To score 99 percentile in CAT 2026, candidates need to make 42 to 45 good attempts overall — 17 to 18 in VARC, 12 to 13 in DILR, and 13 to 14 in Quant — each with an accuracy of 85% or above.

  • For 95 percentile, a target of 32 to 39 good attempts is considered sufficient — 13 to 16 in VARC, 9 to 11 in DILR, and 10 to 12 in Quant, with around 80 to 85% accuracy.
  • CAT 2026 is scheduled on November 29, 2026 and will follow the same pattern as previous years: 68 questions across VARC (24), DILR (22), and Quant (22), each section with a 40-minute time limit.
  • The scoring is +3 marks for a correct MCQ answer and -1 mark for a wrong MCQ answer; TITA questions carry no negative marking in any section.
  • Attempting more questions than recommended but at low accuracy will reduce the net score due to negative marking — quality of attempts matters more than quantity.
  • DILR is the most unpredictable section; slot difficulty heavily impacts how many questions high scorers can solve, with 2025 Slot 1 and Slot 2 seeing good attempts as low as 8 to 9 in that section.

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CAT 2026 Exam Pattern: Sections, Questions and Marking Scheme

CAT 2026 is a computer-based exam of 2 hours, split into three back-to-back sections with a strict 40-minute limit on each. Based on the 2024 and 2025 pattern, which IIM Indore has confirmed as unchanged, the question distribution is as follows:

Section Total Questions MCQ Questions (approx.) TITA Questions (approx.) Time Limit Maximum Marks
VARC (Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension) 24 19 – 21 3 – 5 40 minutes 72
DILR (Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning) 22 11 – 14 8 – 11 40 minutes 66
QA (Quantitative Ability) 22 15 – 18 4 – 7 40 minutes 66
Total 68 45 – 53 15 – 23 120 minutes 204

Every correct MCQ answer earns +3 marks, every wrong MCQ answer costs -1 mark, and TITA questions (Type In The Answer) carry no negative marking for wrong or skipped responses. Candidates cannot move between sections during the exam.

****Ques. Has the CAT 2026 exam pattern changed from CAT 2025?****

****Ans.**** No official change to the CAT 2026 pattern has been announced. IIM Indore, the convening institute for CAT 2026, confirmed the pattern is unchanged from 2025: 68 questions across VARC, DILR and Quant, each section with a 40-minute cap and the same +3 / -1 MCQ marking scheme.

CAT 2026 Good Attempts: Section-wise Table for 90, 95 and 99 Percentile

Good attempts in CAT 2026 means the number of questions a candidate should attempt — and answer correctly — to achieve a target percentile, assuming a specific accuracy level. The table below gives expected good attempts per section based on previous year analysis by coaching institutes:

Section Total Questions Good Attempts for 90 Percentile Good Attempts for 95 Percentile Good Attempts for 99 Percentile
VARC 24 10 – 12 13 – 16 17 – 18
DILR 22 7 – 9 9 – 11 12 – 13
Quant (QA) 22 8 – 10 10 – 12 13 – 14
Overall 68 25 – 31 32 – 39 42 – 45

Note: These figures are based on CAT 2024 and CAT 2025 coaching institute analysis (Cracku, Careers360, InsideIIM). Actual attempts needed may vary based on CAT 2026 paper difficulty and normalisation across slots. On harder papers, fewer good attempts can still yield high percentiles.

Percentile Target Expected Raw Score (out of 204) Recommended Accuracy Total Attempts Needed
90 Percentile 55 – 70 75 – 80% 25 – 31
95 Percentile 72 – 90 80 – 85% 32 – 39
99 Percentile 100 – 130 85 – 90% 42 – 45
99.5+ Percentile 130 – 145+ 90%+ 46 – 52

Note: On unusually hard papers (such as CAT 2025 Slot 1 and 2 where DILR was very difficult), 99 percentile was achievable with raw scores as low as 95 to 100 out of 204. Scores are adjusted through IIM’s normalisation formula across slots.

****Ques. What is the difference between attempts and good attempts in CAT 2026?****

****Ans.**** Attempts means the total number of questions answered; good attempts specifically means questions answered correctly. Randomly answering more questions reduces the net score because each wrong MCQ answer costs 1 mark. A candidate with 35 correct out of 38 attempts scores 5 marks more than one with 35 correct out of 50 attempts, due to negative marking on the extra 15 wrong answers.

CAT 2026 Good Attempts in VARC for 95 Percentile and 99 Percentile

VARC is the first section of CAT 2026, with 24 questions in 40 minutes, and is the section where candidates most commonly over-attempt and hurt their scores.

  • VARC typically has 4 Reading Comprehension (RC) passages with 4 to 5 questions each, contributing 16 to 20 questions in total.
  • The remaining 4 to 8 questions cover Verbal Ability: Para-jumbles, Para-summary, and Odd Sentences — most are TITA and carry no negative marking.
  • For 95 percentile, candidates should target 13 to 16 correct answers in VARC, typically covering 3 of the 4 RC passages carefully.
  • For 99 percentile, a target of 17 to 18 correct answers is expected, covering all 4 RC passages with high accuracy in inference and vocabulary questions.
  • In CAT 2025 combined analysis, the overall good attempt range for VARC was 17 to 18 questions, consistent across slots.
Percentile Target Good Attempts in VARC Expected VARC Score Target Accuracy
90 Percentile 10 – 12 24 – 30 75 – 80%
95 Percentile 13 – 16 33 – 42 80 – 85%
99 Percentile 17 – 18 45 – 48 85 – 90%

VARC strategy: Prioritise RC passages with shorter, factual prose. Read each passage completely once before answering. Skip Verbal Ability TITA questions under time pressure — attempt them last since they carry no negative marks and every guess is free.

****Ques. How many RC passages should be solved for 99 percentile in VARC in CAT 2026?****

****Ans.**** For 99 percentile in VARC, candidates should attempt all 4 RC passages and aim to get 3 to 4 questions right from each. Skipping one RC passage entirely makes it very hard to score above 45 marks in VARC, which is typically needed for a section-level 99 percentile.

CAT 2026 Good Attempts in DILR for 95 Percentile and 99 Percentile

DILR is the most unpredictable section of CAT 2026 — it has 22 questions in 40 minutes grouped in 4 to 5 sets, and the difficulty can swing dramatically between exam slots.

  • Each DILR set has 4 to 6 questions; solving a set fully is more efficient than jumping between partial sets.
  • In CAT 2025, DILR was very hard in Slots 1 and 2: good scorers managed only 8 to 9 correct answers in those slots, yet still hit the 99 percentile range due to normalisation.
  • For 95 percentile in a normal difficulty year, the target is 9 to 11 correct answers, equivalent to fully solving 2 complete sets with high accuracy.
  • For 99 percentile in a normal year, the target is 12 to 13 correct answers, typically from 2 to 3 complete sets.
  • The first 5 minutes of the DILR section should be spent reading all set summaries and selecting the easiest 2 or 3 to attempt.
Percentile Target Good Attempts in DILR (Normal Year) Good Attempts in DILR (Hard Paper) Expected DILR Score (Normal Year)
90 Percentile 7 – 9 5 – 7 18 – 24
95 Percentile 9 – 11 7 – 9 24 – 30
99 Percentile 12 – 13 8 – 10 30 – 36

Note: In CAT 2025 Slot 1 and 2, DILR was reported as very difficult; a good score of 8 to 9 correct answers still corresponded to the 99 percentile range in that section for those slots, due to IIM’s normalisation formula.

DILR strategy: Do not attempt more than 3 sets in the 40 minutes. Completely solving 2 sets correctly yields a higher score than partially attempting 4 sets with several wrong answers. TITA questions in DILR (roughly half the section in CAT 2025) are free attempts — always answer them.

****Ques. Is it possible to score 99 percentile in CAT 2026 without solving all DILR sets?****

****Ans.**** Yes. Most 99 percentile scorers in recent CAT exams solved only 2 to 3 DILR sets fully and skipped the rest. Completely solving 3 easy sets scores more than partially attempting all 5 sets with multiple wrong answers. Set selection in the first 5 minutes is the single most important DILR skill.

CAT 2026 Good Attempts in Quant for 95 Percentile and 99 Percentile

The Quant section of CAT 2026 has 22 questions in 40 minutes, covering Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, Number Systems, and Modern Mathematics (Permutation, Combination, Probability).

  • Arithmetic (Percentages, Profit and Loss, Time and Work, Time Speed Distance, Mixtures) accounts for roughly 35 to 45% of Quant questions and is the highest-priority area for most candidates.
  • For 95 percentile, a target of 10 to 12 correct answers in Quant is solid — achievable by fully mastering Arithmetic and easy Algebra questions.
  • For 99 percentile, the target is 13 to 14 correct answers — this requires accuracy in medium-difficulty Algebra and Geometry beyond Arithmetic.
  • TITA questions in Quant carry no negative marking; always attempt every TITA question even with rough estimates.
  • In CAT 2025, the combined Quant good attempt estimate was 13 to 14 for top scorers; Slot 3 was tougher, with good attempts dropping to 11 to 12.
Percentile Target Good Attempts in Quant Expected Quant Score Target Accuracy
90 Percentile 8 – 10 21 – 27 75 – 80%
95 Percentile 10 – 12 27 – 33 80 – 85%
99 Percentile 13 – 14 36 – 39 85 – 90%

Quant strategy: Attempt all Arithmetic questions first regardless of difficulty. Move to Algebra, then skip to TITA questions (no negative mark). Leave Number Theory and complex Geometry for last. For MCQs you are not fully sure about, use back-calculation by substituting answer options — it is often faster than solving from scratch.

****Ques. How many Quant questions should I attempt for 95 percentile in CAT 2026?****

****Ans.**** For 95 percentile in CAT 2026 Quant, targeting 12 to 14 attempts and getting 10 to 12 correct (accuracy around 80 to 85%) is a realistic goal. Focus on Arithmetic and easy Algebra first, and always attempt every TITA question since there is no risk in guessing.

CAT 2026 Score Required for 95 and 99 Percentile: IIM-wise Cutoff Outlook

The overall score required for 95 percentile and 99 percentile in CAT 2026 is expected to follow CAT 2024 and CAT 2025 trends, adjusted for paper difficulty on November 29, 2026.

Percentile Expected CAT 2026 Score (out of 204) IIMs Likely to Shortlist
99.5+ Percentile 130 – 145+ IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta
99 Percentile 100 – 130 IIM Lucknow, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Indore
95 Percentile 72 – 90 IIM Ranchi, IIM Raipur, MDI Gurgaon, SPJIMR
90 Percentile 55 – 70 IIM Sirmaur, IIM Nagpur, IMT Ghaziabad
85 Percentile 42 – 54 FORE School of Management, LBSIM

Note: Expected score ranges are based on previous year trends and may change with CAT 2026 paper difficulty. IIM shortlisting also considers academic performance (10th, 12th and graduation marks), work experience and gender diversity — the CAT percentile is one of several criteria. Check each IIM’s official admission policy for the exact shortlist formula.

| | | |---|---| | CAT 2026 IIM Cutoff Percentile | CAT 2026 Counselling Process |

CAT 2026 Good Attempts: Key Tips to Stay on Target

  • Skip quickly and move on. If a question takes more than 90 seconds and no clear path is visible, skip it. Time lost on a hard question cannot be recovered and may cost 3 to 4 easier attempts.
  • Attempt all TITA questions. Type In The Answer questions in all three sections carry no negative marking. A correct answer adds 3 marks with zero risk; never leave a TITA question blank.
  • Accuracy over volume. A candidate who attempts 38 questions at 90% accuracy (net score: 34 correct × 3 – 4 wrong × 1 = 98) outscores a candidate who attempts 50 questions at 70% accuracy (35 correct × 3 – 15 wrong × 1 = 90).
  • Section-level percentile also matters. Most IIMs set a minimum sectional percentile cutoff (typically 70 to 80 percentile per section) in addition to the overall percentile. A very poor Quant or VARC score can disqualify a candidate even if the overall percentile is above the cutoff.
  • Practice with mock tests from official sources. IIM releases two official mock tests on iimcat.ac.in after registration opens. These are the closest simulation of the actual interface, question types and difficulty level.

CAT Previous Year Good Attempts Data: Official PDF Links

Candidates can access official CAT score cards and previous year analysis from the links below:

Year Document Link
2026 CAT 2026 Score Card and Percentile Data (after result) Official CAT Website
2025 CAT 2025 Official Score Card Official CAT Website
2024 CAT 2024 Official Score Card Official CAT Website

Note: Official score and percentile data is published by the convening IIM on the official CAT website (iimcat.ac.in) after result declaration. Links are updated as official documents are released.

****Ques. What is a good overall score in CAT 2026 for IIM admission?****

****Ans.**** A raw score above 100 (approximately 99 percentile) opens the door to older IIMs like IIM Lucknow, IIM Kozhikode and IIM Indore. A score above 72 to 90 (around 95 percentile) gives access to newer IIMs and top non-IIM colleges like MDI Gurgaon and SPJIMR. IIM admission also depends on your Class 10, Class 12 and graduation marks, work experience and gender diversity.

****Ques. Does the difficulty of CAT 2026 change how many attempts are needed?****

****Ans.**** Yes. CAT 2026 uses IIM’s normalisation formula to adjust scores across different exam slots. On a harder paper, fewer good attempts are enough for the same percentile; on an easier paper, you need more correct answers for the same percentile. The scoring is fair across slots after normalisation, so do not change your strategy mid-exam based on perceived difficulty.

****Ques. Can a weak section pull down the overall CAT 2026 percentile?****

****Ans.**** Yes. CAT 2026 gives a sectional percentile and an overall percentile separately on the score card. Most IIMs apply a minimum sectional percentile cutoff (typically 70 to 85 percentile per section) alongside the overall cutoff. A very low score in one section — even if the overall score is high — can disqualify you during IIM shortlisting.

****Ques. Are TITA questions helpful for increasing good attempts in CAT 2026?****

****Ans.**** Yes. TITA questions carry no negative marking, so every attempt is risk-free. In recent years, DILR had roughly 10 to 11 TITA questions out of 22, and VARC and Quant had 4 to 5 each. Attempting all TITA questions in a section can add up to 9 to 33 marks at zero risk if answered correctly.

****Ques. What happens if I score high overall but low in DILR in CAT 2026?****

****Ans.**** A low DILR percentile (below 70 to 80 percentile) can disqualify you from IIM shortlists even if your VARC and Quant scores are strong. Top IIMs typically apply a minimum sectional percentile of 80 to 85 percentile in each of the three sections. Spend at least 4 to 6 weeks before CAT 2026 specifically improving DILR set-solving speed to avoid this.