10 Years of CAT Papers Reveal the Topics That Never Lost Importance

The CAT Exam Pattern Has Changed, But Not by Much

Before looking at topics, it helps to know how the exam itself has changed. Here is the exam pattern data over the years.

The number of questions and section timings have changed over the years, while the three-section structure and +3/-1 marking scheme have remained broadly consistent.TITA/non-MCQ questions do not have negative marking. CAT shifted from a 180-minute exam in 2019 to a 120-minute exam from 2020 onward.

See what previous CAT papers under IIM Indore reveal about possible exam trends for CAT 2026. CAT 2026 Under IIM Indore

Quant: Arithmetic and Algebra Have Remained Dominant

One thing that we saw across CAT topic-wise weightage analyses is that Arithmetic has consistently dominated the Quantitative Aptitude section.

In the latest CAT papers, Arithmetic and Algebra combined would constitute roughly two-thirds to three-fourths of QA, but it varies from year to year and from slot to slot. Arithmetic comprises topics such as percentages, ratios, averages, time-speed-distance, and profit and loss while Algebra is made up of equations, functions, and inequalities.

Geometry and Number System make an appearance, but they are present in smaller proportions. Modern Maths (permutations, combinations, probability) also has a minuscule share.

Key takeaway for CAT aspirants: Arithmetic and Algebra are the key areas that have to be focused on as they dominate the QA section. You must do well in these two areas if you want to score high in the CAT QA.

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VARC: Reading Comprehension Has Owned Two-Thirds of the Section for Years

VARC shows the most consistent pattern of all three sections. Reading Comprehension (RC) has made up roughly two-thirds of VARC questions in most recent years.

The remaining Verbal Ability questions rotate between para jumbles, para summary, odd sentence out, and para completion - but the exact mix of these four types changes almost every year. RC does not.

What this means for your prep: since RC is worth close to two-thirds of VARC marks, reading speed and comprehension accuracy matter more than grammar rules. CAT does not typically test direct grammar or vocabulary questions - it tests how well you understand and reason through a passage.

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DILR: Unpredictable Sets, But Familiar Formats

DILR is the section coaching institutes call the hardest to predict, and the data backs that up. Unlike QA and VARC, the exact topic mix in DILR shifts every year - 2022 had a near-even split between reasoning-based DI and table-graph sets, while 2023 leaned almost entirely on tables, graphs, and arrangement-style sets.

Even so, a few formats return again and again across the last several years:

• Arrangements and puzzles - seating arrangements, distribution problems, and logic-based sequencing

• Games and tournaments - a format that has appeared in recent CAT papers

• Bar graphs, line graphs, and Venn diagrams - the standard data-reading sets

• Data sufficiency - a smaller but recurring format

The one thing that stays constant is the difficulty. Slot-wise analyses of recent CAT papers, including CAT 2025, consistently rank DILR as the toughest of the three sections, mainly because it is time-intensive rather than concept-heavy.

Unlike QA and VARC, DILR is particularly difficult to represent with one fixed 10-year percentage table because CAT questions are presented as sets, and many sets combine DI and LR concepts. Different analyses therefore classify the same set differently.

What this means for your prep: in DILR, set selection matters as much as accuracy. Strong candidates typically scan the sets first and choose the most solvable ones.

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The Topics That Have Remained Most Important

Pulling all three sections together, here are the areas that have remained consistently important across CAT papers in the last 10 years:

1. Arithmetic (QA) - percentages, ratios, averages, time-speed-distance

2. Algebra (QA) - equations, functions, inequalities

3. Reading Comprehension (VARC) - passage-based questions across varied topics

4. Arrangement and puzzle-based sets (DILR) - logic-driven, not calculation-driven

5. Data reading sets (DILR) - bar graphs, line graphs, tables

These five areas form a strong backbone for CAT preparation. Everything else - Geometry, Number Systems, Modern Maths, Para Jumbles, Data Sufficiency - adds up to meaningful marks too, but none of them have shown the same year-on-year consistency as this core group.

Analyse the CAT 2025 slot-wise weightage matrix to understand section and topic-level trends across slots. CAT 2025 Slot-wise Weightage Matrix

A Simple Way to Use This Data

You do not need to memorise every percentage in the tables above. Use this data the way toppers do:

• Spend the largest share of your Quant prep time on Arithmetic and Algebra, not spread equally across all topics.

• In VARC, prioritise RC practice over grammar rules, since RC accounts for most of the VARC section.

• In DILR, practice picking the right sets quickly instead of trying to solve every set in a mock.

• Revisit this weightage pattern after every mock test, and check whether your accuracy in these five core areas is improving.

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Final Word

CAT does not publish an official topic-wise breakup. The percentages here are based on analyses of actual and memory-based CAT papers from 2016 to 2025, cross-checked across multiple sources. Minor variations are normal because CAT papers differ across slots. In general, however, it must be said that the format may change, but the topics will remain the same since arithmetic, algebra, reading, and logic are always in demand. Thus, if the preparation time is limited, it is logical to focus only on these topics.