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Updated on 14th October, 2024 , 4 min read
CAT Topic-Wise Weightage: The CAT Topic wise weightage refers to the weightage or importance that each topic carries. The topic-wise weightage for CAT 2024 may vary slightly from year to year, but this is a general overview of what a candidate can expect. It is important to note that the difficulty level of the questions in each section will also vary, so it is important to be prepared for a range of question types. This analysis can help the candidates assess the topics that require more attention than others.
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If the candidates are aiming for a high percentile in CAT, it is important to focus on all three sections. However, you may want to focus more on the sections that you are weaker in. For example, if you are struggling with Quant, you may want to focus more on that section. It is also important to practice answering questions under timed conditions. The CAT is a 3-hour exam, so it is important to be able to manage your time effectively. You can practice answering questions under timed conditions by taking practice tests or by using online CAT preparation tools.
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Subject/ Section | Important topics | Weightage in CAT Exam |
Para summary, Para jumbles, Inferences and Sentence Completion | 10% | |
Reading Comprehension | Questions based on passages, order of sentences, para meaning. | 24% |
Tables, Pie Charts, Graphs, Venn Diagram | 16% | |
Logical Reasoning | Seating Arrangement, Blood Relation, Syllogism And Caselets | 16% |
Quantitative Aptitude | Geometry, Arithmetic, Algebra, Mensuration, Number System | 34% |
The topic-wise weightage for each of the three sections is explained in brief below. The section aims to help the candidates understand and assess which topics carry the most weightage and what kind of attention they require.
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The past year analysis of the CAT topics and their weightage will not only help the candidates analyse what topics need to be studied rigorously and what topics can be studied less rigorously. Check the CAT topic-wise weightage for the previous years below.
The below table presents the data for 2023 CAT Quantitative Aptitude section which is helpful in analysing the topics one should cover.
Topic Name | Slot 1 | Slot 2 | Slot 3 |
Arithmetic | 9 | 9 | 8 |
Algebra Log/Equations, Surds/Sequence/Series | 8 | 7 | 7 |
Geometry and Mensuration | 3 | 3 | 3 |
Number System | 1 | 3 | 4 |
Modern Maths | 1 | NA | NA |
Check the CAT 2022 topic-wise weightage for each of the three sections detailed below for easy reference and understanding.
Slots | Topics | Number of Questions | Weightage (%) |
Slot 1 | Arithmetic | 8 | 36 |
Geometry and Mensuration | 3 | 14 | |
Algebra | 8 | 36 | |
Modern Math | 2 | 9 | |
Number Systems | 1 | 5 | |
Slot 2 & 3 | Arithmetic | 9 | 41 |
Geometry and Mensuration | 4 | 18 | |
Algebra | 7 | 32 | |
Modern Math | 1 | 5 | |
Number Systems | 1 | 5 |
Slots | Topic | No. of Questions | Weightage (%) |
Slots 1, 2 and 3 | Reading: Comprehension Passages | 16 | 68 |
Para Summary | 3 | 12 | |
Para Jumbles | 3 | 12 | |
Para Completion or Odd Sentences Out | 2 | 4 |
Slots | Topics | Number of Questions |
Slot 1 | University Teams | 5 |
Token Value | 5 | |
DI- Metro Lines | 5 | |
LR Set- 15 girls get together | 5 | |
Slot 2 | DI- Company Revenue and Cost | 5 |
LR- Salesmen + 4 Companies | 5 | |
DI- Cosmetic Sales | 5 | |
Diagram based LR Set- Widget Supplies | 5 | |
Slot 3 | DI Based on Graph- Gender + Colour | 5 |
LR- Games and Tournament- 4 People | 5 | |
DI- Ratio based | 5 | |
LR- COVID Cases | 5 |
Check the CAT 2021 topic-wise weightage for each of the three sections detailed below for easy reference and understanding.
Slots | Topics | Number of Questions | Weightage (%) |
Slot 1 and 2 | Arithmetic | 11 | 50 |
Geometry and Mensuration | 3 | 13.6 | |
Algebra | 5 | 22.8 | |
Modern Mathematics | 1 | 4.5 | |
Number Systems | 2 | 9.1 | |
Slot 3 | Arithmetic | 11 | 50 |
Geometry and Mensuration | 4 | 18.2 | |
Algebra | 6 | 27.3 | |
Modern Mathematics | 1 | 4.5 | |
Number Systems | - | - |
Topics | Number of Questions | Weightage (in percentage) |
Reading: Comprehension Based Questions | 16 | 68 |
Odd Sentences Out | 2 | 8 |
Para-Summary | 3 | 12 |
Para-Jumbles | 3 | 12 |
Slots | Topics | Number of Questions |
Slot 1 | LR- Arranging People into Countries & Categories | 6 |
Bar Graph – Percentages | 4 | |
Table – Girls making a smoothie | 6 | |
LR Table- Relationships | 4 | |
Slot 2 | DI- Rating | 6 |
LR- Games and Tournaments | 4 | |
Bar Graph – Stacked Horizontal | 4 | |
LR- Number Based Reasoning | 6 | |
Slot 3 | LR- Games and Tournaments (Javelin) | 6 |
Mixtures | 4 | |
DI- Gantt Chart | 4 | |
Content Creation | 6 |
There were no such changes introduced in CAT Examination Pattern since 2015 until the last year. Though the format has remained the same but there are some changes such as the type of questions, CAT entrance exam duration, CAT exam format, etc. Below mentioned are the important details of CAT exam along with the marking scheme.
Sections | Questions | Time | Time Limit for PwD Students | Marks | CAT Negative Marking |
Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension | 24 | 40 min | 53 minutes and 20 seconds | 72 | -1 |
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning | 20 | 40 min | 53 minutes and 20 seconds | 60 | -1 |
Quantitative Ability | 22 | 40 min | 53 minutes and 20 seconds | 66 | -1 |
Total | 66 | 120 min | 160 minutes | 198 | - |
There have been some substantial changes in CAT Syllabus during the past 5 years. Below are some of the major changes that were introduced in CAT Exam 2023 Syllabus, and are followed till date.
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By - Prachi Bhatia 2024-09-30 08:31:41 , 12 min readBest Books for CAT 2024 Preparation, Recommended By Toppers and Other Books
By - Chetna Verma 2024-09-16 09:24:07 , 7 min readIn the VARC section each of the sections that is Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension carry equal weightage of 50%.
In DILR section - Data Interpretation carries 60% weightage while the Logical Reasoning section carries 40% of the weightage.
In the CAT quant section - Number Systems has 25%, Algebra has 25%, Geometry and Mensuration has 25%, Probability and Statistics has 25% weightage.
In the CAT exam Quantitative Aptitude (QA) carries 35% weightage, Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) section also carries 35% weightage, and the Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) carries 20% weightage.
CAT topic wise weightage refer to the weightage and the importance that each topic in the exam syllabus carries. This analysis helps the candidates understand the topics, questions, and sections that carry the most weightage, and those that carry less weightage than other topics.