CAT Exam Pattern 2026: 68 Questions, 204 Marks, Marking Scheme and Section Wise Duration

CAT 2026 is a 120-minute computer-based test conducted by IIM Indore. The exam has 68 questions across three sections — Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Ability (QA) — for a total of 204 marks. The exam is scheduled on November 29, 2026; the official website is iimcat.ac.in.

• CAT 2026 is a 120-minute computer-based test with 68 questions for 204 marks.
• The exam has 3 sections: VARC (24 questions), DILR (22 questions), and QA (22 questions).
• A correct answer earns +3 marks; a wrong MCQ answer deducts 1 mark.
• There is no negative marking for TITA (Type In The Answer) questions — always attempt them.
• Each section has a fixed 40-minute window; you cannot switch between sections mid-exam.
• IIM Indore conducts CAT 2026; the exam is on November 29, 2026.
• CAT 2026 scores are accepted by over 1,200 management programmes at IIMs and other business schools.

CAT Exam Pattern 2026: Overview

CAT 2026 is a computer-based test (CBT) with three timed sections and a total duration of 120 minutes. Each section runs in a dedicated 40-minute window — you cannot borrow time from one section for another. The test features both MCQs and TITA (non-MCQ) questions; only MCQs carry negative marking.

CAT 2026 is a 120-minute computer-based test with 68 questions for 204 marks.

CAT Exam Pattern 2026: Important Dates

The CAT 2026 official notification was released by IIM Indore in late July 2026. Registration closed on September 15, 2026. The exam is on November 29, 2026; the admit card is expected to release in early November 2026. Results are expected in January 2027.

Source: iimcat.ac.in

CAT 2026: Detailed Exam Pattern

CAT 2026 has three sections — VARC, DILR, and QA — each with a fixed 40-minute time slot. VARC has the highest question count at 24 questions, while DILR and QA each carry 22 questions. Every correct answer earns 3 marks, making section-wise and overall marks straightforward to compute.

Note: You must complete each section within its 40-minute window. Once a section’s time ends, the system moves you to the next section automatically. You cannot revisit a completed section.

CAT Marking Scheme 2026

CAT 2026 uses a differential marking scheme based on question type. All MCQs carry a -1 mark penalty for a wrong answer. TITA questions carry zero penalty — an incorrect TITA response scores 0, the same as an unattempted one. This asymmetry makes TITA questions safe to attempt even when unsure.

Negative marking of 1 mark applies to all MCQs — avoid random guessing across VARC, DILR, and QA.

There is no negative marking for TITA questions — attempt every TITA question even if you are uncertain.

CAT 2026 results are reported as percentile scores, not raw marks. IIM Indore uses a normalization formula to equate scores across different exam slots, since difficulty can vary slightly between sessions. Your section-wise percentile and overall percentile are both reported on the scorecard.

CAT Subject-Wise Exam Pattern 2026

Each section in CAT 2026 tests a distinct skill — language and reading ability in VARC, analytical and reasoning skills in DILR, and mathematical problem-solving in QA. The section-wise breakdown, topics, and approximate question distribution are listed below.

VARC — Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension

VARC is the largest section with 24 questions in 40 minutes. Reading Comprehension (RC) passages dominate the section — typically 3–5 passages of 400–500 words each, with 3–5 MCQs per passage. Verbal Ability sub-topics (para jumbles, para summary, odd sentence out) are mostly TITA and carry no negative marking.

DILR — Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning

DILR has 22 questions in 40 minutes. Questions appear in sets of 4–6, each built around a common data scenario such as a table, bar chart, tournament bracket, or scheduling puzzle. Both DI and LR questions can be MCQ or TITA; IIM does not publish the exact split in advance.

Note: DILR sets are interlinked — all questions in a set depend on the same data setup. Misreading one condition can affect your answers for the entire set of 4–6 questions.

QA — Quantitative Ability

QA has 22 questions in 40 minutes. Arithmetic and Algebra together account for over half the questions in most CAT years. TITA questions in QA require typing an exact numerical answer — no options are shown, and there is no negative marking for these.

CAT Question Types 2026

CAT 2026 uses two types of questions: MCQ (Multiple Choice Questions) and TITA (Type In The Answer). Based on recent CAT patterns, approximately 44–46 questions are MCQs and 22–24 questions are TITA type. IIM does not publish the exact MCQ/TITA split before the exam — the distribution can vary by a few questions each year.

TITA questions appear across all three sections — not just QA. In VARC, para jumbles and odd sentence out are typically TITA. In DILR, some questions within a set may be TITA. In QA, integer-type problems are TITA.

• MCQs have four answer choices; only one is correct.
• TITA questions display no options — you type the answer using the on-screen keyboard.
• A virtual calculator is available for QA; no physical calculators are allowed.
• You can flag questions for review and return to them within the same section’s time window.
• The exact MCQ/TITA split varies each year — IIM does not publish this breakdown before the exam.

CAT Exam Pattern: Changes in 2026 vs Previous Year

The CAT exam pattern has been stable since 2024, when DILR was increased from 20 to 22 questions. No structural changes to sections, question count, marks, or duration have been announced for CAT 2026. The table below compares 2026 against CAT 2025 (held on November 30, 2025, conducted by IIM Calcutta).

The CAT 2026 exam pattern has no structural changes compared to CAT 2025 — only the conducting IIM changes, from IIM Calcutta to IIM Indore.

How to Prepare Based on CAT Exam Pattern

The CAT 2026 pattern — three sections with a strict 40-minute per section cap and differential negative marking — demands a preparation strategy built around the pattern’s specific rules, not just general MBA prep advice.

1. Treat each section as a standalone 40-minute exam. You cannot compensate for a weak DILR session with extra time from QA. Build the stamina and pace to sustain performance across all three windows on the same day.
2. Always attempt every TITA question. TITA questions have no negative marking — skipping one is a guaranteed zero, while attempting one gives you a chance at +3. A reasoned TITA guess is always better than a blank.
3. Be selective with MCQs in DILR and QA. With -1 for a wrong MCQ, leaving a question blank (score: 0) outperforms a wrong guess (score: -1). Identify which MCQs you cannot solve confidently and skip them.
4. Build RC speed before exam day. RC accounts for roughly 65–70% of VARC — 16–18 out of 24 questions. The passages are dense and academic. Target reading a 500-word passage in under 4 minutes and answering 4–5 questions accurately.
5. Read each DILR set fully before attempting it. All questions in a set share one data scenario. Misreading one condition can invalidate your work on the entire set. Spend 2–3 minutes on setup reading before answering the first question.
6. Prioritize Arithmetic and Algebra for QA. These two areas account for roughly 50–55% of QA questions across recent CAT years. Mastering ratio, time-work, percentages, and linear/quadratic equations delivers the highest marks-per-study-hour return.
7. Simulate the 3-section format in every mock test. Take full-length mocks that enforce the 40-minute sectional cap. Your target is accuracy under the section-by-section time constraint — not open-ended practice scores.