Updated On : July 25, 2024
Overview: The official notification for the CAT exam pattern 2024 will be announced tentatively in the second week of August. The CAT paper pattern 2024 is expected to remain the same as last year, benefiting aspirants already preparing.
Let's proceed further in this blog to gain a detailed understanding of the CAT exam pattern by learning the total number of questions in each section and the time duration and marking scheme.
Read More | Section Wise Detailed CAT Syllabus
The CAT exam pattern is meticulously designed to evaluate candidates comprehensively, assessing their aptitude from all angles.
The format of the CAT paper pattern is a two-hour session that includes a mix of multiple-choice and non-multiple-choice questions, totalling 66, mirroring the structure from the CAT entrance exam 2024.
This year's CAT is expected to maintain the same format despite historical changes. The CAT paper pattern is divided into three main sections:
CAT Exam Sections | Number of Questions | Weightage (Marks) |
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) | 24 | 72 |
Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) | 20 | 60 |
Quantitative Aptitude (QA) | 22 | 66 |
The highlights of the CAT paper pattern are as follows:
CAT Paper Pattern 2024 | |
Mode of CAT exam | Computer Based Test |
Duration of exam | 120 minutes (40 minutes per section) |
Number of questions | 66 |
Total marks | 198 |
Medium of question paper | English |
Number of Sections | 3 |
Number of answer choices | 4 |
Marking Scheme | + 3 for every correct answer -1 for every wrong answer 0 for unattempted question |
Sections | 1. VARC 2. DI & LR 3. QA |
Question Type | MCQ and non-MCQ |
Note* The CAT exam pattern pdf is not available officially; you can analyze the CAT entrance exam pattern and syllabus from the CAT previous year's papers.
Check Here: Direct Link to Download CAT 2024 Admit Card
The Common Admission Test (CAT) is a competitive exam conducted by the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) for admission into their MBA programs.
Expected Section-wise CAT paper pattern 2024 details are tabulated below:
CAT Exam Sections | Total No. of Questions | MCQs | TITA Questions | Marks | Duration |
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) | 24 | 21 | 3 | 72 | 40 min |
Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DI & LR) | 20 | 14 | 6 | 60 | 40 min |
Quantitative Ability (QA) | 22 | 14 | 8 | 66 | 40 min |
Total | 66 | 49 | 17 | 198 | 120 (2 hours) |
Last year, in 2023, the CAT Exam slot timing was divided into three slots of two hours each.
The exam is highly difficult and requires a good knowledge of the CAT exam syllabus and the ability to solve complex problems.
Before we go ahead and learn about the comprehensive CAT exam pattern let's learn about the important events and dates for CAT 2024:
CAT Exam 2024 Events | Tentative Dates |
CAT 2024 Notification Date | Second Week of August |
Registration Date Opens | Fourth Week of August |
Application form last date | Second Week of September |
Release Date | First Week of November |
CAT Exam Registration Fees | INR 1200 (Reserved categories) INR 2400 (Other categories) |
CAT 2024 Exam Date | November 24, 2024 |
CAT Notification & Registration Official Website | iimcat.ac.in |
Checkout: How Many Times CAT Exam is Conducted in a Year
Before taking the test, it's critical to understand the CAT marking scheme to decide which questions to answer and which to skip.
In the CAT paper pattern details, the marking scheme incorporates negative marking specifically for the multiple-choice questions (MCQs) and not for TITA questions.
Below are the essential details about the CAT exam pattern and marks:
Note* Non-MCQ questions will not be subject to negative marking.
Each section in the CAT exam pattern for MBA has an allotted time limit. Let's understand CAT exam pattern time in detail:
Read More: CAT Exam Analysis for 2023
One important thing you must know is that none of the IIMs or any recognized body releases the official CAT exam pattern PDF at their respective website.
Below is the detailed CAT exam pattern PDF explained to you with the CAT exam syllabus:
Here is the CAT Paper Pattern for Quantitative Aptitude:
The CAT Quantitative Aptitude exam includes only numerical-based questions from various Mathematical concepts.
This year, it is expected that there will be a total of 26 questions in this section divided in the following format:
Section | Total No. of Questions | MCQs | TITA Questions | Marks | Duration |
Quantitative Ability (QA) | 22 | 14 | 8 | 66 | 40 min |
The quantitative aptitude section's detailed pattern is provided below:
The five primary topics that make up the entire quantitative aptitude section CAT exam pattern:
The table below gives the number of Quantitative Ability questions asked per slot based on the four broadly classified areas of QA i.e., Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, Modern Math and Number Theory.
CAT Exam Pattern 2024 - Slot/Topic | Arithmetic | Algebra | Geometry | Modern Math and Number Theory |
Slot 1 | 9 | 7 | 3 | 3 |
Slot 2 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 4 |
Slot 3 | 11 | 6 | 3 | 2 |
Check: CAT Exam Preparation Books 2024
The CAT VARC section tests your English language skills and ability to interpret paragraphs and understand the core ideas. This tells us that you must focus on improving VARC section because of the standard questions it consists.
This year's CAT exam will include 26 questions from the VA-RC section divided in the following format:
Sections | Total No. of Questions | MCQs | TITA Questions | Marks | Duration |
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) | 24 | 21 | 3 | 72 | 40 min |
The following are the major topics from which Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension questions are asked:
The reading comprehension passages and the verbal ability section each have their own set of questions.
In CAT exam 2024 there will be around 4 passages in the reading comprehension segment with 4 questions each to answer, i.e. a total of 16 questions.
There will be around 8 verbal ability questions total from para jumbles, paragraph completions, summaries, and odd sentences. The first and fourth topics were Type in the Answer or TITA, and the second and third were MCQs.
Learn more: How to improve reading comprehension for CAT Exam 2024?
The logical reasoning and data interpretation component gauge how well you analyze data and comprehend logical premises.
There will be 22–24 questions in this section altogether asked in this section divided in the following format:
Sections | Total No. of Questions | MCQs | TITA Questions | Marks | Duration |
Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DI & LR) | 20 | 14 | 6 | 60 | 40 min |
CAT paper Pattern 2024 for Logical Reasoning & Data Interpretation Pattern will include questions based on the following major topics:
**Note: The detailed CAT Exam Pattern PDF has been uploaded to this blog. You can download and save it easily.
Slots/Sets | Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 | Set 4 |
Slot 1 | Routes & Networks | Venn Diagram | Mathematical Reasoning | Games & Tournaments |
Slot 2 | Routes & Networks | Venn Diagram | Tables & Graphs | Selection & Distribution |
Slot 3 | Tables & Graphs | Arrangements | Tables & Graphs | Rank & Ordering |
Learn More: What are the Benefits of CAT Exam for MBA
There have been a lot of changes in the CAT exam pattern process in the past years. From 2014 to 2019, the CAT total questions were 100 and the CAT exam pattern total marks were 300. Later, it changed to 76 questions in 2020 and 66 from 2021 till now. Here is the CAT exam pattern and details over the years:
CAT Exam Year | Number of Questions in CAT Exam over the Years | CAT Exam Time Duration Over the Years | CAT Sections Over the Years |
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 |
CAT Exam Pattern 2024 - Sections | Number of Questions | Marks Per Question | CAT Exam Pattern Negative Marking (Only MCQ) |
VARC | 24 | 3 | -1 |
DILR | 20 | 3 | -1 |
Quantitative Aptitude | 22 | 3 | -1 |
Total | 66 | 198 |
**Note: The detailed CAT Exam Pattern PDF has been uploaded to this blog. You can download and save it easily.
The CAT exam pattern 2024 is a comprehensive test that requires considerable preparation and practice. You must understand the exam format and the questions' nature to score well.
Familiarize yourself with the CAT paper pattern and syllabus to maximize your chances of scoring high.
With the right preparation and practice, you can ace the CAT exam and achieve your desired score. Again, the PDF of the CAT exam pattern has not been released from any official source.
Explore more: About CAT Exam Courses
Download Your Free CAT Prep Material
Fill your details
Frequently Asked Questions
what is the pattern of CAT exam?
How long is the CAT Exam?
How many questions are asked in the CAT Exam?
What is the marking scheme for the CAT Exam?
Is there any sectional time limit for the CAT Exam?
July 25, 2024
Overview: The official notification for the CAT exam pattern 2024 will be announced tentatively in the second week of August. The CAT paper pattern 2024 is expected to remain the same as last year, benefiting aspirants already preparing.
Let's proceed further in this blog to gain a detailed understanding of the CAT exam pattern by learning the total number of questions in each section and the time duration and marking scheme.
Read More | Section Wise Detailed CAT Syllabus
The CAT exam pattern is meticulously designed to evaluate candidates comprehensively, assessing their aptitude from all angles.
The format of the CAT paper pattern is a two-hour session that includes a mix of multiple-choice and non-multiple-choice questions, totalling 66, mirroring the structure from the CAT entrance exam 2024.
This year's CAT is expected to maintain the same format despite historical changes. The CAT paper pattern is divided into three main sections:
CAT Exam Sections | Number of Questions | Weightage (Marks) |
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) | 24 | 72 |
Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) | 20 | 60 |
Quantitative Aptitude (QA) | 22 | 66 |
The highlights of the CAT paper pattern are as follows:
CAT Paper Pattern 2024 | |
Mode of CAT exam | Computer Based Test |
Duration of exam | 120 minutes (40 minutes per section) |
Number of questions | 66 |
Total marks | 198 |
Medium of question paper | English |
Number of Sections | 3 |
Number of answer choices | 4 |
Marking Scheme | + 3 for every correct answer -1 for every wrong answer 0 for unattempted question |
Sections | 1. VARC 2. DI & LR 3. QA |
Question Type | MCQ and non-MCQ |
Note* The CAT exam pattern pdf is not available officially; you can analyze the CAT entrance exam pattern and syllabus from the CAT previous year's papers.
Check Here: Direct Link to Download CAT 2024 Admit Card
The Common Admission Test (CAT) is a competitive exam conducted by the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) for admission into their MBA programs.
Expected Section-wise CAT paper pattern 2024 details are tabulated below:
CAT Exam Sections | Total No. of Questions | MCQs | TITA Questions | Marks | Duration |
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) | 24 | 21 | 3 | 72 | 40 min |
Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DI & LR) | 20 | 14 | 6 | 60 | 40 min |
Quantitative Ability (QA) | 22 | 14 | 8 | 66 | 40 min |
Total | 66 | 49 | 17 | 198 | 120 (2 hours) |
Last year, in 2023, the CAT Exam slot timing was divided into three slots of two hours each.
The exam is highly difficult and requires a good knowledge of the CAT exam syllabus and the ability to solve complex problems.
Before we go ahead and learn about the comprehensive CAT exam pattern let's learn about the important events and dates for CAT 2024:
CAT Exam 2024 Events | Tentative Dates |
CAT 2024 Notification Date | Second Week of August |
Registration Date Opens | Fourth Week of August |
Application form last date | Second Week of September |
Release Date | First Week of November |
CAT Exam Registration Fees | INR 1200 (Reserved categories) INR 2400 (Other categories) |
CAT 2024 Exam Date | November 24, 2024 |
CAT Notification & Registration Official Website | iimcat.ac.in |
Checkout: How Many Times CAT Exam is Conducted in a Year
Before taking the test, it's critical to understand the CAT marking scheme to decide which questions to answer and which to skip.
In the CAT paper pattern details, the marking scheme incorporates negative marking specifically for the multiple-choice questions (MCQs) and not for TITA questions.
Below are the essential details about the CAT exam pattern and marks:
Note* Non-MCQ questions will not be subject to negative marking.
Each section in the CAT exam pattern for MBA has an allotted time limit. Let's understand CAT exam pattern time in detail:
Read More: CAT Exam Analysis for 2023
One important thing you must know is that none of the IIMs or any recognized body releases the official CAT exam pattern PDF at their respective website.
Below is the detailed CAT exam pattern PDF explained to you with the CAT exam syllabus:
Here is the CAT Paper Pattern for Quantitative Aptitude:
The CAT Quantitative Aptitude exam includes only numerical-based questions from various Mathematical concepts.
This year, it is expected that there will be a total of 26 questions in this section divided in the following format:
Section | Total No. of Questions | MCQs | TITA Questions | Marks | Duration |
Quantitative Ability (QA) | 22 | 14 | 8 | 66 | 40 min |
The quantitative aptitude section's detailed pattern is provided below:
The five primary topics that make up the entire quantitative aptitude section CAT exam pattern:
The table below gives the number of Quantitative Ability questions asked per slot based on the four broadly classified areas of QA i.e., Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, Modern Math and Number Theory.
CAT Exam Pattern 2024 - Slot/Topic | Arithmetic | Algebra | Geometry | Modern Math and Number Theory |
Slot 1 | 9 | 7 | 3 | 3 |
Slot 2 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 4 |
Slot 3 | 11 | 6 | 3 | 2 |
Check: CAT Exam Preparation Books 2024
The CAT VARC section tests your English language skills and ability to interpret paragraphs and understand the core ideas. This tells us that you must focus on improving VARC section because of the standard questions it consists.
This year's CAT exam will include 26 questions from the VA-RC section divided in the following format:
Sections | Total No. of Questions | MCQs | TITA Questions | Marks | Duration |
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) | 24 | 21 | 3 | 72 | 40 min |
The following are the major topics from which Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension questions are asked:
The reading comprehension passages and the verbal ability section each have their own set of questions.
In CAT exam 2024 there will be around 4 passages in the reading comprehension segment with 4 questions each to answer, i.e. a total of 16 questions.
There will be around 8 verbal ability questions total from para jumbles, paragraph completions, summaries, and odd sentences. The first and fourth topics were Type in the Answer or TITA, and the second and third were MCQs.
Learn more: How to improve reading comprehension for CAT Exam 2024?
The logical reasoning and data interpretation component gauge how well you analyze data and comprehend logical premises.
There will be 22–24 questions in this section altogether asked in this section divided in the following format:
Sections | Total No. of Questions | MCQs | TITA Questions | Marks | Duration |
Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DI & LR) | 20 | 14 | 6 | 60 | 40 min |
CAT paper Pattern 2024 for Logical Reasoning & Data Interpretation Pattern will include questions based on the following major topics:
**Note: The detailed CAT Exam Pattern PDF has been uploaded to this blog. You can download and save it easily.
Slots/Sets | Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 | Set 4 |
Slot 1 | Routes & Networks | Venn Diagram | Mathematical Reasoning | Games & Tournaments |
Slot 2 | Routes & Networks | Venn Diagram | Tables & Graphs | Selection & Distribution |
Slot 3 | Tables & Graphs | Arrangements | Tables & Graphs | Rank & Ordering |
Learn More: What are the Benefits of CAT Exam for MBA
There have been a lot of changes in the CAT exam pattern process in the past years. From 2014 to 2019, the CAT total questions were 100 and the CAT exam pattern total marks were 300. Later, it changed to 76 questions in 2020 and 66 from 2021 till now. Here is the CAT exam pattern and details over the years:
CAT Exam Year | Number of Questions in CAT Exam over the Years | CAT Exam Time Duration Over the Years | CAT Sections Over the Years |
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 |
CAT Exam Pattern 2024 - Sections | Number of Questions | Marks Per Question | CAT Exam Pattern Negative Marking (Only MCQ) |
VARC | 24 | 3 | -1 |
DILR | 20 | 3 | -1 |
Quantitative Aptitude | 22 | 3 | -1 |
Total | 66 | 198 |
**Note: The detailed CAT Exam Pattern PDF has been uploaded to this blog. You can download and save it easily.
The CAT exam pattern 2024 is a comprehensive test that requires considerable preparation and practice. You must understand the exam format and the questions' nature to score well.
Familiarize yourself with the CAT paper pattern and syllabus to maximize your chances of scoring high.
With the right preparation and practice, you can ace the CAT exam and achieve your desired score. Again, the PDF of the CAT exam pattern has not been released from any official source.
Explore more: About CAT Exam Courses
Download Your Free CAT Prep Material
Fill your details
Frequently Asked Questions
what is the pattern of CAT exam?
How long is the CAT Exam?
How many questions are asked in the CAT Exam?
What is the marking scheme for the CAT Exam?
Is there any sectional time limit for the CAT Exam?