CDAC CCAT Exam Pattern & Syllabus 2026 — Complete Topic-wise Guide

Understanding the CDAC CCAT exam pattern and syllabus is the first step toward effective preparation. The C-CAT (CDAC Common Admission Test) is conducted for admission into PG Diploma programmes offered by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing. This guide provides the complete section-wise topic breakdown with question distribution.

CCAT Exam Overview

The CCAT exam consists of 3 sections with 50 questions each. Each section has a duration of 1 hour. The exam is conducted online (computer-based).

Section	Questions	Duration	Key Topics
Section A	50	1 Hour	English, Aptitude, Reasoning, Computer Fundamentals
Section B	50	1 Hour	C Programming, Data Structures, OOP, OS, Big Data, AI
Section C	50	1 Hour	Digital Electronics, Computer Architecture, Microprocessors

Section A — Aptitude, English & Reasoning (50 Questions)

Section A is common for all candidates and is the easiest section to improve quickly. For detailed preparation tips, read our Section A preparation guide.

English (12-15 Questions)

• Reading Comprehension (passage-based)
• Sentence Completion
• Prepositions (of, by, on, at, with)
• Articles (A, An, The)
• Synonyms & Antonyms
• Idioms and Phrases
• Active and Passive Voice
• Arrangement of Sentences (PQRS format)
• Spotting Errors

Quantitative Aptitude (15-18 Questions)

• Number System, HCF & LCM
• Percentage, Profit & Loss
• Ratio & Proportion, Partnership
• Average, Problems on Ages
• Time and Work, Time and Distance
• Simple & Compound Interest
• Permutation & Combination, Probability
• Boats & Streams, Trains
• Calendar, Clock, Series
• Allegation & Mixture

Logical Reasoning (12-15 Questions)

• Seating Arrangement (circular table, straight line)
• Number Series
• Direction Sense (North, East, West, South)
• Blood Relations
• Syllogism
• Coded Inequality
• Puzzle Test
• Coding-Decoding

Computer Fundamentals (8-9 Questions)

Basic computer concepts including hardware, software, memory types, and networking basics.

Section B — Programming & Computer Science (50 Questions)

Section B is ideal for CS, IT, and MCA students. It tests your programming and core CS knowledge.

C Programming (10-12 Questions)

C programming carries the highest weight in Section B. For detailed preparation, see our C programming guide for CCAT.

• Data Types, Operators
• Loops (for, while, do-while, jump statements)
• Functions (user-defined, storage classes, pass by value/reference)
• Pointers (void, NULL, pointer arithmetic, function pointers)
• Enum, Strings (declaration, string operations)
• Arrays (1D, 2D, static and dynamic)
• Structures, Unions
• Preprocessor, Macros, Command Line Arguments
• Typedef, File Handling, Bit Fields

Data Structures (6-7 Questions)

Read our dedicated Data Structures guide for CCAT.

• Time Complexity (best, average, worst case)
• Sorting (Selection, Bubble, Insertion, Merge, Quick Sort)
• Searching (Binary, Linear/Sequential)
• Queue (types, applications, operations)
• Linked List (Singly, Doubly, Circular — linear and circular variants)
• Tree (terminology, types, Binary Tree, Spanning Tree)
• Tree Traversals (In-order, Pre-order, Post-order)
• Graph (basic terminologies)

OOP / C++ (8-9 Questions)

• Classes, Objects, Access Specifiers (private, public)
• Constructors, Destructors, Copy Constructor
• Function Overloading, Operator Overloading
• Inheritance (types, virtual inheritance)
• Virtual Functions, Pure Virtual Functions, Abstract Class
• Polymorphism, Encapsulation, Abstraction
• Friend Functions, Inline Functions

Operating Systems (8-9 Questions)

• OS Fundamentals, Booting Process
• Memory Hierarchy, Cache, RAM
• Process Management, CPU Scheduling (FCFS, SJF, Priority, Round Robin)
• Deadlock Detection and Avoidance
• Paging, Virtual Memory
• Kernel Mode vs User Mode, System Calls

Data Communication & Networking (4-5 Questions)

• Transmission Media, Switching, Multiplexing
• Network Types (LAN, MAN, WAN)
• OSI Model, TCP/IP Protocol Stack
• IPv4, IPv6, IP Addressing (Classful/Classless)
• Common Protocols (ARP, TCP, UDP, FTP, DNS, HTTP)

Big Data (5-6 Questions)

• Big Data Fundamentals
• Hadoop Ecosystem
• MapReduce
• NoSQL Databases

AI/ML (5-6 Questions)

• AI Fundamentals
• Machine Learning Basics
• Neural Networks
• Natural Language Processing

Section C — Electronics & Architecture (50 Questions)

Section C is primarily for Electronics, Electrical, and Instrumentation students. For a detailed preparation guide, read our Section C guide.

Digital Electronics (20 Questions)

• Number Systems (Decimal, Binary, Octal, Hexadecimal) and conversions
• BCD, Excess-3, Gray Code
• K-Map, Boolean Algebra, Logic Gates, Universal Gates
• Binary Arithmetic (Addition, Subtraction, 1's & 2's Complement)
• Combinational Circuits (Adders, Subtractors, MUX, DEMUX, Encoder, Decoder)
• Sequential Circuits (Flip-flops: RS, D, JK, T; Counters, Shift Registers)

Computer Architecture (15 Questions)

• Machine Instructions, Addressing Modes
• ALU Data Path, CPU Control Unit Design
• Memory Interfacing, Pipelining
• Memory Hierarchy (Cache, Main Memory, Secondary Memory)
• RAM Types (SRAM, DRAM, SDRAM, DDR SDRAM)
• ROM Types (PROM, EPROM, EEPROM, Flash)

Microprocessors (15 Questions)

• Classification of Microprocessors
• RISC vs CISC, Harvard vs Von Neumann Architecture
• 8085 Architecture, Pin Descriptions
• Interrupts, Interrupt Handling
• 8085 Instruction Set Classification
• 8086 Architecture, Pin Diagram

Which Sections Should You Attempt?

CS/IT/MCA students: Focus on Section A + Section B. These two sections cover your strengths and can give you a strong rank.

Electronics/Electrical students: Focus on Section A + Section C. If you have programming knowledge, attempt Section B as well.

All students: Section A is the most important for quick score improvement. Start your preparation with our 3-month CCAT preparation guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many sections are there in CCAT exam?

CCAT has 3 sections: Section A (50 questions, 1 hour), Section B (50 questions, 1 hour), and Section C (50 questions, 1 hour). Section A is compulsory, while B and C depend on your background.

Is there negative marking in CCAT?

Yes, CCAT has negative marking. Each wrong answer deducts marks, making accuracy more important than attempting every question.

Which section is most important in CCAT?

Section A and C Programming in Section B are most important. Section A is easiest to improve quickly and significantly boosts your overall rank.