The most significant shift in CAT 2024,which is expected to be held for 2025, was an increase in the number of DILR questions. While the total questions might fluctuate slightly, the three sections format and 120-minute duration are likely to remain standards for CAT 2025.
From 2020 to 2024, CAT moved from a 3-hour/100-question exam to a 2-hour/66-question exam and has largely stayed stable since 2021. The biggest shocks came in 2020 (COVID-era compression) and 2021 (final reduction to 66 questions). Section order, sectional timing, and marking scheme have been consistent thereafter.
Year-by-year snapshot:
2019 (reference point): 180 minutes, 3 sections (VARC, DILR, QA), 100 questions (marking 3/−1). This is the “old normal.”
2020: Major reset. Duration cut to 120 minutes with 40 minutes per section; questions reduced to 76. Conducted in three slots to manage test-day logistics. Section split: VARC 26, DILR 24, QA 26.
2021: Pattern streamlined to the format that continues today: 66 questions in 120 minutes (40 minutes/section). Typical distribution: VARC 24, DILR 20, QA 22; total marks 198 ( 3/−1; no negative for non-MCQ/TITA).
2022: Format unchanged from 2021; 66 questions with the same sectional timing and marking logic. (Slot analyses confirm 66 Q.)
2023: No structural change; still 66 questions/120 minutes with 40-minute section locks. Official info bulletin confirms structure; slot analyses show the usual 24-22-20 (VARC-DILR-QA) distribution. 2024: Status quo maintained—66 questions, 120 minutes, 3/−1, no negative for TITA. Multiple reputable guides reflect continuity from 2023.