CAT Total Marks 2025: Pattern, Marking Scheme, Time Duration And Eligibility

Overview: What are the CAT total marks? The CAT exam will be conducted on 30 November 2025. To learn about the CAT exam pattern and CAT exam total marks, continue reading!

• The CAT exam consists of a total of 68 questions (as per CAT 2024), and the CAT full marks are 204.

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• The CAT exam 2025 consists of three sections viz VARC, DILR and QA, with each section having a sectional timing of 40 minutes.
• Knowing the CAT exam pattern and CAT marking scheme helps you decode your understanding of the CAT exam 2025.

Read on to get the complete details about the CAT total marks for 2025.

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CAT Total Marks 2025: Exam Pattern (Expected)

CAT exam duration, or The Common Admission Test (CAT) is conducted with a standard time limit of 120 minutes, or 2 hours, with sectional timings, where each section has a time limit of 40 minutes.

This allows individuals to develop effective test-taking strategies. The CAT exam total marks are based on a total of 68 questions typically divided into three sections: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Quantitative Ability (QA), and Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR).

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Have you wondered if the CAT exam consists of how many marks? A detailed breakdown of the sections and the number of questions are given below:

CAT Exam Sections	Number of MCQs	Number of Non-MCQs	Total Questions
Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC)	21	3	24
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning	14	8	22
Quantitative Ability	14	8	22
Total	49	19	68

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CAT Total Marks 2025: Marking Scheme 

When considering CAT total marks, it is important to understand the marking scheme. This includes awarding marks for correct answers and deducting marks for incorrect ones.

To perform well, it is crucial to be thoroughly prepared with the CAT exam syllabus. The exam consists of multiple-choice questions (MCQs) and non-MCQ-type questions.

Here's a detailed breakdown of the CAT exam marking scheme:

Type of Questions	CAT Marking Scheme	CAT Negative Marking Scheme
MCQ	+3 marks will be provided for every correct answer	-1 is deducted for every incorrect answer
Non-MCQ (TITA- Type in the answer)	+3 marks will be provided for every correct answer	There is no negative marking for TITA questions

Also Read | CAT Exam Pattern 2025

CAT Total Marks: Pattern Over The Years

The CAT exam has changed over the past few years. In 2011, the total number of marks was 60. This increased to 100 in 2014, then decreased to 76 in 2020, finally to 66 in 2023, and then to 68 in 2024.

The total marks of CAT exam 2025 will remain the same as in 2024, and the pattern will also be similar.

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In 2024, the maximum mark in the CAT exam was 204 marks. However, a change in the pattern was observed over the years. To better understand the CAT exam paper total marks, here is a simplified version:

CAT Exam Conducting Body	CAT Exam Year	CAT Number of Questions	CAT Exam Time Duration	CAT Exam Difficulty Level
IIM Bangalore	2022	66	2 hours	Moderate
IIM Ahmedabad	2021	66	2 hours	Moderate to High (Expected)
IIM Indore	2020	76	2 hours	Moderate to High
IIM Kozhikode	2019	100	3 hours	Moderate to High
IIM Calcutta	2018	100	3 hours	Moderate to High
IIM Lucknow	2017	100	3 hours	Moderate
IIM Bangalore	2016	100	3 hours	Moderate to difficult
IIM Ahmedabad	2015	100	3 hours	Moderate to difficult
IIM Indore	2014	100	2.50 hours	Moderate to Easy
IIM Indore	2013	60	2:20 hours	Moderate to Easy
IIM Indore	2012	60	2.20 hours	Moderate to Easy
IIM Calcutta	2011	60	2.20 hours	Moderate

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Importance of Understanding CAT Total Marks 2025

You might be wondering why it is important to understand the total marks in CAT paper or CAT 2025 Exam pattern. By pre-understanding CAT 2025 total marks, its sectional mark analysis helps you develop an effective exam strategy. 

Some more reasons to familiarise yourself with the CAT exam total marks 2025: 

• Knowing the CAT exam maximum marks, sectional weightage, and scoring pattern can help candidates allocate their time and resources efficiently.
• Understanding the marking scheme enables aspirants to focus on their strengths and improve their weaknesses.
• A clear understanding of the marking scheme enables aspirants to set realistic targets.
• Knowing the scoring pattern helps aspirants track their progress and identify areas for improvement.
• Understanding the CAT exam marks enables aspirants to make informed decisions about their preparation, such as which sections to focus on and how to allocate their study time.
• By understanding the total number of marks in CAT exam, aspirants can better prepare and increase their chances of success.

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CAT Exam 2025: Highlights 

The Common Admission Test (CAT) is a national-level MBA entrance exam conducted by one of the IIMs in India every November.

CAT is a computer-based exam conducted online only. CAT 2025 has three major sections: VARC, DILR, and QA, each with a 40-minute sectional time.

The CAT total marks are based on the score from 66 questions across these sections, which assess a candidate's aptitude in verbal ability, data interpretation, logical reasoning, and quantitative ability.

To get a better understanding, have a look at the key highlights of the CAT exam 2025 and CAT exam total marks:

Particulars	Details
CAT Full Form	Common Admission Test (CAT)
Conducting Institute	Indian Institute of Management (IIMs)
Exam Level	National Level
Exam Frequency	Once a year
CAT Exam Date 2025	Sunday, November 30, 2025
Registration Fees	SC/ST/PwD - INR-1250/- GEN - INR 2500/-
Eligibility Criteria	Graduation with 50% aggregate (45% for SC/ST students)
Number of Applications in the CAT exam	3.29 lakh (in 2024)
Exam Purpose	Admission in IIMs, SPJIMR, FMS, MDI, IMT and over 1,200 B-Schools in India
Courses Offered Through CAT Exam	MBA/ PGDM
CAT Entrance Exam Sections	Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR) Quantitative Ability (QA)
Mode	Online Computer Based Test (CBT) with MCQs and non-MCQs
No. of test cities for the CAT Exam	150
Website	https://iimcat.ac.in/

Conclusion 

As we wrap up, a basic understanding of the CAT exam total marks is important for developing an effective preparation strategy for CAT 2025.

By knowing the CAT total marks, sectional weightage, and scoring pattern, aspirants can efficiently allocate their time and resources, focus on their strengths, and improve their weaknesses.

With a clear understanding of the marking scheme, candidates can set realistic targets, track their progress, and increase their chances of success in the CAT exam.

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