CAT Entrance Exam Details
A gateway to iim's
&
Top B - schools in India
CAT 2023
A Gateway to IIM's
&
Top B-Schools
in India
CAT Entrance Exam 2024 Details
For many people, an MBA is a highly desired degree. Some people see it as a chance to get away to greener pastures, while others see it as an opportunity to learn more and explore new sectors before committing to a specific career path.
Candidates seeking admission to the MBA world must take Entrance Exams, the most prominent of which is the CAT or Common Admission Test. The CAT Score qualifies an applicant for admission to most of India’s top business schools, including the IIMs, which administer the CAT Exam.
The CAT exam is extremely competitive, with about a quarter of a million students taking it every year. Only a small percentage of all applicants choose it as their top choice. Before registering for the CAT entrance exam 2023, there are a few things to keep in mind.
The following are key exam details to double-check:
- What is CAT Exam?
- CAT Exam Date
- CAT Exam Eligibility Criteria 2023
- CAT Exam Pattern
- CAT Exam Syllabus
- CAT Exam Eligibility for Final Year Students
- Key Points about CAT Exam Eligibility
- CAT Exam Eligibility: Factors which Disqualify a Candidate
- Admission Process
- Reservation of Seats
- How many times CAT exam is conducted in a year?
- Who can apply for CAT 2023?
- What is the fees for CAT exam?
- What are the benefits of CAT exam?
What is CAT Exam?
The Common Admission Examination, or CAT exam, is a common aptitude test that is required for admission to MBA programs at 20 IIMs and over 1,200 B-schools across India. MCQs and non-MCQs from Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Ability make up the CAT question paper (QA). The exam’s difficulty ranges from moderate to difficult. Every year, around two lakh applicants take the CAT exam. Approximately 2.30 lakh applications were submitted for CAT 2020, with 1.90 lakh students taking the test. The number of CAT applications received this year is 2.31 lakh.
The CAT exam framework was changed last year due to the coronavirus outbreak. The CAT exam was decreased in length from three to two hours, with the total number of questions cut from 100 to 76. In addition, instead of two slots, the exam was given in three. IIM’s have used the same exam pattern for the CAT 2023 exam. The examination structure has not changed since the CAT exam notification 2023.
CAT Exam Dates & Events
| EVENTS | TENTATIVE DATES |
|---|---|
| CAT 2023 notification release | July 4th week, 2023 |
| CAT Registrations start | July 4th week or August 1st week, 2023 |
| Registrations end | September 4th week, 2023 |
| CAT form correction | September 4th week, 2023 |
| CAT mock test and official tutorial release | October 2nd week, 2023 |
| Admit card release | October 3rd week, 2023 |
| CAT 2023 exam | 28-Nov-23 |
| Answer key release | December 2nd week, 2023 |
| Result declaration | January 1st week, 2024 |
CAT Exam Eligibility Criteria 2023
Candidates must be eligible for the CAT Exam according to the CAT Exam Eligibility Criteria of 2023 in order to take it. Along with the CAT 2023 Notification, the official CAT 2023 Eligibility Criteria have been released:
- To be eligible for the CAT Exam, a candidate must have completed at least a Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 50%. (for General Category and for candidates from the NC-OBC caste). The required percentage for SC/ST and Differently Abled (DA) candidates is 45 percent.
- The University that conferred the degree must be recognized by the MHRD in order for the degree to be counted.
- If the university gives grades or a CGPA instead of marks, the university’s conversion factor must be utilized. If the University does not provide a conversion factor, the CGPA must be converted to a percentage via direct conversion, which means dividing the CGPA received by the maximum CGPA possible and multiplying the result by 100.
- Candidates who have finished their professional degrees with a grade point average of at least 50% (45% for SC/ST/PwD) are also eligible to take the CAT.
Note: Candidates who are appearing for their final year in 2023 (graduating in 2023 or 2024) will be able to take the CAT 2023 if they received a promotion/pass certificate the previous year.
Paper Pattern for CAT
The exam pattern for CAT has been changed several times in the past years by conducting IIMs. But it seems like exam pattern introduced in 2015 will continue in CAT 2020 as well, concerning the total marks, duration, and total questions, keeping the basic preparation for the CAT exam the same as earlier barring some changes in the topic-wise distribution of questions. The CAT aspirants need to know the CAT paper pattern as it helps to devise personal test-taking strategies and techniques to crack the exam.
There will be three sections that comprise of Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Aptitude. The total number of questions will be the same that is 100 and screening the previous year’s question paper we can estimate that VARC -34, DILR -32, QA – 34 will be the number of questions section-wise. Paper will comprise of MCQs and Non-MCQs questions making the paper a of total 300 marks. Each question will be awarded 3 marks for the right answer and a negative marking of 1/3 will be for each wrong answer. No negative marking will be there for Non-MCQ questions. Here, the latest exam pattern followed by CAT 2020, which can help the CAT 2020 aspirants to get acquainted with the latest pattern and prepare accordingly
| Total Questions in CAT Exam | 76 |
|---|---|
| Total Marks | 76 |
| Total Sections | 3 |
| Total Exam Duration | 2 Hours |
| Mode of Paper | Online Only |
| Question Types | MCQs and Non-MCQs (TITA) |
| Marking Scheme | +3 For Correct Answers |
| -1 For Incorrect Answers | |
| Section Names | 1. Quantitative Aptitude |
| 2. Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension | |
| 3. Logical Reasoning & Data Interpretation |
| SECTION NAME | NUMBER OF QUESTIONS | DURATION (MINS) |
|---|---|---|
| Quantitative Aptitude (QA) | 26 | 40 |
| Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) | 26 | 40 |
| Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR) | 24 | 40 |
| TOTAL | 76 | 120 (2 hours) |
Syllabus for CAT 2023
There is no set curriculum for the CAT exam. The CAT exam syllabus consists primarily of middle school math and English themes, with some generic logical reasoning questions thrown in for good measure. The following are some of the specifics of the CAT Exam syllabus:
CAT Quantitative Aptitude: The CAT quantitative aptitude syllabus primarily covers topics from grades 8 through 10, such as geometry, algebra, and number systems.
CAT Logical Reasoning & Data Interpretation: The logical reasoning component is quite broad, with questions based on seating arrangements, direction sense tests, and so on. The questions in the data interpretation area are largely based on data caselets and graphs.
CAT Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension: This part includes comprehension passages and a few questions. Aside from that, a few grammar-related questions are asked, such as sentence completion, jumbled sentences, and so on.
| QUANTITATIVE ABILITY | |
|---|---|
| Module 1: Numbers | |
| Number Classification & Number Line | |
| Divisibility & Remainders | |
| Factorizations, Remainders, Cyclicity | |
| Factorial Binomial Theorem | |
| Module 2: Algebra | |
| Linear Equations | |
| Quadratic Equations | |
| Polynomials | |
| Graphical Questions | |
| Module 3: Arithmetic | |
| Percentage | |
| Profit Loss, SI CI | |
| Average, Ratio, Proportion | |
| Avg. Mixtures Alligation | |
| Time work | |
| Time Speed Distance | |
| Module 4: Geometry | |
| Triangles | |
| Quadrilaterals | |
| Circles | |
| 3D (Mensuration) | |
| Module 5: Modern Maths | |
| Permutations & Combinations | |
| Probability | |
| Set Theory | |
| Progression | |
| Functions |
| LOGICALREASONING/ DATA INTERPRETATION | VERBAL ABILITY |
|---|---|
| Tables | English usage or Grammar |
| Caselets | Vocabulary Based (Synonyms/ Antonyms) |
| Bar Graph | Fill in the blanks |
| Line chart | Sentence Correction |
| Column graph | Cloze Passage |
| Venn diagram | Jumbled Paragraph |
| Pie chart | Meaning-Usage Match |
| Other basic reasoning questions | Analogies or reverse analogies |
| Calendar | Summary questions |
| Number and letter series | Verbal reasoning |
| Clock | Facts-Inferences-Judgments |
| Cube | Reading Comprehension |
| Seating Arrangement | |
| Binary logic | |
| Logical Matching | |
| Logical Sequence | |
| Syllogism | |
| Logical Connectivity | |
| Blood Relations | |
CAT Exam Eligibility for Final Year Students
The eligibility for the CAT Exam is a prevalent concern among final-year students wanting to take it. Students in their final year of all Bachelor’s degrees are welcome to take CAT as long as they clear their Bachelor’s with the required percentage (45 percent or 50 percent ). If an applicant fails to pass their Bachelor’s degree with the required percentage, their results in subsequent admissions processes will be nullified.
Note: Candidates who are appearing for their final year in 2023 (graduating in 2023 or 2024) will be able to take the CAT 2023 if they received a promotion/pass certificate the previous year.
Key Points about CAT Exam Eligibility
- According to the CAT Exam Eligibility Criteria, there is no age limit on the CAT Exam.
- While the current qualifying criteria specify that the candidate must have a three-year bachelor’s degree, candidates with a two-year bachelor’s degree will be considered as long as the university is recognized by the UGC.
- The percentage of marks earned is computed in accordance with University policy.
- The candidate should keep a unique and valid email address as well as a phone number for official correspondence during the admissions process at IIMs.
CAT Exam Eligibility: Factors which Disqualify a Candidate
- If the candidate has not yet completed their bachelor’s degree and is working on their professional degree (CA/CS/ICWA).
- If the candidate is working on both a bachelor’s degree and a professional degree but has not yet completed both.
- If the candidate’s degree is not recognized by the UGC/AICTE/MHRD, he or she will be disqualified to take the CAT Exam.
Admission Process
It should be mentioned that each IIM selects candidates for the second stage of the selection process on its own. A Written Ability Test (WAT) and a Personal Interview are part of the selection procedure (PI). Individual success on the CAT 2023 exam will play a significant role in the overall selection process. When shortlisting and ranking individuals at various stages during the admission process, IIMs also take into account their previous academic records, relevant work experience, and other similar factors. Across IIMs, the methods, academic cut-offs, and weights assigned to the evaluation parameters may differ.
Reservation of Seats
After passing the CAT Exam Eligibility and the CAT Exam itself, every student’s ambition is to gain admission to one of India’s most prestigious MBA colleges, the IIMs. However, because the IIMs are government-run institutions, they must adhere to government rules regarding reservations for underprivileged groups.
Reservations for Differently Abled Individuals or Persons with Disabilities are also available. In order to be eligible for Caste Based Reservation, aspirants must submit proof in the form of an SC/ST/OBC certificate with their application. The original may then be requested as part of the final admissions process. The standard formats for caste certificates are available on the official CAT website, ensuring some regularity and making certificate verification reasonably simple.
These reservations are as follows:
- Scheduled Caste – 15%
- Scheduled Tribe – 7.5%
- Other Backward Classes of NC-OBC – 27%
- Person with Disability – 5%
This reserve means that a general category candidate will have access to a little over 54% (54.5%) of the seats available. There are approximately 4000 seats available in the various IIMs. With the current reservation status, the number of seats available to general category candidates is just over 1900. The General Category candidates now have around 4000 seats to compete for, thanks to the inclusion of 20 or so prominent institutions.
Who can apply for CAT 2023?
To be eligible for the CAT entrance exam 2023, a candidate must have completed at least a Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 50%. (for General Category, EWS and for candidates from the NC-OBC caste). The required percentage for SC/ST and Differently Abled (DA) candidates is 45 percent.
How many times CAT exam is conducted in a year?
The CAT (Common Admission Test) is an entrance examination for MBA (Master of Business Administration) students. The CAT is administered by IIMs on a rotating basis. It is one of the most widely used entrance exams for admission to elite business schools. The IIMs are the country’s best business schools. Every MBA candidate aspires to be accepted into an IIM.
The CAT can be used to get admission to both public and private colleges. The CAT exam is only administered once a year. It is actually carried out over the course of 21 days. You have the option of scheduling the exam on a date and time that is convenient for you. You must first register for the CAT exam before taking it.
What is the fees for CAT exam?
CAT exam registration 2023 fees as discussed in the opening lines is 2000 for general candidates and a 50% rebate is offered for female and reserved quota candidates. Only online payments are accepted.
- General/NC-OBC – INR 2200
- SC/ ST – INR 1100
- PwD/ DA – INR 1100
What are the benefits of CAT exam?
The IIMs use the CAT as a computer-based management aptitude test to evaluate and shortlist candidates for postgraduate programs. India’s leading national institutes, such as IIM, provide high-quality management and research education, therefore CAT is without a doubt one of the most trusted exams available today. The exam is held once a year.
Admissions to two-year post-graduate programs, which are the flagships of IIMs, are granted solely on the basis of merit. Personal interviews, written ability tests, and discussions, as well as exam scores, are all part of the CAT exam selection process.
Exam cities for CAT 2023:
- CAT 2023 is likely to be conducted in 350 cities having 147+ test centres.
- Test cities will be mentioned in CAT website and the name of the test centre will be indicated in the Admit Card and candidate must ensure to select a centre that is relatively closer to their house to avoid inconvenience.
- IIMs reserve the right to change or cancel any test centre/city and/or change the test time and date at their own discretion.
- All Capital cities and prominent cities in the state are test centres for the exam.
- Test Centres in Maharashtra and Gujarat are :
- Amravati, Ahmednagar, Aurangabad, Jalgaon, Kolhapur, Mumbai, Nagpur, Nanded, Nashik, Pune, Raigad, Satara, Solapur, Ulhasnagar, Ahmedabad, Anand, Gandhinagar, Mehsana, Rajkot, Surat, Vadodara
Prominent Colleges accepting CAT 2023 Score
| SR. NO. | INSTITUTE NAME FEE (RS. IN LAKHS) | FEE (RS. IN LAKHS) | AVERAGE SALARY (RS. IN LAKHS) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT (IIM) AHMEDABAD | 22 | 24.45 |
| 2 | INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT (IIM) CALCUTTA | 21 | 24.2 |
| 3 | INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT (IIM) BANGALORE | 21 | 22.76 |
| 4 | INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT ,LUCKNOW | 16 | 18.45 |
| 5 | INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT (IIM) INDORE | 16 | 18.17 |
| 6 | INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT (IIM) KOZHIKODE | 17 | 17.1 |
| 7 | IIM RANCHI | 15.1 | 16.07 |
| 8 | RAJIV GANDHI INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT (IIM) SHILLONG | 14 | 15.5 |
| 9 | INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT (IIM) TRICHY | 13 | 14.28 |
| 10 | IIM UDAIPUR | 13.54 | 13.16 |
| 11 | IIM RAIPUR | 13 | 12.45 |
| 12 | INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT (IIM) KASHIPUR | 12.5 | 12.19 |
| 13 | IIM VISAKHAPATNAM | 12 | 12.07 |
| 14 | IIM NAGPUR | 11.5 | 12.05 |
| 15 | IIM SIRMAUR | 10.34 | 12 |
| 16 | IIM AMRITSAR | 9 | 11.93 |
| 17 | IIM ROHTAK | 12.73 | 11.7 |
| 18 | IIM BODHGAYA | 11 | 10.6 |
| 19 | IIM SAMBALPUR | 11 | 10.55 |
| 20 | IIM JAMMU | 12.75 | |
| 21 | FACULTY OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES (FMS) NEW DELHI | 0.25 | 21.1 |
| 22 | SYDENHAM INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES AND RESEARCH AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION (SIMSREE) MUMBAI | 1.36 | 10.92 |
| 23 | JAMNALAL BAJAJ INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES (JBIMS) MUMBAI | 2 | 18.91 |
| 24 | VINOD GUPTA SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT (VGSoM) IIT KHARAGPUR | 6 | 16.29 |
| 25 | DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES (IIT DELHI) NEW DELHI | 8 | 16.54 |
| 26 | NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING (NITIE) MUMBAI | 8.5 | 17.09 |
| 27 | INSTITUTE OF RURAL MANAGEMENT ANAND (IRMA) | 12.1 | 11.39 |
| 28 | T A PAI MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE (TAPMI) MANIPAL | 13 | 12 |
| 29 | GOA INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT (GIM) GOA | 15.98 | 10.58 |
| 30 | S. P. JAIN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT & RESEARCH (SPJIMR) MUMBAI | 16 | 22.24 |
| 31 | SHAILESH J MEHTA SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT (IIT BOMBAY) MUMBAI | 16 | 19.06 |
| 32 | INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE (IMI) NEW DELHI | 16.95 | 12.23 |
| 33 | XAVIER INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT (XIM) BHUBANESWAR | 17.3 | 12.91 |
| 34 | INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY (IMT) GHAZIABAD | 17.5 | 11.6 |
| 35 | MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE (MDI) GURGAON | 21.34 | 19.17 |
CAT 2023 Percentile Calculation Method
While illustrating the percentile score calculation process, QA section is chosen as an example. A similar process is followed for the overall percentile score calculation and for the other two sections, i.e. DILR and VARC in CAT 2020.
The rank of a candidate can be predicated by CAT Rank Predictor, where one needs to fill appropriate eligibility status for various institutes. The marks can also be calculated through a Normalization Process. The steps described below are followed to calculate the CAT 2020 overall and sectional percentile scores obtained by a candidate.
CAT 2023 Percentile vs Marks
| PERCENTILE | OVERALL (SCALED) MARKS | VERBAL | LR DI | QUANT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 99 | 170+ | 70+ | 40+ | 70+ |
| 98 | 160+ | 67+ | 38+ | 67+ |
| 95 | 140+ | 65+ | 35+ | 60+ |
| 90+ | 120+ | 55+ | 30+ | 50+ |
| 85+ | 100+ | 50+ | 20+ | 35+ |
| 80+ | 90+ | 45+ | 20+ | 30+ |
CAT 2023 Cut Offs
- The authorities that are conducting the exams will release the cut off for different categories after releasing the results of CAT 2020. The same process is followed after the second round as well and the cut off varies every year for every category
- A candidate can expect the cut off to be released in November month through online mood
- Candidate should check the cut-off marks and try to participate in various institutes as per their cut off marks of the respective institutions
| College Name | Overall Cut Offs | Sectional Cut off - QA | Sectional Cut off - VARC | Sectional Cut off - LRDI | Academics | Fees | Avg salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IIM Ahmedabad | 80 | 70 | 70 | 70 | Yes | 23 Lakhs | 25.83 Lakhs |
| IIM Banglore | 85 | 80 | 85 | 80 | Yes | 23 Lakhs | 28.98 Lakh |
| IIM Calcutta | 90 | 80 | 85 | 80 | Yes | 23 Lakhs | 25 Lakhs |
| IIM Lukhnow | 90 | 85 | 85 | 85 | yes | 23.7 Lakh | 26 Lakh |
| IIM Indore | 90 | 80 | 80 | 80 | yes | 21.16 lakhs | 23.6 Lakh |
| IIM Kozhikode | 85 | 75 | 75 | 75 | yes | 20.5 Lakhs | 23.08 Lakh |
| IIM Udaipur | 90 | 80 | 80 | 80 | yes | 17.90 Lakhs | 19.2 lakhs |
| IIM Trichy | 95 | 80 | 80 | 80 | yes | 18.5 Lakh | 14.85 Lakhs |
| IIM Raipur | 90 | 80 | 80 | 80 | yes | 21.48 Lakh | 14.53 Lakh |
| IIM Rohtak | 95 | 80 | 80 | 80 | yes | 18 Lakhs | 13.74 lakhs |
| IIM Shillong | 80 | 75 | 75 | 75 | yes | 17 Lakhs | 18.76 Lakhs |
| IIM Kashipur | 94 | 80 | 80 | 80 | yes | 15.42 lakhs | 14.05 Lakhs |
| IIM Ranchi | 90 | 80 | 80 | 80 | yes | 15.3 lakhs | 14.7 Lakh |
| IIM Nagpur | 91 | 72 | 72 | 72 | yes | 15 lakhs | 13.2 lakhs |
| IIM Bodh Gaya | 90 | 80 | 80 | 80 | yes | 12.95 Lakh | 9.92 Lkh |
| IIM Sirmaur | 95 | 80 | 80 | 80 | yes | 13 lakhs | 9.6 lakhs |
| IIM Amritsar | 85 | 75 | 80 | 75 | yes | 13.2 Lakhs | 12.5 lakhs |
| IIM Jammu | 90 | 80 | 80 | 80 | yes | 15.56 Lakh | 10.64 lakhs |
| IIM Sambalpur | 95 | 80 | 80 | 80 | yes | 13 lakhs | 12 lakhs |
| IIM Vishakhapatnam | 90 | 80 | 85 | 80 | yes | 10.7 Lakh | 12.07 Lakh |
CAT 2023 Admission Procedure
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- As soon as the results for CAT 2020 declares, various institutes will announce their respective cut off marks and a candidate has to qualify in the respective cut-offs of these institutes to secure seats for themselves
- Centralised counselling is not held for CAT 2020 admission process
- Shortlisted candidates from the first round will be asked to appear for the final selection round that consists of WAT, PI, GD, and based on the overall performance a candidate gets a seat in that respective institute
- The list of expected cut off for each institute will be declared as soon as the results for CAT 2020 is announced
Course Offered by IIMs through CAT 2023 Exam
| PGPEM (Post Graduate Programme in Enterprise Management) | PGP-ABM (Post Graduate Programme in Agri-Business Management) |
|---|---|
| PGP-Mumbai (Post Graduate Programme at Mumbai) | PGP-ABM (Post Graduate Programme in Agri-Business Management) |
| PGPBM (Post Graduate Programme in Business Management) | PGPSM (Post Graduate Programme in Securities Markets) |
| PGPEX (Post Graduate Programme for Executives) | EPGPM (Executive Post Graduate Programme)PGP (Post Graduate Programme) |
| PGPPM (Post Graduate Programme in Public Policy and Management) | PGPWE (Post Graduate Programme for Working Executive) |
| PGDM (Post Graduate Diploma in Management) | PGDHRM (Post Graduate Diploma in Human Resource Management) |
| PGP-UAE (Post Graduate Programme At UAE) | - |
