CAT Exam Pattern 2024 (Updated) - Total Marks, Number of Questions & Marking Scheme

What is the CAT Exam Pattern 2024?

CAT exam pattern is nothing but the CAT exam paper pattern for the 2024 intake. There is no fixed CAT paper pattern authorized by any supreme authority. However, based on past trends and patterns, we can conclude that there are three exam sections, including DILR, VARC, and QA, to evaluate a candidate’s aptitude for resolving mathematical and reasoning problems.

• CAT VARC section will include 24 questions with a weightage of 72 marks.
• CAT DILR section will comprise 20 questions with a weightage of 60 marks.
• CAT QA section will consist of 22 questions with a weightage of 66 marks.

This may vary depending on which body is creating the paper for CAT 2024; however, the CAT 2024 exam pattern will more or less follow the same frequency.

If you are a CAT 2024 aspirant, then it's time for you to buckle up with your CAT preparation. You can boost your preparation with our CAT previous year papers and free CAT mocks.

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Important Announcement - CAT 2024 Sample Paper Pattern Changed

As per the CAT 2024 sample paper released on the official website, there might be some changes in the DILR section. These changes could involve different patterns, such as one set with 2 questions, two sets with 4 questions each, and two sets with 6 questions, or possibly four sets with 5 questions each and one set with 2 questions. 

These changes can be overwhelming and may cause some anxiety as the exam date gets closer, but don’t let this divert your attention from your preparation!

It's also important to keep in mind that the CAT 2024 exam pattern might not change at all. In previous years as well, there have been surprising changes in the sample papers, but the actual exam often resembled what was previously expected. So, it's best to be mentally prepared for either of the cases.

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CAT Exam Pattern 2024 - Overview

The CAT 2024 exam pattern is expected to be similar to CAT 2023. Based on past trends, the notification for CAT 2024 was released on July 28th, 2024, and the exam for this year will be held on the last Sunday of November, i.e., November 24th, 2024. Thus, it’s high time for the aspirants to gear up their CAT preparation if they want to land into their dream B-schools.

Some of the major points to keep in mind with regard to the CAT exam pattern are:

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CAT 2024 Exam Pattern - Breakdown of Paper Pattern

The CAT 2024 Paper Pattern will constitute 3 sections:

• Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)
• Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR)
• Quantitative Ability (QA)

CAT 2024 Marking Scheme & Exam Mark Distribution

The CAT Exam is held as a Computer Based Test (CBT) with a duration of 2 hours. Each section has an individual time limit of 40 minutes each. The CAT 2024 Exam Pattern is given below:

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CAT Exam Pattern 2024 - Overall and Sectional Time Limit

It is very crucial that you have a basic understanding of the CAT paper pattern and syllabus before you approach the exam. This approach will boost your confidence for the actual exam and provide you with effective strategies, as well as smart tips and tricks to ace your CAT 2024.

Detailed Section-Wise Analysis of CAT 2024 Exam Pattern 

Here is the breakdown of the CAT exam pattern 2024 for all the sections separately to give candidates a better idea of what is expected to be asked from them.

1. CAT Exam Pattern for VARC

The VARC section in CAT comprises 24 questions in total. In the verbal section, the CAT exam pattern of the past years indicates that the section consists of two primary components, i.e. Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension.

Reading Comprehension:

• This section accounts for over 67% of the questions (16 questions out of 24)
• Question Format: MCQs with a few TITA (Type in the Answer) questions
• There will be 4 passages comprising 4 questions each

Verbal Ability:

• Relatively small subsection of VARC with only 8 questions
• The expected division of the questions, as per CAT 2023, is 2 para jumbles, 2 para completions, 2 para summaries, and 2 odd sentences out

2. CAT Exam Pattern for DILR

Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning is the second section of the CAT Exam. Candidates will be able to attempt it only after they submit the VARC section in the CAT Exam. It is the most dynamic section in CAT, and new types of questions are introduced almost every year. It is advisable to be very careful when selecting the questions, as your choice can make or break your overall percentile.

Based on the CAT test pattern for DILR, here are the changes as per CAT 2023:

• This section consists of 2 sets of data interpretation and 2 sets of logical reasoning, or it can even be a combination of both.
• The section will have 4 sets comprising 5 questions each, with each set lending a maximum of 15 marks.
• The most common areas questioned include bar graphs, arrangements, missing data, and puzzles (games).

3. CAT Exam Pattern for Quant

This is the section that most candidates prepare extensively. This is because the CAT exam pattern and syllabus for this section are the most fleshed out among all the other sections. It is the section that can make or break the exam for most candidates.

• The quant section has a total of 22 questions.
• As the CAT quant exam pattern has no sub-sections, all the questions are focused on the mathematical skills of the candidates.
• It is comprised of major five areas, including arithmetic, algebra, modern maths, geometry and number systems.
• Based on past trends, the questions are dominated by arithmetic and algebra, including geometry from which 3-4 questions can be seen every year.

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CAT Exam Pattern 2024: Important Points to Remember

• Candidates cannot choose the order of the sections or move back and forth between sections. The fixed order of the exam is- VARC, followed by DILR and then Quant.
• CAT has two types of questions- MCQ-based and TITA (type in the answer). The MCQ type has a negative marking of 1 for every wrong answer. The TITA questions have no negative marking.
• In the MCQs, candidates will be given 4 options and in the Non-MCQs, the answer must be typed.
• An on-screen calculator will be provided to the candidates during the exam.
• Candidates can check the time with the help of the on-screen clock provided.
• A sheet will be provided to the candidates for rough work. Candidates must submit the sheet upon the completion of the exam.

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CAT 2024 Exam Pattern: CAT Exam Time Duration

CAT 2024 will be divided across three slots throughout the day. Candidates will have the slot they must appear for, which is mentioned on their admit cards. Here is the slot-based division of the paper-

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CAT Paper Pattern 2024: What is the CAT Marking Scheme?

Similar to the previous year's exam pattern, the marking scheme for the MCQ and TITA questions is different. Here is an overview of the marking scheme for CAT 2024-

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CAT Test Pattern 2024: How to Mark Answers?

As mentioned before, the CAT 2024 exam will be computer-based. Therefore candidates will be required to input their responses into the computer. Candidates will have to select one of the given options when putting in the answers-

• Save and Next: Candidates will select the answer, save it and then move to the next question.
• Clear Response: Candidates can delete the response to the question they answered.
• Mark for Review and Next: For answers that candidates are unsure about, they can mark it for review, answer it and then go to the next question.

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CAT Exam Pattern Analysis: Changes Over the Years

Owing to the pandemic the CAT exam pattern saw some major changes. The number of questions and time allotted have both been reduced since the arrival of covid-19. The exam pattern for CAT 2021 comprised 66 questions to be completed in 2 hours. However, before this, the exam pattern remained the same for five consecutive years till 2019. Here is a view of the exam pattern across the past few years.

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CAT Exam Pattern 2024: Preparation Tips Based on CAT Paper Pattern

The CAT exam pattern gives the candidate a brief idea of how to prepare for the exam:

• Each section has roughly equal weightage which indicates that while studying the basics, each section has to be given equal importance.
• Following this, mocks play an important role in determining the route that the CAT preparation will take. It will enable the candidate to analyze their performance and identify their weaknesses & strengths.
• The section in which the aspirant is scoring the most marks is the clearest for him in terms of concepts. Thus, the amount of time spent on that section can be reduced while the section where the aspirant is scoring the lowest has to be focused upon.
• After a while, the performance in the mocks has to be taken stock of again. The aspirant needs to ensure that the section where he/she was strongest is not slipping and that there is some improvement in the section where he/she is focusing.

This milestone-based approach to the CAT preparation will allow the aspirant to focus on the right areas as the exam draws near. You can also refer to some of the best books covering the entire CAT syllabus that can be an aid during your preparation.

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Free Resources For CAT Preparation

If you want to prepare for CAT without spending any money, you're at the right place! Open CAT is a FREE CAT resources portal for students interested in taking the exam but prefer to prepare at their own pace and from the comfort of their homes. This platform is the perfect stop for you as it includes:

• Video lectures curated exclusively by our top CAT mentors
• Our finest study material & formula booklets
• Full-length mocks and previous years’ papers
• Basic & advanced level tests for each topic covering all three CAT sections
• Knowledge and mentorship sessions by experts

Enhance your understanding of the CAT exam pattern for 2024 using our free resources, such as CAT mock tests, sectional tests, and topic tests, to provide you with the gist of how the actual exam is going to be conducted.

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Set Your Goal For Your Dream College With Our B-School Predictor

Every B-School, including IIMs, has its own unique criteria when it comes to calling its prospective candidates. Over the years, these criteria have evolved, and Career Launcher has crunched the data to develop a tool that can predict, with a reasonable degree of accuracy, the calls that you can potentially receive.

To have a fair understanding of which of the top IIMs and B-schools you can get into and what is the required percentile to get shortlisted for the WAT-PI-GD round, you can check with the IIM Profilizer to set your goals for your dream B-School.

Some of the questions which will be asked through the IIM Call Predictor are:

• Is my profile good enough for the IIMs?
• What CAT percentile do I need to make it to my dream IIM?
• Can I get a call from IIM Ahmedabad/Bangalore with my CAT Percentile & profile?

Make the most of our personalized B-school predictor in the months leading up to your CAT 2024 exam. Aim for your desired B-school and target areas for improvement accordingly to pave the way to your dream college.

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Conclusion

As you can see, CAT is completely capable of shifting the paradigm of the CAT exam pattern and has done so over the years. In order to counter this, the candidates need to prepare for each topic in the syllabus and hone their test-taking skills. With the help of these two skills in their armory, any curveball thrown by CAT would not be much more than a temporary hesitation on the part of the candidate.