CAT 2026 Marking Scheme: Check Rules for Negative Marking, Total Marks
- Cut Off for IITs
- IIM Kashipur Cut Off
- IIM Amritsar Cut Off
- IIM Nagpur Cut Off
- IIM Indore Cut Off
- IIM Udaipur Cut Off
- IIM Ranchi Cut Off
- IIM Raipur Cut Off
- IIM Jammu Cut Off
- IIM Bodh Gaya Cut Off
- IIM Kozhikode Cut Off
- IIM Sambalpur Cut Off
- IIM Bangalore Cut Off
- IIM Sirmaur Cut Off
- IIM Trichy Cut Off
- IIM Visakhapatnam Cut Off
- IIM Lucknow Cut Off
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- IIM Calcutta Cut Off
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Content Curator | Updated On - Aug 19, 2026
IIM Indore has prescribed the CAT marking scheme on the official website at iimcat.ac.in.
- For each correct answer in the CAT exam, you will get +3 marks for MCQs and TITA questions.
- For each incorrect MCQ, you will get -1 mark deducted from the overall score.
- There is no negative marking for TITA (Type In The Answer) and unattempted questions.
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Key Summary
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CAT 2026 Marking Scheme Overview
Every correct answer carries +3 marks in the CAT 2026 examination.
- Negative marking of -1 applies only to incorrect MCQs.
- TITA questions can be attempted without the risk of negative marking.
- Questions left unanswered do not affect the candidate's score.
| Response Type | Marks Awarded |
|---|---|
| Correct Answer | +3 Marks |
| Incorrect MCQ | -1 Mark |
| Incorrect TITA | No Negative Marking |
| Unattempted Question | 0 Marks |
CAT 2026 Rules for Negative Marking
The important CAT 2026 Rules for Negative Marking are.
- Negative marking applies only to Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) in the CAT examination.
- One mark is deducted for every incorrect answer marked in an MCQ.
- Type In The Answer (TITA) questions do not carry any negative marking, even if the answer is incorrect.
- Candidates should avoid random guessing in MCQs and attempt TITA questions whenever they have a logical answer.
CAT 2026 Total Marks
Every correct answer in CAT 2026 carries + 3 marks.
- Negative marking is applicable only to MCQs, while incorrect TITA questions do not have any mark deduction.
- Questions left unattempted carry 0 marks; candidates neither gain nor lose marks for skipping that question.
- The total CAT 2026 scores are anticipated to be between 198 and 204, subject to how the number of the final paper is going to be decided.
| Particular | Details |
|---|---|
| Marks for Correct Answer | +3 |
| Negative Marking (MCQ) | -1 |
| Negative Marking (TITA) | No |
| Marks for Unattempted Questions | 0 |
| Expected Total Marks | 198-204 |
CAT 2026 Score Calculation Example
The raw score is obtained by simply adding 3 points per correct answer to the paper, while a 1-point penalty is applied per wrong MCQ.
- Wrong TITA responses don't decrease a student's score, as such attempts are not counted towards the final score.
- This example, for instance, represents that 40 right answers and 8 incorrect MCQs lead to an ending raw score of 112 marks.
- Applicants can apply this method of score calculation after the exam to get an idea of their raw score before the CAT normalization process.
| Particular | Example |
|---|---|
| Correct Answers | 40 |
| Incorrect MCQs | 8 |
| Incorrect TITA | 4 |
| Score Calculation | (40 × 3) - (8 × 1) = 112 |
| Final Raw Score | 112 Marks |
Tips to Avoid Negative Marking in CAT 2026
To minimize losing negative marks in MCQs, candidates should not go for blind guesses.
- In the Elimination method, one or two wrong options may help you arrive at the answer.
- TITA questions do not have negative marking, and candidates should attempt these whenever possible.
- Solving mock tests gives a fair idea of where candidates stand and they can learn from their mistakes.
- Keep doing mock tests on a regular basis and also study their analysis carefully.
CAT 2026 Marking Scheme FAQs
Ques. What will be the CAT 2026 scoring pattern?
Ans. Each correct answer will get 3 marks, whereas for an incorrect multiple-choice question, 1 mark will be deducted.
- Type In The Answer (TITA) questions will not have any kind of negative marking
- Questions left unattempted will get no marks and will only add to the list of unanswered questions.
Ques. Are CAT 2026 Type In The Answer (TITA) questions marked negatively?
Ans. No. Even though you get negative marks in other formats, in Type In The Answer questions you will not be penalized for wrong answers in CAT 2026.
- The candidate can try a TITA question without taking the risk of losing some score.
- Only wrong answers of multiple-choice questions (MCQs) result in a deduction of one mark.
Ques. In how many marks is CAT 2026 conducted in total?
Ans. To get the total marks, the correct answers were first given 3 marks each, and a penalty of 1 mark for every wrong multiple-choice question (MCQ) was imposed.
- Leaving questions unanswered will neither add nor subtract from the score.
- The overall total depends on the total number of questions.
Ques. Would it be advisable for me to attempt all the Type In The Answer (TITA) questions in CAT 2026?
Ans. Because there is no system of negative marking for the Type In The Answer (TITA) questions, you can try a TITA only if you have a decent strategy for the problem to begin with.
- In case of multiple-choice questions, never guess blindly; try to do your best on an accurate basis of knowledge or skill.
- In the case of TITA questions, you can safely aim to do as many as possible, and you will still not be in trouble if one or more answers are not correct.
*The article might have information for the previous academic years, please refer the official website of the exam.