CAT Exam Pattern 2022 will be released by the Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode. Common Admission Test question pattern consists of 26 questions in the VARC and QA section and 24 questions in the DILR section. The duration of the CAT will be 02 hours (120 Minutes) and for each section, the time limit will be 40 Minutes. Read the whole article to know more about CAT Exam Pattern.
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CAT 2027 Latest Update as on 03 Sep 2026
Contains
Checked on 03 Sep 2026
As of 03 September 2026, no official notification for CAT 2027 exam pattern has been released by the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs).
As of 03 September 2026, no official notification for CAT 2027 exam pattern has been released by the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs). The CAT 2027 cycle is still well ahead — the current active cycle is CAT 2026, for which registration opened on 3 August 2026. Based on established year-on-year patterns, CAT 2027 notification and registration are expected to open around August 2027. The CAT 2027 exam pattern is anticipated to follow the structure introduced in recent years: three sections — Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Ability (QA) — with approximately 66 questions over a 120-minute duration, with sectional time limits. Students preparing now should monitor iimcat.ac.in for any official announcements and focus preparation on the current confirmed pattern until any change is officially notified.
- CAT 2027 notification expected around July–August 2027 (CAT 2026 notification released in late July/early August 2026)
- Registration likely to open in August 2027 (CAT 2026 registration opened 3 August 2026)
- Registration window expected to close in mid-September 2027 (based on previous-year pattern)
- Admit card download likely in October–November 2027 (CAT 2026 pattern)
- CAT 2027 exam likely to be held in last week of November 2027 (CAT 2026 was held in November 2026)
- Result/scorecard expected in January 2028 (CAT 2026 result followed ~6–8 weeks after exam)
- IIM Indore is tentatively expected to be the conducting body for CAT 2027, based on IIM rotation patterns (not officially confirmed)
Sources: IIM CAT Official Website
CAT Exam Pattern 2022 Important Points
Applicants can check hereunder CAT 2022 Question Paper Pattern:
- CAT Exam 2022 is a computer-based test but not an online test i.e. candidate cannot use the internet while giving the exam.
- DURATION OF THE EXAM: 3 hours.
- CAT EXAM is divided into 3 sections of 60 minutes each. The 3 sections are as follows; VARC-Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension, DILR-Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning and QA-Quantitative Ability.
- Candidates cannot move from one section to another during the 1 hour assigned to the particular section.
- Candidates taking the CAT test could not leave their seats during the exam.
- Non-MCQs in CAT exam pattern will require the candidate to type in the correct answer on the computer screen.
- Each correct answer in CAT exam pattern will be given 3 marks even if it is an MCQ or Non-MCQ.
- Each wrong answer for MCQ will be imposed a penalty of the 1/3rd negative mark (-1 mark)
- CAT exam pattern follows the pattern of CAT official Mock test released by IIMs a month before the CAT exam.
CAT Exam Pattern 2022
The detailed information regarding the CAT Exam Pattern is given below.
| Questions | Numbers |
|---|---|
| Total Questions | 100 |
| Number of sections | 03 |
| Questions with negative marking (MCQs) | 75 |
| Questions without negative marking (Non-MCQs) | 25 |
| Score awarded for each correct answer | 03 |
| Negative marking (Applicable for wrong answers in MCQs) | -1 |
| Individual time limit [Each Section] | 1 hour |
CAT 2022 Sectional Exam Pattern
Major Changes This Year
No major change to CAT 2027 exam pattern, syllabus, eligibility, or marking scheme has been officially announced yet. All details remain tentative at this stage. Based on recent trends, the exam is expected to continue with three sections, a 120-minute duration with 40-minute sectional limits, and a mix of MCQs and Type-in-the-Answer (TITA) questions. Any deviation from this — such as a change in total questions or marking scheme — will only be confirmed in the official CAT 2027 notification, expected around mid-2027.
VARC (Verbal Ability and Reading Composition)
| Total questions | 34 |
| No. of MCQs | 24 to 27 |
| No. of non-MCQs | 7 to 10 |
| Total RC passages | 05 |
| RC based questions[all MCQs] | 24 |
| Verbal Ability Questions[ mix of MCQs and not- MCQs] | 10 |
| LOD | Moderate to difficult |
DILR (Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning)
| Total questions | 32 |
| MCQs | 28 |
| Non-MCQs | 08 |
| Share of DI questions | 16 |
| Share of LR questions | 16 |
| LoD | Moderate to difficult |
QUANT: Quantitative Ability
| Total questions | 34 |
| MCQs | 23 To 27 |
| Non-MCQs | 7 To 11 |
| LoD | Moderate to Difficult |
CAT 2022 Sectional Composition
The CAT Exam Pattern 2022 contains sectional composition and list is given below.
| Section name | Total questions | Total MCQs [with negative marking] | Total MCQs [without negative marking] | Total maximum marks |
| VARC | 34 | 24 to 27 | 7 to 10 | 102 |
| DILR | 32 | 24 | 08 | 96 |
| Quant | 34 | 23 to 27 | 7 to 11 | 102 |
- VARC – Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension
- DILR – Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning
- QUANT- Quantitative Ability
Responding to queries regarding the question of whether the CAT is an online test or not. IIMs reply that CAT is a computer-based test but not an online test. As they said in an official statement “CAT is not an online exam. It is a digital or Computer Based Test (CBT); not an Internet-Based Test (IBT); that is, a candidate will not take the exam on an internet site. Instead of reading the questions in a paper booklet and darkening the ovals on answer sheet, a candidate will read the questions on a computer terminal and choose an answer by clicking on the correct option”.
CAT PATTERN: Changes Since Computerization
| Year | Total No of Qs | VA | DI-LR | Quant | Difficulty level |
| CAT 2017 | 100 | VARC-34. RC-24, (All MCQs), Verbal-10 (3 MCQs, 7 on-MCQs) | DILR-32, DI-16, LR-16, MCQs-24, Non-MCQs-8 | Total-34. MCQs 23, Non-MCQs-11 | Moderate |
| CAT 2016 | 100 | VARC-34, RC-24, (All MCQs), Verbal-10 (All non-MCQs) | DILR-32, DI-16, LR-16, MCQs-24, Non-MCQs-8 | Quant-34, MCQ-27, Non-MCQs-7 | Moderate to difficult |
| CAT 2015 | 100 | VARC -34, RC-24 (MCQs), Verbal-10 (Non-MCQs) | DILR-32, DI-16, LR-16, MCQs-24, Non-MCQs-8 | Quant-34, MCQs-24, Non-MCQs-10 | Moderate to difficult |
| CAT 2014 | 100 | 50 VARC-34 LR-16 | – | 50 Quant-34 DI-16 | Moderate to difficult |
| CAT 2013 | 60 | 30 10 verbal 10 RC 10 LR | 30 DI-10 | Moderate to difficult | |
| CAT 2012 | 60 | 30 (LR 10) 10 verbal 10 RC 10 LR | – | 30 (DI 10) | Moderate to difficult (Difficulty level was more or less maintained to the same level. |
| CAT 2011 | 60 | 30(LR 10) | – | 30(DI10) | Moderate to difficult-LOD>2 |
| CAT 2010 | 60 | 20 | 20 | 20 | Moderate to difficult-LOD>2 |
| CAT 2009 | 60 | 20 | 20 | 20 | Moderate- LOD=2 overall |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the expected CAT 2027 exam pattern?
Based on recent years, CAT 2027 is expected to have three sections — VARC, DILR, and QA — with approximately 66 questions, a 120-minute total duration, and 40-minute sectional time limits. This is not yet officially confirmed.
When will CAT 2027 registration open?
CAT 2027 registration is tentatively expected to open around August 2027, following the pattern of CAT 2026 which opened on 3 August 2026. No official date has been announced yet.
When is the CAT 2027 exam likely to be held?
Based on previous-year patterns, CAT 2027 is expected to be held in the last week of November 2027. The official date will be confirmed in the CAT 2027 notification.
Which IIM will conduct CAT 2027?
The conducting IIM for CAT 2027 has not been officially announced. Based on the IIM rotation pattern, a different IIM from the one conducting CAT 2026 is expected to take charge, but this is unconfirmed.
What is the marking scheme for CAT 2027?
No official marking scheme for CAT 2027 has been announced. Based on recent editions, MCQs are expected to carry +3 marks for correct answers and -1 for incorrect; TITA questions carry +3 with no negative marking. Treat this as tentative until officially confirmed.
Will CAT 2027 have any changes compared to CAT 2026?
No changes have been officially confirmed for CAT 2027. Any modifications to pattern, syllabus, or eligibility will be communicated only through the official notification on iimcat.ac.in.
How many sections are there in the CAT 2027 exam?
CAT has had three sections — VARC, DILR, and QA — in recent years. The same structure is expected for CAT 2027, though not officially confirmed yet.
Where can I find the official CAT 2027 notification?
The official CAT 2027 notification, when released, will be available on iimcat.ac.in. As of September 2026, no notification has been published for CAT 2027.
