CAT 2025 Exam Pattern, Marking Scheme and Section-wise Strategy

CAT 2025 Exam Pattern

CAT 2025 will have 66 questions across three sections to be solved in 120 minutes. Each section has a 40-minute time limit — you cannot switch between sections before your time is up.

Section-wise Breakdown

VARC (Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension): 24 questions, 40 minutes. DILR (Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning): 20 questions, 40 minutes. QA (Quantitative Ability): 22 questions, 40 minutes.

Marking Scheme

MCQ questions: +3 for correct, -1 for wrong. TITA (Type In The Answer) questions: +3 for correct, 0 for wrong — no negative marking. Unattempted questions: 0 marks regardless of type.

The 99 Percentile Strategy

CAT toppers do not attempt all questions. They attempt 45-50 questions with 90%+ accuracy rather than rushing through all 66. Identify and skip difficult questions. Take mock tests on CrackBing to practice your question selection strategy.