What are the Standard Questions Asked in a CAT Exam?
The CAT exam is conducted in the CBT format for admission into the MBA or PGDM programmes offered by top Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and other B-schools. Find out what are the standard questions asked in a CAT exam below!
The CAT exam is conducted online in a computer-based test (CBT) format to assess a candidate's aptitude in three main areas: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Aptitude (QA). Two types of questions are asked in the CAT exam: Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) that have four options out of which you must choose the correct one and Non-MCQs (Type In The Answer - TITA). You must complete the CAT question paper in 2 hours or 120 minutes with a sectional time limit of 40 minutes per section. Go through the article below to know what are the standard questions asked in a CAT exam?
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Expected Number of Standard Questions CAT & Difficulty Level
The expected number of standard questions asked in a CAT exam and their difficulty levels are given below.
Topic Name | Expected Number of Questions | Difficulty Level |
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) | ||
Reading Comprehension Passages | 17-18 Questions | Moderately Difficult |
Para-Jumbles (VA) | 3-4 Questions | Moderate |
Para-Summary (VA) | 2-3 Questions | Moderate |
Odd Sentences Out (VA) | 2-3 Questions | Easy |
Fill in the Blanks | 1-2 Questions | Easy |
Logical Reasoning | ||
Seating Arrangement, and Data Arrangement | 5-6 Questions | Moderately Difficult |
Blood Relations | 2-3 Questions | Moderate |
Syllogisms & Venn Diagrams | 2-3 Questions | Easy |
Assumption & Binary Logic | 1-2 Questions | Easy |
Clocks & Calendars | 1-2 Questions | Moderately Easy |
Data Interpretation | ||
Puzzles | 1-2 Questions | Moderate |
Data Sufficiency | 3-5 Questions | Moderate |
Graphs Related | 5-8 Questions | Moderate |
Tables & Caselets | 3-5 Questions | Moderately Difficult |
Quantitative Aptitude | ||
Algebra | 10-14 Questions | Moderate |
Arithmetic | 6-8 Questions | Moderate |
Number System | 2-4 Questions | Moderate |
Modern Math | 1-3 Questions | Easy |
Geometry & Mensuration | 3-6 Questions | Moderately Difficult |
Standard Questions Asked in CAT VARC
In the CAT VARC section, you are required to portray your proficiency in English language comprehension, verbal reasoning, and analytical skills. Standard questions from this section require understanding of complex and lengthy passages from diverse topics, such as economics, history, philosophy, psychology, science, and fiction. In order to effectively answer the questions in this section, you must be able to make logical deductions, inferences, and conclusions based on the passage.
Verbal Ability
In this section, you will be assessed on various aspects that include your proficiency or command over English vocabulary, ability to rearrange a set of jumbled sentences into a logically coherent paragraph, identify the sentence that doesn’t logically fit with the rest of the given sentences, choose the best summary to a given paragraph or choose a concise sentence that summarizes a passage, complete sentences with the appropriate words, and identify grammatical errors in sentences. Questions will be primarily asked on topics such as Verbal reasoning, Para Jumbles, Para Summary, Antonyms, Grammar, Odd sentence out Analogy, Idiom, Vocabulary, Word usage, Sentence completion, Sentence Correction, and Fill in the blanks, etc. among others.
Reading Comprehension
You will typically encounter 4 to 5 passages with 16-18 questions in this section. The VARC section of CAT assesses your understanding of the English language and your ability to comprehend or identify the central theme or main idea of a passage. It will also evaluate how competent you are in understanding implicit meanings, assumptions, or information that are not directly stated and drawing inferences from them. You must be able to use critical thinking to gain understanding of the author's reasoning, arguments, point of view, tone, and attitude towards the subject. You must also be able to summarize the passage effectively and understand its purpose.
Questions asked from this section are primarily based on the main idea of the passage, author’s perspective or tone, and inference. Standard questions from this section cover topics like the following:
- Abstract topics like Philosophy and Psychology that encompass human behavior, consciousness, morality, ethics, etc.; works of literature, discussions on art movements; social structures and cultural phenomena
- Current affairs and contemporary issues such as democracy, governance, inequality, human rights, climate change, biodiversity, conservation, etc.
- Business and Economics encompassing marketing, finance, economic growth, inflation, strategy, entrepreneurship, international trade, and financial markets
- Science and Technology covering physics, chemistry, biological sciences, technology & innovation like AI, digital transformation, robotics, etc.
- Major historical events, revolutions, or the influence of political figures, and political ideologies like democracy, socialism, capitalism, etc.
- Behavioral Science and social psychology
- Geopolitics, International Relations, Globalization and International Trade
Click on the link below to get access to the standard questions asked in the CAT VARC section.
Standard Questions Asked in CAT DILR
Your ability to perform calculations will be tested in this section, especially in ratios, averages, percentages. You should be able to compare different sets of data and identify trends effectively. The most important skill required for this section is understanding complex data sets and simplifying them for calculations. You should also be competent in handling data-heavy questions efficiently and solving them with maximum accuracy within the stipulated time. You must be able to calculate percentages, averages, ratios, or interpret relationships between data points, interpret information from bar charts, track growth patterns, understand shifts, and calculate changes in line graphs, and analyze the financial performance of different divisions in a company.
The total marks of this section is 60 marks and the difficulty level is generally rated as moderate to high. Typically, 4 sets with 2 sets of 6 questions each and 2 sets of 4 questions each are found in the DILR section. Questions in the CAT DILR section are asked from the following topics:
Tables & Charts | Line, Bar Graphs, and Pie Charts | Linear and Circular Arrangements |
Caselets | Seating Arrangement | Binary Logic |
Assumptions | Coding-Decoding | Venn Diagram |
Tables with missing values, incorrect values, and connected data sets | Unconventional charts like radar chart, area chart, bubble chart | Routes and Networks |
Blood Relations | Scheduling | Team Formation |
Games and Tournaments | Puzzles | Selections |
Click on the link below to get access to the standard questions asked in the CAT DILR section.
Standard Questions Asked in CAT Quant
Your mathematical skills, problem-solving abilities, and aptitude for handling quantitative data will be tested in this section. You must be able to perform quick and accurate calculations for arithmetic problems like percentages, ratios, averages, under time constraints. To solve QA questions effectively, you must have a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts like geometry, algebra, arithmetic, and number systems, and be able to apply fundamental formulas and theorems. Application of geometrical concepts to solve questions on triangles, circles, polygons, etc. and employment of systematic problem-solving techniques to complex problems into simpler parts are crucial. You must practise mocks, sample papers, and topic-wise tests regularly to improve speed and accuracy and learn shortcuts, tricks, and important formulas to save time while performing complex calculations. Important topics from which questions are asked in this section include:
Topic | Description |
Arithmetic | Percentages; Averages; Ratio and Proportion; Profit, Loss, and Discount; Time, Speed, and Distance; Time and Work; Mixtures and Alligation; Simple and Compound Interest |
Algebra | Inequalities, Functions, Logarithms, Linear and Quadratic Equations, Polynomials, Progressions (AP, GP) |
Number Systems | HCF and LCM, Factors and Multiples, Remainder theorem |
Geometry and Mensuration | Triangles, Pythagoras theorem, Circles, Chords, Tangents, Polygons, Coordinate Geometry, Areas of triangles, rectangles, circles; and volumes of cylinders, cones, spheres |
Permutation and Combination | Arrangement, counting principles, and selection problems |
Probability | Basic and conditional probability |
Click on the link below to get access to the standard questions asked in the CAT QA section.
You must improve your vocabulary, strengthen your basics in all important topics, especially arithmetic and algebra, which have high weightage, practice as many mock tests and sample papers with increased focus on time management to perform effectively in the CAT exam.
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FAQs
Which is the most scoring section in CAT?
The most scoring section in CAT is Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension, since it has the maximum weightage, i.e. 24 questions and 72 marks.
Which is the toughest section in CAT?
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension and Quantitative Aptitude sections are considered as the toughest sections in CAT exam. Non-engineers find it difficult cracking Quants.
What subjects are asked in the CAT exam?
Three subjects are asked in the CAT exam: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Aptitude (QA). The exam is conducted online in a computer-based test (CBT) format over a duration of 120 minutes.
Do questions repeat in CAT?
Yes, questions repeat in CAT and you can expect the number of questions being repeated in the CAT to be around 10 to 15. These questions might not be the same but if a candidate has gone through the previous CAT question papers, they might identify these questions to resemble the ones asked previously.
What type of questions are asked in CAT?
Two types of questions are asked in the CAT exam: Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) that have four options out of which you must choose the correct one and Non-MCQs (Type In The Answer - TITA).