The definitive authority guide for CAT aspirants and Non-Engineers. Section-wise question breakdown, topic weightage, IIM percentile cutoffs, Free Diagnostic Mock, and Quant Vault shortcuts.
Designed specifically for Non-Engineers to evaluate baseline reading speed, calculation traps, and DILR set-selection logic before starting CAT preparation.
Official format specifications according to Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs)
| Section Name | No. of Questions | Sectional Time | Question Types | Key Focus Areas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VARC (Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension) | 24 Questions | 40 Minutes | 16 MCQs + 8 TITA/MCQ | Reading Passages (4 RCs), Para Jumbles, Para Summary, Sentence Insertion |
| DILR (Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning) | 22 Questions | 40 Minutes | 14-16 MCQs + 6-8 TITA | 4 Sets (5 Qs each) - Quant DI, Seating Arrangements, Games & Tournaments, Puzzles |
| QA (Quantitative Aptitude) | 22 Questions | 40 Minutes | 14 MCQs + 8 TITA | Arithmetic (8-9 Qs), Algebra (5-6 Qs), Geometry (3-4 Qs), Modern Math (2-3 Qs) |
Key milestones for CAT 2026 registration, admit card download, exam day, and result declaration
| CAT 2026 Event / Milestone | Official Expected Date | Event Status & Guidance |
|---|---|---|
| Official CAT 2026 Notification Release | July 26, 2026 | Released across major national newspapers & iimcat.ac.in |
| Online Registration Start Date | August 03, 2026 (10:00 AM) | Portal opens for User ID generation & profile creation |
| Last Date to Submit Registration Form | September 15, 2026 (5:00 PM) | Strict deadline. No extensions granted. |
| Application Correction Window | 4th Week of September 2026 | Correction allowed for Photograph, Signature & Test City preferences |
| Admit Card Download Availability | November 04, 2026 | Download admit card with assigned exam slot & center address |
| CAT 2026 Examination Date | November 29, 2026 | Conducted in 3 Slots (Morning, Afternoon, Evening) |
| Provisional Answer Key & Response Sheet | 1st Week of December 2026 | Candidates can download response sheet & file objections |
| Final Result & Official Scorecard | 1st Week of January 2027 | Overall & Sectional Percentiles declared; valid for 1 year |
Detailed educational qualifications, final year rules, age limits, and statutory reservation percentages
As per Central Educational Institutions Reservation Policy across all 21 IIMs:
Step-by-step instructions to register on iimcat.ac.in and category fee breakdown
Visit iimcat.ac.in and generate unique User ID & Password via Mobile & Email OTP verification.
Enter personal info, academic scores (10th, 12th, Graduation), work experience, and upload scanned photo & signature.
Choose your target IIM PGP/MBA programs and select up to 6 preferred test cities in order of priority.
Pay application fee via Credit/Debit card, Net Banking, or UPI. Download and print the submitted application form.
Detailed analysis of high-yield topics across Quant, VARC, and DILR
How academic diversity and category cutoffs work for CAT admission calls
| B-School / IIM Name | Overall Percentile Target | Sectional Cutoffs | Academic Diversity Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|
| IIM Ahmedabad (IIMA) | 99.5+ %ile (Gen) | 95+ %ile (Non-Eng) | 70-80 %ile across VARC/DILR/QA | Up to 5% bonus score for AC-1 to AC-5 categories |
| IIM Bangalore (IIMB) | 99.0+ %ile | 75-80 %ile per section | High weightage for 10th/12th/Graduation + Gender Diversity |
| IIM Calcutta (IIMC) | 99.7+ %ile | 80 %ile per section | 4 Marks gender diversity bonus for female candidates |
| IIM Lucknow, Kozhikode, Indore, Mumbai | 97.0 - 99.0+ %ile | 75-80 %ile per section | High weightage for Academic Diversity (B.Com, BBA, BA, BSc, Law, CA) |
| New & Baby IIMs (CAP Round - 10+ IIMs) | 92 - 95+ %ile (Gen) | 70-85 %ile (Reserved) | 70 %ile per section | Common Admission Process (CAP) single interview for Ranchi, Trichy, Udaipur, Raipur, etc. |
| FMS Delhi (Faculty of Management Studies) | 98.2 - 99.5+ %ile | No official sectional cutoff | High weightage for VARC (40% weightage) • Highest ROI B-School in India |
| SJMSOM IIT Bombay & DMS IIT Delhi | 98.5 - 99.5+ %ile | 75-80 %ile per section | Shortlists both Engineers & Non-Engineers with strong academic background |
| SPJIMR Mumbai & MDI Gurgaon | 95 - 97+ %ile (MDI) | 85-90+ %ile (SPJIMR Profile) | 75 %ile per section | SPJIMR issues early profile-based calls based on graduation marks & achievements |
| BITSoM, IMT Ghaziabad, XIMB, TAPMI | 85 - 93+ %ile | 65-75 %ile per section | Holistic evaluation based on CAT score, GD/PI, and extracurricular profile |
Candidates must clear both the overall percentile cutoff and individual sectional cutoffs (VARC, DILR, QA) set by each IIM.
Shortlisted candidates attend Written Ability Test (WAT), Group Discussion (GD), and Personal Interview (PI) rounds in Jan-March.
Final merit offers combine CAT Score (40-50%), PI/WAT (30-40%), Academic Diversity (5-10%), Gender Diversity (3-5%), & Work Ex.
Clear, authoritative answers to top aspirant queries regarding CAT 2026
CAT 2026 will be conducted on Sunday, November 29, 2026 in 3 exam sessions (Morning, Afternoon, and Evening slots) across 160+ cities in India.
Yes! Candidates in the final year of their Bachelor's degree or awaiting final semester results are 100% eligible to apply and sit for CAT 2026.
The registration fee is ₹2,700 for General, NC-OBC, and EWS category candidates, and ₹1,350 for SC, ST, and PwD candidates.
No. Non-MCQ (Type In The Answer - TITA) questions carry zero negative marking. You earn +3 for correct answers and 0 for incorrect or unanswered ones.
Since CAT is held in 3 slots with slightly varying difficulty levels, IIMs apply a percentile-based equipercentile normalization formula to equalize candidate raw scores.
Top IIMs allocate 5% to 10% bonus points to non-engineering graduates (B.Com, BBA, BA, BSc, Law, CA) during shortlisting to foster diverse classroom discussions.
Invest in your B-School seat today.
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2026
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2026
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2026
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2027
Aspirants who are good at Math and don't need 1 on 1 mentorship
2027
Aspirants who don't suck at Math and need 1 on 1 mentorship
2027
Aspirants who suck at Math and need 1 on 1 mentorship