Common Admission Test

The CAT Exam is the most popular of all IIM entrance exams held every year. Getting an MBA from a reputed institution is a dream for many aspirants. Applicants seeking admission to MBA programs must appear for the CAT Exam.

The CAT exam is an entry requirement for admissions into the IIMs and India’s top business schools. By reading through this post you can learn all about CAT, CAT Eligibility criteria, as well as the time needed to complete the entire syllabus to get through CAT and various other programmes offered by IIM.

Table of Contents:

What is the CAT Exam?CAT Exam HighlightsCAT Exam Related VideosAbout CAT Exam Timeline and RegistrationEvolution of CAT Exam over the YearsCAT Exam ResourcesCAT Exam Tips & Tricks Related ResourcesVarious Programs Offered by IIMsTime Required to Complete the CAT Exam SyllabusCAT Exam States and CitiesFrequently Asked Questions on CAT Exam

What is the CAT Exam?

The Common Admission Test (CAT) is India’s most prestigious national level entrance examination, which permits aspirants to get into top management institutes. There is no doubt that it is the biggest MBA entrance test in the country. The IIMs (Indian Institute of Management) conduct this Common Admission Test on a rotational basis.

CAT Exam 2022 is expected to be held on 27th November 2022. It is a computer-based test that is held across 156 cities in India. If you are a B-school aspirant planning to take up CAT 2022, gear up with your CAT preparation right away, with BYJU’S CAT learning programme.

CAT Exam Highlights:

CAT Exam 2022 Highlights

Name of the Exam

Common Admission Test (CAT)

CAT Official Website

https://iimcat.ac.in/

Conducting Body

Yet to be announced

Exam Duration

2 hours

(160 Minutes for PWD candidates)

CAT Exam Fees

INR 1100 (Reserved categories)

INR 2200 (Other categories)

Exam Date

27th November 2022 (Tentative date)

Medium of Exam

English

CAT Exam Pattern

Computer Based Test (CBT)

CAT Exam Question Type

MCQ and Non-MCQ questions

Syllabus

Quantitative Aptitude

Logical Reasoning & Data Interpretation

Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension

Eligibility

Bachelor’s degree with 50% aggregate

(45% aggregate or equivalent for reserved categories)

Explore CAT Exam Highlights by Year:

CAT Exam Related Videos:

Here, you can find answers to all your burning questions about CAT from BYJU’S team of CAT experts.

About CAT Exam Timeline and Registration:

Every year, the total number of registered eligible candidates is approximately 2.30 lakh. CAT Exam 2022 is expected to be held on November 27, 2022. CAT Exam 2022 official notification will be released in the last week of July or the first week of August 2022 (tentatively).

iimcat.ac.in will be the official website where the CAT Exam 2022 notification will be released. Following is a table showing the tentative calendar of events for the CAT exam.

CAT Exam Events

Expected Date

Release of Online Notification

Last week of July 2022

Commencement of Online Application

First week of August 2022

Date of CAT Exam

November 27th 2022

CAT Exam Result Declaration

First week of January 2023

Evolution of CAT Exam Over The Years:

The CAT Exam has undergone numerous changes since the time the test switched from paper pen mode to computer-based testing:

Year

Time

-Duration

Section

Total Number of Questions in each Section

Total Number of Questions

2021

120

Verbal ability and Reading comprehension

Data Interpretation and Logical reasoning

Quantitative Ability

24

20

22

66

2020

120

VARC

DILR

QA

26

24

26

76

2019

180

VARC

DILR

QA

34

32

34

100

2018

180

VARC

DILR

QA

34

32

34

100

2017

180

VARC

DILR

QA

34

32

34

100

2016

180

VARC

DILR

QA

34

32

34

100

2015

180

VARC

DILR

QA

34

32

34

100

2014

170

QA

DI

VARC

34

16

50

100

2013

140

Verbal ability, Logical reasoning

&

Quantitative Ability , Data interpretation

30

30

60

2012

140

QA

DI

VARC

21

9

30

60

2011

140

VALR

&

QADI

30

30

60

Visit Change in CAT Pattern over the past 5 years to know more in detail.

CAT Exam Resources:

Here, we have provided the CAT Exam resources, applicants can directly access it by clicking on the links below.

CAT Exam Tips & Tricks Related Resources:

CAT Exam Syllabus:

A thorough understanding of the CAT exam syllabus is important for determining your direction all through this CAT journey. It will be much easier to determine how much time you should spend on each segment, when you have a reasonable understanding of the CAT syllabus.

CAT Exam Syllabus

Topics

Quantitative Aptitude

Quantitative Aptitude – Number System, Geometry Time and Work, Algebra, Mensuration and Arithmetic

Logical Reasoning & Data Interpretation

Puzzles, Seating Arrangement, Blood Relation, Syllogism, Coding and Decoding Tables, Graphs, Data Caselets

Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension

Reading Comprehension, Para Jumbles, Para Summary, Verbal Ability, Odd Sentence Out

CAT Exam Marking Scheme:

  • For each correct answer, candidates will receive 3 marks.
  • Candidates will receive a negative marking of 1 mark for every incorrect answer for the objective questions.
  • For non-MCQ-type questions, negative marks will not be deducted.

The table below will give you an outline of the MCQ and Non-MCQ questions for CAT:

Section

Number of MCQ and Non-MCQs

In each Section

Verbal Ability

&

Reading Comprehension (VARC)

MCQ -19

Non-MCQ – 5

Data Interpretation

&

Logical Reasoning

MCQ – 15

Non-MCQ – 5

Quantitative Aptitude

MCQ – 14

Non-MCQ – 8

Total no of Questions

66

Visit, CAT Exam Pattern to know more in detail.

Various Programs Offered by IIMs:

IIMs

Programmes Offered

IIM Ahmedabad

PGP, PGP-FABM

IIM Amritsar

MBA, EMBA, MBA-Business Analytics, MBA-HRM

IIM Bangalore

PGP, PGPEM, PGPBA

IIM Bodh Gaya

PGP

IIM Calcutta

MBA

IIM Indore

PGP, PGP-HRM

IIM Jammu

MBA

IIM Jammu

Executive MBA (Blended Mode)

IM Jammu

PGP in Health Care Management (Jointly with AIIMS Jammu and IIT Jammu)

IIM Jammu

PGP in Hospital Administration (Jointly with AIIMS Jammu and IIT Jammu)

IIM Kashipur

MBA, MBA (Analytics), EMBA

IIM Kozhikode

PGP, PGP-BL, PGP-F, PGP-LSM, EPGP Kochi

IIM Lucknow

PGP, PGP-ABM, PGP-SM

IIM Nagpur

PGP

IIM Raipur

PGP

IIM Ranchi

PGP, PGP-HRM, PGP (Business Analytics)

IIM Rohtak

PGP, EPGPX, EPGDSM

IIM Sambalpur

MBA, Executive MBA

IIM Shillong

PGP, PGPEX, PGPWE

IIM Sirmaur

MBA, MBA (T&HM)

IIM Tiruchirappalli

PGPM, PGPM-HR, PGPBM

IIM Udaipur

MBA, MBA-DEM, MBA-GSCM, PGDBA

IIM Visakhapatnam

PGP, PGPEX, PGPDGM

Time Required to Complete the CAT Exam Syllabus:

Every year more than 2 lakh CAT aspirants register for the CAT Exam. To ace the examination, an intensive preparation period of 7-9 months prior to taking the exam is highly recommended. However, candidates who are behind schedule, and those who are fully committed to passing the test, can do well with a 3-4 month dedicated preparation period.

CAT Exam States and Cities:

Sl No:

Name of the State

CAT 2021 Exam Cities

1

Andaman and Nicobar

Port Blair

2

Andhra Pradesh

Guntur

3

Kakinada

4

Kurnool

5

Nellore

6

Rajahmundry

7

Tirupathi

8

Vijayawada

9

Visakhapatnam

10

Vizianagaram

11

Arunachal Pradesh

Itanagar-Naharlagun

12

Assam

Dibrugarh

13

Guwahati

14

Jorhat

15

Silchar

16

Tezpur

17

Bihar

Aurangabad-Bihar

18

Arrah

19

Bhagalpur

20

Darbhanga

21

Muzaffarpur

22

Patna

23

Chandigarh

Chandigarh

24

Chhattisgarh

Bhilai Nagar

25

Bilaspur

26

Raipur

27

Goa

Panaji

28

Madgaon

29

Gujarat

Ahmedabad

30

Anand

31

Gandhinagar

32

Mehsana

33

Rajkot

34

Surat

35

Vadodara

36

Haryana

Ambala

37

Faridabad

38

Gurugram

39

Hisar

40

Karnal

41

Kurukshetra

42

Panipat

43

Rohtak

44

Sonipat

45

Himachal Pradesh

Shimla

46

Hamirpur

47

Jammu & Kashmir

Jammu

48

Srinagar (NEW)

49

Jharkhand

Bokaro Steel City

50

Dhanbad

51

Hazaribagh

52

Jamshedpur

53

Ranchi

54

Karnataka

Belagavi (Belgaum)

55

Bengaluru

56

Hubli-Dharwad

57

Kalaburagi (Gulbarga)

58

Mangaluru (Mangalore)

59

Mysuru (Mysore)

60

Shivamogga (Shimoga)

61

Udupi

62

Kerala

Kannur

63

Ernakulam

64

Kollam

65

Kottayam

66

Kozhikode

67

Thrissur

68

Trivandrum

69

Madhya Pradesh

Bhopal

70

Gwalior

71

Indore

72

Jabalpur

73

Sagar

74

Satna

75

Ujjain

76

Maharashtra

Amravati

77

Ahmednagar

78

Aurangabad-MH

79

Bhiwandi

80

Boisar

81

Jalgaon

82

Kolhapur

83

Mumbai

84

Nagpur

85

Nanded

86

Nashik

87

Pune

88

Raigad

89

Satara

90

Solapur

91

Thane

92

Palghar

93

Navi Mumbai

94

Vasai

95

Virar

96

Meghalaya

Shillong

97

Mizoram

Aizawl

98

Nagaland

Kohima

99

New Delhi

New Delhi

100

Odisha

Balasore

101

Berhampur

102

Bhubaneswar

103

Cuttack

104

Dhenkanal

105

Rourkela

106

Sambalpur

107

Punjab

Pathankot

108

Bhatinda

109

Jalandhar

110

Ludhiana

111

Mohali

112

Patiala

113

Sangrur

114

Amritsar

115

Puducherry

Puducherry

116

Rajasthan

Ajmer

117

Alwar

118

Bikaner

119

Jaipur

120

Jodhpur

121

Kota

122

Sikar

123

Udaipur

124

Tamil Nadu

Chennai

125

Coimbatore

126

Madurai

127

Salem

128

Tirunelveli

129

Tiruchirappalli

130

Vellore

131

Telangana

Hyderabad

132

Karimnagar

133

Warangal

134

Uttar Pradesh

Agra

135

Aligarh

136

Bareilly

137

Ghaziabad

138

Gorakhpur

139

Greater Noida

140

Kanpur

141

Jhansi

142

Lucknow

143

Meerut

144

Moradabad

145

Muzaffarnagar

146

Noida

147

Prayagraj

148

Varanasi

149

Uttarakhand

Dehradun

150

Haldwani

151

Roorkee

152

West Bengal

Asansol

153

Bankura

154

Burdwan

155

Durgapur

156

Hooghly

157

Kalyani

158

Kolkata

159

Siliguri

Other MBA Entrance Exams:

Aspirants enrolled in CAT Coaching must be familiar with all of the MBA entrance exams in India. Other Management entrance exams include XAT, MAT, CMAT, etc.,


Frequently Asked Questions on the CAT Exam:

Q1

What is CAT?

IIMs conduct the Common Admission Test on a rotational basis for admission into management and business courses. CAT is conducted in three sessions every year, on the last Sunday of November.
The CAT Exam consists of 3 sections:

  • Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)
  • Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DII-LR)
  • Quantitative Ability (QA)
Q2

What is the CAT eligibility criteria?

In order to qualify for CAT, a candidate must have finished or be appearing for his or her Bachelor’s degree, final year examination, with at least a 50% aggregate score. The degree should be granted by any university, incorporated or declared to be deemed under Section 3 of the UGC Act 1956, or an equivalent qualification recognized by the Ministry of HRD, Government of India.

Q3

When should I start preparing for CAT?

The right time to start preparing for an exam is 12 months in advance. It is recommended that CAT aspirants start their preparation at least 11-12 months before the exam, considering the increased competition and peer pressure. If you have plenty of time on your hands, you can go over the basics again in the last 1-2 months.

Q4

How do I get a good percentile in Quants?

Practice is the key to attaining quantitative ability. More practice will help a student score well on the quant section. A detailed understanding of the CAT paper pattern, understanding the weightage of each topic is essential for CAT candidates. Getting a score of 99% on the CAT QA section requires an in-depth understanding of Arithmetic and Algebra.

Q5

How do I get a good percentile in DILR?

As for the CAT DILR section, 99%iles are achieved by selecting the correct sets to answer. This takes daily practice, so CAT aspirants must become habitual to solving at least 3-5 sets everyday. This will help aspirants become proficient in choosing the right type of sets, and solving them within the time-frame, without any hassle.

Q6

Why CAT Coaching?

The CAT (Common Admission Test) is a national-level computer-based management entrance examination conducted every year by the IIMs. CAT is the premier IIM entrance exam that allows candidates into several Postgraduate Business Management courses. CAT is considered one of the most challenging entrance examinations in India, and you need to obtain a good score to apply to any of the top business schools. CAT 2021 was conducted by IIM Ahmedabad on November 28, 2021. Since CAT scores set the benchmark for IIM acceptances, candidates need to equip themselves with the best tips and tricks to crack the CAT Exam in the shortest possible time.

In order to speed up the process of cracking the CAT Exam, BYJU’S CAT app and online preparation program have been specifically designed to use shortcut tricks and methods to achieve a top score. The CAT preparation module at BYJU’S helps students access the entire program from any location and at any time, as the whole program is made available offline. It offers online practice tests, study materials, mock tests, and tutorials, with sessions conducted by India’s top CAT trainers. Detailed time-based performance metrics, topic-wise discussions, and an LOD analysis provide a comprehensive view of a candidate’s performance.

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