{"id":939,"date":"2026-01-09T18:45:15","date_gmt":"2026-01-09T13:15:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fiib.edu.in\/blog\/?p=939"},"modified":"2026-09-23T11:19:08","modified_gmt":"2026-09-23T05:49:08","slug":"cat-exam-pattern-2026-section-wise-format","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fiib.edu.in\/blog\/cat-exam-pattern-2026-section-wise-format\/","title":{"rendered":"CAT Exam Pattern 2026 \u2013 Section Wise Format, Duration and Marking Scheme"},"content":{"rendered":"
Home<\/a><\/span> \u00bb CAT Exam Pattern 2026 \u2013 Section Wise Format, Duration and Marking Scheme<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n

CAT Exam Pattern: Section-Wise Format, Duration and Marking Scheme<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When preparing for the CAT (Common Admission Test), knowing what to expect will reduce your anxiety about the exam. CAT covers three main sections, VARC, DILR, and QA, that assess your reading ability, logical reasoning, and quantitative skills. The entire test is conducted online, and it has consistently had these same three sections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once you understand how the test is structured, how many questions there will be, what types of questions there will be, and how the scoring method works, you can confidently begin taking practice tests and mock tests. Here is the complete, current information to help you plan an effective study program for CAT.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the official CAT 2026 notification and any pattern updates, check: iimcat.ac.in<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

CAT Exam Structure at a Glance<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

CAT consists of three mandatory sections, and the order in which they appear is fixed. Each section has an independent countdown timer; once the timer expires for a section, you move automatically to the next one. The overall structure has held steady across the last several cycles, though small adjustments are always possible until the official notification is finalized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Section<\/strong><\/td>Questions<\/strong><\/td>Marks<\/strong><\/td>Weightage<\/strong><\/td>Duration<\/strong><\/td>Question Type<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
VARC<\/td>24<\/td>72<\/td>~36%<\/td>40 minutes<\/td>MCQ + TITA<\/td><\/tr>
DILR<\/td>22<\/td>66<\/td>~32%<\/td>40 minutes<\/td>MCQ + TITA<\/td><\/tr>
QA<\/td>22<\/td>66<\/td>~32%<\/td>40 minutes<\/td>MCQ + TITA<\/td><\/tr>
Total<\/td>68<\/td>204<\/td>100%<\/td>120 minutes<\/td>\u2014<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

*MCQ – <\/strong>Multiple Choice Questions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

*TITA  –<\/strong> (Type In The Answer) questions differ from MCQs because they do not have answer choices listed. You calculate or derive the answer yourself and type it into the response box. TITA questions carry no negative marking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What changed for CAT 2026<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The overall structure, 68 questions, 204 marks, 120 minutes, three 40-minute sections, is expected to carry forward unchanged. But one real shift is worth knowing if you are prepping from older material.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Starting with CAT 2025 and expected to continue into CAT 2026, Para Jumbles moved from MCQ format to TITA format. There are no answer options to choose from anymore; you construct the correct sequence yourself. Alongside that, Reading Comprehension and Verbal Ability questions now appear interspersed throughout the VARC section, rather than grouped into two separate blocks the way older practice material still presents them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Practically, this means two adjustments to your prep. First, practice Para Jumbles as a construct-the-answer skill, not a process-of-elimination skill. Second, practice VARC in mixed order, working RC and VA questions in whatever sequence they might actually appear, rather than always drilling RC as one block and VA as another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Section-Wise Breakdown of CAT<\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

1. Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This section evaluates your comfort with reading, interpretation, and language logic. Reading Comprehension passages and Verbal Ability items, including para-jumbles and summary questions, make up most of your time here. Most questions are MCQs, with a meaningful share of TITA questions, particularly para-jumbles, as noted above. Taking regular mock tests is the most reliable way to build comfort with this section’s pacing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR)<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

DILR evaluates your ability to interpret graphs, charts, tables, puzzles, and logical sets. This section often includes four to five separate sets, each containing several questions. Many candidates find this section the hardest to predict, since difficulty can vary sharply within and across sets. Experts recommend skimming a set before committing to solving it, so you can judge whether it is worth your time relative to the other sets available. Practicing with previous years’ CAT questions remains the most effective preparation method for DILR.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Quantitative Ability (QA)<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

QA focuses on core concepts across Arithmetic, Algebra, the Number System, Geometry, and Modern Maths. Arithmetic and Algebra together account for the largest share of this section, so speed and conceptual clarity in those two areas matter more than memorizing formulas elsewhere. This section includes TITA questions as well as MCQs. It can favor candidates with a strong quantitative background, but non-science candidates who build strong fundamentals in Arithmetic and the Number System perform well here too.
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CAT Marking Scheme<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The CAT scoring pattern is straightforward once you separate MCQs from TITA questions: you only lose points for incorrect MCQ answers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Question Type<\/strong><\/td>Marks for Correct<\/strong><\/td>Marks for Wrong<\/strong><\/td>Marks for Unattempted<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
MCQ<\/strong><\/td>+3<\/strong><\/td>-1<\/strong><\/td>0<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
TITA (Non-MCQ)<\/strong><\/td>+3<\/strong><\/td>0<\/strong><\/td>0<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Since TITA questions carry no penalty for a wrong attempt, they reward calculated attempts even without full certainty, as long as you have narrowed the answer down through some working. MCQs need a higher confidence threshold before marking an answer, since a wrong guess costs a full mark beyond the mark you did not gain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overall and Sectional Time Limits<\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You receive 40 minutes for each section of CAT. The order is fixed: VARC, then DILR, then QA. You cannot switch sections or return to a completed one once its timer ends. Because of this fixed format, section-wise time management is one of the most important skills to build in your preparation, not just a pacing guideline to keep in the back of your mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In recent testing cycles, the number of questions on CAT has ranged from 66 to 68, and the three-section format has remained unchanged. The scoring method has also held steady: +3 for each correct answer, -1 for each incorrect MCQ answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Difference Between CAT and Other MBA Entrance Exams<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

All major MBA entrance exams, CAT, MAT, SNAP, XAT, and NMAT, are designed to measure analytical and managerial ability, but they vary significantly in structure, difficulty, and scoring. Because of its fixed sectional time limits, its mix of MCQ and TITA questions, and the depth of reasoning it tests, CAT stands apart from the others in this group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exam Name<\/strong><\/td>Time Duration<\/strong><\/td>Number of Questions<\/strong><\/td>Sections<\/strong><\/td>Overall Score  <\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
CAT<\/td>120 minutes<\/td>~68<\/td>3<\/td>204<\/td><\/tr>
XAT<\/td>180 minutes<\/td>~95<\/td>4<\/td>95<\/td><\/tr>
CMAT<\/td>180 minutes<\/td>100<\/td>5<\/td>400<\/td><\/tr>
MAT<\/td>120 minutes<\/td>150<\/td>3 (mgmt) or 5 (traditional format)<\/td>150<\/td><\/tr>
NMAT<\/td>120 minutes<\/td>108<\/td>3<\/td>36-360<\/td><\/tr>
SNAP<\/td>60 minutes<\/td>60<\/td>4<\/td>60<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

SNAP’s structural shift is worth a specific note if you are prepping for both exams. SNAP 2026 added a fourth section, Ethics, Morality and Values, worth 10 questions, while trimming General English from 15 to 10 questions and Analytical & Logical Reasoning from 25 to 20. Total questions, marks, and duration for SNAP are unchanged at 60\/60\/60, but the internal weighting has shifted meaningfully.
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How to prepare using this pattern information<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The CAT exam pattern may seem like a lot to absorb at first, but once you are acquainted with its structure, preparation becomes far more organized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n