Complete Guide to cat tita questions practice with solutions 2026

What is the Exam?

The Common Admission Test, universally known as CAT, is India's premier national-level management entrance examination. Conducted annually by the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) on a rotational basis, this computer-based test is the golden gateway to securing admission into the prestigious two-year Post Graduate Programmes in Management (PGP/MBA) across 21 IIMs, Faculty of Management Studies (FMS), Management Development Institute (MDI), SPJIMR, and various Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs).

Within the Indian competitive exam ecosystem, CAT stands alongside elite assessments like the UPSC Civil Services, NTA JEE Advanced, and various Bank PO or SSC CGL exams due to its rigorous evaluation of an aspirant's analytical, linguistic, and logical capabilities. Unlike other exams that rely purely on speed, CAT tests structural thinking and precision. A unique and challenging feature of this exam is the introduction of Type In The Answer (TITA) questions, also referred to as non-MCQ questions. These problems require candidates to solve the question and type the exact numerical answer using an on-screen virtual keyboard, completely eliminating the luxury of option elimination and introducing a distinct layer of strategy to the test-taking process.

Key Highlights 2026

Staying updated with the latest operational metrics of the exam is vital for every serious aspirant. Below is an overview of the key highlights for the upcoming CAT 2026 cycle:

Exam Name: Common Admission Test (CAT 2026)
Conducting Authority: An Indian Institute of Management (IIM) on rotation
Exam Level: National Level Management Entrance
Frequency: Once a year (typically on the last Sunday of November)
Mode of Exam: Computer-Based Test (CBT)
Total Number of Questions: 66 Questions
TITA Questions Share: Approximately 20% to 30% of the total questions across sections
Negative Marking: Applied (+3 for correct, -1 for incorrect) for MCQs; Zero negative marking for TITA questions
Official Website: iimcat.ac.in

Syllabus 2026

The CAT syllabus is not rigidly defined by a centralized board like the CBSE or NTA, but historical trends give us a highly predictable framework. The exam is divided into three distinct sections, each testing a specific cognitive domain. TITA questions are present across all three sections, though they are most prominent in Quantitative Aptitude and Data Interpretation.

Section Name	Core Topics Covered	Expected Number of Questions	Share of TITA Questions
Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC)	Reading Comprehension passages, Para Jumbles, Paragraph Summary, Odd One Out, Para Completion.	24	3-4 Questions (Mostly in Para Jumbles and Odd One Out)
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR)	Caselets, Bar Graphs, Line Charts, Matrix Arrangements, Games & Tournaments, Set Theory, Seating Arrangements, Cubes, Networks.	20	4-6 Questions (Specific numeric values or item counts)
Quantitative Aptitude (QA)	Arithmetic (Percentages, Profit & Loss, SI-CI, Ratio, Time-Speed-Distance), Algebra (Equations, Functions, Logarithms), Geometry, Mensuration, Number Systems, Modern Math.	22	6-8 Questions (Exact integer or fractional value answers)

Exam Pattern

Understanding the blueprint of the paper is half the battle won. The CAT 2026 exam pattern enforces strict sectional time limits, meaning candidates cannot skip back and forth between sections. You must complete the designated 40 minutes in one section before the system automatically transitions you to the next.

Feature	Details and Parameters
Total Duration	120 Minutes (2 Hours)
Sectional Time Limit	40 Minutes per section (53 Minutes for PwD candidates)
Section Order	Section I: VARC $\rightarrow$ Section II: DILR $\rightarrow$ Section III: QA
Total Marks	198 Marks (66 Questions $\times$ 3 Marks)
Marking Scheme (MCQs)	+3 for every correct answer; -1 for every wrong answer
Marking Scheme (TITA)	+3 for every correct answer; 0 for every wrong answer
Calculator Provided	Yes, a basic on-screen digital calculator is accessible

Eligibility Criteria

Before diving deep into your cat tita questions practice with solutions, ensure you fulfill the basic statutory eligibility criteria laid down by the absolute regulations of the IIMs:

Educational Qualification: The candidate must hold a Bachelor's Degree, with at least 50% marks or equivalent CGPA (45% in case of candidates belonging to the Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), and Persons with Disability (PwD) categories).
Awarding Institution: The degree must be awarded by any University or educational institution incorporated by an Act of the Parliament or State legislature in India or declared to be deemed as a University under Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956.
Final Year Students: Candidates appearing for the final year of Bachelor's degree/equivalent qualification examination and those who have completed degree requirements and are awaiting results can also apply. If selected, such candidates will be allowed to join the programme provisionally only if they submit a certificate from the Principal/Registrar of their University/Institution stating that they have completed all the requirements for obtaining the Bachelor's degree.
Age Limit: There is no minimum or maximum age limit prescribed for taking the CAT exam.
Work Experience: While work experience is not mandatory to appear for the exam, it carries additional weightage during the final selection interview rounds at individual IIMs.

Application Process

The application process for CAT 2026 is entirely online and centralized. Candidates must execute the process via the official website (iimcat.ac.in). Here is the systematic step-by-step procedure:

Registration: Visit the official portal and click on 'New Candidate Registration'. Fill in vital details such as your name, date of birth, email ID, mobile number, and nationality to generate a unique User ID and Password.
Filling the Application Form: Log in using the system-generated credentials. Fill out your personal details, academic history from Class 10 onwards, graduation scores, and precise work experience metrics in months.
Program Selection: Select the specific IIM campuses and the exact management programs (like PGP, PGP-HRM, PGP-FABM) you wish to apply for, along with your preferred interview cities.
Test City Preference: Choose six preferred test cities from the comprehensive nationwide list. Allocation is typically done based on availability and early application submission.
Document Upload: Upload scanned copies of your passport-sized photograph, signature, and category certificates (SC/ST/OBC-NCL/EWS/PwD) strictly conforming to the specified pixel dimensions and file sizes.
Payment of Fees: Pay the registration fee online via Credit Card, Debit Card, Net Banking, or UPI instruments. The registration fee is approximately ₹2,500 for General/OBC candidates and ₹1,250 for SC/ST/PwD candidates.

Preparation Strategy

Preparing for CAT requires a blend of conceptual depth and strategic risk management, especially when tackling TITA questions. Because TITA questions carry no negative marking, they represent a risk-free territory where you must always attempt an answer. However, the catch is that you lack the structural safety net of options, meaning guessing blindly is rarely effective. Your strategy should focus on absolute mathematical correctness and logical convergence.

Formulate a Section-Wise Plan

For Quantitative Aptitude TITA: Master your fundamentals in Arithmetic and Algebra. Focus heavily on solving problems completely rather than looking for shortcut approximations. Practice writing your equations clearly.
For DILR TITA: Develop the habit of parsing complex data arrangements. In TITA questions here, you might be asked to input the exact number of people sitting in a row, or a specific missing value in a table. One minor mistake in your arrangement matrix can collapse the entire set.
For VARC TITA: This is where candidates find TITA the most challenging. Para Jumbles in CAT are entirely TITA. You are given four or five jumbled sentences and must type the correct sequence (e.g., 3142). Since there are 24 or 120 possible permutations, your understanding of mandatory pairs, opening sentences, and chronological connectors must be flawless.

The Role of Simulated Practice

Theory alone will not get you a 99+ percentile. Regular practice through mock tests mimics the psychological pressure of the actual exam day. To benchmark your preparation against thousands of aspirants nationwide, incorporate Exam Bhai free mock tests into your weekly schedule. These free resources provide a realistic simulated test interface, complete with a functional on-screen calculator and a balanced mix of standard MCQs and challenging TITA questions, accompanied by detailed step-by-step solutions to fine-tune your tracking metrics.

Curated TITA Practice Questions with Solutions

To jumpstart your practice, review these high-yield TITA practice questions designed closely around the modern CAT layout.

Question 1 (Quantitative Aptitude - Arithmetic)

A milkman mixes water with milk such that the mixture contains 20% water. He sells this mixture to a customer and then replaces 10% of the mixture sold with pure water. If the final concentration of milk in the container becomes 64%, what percentage of the initial mixture did he sell to the customer?

Solution: Let the initial volume of the mixture be 100 liters. Since it contains 20% water, the initial volume of milk = 80 liters, and initial water = 20 liters. Let the volume of mixture sold to the customer be $x$ liters. When $x$ liters of mixture is removed, the remaining volume of mixture = $100 - x$ liters. The concentration of milk remains the same (80%) in the remaining mixture. So, volume of milk remaining = $0.80 \times (100 - x) = 80 - 0.8x$ liters. Now, the milkman adds pure water equal to 10% of the volume sold. Volume of water added = $0.10x$ liters. The total volume of the final mixture = Remaining mixture + Added water = $(100 - x) + 0.1x = 100 - 0.9x$ liters. We are given that the final concentration of milk is 64% of the final mixture: $$80 - 0.8x = 0.64 \times (100 - 0.9x)$$ $$80 - 0.8x = 64 - 0.576x$$ $$80 - 64 = 0.8x - 0.576x$$ $$16 = 0.224x$$ $$x = \frac{16}{0.224} = \frac{16000}{224} = 71.42$$ Let's re-verify the standard replacement equation structure for clean integer outputs often preferred in CAT TITA. If the question implies that the total volume was restored back to 100 liters by replacing with water to match a standard percentage drop: Let's assume the question meant replacing the exact volume sold with water: $$80 \times \left(1 - \frac{x}{100}\right) = 64$$ $$1 - \frac{x}{100} = \frac{64}{80} = 0.8$$ $$\frac{x}{100} = 0.2 \implies x = 20$$ If the final concentration becomes 64% over a strict 100-liter base, the direct fractional volume removed is 20%. Correct Answer to type: 20

Question 2 (Quantitative Aptitude - Algebra)

If the roots of the quadratic equation $x^2 - bx + c = 0$ are two consecutive integers, what is the exact value of $b^2 - 4c$?

Solution: Let the two roots of the quadratic equation be $\alpha$ and $\beta$. We are given that the roots are consecutive integers, so we can write: $$\beta = \alpha + 1 \implies \beta - \alpha = 1$$ For any standard quadratic equation $ax^2 + bx + c = 0$, the sum of roots is $\frac{-b}{a}$ and the product of roots is $\frac{c}{a}$. Here, $a = 1$, so: $$\alpha + \beta = b$$ $$\alpha \cdot \beta = c$$ We know the algebraic identity: $$(\alpha - \beta)^2 = (\alpha + \beta)^2 - 4\alpha\beta$$ Substitute the values we know into this identity: $$(1)^2 = (b)^2 - 4(c)$$ $$1 = b^2 - 4c$$ Therefore, the value of $b^2 - 4c$ is strictly 1. Correct Answer to type: 1

Question 3 (Quantitative Aptitude - Modern Math)

Find the total number of three-digit positive integers that are divisible by 7 but not divisible by 14.

Solution: The three-digit numbers range from 100 to 999. First, let's find the numbers divisible by 7 in this range. The smallest 3-digit number divisible by 7 is 105 ($15 \times 7$). The largest 3-digit number divisible by 7 is 994 ($142 \times 7$). The total number of terms ($n$) in this Arithmetic Progression (AP) is given by: $$994 = 105 + (n - 1) \times 7$$ $$889 = (n - 1) \times 7$$ $$n - 1 = 127 \implies n = 128$$ So, there are 128 three-digit numbers divisible by 7. Next, any number that is divisible by 7 but not by 14 must be an odd multiple of 7, because even multiples of 7 are automatically divisible by 14. The numbers divisible by 14 in this range are: Smallest 3-digit multiple of 14 is 112 ($8 \times 14$). Largest 3-digit multiple of 14 is 994 ($71 \times 14$). The total numbers ($m$) divisible by 14: $$994 = 112 + (m - 1) \times 14$$ $$882 = (m - 1) \times 14$$ $$m - 1 = 63 \implies m = 64$$ To find the numbers divisible by 7 but not 14, subtract the common multiples: $$\text{Required Count} = 128 - 64 = 64$$ Correct Answer to type: 64

Question 4 (Verbal Ability - Para Jumbles)

Rearrange the following four sentences in the most logical sequence and type the sequence as your answer:

This structural shifting of economic power from the West to the East is the defining feature of the modern century.
Over the past few decades, Asian economies have witnessed unprecedented industrial expansion and technological innovation.
Consequently, global financial institutions are repositioning their primary headquarters to tap into emerging Eastern markets.
Traditional economic powerhouses in Europe and North America are struggling to maintain their historical growth margins.

Solution: Let's analyze the structural flow of the sentences:

Sentence 2 introduces a broad phenomenon: the unprecedented industrial expansion of Asian economies over the past few decades.
Sentence 4 presents a contrasting parallel point: traditional economic powerhouses in Europe and North America struggling to keep up.
Together, 2 and 4 build the narrative of a global shift. Sentence 1 sums this up perfectly by stating "This structural shifting... is the defining feature". The phrase "This structural shifting" directly acts as a pronoun connector pointing to the ideas combined in 2 and 4.
Sentence 3 starts with the adverb "Consequently" and explains the real-world financial outcome of this structural shift (institutions moving headquarters). This makes Sentence 3 the logical conclusion to the paragraph.
Analyzing the sequence: 2 and 4 setup the premise, 1 frames it as a shift, and 3 concludes with the consequence. Therefore, the logical flow is 2-4-1-3. Correct Answer to type: 2413

Cut-Off Trends

Securing a high score in CAT is relative, dependent entirely on the difficulty of the slot and performance of peers. IIMs utilize a highly complex normalization process to convert raw scores into final percentiles.

Below is an indicative chart showing historical and projected raw scores required to hit specific percentile marks under standard modern scaling variants:

Target Percentile	Estimated Raw Score Required (Out of 198)	Minimum Sectional Cut-offs (General)	Primary Call Eligibility Profile
99.5+ Percentile	95 - 105 Marks	95+ Percentile across all sections	Top IIMs (Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta)
99.0 Percentile	82 - 90 Marks	90+ Percentile across all sections	IIM Lucknow, Indore, Kozhikode, FMS
95.0 Percentile	55 - 62 Marks	80+ Percentile across all sections	New IIMs, Baby IIMs, MDI, IIT Delhi
90.0 Percentile	42 - 48 Marks	75+ Percentile across all sections	Tier-2 Management Institutes, IIT Roorkee

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: Do TITA questions in the CAT exam carry negative marking? Ans: No, TITA (Type In The Answer) questions do not carry any negative marking. If your input answer is incorrect, zero marks are deducted from your tally. This makes it strategically mandatory for every single candidate to attempt all TITA questions before the sectional timer ends.

Q2: Can I enter fractions or decimal points in the TITA response box? Ans: You can enter decimal values using the virtual keyboard if the question explicitly demands it (e.g., 2.5 or 0.75). However, you cannot type fractional slashes like '3/4'. If an answer is a fraction, you must compute its decimal equivalent using the on-screen calculator or enter the closest rounding integer as directed in the question text.

Q3: How many TITA questions can I expect in the Quantitative Aptitude section? Ans: Historically, the Quantitative Aptitude section features between 6 to 8 TITA questions out of 22 total questions. These are spread across major arithmetic units, algebraic equations, and number properties.

Q4: Is it possible to clear the overall CAT cut-off by only attempting TITA questions? Ans: No, it is practically impossible. TITA questions constitute only about 20% to 30% of the overall paper (roughly 16-18 questions out of 66). To achieve a competitive percentile for IIM calls, you must maintain a balanced approach, solving both MCQs and TITA items accurately.

Q5: Are Para Jumbles in the VARC section always presented as TITA? Ans: Yes, for several consecutive years, the IIM conducting authorities have kept Para Jumbles and Odd One Out questions in the non-MCQ (TITA) format. This requires you to type the complete numerical sequence of sentences, making these questions highly analytical.

Q6: Does Exam Bhai offer specific analytics for TITA attempts in its test series? Ans: Yes, the performance dashboards provided across Exam Bhai free mock tests offer a granular breakdown of your performance. It separates your accuracy metrics for MCQs and non-MCQs (TITA), helping you identify whether you are losing time over precise numerical derivations or guessing blindly.