CAT 2026 exam pattern — sections, marks, negative marking
CAT (Common Admission Test (CAT)) is conducted by Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs). The stages are: CAT CBT → IIM shortlist → written ability / group discussion / interview. This page sets out each stage with its sections, questions, marks, duration and negative marking, explains how the final selection is made, and shows how to approach each subject. For dates and the current status of the 2026 cycle, see the CAT guide.
CAT — Computer-Based Test: 68 questions, 204 marks, 120 minutes, +3 per correct · −1 per wrong MCQ · no negative for TITA.
✓ Data verified 4 Oct 2026
Stage-wise exam pattern
CAT — Computer-Based Test Screening — no pass/fail; the scaled percentile feeds institute shortlists
Online CBT · 3 slots on one day · 120 min · +3 per correct · −1 per wrong MCQ · no negative for TITA
| Section | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| VARC — Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension | 24 | 72 |
| DILR — Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning | 22 | 66 |
| QA — Quantitative Ability | 22 | 66 |
| Total | 68 | 204 |
Section order is fixed — VARC first, then DILR, then QA — with 40 minutes locked per section: you cannot move between sections or bank time. The counts above are the CAT 2025 paper (held 30 November 2025): VARC was 4 RC passages of 4 questions each plus 8 verbal-ability items; DILR had about five sets (4–5 questions each); QA spread arithmetic (the biggest chunk), algebra, geometry, number systems and modern maths. IIMs do not pre-announce question counts, so treat 24/22/22 as the baseline and confirm from the first analysis after exam day. Question types: standard MCQs plus TITA (Type In The Answer) items in all three sections — TITA carries no negative marking. PwD candidates get 160 minutes (about 53 minutes 20 seconds per section). An on-screen basic calculator is provided; physical devices are banned. All three slots run on the same day with different papers, and scores are scaled across slots.
Institute-level selection (IIMs and other colleges) Shortlist → WAT/GD → PI → final offer
Set by each institute · Composite weights vary by institute — the CAT percentile is typically 40–65% of the shortlist score
Every institute publishes its own admission policy after the CAT result. Shortlists typically combine the scaled CAT percentile (with overall and sectional minimums) against your Class 10, Class 12 and graduation marks, work experience and gender/academic-diversity factors — for example, IIM Ahmedabad's PGP shortlist weights the CAT percentile 65% and an Application Rating (10th/12th/graduation scores) 35%, leading to AWT + PI. Clearing a published minimum percentile does not guarantee a call — effective shortlist cutoffs run far higher (see the cutoffs page). Final offers follow WAT/GD and PI performance, with Government of India reservation norms applied category-wise.
Selection process
CAT exam → scaled score and percentile → institute-wise shortlists (composite: CAT percentile + academics + work experience + diversity) → WAT/GD + Personal Interview → final admission offers. The exam has no passing score — your percentile is only the entry ticket. Each IIM (and every other college accepting CAT) publishes its own admission policy with qualifying minimums (overall and sectional), composite-score weightings and reservation norms. Shortlists land between December and February; WAT/GD-PI rounds run through February–April; offers and waitlist movement continue into the summer. The CAT score itself is valid for one admission cycle only.
Normalisation: why your raw score is not your final score
Because CAT runs in three slots on one day with different question papers, raw scores are converted to scaled (equated) scores — a statistical adjustment for slot difficulty — and percentiles are computed from the scaled scores. Your percentile (the share of candidates at or below your score) is the only number institutes see, along with sectional percentiles. Practical consequences: (1) never compare raw marks across slots or years; (2) maximise attempts where your slot's paper is soft — scaling protects you in a hard slot but doesn't reward complacency in an easy one; (3) sectional percentiles matter as much as the overall figure because most IIMs set per-section minimums for shortlists.
How to read this pattern
Each stage carries a tag that tells you what it is for. In this exam: CAT — Computer-Based Test is “Screening — no pass/fail; the scaled percentile feeds institute shortlists”; Institute-level selection (IIMs and other colleges) is “Shortlist → WAT/GD → PI → final offer”. Read each stage's tag and notes to see whether its marks count towards the final merit or only decide who moves to the next stage, because that changes how much risk is worth taking on a single question.
Always check the negative marking line before you decide how freely to guess. Where there is a penalty, a wrong answer costs marks; where the data says there is none, leaving a question blank only loses the chance to score.
Question counts per section are the best guide to how much time and practice each subject deserves. Use the tables above to split your preparation in proportion to the marks on offer, and revisit the split after each mock or topic test.
How to approach each section
Each subject below links to the full notes on ExamShortcut. Topics are listed as high importance where our topic data flags them; the question counts come from the pattern above.
English Comprehension
All 14 topics →CAT — Computer-Based Test: 24 questions, 72 marks
Build the basics in grammar (error spotting, fill in the blanks, sentence improvement) and add a little vocabulary every day: idioms, one-word substitutions, synonyms and spellings. For comprehension, read the questions before the passage and answer from the text, not from outside knowledge.
High-importance topics: Reading Comprehension, Cloze Test, Error Spotting, Sentence Improvement, Fill in the Blanks, Grammar Essentials (Handbook)
General Intelligence & Reasoning
All 20 topics →CAT — Computer-Based Test: 22 questions, 66 marks
Reasoning rewards pattern recognition, so practise each question type until you recognise it on sight: series, coding-decoding, analogy, classification, syllogism, direction and blood-relation questions, and non-verbal figures. Work in rough on paper rather than in your head, and skip any puzzle that is not settling within a minute or so.
High-importance topics: Analogy, Classification (Odd One Out), Series (Number & Letter), Coding - Decoding, Blood Relations, Seating Arrangement
Quantitative Aptitude
All 23 topics →CAT — Computer-Based Test: 22 questions, 66 marks
Learn the formula and the shortcut for each topic first, then drill timed sets so that routine calculation questions take seconds. In the exam, take the questions you can do quickly and leave the long, multi-step ones for the end. Topic tests after every chapter show which topics still cost you time.
High-importance topics: Number System, Percentage, Ratio, Proportion, Partnership & Ages, Average, Interest (SI & CI), Profit, Loss & Discount
Next, check who can apply on the CAT eligibility page and compare posts and pay on the CAT salary and posts page.
CAT exam pattern — FAQs
What is the selection process for CAT?
CAT CBT → IIM shortlist → written ability / group discussion / interview.
What is the CAT — Computer-Based Test pattern in CAT?
68 questions, 204 marks, 120 minutes, +3 per correct · −1 per wrong MCQ · no negative for TITA. Sections: VARC — Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (24 questions, 72 marks); DILR — Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (22 questions, 66 marks); QA — Quantitative Ability (22 questions, 66 marks).
What is the negative marking in CAT?
Each correct answer earns +3 marks. Each wrong MCQ costs −1. Wrong TITA (Type In The Answer) questions carry no negative marking, and skipped questions cost nothing — so always attempt every TITA, but be selective about MCQ guesses.
Do I need a sectional cutoff in CAT itself?
The exam has no pass/fail and no sectional cutoff of its own — but sections are time-locked at 40 minutes each, and most IIMs set sectional percentile minimums in their admission policies when building shortlists. So a lopsided scorecard (huge QA, tiny VARC) can disqualify you from many shortlists even with a strong overall percentile.