By the ExamguruX Editorial TeamUpdated 1 October 20265 min read
Key dates
- Admit card: from 4 November 2026 on iimcat.ac.in.
- Exam: Sunday, 29 November 2026, three sessions.
- Result: expected in late December 2026 or early January 2027.
Pattern and marking
CAT has three sections, each timed separately at 40 minutes, and you cannot move between them. A correct answer earns +3. A wrong multiple-choice answer costs 1 mark, and TITA (type-in-the-answer) questions carry no negative marking.
- VARC (Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension): about 24 questions.
- DILR (Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning): about 20 questions.
- Quantitative Aptitude: about 22 questions.
Week-by-week plan
- Weeks 1–2: Two full mocks a week. Spend twice as long analysing each mock as taking it. Find your two weakest question types per section and fix them.
- Weeks 3–4: Keep two mocks a week. On other days, do one DILR set and two RC passages under time pressure. Learn to pick sets: in DILR, choosing the right two or three sets matters more than solving everything.
- Weeks 5–6: Move to three mocks a week. Lock in a section order and an attempt strategy for each section, and stop changing it.
- Week 7: Two mocks, then revise formulas, your error log and RC notes. Download the admit card and check the centre route.
- Week 8 (exam week): One light mock early in the week at your actual slot time, then rest. No new material in the last three days.
Accuracy beats attempts
At +3 / −1, a guess with four options roughly breaks even, so blind guessing gains nothing. Attempt TITA questions you have worked through even if you are unsure, since they carry no penalty. In mock analysis, track accuracy per section. A score of 90% accuracy on fewer questions usually beats 70% on more.
Key takeaways
- CAT 2026 is on Sunday, 29 November, conducted by IIM Indore; admit cards come out on 4 November.
- Three 40-minute sections with no switching; +3 / −1 for MCQs, no penalty on TITA.
- Spend the last eight weeks on mock analysis, choosing sets well, and a fixed section strategy.
Sources
Dates and patterns change — always confirm on the official website before applying.
