MBA · Updated Oct 2026
CAT topic-wise weightage and study plan for QA, DILR and VARC
How the 68 CAT questions have split across sections and topics in the last two papers, with first-pass hours, so arithmetic, sets and reading comprehension get proportionate time.
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Exam pattern at a glance
- Questions
- 68: VARC 24, DILR 22, QA 22 (as in the 2024 and 2025 papers)
- Time
- 120 minutes, 40 per section; sections cannot be switched
- Marking
- +3 correct; −1 wrong MCQ; no negative marking for TITA
- Total marks
- 204
- When
- Late November
- Conducted by
- IIMs (rotating)
Check the latest notification before the exam. Official syllabus ↗
Chapter-wise weightage and study hours
Weightage is the chapter's share of past-paper questions, normalised within its subject; hours are a first pass without revision.
* Estimated weight: no reliable past-paper figure exists for this chapter, so the number is our estimate from the paper structure.
Quantitative Aptitude ≈22 of 68 questions · 40 min · 121 h
| # | Chapter / topic | Weightage (% of subject) | Avg. questions | Study hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arithmetic: Percentages, Profit/Loss, SI/CI* | 14% | 3 | 15 |
| 2 | Arithmetic: Ratio, Mixtures, Averages* | 11% | 2.5 | 12 |
| 3 | Arithmetic: Time-Speed-Distance, Time & Work* | 11% | 2.5 | 15 |
| 4 | Algebra: Equations, Inequalities, Functions* High | 16% | 3.5 | 20 |
| 5 | Algebra: Progressions, Logarithms, Surds* | 11% | 2.5 | 12 |
| 6 | Number System* | 11% | 2.5 | 15 |
| 7 | Geometry and Mensuration* High | 16% | 3.5 | 20 |
| 8 | Modern Maths: P&C, Probability, Set Theory* | 9.1% | 2 | 12 |
| Total | 121 |
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning ≈22 of 68 questions · 40 min · 82 h
| # | Chapter / topic | Weightage (% of subject) | Avg. questions | Study hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tables, Charts and Caselet DI* High | 27% | 6 | 20 |
| 2 | Arrangements and Puzzles* High | 27% | 6 | 25 |
| 3 | Games, Tournaments and Scheduling* | 18% | 4 | 15 |
| 4 | Venn Diagrams, Routes and Networks* | 14% | 3 | 10 |
| 5 | Quant-based LR (Maxima/Minima, Grids)* | 14% | 3 | 12 |
| Total | 82 |
Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension ≈24 of 68 questions · 40 min · 59 h
| # | Chapter / topic | Weightage (% of subject) | Avg. questions | Study hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reading Comprehension (4 passages) | 67% | 16 | 40 |
| 2 | Para Jumbles (TITA)* | 12% | 3 | 8 |
| 3 | Para Summary* | 12% | 3 | 6 |
| 4 | Odd Sentence Out* | 8.3% | 2 | 5 |
| Total | 59 |
A sample first week
A first week at 6 hours a day, built from the weightage above: each subject gets sessions in proportion to its marks, starting with its heaviest chapters, mixed so no day is one subject only. Your real plan in the app fits your own hours and exam date.
| Day | Session 1 (2 h) | Session 2 (2 h) | Session 3 (2 h) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | Quantitative AptitudeAlgebra: Equations, Inequalities, Functions | Data Interpretation & Logical ReasoningTables, Charts and Caselet DI | Verbal Ability & Reading ComprehensionReading Comprehension (4 passages) |
| Tue | Quantitative AptitudeAlgebra: Equations, Inequalities, Functions (contd.) | Data Interpretation & Logical ReasoningTables, Charts and Caselet DI (contd.) | Verbal Ability & Reading ComprehensionReading Comprehension (4 passages) (contd.) |
| Wed | Quantitative AptitudeAlgebra: Equations, Inequalities, Functions (contd.) | Data Interpretation & Logical ReasoningTables, Charts and Caselet DI (contd.) | Verbal Ability & Reading ComprehensionReading Comprehension (4 passages) (contd.) |
| Thu | Quantitative AptitudeAlgebra: Equations, Inequalities, Functions (contd.) | Data Interpretation & Logical ReasoningTables, Charts and Caselet DI (contd.) | Verbal Ability & Reading ComprehensionReading Comprehension (4 passages) (contd.) |
| Fri | Quantitative AptitudeAlgebra: Equations, Inequalities, Functions (contd.) | Data Interpretation & Logical ReasoningTables, Charts and Caselet DI (contd.) | Verbal Ability & Reading ComprehensionReading Comprehension (4 passages) (contd.) |
| Sat | Quantitative AptitudeAlgebra: Equations, Inequalities, Functions (contd.) | Data Interpretation & Logical ReasoningTables, Charts and Caselet DI (contd.) | Verbal Ability & Reading ComprehensionReading Comprehension (4 passages) (contd.) |
| Sun | Revise this week's chapters, take one timed mock or sectional test, and log the score. | ||
How Daily Tayyari plans your day
Pick your exam and date
Choose the exam (and GATE paper or UPSC optional) and your exam date. The full official syllabus loads with every chapter listed above.
Tell it your daily hours
Say how many hours you can study on weekdays and weekends. The plan only ever fills that time.
Get today's tasks
Each morning you see a short list of tasks: new chapters weighted by marks, plus practice and revision, sized to fit your day.
Spaced revision, automatically
Finished chapters come back after 1, 3, 7, 15, 30 and 60 days, and sooner if a chapter felt hard.
Green, yellow, red status
See whether you are on track, slightly behind or behind, and when the syllabus will be finished at your real pace.
Mock test tracking
Log scores from any test series. Chapters that went badly are marked weak and revised sooner.
Frequently asked questions
Which chapters carry the most weight in CAT?
Going by our compiled weightage, the heaviest chapters are Reading Comprehension (4 passages), Tables, Charts and Caselet DI, Arrangements and Puzzles, Games, Tournaments and Scheduling, Algebra: Equations, Inequalities, Functions. They are worth starting early, but past papers vary from year to year, so plan to cover the whole syllabus.
Is this CAT weightage official?
No. The IIMs publishes the syllabus, not chapter weightage. These numbers come from analyses of previous years' papers, so treat them as a guide to priority, not a promise of what will be asked.
How many hours does the CAT syllabus take?
Our first-pass estimate adds up to about 260 hours of study, before revision and mock tests. At 6 hours a day, 6 days a week, that is roughly 1.7 months. Daily Tayyari replaces these defaults with your actual pace after the first week or two.
Is there negative marking for TITA questions in CAT?
No. Type-in-the-answer questions carry no penalty for a wrong answer; MCQs lose 1 mark.
Are the section question counts fixed?
No. The IIMs do not announce them in advance. 24 / 22 / 22 is what the 2024 and 2025 papers had, and the topic split inside each section is our estimate.
Is Daily Tayyari free, and does it work in Hindi?
Yes. It is free with no ads and no payment; you sign in with Google only so your plan is saved. You can switch between Hindi and English at any time, and chapter names are shown in both.