CAT 2026 is a computer-based test scheduled for 29 November 2026 in three sessions, according to the official CAT 2026 advertisement. IIMA’s published PGP 2027-29 policy identifies VARC, DILR and QA as the three sections used for its CAT-2026 shortlisting. The detailed CAT 2026 question count, timing, PwD timing and navigation rules are not established by the ad; verify them in the CAT 2026 information bulletin and on your admit card.
Exam Day Interface and Tools
As a Computer-Based Test (CBT), the CAT interface enforces specific rules that dictate how candidates attempt the paper. Familiarity with this interface is a crucial component of exam strategy.
- Navigation Restrictions: The interface locks the candidate into the active section. Once the 40-minute timer for a section expires, the system automatically submits the section and moves directly to the next one. Candidates cannot choose the order of sections, nor can they revisit a section to change an answer after its timer has run out.
- On-screen tools and device rules: Check the CAT 2026 bulletin and candidate-specific instructions for calculator availability and permitted items. The advertisement reviewed here does not list these details.
- Question Palette: A question palette on the right side of the screen allows candidates to track their progress. It displays the status of each question (e.g., Answered, Not Answered, Marked for Review). Using the "Mark for Review" feature enables candidates to flag uncertain answers and revisit them easily if time permits within that section's active 40-minute window.
Detailed Sectional Breakdown and Strategy
CAT has VARC, DILR and QA sections. The CAT 2026 advertisement confirms three sessions but does not publish a question-count breakdown; use the current information bulletin and official mock test for this cycle’s format. The preparation themes below can guide practice without treating one paper’s mix as fixed.
1. Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) The section calls for close reading, inference, argument analysis and sentence-level logical organisation. Reading-comprehension passages and verbal-reasoning exercises such as parajumbles, odd-sentence-out and summaries are useful practice. The exact CAT 2026 question split, passage count and response type are not stated in the advertisement; use the current bulletin and official mock for cycle-specific format.
2. Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) Practice extracting and comparing information from charts, tables and caselets, then solving arrangement, scheduling and constraint-based problems. Set sizes and question counts vary across papers; the CAT 2026 advertisement does not state a fixed DILR composition. Use full past papers for timed practice and the current CAT notice for cycle-specific details.
3. Quantitative Ability (QA) Practice core arithmetic, algebra, geometry and number concepts, then use mixed timed sets to build question selection and accuracy. The advertisement does not state CAT 2026 question count, whether questions are independent, or section timing; verify those details in the current bulletin and official mock instead of using a fixed question-per-minute estimate.
Marking Scheme and Score Normalisation
The CAT 2026 advertisement reviewed here does not specify marks for correct or incorrect responses, penalties by question type, or the maximum raw score. Check the CAT 2026 information bulletin for operative marking rules; this bounded source review did not verify these cycle-specific details.
Normalisation and Scaled Scores CAT 2026 is scheduled in three sessions, as stated in the official advertisement. The advertisement does not explain the current-cycle equating method or scorecard fields. Use the current CAT bulletin and official result notice to understand normalization, scaling and reporting rules; label any analysis based on earlier CAT years as historical.