CAT Exam pattern for 2025 is expected to remain similar to the previous year's pattern. In the year 2025, the CAT exam is expected to be conducted on the 30th November 2025. It is one of the most prestigious exams held in India and is a gateway to some of the top management institutes like IIMs. The exam is conducted annually by the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) for admission into various top postgraduate programs. Every year lakhs of aspirants appear for CAT exam so it is important to know all about the CAT Exam Pattern & Syllabus for 2025.
CAT Exam Pattern 2025: Overview
CAT exam asses candidate's skills in solving Math, English and Logical Reasoning problems and more in a given time frame. If a candidate wants to clear the CAT exam, they should focus on understanding the CAT exam pattern 2025, as it will give clarity regarding the CAT exam. The exam consists of three sections which are given below:
- Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)
- Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR)
- Quantitative Aptitude (QA)
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Sections
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Total Questions
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Total Time (in minutes)
|
MCQ (Multiple Choice Questions) based questions
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TITA (Type In The Answer) type questions
|
|
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)
|
24
|
40
|
21
|
3
|
|
Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR)
|
22
|
40
|
14
|
6
|
|
Quantitative Aptitude (QA)
|
22
|
40
|
14
|
8
|
|
Total
|
68
|
120
|
49
|
17
|
The official CAT exam pattern is not available however an aspirant can learn about the latest CAT exam structure and syllabus by referring to
CAT Previous Year Question Papers.CAT Exam Pattern 2025
Given below is mode of exam, duration of exam, slot details, CAT 2025 eligibility criteria and CAT 2025 marking scheme.
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CAT Exam Pattern 2025
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|
Mode of CAT exam
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Computer Based Test (CBT) only
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|
Duration of exam
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120 minutes; 40 minutes per section
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|
Number of answer choices
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4
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CAT exam slots
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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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Language of question paper
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English
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CAT 2025 exam date
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November 30, 2025 (expected)
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CAT 2025 eligibility criteria
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Graduation with 50 % aggregate
45 % for SC/ST students
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CAT 2025 marking scheme
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+3 marks for correct answer
-1 mark for an incorrect answer
No Negative marking for TITA
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CAT fees 2025
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INR 2,500 for General category
INR 1,250 for SC/ST/PwD
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CAT 2025 conducting body
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IIM Calcutta
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CAT 2025 official website
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https://iimcat.ac.in
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CAT 2025 Marking Scheme
CAT marking scheme has remained consistent over the years. An aspirant must be aware of the marking scheme in order to prepare more efficiently for the CAT exam. The CAT exam has a negative marking for every incorrect answers that makes CAT a very difficult exam to crack. However, in case of TITA (Type in the Answer) type questions have no negative marking.
For every correct answer, the candidate is awarded +3 marks whereas every incorrect answer attracts -1 mark
Key highlights of the exam are given below-
No compulsion to attempt all the questions
CAT 2025 is expected to be of 204 marks as per CAT 2024
A few questions will be in non-MCQ format
Number of questions is expected to be 68
No deduction of marks for skipping questions
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CAT Sections
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Number of Questions
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Marks Per Question
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CAT Negative Marking (Only MCQ)
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VARC
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24
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3
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-1
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|
DILR
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22
|
3
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-1
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Quantitative Aptitude
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22
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3
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-1
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CAT Exam Pattern 2025: Changes Over the Years
Over the years there have been big changes to the CAT exam pattern. Most recently as a result of the pandemic there were fewer questions and less time. Here is a complete history of how the CAT exam has changed over the years.
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Years
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Total Questions in CAT
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Duration of CAT exam
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2024
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68
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2 hrs (120min.)
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2021-2023
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66
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2 hrs (120min.)
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2020
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76
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2 hrs (120min.)
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|
2015 -2019
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100
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3 hrs (180min.)
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2014
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100
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2 hrs 50 min. (180 min.)
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2011- 2013
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60
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2 hrs 20 min. (140 min.)
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2010
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60
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2hrs 30 min. (150 min.)
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What is the Section-wise Syllabus for CAT 2025?
The IIMs do not provide an official syllabus for CAT exam. Aspiring candidates should go for other resources for the
CAT exam syllabus. Below is a concise syllabus outline for CAT 2025.
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CAT Section
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Section Wise Topics
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VARC
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Reading Comprehension, Para Jumbles, Para Summary, Odd Sentence Out, Inferences, One-Word Substitution, Syllogism and Analogies, Verbal Logic, etc.
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DILR
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Charts, Caselets, Blood Relations, Syllogism, Directions, Clocks and Calendars, Tables, Graphs, Charts, Connectives, Logical Sequence, Matching/ Puzzles, Number and Letter Series, Seating Arrangement, Venn Diagrams, Coding-Decoding, Binary Logic, Caselets and Table, etc.
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QA
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Algebra, Arithmetic, Probability, Number System, Percentages, Profit & Loss, Simple Interest/Compound Interest, Time & Distance, Averages-Mixtures-Alligations, Mensuration, Logarithms, Functions & Graphs, Indices & Surds, Quadratic Equations, Special Equations, Statistics, Geometry, etc.
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- Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC)
Reading Comprehension and Verbal Ability are the two main parts of VARC. The reading comprehension part of VARC is very important. It has paragraphs of different lengths and MCQ and TITA questions that go with them. Verbal Ability, on the other hand, includes things like Para Jumbles, Odd Sentences and more.
- Quantitative Aptitude (QA)
QA section of CAT consists of Math which is based on class 10th level. It covers topics like LCM & HCF, Trigonometry, Mensuration, Probability and more.
- Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR)
This section covers two areas i.e. Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning. Data Interpretation deals with analyzing information given in the form of Charts, Graphs, etc, and reaching the correct answer. On the other hand, the Logical Reasoning section has questions from areas like Puzzles, Blood Relations, Seating Arrangements etc. which tests the basic mental ability of a candidate.
CAT Exam Pattern 2025: Important Dates
Mentioned below are the important dates for the CAT 2025 exam-
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Events
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Important dates (Tentative)
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CAT 2025 Notification
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July 2025
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Registration Start Date
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August 2025
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Last Date of Registration
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September 2025
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Exam Date
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November 30, 2025 (expected)
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Result Date
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2nd week of January 2026
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CAT 2025 Exam: Important Points
Given below are the points that you must keep in mind about the CAT exam process that will prove very useful on the exam day.
Candidates must read the instructions carefully mentioned on the first page of the exam before beginning to avoid mistakes.
Candidates must take the official CAT mock test and check the official test guide to be best prepared for the CAT 2025 exam.
Candidates must be seated at designated seats throughout the exam. If found sitting anywhere else, he/she will be disqualified.
Candidates will be allowed to begin their exam only after the invigilator's announcement.
The onscreen calculator allows calculations during the CAT 2025 exam.
Sheets would be provided during the exam for rough work which will have to be submitted before leaving the exam hall.
The onscreen clock helps the candidates manage their time more efficiently during the exam.
The screen automatically switches to the next section after the completion of 40 minutes of sectional timing and the students do not have the choice to move back to the previous sections.
Candidates can revisit a question by marking it 'save for later' in case they are not sure of the answer but they can only revisit it within the time limit of the same section. Once the sectional timing is over, they can't revisit it.
Aspirants should aim to complete every section 5-10 minutes before the time so that they can go back to questions saved for review.
The CAT exam will automatically get submitted once the overall time period of 120 minutes is over. Candidates will have to remain seated until the exit process is started.
CAT 2025 Exam Pattern v/s Other MBA Entrance Exam
The exam pattern for the CAT exam is nearly similar to other MBA entrance exams. However, there are a few distinctions like variation in the number of questions, type of questions, sections and other aspects. Given below is a comprehensive analysis of the differences in the exam pattern of the top MBA entrance exams in India.
| Exam Name |
Time Duration |
No. of Questions |
Sections |
Total Marks |
| CAT |
120 minutes |
66 |
3 |
204 |
| CMAT |
180 minutes |
100 |
5 |
400 |
| XAT |
180 minutes |
95 |
4 |
95 |
| MAT |
120 minutes |
150 |
5 |
150 |
| SNAP |
60 minutes |
60 |
3 |
60 |
| GMAT |
187 minutes |
70 |
4 |
200-800 |
| NMAT |
120 minutes |
108 |
3 |
36-360 |
CAT exam is the gateway to the prestigious 21 IIMs and other top B-schools. Considering the competitive nature of the CAT exam given below are some imortant tips that will help CAT aspirants to create a strategy for the upcoming CAT 2025 exam.
Understanding the CAT exam pattern plays a crucial role in the CAT 2025 exam. So its important for the candidates to fully understand the exam pattern for success. Candidate should create a real exam environment for their CAT preparation. This environment will help them in finding their weaknesses and strengths.
- Will CAT 2025 have 2 or 3 sections?
The CAT 2025 examination will maintain its traditional three-section structure, a format consistently followed since 2015. There will be 3 sections in the exam; Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) & Quantitative Ability (QA).
- Is CAT 2025 going online or offline?
CAT has been conducted exclusively as a computer-based test since 2009, and the 2025 edition will continue in a similar mode.
- What is the marking scheme for CAT 2025?
The CAT 2025 scoring system follows a precise +3/-1 framework where each correct answer earns three marks while incorrect MCQ responses deduct one mark. Notably, the Type-In-The-Answer (TITA) questions carry no negative marking, making them strategically valuable despite their higher difficulty level.
- How many non-MCQ (TITA) questions are expected to appear in CAT 2025?
Based on recent trends, CAT 2025 is expected to include approximately 10-12 TITA questions distributed unevenly across sections. The Quantitative Ability section generally contains the majority (6-8 questions) of these non-MCQ items, primarily numerical problems testing calculation accuracy. Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning typically incorporates 2-4 TITA questions within certain caselets, often requiring precise numerical inputs or brief text responses. The Verbal Ability section is expected to remain exclusively MCQ-based.
- Can we use calculators in CAT 2025?
The examination permits only the use of the provided on-screen calculator during the Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation sections. Physical calculators, personal electronic devices, or any external computational aids are strictly prohibited.
- What's the sectional time limit in CAT 2025?
Each of the three sections in CAT 2025 consists of a 40-minute time constraint, creating a total testing duration of 120 minutes. This sectional timing demands specialized strategies, such as allocating exactly 7 minutes per reading comprehension passage in VARC, dedicating 8-10 minutes per DILR caselet, and employing a two-phase approach in QA to solve easier questions first. The interface displays a countdown timer with color-coded warnings as section deadlines approach, helping candidates manage their pacing throughout the examination.
- Are CAT 2025 questions syllabus-based?
While CAT doesn't publish an official syllabus, analysis of previous years reveals consistent content patterns. The Verbal Ability section emphasizes reading comprehension through passages averaging 600 words on diverse topics from philosophy to business trends, complemented by verbal reasoning questions testing grammar and logical flow. Data Interpretation focuses on extracting insights from tables, charts, and complex datasets while Logical Reasoning presents puzzles involving arrangements, sequences, and binary logic. Quantitative Ability systematically covers arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and modern math, with questions progressively increasing in difficulty to test a candidate's abilities.
- How difficult is CAT 2025 expected to be compared to past years?
Past data suggests that CAT 2025 will maintain its reputation as India's most challenging management entrance exam, with slight variations across sections. The VARC section typically shows consistent difficulty, though passage topics can unpredictably affect perceived complexity. DILR often introduces innovative question formats annually to prevent pattern recognition, while QA may see moderate difficulty adjustments through increased TITA questions or conceptual twists on standard problems. The examination's scaling system ensures that percentile scores remain comparable across years despite these variations in absolute difficulty.
- How many attempts are allowed for CAT?
The CAT exam offers unlimited attempts, allowing aspirants to participate as many times as they like. But it is important for the candidates to meet the CAT eligibility criteria.
- Is there any sectional cutoff in CAT 2025?
Yes, all IIMs have a minimum sectional cutoff and overall score cutoffs. For general category candidates, typical sectional cutoffs range between 85-90 percentiles, while reserved categories may have a cutoff around 70-75 percentiles. This cutoff may vary from institute to institute.
- What's new in the CAT 2025 pattern?
While the basic exam structure remains consistent, CAT 2025 may have slight variations in the number of questions and other aspects. These changes include an increased number of TITA questions, more DILR sets combining data analysis with quantitative techniques, and possible changes in RC question types assessing critical reasoning apart from basic understanding of the language.
- How to manage time in CAT 2025?
Effective time management in CAT requires section-specific strategies formulated through extensive mock test practice. For VARC, allocate a maximum of 8 minutes per RC passage while solving verbal ability questions within 30 seconds each. In DILR, carefully select 3-4 most approachable caselets and dedicate 10 minutes per set. Quantitative Ability demands a two-phase approach: quickly solving 12-15 easier questions in the first 25 minutes before tackling more complex problems. Regular practice with sectional timers helps develop a time management strategy.
- Where to find official CAT 2025 pattern PDF?
The conducting IIM will release the authoritative CAT 2025 information brochure on its official website (iimcat.ac.in) usually in July or August 2025. This PDF document contains the exact exam pattern, registration guidelines, and important policies. Candidates should regularly check the website and avoid relying on unofficial sources, as even minor pattern changes significantly impact preparation strategies. The brochure also provides essential details about test center protocols, permitted identification documents, and scoring methodology directly from the examination authorities.
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