What is CAT Exam?

Common Admission Test (CAT) is the mandatory entrance exam for MBA admission 2024 in all the 20 IIMs, FMS Delhi, SPJIMR Mumbai, MDI Gurgaon, IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IIT Kharagpur; NITIE Mumbai and hundreds of other top B-schools in India. More than two lakh candidates appear in CAT every year to explore admission opportunity in MBA programmes offered by IIMs and other top MBA colleges in India. Salient Points about the Exam are:

• A computer based test conducted at more than 150 test cities and 300 test venues.
• Since 2020, the exam duration is reduced to two hours from earlier three hours.
• The exam is divided into three sections of Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension; Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning; Quantitative Ability.
• Each Section in the exam has to be attempted in a fixed individual time limit.
• Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) will offer admission on the basis of CAT 2023 score only and will not accept any other test score.

Key Exam Features & Highlights

Following are the key features of IIM CAT exam like CAT Full Form, Notification, exam dates, Eligibility, Exam Structure among other details

CAT Exam Full Form	Common Admission Test, conducted on yearly basis for MBA admission by one of the 6 older IIMs
Exam Date 2023	November 26, 2023
CAT Entrance exam sessions	Likely to be Conducted in 3 sessions - Morning, Afternoon&Evening on same day
CAT 2023 Conducting IIM	IIM Lucknow. IIMs are the CAT conducting Institutes
Entrance Exam Mode	Computer based exam but not an online exam
When to Check for CAT 2023 Notification	From July 30, 2023 onwards, at and in Newspapers
Details in CAT Notification 2023	CAT Exam details, Application fee, Registration dates, IIMs & their management programmes through CAT
Maximum Age Limit to appear in the Exam	No Age Limit, Graduates with 50% marks can apply
Number of Questions in Exam	66 questions divided in 3 sections
Exam Time Duration	2 hours for each Slot
Sectional Time limit	40 minutes for 1 section
Name of sections and number of questions	VARC-24 Questions; DILR-20 questions; Quant-22 questions
Expected Difficulty level	Moderate to Difficult
Order of Sections	Pre-fixed, no change allowed
Colleges Accepting CAT 2023 for MBA admission 2023	20 IIMs, FMS, MDI, SPJIMR, IITs, IMI, IMT& 500 other MBA colleges in India
Exam Fees 2023	Rs.2400/-
How to Register and Apply	Application process is online only
CAT Official Website for Form Filling	iimcat.ac.in
IIMs Application Fee	No Separate Application Fee to apply for IIM. Registration Fee covers application fee of all 20 IIMs

Exam Pattern 2023: Key Changes & Revised Structure

Since 2015, CAT exam has remained on similar pattern, except for last three years which may be followed for 2023 also, in terms of time duration, number of questions and sections as under:

• 120 Minutes Exam: CAT is a computer delivered test of 2 hours duration but it is not an Online Exam
• 66 Questions: Like last year, this year exam will have 66 questions divided in 3 sections of VARC, DILR and Quantitative Ability. Earlier it used to have 100 questions divided in three sections
• 18-20 No Penalty Questions: Out of 66 questions, there will be 18 or more questions which will not have negative marking. The exam is divided into MCQ and Non-MCQ type of questions and the Non-MCQs do not carry negative marking. In case any non-MCQ has negative marking, a few MCQs are changed to no negative marking questions.
• 48-50 Questions with Negative Marking: More than 48 questions in CAT are of MCQ type and will carry penalty of 1/3 negative marking
• Cut off Requirement by IIMs: A Minimum qualifying score between 70 and 90 percentile in CAT exam is required by IIMs in each of the 3 sections to shortlist candidates for final admission round
• IIM Shortlisting Criteria: Apart from High score in each of the 3 sections in the exam, if you have good academic profile with diversity, work experience, you are a preferred candidate to get admission into IIMs.

CAT Exam Pattern 2023: Revised Structure of Question Paper

The table below shares the sectional order, number and type of questions in each section, questions with and without negative marking for each section for the 2 hours exam

Exam components	MCQs (With negative marking)	Non-MCQs (TITA Qs Without negative marking)	Total Questions
Section-1: Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) (Time limit: 40 Minutes)	21	3	24
Section-2: Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR) (Time Limit: 40 Minutes)	16	4	20
Section-3: Quantitative Ability (QA) (Time Limit: 40 Minutes)	14	8	22
Total (Overall) (Time limit: 120 Minutes)	41	15	66

Source: Based on CAT 2022 Pattern

CAT Exam Syllabus: Overall and Section wise syllabus

Although the exam Syllabus is not pre-defined by IIMs, it overall tests the candidate on Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension; Quantitative Aptitude; Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning. During the last 5 years, the CAT exam syllabus has substantially changed. Major changes in Syllabus 2023 are:

• The Syllabus is changed and contains different type of questions with a combination of MCQs & Non-MCQs.
• 25-30% Questions are no penalty questions now
• Most of the changes in syllabus have taken place in the Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension Section as the share of Reading Comprehension based questions has increased as compared to Verbal Ability questions
• A few changes in syllabus have been introduced in Quantitative Ability section with more focus on Arithmetic questions

CAT Syllabus Section-Wise

Sectional Division	Overview of Topics in the Syllabus 2023	Weightage in exam
Quantitative Ability (QA)	Arithmetic, Modern Math, Number System Algebra, Mensuration, Trigonometry, Geometry	36%
Data Interpretation& Logical Reasoning (DILR)	Data Charts, Data Tables, Bar Graphs, Venn Diagrams, Seating arrangement, Team formation, Clocks & Calendars	30%
Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC)	Long & Short Passages Jumbled Paragraphs; Para-summary Picking the Out of context sentence from a jumbled paragraph	34%

CAT Preparation: How to Prepare for the Exam?

A few months of devoted preparation can enable you to crack the exam as it requires ‘Smart Preparation.’ You can self prepare for the exam with best books; can join a coaching or can have a mix of self preparation and guidance from coaching. Key aspects of preparation, as per the experts, are:

• You should have strong basics with clarity on concepts
• Improve your weak areas and strengthen your strong areas
• Consistent revision is required with Mocks, practice tests, Quizzes
• Prepare a list of topics as per the syllabus and improve on each of them
• Form a peer group on social media for preparation
• Focus more on RC in VARC section; focus equally on DI & LR and practice more Arithmetic questions to clear the section wise cut offs
• Time Management with Accuracy & Speed is required. Consistently improve on them
• Consult best preparation books and attempt their practice questions
• Read Interviews and tips from Toppers studying at IIMs, FMS, SPJIMR, MDI, on their preparation strategy published on and other channels

Preparation for VARC, DILR, Quant

The section wise preparation strategy is very important. Key tips to prepare for each section is as below:

Preparation for VARC

• Go through the Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension Syllabus
• Choose the Best books
• Read the strategy for Verbal Ability Preparation of past toppers How to Ace CAT Verbal Ability
• Questions on RC passages in CAT constitute 70% share and Verbal questions are 30%. So focus and practice more RC based questions to crack the exam

Section-1: Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC): Composition

Total MCQs (With negative marking)	21
Total Non-MCQs (Without negative marking)	3
Total Questions	24
Key Sectional Highlights	4-5 RC Passages with 16 to 18 MCQs; VA 6-8 MCQs and Non MCQs divided into Para jumbles, Para Summary, and Out of Context Sentences

Preparation for DILR

DILR is the 2^nd section in the exam. It plays very important role to clear the cut off percentile. The section has equal number of Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning Questions. You need to practice more to score high in this section. Experts advise following tips to prepare for DILR:

• Data Interpretation questions test your analytical skills of interpreting the Data given to you in the form of Table, Chart, Graph or in other form
• Logical Reasoning constitutes 50% share in the newly created Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation Comprehension (DILR) Section
• The goal of scoring high can be achieved with small but consistent efforts and time devoted to the DILR section.
• DILR preparation for CAT requires you to first get as many as DILR practice questions
• To move in direct DILR preparation direction, it will be better to refer to DILR questions with solutions

Section-2: Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR): Composition

Total MCQs (With negative marking)	15
Total Non-MCQs (Without negative marking)	5
Total Questions	20
Key Sectional Highlights	LR – 10 Ques DI – 10 Ques All in Sets of 4-5 Qs

Preparation for Quant

Quantitative Ability (QA) is the last section in CAT exam. It can improve or reduce your score substantially. To score high in this section, experts advise following tips:

• A three dimensional approach is recommended on Preparation for Quant section
• Strengthen your basics and formulae in Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, Modern Math and allied topics
• Practise on variety of questions of different difficulty level
• Finally solve previous CAT papers and Mocks for each topic. The more you do it, the more expertise in Quant section, you will get.
• QA Sectional Composition

Section-3: Quantitative Ability (QA)

Total MCQs (With negative marking)	14
Total Non-MCQs (Without negative marking)	8
Total Questions	22
Key Sectional Highlights	High on Arithmetic. Other on Log, Geometry, Roots, Algebra

Best Books for CAT Preparation

IIM CAT has been changing its pattern and every year different types of questions appear in the exam. During the last few years, the exam has been modified completely. Most of the preparation books in the market are based on the previous exam pattern but the best books shared here have updated changes with the anticipated question type in the exam. While choosing the best books for CAT, it should be kept in mind that the books are conversant with the changed exam pattern and difficulty level. Few things to check in the books are:

• Should Provide conceptual clarity on the relevant topic
• Rich on the exercises, practice questions and Mocks given after each topic
• Caters your need to focus more on the weak areas with variety of practice questions
• Latest edition of preparation Book offers the updated exam pattern and syllabus also

10 Best books for CAT Preparation

If you are self-preparing for the exam or are preparing with the support of coaching institute, in both the cases, the latest edition of the books for preparation as shared below will help you in conceptual clarity, practice questions and attempting the sample papers

• How to Prepare for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for CAT’- by Arun Sharma & Meenakshi Upadhyay
• Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for the CAT by Nishit K Sinha
• Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension by Ajay Singh
• Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis
• How to Prepare for Data Interpretation for CAT by Arun Sharma (Published by McGraw Hill)
• How to Prepare for Logical Reasoning for CAT by Arun Sharma (Published by McGraw Hill)
• Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation for the CAT by Nishit K. Sinha
• CAT Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning by Gautam Puri,Publisher Career Launcher
• How to prepare for Quantitative for the CAT by Arun Sharma, published by MGH Education
• Quantitative Aptitude for the CAT by Nishit K Sinha
• Quantitative Aptitude Quantum CAT by Sarvesh K Verma. Read all about Arun Sharma CAT Books Nishit K Sinha CAT Books

Preparing for CAT with Coaching

CAT coaching institutes help you to prepare for the exam systematically without deviating from your preparation path. While offering smart and intensive preparation for the exam 2023, the top coaching institutes help you to minimize the wastage of time with optimum utilization. There are 1 year, 6 months, 3 months and 2 months preparation time modules offered by the good coaching institutes that help you crack CAT with high score. If you need to clear the concepts and build your basics before practicing sessions, toppers and experts suggest to start the preparation with a 6 month time margin. The preparation can be self, with the support of online or offline coaching or a mix of both.

Top CAT Coaching Institutes in India

The choice of coaching mode depends upon your interest, time, money and preparation level while preparing for the exam. Shared below are the top coaching institutes with their key centres and available options for coaching:

Top CAT 2023 Coaching Institutes	Class room or online Coaching	City wise CAT Preparation Center Location
TIME	Both	Delhi, Noida, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Gurgaon among total 100+ centres
Career Launcher	Both	Delhi, Noida, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Gurgaon among 80+ centres
IMS	Both	Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune, Ahmedabad among 50+ centres
Byju’s	Online	Online Coaching via Tablet anywhere in India & Abroad
2IIM.com	Online	Online coaching course with videos, quizzes, practice tests, and slideshows. Classroom coaching in Chennai only
MBAGURU	Both	Centres across Delhi located in CP, Rajouri Garden, Pitampura, Kailash Colony
Arun Sharma’s Mindworkzz	Both	Mindworkzz has 3 centres in C P, Delhi and offers online coaching as well
Endeavor	Both	Ahmedabad, Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai, Pune among 20+ centres across India
BullsEye	Online	Offers Online Coaching
Tathagat	Classroom coaching	Centres located in Delhi, Noida
Alchemist	Classroom coaching	CP-Delhi, North Delhi, West Delhi and Gurgaon

Toppers’ Tips for CAT Preparation

Previous Toppers studying at IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta, Kozhikode, Lucknow, Udaipur, FMS, SPJIMR, MDI have shared with their preparation strategy and how they overcame their weak areas and scored high. The last minute preparation tips from these toppers are very helpful in improving your score in the exam. Check Below

CAT Eligibility Criteria 2023

Below are the important points that determine the eligibility criteria 2023

• A candidate with minimum 50% marks in graduation can appear in the exam
• A final year student in graduation can also appear in the exam
• No age limit to apply and appear in the exam

CAT Eligibility Criteria 2023

CAT 2023 Registration & Application Form Filling Process

• The Registration Date will open after release of CAT notification
• The registration process is online
• You can fill Registration Form online only on the official CAT website
• CAT registration fee is Rs.2400/- for General candidates. The exam fee should be paid online only
• The Registration Form 2023 opens in August first week after release of Notification

Read in detail step by step process how to register and apply for CAT Exam

CAT Registration Trends

More than 2.55 lakh candidates had registered last year for CAT 2022 exam. In 2021, 2.30 Lakh applied for the exam; in 2020, 2.27 lakh candidates applied and in 2019, more than 2.44 lakh candidates had applied for Common Admission Test. It signifies that candidates have to compete with more candidates in the exam and need to score high to get shortlisted by top three IIMs and other top MBA colleges.

CAT Topper	Studying At	CAT %ile	Profile
Pushti Shah	IIFT Delhi	98.38	Biotech graduate.
Shivam	IIM Calcutta	99.84	Graduate in Chemical Engineering.
Shreyasee Sarkar	IIM Calcutta	99.68	Engineering Graduate and Software Engineer.
Sumedha Srinivasan	IIM Ahmedabad	94.78	Chartered Accountant; Asset Management Expert.
Padmasandhya S	IIM Ahmedabad	98.49	Chartered Accountant; Work Experience at Barclays.
Shubham Bajaj	IIM Calcutta	99.98	B-Tech in CSE from IEM Kolkata, worked with Nomura.
Nancy Jain	IIM Calcutta	99.72	B.Tech from IGDTUW, worked at Tata Motors.
Ekansh Gupta	IIM Calcutta	99.91	B.Tech, from NIT Jamshedpur. Worked at EXL Services as Risk Analyst for a US bank.
Nandan Goel	IIM Calcutta	99.95	BMS from Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies, DU, worked at DE Shaw.
Yashvi Bansal	IIM Udaipur	94.72	BBA Marketing from Auro University Surat.
Venkata Satya Srikar Medisetti	IIM Udaipur	98.44	B.Tech from NITK Suratkhal, Worked in a pharmaceutical company.

IIM Lucknow to Conduct CAT 2023: Check Exam Date, Pattern, Syllabus, Preparation

Although the trends in registrations since 2010 show a downward journey initially, but from 2013 it has been showing a rising registration count reflecting the regaining trust of aspirants and anticipation of better career opportunities after completing MBA/PGP from an IIM or other top B-school

Top Colleges Accepting CAT with Cut off Percentile

More than Top 100 MBA colleges in India are accepting CAT score for MBA admission 2024. Apart from 20 IIMs, other top CAT MBA colleges in non-IIM category, include FMS Delhi, MDI Gurgaon, SPJIMR Mumbai, SJMSoM IIT Mumbai, DoMS IIT Delhi among others. Some of the top colleges accepting CAT with their expected cut offs are as below:

Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs)

Top IIMs	CAT Cut off percentile (Minimum criteria)
IIM Ahmedabad	80
IIM Bangalore	85
IIM Calcutta	85
IIM Lucknow	90
IIM Indore	90
IIM Kozhikode	90
IIM Tiruchirappalli	95
IIM Shillong	90
IIM Udaipur	95
IIM Rohtak	95

Top MBA Colleges in Non-IIM Category

Following are the expected CAT cut off for top MBA colleges in India

Top B Schools	Expected CAT 2023 Cut Off Percentile
Faculty of Management Studies (FMS) New Delhi]	97
Management Development Institute (MDI) Gurgaon	94
SPJIMR Mumbai	85
International Management Institute (IMI) New Delhi	90
Institute of Management Technology (IMT) Ghaziabad	90
K J Somaiya Institute of Management Mumbai	85
T. A. Pai Management Institute (TAPMI), Manipal	85
\FORE School of Management (FSM) New Delhi	85+
Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Management (LBSIM) New Delhi	85
Great Lakes Institute of Management (GLIM) Chennai	80

Check and Read all about the CAT Accepting Colleges

MBA Programmes Offered by IIMs

Apart from being the most important entrance test for the 2 years full time post graduate management program (MBA/PGDM), CAT is the gateway for one year MBA programmes in IIMs and other prominent management institutes. Following are the various management programmes at IIMs in which admission 2024 is available through Common Admission Test 2023

Indian Institute of Management (IIM)	MBA Programmes Open for Admission 2024 through CAT 2023
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 Kashipur	MBA, MBA (Analytics), EMBA
IIM Kozhikode	PGP, PGP-BL, PGP-F, PGP-LSM, EPGP (At Kochi campus)
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	PGP, PGPM-HR, PGPBM
IIM Udaipur	MBA, MBA-DEM, MBA-GSCM, PGDBAWE
IIM Visakhapatnam	PGP, PGPEX, PGPDGM

CAT Important Dates

Following are the important dates for CAT exam 2023

Time Line	Important Dates
CAT Notification Date 2023	July 30, 2023
Registration Start Date	August 4, 2023
Last Date to Apply	September 15, 2023
Registration & Application Fee	Rs.2400/-
Admit card Download Start date	October 25, 2023
Last Date for Admit Card Download	November 26, 2023
CAT Exam date 2023	November 26, 2023
CAT 2023 Result date	January 4, 2024

CAT 2023 Admit Card

CAT Admit Card download will start from October 2023 last week, immediately with the release of the hall ticket by IIMs. IIMs will upload the Admit card on official exam website 2023. The admit card release date may be extended by a few days in case the last date of registration for CAT 2023 exam is extended. The last date to download the CAT Admit Card is the exam date.

3 Steps to Download the Admit Card

1. Logon to official Website
2. Enter Login ID & Password & Click on ‘Admit Card’
3. Click on Download & Take Print of CAT Admit card

CAT Exam 2023 Result & IIMs’ Admission Process

CAT exam official result declaration date is 2^nd week of January 2024. However, IIMs release the result much earlier. Last year also, the result was released as early as on Dec 21, 2022 instead of officially announced date of Jan second week. It is likely that CAT 2023 result may be released on January 4, 2024 or earlier, in morning hours. Immediately after the result declaration, IIMs will start announcing their shortlist on the basis of exam scores and other parameters in their shortlisting criteria for final selection round. The final admission offer will be made to the candidates in the months of April/May 2024 by IIMs

IIMs release their individual admission process after CAT notification. The admission process in IIMs depends upon your performance in three major areas – Your exam score; your academic record and performance in Personal Interview round. There are three stages through which IIM Admission Process is completed, they are:

• Stage-1: Performance in CAT Exam
• Stage-2: Shortlisting by IIMs for PI round
• Stage-3: IIMs Final Selection Process 2024 comprising WAT & PI Round

Your final admission offer depends upon your performance in all the above three stages of IIMs selection process. While the older IIMs conduct their individual selection process, 9 new and baby IIMs conduct common admission process (CAP) for admission. Remaining IIMs conduct their individual selection process.