CAT 2026 Slot 1 vs Slot 2 vs Slot 3: Which Is Easier, How Normalisation Works and the Final Weeks Plan

CATKing is a Mumbai-based MBA entrance exam coaching company founded by Sumit Singh, offering preparation for CAT, XAT, NMAT, SNAP, CET, GMAT, and GRE through online and offline classes. The CAT 2026 admit cards are out, and every candidate now knows the slot. Here is what each slot means, which one is easier, how normalisation works, and what to do in the final weeks to move toward 99 percentile.

Which CAT 2026 Slot Is Easier: Slot 1, Slot 2 or Slot 3?

Slot difficulty is unpredictable. If Slot 1 comes out difficult, Slot 1 candidates have to sit through it, and whichever slot is tougher in a given year, normalisation is there to balance it. Over the last 10 years, eight times Slot 2 or Slot 3 has been the tougher slot, so there is no reason to wish for a particular slot.

 

What Are the Advantages and Challenges of Slot 1?

In Slot 1 you have no anxiety and do not need to listen to anyone about how the paper was. The challenge is the early start, because some people struggle to feel fresh in the morning. Slot 1 candidates also see any change in the paper first. The number of questions should not change much, perhaps two more or two fewer. Read the instructions carefully, since a question that sounds like a five-sentence para jumble may in fact be an odd-one-out.

What Are the Advantages and Challenges of Slot 2?

Slot 2 is a balanced position. You do not have to wake up at 5 AM, and you have already heard the experience of Slot 1. That experience can also be negative if a friend tells you the paper was a disaster. Remember that only about 20% of candidates solve even 15 questions in CAT, and the other 80% solve fewer. Do not take reviews from friends, and be careful with reviews from toppers too. A 99.96 percentile topper may say there was no strategy and that he simply completes the whole paper. If you are around 95 percentile and score about 92 in mocks, you should still follow an easy-medium-difficult approach and spend the first two or three minutes picking your questions. Avoid a heavy lunch.

What Are the Challenges of Slot 3?

Slot 3 is an exhausted slot. The Slot 1 analysis starts at 10:30 AM, the Slot 2 analysis follows after 2:30 PM, and candidates arrive having heard all of it. Slot 3 candidates tend to mess up because they listen too much. Relax, limit what you listen to, and do not set a new pattern on the day. Whatever your slot, solve the paper in front of you and move ahead.

How Does CAT Normalization Work?

You first get a raw score for each section, and then a scaled score. Normalization is section-wise, so VARC, DILR and Quant are each adjusted across Slot 1, Slot 2 and Slot 3. If a section was easier in your slot, marks are reduced, and if it was tougher, extra marks are given.

 

Do not worry about normalization. It will not make a huge difference to most candidates, and if the paper is difficult it is difficult for everyone.

Which Sections Are Easier or Harder Across Slots?

• RC: if Slot 3 is the easiest, one RC is doable; in an easier slot, one and a half or two RCs are doable.

• Para jumbles and para summary: a topper gets six to eight of eight questions right, while a normal candidate gets about four. If two para jumbles come, one is usually easy, and likewise one of two para summaries.

• DI: across the three slots it has been more or less equal for a few years, and one set is usually doable.

• Quant: Slot 3 of CAT 2023, set by IIM Lucknow, was exceptionally tough.

How Many Questions Do You Need for 80 and 99 Percentile?

 

For 80 percentile, 12 correct questions gave around 82 to 83 percentile last year. Try to finish them in the first 20 minutes of the paper. For 99 percentile, last cycle 10 correct in each section, which is 30 questions, was enough. For CAT 2026, aim for 11, 11 and 11. Those marks do not come evenly: a topper may get 13 in verbal, in DILR two to two and a half sets gives about 10, and in Quant around seven.

What Should You Do in the Final Weeks Before CAT 2026?

• Solve 10 RC passages every day: 18 days gives 180 to 200 RCs. RC carries 16 of the 22 VARC questions, which is 16 of 68, or about 23 to 24 percent of the paper.

• Solve 10 DILR sets every day: from past CAT papers, following the IIM Indore pattern of recent years.

• Take sprint tests: cut your time per set step by step, until you can solve 10 questions in 20 minutes.

• Take the right mocks: IIM Indore alumni have built three mocks on the CAT 2020 paper (76 questions) and three more as a CAT 2025 replica.

• Analyse your mocks: set aside the five best and five worst, and study the mistakes. See how to analyze CAT mocks.

• Stop mocks on 25 November: toppers take them on 13, 14, 15 and 20 November and up to the 25th, and not after.

If you have already touched 80 percentile, you can aim for 99. Very few go from 70 to 99, though some candidates who took no mocks and were scared made it with sectional tests. A hit-and-trial approach is enough within about three mocks, because this is not the time to take 15, 20 or 30 mocks.

How Many Candidates Are Competing in CAT 2026?

About 2.84 lakh candidates have paid and registered for CAT 2026, and about 2.5 lakh are expected to appear. Around 25,000 unique candidates will get an IIM call, so you only need one seat. Read more in our CAT 2026 registrations analysis. On exam day, almost everyone will say the paper was difficult, and three days later most will say it was easy.

CAT 2026 Slot 1 vs Slot 2 vs Slot 3: Quick-Reference

 

Frequently Asked Questions About CAT 2026 Slots and Normalization

Which slot is the easiest in CAT 2026?

No slot is easiest by default. The difficulty is unpredictable, and CAT normalization balances the slots. Over the last 10 years, Slot 2 or Slot 3 turned out to be the tougher slot eight times, but any slot can be tougher in a given year.

What is the advantage of Slot 1 in CAT?

You have no anxiety and do not need to listen to anyone. You go in fresh and see the paper first, including any change in the pattern. The disadvantage is waking up early, which is hard for people who cannot feel fresh in the morning.

What is the advantage of Slot 2 in CAT?

You are in a balanced position. You do not have to wake up at 5 AM, and you have already heard some experience from Slot 1. The risk is listening to a friend who says the paper was a disaster.

What is the biggest challenge in Slot 3?

Mental fatigue. By the time Slot 3 candidates enter, they have heard the Slot 1 and Slot 2 analyses all day. Candidates who listen too much tend to get stressed, so limit what you listen to before going in.

Should you listen to feedback from other slots?

Use it, but do not overreact. People often exaggerate that the paper was hard, and a topper may say everything was easy. Take feedback calmly and stick to your own strategy.

How many CAT candidates solve 15 questions?

Only about 20% of candidates solve even 15 questions in CAT. The other 80% solve fewer, so a tough paper is tough for almost everyone.

Can the CAT paper pattern change in Slot 1?

Changes can appear, and Slot 1 candidates see them first. The number of questions should not change much, perhaps two more or two fewer. Read the instructions carefully, for example to tell whether a question is a para jumble or an odd-one-out.

How does CAT normalization work?

Raw scores are first calculated for each section and then scaled. Normalization is section-wise, so VARC, DILR and Quant are each adjusted across Slot 1, Slot 2 and Slot 3 based on how difficult each slot was.

How much does normalization change marks?

For the 75 to 95 percentile range, it changes the score by only one or two marks. At the extremes, above 99 percentile and at the lower percentiles, the changes are larger.

Which slots gained marks in normalization last time?

In the cycle discussed, scores in Slot 1 decreased because it was easier, while scores in Slot 2 increased by about 2 to 4 marks and in Slot 3 by about 3 to 4 marks. Depending on the score band, marks in these slots can go up by three to six.

Does a tough slot hurt your percentile?

No. A tougher slot earns extra marks in normalization, so a difficult paper is not a disadvantage.

How many questions give an 80 percentile in CAT?

About 12 correct questions, which is 36 marks, with four each in VARC, DILR and Quant. Last year this score came to around the 82 to 83 percentile. Try to finish these 12 in the first 20 minutes of the paper.

How many questions are needed for 99 percentile in CAT 2026?

If you get 11 correct questions in each section, a 99 percentile should come. In the previous cycle, 10 correct in each section, which is 30 questions, was enough.

How many Reading Comprehension passages should you solve daily?

Ten RC passages a day. Solving that many for 18 days comes to 180 to 200 RCs. RC accounts for 16 of the 22 VARC questions, which is 16 of the 68 questions in the paper, or about 23 to 24 percent.

How many DILR sets should you solve daily?

Ten DILR sets a day from past CAT papers, following the IIM Indore pattern of recent years.

What are CAT sprint tests?

Sprint tests build your speed. You start with a comfortable time per set and cut it step by step, until you can solve 10 questions in 20 minutes, which is the speed you need in the real exam.

How should you analyse your mocks in the last days?

Set aside your five best and five worst mocks. Study the mistakes you made in each, including negative marking, and note the best mock where you touched around 95 percentile.

Until when should you take CAT mocks?

Toppers take mocks on 13, 14, 15 and 20 November and up to 25 November. Do not take mocks after 25 November.

Is it possible to jump from 80 to 99 percentile in the last days?

It is possible for candidates who have already touched 80 percentile. Very few go from 70 to 99 percentile, so first lock in the 80 percentile baseline.

How many candidates are competing in CAT 2026?

About 2.84 lakh candidates have paid and registered for CAT 2026, and about 2.5 lakh are expected to appear. Around 25,000 unique candidates will get an IIM call, so you need one seat.