CAT Syllabus 2020
Get the CAT exam syllabus here. Candidates looking for CAT 2020 syllabus are on the right page. You should know that CAT exam is designed to access analytical, language, and logical skills of the candidates. Hence, there is no particular syllabus of CAT by IIMs. However, on the basis of the previous year question paper, analysis, and experience, CAT experts have prepared a syllabus for the exam. It contains important topics, which candidates must not miss. To check and download the CAT syllabus 2020 PDF, know the changes in the exam pattern and more details read below.
MUST READ FOR ALL CAT 2020 ASPIRANTS – Exam Day Guidelines, Dress Code, SOPs
It should be noted that this syllabus is not by Aglasem but has been taken from the syllabus prescribed by experts and coaching institutes. There are 3 sections in CAT, for:
- Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC)
- Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR)
- Quantitative Ability (QA).
Also recommended for MBA aspirants:
The questions topics asked in the exam are from these sections only.
CAT 2020 Important Topics with Weightage
Here are the topics asked in CAT last year and the their weightage for preparation for CAT 2020.
Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC)
| Topics | Number of questions asked (Last Year) |
| Reading Comprehension | 5 |
| Para Summary | 3 |
| Odd Sentence | 3 |
| Para Jumbles | 4 |
Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR)
| Topics | Number of questions asked (Last Year) |
| Crime Rate across States | 4 |
| Rating of Vendors (Radar Graph) | 4 |
| Tournament – Shooting Bullseye | 4 |
| Dancers and Choreographers | 4 |
| Summation of Two 6-Digit Numbers | 4 |
| 100 Boxes of Gifts | 4 |
| 12 Junctions | 4 |
| Arrangement of Books on Shelves | 4 |
Quantitative Ability (QA)
| Topic | Number of questions asked (Last Year) |
| Number System | 2 |
| Algebra | 13 |
| Arithmetic | 14 |
| Modern Math | 1 |
| Geometry and Mensuration | 4 |
CAT 2020 Mock Test
A noteworthy strategy to score well in the examination is to practice mocks before appearing for the examination. This allows all the test-takers to analyze how the examination is conducted. Check the mock test links given below.
How to Prepare for CAT 2020?
The CAT 2020 exam preparation differs largely from one candidate to another. This is because the CAT is taken by working as well as non-working professionals. The strategy for preparation for both categories differs largely. However, here some strategies that can be applied to both category of candidates:
- Take mock tests. Mock tests are a great way to improve the speed and accuracy.
- Take care of the basics. The basics form an important part of the exam. The exam is ‘application of concept’ based exam. Hence the candidates must keep their basics and concepts clear.
- Try to cover all the topics for the exam, at least the most important ones.
New CAT 2020 Exam Pattern
Here is what is new in CAT 2020 exam pattern:
Time limit: The candidates have to complete the full test in 2 hours and for each section, the time limit is set as 40 minutes. Earlier the total limit for the exam was 3 hours.
Number of questions – Every year in CAT 100 questions are asked in total. However, since this year the time duration has been reduced from 3 hours to 2 hours, the number of questions in the exam is expected to go down too.
Other details of CAT 2020 exam pattern as as past year, which are as follows:
- Exam Mode: CAT 2020 is a computer-based test.
- Sections in CAT 2020 exam: There are 3 sections in the test – DILR, VARC, and QA.
- Marking Scheme: The marking scheme is +3 for correct answers and -1 for wrong ones. This is in the case of the MCQs. For the TITA questions, candidates get +3 for correct answers and no marks for wrong answers.
- Question type: There are 2 types of questions
- MCQs – Multiple Choice Questions
- TITA – Type in the answer type questions
- Distribution of the questions: This varies every year. However last year the pattern was as follows:
| Section | No. of Qs | No. of MCQs | No. of TITA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) | 34 | 27 | 7 |
| Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) | 32 | 24 | 8 |
| Quantitative Ability (QA) | 34 | 23 | 11 |
Important Books for CAT 2020
Candidates can check the books given below to prepare for CAT 2020.
For VARC
| Books | Links |
| How to Prepare for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for the CAT | Buy Here |
| Wiley’s ExamXpert Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for CAT 2019 | Buy Here |
| Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for CAT by Pearson | Buy Here |
For DILR
| Books | Links |
| How to Prepare for DATA INTERPRETATION for CAT | Buy Here |
| How to Prepare for Logical Reasoning for CAT | Buy Here |
| Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for CAT by Pearson | Buy Here |
For Quantitative Aptitude
| Books | Links |
| How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for CAT | Buy Here |
| Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations | Buy Here |
| Quantitative Aptitude for the CAT | Buy Here |
CAT 2020
Common Admission Test is one of the popular management competitive entrance examination conducted for the students who want to pursue MBA / PGP and FPM courses. After qualifying CAT, the candidates can take admission in IIMs. The test is conducted annually for a duration of 3 hours. There are a total of 100 questions in the test. There are multiple-choice questions as well as type in the answers type questions. After qualifying the test, candidates are required to appear for Group Discussion (GD) / Personal Interview (PI) and Written Ability Test (WAT).
