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Home > News & Articles > CAT Total Marks 2023: Check Cutoff Marks, Negative Marking, Exam Duration, Marks vs Percentile
Updated on 13th September, 2023 , 4 min read
The CAT (Common Admission Test) is a standardized test conducted by the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) for admission to their postgraduate management programs. The total marks for CAT Exam are 198. The CAT Percentile is calculated based on the total marks of CAT of all the candidates who take the exam. There is a negative marking of 1 mark for every wrong answer in the QA, VARC and DILR sections. The negative marking is only for MCQs, for Non MCQs there is no negative marking. The higher the percentile, the better the chances of getting into any of the top IIMs.
The CAT Exam is a 2 hour exam that consists of 3 sections:
In total, there are 66 questions in the CAT exam. Each question is worth 3 marks, for a total of 198 marks. There is a negative marking of 1 mark for every wrong answer in the QA and DILR sections. There is no negative marking in the VARC section. The CAT exam is a 2 hour exam, so you have an average of more than 1 minute to answer each question. This means that you need to be able to answer questions quickly and accurately in order to do well in the CAT Exam. If you are preparing for the CAT exam, it is important to practice answering questions under timed conditions. This will help you to get used to the pressure of the exam and to improve your speed and accuracy.
Section | Total Questions in CAT 2023 |
VARC | 24 |
DILR | 20 |
Quantitative Aptitude | 22 |
A detailed explanation of the total number of questions in the CAT exam is as follows:
This section of the CAT exam tests your knowledge of basic mathematics, including algebra, geometry, number systems, probability, and statistics. The questions in this section are typically straightforward and require you to apply basic mathematical concepts.
This section of the CAT exam tests your comprehension of the English language and your ability to read and understand complex passages. The questions in this section range from multiple-choice questions to short-answer questions.
This section of the CAT exam tests your ability to interpret data and solve logical reasoning problems. The questions in this section are typically more challenging than the questions in the QA and VARC sections.
The total questions in CAT which were there in previous years are provided in the table below:
CAT Exam Year | Sections | Total Questions in CAT | CAT Exam Duration |
2022 | QA, DILR, VARC | 66 | 120 minutes |
2021 | QA, DILR, VARC | 66 | 120 minutes |
2020 | QA, DILR, VARC | 76 | 120 minutes |
2019 | QA, DILR, VARC | 100 | 180 minutes |
2018 | QA, DILR, VARC | 100 | 180 minutes |
2017 | QA, DILR, VARC | 100 | 180 minutes |
2016 | QA, DILR, VARC | 100 | 180 minutes |
2015 | QA, DILR, VARC | 100 | 180 minutes |
2014 | QA & DI, LR & VARC | 100 | 170 minutes |
2013 | QA & DI, LR & VARC | 60 | 140 minutes |
2012 | QA & DI, LR & VARC | 60 | 140 minutes |
2011 | QA & DI, LR & VARC | 60 | 140 minutes |
2010 | QA, DILR, VARC | 60 | 150 minutes |
There is a negative marking in CAT 2023 for the Quantitative Aptitude (QA) and Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) sections. There is no negative marking in the Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) section.
Sections | Negative Marking for MCQs | Negative Marking for Non-MCQs | Negative Marking for Unanswered Questions |
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) | -1 | NA | NA |
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR) | -1 | NA | NA |
Quantitative Aptitude (QA) | -1 | NA | NA |
TITA questions are a new addition to the CAT exam in 2023. These questions are designed to test your ability to understand and interpret text-based information. The questions will be based on a variety of topics, including news articles, essays, and business reports. There are 10 TITA (Text-based Inferential Ability) questions in CAT 2023. Each TITA question carries 3 marks. So, the total weightage of TITA questions in CAT 2023 is 30.
Section | Total Questions | MCQs | Non - MCQs / TITA Questions |
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) | 24 | 18-21 | 3-6 |
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR) | 20 | 14-15 | 5-6 |
Quantitative Aptitude (QA) | 22 | 14-15 | 7-8 |
Total | 66 | 46-51 | 15-20 |
IIM allows a total of 120 minutes (or 160 minutes for candidates with disabilities) for the complete CAT 2023 exam. What makes CAT 2023 distinct is its sectional time-limit system of 40 minutes. This implies that test-takers must follow a predefined sequence while answering the sections.
Section | No. of Questions | Time Limit | Time Limit for PwD Students |
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) | 24 | 40 minutes | 53 minutes and 20 seconds |
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR) | 20 | 40 minutes | 53 minutes and 20 seconds |
Quantitative Aptitude (QA) | 22 | 40 minutes | 53 minutes and 20 seconds |
Total | 66 | 120 minutes | 160 minutes |
The table given below provides a comparison between marks vs. percentile based on the previous year analysis.
Percentile | VARC Score | LRDI Score | QUANT Score | Overall Score |
99.5%ile | 45 | 33 | 48 | 104 |
99%ile | 41 | 29 | 42 | 97 |
98%ile | 37 | 26 | 37 | 86 |
95%ile | 32 | 21 | 28 | 72 |
90%ile | 27 | 17 | 23 | 59 |
85%ile | 23 | 15 | 19 | 52 |
80%ile | 21 | 13 | 16 | 44 |
The table given below provides the CAT Cut-off 2023 for the 20 IIMs and other non-IIM MBA colleges.
IIMs | CAT Cut off Percentile |
IIM Ahmedabad | 99-100 |
IIM Bangalore | 99-100 |
IIM Calcutta | 99 |
IIM Lucknow | 97+ |
IIM Indore | 97+ |
IIM Kozhikode | 97 to 98 |
IIM Amritsar | 95+ |
IIM Nagpur | 95+ |
IIM Sambalpur | 95+ |
IIM Trichy | 94 |
IIM Raipur | 94 |
IIM Ranchi | 94 |
IIM Kashipur | 94 |
IIM Vizag | 92 |
IIM Udaipur | 92 |
IIM Bodhgaya | 92 |
IIM Shillong | 90 |
IIM Sirmaur | 95 |
IIM Rohtak | 95 |
List of MBA Colleges | CAT Cutoff Percentile |
DMS, IIT Delhi | 98+ Percentile |
Loyola Institute of Business Administration (LIBA) Chennai | 90+ Percentile |
SJMSOM, IIT Bombay | 99+ Percentile |
Institute of Management Technology (IMT) Ghaziabad | 90+ Percentile |
MDI Gurgaon | 95+ Percentile |
National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE) Mumbai | 95+ Percentile |
SPJIMR | 85+ Percentile |
XIMB | 90+ Percentile |
Department of Management Studies, IIT Madras | 95+ Percentile |
T A Pai Management Institute (TAPMI) Manipal | 85+ Percentile |
The CAT is a challenging exam, but it is definitely possible to achieve a high score with dedication and hard work. Here are some tips for preparing for CAT:
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