The TechBee entrance test is called HCL CAT (Career Aptitude Test). HCLTech describes it as an online assessment of Quantitative Reasoning (Mathematics), Logical Reasoning and English language, conducted in English, with no negative marking and no fee. HCLTech does not publish the exact number of questions; the pattern below is what candidates and coaching institutes consistently report and should be treated as candidate-reported.
HCL CAT — reported pattern
| Section | Questions (reported) | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Quantitative Reasoning | ≈ 36 MCQs | Class 8–10 arithmetic: percentages, ratio, averages, time-work, speed-distance, interest, number system |
| Logical Reasoning | ≈ 40 MCQs | Series, coding-decoding, blood relations, directions, syllogisms, puzzles |
| Verbal (English) | ≈ 36 MCQs | Grammar, error spotting, fill-in-the-blanks, synonyms/antonyms, comprehension |
| Essay | 1 topic · 15 min · 200 words | Simple general topic; graded during the interview stage |
| Total | ≈ 112 MCQs + essay · ≈ 2 hours | 1 mark per correct answer · no negative marking |
How the test is conducted
- Online and self-scheduled. After registration you get an email with test dates and book a slot on the TechBee portal; you generate your own admit card there. Slots run across all states.
- Language. The whole paper is in English — including the maths word problems. Reading speed matters as much as maths.
- No negative marking. Answer every question. A guess costs nothing.
- Difficulty. Class 8–10 mathematics and everyday English. The challenge is volume — roughly one question a minute for two hours — not concept difficulty.
- JEE Main exemption. 80 percentile or above in JEE Main 2025/2026 lets you skip HCL CAT entirely.
After HCL CAT: Versant and interview
Clearing HCL CAT unlocks the Versant test — a computer-scored spoken-English test from Pearson (about 17 minutes: repeat sentences, answer short questions, retell a passage, give an opinion) — and then a face-to-face interview with HCLTech's selection committee, where your essay is also graded. Details are on the selection process page.
No computer or programming section is compulsory in HCL CAT. Basic computer awareness comes up in the interview instead — practise with the computer basics questions. The engineering-graduate test, by contrast, has a 30-question Computer Fundamentals section — see HCLTech GET exam pattern.