CDAC C-CAT Syllabus 2026 (Out) - Check Pattern, Best Books Here

CDAC C-CAT Syllabus 2026 (Out) - Check Pattern, Best Books Here

Ongoing Event

C-CAT Application Date:27 Nov' 25 - 29 Dec' 25

Simran KashyapUpdated on 29 Nov 2025, 06:23 PM IST

CDAC C-CAT Syllabus 2026 - CDAC has published the C-CAT 2026 syllabus on the official website, cdac.in. The authority has provided the CDAC C-CAT syllabus 2026 in the information brochure. The CDAC C-CAT syllabus includes the list of topics that must be prepared for the CDAC Common Admission Test exam. The syllabus for CDAC C-CAT 2026 varies for each category. For instance, a candidate who wishes to pursue a PG Diploma in Geoinformatics will only have to appear for section A of the exam, and so on. The CDAC C-CAT February batch exam will be conducted on January 10 and 11, 2026. Candidates can check the course category and the corresponding CDAC C-CAT 2026 syllabus in this article.

This Story also Contains

  1. CDAC C-CAT 2026 Syllabus
  2. CDAC C-CAT 2026 Reference Books
  3. CDAC C-CAT Exam Pattern 2026
CDAC C-CAT Syllabus 2026 (Out) - Check Pattern, Best Books Here
CDAC C-CAT Syllabus 2026

CDAC C-CAT 2026 Syllabus

For preparation of CDAC C-CAT 2026, students must have a good understanding of the syllabus. The CDAC C-CAT 2026 syllabus will be divided into three sections based on the course category. Candidates can refer to the table given below to know their course category based on previous years:

CDAC C-CAT syllabus

Course categoryName of courseC-CAT Paper(s)
IIPG Certificate Programme in Advanced Computing (PGCP-AC)Sections A & B
PG Certificate Programme in Big Data Analytics (PGCP-BDA)
PG Certificate Programme in Artificial Intelligence (PGCP-AI)
PG Certificate Programme in IT Infrastructure, Systems & Security (PGCP- ITISS)
PG Certificate Programme in Mobile Computing (PGCP-MC)
PG Certificate Programme in Advanced Secure Software Development (PGCP-ASSD)
PG Certificate Programme in HPC System Administration (PGCP-HPCSA)
PG Certificate Programme in FinTech & Blockchain Development (PGCP- FBD)
PG Certificate Programme in Cyber Security & Forensics (PGCP-CSF)
PG Certificate Programme in Robotics & Allied Technologies (PGCP-RAT)
IIIPG Certificate Programme in Embedded Systems Design (PGCP-ESD)Sections A, B & C
PG Certificate Programme in VLSI Design (PGCP-VLSI)

CDAC C-CAT Syllabus 2026 (Exam Pattern)

Test Paper

Topics

Duration

Section A

English, Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning, Computer Fundamentals & Concepts of Programming

1 hour

Section B

C Programming, Data Structures, Object Oriented Programming Concepts using C++, Operating Systems & Networking, Basics of Big Data & Artificial Intelligence

1 hour

Section C

Computer Architecture, Digital Electronics, Microprocessors

1 hour

CDAC C-CAT 2026 Reference Books

The following is a list of reference books recommended by the authorities for different subjects of CDAC C-CAT 2026. Candidates can refer to the table to find the specific reference books for their chosen PG Diploma Course.

CDAC C-CAT Reference Books

Section

Topic

Reference books

A

English

Any High School Grammar Book (e.g. Wren & Martin)

Computer Fundamentals & Concepts of Programming

Foundations of Computing (Pradeep Sinha & Priti Sinha)

Quantitative Aptitude and Reasoning

  • Quantitative Aptitude Fully Solved (R. S. Aggrawal)
  • Quantitative Aptitude (M Tyara)
  • Barron’s New GRE

B

Basics of Big Data & AI

Fundamentals of Data Engineering (Joe Reis, Matt Housley)

Artificial Intelligence for Dummies (John Paul Mueller, Luca Massaron)

C Programming

  • C Programming Language (Kernighan & Ritchie)

  • Let Us C (Yashavant Kanetkar)

Data Structures

Data Structures Through C in Depth (S. K. Srivastava)

Operating Systems & Networking

Operating System Principles (Silberschatz, Galvin, Gagne)

OOP Concepts using C++

Test Your C ++ Skills (Yashavant Kanetkar)

C

Computer Architecture

Computer Organization & Architecture (William Stallings)

Digital Electronics

  • Digital Design (Morris Mano)
  • Digital Design: Principles & Practices (John Wakerly)
  • Modern Digital Electronics (R. P. Jain)

Microprocessors

  • The Intel Microprocessor (Barry Brey)

  • Microprocessor Architecture, Programming & Applications with 8085 (Ramesh Gaonkar)

CDAC C-CAT Exam Pattern 2026

Candidates need to familiarise themselves with the CDAC C-CAT 2026 exam pattern before appearing for the exam. The CDAC C-CAT 2026 exam consists of three sections—A, B, and C. However, the number of sections may vary depending on the PG Diploma course for which the candidate has applied. To understand the exam pattern of CDAC C-CAT, candidates can refer to the table below.

CDAC C-CAT Exam Pattern

Particulars

Details

Duration of Exam

1 hour for each section

Medium of Exam

English

Mode of Exam

Online

Marking Scheme


  • Candidates will be awarded 3 marks for each correct answer.

  • There is a negative marking of 1 mark for each incorrect answer.

Type of Questions

Multiple-choice questions

Number of sections

CDAC C-CAT 2026 will have 3 sections- A, B, and C

The sections in the exam will differ as per the course selected by the candidates for admission.

Number of Questions

50 questions for each section

Total marks

150 marks for each section

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: What is the syllabus of CDAC C-CAT 2026 for PG Diploma in Advanced Computing?
A:

CDAC C-CAT syllabus 2026 for PG Diploma in Advanced Computing will include topics- Computer Fundamentals, C Programming, Data Structures, Data Communication & Networking, Object Oriented Programming Concepts, Operating Systems, English, Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning.

Q: What is the CDAC C-CAT syllabus 2026 PG Diploma in VLSI Design?
A:

CDAC C-CAT 2026 syllabus for PG Diploma in VLSI Design will include topics- Computer Architecture, Digital Electronics, Microprocessors, English, Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning, Computer Fundamentals, C Programming, Data Structures, Data Communication & Networking, Object Oriented Programming Concepts and Operating Systems.

Q: What is the syllabus of CDAC C-CAT 2026 for PG Diploma in Big Data Analytics?
A:

CDAC C-CAT 2026 syllabus for PG Diploma in Big Data Analytics will include topics- Computer Fundamentals, C Programming, Data Structures, Data Communication & Networking, Object Oriented Programming Concepts, Operating Systems, English, Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning.

Q: What is the CDAC C-CAT exam pattern?
A:

CDAC C-CAT 2026 will be divided into three sections- A, B and C. However, the number of sections will depend on the PG Diploma course the candidate is applying for. Each section will have 50 questions of 150 marks (3 marks each) and the time duration of each section will be 1 hour.

Q: What is the CDAC C-CAT 2026 syllabus for PG Diploma in Geoinformatics?
A:

The CDAC C-CAT syllabus for PG Diploma in Geoinformatics will include topics- English, Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning.

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Questions related to C-CAT

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to C-CAT ?

Hello,

With C-CAT July 2025 rank 1206 and your preference for DAI and DBDA courses, here are your possible options:

For PG-DAI (Data Analytics & AI):

  • CDAC ACTS Pune: Very low chances (usually closes within top 200 ranks).

  • Sunbeam Pune: Tough, but slight chance in later rounds (usually under 600–700).

  • IACSD Akurdi: Good chance (cutoff goes till around 1400–1500).

  • Know-IT Pune: Very likely (cutoff around 2000+).

For PG-DBDA (Big Data Analytics):

  • CDAC Pune (Pashan): Very low chances (usually high cutoff).

  • Other centres like IACSD or Know-IT: Better chances compared to Pune main centre

It is suggested to give higher preferences to IACSD and Know-IT for DAI and DBDA courses, as you have better chances of getting admission there. You might also get a seat in Sunbeam Pune in the 2nd or 3rd round if some seats remain vacant.

However, getting ACTS Pune is unlikely at this rank. It is important to keep checking the official counselling updates for better clarity and any changes.

Hope it helps !

Hello there,

With a CCAT rank of 1817 , you have a decent chance of securing admission to good CDAC institutes for the Diploma in Big Data Analytics (DBDA) course, but your options will depend on seat availability and competition during counseling. Here's how you can prioritize:

Tier 1 Institutes:

These are top choices and usually require higher ranks, but with 1817, you might have a chance in the later rounds :

  1. CDAC Pune (ACTS) – Known for excellent placement in DBDA.
  2. CDAC Bangalore (Knowledge Park) – High-quality faculty and resources.
  3. CDAC Hyderabad (JNTU Campus) – Strong industry connections.

    Tier 2 Institutes:

These have good faculty and placements, with higher chances for your rank:

  1. CDAC Noida – Emerging as a strong choice for DBDA.
  2. CDAC Mumbai (Kharghar) – Good placements and teaching.
  3. CDAC Chennai – Steady placement record for analytics.

    Recommendations:
  • Prioritize Tier 1 institutes in the first round of counseling.
  • Consider Tier 2 institutes as backups in later rounds.
  • Keep an eye on upgradation opportunities during counseling.



I hope this answer helps you. If you have more queries then feel free to share your questions with us we will be happy to assist you.

Thank you and wishing you all the best for your bright future.


tomorrow 4 pm.

Hope you are doing great.  The full form of CDAC is center for development of Advanced computing will release the CDAC C-CAT 2022 application form. The application form is expected to be released in July for the session of the August shortly and after the examination the cutoff and the counselling continuous accordingly. The candidate who is appearing for the exam should meet the eligibility criteria and pay the requisite fee for that.

You can access the link for more details regarding the CCAT (CDAC):

https://it.careers360.com/articles/cdac-c-cat-application-form

All the best

Hello aspirant,

Hope you are doing great. Coming to your question, the CDAC entrance exam, for the second batch students was not yet released by the authorities. However, it was expected to be on between 20 to 23 December,2022, these are tentative. The dates may change. However, for the January batch students the exam was conducted between 22 to 23 January, 2022.

Hope this helps you,

Good luck, Thank you :)