What is the CAT 2026 syllabus?

CAT 2026 covers Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Ability. The notification names the sections, and topics are inferred from sample papers and previous-year questions.

Is there an official CAT syllabus PDF?

We did not find an official topic-wise syllabus. The official website provides sample papers for each section, which is the most reliable guide to the question style.

How much mathematics is needed for CAT QA?

QA is based on school-level mathematics up to about Class 10, covering arithmetic, algebra, geometry, number system and modern maths, but the questions are harder and time-bound.

Which section should I start with?

Start with the section where you lose the most marks. Most candidates begin with arithmetic and algebra in QA and daily reading for VARC, and add DILR sets once they can solve basic ones within time.

Is there a syllabus for the CAT interview stage?

No. The written ability test and interview are run by each institute and have no fixed syllabus. Prepare through your profile, current affairs and common management topics.

Management Entrance

CAT 2026 Syllabus: Topic-wise Guide for VARC, DILR and QA

The CAT 2026 syllabus covers three sections: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) and Quantitative Ability (QA). The exam is conducted by IIM Indore and is scheduled for 29 November 2026 in three sessions.

This guide turns the three sections into a topic checklist, shows which topics to start with and gives a simple plan to cover them. The CAT notification names the sections but, as in earlier cycles, we did not find a topic-wise official syllabus. The topic lists below are built from sample papers and questions asked in previous years. Use them as a working checklist, not as an official list, and check iimcat.ac.in for the official sample papers.

CAT Syllabus at a Glance
Key Points to Know
VARC Syllabus
DILR Syllabus
QA Syllabus
Syllabus After CAT: WAT and Interview
How to Cover the Syllabus

CAT Syllabus at a Glance

Section	Questions	Marks	Time
VARC	24	72	40 minutes
DILR	22	66	40 minutes
QA	22	66	40 minutes

These section sizes follow the last two cycles and are indicative for CAT 2026.

Key Points to Know

No official topic list: The syllabus is inferred from past papers, so a topic can appear that is not on any list.
School-level base: QA questions test Class 8 to Class 10 mathematics at a higher difficulty, not advanced university maths.
Question types vary: Both multiple-choice and type-in-the-answer questions can appear in any section.
Older pages may differ: Older pages may still show a 180-minute paper or a different section size, so follow the official notification.

VARC Syllabus

VARC tests how fast and accurately you read and judge text. Reading comprehension carries the largest share of questions, so it is the first area to build.

Area	Topics to cover	Start with
Reading comprehension	Passages on social science, economics, philosophy, science and the arts; main idea, inference, tone, author's view and vocabulary in context	Daily reading of long articles and two passages a day
Para jumbles	Ordering four or five sentences into a logical paragraph	Spotting opening sentences and linking words
Para summary	Choosing the option that captures the core idea of a short paragraph	Summarising paragraphs in one line
Odd sentence out	Finding the sentence that does not fit the theme	Theme and flow of ideas
Sentence placement	Placing a given sentence at the right position in a paragraph	Reference words and transitions

DILR Syllabus

DILR rewards candidates who can pick the right sets and manage time, not those who try every set. Practise sets from each type below.

Area	Topics to cover	Start with
Data interpretation	Tables, bar and line graphs, pie charts, caselets, mixed charts, percentages and ratios	Calculation speed and percentage change
Arrangements	Linear and circular seating, grouping, selection and scheduling	Small sets with two or three conditions
Games and tournaments	Leagues, knockouts, rankings and points tables	Reading the rules before building a table
Venn diagrams and sets	Overlapping groups, minimum and maximum cases	Three-set diagrams
Networks and routes	Paths, distances, flows and connections	Drawing the network cleanly

QA Syllabus

QA draws on arithmetic, algebra, geometry, number system and modern maths. Arithmetic and algebra together usually form the largest share, so build them first.

Area	Topics to cover	Start with
Arithmetic	Percentages, profit and loss, ratio and proportion, averages, time and work, time-speed-distance, interest, mixtures	Percentages and ratio
Algebra	Linear and quadratic equations, inequalities, functions, logarithms, surds and indices, progressions	Equations and inequalities
Geometry and mensuration	Triangles, circles, polygons, coordinate geometry, areas and volumes	Triangle and circle properties
Number system	Divisibility, factors, remainders, HCF and LCM, base systems	Remainders and factors
Modern maths	Permutation and combination, probability, set theory	Counting principles

Syllabus After CAT: WAT and Interview

After the result, institutes call shortlisted candidates for a written ability test and a personal interview. These stages do not have a fixed syllabus. Expect questions on your academic background, work experience, current affairs and your reasons for choosing management, and check each institute's admission brochure for its process.

How to Cover the Syllabus

With the exam on 29 November 2026, the focus now is on revision and timed practice rather than learning every topic from scratch.

Concepts first: Revise core arithmetic, algebra and number system, and read for 30 to 40 minutes every day.
Topic-wise practice: Solve sets by topic and mark the ones you consistently get wrong.
Sectional tests: Practise 40-minute sectional tests to build the habit of choosing questions.
Full-length mocks: Attempt full papers at the real timing, review each one the same day and revise from an error log.

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