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 and so on. While major changes were made in the years 2020 and 2021, from 2022 to 2023 no changes were made to the CAT exam pattern. Detailed changes in the CAT exam pattern from major ones in 2020 and 2021 to a minor change in 2024 are covered in this article.
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 have been changed, the duration has been altered, the sectional questions have been changed, etc. 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.
| Evolution of the CAT Exam 2020 to 2024 | |
| Years | How the CAT Exam Pattern Looked |
| 2020 | CAT was a CBT divided into 3 sections. Time duration reduced to 120 minutes. Sectional limits were strict. 40 minutes allotted per section. VARC and QA had 26 questions each. DILR had 24 questions. |
| 2021 | The paper had 3 sections, total duration was 2 hours and each section duration was 40 minutes. Total questions were 66. Both MCQs and Non-MCQs were asked. |
| 2022 | CAT still remained a CBT with 3 sections and sectional time limits. Students were not allowed to switch between the sections. |
| 2023 | The CAT exam pattern remained the same as 2022 with no changes. |
| 2024 | CAT 2024 paper pattern remained the same as 2022 and 2023. 2 questions were added in the DILR section. |
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.
- 2020 – Duration reduced from 180 minutes to 120 minutes(shortened due to Covid-19), additional 3rd slot added, and the questions under each section reduced to 24-26 with the total marks being 228 for 76 questions.
- 2021 – Total number of CAT questions reduced to 66. The DILR section saw a drop in questions.
What is the CAT Exam Pattern 2025?
The CAT exam pattern over the last 5 years has largely remained the same. After a review of the past timeline, it is important to ask what is the CAT exam pattern 2025? The CAT exam pattern 2025 comprises 3 sections, 3 slots, 120 minutes duration and 40 minutes per section. Check more details on the CAT 2025 paper pattern below.
| CAT Exam Pattern 2025 | |
| 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 Correct Answer 0 for unanswered questions |
| CAT Exam Negative Marking | -1 for Incorrect AnswerNo negative marking for TITA |
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 2024 – 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
Analysis of the last 5 years of the CAT exam pattern reveals that the paper has consistently remained in the moderate to difficult category. Students must prepare well for CAT 2025 as the paper cannot be expected to be easy given its historical data.
| CAT Exam Pattern Difficulty Level In the Last 5 Years | |
| Years | CAT Difficulty Level |
| 2020 | Moderate to Difficult |
| 2021 | Moderate to Difficult |
| 2022 | Moderate |
| 2023 | Difficult |
| 2024 | Moderate |
Major CAT Exam Pattern Total Marks Changes in in Last 5 Years
In the last 5 years, the CAT exam pattern particularly the total marks have been reduced 2 times and increased once. In 2024, due to additional questions, the CAT paper total marks increased by 2 marks. Previously, in the years 2023, 2022, no changes were made to the CAT exam total marks.
| CAT Exam Pattern Total Marks In the Last 5 Years | ||
| Years | Total Marks | Change in Total Marks |
| 2020 | 228 | Reduced |
| 2021 | 198 | Reduced |
| 2022 | 198 | No Change |
| 2023 | 198 | No Change |
| 2024 | 204 | Increased |
Major CAT Exam Pattern Total Question Changes in in Last 5 Years
The total questions in the CAT paper have seen some changes over the last 5 years. Major changes were made in 2020 and 2021 when the questions were reduced by 24 and 10 respectively. Since then the number of questions remained the same until 2024, when further questions were reduced from the DILR section of the CAT exam.
| CAT Exam Pattern Total Questions Asked In the Last 5 Years | ||
| Years | Total Questions | Change in Questions |
| 2020 | 76 | Decreased |
| 2021 | 66 | Decreased |
| 2022 | 66 | No Change |
| 2023 | 66 | No Change |
| 2024 | 68 | Increased |
Major CAT Exam Pattern Negative Marking Scheme Changes in Last 5 Years
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 of 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 – CAT exam pattern shifts from offline pen and paper mode to online computer mode.
- 2014 – Paper duration increased to 170 minutes, sectional time limits were removed, each section had 50 questions instead of 30. Total CAT questions in 2014 were 100.
- 2015 – CAT exam duration increased to 180 minutes.
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