CAT Exam Pattern 2024 [Updated] – Check CAT Paper Pattern, Total Marks & Marking Scheme
The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) will release the CAT 2024 exam pattern with the official CAT notification. However, based on past trends, we can expect the pattern to largely mirror the 2023 one. The pattern provides candidates with an understanding of the structure of the question paper and scoring system for the CAT exam.
The CAT 2024 will be conducted online, and the dates will be announced. According to the CAT exam pattern, the question paper usually consists of 66 questions in 3 sections (VARC, QA, DILR).
The CAT exam pattern has been modified several times in the past years by conducting IIMS. However, since 2015, the CAT exam pattern has remained unchanged in terms of total marks and total duration. Besides, the CAT exam pattern helps individuals devise test-taking strategies.
What is the CAT exam pattern?
The organization that administers the CAT designs exam patterns annually to evaluate a candidate’s aptitude for resolving mathematical and reasoning problems. According to the pattern, there are three exam portions: DILR, VARC, and QA.
- The CAT VARC section will include 24 questions and a weightage of 72 marks.
- The CAT DILR section will comprise 20 questions and a weightage of 60 marks.
- The CAT Quantitative Aptitude section will consist of 22 questions and a weightage of 66 marks.
Overview of CAT Exam Pattern 2024 (Expected)
The CAT 2022 exam pattern is given below for your reference, as the CAT 2024 exam pattern will be slightly altered.
| Components | Details |
| Total questions in the CAT exam | 66 |
| Total marks | 198 |
| Total CAT exam sections | 3 |
| CAT exam duration | 2 hours |
| Mode of Paper | Online only |
| Question Types | MCQs and Non- MCQs (TITA) |
| CAT Exam-Making Scheme | +3 For correct answers -1 For Incorrect Answers 0 For Unattempted questions |
| CAT Exam Section names | 1. Quantitative Aptitude 2. Reading Comprehension & Verbal Ability 3. Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning
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Read More – CAT Exam 2024: Date, Registration, Eligibility, Pattern, Syllabus, Preparation Tips, Cut Off
CAT Syllabus – Complete section-wise syllabus and important topics
Last year, the exam had 66 questions and a total examination time of 120 minutes, with a 40-minute sectional time limit. According to the CAT exam pattern, officials can easily assess a candidate’s logical and mathematical abilities. Candidates who intend to take future exams should become familiar with the CAT exam Pattern 2024.
CAT exam pattern & exam mark distribution (Expected)
Here is a detailed analysis of the latest CAT marks distribution based on last year’s exam pattern:
| Section | MCQs | Non-MCQs | Total No. of Questions | CAT Exam Duration |
| Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) | 21 | 3 | 24 | 40 min |
| Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DI & LR) | 14 | 6 | 20 | 40 min |
| Quantitative Ability (QA) | 14 | 8 | 22 | 40 min |
| Total | 49 | 17 | 66 | 120 (2 hours) |
CAT Exam Duration
CAT sections have a fixed time limit. The following are the sectional timings and slot-by-slot information for the most recent CAT Exam Pattern:
| CAT Exam Sections | CAT Sectional Time |
| VARC | 40 minutes |
| QA | 40 minutes |
| DILR | 40 minutes |
| Total | 120 minutes |
1. Morning session: 8.30 am – 10.30 am
2. Afternoon session: 12.30 pm – 2.30 pm
3. Evening session: 4.30 pm -6.30 pm
Quantitative Aptitude – CAT Exam Pattern 2024
CAT Quantitative Aptitude consists of numerical-based questions drawn from various math topics. Besides, there will be a total of 26 questions in this section this year according to the CAT exam pattern 2024.
Below are the maths topics, including:
1. Basic Arithmetic
2. Number system
3. Algebra
4. Geometry and Mensuration
5. Modern Maths
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Tentative marks distribution graph of Quantitative Aptitude topics:
Below is the tentative marks distribution graph of quantitative aptitude topics:
- 10-14 questions related to arithmetic are repeated in the exam every year.
- 6-8 TITA questions (Non-MCQs) will require candidates to type their answers.
- With the proper practice of the syllabus topics, the CAT quantitative aptitude section is easy to moderately difficult.
VARC CAT Question Paper Pattern
Candidates will be tested on their English language skills, their ability to interpret paragraphs, and their understanding of the core ideas. However, this year, the VARC section of the CAT exam will have 26 questions. Meanwhile, 8 questions will be included in the CAT exam section for verbal ability this year.
Below is a list of the key areas in the verbal ability section from which questions will be derived:
1. Sentence correction & completion
2. Para Jumbles
3. Summary-based
There will be 5-8 TITA questions included, for which no options will be provided, and candidates will be required to type their answers. Besides, the reading comprehension section and the verbal ability section of the CAT will be highly difficult.
Read More – CAT Registration – How to register, eligibility
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning – CAT Exam Pattern
The purpose of this section of the CAT exam pattern is to evaluate the candidates’ ability to interpret data and their ability to understand logical assumptions. Moreover, the data interpretation and logical reasoning section will include a total of 22-24 questions.
The CAT logical reasoning section will consist of 18-20 questions. The questions will vary from inequalities to symbol operations, direct sense tests, etc. Besides, the questions of this section are easily solvable, and hence, they are highly scoring.
Interpreting the data is difficult and time-consuming. However, candidates should be able to comprehend the data sets thoroughly so that they can answer the full set of questions. Meanwhile, data interpretation on the CAT should be conducted cautiously, as a single mistake may result in candidates attempting all questions from each set incorrectly.
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Slot-wise highlights for MBA (Expected) – CAT Exam Pattern 2024
- DILR: Data Interpretation: 14 questions, Logical Reasoning: 10 questions, All in sets of 6 and 4 questions.
- VARC Section: 4 RC passages with 18 MCQs, VA – 8 Non-MCQs are subdivided into para summaries, context sentences, and para jumbles.
- QA: High on arithmetic, other on log, geometry, roots, and algebra, etc.
Key points to keep in mind for the CAT 2024 Exam Pattern
- The exam is a computer-based test.
- The use of an onscreen calculator is allowed for the computation during the exam.
- The CAT exam will be conducted in three slots of 2 hours each on a single day.
- The CAT exam will be of 198 marks in total. However, the candidates cannot switch between the sections.
- The onscreen clock will help candidates to keep a tab on the time during the exam.
- For each incorrect answer, 1 mark will be deducted.
- The sheets of paper are provided for rough work. As soon as the exam is over, they must be submitted to the exam centre.
- Candidates are not allowed to start their tests before the time is up and can only log in after the invigilator announces it.
Evolution of CAT exam pattern over the years
CAT exam patterns have been modified several times over the years.
Below is a table that provides an overview of how it has evolved over time.
| Year | Number of Question | Difficulty Level | CAT exam time duration | Conducting Body |
| 2022 | 66 | Moderate | 2 hours | IIM Bangalore |
| 2021 | 66 | Moderate to High (Expected) | 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 |
The CAT exam pattern has been changed multiple times.
CAT contains three sections such as:
- Verbal and Reading Comprehension (VARC)
- Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR)
- Quantitative Aptitude (QA)
Each year’s sections are the same. However, there is also no difference in the CAT exam pattern marking scheme.
Conclusion
CAT 2024 is a computer-based test (CBT) divided into 3 sections of 66 questions: VARC, DILR, and QA. Each section will have 40 minutes. Meanwhile, the exam paper will have MCQ and SAQ, and most questions will be MCQ-based. This guide on CAT paper patterns will help the CAT aspirants to get familiar with the latest patterns and prepare accordingly. The courses CATapult Xclusive Live 2024, CATapult SLP Plus 2024, and CATapult SLP 2024 are a great way to prepare for CAT and get a high score. So, candidates must refer to the latest CAT syllabus for 2024 when it is available for effective preparation for the CAT exam. The candidates can also refer to the CAT syllabus 2024 for effective preparation.
FAQs – CAT 2024 exam pattern
1. How many sections will be there in CAT 2024?
The CAT 2024 will comprise three sections:
a. Section 1: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension
b. Section 2: Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation
c. Section 3: Quantitative Ability
2. Is there a negative marking in CAT, and will the CAT pattern change in 2024?
Yes, a 1 mark will be deducted for each wrong answer. However, the CAT exam pattern might remain similar to last year, and there could be no change.
3. What is the marking scheme for the CAT exam?
According to the CAT exam marking scheme, the candidates will get +3 for every correct answer. Furthermore, each incorrect answer will result in a deduction of -1.
4. According to the CAT exam pattern, How many non-MCQs are in each section?
No information regarding the number of non-MCQ questions has been provided by the IIMs. However, depending on the section and the year, they may differ.
5. What are the total marks for CAT, and is it a difficult exam?
CAT is considered to be the most difficult MBA entrance exam in India. However, the difficulty of the exam is anticipated to be moderate to high. Meanwhile, the CAT total mark is 198.