Skip to main content
🇮🇳

CAT 2026: Exam Pattern, Eligibility & Study Plan

India · 3 subjects · 31 topics · Updated 2026-04-06

The Common Admission Test (CAT) is India's most competitive management entrance exam, conducted by IIMs for admission to MBA/PGP programmes at 20+ IIMs and 100+ B-schools nationwide. The exam tests quantitative ability, verbal ability, data interpretation, and logical reasoning. Over 2.5 lakh candidates appear annually for ~5,000 seats.

Live status

Verified 2026-04-24
Year
2026
Subjects
3
Topics
31

Freshness tracked daily from https://iimcat.ac.in. See 2026 calendar →

dateseligibilitysyllabuspatternstrategy
Generate Free Roadmap Browse Study Notes →

📋 Exam Pattern

3 sections (VA-RC, DILR, QA), 66 questions total, 2 hours, scaled score out of 300. Each correct answer gets 3 marks, 1 mark deducted for wrong answer.

✅ Eligibility Criteria

Bachelor's degree with minimum 50% aggregate (45% for SC/ST/PwD) from a recognised university. Final year students eligible to apply.

Subjects & Topics Covered — 31 topics across 3 subjects

VARC

→

8 topics · Reading Comprehension· Verbal Ability· Summary + more

DILR

→

9 topics · Data Interpretation Tables· Data Interpretation Charts· Data Interpretation Graphs + more

QA

→

14 topics · Percentages· Profit-Loss· Time-Work + more

Generate your personalised CAT roadmap →

Build Your CAT Study Plan in Minutes

Free, instant, no signup. Choose your duration and get a prioritised roadmap.

1h 2h 3h 5h 12h 1d All Durations →

More Exams in 🇮🇳 India

🇮🇳

NEET UG

NEET UG is India's single-window entrance exam for admission to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH and other medical c

🇮🇳

JEE Main

JEE Main is the first-stage entrance exam for admission to NITs, IIITs, and other Centrally Funded T

🇮🇳

JEE Advanced

JEE Advanced is the second-stage entrance exam for admission to the 23 Indian Institutes of Technolo

🇮🇳

CUET UG

The Common University Entrance Test (CUET) is India's central exam for undergraduate admission to 20

❓

Frequently Asked Questions — CAT

Everything you need to know about CAT. Scroll down for the complete study guide.

What is the eligibility to appear for CAT?
Candidates must hold a Bachelor's degree with at least 50% marks (45% for SC/ST/PwD) from a recognised university. Final-year undergraduate students can also apply. There is no minimum work experience requirement. Candidates from any academic background — engineering, arts, commerce, science — are eligible.
What is the CAT exam pattern?
CAT is a computer-based test of 2 hours (120 minutes). The exam has three sections: VARC (24 questions), DILR (20 questions), and QA (22 questions). Each correct answer carries 3 marks; 1 mark is deducted for each wrong answer in the MCQ section. There is no negative marking for TITA (Type in the Answer) questions. The test is adaptive in some years.
What is a good CAT score for IIM admission?
A CAT score above 99 percentile (typically 97–99+ sectional percentiles) is considered competitive for top IIMs (IIM-A, B, C, L, K, S). The exact cutoff varies by IIM, category, and academic background. For newer IIMs and baby IIMs, the 90–95 percentile range is usually sufficient. Beyond the CAT score, WAT and PI rounds also carry significant weight in the final selection.

Generating roadmap for CAT? Get your free personalised study plan →

🔗

Related Exams by Pathway

Students preparing for CAT often also consider these exams for syllabus overlap or the next step in their journey.

🇮🇳

XAT

alternative MBA entrance exam

→
🇮🇳

SNAP

MBA aspirants often attempt multiple exams

→

How to Prepare for CAT

1

Generate Your Roadmap

Select your exam, choose available time — get an instant AI prioritised study plan.

2

Study Topic by Topic

Open free notes for each topic, chosen by your roadmap. Three depth tiers: Quick, Standard, Deep.

3

Track & Revise

Mark topics complete as you go. Your roadmap adapts to your pace and keeps high-weightage topics first.

Exam Name CAT
Country 🇮🇳 India
Subjects VARC, DILR, QA
Total Topics 31
Official Source https://iimcat.ac.in
Last Updated 2026-04-06