CAT is one of the most challenging entrance exams for MBA aspirants in India. High weightage topic in CAT 2025 include arithmetic, algebra, sentence correction, bar graphs, puzzles, and many more. Every year, this exam is conducted by the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) which exam opens doors to some of the best business schools in the country. However, the competition is growing year and therefore the need for right preparation becomes more evident. A strategic approach to preparation will be the key to success in this high-stakes sort of exams. Among a bunch of strategies that students adopt, focusing on high weightage and important topics has proven time and again. It is one of the effective ways to optimize effort and results, i.e., scoring a percentile. In this article, we will discuss the high weightage topics for CAT 2025 across its three sections: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) and Quantitative Ability (QA). Additionally, we will also share preparation strategies so that you can study and utilise these topics well. This will surely help you stay ahead of the curve.
Overview of the CAT Exam Pattern 2025
To begin with, let us first try to understand the structure of the CAT exam. The test comprises three key sections, which are given below:
- Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC): This section will assess your reading speed and comprehension skills against passages. This will also check your grammar knowledge, and ability to interpret and analyze textual information.
- Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR): Focused on testing your problem-solving and analytical skills, this section requires you to have data crunching and logic reasoning. It is more to with using your problem-solving ability.
- Quantitative Ability (QA): QA is all about checking your numerical aptitude and mathematical reasoning. It tests your ability to apply basic mathematical concepts to solve a few layered complex problems.
Remember that each section is timed for 40 minutes, and the total exam duration is two hours. While the distribution of marks may slightly vary each year, the strategy more or less remains the same. Analysing the topics that carry more weight within each section will help you prepare smarter and will improve your percentile.
High-Weightage Topics in CAT 2025 – Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)
The VARC section is surely a game-changer and changes your overall CAT percentile. This section evaluates your ability to process, analyse, and interpret given information. It also checks your understanding of basic grammar and logical arrangement of sentences.
1. Reading Comprehension (RC)
RC is the base of the VARC section and typically accounts for 65–70% of the total questions and hence is one of the high weightage topics for CAT 2025. It involves passages on very diverse topics, ranging from philosophy, sociology, economics to science & technology.
Importance of VARC in CAT 2025
- A total of 16 questions usually come from RC out of a total of 24 questions in VARC.
- RC demands good reading speed and even better comprehension, which is a necessity in the management world. This eventually helps you with VA part too which comes next in the VARC section.
CAT VARC Preparation Tips 2025
- Make reading a daily habit. Focus on certain articles from newspapers like The Hindu and magazines like The Economist. If you are comfortable reading online, do have a look at websites like Aeon.
- Practice speed reading without compromising comprehension to manage time better during the exam.
- Attempt RC questions from previous years’ CAT papers and other mock tests to familiarize yourself with question patterns.
2. Para Jumbles (PJ)
In para jumbles, you are asked to rearrange sentences into a coherent paragraph which delivers a meaning. These questions try to test your understanding of logical sequence and sentence flow that are grammatically correct. In CAT 2024 although there was no question on Para Jumble but it is an important topic in CAT as the question paper of other years had questions from this topic.
Why It’s Important:
- Para jumbles are a regular feature of the VARC section and contains 2 – 3 questions every year.
- They do not involve negative marking in CAT exam. Para jumbles in CAT have always been TITA type question, making it a must try for everyone.
Preparation Tips for CAT 2025:
- Identify linking words like “however,” “therefore,” and “similarly” to build sentence flow. Try to find a starter, that helps you find the first sentence.
- Practice at least 5–10 para jumble questions daily to get a hand of it and gradually improve accuracy.
3. Odd Sentence Out
This type of question is again very closely related to para jumbles. But here, you are required to identify the sentence that does not fit the context of the paragraph. It is similar to forming a coherent paragraph and identifying the remaining one out.
Why It’s Important:
- Just like para jumbles, they also have a good weightage as roughly 2 questions come from this topic.
- They are usually easier to solve once you master para jumbles and mostly do not contain negative marks.
CAT 2025 Preparation Tip:
- Pay attention to the overall theme of the sentences and gauge what can be really off.
- Eliminate options that diverge in tone or context, as then you need to have to solve a para jumble first to find the answer.
4. Para Summaries in CAT 2025
As the name suggests, para summaries test your interpretation skills. You will be presented with a paragraph and 4 options that summarises the paragraph. You need to pick the one that aptly summarises it as the options are usually very close, often leading to negatives.
CAT Preparation Tip 2025:
- Focusing on RCs indirectly will help you solve all the para summaries easily.
- Solve practice questions to identify common traps. These include incorrect pronoun usage or misplaced modifiers or some sort of grammatical errors.
Engineer’s VARC for CAT by iQuanta – The purpose of this module is to make a strong statement about how you can crack CAT VARC with weak grammar and communication. This module has Total 60+ Videos with 30 Hours of VARC Niche Content for CAT only.
High-Weightage Topics in DILR for CAT 2025
DILR is often considered as the most unpredictable section in the CAT exam in terms of difficulty level. The questions usually come in sets, with each set containing around 5 questions. While the difficulty level of this section has certainly increased over the past few years, some topics have consistently appear in the exam.
1. Data Interpretation (DI)
DI sets involve interpreting data presented in different visualization formats. It is is one of the high weightage topics for CAT 2025. They include tables, charts, graphs, and other form of caselets. These questions usually require calculations based on percentages, ratios, averages and trends. A faster calculation definitely helps here to score better and faster.
Why It’s Important:
- DI questions test your ability to analyze and interpret data, which might be required even in your post MBA job.
- This also tests your risk appetite where you should be choosing the right set and not be guessing to avoid negatives.
CAT 2025 Preparation Tip
- Try to understand different charts like bar graph, pie chart, funnel chart, etc. so that you can solve them easily.
- Build mental calculation skills save time and maintain accuracy.
2. Hight Wrightage Topic in CAT for Logical Reasoning (LR)
LR questions are somewhat standard and typically involve puzzles, seating arrangements, grouping, etc.
Why It’s Important:
- LR questions test your logical thinking with limited information given to you.
- They are highly scoring if you can identify the right approach as solving the set once means answering all the 5 questions in that set.
CAT Preparation Tips 2025:
- Try to focus on easier sets first and gradually move towards the complex ones.
- Check and understand what all topics are often seen in actual CAT exam.
3. Combination Sets (DI + LR)
In recent years, the CAT exam has levelled up in terms of difficult. This has led to a rise in combination sets that have both data interpretation with logical reasoning.
CAT Preparation Tips 2025
- Practice sets from recent CAT papers and other mock tests to get comfortable with this format.
- As these do not have any standard solution to go ahead, focus on identifying relevant information and solve accordingly.
iQuanta’s CAT course has CAT Level LRDI Sets on relevant topics in very detailed manner so that you are able to approach any time of Sets they ask in your CAT 2025 Exam.
High-Weightage Topics in Quantitative Ability (QA)
The QA section will try to test your numerical ability and skill to solve problems using basic class 10 level math concepts. Though the syllabus is vast, some topics have consistently seen to carry more weight.
1. Arithmetic
Arithmetic topics like percentages, profit and loss, ratios, averages, time and work and time, speed, and distance dominate the QA section majorly. Often questions come from these topics as a combination of multiple topics. Approximately, 40% of QA is dominated by arithmetic every year and is is one of the high weightage topics for CAT 2025.
CAT 2025 Preparation Tips:
- Under basic concepts and formulas. Try to make good notes for easier revisions.
- Learn to skip questions which are time consuming.
2. Algebra
Algebra includes topics like linear and quadratic equations, inequalities, modulus and functions. Around 30% of QA is dominated by Algebra.
Preparation Tips:
- Try to cover all the topics here as they are mostly interdependent.
- There are a few type of questions which are often repeated in CAT, focus more on them.
3. Geometry and Mensuration
Geometry questions involve the properties of all shapes and coordinate geometry. Mensuration focuses on calculating the areas and volumes of different figures. You can expect 4 – 5 questions from geometry & mensuration.
CAT Preparation Tip 2025:
- Memorize key theorems related to shapes. Make note of all the formulas for area and volumes as they may get confusing as you move ahead.
4. Number Systems
This topic includes questions on prime numbers, divisibility, remainders and factors. Around 2 questions appear from this topic.
Preparation Tips:
- Solve questions from past year CAT papers to identify commonly asked questions.
This Non engineer’s module has been specially designed for those who are extremely weak in Maths.
After 200+ 99%ilers in CAT 2023, iQuanta breaks another record with 500+ 99%ilers in CAT 2024. A massive 2.5x increase!
This year, we have enhanced our course by introducing Non Engineers CAT module, Engineer’s VARC & LRDI Inception that aims to strengthen your basics along with the most updated set of CAT books of exact CAT 2023 & 2024 level
Enroll for iQuanta CAT 2025 Course
