Common Admission Test (CAT) is a national entrance exam, to applicants seeking admission to their MBA programs. It is a computer-based test that assesses a candidate’s aptitude and abilities in a number of areas, including Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), and Quantitative Ability (QA).
What is CAT Exam?
Common Admission Test (CAT) is a national-level management aptitude test, administers by the IIM, for admission to the MBA programs offered by its 20 campuses and more than 1,200 B-schools in India Every year, more than two lakh people enroll to take the CAT exam. Approximately 2.55 lakh students enrolled for the CAT 2022 exam, while approximately 2.22 lakh candidates showed up. Three sessions of the CAT exam are held on a single day at roughly 400 testing locations throughout 155 cities in India. Those who want to study business administration in the academic year 2024 must take the CAT exam because it is a requirement for admission to the majority of public and private MBA programs in India.
CAT 2023 Exam Highlights
| CAT Exam Specifics | |
|---|---|
| Full Form of CAT | Common Admission Test |
| Organizational Institute | IIM Lucknow |
| Test Level | National |
| Frequency of Exams | Every year |
| Date of CAT Exam | 26 November 2023 |
| Exam Schedule | |
|---|---|
| First Session | 8:30 AM – 10:30 AM |
| Second Session | 2:30 PM – 4:30 PM |
| Third Session | 4:30 PM – 6:30 PM |
| CAT Exam Costs | |
|---|---|
| General Category | 2,400 Indian rupees |
| Reserved Category | 1,200 Indian rupees |
| Eligibility Requirements | |
|---|---|
| Overall Graduation Requirement | 50% (45% for SC/ST students) |
| CAT Exam Information | |
|---|---|
| Applications Received | 2,555,000 (as of 2022) |
| Participants in the Test | 2,222,000 (as of 2022) |
| Exam Objective | Admission to over 1,200 B-Schools in India, |
| including IIMs, SPJIMR, FMS, MDI, and IMT | |
| Courses Provided | MBA/PGDM |
| CAT Curriculum | Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), |
| Quantitative Ability (QA), and | |
| Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) | |
| Exam Format | Computerized test (CBT) featuring both MCQs and |
| other types of questions | |
| Cities Tested | Number of Cities: 150 |
| CAT Exam Website | https://iimcat.ac.in |
| Test Help Desk Number | (Toll Free) 1-800-210-1088 |
Exam Dates & Schedule
| Event | Date/Time |
|---|---|
| Lucknow IIM 2023 CAT notification | July 30, 2023 |
| Registration Begins for CAT 2023 | 10 AM, August 2nd, 2023 |
| Last day to register for CAT 2023 | 5 PM on September 13, 2023 |
| Deadline for CAT registration fees | October 25, 2023 |
| Form Correction Window Opens | September 13, 2023 |
| CAT 2023 Exam Date | October 25, 2023 |
| 2023 Admit Card | Before September 25, 2023 |
| Release of CAT 2023 Answer Key | November 26, 2023 |
| CAT 2023 Results | Second week of December 2023 |
CAT Eligibility Criteria 2023
Education Requirements for 2023’s CAT Exam
A bachelor’s degree from an accredited university, or the equivalent, is required for all disciplines.
- The required minimum grade for graduation is a 50%. The minimal score needed to qualify is 45% for candidates from the reserved category.
- Those in their final year: Students in their senior year can also register for the exam. They must graduate with a minimum grade point average of 50% (or 40% for SC, ST, or PwD) in order to be considered for admission. Also eligible to apply are students who have finished their final exam and are awaiting results.
- Professional degrees: Individuals with degrees in CA, CS, or ICWA are also qualified to submit a CAT application.
Age Limit for CAT 2023
There is no maximum age requirement to take the CAT 2023 exam. As long as you match the other eligibility requirements established by IIM, you can take the CAT at any age.
Number of CAT Exam Attempts
The number of CAT exam tries is unrestricted. As long as you have a legitimate bachelor’s degree in hand, you are eligible to take the CAT exam as many times as you like.
Exam Syllabus
The CAT (Common Admission Test) exam syllabus typically covers three major sections:
- Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC):
- Reading Comprehension
- Para-jumbles
- Sentence Correction
- Vocabulary based questions
- Analogies
- Synonyms and Antonyms
- Critical Reasoning
- Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR):
- Data Interpretation
- Tables
- Bar Graphs
- Line Charts
- Pie Charts
- Caselets
- Logical Reasoning
- Blood Relations
- Seating Arrangements
- Coding-Decoding
- Syllogisms
- Venn Diagrams
- Data Interpretation
- Quantitative Ability (QA):
- Number Systems
- Arithmetic
- Algebra
- Geometry
- Mensuration
- Probability
- Permutations and Combinations
- Time, Speed and Distance
- Work and Time
- Percentages
- Ratios and Proportions
CAT Exam Pattern & Test Structure 2023
2023 CAT Exam Pattern:
Sections: There are three sections on the CAT exam:
- VARC stands for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension.
- DILR stands for Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning.
- Quantitative aptitude
Duration: The CAT exam lasts a total of two hours (120 minutes) on average. Typically, 40 minutes are allocated for each section.
Question Types: Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) and Non-MCQs (often referred to as TITA – Type In The Answer) are both included in the CAT exam.
Grading system:
- Correct answers to MCQs often receive +3 points apiece.
- There is a -1 mark deduction for incorrect responses.
- There are no points or penalties for unanswered questions.
Number of Questions: Each section may contain between 30 and 34 questions, though this number may change from year to year.
Sectional Time Limit: There is a specific time limit for each segment. During the specified time for a section, candidates are not permitted to change between them.
Testing Framework:
- On the same day, there are many CAT exam sessions.
- Section order cannot be changed by candidates; it is set. Typically, VARC comes first, followed by DILR and QA.
- Before going on to the next section, candidates must finish each one within the allotted time.
- Questions can range in difficulty from easy to moderate to challenging.
- Because CAT uses an adaptive testing structure, the level of difficulty for a section’s future questions may vary depending on how accurately earlier answers were provided.
FAQs on CAT Exam
CAT preparation involves a combination of understanding concepts, practicing a wide variety of questions, taking mock tests, and developing time management skills.
Yes, there is negative marking in CAT. For incorrect answers to Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs), a penalty of -1 mark is usually applied.
Yes, you can take the CAT exam multiple times. However, it’s important to note that some B-Schools might consider your best score, while others could consider an average of your scores.
Registration for CAT is typically done online. Candidates need to visit the official CAT website, fill in the required details, upload documents, and pay the registration fee.
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