CAT Exam Pattern 2027 will be expected to be announced by the Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode. Common Admission Test question pattern consists of 26 questions in the VARC and QA section and 24 questions in the DILR section. The duration of the CAT will be 02 hours (120 Minutes) and for each section, the time limit will be 40 Minutes. Read the whole article to know more about CAT Exam Pattern.
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CAT 2027 Latest Update as on 11 Oct 2026
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Checked on 11 Oct 2026
CAT 2027 has not received an official notification yet; the exam is expected to be conducted by an IIM in the usual cycle, and students should watch the official CAT website for the first registration notice and schedule.
CAT 2027 has not yet seen an official notification or schedule release from the conducting IIM, so the cycle is still at the pre-announcement stage. As of today, there is no confirmed date for registration, admit card, or the exam itself. Based on the previous-year pattern, the next likely development is the notification and application window, followed by admit card release closer to the test. Students should monitor the official website on iimcat.ac.in for updates and prepare documents, eligibility details, and exam strategy in advance. For now, any date circulating online should be treated as tentative until the official notice appears.
- Notification expected around Oct-Nov 2026, following the usual CAT release cycle, but not officially announced yet.
- Registration is typically expected to open shortly after the notification, likely in Nov 2026 if the pattern holds.
- Admit card release is usually expected about 2-3 weeks before the exam date, once the schedule is notified.
- CAT exam date is generally expected in late Nov 2026, but no official date has been published yet.
- Result declaration is typically expected a few weeks after the test, depending on the official evaluation schedule.
- Candidates should keep checking the official CAT portal for notification, eligibility, and application instructions.
CAT Exam Pattern 2027 Important Points
Applicants can check hereunder the expected CAT Question Paper Pattern for the upcoming session:
- CAT Exam is a computer-based test but not an online test i.e. candidate cannot use the internet while giving the exam.
- DURATION OF THE EXAM: 3 hours.
- CAT EXAM is divided into 3 sections of 60 minutes each. The 3 sections are as follows; VARC-Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension, DILR-Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning and QA-Quantitative Ability.
- Candidates cannot move from one section to another during the 1 hour assigned to the particular section.
- Candidates taking the CAT test could not leave their seats during the exam.
- Non-MCQs in CAT exam pattern will require the candidate to type in the correct answer on the computer screen.
- Each correct answer in CAT exam pattern will be given 3 marks even if it is an MCQ or Non-MCQ.
- Each wrong answer for MCQ will be imposed a penalty of the 1/3rd negative mark (-1 mark)
- CAT exam pattern follows the pattern of CAT official Mock test released by IIMs a month before the CAT exam.
CAT Exam Pattern 2027
The detailed information regarding the CAT Exam Pattern is given below.
| Questions | Numbers |
|---|---|
| Total Questions | 100 |
| Number of sections | 03 |
| Questions with negative marking (MCQs) | 75 |
| Questions without negative marking (Non-MCQs) | 25 |
| Score awarded for each correct answer | 03 |
| Negative marking (Applicable for wrong answers in MCQs) | -1 |
| Individual time limit [Each Section] | 1 hour |
CAT 2027 Sectional Exam Pattern
Major Changes This Year
No official change has been announced for CAT 2027 so far; based on the usual pattern, the next likely step is the release of the notification and registration window, but that remains unconfirmed.
No major change has been officially announced yet for CAT 2027. There is no confirmed update on the pattern, number of questions, marking scheme, syllabus, eligibility, application process, or mode of examination. If the exam follows the usual recent trend, the overall structure is expected to remain similar, but that is only an expectation until the official notification is released. Candidates should rely only on the notification and information bulletin once published, because any early web claims about changes are unverified at this stage.
VARC (Verbal Ability and Reading Composition)
| Total questions | 34 |
| No. of MCQs | 24 to 27 |
| No. of non-MCQs | 7 to 10 |
| Total RC passages | 05 |
| RC based questions[all MCQs] | 24 |
| Verbal Ability Questions[ mix of MCQs and not- MCQs] | 10 |
| LOD | Moderate to difficult |
DILR (Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning)
| Total questions | 32 |
| MCQs | 28 |
| Non-MCQs | 08 |
| Share of DI questions | 16 |
| Share of LR questions | 16 |
| LoD | Moderate to difficult |
QUANT: Quantitative Ability
| Total questions | 34 |
| MCQs | 23 To 27 |
| Non-MCQs | 7 To 11 |
| LoD | Moderate to Difficult |
CAT 2027 Sectional Composition
The CAT Exam Pattern 2027 contains sectional composition and list is given below.
| Section name | Total questions | Total MCQs [with negative marking] | Total MCQs [without negative marking] | Total maximum marks |
| VARC | 34 | 24 to 27 | 7 to 10 | 102 |
| DILR | 32 | 24 | 08 | 96 |
| Quant | 34 | 23 to 27 | 7 to 11 | 102 |
- VARC – Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension
- DILR – Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning
- QUANT- Quantitative Ability
Responding to queries regarding the question of whether the CAT is an online test or not. IIMs reply that CAT is a computer-based test but not an online test. As they said in an official statement “CAT is not an online exam. It is a digital or Computer Based Test (CBT); not an Internet-Based Test (IBT); that is, a candidate will not take the exam on an internet site. Instead of reading the questions in a paper booklet and darkening the ovals on answer sheet, a candidate will read the questions on a computer terminal and choose an answer by clicking on the correct option”.
CAT PATTERN: Changes Since Computerization
| Year | Total No of Qs | VA | DI-LR | Quant | Difficulty level |
| CAT 2017 | 100 | VARC-34. RC-24, (All MCQs), Verbal-10 (3 MCQs, 7 on-MCQs) | DILR-32, DI-16, LR-16, MCQs-24, Non-MCQs-8 | Total-34. MCQs 23, Non-MCQs-11 | Moderate |
| CAT 2016 | 100 | VARC-34, RC-24, (All MCQs), Verbal-10 (All non-MCQs) | DILR-32, DI-16, LR-16, MCQs-24, Non-MCQs-8 | Quant-34, MCQ-27, Non-MCQs-7 | Moderate to difficult |
| CAT 2015 | 100 | VARC -34, RC-24 (MCQs), Verbal-10 (Non-MCQs) | DILR-32, DI-16, LR-16, MCQs-24, Non-MCQs-8 | Quant-34, MCQs-24, Non-MCQs-10 | Moderate to difficult |
| CAT 2014 | 100 | 50 VARC-34 LR-16 | – | 50 Quant-34 DI-16 | Moderate to difficult |
| CAT 2013 | 60 | 30 10 verbal 10 RC 10 LR | 30 DI-10 | Moderate to difficult | |
| CAT 2012 | 60 | 30 (LR 10) 10 verbal 10 RC 10 LR | – | 30 (DI 10) | Moderate to difficult (Difficulty level was more or less maintained to the same level. |
| CAT 2011 | 60 | 30(LR 10) | – | 30(DI10) | Moderate to difficult-LOD>2 |
| CAT 2010 | 60 | 20 | 20 | 20 | Moderate to difficult-LOD>2 |
| CAT 2009 | 60 | 20 | 20 | 20 | Moderate- LOD=2 overall |
Frequently Asked Questions
Has CAT 2027 been officially announced?
No. As of 11 Oct 2026, there is no official notification or confirmed exam schedule for CAT 2027.
Who will conduct CAT 2027?
It is expected to be conducted by one of the IIMs under the CAT system, but the official conducting institute for 2027 has not been confirmed yet.
When will CAT 2027 registration start?
Registration is usually expected after the notification, likely in Nov 2026 if the usual pattern continues, but no official date has been released.
Will the CAT 2027 pattern change?
There is no officially confirmed change yet. Any change in sections, questions, or marking will be known only after the notification is issued.
Where will the CAT 2027 notice be published?
It should be published on the official CAT portal, but students should verify the notice only on the official website once it is released.
Is the CAT 2027 exam date fixed?
No. The exam date has not been officially announced, so any date seen online should be treated as tentative.
What should students do now for CAT 2027?
Track the official portal regularly, review the expected exam pattern, and keep documents and preparation ready for the notification period.
