen as both the most loved and the most challenging section of the exam. Success in this section depends heavily on consistent practice and smart time management. Therefore, aspirants need to identify the right sets to attempt within the limited time to maximize their score. Recent trends show that DILR sets are increasingly being combined and made more complex to raise the difficulty level. To get a sense of the DILR syllabus from the overall common admission test syllabus, aspirants should check out the table below containing a mix of topics appearing in CAT exams recently.
Moreover, in recent changes, DILR section now has 5 sets divided in 2 sets of 5 questions each and 3 sets of 4 questions each.
CAT DILR Syllabus
| Arrangement | Mathematical Reasoning | Ranking & Order |
| Tables & Graphs | Selection & Distribution | Quant-based Reasoning |
| Venn Diagram | Games & Tournaments | Binary Logic |
| Routes & Network | Cubes | Board Games |
CAT 2025 Quants Syllabus
The Quant section of the CAT exam is considered the most challenging yet rewarding part of the exam. A favorite among engineers; a nightmare for non-engineers. The Quants section is challenging due to the vast syllabus and creative questions, which require constant practice and revision. If you could understand quants topics, you can attempt only easy to moderate questions and work on your strengths so that you can cover all topics in the common admission test syllabus.
Join the Largest CAT Preparation Community in India
CAT Quants Syllabus
| Arithmetic | Algebra | Geometry | Modern Maths | Number System |
| Percentage | Linear Equation | Triangles | Venn Diagram | Unit Digit |
| Profit & Loss | Quadratic Equation | Circle s | Probability | Tense Digit |
| Mixture & Allegation | Sequence & Series | Polynomials | Permutation & Combination | HCF & LCM |
| Time & Work | Inequalities | Coordinate Geometry | Remainder Theorem | |
| Ratio & Proportion | Modulus | Mensuration | Divisibility | |
| Simple & Compound Interest | Function | Factorial | ||
| Time, Speed & Distance | Logarithm | Trailing Zeroes | ||
| Average | Surds & Indices | |||
| Graphs |
CAT 2025 Quants Weightage
| Topic | 2022 (No. of Ques Asked) | 2023 (No. of Ques Asked) | 2024 (No. of Ques Asked) |
| Average, Ratio, Mixture & Alligation | 3-5 | 4-6 | 3-5 |
| Profit & Loss, SI, CI, Percentages | 1-3 | 2-3 | 2-3 |
| TSD & Time and Work | 3-5 | 2-3 | 2-3 |
| Geometry | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Quadratic, Polynomials & Simple Eq | 1-3 | 3-4 | 1-2 |
| Progression and Series | 1-3 | 2 | 1 |
| Inequalities, Modulus & Functions | 3-4 | 1-2 | 1-2 |
| Logarithm, Surds & Indices | 0-1 | 1-3 | 2 |
| Probability and P&C | 1 | 1 | 0-1 |
| Number System | 1 | 1 | 2-3 |
| Venn Diagrams | 0 | 0 | 0 |
FAQs
Common Admission Test comprises Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Aptitude. However, since IIMs do not release an official syllabus, the best way to understand it in depth is by analyzing question types and past trends.
Rigorous practice and revision are necessary to complete the CAT syllabus and improve your scores effectively, as you never know which topic might have difficult questions in the exam. The optimum time to complete the syllabus should be around July end.
VARC–Reading Comprehension; DILR–Selection & Distribution, Ranking & Order, Table & Graph; Quants–Percentage, Profit & Loss, Geometry, Time, Speed & Distance, Quadratic Equation, and Number System.
You can visit https://www.iquanta.in/cat-2025 on the iQuanta website for a detailed syllabus by scrolling below.