📊 CAT 2026 — Exam Pattern & Key Facts
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Conducting IIM | Rotates annually — IIM Kozhikode expected for CAT 2026 |
| Expected Date | Last Sunday of November 2026 |
| Duration | 2 hours (40 minutes per section) |
| Sections | VARC (24 Q), DILR (20 Q), QA (22 Q) |
| Total Questions | 66 (approx.) |
| Marking | +3 for MCQ correct, -1 for MCQ wrong. TITA (Type In The Answer) — no negative marking |
| Registration | August–September 2026 |
🎯 Section-wise Preparation Strategy
VARC — Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (24 Questions)
VARC is the most unpredictable section. RC passages carry 16 questions — these are your bread and butter. Target 100% accuracy on RC before attempting VA questions.
- Reading habit: Read The Economist, The Hindu editorial, Aeon, or Mint for 30 minutes daily. Build reading speed to 250+ words per minute.
- RC strategy: Read the question first, then the passage. On 5-question RCs, aim to attempt all 5. On 3-question RCs, cherry-pick the easiest 2.
- VA (Parajumble, odd sentence, summary): These are TITA — no negative marking. Attempt all of them. Practice 15 parajumbles daily for 2 months.
DILR — Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (20 Questions)
DILR comes in sets of 4–6 questions. The key skill is set selection — identify which 3–4 sets to attempt in 40 minutes and which to skip.
- Practice set types: Tables, bar charts, Venn diagrams, seating arrangements, games and tournaments, networks. CAT DILR is application-based, not formula-based.
- Attempt strategy: Spend 2 minutes reading a set before committing. If it seems solvable in 8–10 minutes, go for it. Otherwise skip and move.
- Resources: Arun Sharma LRDI book, CAT previous year papers (2015–2025), 2IIM or Cracku DILR workshops.
QA — Quantitative Aptitude (22 Questions)
QA tests Class 10–12 maths concepts at advanced problem-solving level. No calculus, no matrices. Key topics: Arithmetic (30–40%), Algebra (25–30%), Geometry (15–20%), Modern Maths — P&C, Probability (10–15%).
- Must-master topics: Percentages, Profit-Loss, Time-Speed-Distance, Time-Work, Ratio-Proportion, Quadratic equations, Geometry (circles, triangles).
- TITA advantage: ~8 out of 22 QA questions are TITA. No negative marking — attempt all of these.
- Books: Arun Sharma QA (Tata McGraw Hill), Nishit Sinha (Pearson). For online — 2IIM's QA module.
📅 CAT 2026 Month-by-Month Study Plan
- Jan–Mar 2026 (Months 1–3): Build fundamentals. QA formulae and basic problem solving. 30 mins daily reading for VARC. LRDI basic set types.
- Apr–Jun 2026 (Months 4–6): Advanced topics. Past CAT papers (2018–2022). First sectional mock tests. Identify weaknesses section-wise.
- Jul–Sep 2026 (Months 7–9): Full-length mocks every Sunday. Detailed analysis of every mock — 2 hours of analysis per mock. DILR set practice daily.
- Oct–Nov 2026 (Months 10–11): 2 full mocks per week minimum. Revise formulae and concepts. Focus on accuracy over speed. Target 95+ percentile in sectional mocks.
🏛️ IIM-wise Cutoffs 2026 — All Categories
| IIM | General (Overall) | OBC | SC | ST |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IIM Ahmedabad | 95+ (99+ for GEM PI call) | 90 | 85 | 75 |
| IIM Bangalore | 93+ | 88 | 83 | 73 |
| IIM Calcutta | 92+ | 87 | 82 | 72 |
| IIM Lucknow | 90+ | 85 | 80 | 70 |
| IIM Kozhikode | 90+ | 85 | 80 | 70 |
| IIM Indore | 90+ | 85 | 80 | 70 |
| FMS Delhi | 98+ | 93 | 88 | 78 |
| MDI Gurgaon | 92+ | 87 | 82 | 72 |
| IIFT Delhi/Kolkata | IIFT separate exam | — | — | — |
Note on FMS: FMS Delhi has one of the lowest fees (₹2.14 lakh total) but one of the highest CAT cutoffs (98+). It's the best ROI MBA in India for extremely strong CAT scorers who don't want to spend ₹20–25 lakh on IIM fees.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
It depends on your starting point. If you have weak maths fundamentals or struggle with self-discipline, structured coaching from TIME, IMS, or Career Launcher is worth it. If you're self-disciplined and already have decent quant skills, 2IIM's online course (~₹8,000) or Cracku (₹5,000–7,000) gives 80% of the benefit at 5% of the cost. The most important investment for CAT is mock tests and their analysis — not coaching classes.
Yes — many IIM students each year come from working professional backgrounds. The key is consistency: 2–3 hours of daily study (early morning or late night), at least 1 full mock test per week with thorough analysis, and strategic section focus. VARC can improve significantly with daily reading during lunch. Working professionals often have an advantage in DILR and GD-PI rounds due to real-world experience.