CAT 2026 Exam Analysis: Slot-Wise Review, Section Trends, Good Attempts & Cutoffs

This CAT 2026 Exam Analysis page will be updated live after each CAT 2026 slot with a slot-wise and section-wise analysis (VARC, DILR, QA). You’ll find difficulty level, topic distribution, good attempts range, and an expected score vs percentile estimate based on expert review and candidate feedback.

Before the exam, the section-wise trends below can help candidates plan their revision. These are expectations based on CAT previous papers and coaching institute analysis. The actual questions, difficulty levels, and good attempts will be added after CAT 2026.

Candidates can use these trends to decide which topics need more practice before the exam. The final CAT 2026 exam analysis will be based on the questions asked in each slot.

Check Your CAT 2026 Percentile (Free Predictor)

CAT 2026 Exam Analysis: Slot-Wise Comparison

The table below will show the differences between the three slots once the exam is over.

Parameter	Slot 1	Slot 2	Slot 3
VARC Difficulty	TBA	TBA	TBA
DILR Difficulty	TBA	TBA	TBA
QA Difficulty	TBA	TBA	TBA
Overall Difficulty	TBA	TBA	TBA
Good Attempts	TBA	TBA	TBA
Most Challenging Section	TBA	TBA	TBA

The comparison should be based on the actual paper and expert review, not on pre-exam predictions. CAT uses score normalisation to account for differences between test slots, so raw attempts alone do not establish which slot was easier.

Expected CAT 2026 Exam Pattern

In recent years, CAT has included 68 questions divided into three sections. The table below shows how the questions are distributed.

Section	Expected Questions	Expected Duration	Final CAT 2026 Exam Analysis
VARC	24	40 minutes	TBA
DILR	22	40 minutes	TBA
QA	22	40 minutes	TBA
Total	68	120 minutes	TBA

Download Expected IIM CAT Cut Off PDF

Expected CAT 2026 Difficulty Level

CAT 2026 could be a moderate to difficult paper. DILR may take more time to solve, and some QA questions could involve lengthy calculations. The difficulty of each section will be clear once the exam is over.

Section	Expected Difficulty	Final Difficulty
VARC	Moderate	TBA
DILR	Moderate to Difficult	TBA
QA	Moderate to Difficult	TBA
Overall Paper	Moderate to Difficult	TBA

CAT 2026 Slot 1 Analysis: Expected Review and Final Updates

The CAT 2026 Slot 1 Analysis will be added after the morning shift ends. It will cover the questions asked in each section, the topics covered, difficulty level, and good attempts.

CAT 2026 Slot 1: Exam Overview

Parameter	Slot 1 Details
Exam Timing	TBA
Total Questions	TBA
VARC Questions	TBA
DILR Questions	TBA
QA Questions	TBA
Overall Difficulty	TBA
Good Attempts	TBA

CAT 2026 Slot 1: VARC Analysis

The Slot 1 VARC analysis for CAT 2026 will cover Reading Comprehension passages and Verbal Ability questions. It will also note whether the questions were direct or required close reading and careful elimination of answer choices.

VARC Parameter	Slot 1 Analysis
Number of RC Passages	TBA
RC Questions	TBA
VA Questions	TBA
Passage Topics	TBA
Most Difficult Question Type	TBA
Section Difficulty	TBA
Good Attempts	TBA

CAT 2026 Slot 1: DILR Analysis

The DILR analysis will cover the sets asked in Slot 1, such as arrangements, tables, graphs, or other reasoning questions. It will also explain which sets were easier to solve and which took more time.

DILR Parameter	Slot 1 Analysis
Number of Sets	TBA
Total Questions	TBA
DI Set Types	TBA
LR Set Types	TBA
Most Manageable Set	TBA
Most Difficult Set	TBA
Section Difficulty	TBA
Good Attempts	TBA

CAT 2026 Slot 1: QA Analysis

The QA analysis will cover topics such as Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, Number System, and Modern Maths. It will also show which topics had more questions and whether they involved lengthy calculations or tested basic concepts.

QA Topic	Number of Questions
Arithmetic	TBA
Algebra	TBA
Geometry and Mensuration	TBA
Number System	TBA
Modern Mathematics	TBA
Total QA Questions	TBA
Section Difficulty	TBA
Good Attempts	TBA

CAT 2026 Slot 1: Overall Analysis

Once the first shift is over, this section will summarise the main points from the paper. The final update will include the overall difficulty, section-wise performance trends, and estimated good attempts based on available candidate feedback and expert reviews.

Overall Parameter	Slot 1 Result
Overall Difficulty	TBA
Easiest Section	TBA
Most Difficult Section	TBA
Expected Good Attempts	TBA
Expected Score vs Percentile	TBA

Download CAT 2026 Scorecard

CAT 2026 Slot 2 Analysis: Expected Review and Final Updates

The CAT 2026 Slot 2 Analysis will be updated after the afternoon shift. Candidates can use it to compare Slot 2 with Slot 1 and check the differences in questions, calculations, and difficulty level.

CAT 2026 Slot 2: Exam Overview

Parameter	Slot 2 Details
Exam Timing	TBA
Total Questions	TBA
VARC Questions	TBA
DILR Questions	TBA
QA Questions	TBA
Overall Difficulty	TBA
Good Attempts	TBA

CAT 2026 Slot 2: VARC Analysis

The Slot 2 VARC analysis will cover the number of RC passages, their topics, and the VA questions asked. It will also look at whether the questions were easy to understand or needed more careful reading and analysis.

VARC Parameter	Slot 2 Analysis
Number of RC Passages	TBA
RC Questions	TBA
VA Questions	TBA
Passage Topics	TBA
Most Difficult Question Type	TBA
Section Difficulty	TBA
Good Attempts	TBA

CAT 2026 Slot 2: DILR Analysis

This section will list the DILR sets asked in Slot 2 and their difficulty levels. The analysis will consider the time needed to understand each set, organise the information, and solve the questions.

DILR Parameter	Slot 2 Analysis
Number of Sets	TBA
Total Questions	TBA
DI Set Types	TBA
LR Set Types	TBA
Most Manageable Set	TBA
Most Difficult Set	TBA
Section Difficulty	TBA
Good Attempts	TBA

CAT 2026 Slot 2: QA Analysis

The Slot 2 QA analysis will provide a topic-wise breakdown of the questions. It will also assess whether the paper focused more on Arithmetic, Algebra, or other areas of the CAT Syllabus.

QA Topic	Number of Questions
Arithmetic	TBA
Algebra	TBA
Geometry and Mensuration	TBA
Number System	TBA
Modern Mathematics	TBA
Total QA Questions	TBA
Section Difficulty	TBA
Good Attempts	TBA

CAT 2026 Slot 2: Overall Analysis

The final review will summarise the difficulty of Slot 2 and compare it with the first slot. Any difference in the number of questions or the section-wise distribution will be reported after the paper is reviewed.

Overall Parameter	Slot 2 Result
Overall Difficulty	TBA
Easiest Section	TBA
Most Difficult Section	TBA
Expected Good Attempts	TBA
Expected Score vs Percentile	TBA

CAT 2026 Slot 3 Analysis: Expected Review and Final Updates

CAT 2026 exam analysis for Slot 3  will be updated after the last shift ends. It will cover VARC, DILR, and QA and compare the difficulty level of all three slots.

CAT 2026 Slot 3: Exam Overview

Parameter	Slot 3 Details
Exam Timing	TBA
Total Questions	TBA
VARC Questions	TBA
DILR Questions	TBA
QA Questions	TBA
Overall Difficulty	TBA
Good Attempts	TBA

CAT 2026 Slot 3: VARC Analysis

The Slot 3 VARC analysis will cover the RC passage topics, the number of questions, and the VA question types. It will also review the difficulty of the passages and answer choices.

VARC Parameter	Slot 3 Analysis
Number of RC Passages	TBA
RC Questions	TBA
VA Questions	TBA
Passage Topics	TBA
Most Difficult Question Type	TBA
Section Difficulty	TBA
Good Attempts	TBA

CAT 2026 Slot 3: DILR Analysis

The Slot 3 DILR analysis will cover the sets asked in the exam and how difficult they were. It will also point out which sets were easier to solve and which took more time.

DILR Parameter	Slot 3 Analysis
Number of Sets	TBA
Total Questions	TBA
DI Set Types	TBA
LR Set Types	TBA
Most Manageable Set	TBA
Most Difficult Set	TBA
Section Difficulty	TBA
Good Attempts	TBA

CAT 2026 Slot 3: QA Analysis

This section will show the topics covered in Slot 3 and the number of questions from each. It will also explain how difficult the section was and whether the questions involved lengthy calculations or tested basic concepts.

QA Topic	Number of Questions
Arithmetic	TBA
Algebra	TBA
Geometry and Mensuration	TBA
Number System	TBA
Modern Mathematics	TBA
Total QA Questions	TBA
Section Difficulty	TBA
Good Attempts	TBA

CAT 2026 Slot 3: Overall Analysis

The final slot review will summarise the paper and compare its difficulty with Slots 1 and 2. The good-attempt range and score estimates will be added only after reviewing the available paper details.

Overall Parameter	Slot 3 Result
Overall Difficulty	TBA
Easiest Section	TBA
Most Difficult Section	TBA
Expected Good Attempts	TBA
Expected Score vs Percentile	TBA

CAT 2026 Exam Analysis: Expected Good Attempts and Score vs Percentile

Good attempts are not the same for every CAT Paper. They depend on the questions asked and how many answers a candidate gets right.

The table below will be updated after CAT 2026.

Section	Good Attempts	Expected Score Range
VARC	TBA	TBA
DILR	TBA	TBA
QA	TBA	TBA
Overall	TBA	TBA

Score-versus-percentile estimates are not official results. They may change after the response sheet, answer key, and candidate performance data become available.

CAT 2026 Exam Analysis: Expected CAT Cut Off

The CAT 2026 cut-off will depend on how difficult the exam is, the scores candidates get, and the admission rules of each IIM. Expected cut-offs may be available after the exam, but the final cut-offs will be confirmed by the institutes.

Cut-Off Details	CAT 2026 Status
Overall Expected CAT Cut Off	TBA
VARC Sectional Cut Off	TBA
DILR Sectional Cut Off	TBA
QA Sectional Cut Off	TBA
IIM-Wise Cut Off	TBA

Getting the required CAT percentile does not mean you will get an interview call or a seat. IIMs also consider other details, such as graduation marks, past academic performance, work experience, and category. Check the admission criteria of each institute for more details.

How to Use CAT 2026 Exam Analysis

CAT 2026 exam analysis can help you review your performance after the exam and understand the question trends for future preparation.

• Go through your answers: Note the questions you were sure about and the ones you guessed.
• Check the answers: Compare your responses with the available solutions.
• Work out your score: Use the exam's marking scheme to calculate marks for the answers you can confirm.
• Compare the slots: Look at the questions and difficulty level in each slot instead of relying only on what other candidates say.
• Practise CAT PYQs: Previous papers can help you understand question styles and recurring topics.
• Review the CAT Syllabus and CAT Exam Pattern: Use them to plan preparation for a future attempt.