Exam Pattern
CUSAT CAT Exam Pattern
CUSAT CAT 2026 B.Tech (Test Code 101)
The three subjects step down in size rather than splitting evenly: Mathematics 90 questions, Physics 75, Chemistry 60, worth 360, 300 and 240 marks. That ladder means an even three-way revision plan overweights Chemistry by half and shortchanges Mathematics by the same margin. The syllabus stays inside Plus Two, so difficulty is not the problem; volume is, at 225 questions in 180 minutes. This page covers B.Tech Test Code 101 only, and CUSAT's Marine Engineering route and its lateral-entry admission test are separate papers.
CUSAT CAT 2026 B.Tech
Official 2026 pattern| Questions | 225 |
| Total marks | 900 |
| Duration | 180 minutes |
| Negative marking | 1 per wrong answer |
| Sections | Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry |
| Test | Qs | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 90 | 360 |
| Physics | 75 | 300 |
| Chemistry | 60 | 240 |
Timing: Single unrestricted 180-minute timer with free navigation across all three subjects; no subject locking or timing groups.
The official CUSAT CAT 2026 B.Tech Test Code 101 pattern is 225 questions in 180 minutes with Mathematics 90, Physics 75, and Chemistry 60, scored +4 for a correct answer and -1 for an incorrect answer, within the Plus Two (Class 11-12) syllabus. This covers only B.Tech Test Code 101, not CUSAT’s separate B.Tech Marine Engineering route or its lateral-entry B.Tech admission test. The detailed chapter balance used in these questions is a TakeMockTest practice control map within the official syllabus, not an official CUSAT chapter-wise weightage.
Official source · checked 26 August 2026The CUSAT CAT 2026 B.Tech exam pattern is 225 questions carrying 900 marks, to be answered in 180 minutes. That works out to about 48 seconds per question on average, before any time spent reading instructions or revisiting marked answers. The 3 sections are Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry. Mathematics carries the most, 360 marks of the 900 or about 40%, against 240 marks for Chemistry. All sections share one composite timer, so you are free to move between them and spend your time where it earns most.
CUSAT CAT 2026 B.Tech marking scheme
- Each correct answer is worth 4 marks.
- A wrong answer deducts 1 mark; an unattempted question scores zero.
- A guess therefore breaks even at 20% accuracy: above that it gains you marks on average, below it loses them. A blind guess between four options is right 25% of the time, which is already above that line, so an educated guess is worth making rather than leaving the question blank.
- Worked example: attempt 180 of the 225 questions and get 135 right and 45 wrong, and you score 495 out of 900.
Practising against the same clock is the point of a mock test: at 48 seconds a question, the difference between a good score and an average one is usually pacing rather than knowledge. Attempt a free CUSAT CAT mock test to see where your time actually goes.
CUSAT CAT exam pattern: frequently asked questions
Is there negative marking in CUSAT CAT?
CUSAT CAT deducts 1 mark for a wrong answer. An unattempted question always scores zero, so the choice is only ever between guessing and leaving it blank.
How many questions are there in CUSAT CAT?
CUSAT CAT has 225 questions. That leaves about 48 seconds per question in CUSAT CAT.
What are the total marks in CUSAT CAT?
CUSAT CAT is out of 900 marks, which works out at 4 marks a question.
How long is the CUSAT CAT exam?
CUSAT CAT runs for 180 minutes.
Does CUSAT CAT have a sectional time limit?
No. CUSAT CAT runs every section on one composite timer of 180 minutes, so you can move between sections freely and give the slower ones more of your time.