The latest CAT exam pattern is that the question paper will have a total of 68 questions. The 3 sections of the exam, LRDI, Quants and VARC, will have a total of 22, 22 and 24 questions, respectively. There was no change in the CAT exam pattern in 2024 too. The CAT exam pattern changes in the last 5 years include reduction or increase in the total number of questions, section-wise questions, exam duration, etc. While major changes were made in the years 2020 and 2021, from 2022 to 2023 no changes were made to the CAT exam pattern.
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CAT Exam Pattern 2026
- The question paper will have 3 sections – VARC, DILR and Quantitative Aptitude.
- Sectional Time Limit – 40 minutes for each section.
- CAT Exam Duration – 120 Minutes
- VARC will have 24 questions, while the other two sections will have 22 questions each.
- Total number of questions – 68
- Mode of exam – CBT Mode
- Total marks in CAT – 204
- CAT Marking Scheme. – +3 per correct attempt and -1 per incorrect attempt
- Negative marking only for MCQs and not TITA
CAT Exam Pattern, Changes in the last 3 years
| 2025 | The CAT exam pattern remained the same as in 2024, with no changes. |
| 2024 | The CAT 2024 paper pattern remained the same as in 2022 and 2023. 2 questions were added in the DILR section. |
| 2023 | The CAT exam pattern remained the same as in 2022 with no changes. |
Detailed changes in the CAT exam pattern, from major ones in 2020 and 2021 to a minor change in 2025, are covered in this article.
Will the CAT exam pattern change in 2026?
Until now there has been no official announcement made about any change in the paper pattern. So it is expected that the CAT paper pattern will remain the same in 2026.
Components Involved in CAT Exam Pattern
- Number of sections in the CAT exam
- Number of questions per section
- Total time duration and slots
- Difficulty level of the exam
Major CAT Exam Pattern Changes in Last 5 Years’ Question Paper
The CAT exam paper has seen a lot of changes in the last 5 years. The number of questions has been changed, the duration has been altered, the sectional questions have been changed, and so on. These changes over the past 5 years indicate an active CAT-conducting body that evaluates the requirements of the students and techniques of marking answers and makes changes to the paper pattern accordingly.
| Years | How did the CAT exam pattern look? |
| 2025 | The CAT exam pattern remained the same as in 2024, with no changes. |
| 2024 | The CAT 2024 paper pattern remained the same as in 2022 and 2023. 2 questions were added in the DILR section. |
| 2023 | The CAT exam pattern remained the same as in 2022, with no changes. |
| 2022 | CAT still remained a CBT with 3 sections and sectional time limits. Students were not allowed to switch between the sections. |
| 2021 | The paper had 3 sections; the total duration was 2 hours, and each section’s duration was 40 minutes. Total questions were 66. Both MCQs and non-MCQs were asked. |
In Which Year Did the CAT Exam Pattern Change?
The CAT exam pattern has been changing continually over the years. From major changes in the exam format from 2009 up to 2021, multiple changes in the exam duration, section-wise questions, total questions, etc. have been made over the years. In which year did the CAT exam pattern change? is a question which needs to be addressed carefully. Considering the last 5 years of CAT, the paper pattern has changed significantly in 2020 and 2021 and then again in 2024 and 2025.
- 2025 – The total number of questions is 68 with a time duration of 120 minutes.
- 2024 – The total number of questions is 68 with a time duration of 120 minutes.
- 2023 – The total number of questions is 66 with a time duration of 120 minutes.
- 2022 – The total number of questions is 66 with a time duration of 120 minutes.
- 2021 – Total number of CAT questions reduced to 66. The DILR section saw a drop in questions.
- 2020 – Duration reduced from 180 minutes to 120 minutes (shortened due to Covid-19), an additional 3rd slot added, and the questions under each section reduced to 24-26, with the total marks being 228 for 76 questions.
What is the CAT exam pattern?
The CAT exam pattern over the last 5 years has seen slight changes in both number of questions and total time duration. After a review of the past timeline, it is important to ask, ‘What is the CAT exam pattern for 2025?’ The CAT exam pattern 2025 comprises 3 sections, 3 slots, a 120-minute duration and 40 minutes per section. Check more details on the CAT 2025 paper pattern below.
| CAT Exam Pattern | |
| Particulars | Details |
| CAT Exam Slots | 3 |
| CAT Exam Section | 3 |
| CAT Exam Duration | 120 minutes |
| CAT Exam Section-wise Duration | 40 minutes |
| CAT Exam Total Number of Questions | 68 |
| CAT Exam Total Marks | 204 |
| CAT Exam Marking Scheme | +3 for the correct answer 0 for unanswered questions |
| CAT Exam Negative Marking | -1 for Incorrect Answer No negative marking for TITA |
Is there any negative marking in the CAT exam pattern?
Yes, there is negative marking when we talk about attempting the Common Admission Test. Candidates will find negative marking of -1 in every incorrect response. It is quite important for the candidates that they should be very confident about solving questions.
Is the CAT exam pattern getting tougher every year?
No, the CAT exam pattern has remained consistent in the moderate to difficult range. Although students may expect easier questions, given the history of the CAT exam, the range of difficulty has not changed. The answer to the question ‘Is the CAT exam pattern getting tougher each year?’ is simple. The CAT exam pattern is not getting tougher each year; it has been moderate to difficult in the last 5 years.
- From 2020 to 2025, the CAT paper has been moderate to difficult.
- The CAT 2025 exam will be moderate to difficult based on trend analysis.
Difficulty Level of CAT Exam Pattern In the Last 5 Years
This section covers the difficulty level of the CAT exam paper in the last 5 years, with the latest exam pattern reflecting the moderate difficulty level.
| CAT Exam Pattern Difficulty Level In the Last 5 Years | |
| Years | CAT Difficulty Level |
| 2025 | Moderate |
| 2024 | Moderate |
| 2023 | Difficult |
| 2022 | Moderate |
| 2021 | Moderate to Difficult |
CAT Exam Pattern Trends Over the Years
This section covers the detailed CAT exam pattern over the years, with sudden changes seen in the number of questions in 2020, typically from 100 questions to 76 questions, and then the number of questions changed to 66, which has remained the same till 2023. Then when we are talking about the latest CAT exam pattern, the total number of questions asked is 68 with a total time duration of 120 minutes. The table specified below covers the complete information about the major changes seen in the CAT paper pattern over the years.
| CAT Year | Number of questions | Time duration | Sections |
| 2025 | 68 | 120 minutes | QA, DILR, VARC |
| 2024 | 68 | 120 minutes | QA, DILR, VARC |
| 2023 | 66 | 120 minutes | QA, DILR, VARC |
| 2022 | 66 | 120 minutes | QA, DILR, VARC |
| 2021 | 66 | 120 minutes | QA, DILR, VARC |
| 2020 | 76 | 120 minutes | QA, DILR, VARC |
| 2019 | 100 | 180 minutes | QA, DILR, VARC |
| 2018 | 100 | 180 minutes | QA, DILR, VARC |
| 2017 | 100 | 180 minutes | QA, DILR, VARC |
| 2016 | 100 | 180 minutes | QA, DILR, VARC |
| 2015 | 100 | 180 minutes | QA, DILR, VARC |
CAT Exam Pattern & Marking Scheme
The negative marking scheme was introduced for the CAT exam long before the last 5 years. It hasn’t changed over the years. Students must answer each question carefully, as the CAT exam has a negative marking scheme. For TITA or non-MCQ-type questions, the negative marking scheme is not applicable.
| Negative Marking Scheme In the Last 5 Years | |
| Particulars | Details |
| Changes Made | No changes have been made to the CAT negative marking scheme in the last 5 years. |
| Negative Marking | Only for MCQs |
| Marks Deducted | -1 |
| Non-MCQs | No negative marking |
Major CAT Exam Pattern Changes Before 2020
Before the year 2020, when Covid-19 created major shifts in exam modes, work modes, studies, etc., the CAT exam pattern changed in 2009 first, then in 2014 and 2015. All changes prior to the CAT 2020 exam were related to the exam duration and mode.
- 2009 – The exam pattern shifts from offline pen-and-paper to online computer mode.
- 2014 – Paper duration increased to 170 minutes, sectional time limits were removed, and each section had 50 questions instead of 30. The total number of CAT questions in 2014 was 100.
- 2015 – The CAT exam duration increased to 180 minutes.
Conclusion: CAT Exam Pattern
Understanding the CAT paper pattern will align your preparation towards success. Because you are able to make your goal according to the actual environment of the examination.
FAQs – CAT Exam Pattern
The Common Admission Test covers three different sections, respectively.
1. Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension
2. Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning
3. Quantitative Ability
Yes, the Common Admission Test has a negative marking of -1 after making an incorrect response.
The total time duration of the Common Admission Test is 2 hours or 120 minutes.
The CAT 2021 exam pattern consists of 66 questions with a time duration of 120 minutes.
The CAT 2025 exam pattern consists of 68 questions with a time duration of 120 minutes.
