The CAT 2018 exam pattern will follow the CAT 2017 pattern. The test duration will be 180 minutes with 60 minutes allotted to each section. No movement will be allowed across sections. The order of sections will remain the same that is Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Aptitude (QA). The use of basic on screen calculator for computations is allowed.
Let's take a look at the CAT 2017 exam pattern, tabulated below.
| S.No. | Section | MCQs | Non-MCQs | Total no. of Questions | Total Marks | Time allotted for each section (in minutes) |
| 1 | Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VRC) | 24 | 10 | 34 | 102 | 60 |
| 2 | Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DI & LR) | 24 | 8 | 32 | 96 | 60 |
| 3 | Quantitative Ability (QA) | 27 | 7 | 34 | 102 | 60 |
| Total | 75 | 25 | 100 | 300 | 180 | |
Each correct answer to a question in the exam will carry 3 marks. For MCQ type questions, each incorrect attempt will lead to a negative marking of 1 mark. For non-MCQs or TITA (Type In The Answer) questions there will be no negative marking.
The order of attempting the sections is pre-determined (as specified in the table above), starting from VARC, followed by DILR, and ending with QA.