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CAT Exam Pattern 2025: Sections, Duration, Marking Scheme & Total Marks

Shubham Verma • 8 Mins read • 1 Oct 25

CAT Exam Pattern

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The CAT 2025 exam will be held by the IIM Kozhikode on 30th November 2025.

Indian Institute of Management (IIMs) conduct the CAT (Common Entrance Test) exam every year to provide admission to the multiple PG and fellowship/doctorate courses that are provided by the IIMs and other institutes. The CAT 2025 exam pattern has been prescribed by IIM Kozhikode because it is the exam-convening institute for this year. The duration of the course will be 120 minutes, with a 40-minute time limit for each section, and the exam will be conducted in online mode.

The CAT Exam 2025 structure consists of 3 main sections: VARC, Quantitative Ability, and DILR. You can read this blog for full information about the CAT Exam Pattern and Marking Scheme.

CAT Exam Pattern: Quick Highlights

A quick highlights table based on the CAT exam pattern is given below:

Particulars	CAT Exam Pattern and Syllabus
CAT exam time duration	2 Hours (120 Minutes) & (160 Minutes for PwD)
Name of the Sections	Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR) Quantitative Aptitude (QA)
Section-wise CAT exam time duration	40 Minutes for Each Section (VARC, DILR, QA) 53 Minutes 20 Seconds for PwD candidates for each section
CAT slot timings	CAT slot 1 timing: 8:30 am - 10:30 am (Morning Session) CAT slot 2 timing: 12:30 pm - 2:30 pm (Afternoon Session) CAT slot 3 timing: 4:30 pm - 6:30 pm (Evening Session)
How many questions are in the CAT exam	68 Questions
Total marks of the CAT exam	204 CAT marks
Language of the question paper	English
Mode of the CAT 2025 exam	Computer-Based Mode (CBT)
CAT Marking Scheme	For every right answer, +3 will be awarded For every wrong answer in MCQs, -1 will be deducted No negative marks for Non-MCQs

CAT Exam Structure

The CAT Exam 2025 structure consists of 3 main sections. These sections are Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Quantitative Ability (QA), and Data Interpretation (DI). Each section has approximately 20 to 24 questions, so the total number of questions in the CAT exam is estimated to be around 68 across all sections.

The CAT exam duration will be a 2-hour computer-based exam, with a 40-minute time limit for each section. All candidates are expected to answer all the given questions within the time frame.

Also Check: CAT Exam Preparation

CAT Exam Duration 2025

The CAT Exam duration is 120 minutes or 2 hours, with a 40-minute time limit for each section. The CAT 2025 exam is expected to be held on 30th November 2025. Section-wise number of CAT questions and the section time limit are given below in the table:

CAT Exam Sections	Number of questions	Time limit	Time limit for PwD students
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)	24	40 minutes	53 minutes and 20 seconds
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR)	22	40 minutes	53 minutes and 20 seconds
Quantitative Aptitude (QA)	22	40 minutes	53 minutes and 20 seconds
Total	68	120 minutes	160 minutes

CAT 2025 Slots Timing

Slots Timing is given below in the table:

CAT Exam Slots	CAT Exam Time
CAT Slot 1 (Morning session)	8:30 AM to 10:30 AM
CAT Slot 2 (Afternoon session)	12:30 PM to 2:30 PM
CAT Slot 3 (Evening session)	4:30 PM to 6:30 PM

CAT Exam Pattern 2025 - Important Points

Important points are given below related to the CAT Exam Pattern 2025:

During the CAT exam, you can make use of an on-screen calculator for any necessary calculations.
An on-screen clock is available in the exam room, so you can always keep track of the time while answering.
You are given a rough sheet for calculation and notes; you have to submit it after the exam is over.
Switching is not allowed between exam sections until you finish answering all questions in the current section.
You can make a practice for the CAT exam 2025 on the CAT official website imcat.ac.in.

CAT DILR Exam Pattern 2025

The CAT DILR exam consists of 22 questions, totaling 66 marks, and is completed within 40 minutes. 12 MCQs carry a negative marking of -1, but the other 10 TITA-type questions have no penalty.

Feature	Details
Total Questions	22
Total Marks	66 (22 × 3 marks each)
Section Time	40 minutes
MCQs (approx.)	12 MCQs
TITA (approx.)	10 TITA questions (no negative marking)
Set Structure	Usually in sets (e.g., 3 sets of 4 Qs and 2 sets of 5 Qs)

CAT VARC Exam Pattern 2025

The pattern of CAT exam 2025 is heavily dominated by the Reading Comprehension, where approximately 16 questions out of 24, making it 66–67% weightage. The remaining 8 VARC questions include para jumbles, Para Summary, and Odd-Sentence-Out, mostly TITA type with no negative marking.

Feature	Details
Total Questions	24
Total Marks	72
Section Time	40 minutes
MCQs (approx.)	21
TITA (approx.)	2 (no negative marking)
Reading Comprehension	16 questions (66–67%)
Verbal Ability	8 questions (33–34%)

CAT QA Exam Pattern 2025

In the CAT exam, the QA section played an important role. There will be 22 questions, making a total of 66 marks, in a 40-minute fixed time limit. There will be negative marking around -1 for around 14 MCQs and around 8 TITA with no negative marking.

Feature	Details
Total Questions	22
Total Marks	66 (22 × 3 marks each)
Section Time	40 minutes
MCQs (approx.)	14 MCQs
TITA (approx.)	8 TITA questions (no negative marking)

CAT Total Marks 2025

The total marks in CAT 2025 carry 204 marks across 68 questions. The following table shows the total marks with the number of questions:

Section	Number of Questions	Marks per Section
VARC	24	72 (24 × 3)
DILR	22	66 (22 × 3)
QA	22	66 (22 × 3)
Total	68	204

Changes in the CAT Exam Pattern 2025 in Comparison to 2024

The data in the table below shows the changes in the CAT Exam Pattern 2025 in comparison to 2024:

Component	CAT 2024 Pattern	CAT 2025 Pattern	What Changed
Total Questions	66	68	+2 questions added (in DILR)
Sections	3 (VARC, DILR, QA)	Same	No change
Section-wise Qs	VARC: 24 DILR: 20 QA: 22	VARC: 24 DILR: 22 QA: 22	+2 Qs in DILR
Total Marks	198	204	Total marks have been changed as the number of questions are incresed
TITA Count	20 (30%)	22–24 (32–35%)	Slight increase in TITA questions
Duration	120 minutes (40 min/section)	Same	No change
DILR Structure	4 sets × 5 Qs (20 Qs total)	3 sets × 4 Qs + 2 sets × 5 Qs = 22 Qs	New structure introduced
Question Types	MCQ & TITA	MCQ & TITA	No change, but TITA share increased
Marking Scheme	+3 for correct–1 for wrong MCQ0 for TITA	Same	No change
Sectional Order	Fixed (VARC → DILR → QA)	Same	No change
Adaptive Format	No	No	Confirmed non-adaptive in 2025
Difficulty Level	Moderate	Moderate (slot-dependent)	Slot 1 easier, Slot 3 tougher (as per CAT 2024)
Cut-off Trend	90%ile = 45–48 marks	90%ile = 48–52 marks (expected)	Slight increase expected due to easier QA & DILR

CAT Marking Scheme 2025

The CAT Marking Scheme 2025 is given below in the table:

CAT Sections	Number of Questions	Marks Per Question	Negative Marking (Only MCQ)
Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC)	24	3	-1
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR)	22	3	-1
Quantitative Aptitude (QA)	22	3	-1

CAT Marking Scheme 2025 Section-wise

The Section-wise marking scheme for CAT 2025 is given below in the table:

Section	Total Questions	MCQs (marking scheme)	TITA (marking scheme)	Total Marks
VARC	24	20 MCQs+3/–1	4 TITA (no penalty)	72
DILR	22	12 MCQs+3/–1	10 TITA (no penalty)	66
QA	22	14 MCQs+3/–1	8 TITA (no penalty)	66
Total	68	46 MCQs	22 TITA	204

Evolution of CAT Exam Pattern Over the Years

CAT exam patterns have been modified several times over the years. Below is the table given that provides an overview of the CAT exam pattern over the years.

Year	Number of Questions	Difficulty Level	CAT exam time duration	Conducting Body
2024	68	Easy to moderate	2 hours	IIM Calcutta
2022	66	Moderate	2 hours	IIM Bangalore
2021	66	Moderate to High	2 hours	IIM Ahmedabad
2020	76	Moderate to High	2 hours	IIM Indore
2019	100	Moderate to High	3 hours	IIM Kozhikode
2018	100	Moderate to High	3 hours	IIM Calcutta
2017	100	Moderate	3 hours	IIM Lucknow
2016	100	Moderate to difficult	3 hours	IIM Bangalore
2015	100	Moderate to difficult	3 hours	IIM Ahmedabad
2014	100	Moderate to Easy	2.50 hours	IIM Indore
2013	60	Moderate to Easy	2:20 hours	IIM Indore
2012	60	Moderate to Easy	2.20 hours	IIM Indore
2011	60	Moderate	2.20 hours	IIM Calcutta

CAT Exam Pattern: FAQs

Ques: How many questions are there in CAT 2025?

Ans: There are a total of 68 questions in CAT 2025, which are divided into 3 sections:

VARC: 24
DILR: 22
QA: 22

Ques: What is the marking scheme for CAT 2025?

Ans: The marking Scheme for CAT 2025 is given below:

For each Correct answer, +3 marks will be awarded, whether it is an MCQ or a TITA question.
-1 mark will be deducted only for MCQs for each incorrect answer.
There is no penalty for an incorrect TITA answer.
There is no penalty for unanswered questions.

Ques: Does CAT have negative marking?

Ans: Yes, the CAT exam has negative marking, but only for MCQs. The total penalty for each wrong answer is -1, but the TITA type has no penalty for an incorrect answer.

Ques: How many questions will be there on TITA in the CAT exam?

Ans: In the CAT Exam, there are 12 to 20 TITA questions across the paper. Section-wise breakdown is given below:

VARC: 5 TITA
DILR: 5–8 TITA
QA: 7–8 TITA

Ques: What are the total marks for CAT, and is it a difficult exam?

Ans: CAT is the most difficult MBA entrance exam in India. The CAT exam difficulty level is expected to be moderate to high. The total mark for the CAT exam is 204.

Ques: Will CAT exam 2025 also be conducted in three shifts?

Ans: Yes, CAT 2025 will be conducted in three shifts:

Morning shift: 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM
Afternoon shift: 12:30 PM to 2:30 PM
Evening shift: 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM

All these shifts are scheduled on November 30, 2025.

Ques: What is the difference between CAT and XAT syllabus?

Ans: The CAT syllabus covered VARC (Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension), DILR (Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning), and QA (Quantitative Aptitude), while XAT includes all these plus an exclusive Decision Making section and General Knowledge. XAT is broader, testing additional areas that are not present in CAT.