CAT Exam Eligibility 2026 — Who Can Apply
The CAT exam eligibility criteria are set by the convening IIM and apply uniformly across all 20 IIMs and 1,200+ institutions accepting CAT scores. Meeting the minimum threshold is non-negotiable — applications submitted without meeting eligibility are rejected at the document verification stage.
| Criterion |
General / EWS / OBC-NC |
SC / ST / PWD |
| Minimum Qualification |
Bachelor's degree from a recognised university |
Bachelor's degree from a recognised university |
| Minimum Marks |
50% aggregate or equivalent CGPA |
45% aggregate or equivalent CGPA |
| Final Year Students |
Eligible — must complete degree before joining |
Eligible — must complete degree before joining |
| Age Limit |
No upper age limit |
No upper age limit |
| Number of Attempts |
No restriction on attempts |
No restriction on attempts |
CAT Exam Pattern 2026 — Duration, Sections and Question Count
The CAT exam duration is 120 minutes divided equally across 3 sections of 40 minutes each. The order of sections is fixed — VARC first, DILR second, QA third. Time cannot be carried forward between sections. The CAT exam pattern and marking scheme for 2026 is expected to remain identical to 2025 with 68 total questions.
| Section |
Questions |
MCQ |
TITA |
Time |
Max Marks |
| VARC |
24 |
16 |
8 |
40 min |
72 |
| DILR |
22 |
15 |
7 |
40 min |
66 |
| QA |
22 |
14 |
8 |
40 min |
66 |
| Total |
68 |
45 |
23 |
120 min |
204 |
📝
MCQ Questions (45 total)
Correct: +3 marks
Wrong: −1 mark
Unattempted: 0
Break-even accuracy: 75%
⌨️
TITA Questions (23 total)
Correct: +3 marks
Wrong: 0 marks
Unattempted: 0
Break-even accuracy: Any attempt
🕒
Sectional Timing
40 min per section — strictly ringfenced
No time carry-forward between sections
On-screen calculator available for QA and DILR only
CAT 2026 Exam Slots — Timing and Practical Notes
| Slot |
Reporting Time |
Exam Time |
Key Tip |
| 🌅 Slot 1 — Morning |
7:30 AM |
8:30 – 10:30 AM |
Sleep by 10 PM night before. Peak alertness for VARC RC. |
| ☀️ Slot 2 — Afternoon |
11:30 AM |
12:30 – 2:30 PM |
Eat light. Avoid heavy carb meals before the exam. |
| 🌆 Slot 3 — Evening |
3:30 PM |
4:30 – 6:30 PM |
Rest the morning. Do not revise on exam day — rest, not cram. |
⚠️ Slot Assignment is System-Generated — Not Your Choice The CAT exam slot on November 29 is assigned by the system during admit card release. Candidates cannot request a slot change. Train your mock schedule to your assigned slot timing 3 weeks before the exam — candidates who do this gain 2–4 percentile points at zero additional study cost.
CAT Syllabus 2026 — Section-wise Topic Overview
IIM does not release a formal CAT syllabus document. The topics below are derived from ten years of CAT paper analysis and represent every area that has appeared in the exam with meaningful frequency.
| Section |
Core Topics |
Weightage |
| VARC |
Reading Comprehension (4 passages), Para Jumbles, Para Summary, Odd One Out, Sentence Completion |
RC: ~67% · VA: ~33% |
| DILR |
Tables, Bar/Line/Pie Charts, Caselets, Arrangements, Puzzles, Venn Diagrams, Games & Tournaments, Networks |
DI: ~50% · LR: ~50% |
| QA |
Arithmetic (30–35%), Algebra (20–25%), Number Theory (15%), Geometry (15%), Modern Maths (10–15%) |
Arithmetic + Algebra: ~60% of section |
CAT Preparation 2026 — Study Plan to Hit Your Target Percentile
With the CAT exam date 2026 confirmed for November 29, a candidate starting in April has approximately 8 months — sufficient for a first-attempt aspirant to reach 95+ percentile with structured preparation. The following phased study plan is built around the exam calendar.
- Phase 1 — April to June (Foundation): Build section basics for VARC, DILR, and QA. No full mocks — only sectional practice and concept building. Target: complete all three foundation modules.
- Phase 2 — July to September (Mock Phase): Begin full mock tests — minimum 2 per week. Analyse every mock section-by-section. Track percentile per section, not overall score. Register for CAT 2026 in August during this phase.
- Phase 3 — October to November 14 (Intensive): 3–4 mocks per week. Deep-dive analysis on weakest section. Fix attempt strategy — decide which DILR sets to attempt, RC passage selection, and QA topic priorities. Download admit card in the last week of October.
- Phase 4 — November 15–28 (Wind-Down): 1 mock every 2 days maximum. Shift mock timing to your assigned exam slot. No new topics. Light revision of key formulas and RC approach only. Rest well on November 28.
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