Complete CAT Syllabus

CAT 2019 Exam

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CAT Syllabus has remained more or less the same for the last decade but the
paper pattern has changed. Before we actually try to understand the complete
and detailed CAT syllabus for the CAT 2019 exam, we need to understand the
pattern of the paper. Once we know the pattern of the paper, it would be
simpler for us to understand the syllabus for CAT. The pattern for CAT exam
has remained more or less the same for the past 3 years – CAT 2015, CAT 2016,
and CAT 2017. It is safe to assume that a similar, if not exactly the same,
pattern would continue for CAT 2019 as well.

CAT 2019 exam would be divided in to three separate sections of 1 hour each:

Section 1 – Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (34 questions)

Section 2 – Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation (32 questions)

Section 3 – Quantitative Aptitude (34 questions)

 CAT Syllabus for Verbal Ability and Reading
Comprehension section of CAT 2019 Exam
Over the past few years, the Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)
section has focused quite heavily on Reading Comprehension. Out of 34, you
can expect anywhere from 20 to 25 questions from the Reading
Comprehension. The other 10-15 questions would be from the Verbal Ability
part.
Given below is the CAT syllabus and the topics you need to cover for the VA
RC section:

Different Categories of Passages

Writing Styles

Reading Comprehension

Tone of Writing

Types of Questions
 The Articles – A, An, The

Parts of Speech in English

Sentence Construction in English

Grammar
Punctuations

Modifiers

Subject-Verb Agreement

Verbs Tenses

Sentence Correction

Word Usage
 Logical Deduction

Statements & Assumptions

Courses of Action

Verbal Reasoning Parajumbles (Basic Rules, Extra tips)

Para Completion

Sentence Exclusion

Fact Inference Judgment

Syllogism
 Basic Assumption And Inference

Strengthen and Weaken an

Argument

Paragraph Summary

Critical Reasoning
Method of Reasoning and Boldfaced

Flawed and Paradox

Parallel, Further Application,

Evaluate

Fallacies and Strong Weak

Arguments
CAT syllabus for Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation
Section for CAT 2019:
Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation (LRDI) has become the most
grueling of all sections in the CAT exam over the years. Typically, there are 8
sets with 4 questions each. To score around 90%ile need to do 2-3 sets
correctly, whereas to score around 95%ile in the LRDI section, you need to do
3-4 sets correctly.

I would like to divide the CAT Syllabus for the LRDI section in two levels.

-Level 1 consists of topics that you need to do to build a base.

-Level 2 consists of topics on which you can expect actual questions to

be asked in the exam.
• Level 1 topics of CAT syllabus for LRDI section:

• Coding – Decoding

• Number Series

• Letter Series

• Symbol Series

• Symbol based Logic

• Number & Alphabet Analogies

• Odd one out

• Direction Sense

• Blood Relations and Family Tree

• Cryptarithmetic (Verbal Arithmetic)

• Inequalities and Conclusions – Coded Inequalities

• Data Sufficiency

• Approximation of Values
Level 2 topics of CAT syllabus for LRDI section:

• Bar Graphs

• Pie Charts

• Tables

• Binary Logic – True / False statements based questions

• Pan Balance / Spring Balance

• Linear and Circular Seating Arrangements

• Matrix and Grid based Arrangements

• Games and Tournaments (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3)

• Sequential Output / Input-Output

• Logical Conditions (If this, then that)

• Logical Grouping – Questions based on Team Formation

• Critical Path

• Cubes based problems

• Matchstick / Coin picking based problems

• Dice Related Problems

• Order and Ranking

• Quant Based LR Puzzles

CAT Syllabus for Quantitative Aptitude of CAT 2019 Exam:

Given below is the structure of the Quantitative Aptitude section. As you can
see, We have further divided the Quant part, in to 5 sup-parts:

1. Number System

2. Algebra

3. Arithmetic

4. Geometry

5. Modern Math

The numbers given in the picture are based on the average pattern of the CAT
exam over the last 4-5 years. You can expect a swing of +/- 2 questions in each
category. Also, it is sometimes difficult to categorize a question in one sub-
topic versus the other, so I have taken some poetic license while doing that.
Number System Syllabus for CAT 2019 Exam:
Given below are some of the topics that you should cover in Number System-

• Basics of Numbers

• Properties of Numbers

• Divisibility Rules

• Divisibility and Factors

• Highest Common Factor and Lowest Common Multiple

• Finding Out Last Digit

• Finding Out Last Two Digits

• Number of trailing zeroes

• Special cases of Factorials – Highest Power in a prime, rightmost non

zero digit

• Finding out Remainders

o Based on basic divisibility rules

o Based on Binomial Theorem

o Based on Simplifying the Dividend (Single and / or

Multiple Divisors)

o Fermat’s Theorem | Euler’s Theorem | Wilson’s Theorem

o Pattern Recognition and cyclicity of remainders

• Base Systems

o Conversion of Bases

o Addition / subtraction / multiplication in different bases

Arithmetic Syllabus for CAT 2019 Exam:
I would like to suggest that you divide it in three parts.

Part 1 – Basic concepts from the syllabus that you need to solve any question

Averages Percentages Simple and Compound Interest

Mean Median Mode Ratio and Proportion

• Part 2 – High probability areas of CAT syllabus on which questions can

be asked in the CAT 2019 exam

• Installments

• Profit and Loss

• Mixtures and Alligations

• Time Speed and Distance

o Basic Concepts

o Linear and Circular Races

o Boats and Stream

o Relative Speed

o Escalator Based Questions

• Time and Work

o Pipes and Cisterns

Part 3 – Concepts from CAT syllabus that you should know but are unlikely
to be asked in the CAT:

Calendars Clocks Stocks and Shares

Algebra Syllabus for CAT 2019 Exam:
Given below are some of the topics that you can and should go through to
get a good grasp on the Algebra section:

• Basics Algebraic Formulae

• Linear Equations

o Problems on ages

o Number of integer solutions

• Quadratic Equations

o Finding out roots

o Maxima and Minima

• Higher Degree Equations

o Descartes Rule of Signs

• Inequalities

• Logarithm

• Functions

o Modifications of graphs

o Smallest value in a maximum function

Geometry Syllabus for CAT 2019 Exam:
Given below are some of the topics that you can and should go through to
get a good grasp on the Geometry section:

• Lines and Angles

• Triangles – Basic Concepts

o Area, Angles

o Similar Triangles

o Special Triangles (30-60-90, 45-45-90, 30-30,120)

• Polygons

• Circles

• Solids / Mensuration – 3D Geometry

• Co-ordinate Geometry

• Trigonometry

Among the above topics, Co-ordinate Geometry and Trigonometry are low
priority areas. If you can spend even an hour on Trigonometry to understand
the basic concepts and simple applications of those basic concepts – it should
be enough for the CAT exam. You do not need anything more than that.
Similarly, as far as Co-ordinate Geometry is concerned – it is a combination of a
large number of formulas. If you are good at remembering stuff, 75% of your
co-ordinate geometry problems would be solved in less than a minute.
Modern Math Syllabus for CAT 2019 Exam:
Given below is a list of topics that are included in Modern Math section of CAT
syllabus:

• Sequence and Series

• Binomial Theorem

• Set Theory

o Venn Diagram based on 2 / 3 sets

o Venn Diagram based on 4 sets

o Maxima and Minima related to values in a set

o ‘At least n’ type of problems

• Permutation and Combination

o Fundamental Principles of Counting

o Distribution of Objects

o Problems based on Grids

o Rank of a word in a dictionary

• Probability

You can view the CAT Syllabus here:

Complete CAT Syllabus for CAT Exam
Good Luck for your preparation!

Cheers.