CAT 2026–2027 Overview: Exam Date, VARC/DILR/QA Syllabus, Pattern, IIM Cut Off & Preparation
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The Common Admission Test (CAT 2026–2027) is India’s premier national-level computer-based management entrance examination conducted annually on the last Sunday of November by the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) on a rotational basis. CAT scores are mandatory for admission to PGP/MBA/PGDM and Fellow (Ph.D.) programs across all 21 IIMs (including IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta, Lucknow, Kozhikode, Indore, and Mumbai) and over 1,200+ top non-IIM B-Schools including FMS Delhi, SPJIMR Mumbai, MDI Gurgaon, IIT DoMS (Bombay, Delhi, Madras, Kharagpur, Roorkee, Kanpur), IIFT, JBIMS, and IMT Ghaziabad.
Explore our dedicated MBA preparation resources: CAT Official Hub on FindMyCollege, CAT Previous Year Question Papers PDF, CAT Score vs Percentile (99, 95, 90 Percentile Raw Marks), and CAT vs GMAT Comparison.
CAT 2026–2027 Exam Pattern & Sectional Timing (68 Questions, 204 Marks)
CAT is conducted across three 2-hour slots (120 minutes total) with a strict 40-minute sectional time limit per section (no switching allowed between sections):
| Section Name | Total Questions | TITA (Non-MCQ, No Negative Marking) | Sectional Time Limit | Maximum Marks | 99 Percentile Target Raw Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Section I: Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) | 24 Questions (16 RC + 8 VA) | 3 – 4 TITA Questions | 40 Minutes | 72 Marks | 38 – 42 Marks (13–14 Net Correct) |
| Section II: Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR) | 22 Questions (5 Sets: 3×4Q + 2×5Q) | 6 – 8 TITA Questions | 40 Minutes | 66 Marks | 29 – 33 Marks (2.5 Sets Solved) |
| Section III: Quantitative Ability (QA) | 22 Questions (Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, Modern Math) | 7 – 8 TITA Questions | 40 Minutes | 66 Marks | 30 – 34 Marks (10–11 Net Correct) |
| Overall CAT Total | 68 Questions | ~18 TITA Questions | 120 Minutes | 204 Marks | 95 – 102 Marks (Overall 99%ile) |
CAT Raw Score vs Percentile & IIM Shortlist Cutoffs
| Target CAT Percentile | Scaled Overall Score (Out of 204) | Approximate Net Correct Attempts | Accepting IIMs & Top MBA Colleges |
|---|---|---|---|
| 99.5 – 100 Percentile | 106 – 130+ Marks | 36 – 43 Questions | IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, FMS Delhi, IIT Bombay SJMSOM |
| 99.0 – 99.4 Percentile | 95 – 105 Marks | 32 – 35 Questions | IIM Lucknow, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Indore, IIM Mumbai, SPJIMR, MDI Gurgaon, IIT Delhi |
| 97.0 – 98.9 Percentile | 78 – 94 Marks | 26 – 31 Questions | IIM Shillong, IIFT Delhi/Kolkata, IIM Udaipur, IIM Trichy, IIM Raipur, IIM Ranchi, IIT Kharagpur |
| 94.0 – 96.9 Percentile | 64 – 77 Marks | 22 – 25 Questions | CAP / Baby IIMs (Kashipur, Nagpur, Visakhapatnam, Amritsar, Bodh Gaya, Jammu, Sambalpur, Sirmaur), IMT, XIMB |
| 85.0 – 93.9 Percentile | 45 – 63 Marks | 15 – 21 Questions | GIM Goa, IMI New Delhi, FORE, TAPMI, Great Lakes, IRMA, LBSIM,KJ Somaiya, UBS Chandigarh |
