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Expected CAT Exam Pattern for 2022: Overview

The CAT exam pattern has been amended various times in recent years by the IIMs that administer it. Since 2015, the CAT pattern has been consistent in terms of total marks, length, and total questions. 

CAT hopefuls need to understand the CAT exam pattern since it aids in the development of customized test-taking methods. The CAT Exam Pattern 2022 may alter from the pattern 2021. The CAT exam Pattern provided below will assist CAT hopefuls in becoming acquainted with the most recent pattern and preparing appropriately.

The CAT test is one of the most difficult exams in the country. Graduates from virtually every subject are eligible to take the examinations. The examinations stimulate intense competition among MBA CET students vying for admission to the IIMs or other top business schools.

Let us take a look at the Expected CAT Exam Pattern in the year 2022
Mode of Exam Online
Duration 2 hours
Total Questions 64 to 67
Sections 3
Total Marks 192 to 228
Question Types MCQs and Non-MCQs (Type in the Answer)
Marking 3 marks for correct answers , Minus 1 for wrong answers, 0 for unanswered or unattempted questions
Sections Quantitative Aptitude Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension Logical Reasoning & Data Interpretation

The CAT exam is one of the most difficult in the country since there is no predefined syllabus or exam structure. As a result, applicants usually become perplexed as the Exam pattern changes regularly.

The examiners made significant modifications to the CAT 2015 test format, including the addition of sectional time and TITA (Style In The Answer) type problems. This format was replicated in 2016 and stayed unaltered in CAT 2017 and 2018. The following is an expected CAT 2021 exam pattern:

CAT expected Exam Pattern:

Detailed Sectional Pattern
Section MCQs Non-MCQs Total Questions Duration
Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) 18-21 5-8 24-26 40 mins
Logical Reasoning & Data Interpretation (DI & LR) 17-18 6-7 22-24 40 mins
Quantitative Aptitude (QA) 18-20 6-8 24-26 40 mins
Total 54-59 17-22 64-76 120 mins

Pattern for CAT Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension

The CAT VARC portion is designed to assess candidates' English language abilities, as well as their ability to comprehend paragraphs and understand the essential themes. This year's CAT test will include 26 questions from the VA-RC segment.

This year, the CAT Verbal Ability portion will comprise 8 questions. The following are the primary areas of the Verbal Ability portion where questions will be asked:

  • Para jumbles
  • Sentence Correction and Completion
  • Summary based
  • Reading Comprehension

Some questions come from the verbal ability part, while others come from the reading comprehension passages. There are numerous sorts of questions in CAT reading comprehension, vocabulary-based, title-based, and so on.

A comparison between cat verbal abilities and reading comprehension is provided below. As seen below, reading comprehension is the most significant part of this segment.

2017 2018 2019 2020
Para jumbles 4 4 4 3
Sentence Correction & Completion 3 3 3 2
Summary based 3 3 3 3
Reading Comprehension 24 24 24 18

The section is divided into two parts: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension. Take a look at some of the most essential subjects and crucial ideas in this area.

Fill in the blanks Para Completion and inference Verbal Logic
Verbal Reasoning Subject-verb agreement Para jumbles
Sentence completion Foreign language words used in English Different usage of the same word
Grammar Reading Comprehension Idioms
Syllogisms Analogies Antonyms
Jumbled paragraphs Sentence correction One word substitution
Parts of speech Preposition Types of Clauses
Phrases Modifiers Errors in tenses Articles usage

A total of 5-8 TITA questions will be included in this part, with no alternatives provided and applicants have to enter the answers. The overall difficulty level of the CAT verbal ability & reading comprehension portion is moderate, and this section will be time-consuming.

Pattern for CAT Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation

The logical reasoning and data interpretation portion assess applicants' abilities to evaluate data as well as their understanding of logical assumptions. A total of 22-24 questions will be covered in this section.

This year's CAT logical reasoning portion will comprise 18-20 questions. The problems range from inequalities to symbol operations to a direction sense exam, among other things. Because the questions in this area are simple to answer, it is a high-scoring segment.

The data interpretation phase, on the other hand, is a bit tough and time-consuming. This part has several perplexing data caselets, and candidates must completely grasp the data sets to answer the whole question set. The CAT data interpretation segment should be approached with caution, as a single error might cause candidates to answer all of the questions in a given set incorrectly.

A comparison study for the CAT Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning portion is provided below.
2018 2019 2020
Logical Reasoning 20 24 20
Data Interpretation 12 8 4

The second portion of the CAT exam is Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR). This section is broken into two parts: data interpretation and logical reasoning. Examine the section's key topics.

Blood Relations Clocks and Calendars Syllogism
Series Statements Venn Diagram
Proposition Data Arrangement Data Structures
Direction Sense Family Tree Tables
Coding-Decoding Binary Logic Pie Charts
Assumptions Seating Arrangement Data Sufficiency
Puzzles Sets & Caselets Bars & Line Graphs

This section will have a total of 6-7 TITA questions. The question pattern in the CAT LR-DI portion is frequently perplexing, thus candidates must attempt this section correctly. This portion is high-scoring, so take your time reading the data caselets and logical reasoning statements.

Pattern for CAT Quantitative Aptitude

The CAT quantitative aptitude component is a separate section that exclusively includes numerical-based questions from various math courses. This section has a total of 26 questions for this year. The quantitative aptitude section's detailed pattern is provided below.

The entire Quantitative section is divided into five sections, which are as follows:

  • Basic Math
  • Number System
  • Algebra
  • Geometry & Mensuration
  • Modern Maths

Every year, the distribution of questions on these subjects changes. An approximate distribution of grades for quantitative topics is shown below for previous years from 2017 to 2020.
2017 2018 2019 2020
Basic Math 14 14 14 10
Number System 2 2 2 4
Algebra 8 8 13 6
Geometry & Mensuration 7 7 4 4
Modern Math 3 3 1 2
Take a look at important topics and some key points of the Quantitative Aptitude Syllabus.
Geometry Ratios and Proportion Inequalities
Algebra In-equations Quadratic & linear equations Work and Time
Trigonometry Surds & Indices Percentages
Mensuration Time-Speed-Distance Logarithms
Profit & Loss Number System Square Root & Cube Root
Mean, mode, median Binomial theorem Probability
Partnership (Accounts) Geometric Progression Simple interest & compound interest

Math is one of the most essential CAT test topics, as seen by the following table, and 10-14 questions relating to Math are repeated in the exam each year. This section contains around 6-8 Type in the Answer (TITA) questions (non-MCQs) for which candidates must enter their responses. Overall, the CAT quantitative aptitude portion varies from easy to fairly tough and may be readily answered with appropriate practices of the syllabus topics.

CAT Syllabus 2022

The IIMs have not officially announced the CAT syllabus for VARC, DILR, and QA. However, the primary subjects of the CAT curriculum may be deciphered by reviewing past years' CAT question papers.

Based on prior years' patterns, the following are the key areas of the CAT syllabus:
Sections Topics Weightage
Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension Para-Jumbles Sentence-Completion Reading Comprehension Para-SummaryInferences 37%
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning Tables Graphs Venn Diagram Data Caselets Seating Arrangement and Syllogism Blood Relation 30%
Quantitative Aptitude Percentages Numbers Mensuration Logarithms Functions & Graphs Profit & Loss Simple Interest-Compound Interest Time & Distance Averages-Mixtures-Allegations Indices & Surds Quadratic Equations Special Equations, Statistics 33%

How to Mark Answers on the CAT 2022 Question Paper?

The CAT test is administered in Computer Based Test format, which requires applicants to submit their answers on a computer system using a computer mouse or keyboard. Those taking the CAT for the first time should bear the following in mind:

On the computer screen, applicants will see four alternatives as responses and the following buttons for each question. To go to the next question, they must pick an alternative and click on one of the following options:

  • Save and Next
  • Clear Response
  • Mark for Review and Next

Other essential aspects of the CAT exam pattern:

  • The test will be administered in three 2-hour sessions on a single day, with 40 minutes given for each portion.
  • The examination will be computer-based.
  • The test will be worth 192-228 points, and students will not be able to transfer between portions.
  • There is a non-scientific and onscreen calculator available, and no other electronic devices are permitted within the room.
  • On the computer screen, there is an on-screen timer that displays the remaining time for each part.
  • There is a one-point deduction for each wrong answer.

In Summary

The CAT exam, being one of the most challenging in the country, requires applicants to be well-prepared and well-versed in all curricular areas to ace the exam. As a consequence, understanding the proper CAT exam curriculum and format is crucial to preparing for the competition.

The exam is usually held in November, with registration starting in August. CAT 2022 will take place this year, most likely in the latter week of November 2022. The official website will host the CAT Notification, and CAT Registration will commence in the first week of August 2022.


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