The Common Admission Test (CAT) is a computer-based entrance examination. This national-level exam helps students to get admission to MBA, PGDM and various other management programmes offered by the IIM (Indian Institutes of Management) and several other B-schools. Here is a guide that will help you to know about the exam pattern, syllabus, section-wise question distribution, duration and marking scheme for CAT 2026.
CAT 2026 Exam Pattern
The examination structure of CAT 2026 is expected to be the same as used in recent years. This test will be carried out in a computer-based mode. It will consist of Multiple-Choice Questions as well as Type-in-the-Answer (TITA) questions.
The exam will comprise of 3 sections:
Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension
It is expected to have a total of 24 questions.
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning
It is likely to comprise of 22 questions.
Quantitative Ability
There will be 22 questions in this section.
In total, there will be approximately 68 questions in this examination.
CAT 2026 Syllabus
Generally, a detailed, chapter-wise official syllabus is not released by the CAT authorities. But the established examination structure and previous CAT papers offer a clear idea of the topics that need to be studied by candidates.
Generally, the Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension section consists of reading comprehension passages based on subjects such as:
History,
Science,
Economics,
Philosophy,
Culture, and
Social issues
The questions are supposed to test the viewpoint of the author, the main idea, supporting arguments, tone and inference.
The topics on verbal ability may include:
Para-summary,
Para-jumbles,
Sentence arrangement,
Para-completion, and
Odd-sentence-out questions
Candidates also need to work on Critical Reasoning, Grammar and Vocabulary.
The section on Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning may consist of bar graphs, line graphs, tables, pie charts, caselets and data-comparison questions.
Topics on logical reasoning may include:
Seating arrangements,
Distribution,
Games and tournaments,
Blood relations,
Routes,
Directions,
Scheduling,
Ranking,
Selection,
Venn diagrams, and
Binary logic
Generally, the Quantitative Ability section covers number systems, geometry, arithmetic, algebra, mensuration, permutation and combination, probability and set theory.
The topics in arithmetic include:
Percentages,
Profit & loss,
Averages,
Ratios,
Mixtures,
Time and work,
Time-speed-distance, and
Simple and compound interest
In algebra, students have to answer questions in equations, functions, inequalities, sequences and progressions.
CAT 2026 Section-Wise Questions
A total of 24 questions are supposed to be answered in the VARC section. Much of this section is going to be based on reading comprehension passages. The rest of the questions may test the verbal ability of examinees.
For performing the best in the CAT 2026 examination, candidates have to improve vocabulary, comprehension, reading speed and the capacity to determine the central argument of a passage.
As many as 22 questions will be contained in the DILR section. Generally, such questions are presented through logical puzzles, caselets, charts and data sets. Various questions may come from the same data set. Students have to learn how to identify manageable sets. They should not spend a lot of time in answering the difficult questions.
There will be as many as 22 questions in the QA section. Generally, an important part of this section is comprised of questions from arithmetic. The understanding of students from geometry, number systems, algebra and modern mathematics may be tested as well.
To achieve a high score, regular practice, speed of calculation and strong conceptual clarity are important.
CAT 2026 Exam Duration
CAT 2026 is expected to have a total duration of two hours, or 120 minutes. Most likely, 40 minutes will be allotted for each section. Students will not be allowed to move to some other section before the allotted time is over.
It is expected that PwD candidates will get more time according to the examination guidelines. In the official CAT 2026 notification, the final rules about compensatory time and other accommodations will be specified. Before sitting for the exam, examinees have to read these instructions carefully.
CAT 2026 Exam Marking Scheme
It is expected that there will be a maximum of 204 marks in the examination. There will be 3 marks for each correct answer. In the official CAT 2026 notification and examination instructions,
The examination is expected to carry a maximum of 204 marks. Each correct answer is likely to carry three marks. The exact question distribution and format will be confirmed in the official CAT 2026 notification and examination instructions.
For each correct answer, under the expected CAT 2026 marking scheme, examinees will get 3 marks. 1 mark will be subtracted for every incorrect Multiple-Choice Question. Generally, non-MCQ responses or incorrect Type-in-the-Answer are not subject to negative marking.
If any question is unanswered, no marks will be awarded. The overall score can be reduced if MCQs are incorrect. Examinees should not make any random guess. However, they can get more flexibility with TITA questions, at the same time. Even if they give an incorrect answer for a question, it will not attract a negative mark.
Conclusion
Rather than focusing only on their strongest subject, aspirants for the CAT 2026 examination need to prepare for all the three sections consistently. They need to prepare in a balanced way, including previous-year question papers, sectional tests, regular practice, conceptual learning and full-length mock examinations. It is necessary for them to analyse mock-test performance carefully, so that they can identify weak topics, mistakes that can be avoided and of course, time-management issues. Also, they need to check the official CAT website regularly for the latest updates about the examination as well as exam guidelines, admit-card instructions, final notification and result updates.
FAQ
Q 1. When is CAT 2026 Examination?
The examination is scheduled for November 29, 2026. It is expected to be held on the same day in 3 sessions.
Q 2. When is CAT 2026 Exam Admit Card Available for Download?
Aspirants can download the admit card for the examination from November 4, 2026. They have to visit the official CAT website, log in with their registered credentials and download the admit card for printing it out.
Q 3. How many questions will come in the CAT 2026 Exam?
The examination is expected to have as many as 68 questions in total. There may be 24 questions in the VARC section and 22 questions in DILR section as well as QA section. For the final question count, examinees should refer to the official notification at the CAT website.
Q 4. How to prepare for the CAT 2026 Examination?
Aspirants have to strengthen their basic concepts of algebra, arithmetic, logical reasoning, reading comprehension and grammar. They should take timed mock tests, solve previous-year questions, practise different DILR sets, read newspapers, go through essays and read quality articles regularly, to prepare for VARC.
Q 5. When will the CAT 2026 Exam Results Be Announced?
The results for the exam are expected to be announced around the first week of January 2027. Aspirants have to check the official CAT website to find out about the results and download their scorecards.
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