Last 5 Year Question Papers of CAT Exam; PDF Download
Common Admission Test 2026 ( CAT )
CAT 2026 exam
29 Nov '26
CAT previous year paper PDFs of last 5 years have been provided here for free download. CAT 2026 aspirants must download and practice these question papers as part of their preparation plan.
Download Last 5 Year Question Papers of CAT
Previous year CAT question paper PDFs are the best source of exam preparation. Candidates preparing for CAT 2026, must start with taking a look at a few previous years’ question papers to know what to expect in the exam. That can be the basis of their CAT 2026 preparation plan. Shiksha is providing here last 5 years’ CAT papers with solutions for free download.
CAT 2026 exam will be held on November 29 and IIM Indore is expected to prepare the question paper. While no change in the difficulty level expected, there could be change in topic wise weightage. Irrespective of the convening IIM, CAT question paper has remained tough consistently over the years. So, by referring to older CAT question papers, you will know which topics are likely to dominate CAT exam this year. Solve CAT previous year papers optimize your preparation and performance in the exam.
- CAT 2026 Question Paper Pattern and Marking Scheme
- CAT previous year paper PDFs of last 5 years
- CAT 2025 Question Paper: No. of Questions and Topics
- CAT 2024 Question Paper: No. of Questions and Topics
- CAT 2023 Question Paper: No. of Questions and Topics
- CAT 2022 Question Paper: No. of Questions and Topics
- CAT 2021 Question Paper: No. of Questions and Topics
- CAT 2026 preparation with Previous Year Question Papers
CAT 2026 Question Paper Pattern and Marking Scheme
For the past two years, the total number of questions in CAT question paper have been 68. CAT 2026 question paper will also have the same number of questions, in most likelihood. Check the sectional break up of CAT question paper below:
| CAT question paper (sections) |
Number of questions |
Marks allotted |
Difficulty Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| VARC |
24 |
72 |
Moderate to High |
| DILR |
22 |
66 |
Moderate to High |
| QA |
22 |
66 |
Moderate |
| Total |
100 |
204 |
Moderate to High |
CAT Question Paper: Marking Scheme and Question Type
- Every CAT question will carry 3 marks.
- There will be negative marking of -1 for wrong attempts.
- Every section will have sectional time limit of 40 minutes.
- The format of questions will MCQ.
- A few non-MCQs are expected in QA and DI.
- There will be no negative marking for non-MCQs
Also Read:
Commonly asked questions
CAT question papers are released within a week of the exam in the form of a PDF as a response sheet and answer key. Candidates who have appeared for the test are able to access the CAT question paper and answer key. The question paper of every slot is released on the same day along with candidate response sheet and official answer to all question. If any candidate needs previous year CAT question papers for preparation purpose, then they can download them from Shiksha website. We have hosted last five years' CAT question papers for aspirants to download and practice. These official CAT question papers are available for download free. You can download the CAT question paper PDFs at this link: https://www.shiksha.com/mba/cat-exam-question-papers Candidates must check and practice the latest CAT question paper to know the latest exam pattern and difficulty level.
CAT has 68 questions. Each question carries three marks. There is negative marking of minus one for incorrect attempts. There is no deduction of marks for unanswered questions. Total marks in 204.
In CAT exam, each candidate gets 120 minutes to solve the paper. There are three sections in CAT Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude. For each section 40 minutes are allotted as sectional time limit. For PwD candidates, the sectional time limit is 53.20 minutes per section. Candidates have to complete each section within the given time limit. Since the CAT is an online mode exam, the test screen will move from first section to the next section automatically as soon as the time limit gets over. Thus candidates have to be mindful of the on-screen timer and pre-decide the number of questions to solve in each section. The Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension section of CAT has 24 questions, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning section has 22 questions and Quantitative Aptitude section has 22 questions. It is not mandatory to solve all the questions in CAT so candidates can devise a strategy to use 40 minutes per section as per their strength and weakness.
CAT previous year paper PDFs of last 5 years
Find below last 5 years’ CAT question papers with solutions for free download. Use these previous year CAT question papers with solutions pdf to practice various types of questions.
| Exam Slot and Year |
PDF Link |
|---|---|
| CAT Question Paper 2025 Slot 1 |
|
| CAT Question Paper 2025 Slot 2 |
|
| CAT Question Paper 2024 Slot 2 |
|
| CAT Question Paper 2024 Slot 3 |
|
| CAT Question Paper 2023 Slot 1 |
|
| CAT Question Paper 2023 Slot 3 |
|
| CAT Question Paper 2022 Slot 1 |
|
| CAT Question Paper 2022 Slot 3 |
|
| CAT Question Paper 2021 Slot 1 |
By practicing these CAT previous year paper PDFs, you can measure the success of your CAT 2026 preparation. You can also figure out the exam strategy based on the topic wise weightage in CAT exam previous year question papers. So, download the CAT exam previous year paper PDFs uploaded above and improve your preparation.
CAT 2025 Question Paper: No. of Questions and Topics
CAT 2025 question paper was prepared by IIM Kozhikode, the exam convening institute for that year. The paper was moderate to tough. Check section wise topics below.
| CAT Sections |
Number of questions |
Topics |
|---|---|---|
| VARC |
24 |
RC passages (16 questions), Paragraph completion, Summary, Odd Sentence Questions |
| DILR |
22 |
DI and LR sets based on Performance rating of 6 employees, Import-Export data of 5 countries, Circular arrangement set involving 4 persons and 7 chairs, Five persons tapping yes and no, Train movement from stations A to E, Pollution Index – Weighted average, Authors and Number of Books (2 Bar Graphs), Scatter Plot (Index calculations of 3 years), Ranking (6 balls and 4 holes), Musicians, 6 friends calling each other, Four friends solving puzzles – chart, Circular Arrangement( 7 students), Currency Exchange – 4 countries, Trade Balance – Import & Export |
| Quantitative Aptitude |
22 |
Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, Modern Math, Numbers |
| Total |
68 |
- |
Also Read:
Commonly asked questions
The CAT VARC section is dominated by RC questions. Out of 24 questions about 14-16 are based on Reading Comprehension passages and the rest of them are based on parajumbles, para completion, etc.
CAT has about 12-16 RC question. Since, it is not mandatory to solve all the questions, candidates can maximize their scores by leaving out the questions related to the passage they find the toughest. There is negative marking in CAT so candidates must ensure that they mark only the correct options or do not mark any option at all.
In CAT 2025, the following changes were seen:
- The fee amount increased from INR 2,500 to INR 2,600 for General category candidates and from INR 1,250 to INR 1300 for Reserved category candidates.
- In DILR section, number of questions increased from 20 to 22.
- Total marks of CAT DILR section increased from 60 to 66.
- Total marks of CAT exam increased from 198 to 204.
- Candidates can select five cities instead of six.
Candidates should practice CAT mock test during the day. Once, CAT admit card is released, they should practice CAT mocks at the same time as their exam slot. This will help them align their mind and body to 2 hours of rigorous test so that they can utilize their time in the CAT exam well. For example, CAT exam starts are early as 8:30 am. So, those who are not used to studying early morning will face difficulty in performing optimally if they get morning slot.
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CAT 2024 Question Paper: No. of Questions and Topics
CAT 2024 question paper was prepared by IIM Calcutta, the exam convening institute for that year. The paper was moderate to tough. Check section wise topics below.
| CAT Sections |
Number of questions |
Marks |
|---|---|---|
| VARC |
24 |
Reading Comprehension (16 questions), Paragraph completion, Summary, Odd Sentence Questions |
| DILR |
22 |
DI and LR sets based on Stock price set, 3 people visiting countries tournament of 6 teams split into two groups, group matches, Web surfer, election contest |
| Quantitative Aptitude |
22 |
Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, Modern Math, Numbers |
| Total |
68 |
- |
Also Read:
CAT 2023 Question Paper: No. of Questions and Topics
CAT 2023 question paper was prepared by IIM Lucknow, the exam convening institute for that year. The papers of all three slots were moderate to tough. Check section wise topics below.
| CAT Sections |
Number of questions |
Topics |
|---|---|---|
| VARC |
24 |
Reading Comprehension (16 questions), Odd One Out, Parasummary, Parajumbles, Paracompletion |
| DILR |
20 |
DI and LR sets on Professors and Departments, VISA Office, Routes, Statistics, Arrangement - Scores - two days average, Missing Values Based Table - Company Starting/ Closing Years, Rides & Timings, Grid Based - two 3*3 tables (Mean, Median, Mode), Routes and Network, Contradictory Conditions, 12 Months Students Subscribed, Grouping, Students, Project Scores, and Test Scores |
| Quantitative Aptitude |
22 |
Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry & Mensuration, Number System, Modern Math |
| Total |
66 |
- |
Also Read:
CAT 2022 Question Paper: No. of Questions and Topics
CAT 2022 question paper was prepared by IIM Bangalore, the exam convening institute for that year. All the three sets of the question paper were moderate to tough. Check section wise topics below.
| CAT Sections |
Number of questions |
Topics |
|---|---|---|
| VARC |
24 |
RC passages (12 questions), Para Jumble, Odd Sentence Out, Para Completion, Para Summary |
| DILR |
20 |
DI and LR sets on Token, University Team, 15 Girls Get Together, Metrolines, Revenue / cost, Cosmetic item sales, Diagram- 4 destination, Salesman & four colonies, Bar graph of death calculation, Reasoning city - 5 days COVID cases, Games tournaments, Scheduling |
| Quantitative Aptitude |
22 |
Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry & Mensuration, Number System, Modern Math |
| Total |
66 |
- |
CAT 2021 Question Paper: No. of Questions and Topics
CAT 2021 question paper was prepared by IIM Ahmedabad, the exam convening institute for that year. The exam was held in three sessions and difficulty level of the . Check section wise topics below.
| CAT Sections |
Number of questions |
Topics |
|---|---|---|
| VARC |
24 |
Reading Comprehension (16 questions), Para Jumble, Odd Sentence Out, Para Summary |
| DILR |
20 |
Bar Graph on Sales (DI), Friends & Acquaintances (LR), Smoothies (DI), Journals (LR), Bar Graph on Delivery Times (DI), Games & Tournaments/Distribution (LR), Pizza Delivery Ratings (LR), Objects, Bundles & Values (DI), Bar Graph on Employee Schedules (DI), Purity of Solutions (LR), Javelin Throw (LR), Question Evaluation (DI) |
| Quantitative Aptitude |
22 |
Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry & Mensuration, Number System, Modern Math |
| Total |
66 |
- |
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CAT 2026 preparation with Previous Year Question Papers
CAT 2026 preparation plan should include question paper practice in the last month before the exam. Candidates can practice CAT question papers of upto 10-15 years too, depending on the bandwith, but practice of a minimum of previous 5 years is a must. Ideal time to practice previou years' CAT question papers in in the last month before CAT 2026, but it is important to check them before starting the preparation. You can use the CAT question papers of previous years as reference point to make a topic-based preparation strategy.
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 17 hours ago
To get admission at IIT Kanpur for the MBA/PGDM course, candidates have to secure a CAT percentile of at least 90 if they belong to the General AI category.
Candidates who clear the exam cutoff are then eligible to take part in the Group Discussion (GD) and Personal Interview (PI). Students who pass
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 17 hours ago
IIT Kanpur provides the MBA course based on the student's performance in the CAT exam. In 2025, the overall CAT percentile was 90 for the General AI category candidates. For more information, refer to the table below. The cutoff provided below is for the General AI category.
| Section | IIT Kanpur MBA cutoff 2025 |
|---|---|
| Overall | 90 |
| Quants | 50 |
| VA-RC | 50 |
| DI-LR | 50 |
Note: The cutoff provid
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 17 hours ago
To get admission at IIT Roorkee for the MBA/PGDM course, students have to first attempt the CAT entrance examination and attain a valid percentile. Those students who clear the cutoff are then elgible to move to the second round of admission, which involves PI (Personal Interview).
Students who clea
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 20 hours ago
Aspirants must have more than 70 percentile in CAT for admission in MBA programme of Department of Management Studies, NALSAR University. Such aspirants do not have to appear for NMET (PG) conducted by DoMS for admission.
N
Guide-Level 15
Answered Yesterday
The actual required CAT percentile is only visible for candidates with login access. But, based on previous years' estimated CAT cutoff for the General AI category, 90 percentile would be required overall and 50 percentile sectionally for the previously-mentioned category.
Note: The actual cutoff da
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered Yesterday
IIT Kharagpur CAT cutoff 2025 is not released publicly. It is only visible to candidates with login details. But, based on the the closest estimated cutoff percentile of previous years for the General AI category, the CAT cutoff percentile was 90 overall and 50 sectional.
Note: The actual cutoff d
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 days ago
Symbiosis Skills and Professional University MBA usually conducts the SKILL-CAT entrance exam in June. This is a key date for all aspirants to remember. You should aim to finish your application well before this month starts. The university announces the exact dates on its official website early in
R
Contributor-Level 9
Answered 5 days ago
Yes, you can crack SNAP 2026 basis CAT 2026 preparation, but make sure you practice enough number of SNAP mocks and practice tests to score high.
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 5 days ago
Yes, CAT books can be used for Alliance AMAT exam preparation as both are MBA entrance exams. Candidates can use same books for preparing for topics such as Quantitative Aptitude and General English. However, the difficulty level of Alliance AMAT exam is much easier as compared to that of CAT exam.
M
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a week ago
Candidates can check below the minimum percentile/eligibility based on CAT-2025 score:
Category | CAT Percentile |
|---|---|
General | 97 |
EWS | 93 |
NC-OBC | 83 |
SC | 60 |
ST | 50 |
DAP General | 87 |
DAP EWS | 83 |
DAP SC | 50 |
DAP ST | 40 |
R
Contributor-Level 10
Vipra Shrivastava is MA in English Literature from Delhi University with extensive experience in content writing of over 14 years. She has been handling content for Management, Accounting and Commerce streams for 8
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