CAT 2025: Complete Syllabus, Exam Pattern & 6-Month Preparation Plan

CAT 2025 Quick Facts

• Conducting Body: IIM (rotates annually)
• Mode: Computer-based test
• Duration: 2 hours (40 minutes per section)
• Total Questions: 66
• Total Marks: 198

Exam Sections

Section-wise Strategy

VARC — Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension

Reading Comprehension (16 questions)

• 4 passages of 500–700 words each
• Inference, tone, theme, and detail questions
• Practice: Read 2 quality articles daily (Hindu, Economist, Aeon)

Verbal Ability (8 questions)

• Para Jumbles (4 sentences to be rearranged)
• Summary questions
• Odd Sentence Out

Target: 18/24 correct for 90+ percentile in VARC

DILR — Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning

This is the most dreaded section. It has 4 sets of 5 questions each.

DI Types: Tables, Bar graphs, Pie charts, Line graphs, Scatter plots

LR Types: Seating arrangements, Grid puzzles, Blood relations, Games/Tournaments

Strategy: Attempt 3 sets fully rather than attempting all 4 partially. Accuracy > Attempts.

QA — Quantitative Ability

High Weightage Topics:

• Arithmetic: Percentages, Profit-Loss, Time-Work, Speed-Time (40%)
• Algebra: Equations, Functions, Progressions (20%)
• Geometry: Circles, Triangles, Mensuration (20%)
• Number System: Remainders, Factors, HCF-LCM (15%)
• Modern Math: Permutations, Probability, Set Theory (5%)

6-Month Preparation Plan

Month 1–2: Concept Building

• Complete all QA topics from fundamentals
• Build reading habit for VARC
• Learn DILR techniques (solving frameworks)
• Daily: 2 hours QA + 1 hour reading + 1 hour DILR

Month 3–4: Practice Mode

• Chapter-wise tests for all topics
• Timed sectional mocks
• Build speed — CAT is as much about time management as knowledge
• Daily: 3 hours focused practice

Month 5: Mock Tests

• Take 1 full CAT mock per week
• Analyze every mock in detail — 2 hours of analysis per mock
• Identify patterns in your mistakes

Month 6: Intensive Sprint

• 2 mocks per week
• Last 5 years' actual CAT papers (must-do)
• Revise formulas and shortcuts

Free Resources

• Cracku: Free CAT mocks and study material
• 2IIM: Free YouTube lectures for QA
• CATKing: DILR video solutions
• Unacademy: Free VARC sessions

What After CAT Score?

CAT score leads to applications to 20 IIMs and 1000+ other MBA colleges. Shortlisting process typically includes:

1. Written Ability Test (WAT)
2. Group Discussion (GD)
3. Personal Interview (PI)

Work on your profile: academics, work experience, extracurriculars. A 97 percentile with a weak interview can lose to an 85 percentile with an outstanding PI.