CAT 2026 Exam Pattern: 68 Questions, 204 Marks, Marking Scheme and TITA Questions

CAT 2026 is a 120-minute computer-based test (CBT) conducted by IIM Indore. The exam spans three sections — Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Ability (QA) — with 68 questions for 204 marks. IIM Indore officially released the CAT 2026 notification on July 26, 2026, confirming the exam on November 29, 2026.

• CAT 2026 is a 120-minute computer-based test with 68 questions for 204 marks.
• The exam has 3 sections: Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Ability (QA).
• Correct answers earn +3 marks; a wrong MCQ answer deducts 1 mark.
• There is no negative marking for TITA (Type In The Answer) questions — always attempt every TITA question.
• Each section has a strict 40-minute time limit; you cannot move back to a completed section.
• VARC carries the highest question count with 24 questions for 72 marks; DILR and QA have 22 questions each for 66 marks apiece.
• CAT 2026 is scheduled on November 29, 2026 (Sunday) in multiple sessions across India.

CAT Exam Pattern 2026: Overview

CAT 2026 follows a computer-based test (CBT) format across three sections with equal time allocation. The exam runs in multiple sessions on the same day; each session carries a separate question paper. Scaled scores normalise performance differences across sessions before percentile calculation.

CAT 2026 is a 120-minute computer-based test with 68 questions for 204 marks, conducted by IIM Indore on November 29, 2026.

Source: iimcat.ac.in — CAT 2026 Official Notification

CAT Exam Pattern 2026: Important Dates

The CAT 2026 notification was released on July 26, 2026. Registration is now closed. With the exam on November 29, 2026, the admit card and exam day are the two key upcoming milestones for registered students.

Note: Download the CAT 2026 admit card from iimcat.ac.in starting November 4, 2026. Only students who completed registration by September 15, 2026 are eligible to appear.

CAT 2026: Detailed Exam Pattern

CAT 2026 has three sections, each with a 40-minute sectional clock. The section order on the test interface is fixed: VARC first, then DILR, then QA. Once the 40-minute window for a section ends, the system locks you out — you cannot return to it even if questions remain unanswered.

Note: Each section contains both MCQ and TITA question types. The exact MCQ/TITA split within a section is not pre-declared and may vary across exam slots on exam day.

The 40-minute sectional time limit in CAT 2026 is strictly enforced — once a section’s clock expires, you cannot revisit it even if questions remain unanswered.

CAT Marking Scheme 2026

CAT 2026 uses a +3 / -1 scheme for MCQs and a +3 / 0 scheme for TITA questions. The difference in penalty between the two question types directly shapes your attempt strategy: attempt every TITA question and apply selective guessing to MCQs.

Negative marking of 1 mark applies to all MCQs in CAT 2026 — avoid random guessing, especially in VARC Reading Comprehension and DILR where MCQs dominate.

The break-even accuracy for MCQ guessing is 33%. If you can eliminate at least one option from a 4-choice MCQ, your probability of a correct guess rises above 33% — at that point, guessing is mathematically justified. If you cannot eliminate any option, skipping scores the same expected value as guessing but avoids the downside risk.

There is no negative marking for TITA questions in CAT 2026 — always attempt every TITA question.

Score Normalisation in CAT 2026

CAT 2026 runs in multiple sessions on November 29. IIM Indore applies statistical normalisation to account for difficulty variation across sessions. The normalised scaled score — not the raw score — determines your percentile and drives IIM shortlisting. The normalisation methodology is published post-exam in the official score report at iimcat.ac.in.

CAT Subject-Wise Exam Pattern 2026

Each section in CAT 2026 has a distinct internal structure. Understanding the topic mix and question-type breakdown within each section helps you prioritise areas, manage time within the 40-minute window, and plan practice effectively.

VARC — Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (24 Questions, 72 Marks)

VARC is the first section you face. It combines Reading Comprehension (RC) passages with standalone Verbal Ability (VA) questions. All RC questions are MCQs. Most VA questions are TITA — para-jumbles and odd-sentence-out in particular are almost always TITA.

Note: RC passages typically run 400–700 words with 4 questions per passage. The 4 passages together give you 16 questions for 48 marks — all MCQs. Scoring well in RC is the fastest route to a strong VARC percentile.

DILR — Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (22 Questions, 66 Marks)

DILR tests your ability to extract information from complex data sets and solve multi-step logical problems. The section is set-based: each set has a common premise followed by 4–6 questions. Some sets are MCQ-heavy; others have TITA questions embedded within them.

Note: Modern CAT DILR sets frequently blend DI and LR elements within a single set. Pure DI-only or pure LR-only sets have become rare in recent years. Set selection — choosing which sets to attempt within 40 minutes — is the central skill in DILR.

QA — Quantitative Ability (22 Questions, 66 Marks)

QA tests mathematical problem-solving. It covers five broad areas: Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, Number Systems, and Modern Mathematics. Approximately 60–65% of QA questions are MCQs; the remaining 8 or so are TITA with no negative marking.

CAT Question Types 2026

CAT 2026 uses two question formats: MCQs and TITA. They differ in answer input method, negative marking, and the strategy you should apply. Knowing how each type works before exam day removes decision fatigue during the actual test.

MCQ — Multiple Choice Questions

MCQs present four answer options (A, B, C, D) with exactly one correct answer. You click to select. Negative marking of -1 applies for a wrong answer. Around 70–75% of total CAT questions are MCQs, distributed across all three sections.

• All 16 RC questions in VARC are MCQs
• The majority of DILR questions in each set are MCQs
• Roughly 60–65% of QA questions are MCQs
• Wrong MCQ answer: -1 mark; correct: +3; unattempted: 0

TITA — Type In The Answer (Non-MCQ)

TITA questions show no answer options. You type your answer directly via an on-screen keypad. No negative marking applies — a wrong TITA response scores zero, not -1. Around 25–30% of questions in CAT 2026 are TITA.

• Appear in VA (para-jumbles, odd-sentence), DILR sets, and QA
• RC passages in VARC do not contain TITA questions
• Answers in QA are typically integers or short decimals
• Always attempt every TITA question — a wrong response costs nothing

Section-Wise MCQ vs TITA Distribution — Based on CAT 2025 Pattern

Note: The exact MCQ/TITA split per section is not officially pre-declared. The figures above are based on the CAT 2025 pattern and may vary by a question or two across slots.

CAT 2026 Question Interface Features

• A virtual onscreen calculator is available during QA and DILR sections
• Questions have a Mark for Review option — flag and revisit within the 40-minute window
• The question palette on screen shows: green (answered), red (marked for review), grey (not yet visited)
• You cannot switch to another section once the current section’s time expires
• TITA questions display a text entry box — no answer options appear on screen

CAT Exam Pattern: Changes in 2026 vs Previous Year

Based on the official CAT 2026 notification released in July 2026, no structural changes have been made to the exam pattern for the 2026 cycle. The question count, section structure, duration, and marking scheme remain identical to CAT 2025. The table below shows the full year-on-year comparison.

The CAT 2026 pattern has no announced structural changes from CAT 2025 — your preparation strategy remains fully valid for 2026.

The one administrative difference is the conducting IIM: the responsibility rotates among IIMs each year, with IIM Indore conducting CAT 2026. This rotation does not affect the exam pattern, scoring method, or admission process — those are standardised across all IIMs.

How to Prepare Based on CAT Exam Pattern

The CAT 2026 pattern — three locked 40-minute sections, MCQ/TITA split, and a +3/-1 scheme — demands specific tactics that differ from open-ended exam preparation. Each tip below is derived directly from the 2026 pattern structure.

1. Train for 40-minute sectional blocks, not a 120-minute open run. The exam locks you out of a section after 40 minutes. Set a hard 40-minute timer per section in every mock. Students who practice with open time consistently underperform in the real test because they have never felt the sectional clock pressure.
2. Always attempt every TITA question. TITA questions carry no negative marking. A wrong answer and a blank both score zero, but a correct one gives +3. The expected value of attempting any TITA question is always non-negative — never leave a TITA blank.
3. Apply selective guessing for MCQs. The break-even accuracy is 33%. If you can rule out one option in a 4-choice MCQ, your odds rise above 33% and guessing is justified. If you cannot eliminate any option, skip. Track your MCQ guessing accuracy across mocks to calibrate this threshold.
4. Target Reading Comprehension first in VARC. All 16 RC questions are MCQs with relatively predictable answer structures. They account for 48 of the 72 marks in VARC. Settling into the RC passages early in the 40-minute slot — before time pressure builds — maximises your RC score. Treat the 8 VA questions as bonus marks; attempt all TITA VA questions regardless of certainty.
5. Pick DILR sets strategically in the first five minutes. Spend the first 3–5 minutes reading the premises of all sets and identifying which look approachable. Commit to 3–4 sets and complete them fully. Abandoning a set midway wastes the time already spent reading the premise — a sunk cost that penalises you twice.
6. In QA, prioritise accessible questions over hard ones. With 22 questions in 40 minutes, spending 10 minutes on a hard geometry problem is rarely worth it. Identify the 14–16 questions you can answer in under 2 minutes, solve them, then use remaining time on TITA QA questions where a wrong response costs nothing.
7. Track your raw score formula in every mock. CAT raw score = (correct answers × 3) − (wrong MCQs × 1). Monitoring this number across mocks reveals whether you need to increase attempt volume or improve accuracy. A raw score of 120+ out of 204 is generally associated with strong percentile performance.