The Common Admission Test (CAT) is considered to be one of the most common and well-known entrance exams out there. This is an entrance exam that is conducted by the prestigious Indian Institutes of Management. The CAT exam is conducted on an annual basis in the computer-based mode. The CAT preparation for 2026 is the focus of many students. Each year there are thousands of students who are preparing for the CAT exam. There is increased competition among students these days, and the level of the entrance exams has also gone up. Therefore the CAT exam preparation holds a lot of importance for the students.

The CAT exam is conducted in three slots. The expected date of the CAT Exam 2026 is 29th November. The CAT exam comprises three sections, which are verbal ability and Reading Comprehension, Data interpretation and logical reasoning, and quantitative aptitude. The CAT exam also has a sectional time limit of 40 minutes. This is unique to the CAT exam because even though the overall exam time is 120 minutes, students have to keep in mind that they have to solve each section within 40 minutes. Students will not get extra time to move in between different sections and solve the leftover questions. Therefore, within the 40 minutes, students have to solve each section, and once the 40 minutes of time limit is over, the screen will automatically move to the next section, and students won't be able to go back. Therefore, the CAT Preparation 2026 students should make sure that while working on their time management, they set the goal of 40 minutes for each section and try to complete it within that time.

Marking Scheme of CAT Exam

While having the knowledge about CAT preparation 2026 students also make sure that they know the marking scheme of the exam. Knowing more details about the marking scheme helps the students to know how the questions will be checked. According to the marking scheme, students also decide whether they want to leave the questions if they have more marks that are deducted for incorrect answers. Students also changed their strategy of solving the questions in the exam when they knew the marking scheme. Therefore, having an idea of how many marks a question has becomes extremely important. There are 3 marks that are awarded for every correct answer on the CAT exam. Then there is a deduction of 1 mark for every incorrect answer. The CAT exam consists of both multiple-choice question (MCQ) based questions and type-in-the-answertype questions. There is no negative marking that's there for the type in the answer-type questions.

How to Prepare for CAT?

The CAT Preparation 2026 holds a lot of importance for the students. While students are trying to figure out how they want to prepare for the exam, certain aspects are of relevance to the students. Firstly, it becomes essential for the students to know about the latest pattern of the CAT exam. Over the years, the exam pattern has undergone constant evolution. There are things that students need to keep in mind while they're preparing for the exam; therefore, every year, while students know that they want to appear for the exam, they should make sure that firstly they look at the exam pattern and the exam structure so that they're well versed with what they have to prepare for.

Understanding the question types also becomes important. There are various books out there that provide the students with the pattern in which the questions have come in the CAT exam over the years. Students should try and go through the questions and get good practice because this will help them in having effective preparation. It will enhance the understanding of the students, and they will be better acquainted with the style of the questions that are asked in the exam. This will make it easier for students to understand the various topics of the exam also.

While having a solid CAT preparation 2026 students can also search material in both online and offline modes that offer them topic-wise questions that get a solid preparation for the students. CAT preparation online is available through different websites that offer free material to the students. There are various section-wise MCQ type questions that are available which will help the students to quickly become acquainted with the topic and also get a revision of the concepts that they had learnt. Students are also able to analyse their strengths and weaknesses when they're trying to solve multiple questions. This becomes a great effective learning tool for the students, and it brings good practice to them.

CAT preparation 2026 helps in the accuracy and speed of the students. As mentioned above, each section consists of only 40 minutes of time limit. Therefore, students need to realise how they have to complete all of those questions and try to solve for the best and most appropriate answer to those questions within that time limit. Usually when students are trying to practise various questions and sample papers and mock test papers, they should make sure that they're timing themselves. When students set a time limit, they're better able to judge whether they can complete the entire CAT exam within the time limit or not. All of these aspects will help the students to have better preparation. Students will surely be able to do well in their CAT exam when they work on each aspect of the exam and not just cover the syllabus.

Conclusion

The exam preparation is entirely and completely in the hands of the students. Even though students might take online coaching or other guidance from various sources, eventually it's the students who have to prepare for the exam. There is nobody else who can replace hard work. Students have to make sure that they're putting all their efforts in the right sources so they're able to do really well for themselves. When students are able to get a good percentile that will help them reach their dream colleges, they will understand the feeling that they get. Students will be able to see themselves sitting in some of the most reputable institutions based on their merit, and there will be nothing that will make them happier. In order to achieve this, students should make sure that they are really honest and sincere towards their preparation.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is there a sectional time limit in the CAT exam?

Yes, there is a sectional time limit of 40 minutes in the CAT exam.

2. How many sections does the CAT exam have?

There are a total of 3 sections of the CAT exam.