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

Updated on 14th May 2025 | 3:28 pm | #CATExamPattern2025

CAT Exam Pattern 2025: There is no fixed paper pattern for CAT. Usually, the conducting body for CAT sets up the CAT exam pattern according to the comfort of the test takers. Some major changes have been observed in the previous year’s CAT test pattern, with a total of 68 questions. The CAT exam paper pattern is split into three sections, each with an individual time limit of 40 minutes.

  • Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) - 24 questions
  • Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR) - 22 questions
  • Quantitative Aptitude (QA) - 22 questions

A strong understanding of the CAT 2025 exam pattern will allow candidates to identify the important and key areas of the CAT syllabus and help them plan their preparation effectively and formulate the best exam strategies.

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What is CAT Exam Pattern 2025?

CAT exam pattern is nothing but the CAT exam paper pattern for the 2025 intake. According to the previous CAT paper pattern, we can conclude that there are three exam sections: DILR, VARC, and QA.

CAT 2025 Exam Sections

No of questions

CAT 2025 Sectional Weightage

VARC

24

72 Marks

DILR

22

66 Marks

QA

22

66 Marks

Total

68

204

This may vary depending on which body is creating the paper for CAT 2025; however, the CAT 2025 exam pattern will more or less follow the same frequency.

As in CAT 2024, major changes have been observed with a total of 68 questions across all three sections. The DILR section saw an addition of 2 questions, now featuring 5 sets instead of 4. Despite these changes in the CAT paper pattern, the sectional time duration remained the same, with 40 minutes allotted to complete each section.

If you are a CAT 2025 aspirant, then it's time for you to buckle up with your CAT preparation. You can boost your preparation with our CAT previous year papers and free CAT mocks.


Expected CAT 2025 Exam Pattern - Key Highlights

The CAT 2025 exam pattern is expected to be similar to CAT 2024. Thus, it is the perfect time for all the CAT 2025 aspirants to kickstart their CAT 2025 preparation if they want to land in their dream B-schools. Some of the major points to keep in mind with regard to the CAT 2025 paper pattern are:

Key Components

Details

No. of Questions

68

Number of Sections

3

Sections

VARC, DILR and QA

CAT 2025 Exam Duration

2 hours

CAT 2025 Sectional Time Limit

40 minutes

CAT Exam Slots 2025

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

Mode of Exam

Computer-based Exam

Medium of Instruction

English

Types of Questions

MCQ and TITA

CAT Marking Scheme

+3 for every right answer

-1 for every wrong answer

TITA has no negative marking

Also Check: CAT Eligibility


CAT Exam Pattern 2025: Latest Changes

We have tabulated some of the major changes in the CAT exam pattern over the past few years for your understanding.

Year

Duration

No. of Questions

2024

2 hours

68

2021- 2023

2 hours

66

2020

2 hours

76

2019

3 hours

100

2018

3 hours

100

2017

3 hours

100

2016

3 hours

100

2015

3 hours

100

2014

2 hours 50 minutes

100

2013

2 hours 20 minutes

60


CAT 2025 Exam Marks Distribution

The CAT Exam is held as a Computer Based Test (CBT) with a duration of 2 hours. Each section has an individual time limit of 40 minutes each. The CAT 2025 Exam Pattern is given below:

CAT 2025 Exam Sections 

No of questions

MCQs

Non - MCQs

Important Topics

VARC

24

20

4

Reading Comprehension 

16 Questions: 4 passages of 4 questions


Verbal Ability

8 Questions: para jumbles, para completions, para summary and odd sentence out

DILR

22

14

6

Data Interpretation - 2/3 sets

Logical Reasoning - 2/3 sets


Total 5 sets of 4-5 questions each with areas questioned on Bar Graph, Arrangements, Missing Data and Puzzles (Games)

QA

22

15

7

There are 5 major areas, including arithmetic, algebra, geometry, numbers, and modern maths, which is further dominated by the majority of questions from arithmetic and algebra.

Total

68

49

17

 

CAT Exam Time Duration

CAT 2025 will be divided across three slots throughout the day. Candidates will have the slot they must appear for, which is mentioned on their admit cards. Here is the slot-based division of the paper:

CAT Exam Sections

CAT Sectional Time Limit

Time Limit For PwD Students

Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)

40 minutes

53 minutes and 20 seconds

Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR)

40 minutes

53 minutes and 20 seconds

Quantitative Aptitude (QA)

40 minutes

53 minutes and 20 seconds

Total

120 minutes

160 minutes


CAT Exam Pattern 2025 - Overall and Sectional Time Limit

It is very crucial that you have a basic understanding of the CAT paper pattern and syllabus before you approach the exam. This approach will boost your confidence for the actual exam and provide you with effective strategies, as well as smart tips and tricks to ace your CAT 2025.

Detailed Section-Wise Analysis of CAT 2025 Paper Pattern

Here is the breakdown of the CAT exam pattern 2025 for all the sections separately to give candidates a better idea of what is expected to be asked from them.

1. VARC - CAT Exam Pattern 2025

The VARC section in CAT comprises 24 questions in total. In the verbal section, the CAT exam pattern of the past years indicates that the section consists of two primary components, i.e. Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension.

Reading Comprehension:

Verbal Ability:

2. DILR - CAT Exam Pattern 2025

Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning is the second section of the CAT Exam. Candidates will be able to attempt it only after they submit the VARC section in the CAT Exam. It is the most dynamic section in CAT, and new types of questions are introduced almost every year. It is advisable to be very careful when selecting the questions, as your choice can make or break your overall percentile.

Based on the CAT test pattern for DILR, here are the changes as per CAT 2024:

3. Quantitative Aptitude - CAT Exam Pattern 2025

This is the section that most candidates prepare extensively. This is because the CAT exam pattern and syllabus for this section are the most fleshed out among all the other sections. It is the section that can make or break the exam for most candidates.


CAT Test Pattern 2025: Important Points to Remember


CAT Exam Timings 2025

CAT 2025 will be conducted in three separate time slots throughout the day. Each candidate will have a specific time slot assigned to them, which will be indicated on their CAT 2025 admit card.

Here’s the breakdown of the CAT exam slots for your reference:

CAT Exam Slots

CAT Exam Time Duration

Morning

8:30 AM to 10:30 AM

Afternoon

12:30 PM to 2:30 PM

Evening

4:30 PM to 6:30 PM

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What Is CAT Marking Scheme 2025?

Similar to the previous year's exam pattern, the marking scheme for the MCQ and TITA questions is different. Here is an overview of the marking scheme for CAT 2025:

Type of Question

Correct Response

Incorrect Response

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

+3

-1

Type in the Answer (TITA)

+3

0

CAT 2025 Marking Scheme

CAT Paper Pattern 2025

CAT 2025 Exam Sections

Number of Questions

CAT 2025 Making Scheme

CAT 2025 Negative Marking 

VARC

24

3

-1/0

DILR

22

3

-1/0

Quantitative Aptitude

22

3

-1/0


CAT Test Pattern 2025: How to Mark Answers In CAT 2025?

As mentioned before, the CAT 2025 exam will be computer-based. Therefore candidates will be required to input their responses into the computer. Candidates will have to select one of the given options when putting in the answers:


CAT Syllabus 2025

The official CAT syllabus for VARC, DILR, and QA hasn't been released by the IIMs. However, by looking at past question papers from the CAT exam, we've been able to identify the key topics that are likely to be included in CAT syllabus 2025. Here are the main topics based on that analysis:

CAT Sections

CAT 2025 Syllabus

Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension

Sentence-Completion, Reading Comprehension, Para-Summary, Inferences

Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning

Tables, Graphs, Data Caselets, Blood Relation, Venn Diagram, Seating Arrangement and Syllogism

Quantitative Aptitude

Percentages, Profit & Loss, Simple Interest-Compound Interest, Time & Distance, Averages-Mixtures-Alligations, Numbers, Mensuration, Logarithms, Functions & Graphs, Indices & Surds, Quadratic Equations, Special Equations, Statistics


Conclusion

CAT 2025 is a computer-based test (CBT) that consists of three sections with a total of 66 questions: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Aptitude (QA). Each section allows 40 minutes for completion. The exam will include multiple-choice questions (MCQs) and type-in-the-answer (TITA) questions, with most questions being MCQs. Familiarizing oneself with the CAT paper pattern should be the first step toward preparing for CAT 2025, following the CAT 2025 syllabus and preparing accordingly to ensure effective preparation.

Frequently Asked Questions

No, neither scientific nor physical calculators are allowed in the CAT exam center; however, to solve complex problems and save time, candidates will be provided with an onscreen digital calculator. Thus, candidates are advised to develop the habit of using a digital calculator from the beginning of their CAT preparation.

The CAT exam pattern is a thorough test meant to assess a candidate's skills in several important areas needed for management studies. The exam is split into three sections:

  • Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)
  • Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR)
  • Quantitative Ability (QA).

Each section has a time limit of 40 minutes, and the total duration of the exam is 2 hours.

The IIMs do not provide a CAT exam pattern or syllabus and as the CAT exam pattern changes every year, it is not possible to define the exact questions that are asked from each section. However, based on the CAT papers from the past few years, it can be deduced that three topics of QA i.e. arithmetic, algebra, and geometry dominate the section.

The total marks for CAT 2024 exam were 204 marks. According to CAT marking scheme, each question is worth 3 marks. This means that the total marks for the 68 questions in the exam add up to 68 x 3 = 204. Additionally, there is a penalty of -1 mark for each incorrect answer.

Candidates can take the CAT exam as many times as they want since there is no limit on the number of attempts. The exam is conducted once a year by one of the IIMs. CAT scores are accepted by various IIMs and leading management institutes across the country.

TITA stands for "type in the answer" type of questions, which are essentially non-MCQs that do not carry any negative marking in the CAT exam, allowing candidates to attempt more questions.

There were 20 TITA questions in CAT 2024, with 2 in VARC, 10 in DILR, and 8 in QA, which is an increase compared to previous years. However, the number of TITA questions may vary depending on the section and the year.

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