CAT stands for Common Admission Test that is conducted by the top IIMS for admission to the students who eagerly want to get into the top prestigious institutes all across the country. So this becomes very important for the students who are very dedicated to this exam and want their name in the top IIMS to understand the exam pattern.
This complete guide covers all the important details about the CAT exam pattern, including the number of sections, types of questions, marking scheme, and more.
Exam Sections and Duration
The CAT 2024 exam will consist of three sections:
Verbal ability and reading comprehension
Data interpretation and logical reasoning
Quantitative Ability
The total duration of the exam will be 120 minutes, with no sectional time limits. Candidates are free to attempt questions from any section in any order they prefer.
VARC Section
The Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension section tests a candidate’s proficiency in English language skills, comprehension abilities, and logical reasoning based on written passages. This section typically carries the following types of questions:
Reading Comprehension: Based on long and short passages, these questions assess a candidate’s ability to comprehend and interpret complex texts.
Verbal Ability: This includes questions on grammar, sentence correction, vocabulary, para-jumbles, and other language-based topics.
Logical Reasoning: There will be questions that will test your logical ability and intelligence.
DILR Section:
The data interpretation and logical reasoning section evaluates a candidate’s ability to interpret and analyze data presented in various formats, such as tables, graphs, charts, and diagrams. It also tests logical reasoning skills through puzzles, coding-decoding, and other types of questions. This section typically includes:
Data Interpretation: Questions based on interpreting and drawing inferences from tabular, graphical, or other forms of data.
Logical Reasoning: Puzzles, coding decoding, syllogisms, and other types of questions assess logical reasoning abilities.
Quantitative Aptitude Section:
The quantitative ability section tests the candidates numerical and mathematical skills, including arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and other quantitative topics. This section includes:
Algebra: problems involving algebraic equations, inequalities, functions, and progressions.
Arithmetic: Questions on basic arithmetic operations, percentages, ratios, and other numerical calculations.
Geometry: Questions related to shapes, angles, areas, and other geometric concepts.
Modern math: topics like permutations, combinations, probability, and other modern mathematical concepts.
Question Types and Marking Scheme
There is no negative marking for incorrect attempts.
For 3-mark questions, the scoring is as follows:
Correct answer: +3 marks
Incorrect answer: 0 marks
Unattempted: 0 marks
For 4-mark questions, the scoring is as follows:
Correct answer: +4 marks
Incorrect answer: 0 marks
Unattempted: 0 marks
The total marks vary every year based on the number and distribution of questions across sections.
Sectional Composition and Weightage
The CAT exam 2024 does not have a fixed sectional composition or weightage. The number of questions in each section may vary every year, and the difficulty level of the questions can be different from year to year.
Verbal ability and reading comprehension: 24 questions, approx.
Data interpretation and logical reasoning: approximately 24 questions.
Quantitative aptitude: 16 questions, approx.
It is very important to note that the CAT exam in 2024 does not have separate sectional cut-offs or minimum qualifying marks. The final marks will be calculated on the basis of marks scored in all the sections, and that will decide the candidate’s admission to the various top institutes.
Preparation Strategy:
Candidates should possess an effective strategy that can help them reach their goal for the CAT exam in 2024. Here are some important tips for effective CAT 2024 preparation:
Understand the syllabus. Familiarize yourself with the topics covered in each section and identify your strengths and weaknesses.
Prioritize concepts: Focus on mastering fundamental concepts rather than memorizing formulas or shortcuts.
Practice regularly. Solve as many mock tests and previous year questions as possible to develop speed, accuracy, and time management skills.
Analyze mistakes: Review your incorrect attempts thoroughly to identify and rectify your weaknesses.
Time management: Develop a strategy to allocate time effectively across sections and questions.
Mock tests: Mock tests are a must for the candidate to build stamina and confidence so that they do not face any problems in the main CAT exam in 2024.
Stay updated: You have to stay updated on the latest exam pattern so that you can be aware of the latest exam style.
Conclusion –The CAT exam is a highly competitive exam, for which thousands of students enroll and want to get into the top IIMS. This has really become important for them to understand the exam pattern. So it becomes important for them to first understand the exam syllabus, pattern, and style of the CAT exam in 2024.
