The CAT Exam Pattern 2025, as per the official CAT exam notification released by the IIMs on its official website, is that the CAT exam will have a total of 66 questions from all three sections: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Quantitative Aptitude (QA), and Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR).

• The total marks as per the CAT Exam Pattern 2025 will be 198 for all three sections: VARC, QA, and DILR.
• CAT time duration will be 2 hours (120 Minutes).
• All three sections will have a sectional time limit of 40 minutes each. Once the exam starts, candidates cannot change the sequence of the sections. Once the time is up for one section, the next section will begin, and so on.
• As per the CAT Exam Pattern 2025, each section of the CAT exam, VARC, Quant, and DILR, will have different topic-wise weightage, as the number of questions will differ for each of the,m and so will their section-wise marks.
• The total number of questions from the VARC section will be 24, 22 questions will be from the Quant section, making it the second leading section in terms of weightage, and lastly, the DILR section, which will comprise 20 questions.

Also Check:

• CAT 2025 Question Paper
• CAT 2025 Cutoff

What is CAT Exam Pattern 2025?

CAT 2025 exam duration is 120 minutes with a sectional time limit of 40 minutes. The CAT 2025 total marks are expected to be 198. You have to answer 68 questions, divided into three sections – 24 from VARC, 22 from QA, and 20 from DILR. Each correct answer awards you 3 marks. 

CAT 2025 Exam will have two different types of questions described below:

1. Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs): In this category of questions, there are four choices given for a question, and the candidate is required to select the correct answer.
2. Type in the Answer (TITA): As the name suggests, the answers for these types of questions will have to be entered in their designated box only.

CAT Exam Pattern 2025 Sections

The CAT 2025 exam consists of 3 sections named VARC, DILR, and QA. Candidates are required to complete each section in 40 minutes.

• Section 1 - VARC consists of 24 questions (21 MCQ and 3 TITA) of 72 marks.
• Section 2 - DILR consists of 20 questions (14 MCQ and 6 TITA) of 60 marks.
• Section 3 - QA consists of 22 questions (14 MCQ and 8 TITA) of 66 marks.

Section-wise CAT Distribution of Questions and Marks

Also Read:

• CAT QA Syllabus
• CAT DILR Syllabus
• CAT VARC Syllabus

CAT Exam Duration 2025: Section-wise Strategy

The CAT 2025 exam gives you a total of 120 minutes, divided equally into three sections: VARC, DILR, and QA. Each section has a strict 40-minute timer, and you cannot switch sections once the time starts. That means smart time management is the key to getting a high percentile.

• VARC - Consists of 24 Questions in 40 mins - Start with Reading Comprehension (RC) passages as they carry the most weight. Don’t get stuck in one tough RC, move on and return later if time allows. Keep 10-12 minutes for Verbal Ability questions like para-jumbles and odd-one-out.
• DILR - Consists of 20 Questions in 40 mins - Use the first 5 minutes to scan all the sets. Pick 2-3 sets that look solvable and stick with them. Accuracy matters more than attempting everything here.
• QA – Consists of 22 Questions in 40 mins - Begin with easy Arithmetic and Algebra problems to secure marks quickly. Then move to Geometry or tougher topics if time remains.

CAT Exam  2025 Section-Wise and Overall Time Duration for PwD Candidates

The IIMs under the CAT Exam Pattern have included this provision which allows extra time for Persons with Disabilities (PwD) category candidates to finish their section-wise and ultimately overall CAT exam. The detailing for the time duration prescribed for the PwD candidates refers to the table below:

Also Read:

• DILR Paper Analysis
• VARC Paper Analysis
• QA Paper Analysis

Types of Questions in CAT Exam 2025 (MCQ & TITA)

In the CAT exam, you’ll face two kinds of questions – the regular MCQs and the trickier but safer TITA questions.

• MCQs (Multiple Choice Questions): These are the usual format - you get four options, and you have to pick the right one. Each correct answer gives you +3 marks, but a wrong attempt costs you -1 mark, so guesswork can be risky.
• TITA (Type In The Answer): Here, no options are given. You have to type in the answer yourself. The best part? There’s no negative marking. So even if you’re unsure, you don’t lose marks for trying.

CAT Marking Scheme 2025

The CAT Exam Marking Scheme comprises different areas such as no. of asked questions, section-wise marks, total marks, time allotted to each section, and other important details regarding the CAT Exam. Below are the details for the marking scheme for the CAT exam: