CAT Exam Pattern 2026 (Expected): Latest Format, Marking Scheme and Changes Since 2020

Important: Last updated: August 5, 2026.

The official CAT 2026 notification and Information Bulletin were released on July 26, 2026, registration opened on August 3, 2026, and the examination is scheduled for November 29, 2026. The exact question count and section-wise distribution below remain a working expectation based on CAT 2025 until the official CAT 2026 mock test or test-day format confirms them. Candidates should verify current instructions on the official CAT website.

Reviewed by Kaushik Kapoor

Co-founder and Director of Erudite, a premium MBA entrance coaching institute headquartered in Kolkata. An alumnus of XLRI Jamshedpur and St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata, he has over 25 years of experience in MBA entrance mentoring, test-prep strategy and academic training.

The latest confirmed CAT exam pattern consists of 68 questions to be attempted in 120 minutes. The paper is divided into three sections: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Ability. Each section has a separate 40-minute time limit.

CAT 2025 followed a 24–22–22 distribution across VARC, DILR and QA. The same structure is a reasonable working assumption for CAT 2026, but the exact CAT 2026 question count and distribution should not be treated as officially final until the official mock test or examination format confirms them.

CAT Exam Pattern 2026: Quick Overview

Candidates are not allowed to move freely between sections during the test. They must work within the active section until its allotted time ends.

PwD candidates received 160 minutes in CAT 2025, equivalent to 53 minutes and 20 seconds per section. Candidates seeking accessibility support or compensatory time for CAT 2026 should follow the current PwBD provisions and instructions in the official Information Bulletin and registration portal.

Latest Confirmed CAT Section-Wise Pattern

The precise number of MCQs and TITA questions can change from one CAT edition or slot to another. Candidates should therefore prepare for both formats rather than relying on a fixed MCQ–TITA ratio.

CAT VARC Exam Pattern

CAT 2025 VARC contained 24 questions:

• 16 Reading Comprehension questions.
• 8 Verbal Ability questions.
• 40 minutes in total.

In CAT 2025 Slot 1, the Verbal Ability component included paragraph summaries, paragraph-completion questions, odd-sentence-out questions and parajumbles. Parajumbles returned after being absent from CAT 2024.

What changed in VARC?

The broad balance between Reading Comprehension and Verbal Ability has remained relatively stable in recent exams, but the exact VA question types have varied.

For example:

• CAT 2022 introduced paragraph-completion questions.
• Odd-sentence-out questions returned in CAT 2023.
• CAT 2024 removed parajumbles.
• CAT 2025 reintroduced parajumbles.

Candidates should not assume that any one Verbal Ability question type is guaranteed to appear.

Preparation implication

Prepare across the complete recent question mix rather than dropping a topic because it was absent in one year. Reading speed matters, but accuracy in interpreting the author’s argument, assumptions and tone is usually more valuable than rushing through every passage.

CAT DILR Exam Pattern

CAT 2025 DILR contained:

• 22 questions.
• Five sets.
• Two sets with five questions each.
• Three sets with four questions each.
• 40 minutes in total.

This is a major correction to older 66-question pattern descriptions, under which DILR had 20 questions arranged in four sets.

How DILR has evolved

The section has changed several times:

• CAT 2020 had 24 questions across five sets.
• CAT 2021 used 20 questions across four sets, including four-question and six-question sets.
• CAT 2022 and CAT 2023 used four sets of five questions each.
• CAT 2024 increased DILR to 22 questions across five sets.
• CAT 2025 retained the 22-question, five-set structure.

Preparation implication

Set selection is important because attempting an unsuitable set can consume a large part of the 40-minute window.

During mocks:

1. Scan the available sets before committing.
2. Identify the variables, conditions and likely number of cases.
3. Prefer sets in which you can establish a clear starting point.
4. Leave a set when progress stalls rather than protecting the time already spent on it.
5. Review whether poor performance came from concept gaps, set selection or execution errors.

Pro Tip: The objective is not to solve every set. It is to select and complete the most suitable sets accurately.

CAT Quantitative Ability Exam Pattern

CAT 2025 QA contained:

• 22 questions.
• A mixture of MCQs and TITA questions.
• 40 minutes in total.

Arithmetic was the largest area in CAT 2025 Slot 1, followed by Algebra, with additional questions from Number Systems, Geometry and Modern Mathematics. However, topic counts can vary between years and slots.

High-priority QA areas

Candidates should build a strong foundation in:

• Percentages, ratios and averages.
• Profit and loss.
• Time, speed and distance.
• Time and work.
• Mixtures and alligation.
• Linear and quadratic equations.
• Inequalities.
• Number properties.
• Geometry and mensuration.
• Progressions, permutations and other modern-mathematics topics.

Arithmetic and Algebra deserve substantial preparation time, but treating the remaining areas as optional is risky. CAT does not guarantee a fixed chapter-wise weightage.

CAT Marking Scheme

The marking scheme used in CAT 2025 was:

• Correct MCQ: +3 marks.
• Incorrect MCQ: −1 mark.
• Correct TITA question: +3 marks.
• Incorrect TITA question: 0 marks.
• Unattempted question: 0 marks.

Should candidates attempt every TITA question?

No negative marking does not make every TITA question worth attempting.

Unlike an MCQ, a TITA question does not provide answer choices. A blind attempt may therefore consume time without offering a realistic chance of earning marks.

Attempt a TITA question when:

• You understand the required method.
• You can estimate or calculate the answer within a reasonable time.
• You have checked the required answer format.
• The attempt will not prevent you from reaching a more manageable question.

Common Mistake: In CAT 2025 Slot 1, 23 of the 68 questions were TITA questions. This proportion was higher than the 25%–30% range often quoted in older pattern guides, demonstrating why fixed TITA percentages should not be presented as permanent.

How the CAT Exam Pattern Changed from 2020 to 2025

CAT 2020 was the major turning point. The test duration was reduced from three hours to two hours, with 40 minutes allocated to each section. The total number of questions fell from the earlier 100-question structure to 76.

CAT 2021 reduced the total further to 66 questions. That 24–20–22 format continued through CAT 2023.

CAT 2024 increased the number of DILR questions from 20 to 22, taking the paper to 68 questions. CAT 2025 retained the same overall section-wise distribution.

What the Pattern Changes Mean for CAT Preparation

1. Practise with sectional limits

Untimed practice is useful while learning a concept, but candidates must eventually practise VARC, DILR and QA in separate 40-minute blocks.

Use sectional tests to identify:

• Questions you solve accurately but too slowly.
• Questions you attempt without a clear method.
• Topics that cause repeated errors.
• Situations in which you remain stuck instead of moving on.

2. Analyse mocks, not just scores

A mock-test score alone does not explain performance.

After every mock, record:

• Attempts.
• Correct and incorrect answers.
• Accuracy.
• Time spent by question or set.
• Questions left unseen.
• Avoidable errors.
• Better question-selection decisions.

One thoroughly analysed mock can be more valuable than several mocks taken without review.

3. Build a section-specific selection strategy

Question selection works differently across the three sections:

• VARC: Select passages based on readability and question clarity, not merely familiarity with the subject.
• DILR: Evaluate complete sets before investing time.
• QA: Solve in rounds, beginning with questions whose methods are immediately clear.

4. Use the official CAT mock test

The official mock introduces candidates to the test interface, sectional timer, question palette and response formats. It should be attempted even by candidates who regularly use coaching-platform mocks.

Expert Review Note

According to Kaushik Kapoor, candidates should avoid treating the previous year’s chapter distribution as a prediction of the next paper. Historical patterns are most useful for understanding the range of formats CAT may use—not for eliminating topics from preparation.

A strong preparation plan should combine conceptual coverage, timed sectional practice and detailed mock analysis. The number of mocks should depend on the candidate’s preparation stage and capacity to review them properly rather than an arbitrary target.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Takeaway

Quick Summary: The most important recent CAT pattern change was the increase from 66 questions in CAT 2023 to 68 questions in CAT 2024, caused by the addition of two DILR questions. CAT 2025 retained the 24–22–22 format.

For CAT 2026 preparation, candidates can use the 68-question structure as a working model, but they should avoid presenting the exact question count as officially final. The CAT 2026 notification has been released; candidates should use the official mock test and final examination instructions to verify the question count, accommodations, interface and sectional instructions before updating their final exam strategy.