CAT 2023: Notification, Dates, Syllabus, Eligibility, Exam Pattern

CAT Exam: CAT is the abbreviation of the Common Admission Test. It is a nationwide MBA and PGDM entrance test to gain admission into 20 IIMs and 1,000+ other CAT scores-based B-schools. About 250,000 candidates take the CAT test yearly to enter more than 5000 MBA and PGDM positions.

It is possible to explore all the details regarding CAT that will assist you in learning everything concerning the CAT examination. Learn all about the CAT Exam, including the procedure for selection, registration procedure, critical dates for the exam, patterns, as well as the syllabus and admit card, in this article that is extremely useful.

The complete form of CAT is also known as the Common Admission Test. CAT is supervised by the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) each year to admit students to their MBA programs. 

The online test is comprised of three sections: Information Interpretation, Logical Reasoning Verbal Ability, Reading Comprehension, and Quantitative Aptitude. The test evaluates the candidate’s skills and capabilities in these areas.

What is the CAT exam (cat exam complete form)

CAT is an aptitude test to get you into the management courses that leading management institutions in India offer. It is among the most popular and demanding entrance tests in India. The CAT Exam is considered one of the most important exams in India for management studies.

Full name on exam	Common Admission Test
Official website for CAT	www.iimcat.ac.in
Exam duration of CAT	Once a year
Pattern of CAT exam	Computer Based Testing (CBT)
Question paper type	MCQ and Non-MCQ questions
Duration of exam	2 hours
Declaration of answer key	First week of December 2023
Cutoff of CAT	70-90
Online Form fillup date	First week of August, 2023
Medium of the exam	English
Exam fees for CAT	Rs 2300
Courses Offered after CAT	MBA, PGP, EPG, PGP-FABM,
Exam helpline number	1-800-210-1088 (Toll Free)
Exam level of CAT	National

 

Eligible for the cat exam?

Candidates who want to take part in CAT Exam 2022 have to satisfy the following criteria for eligibility:

1. The candidate must possess an undergraduate degree in any field. They must have at least 50 percent marks or an equivalent CGPA.
2. Candidates belonging to the reserved categories: Scheduled Caste (SC), Differently Abled (DA), Scheduled Tribe (ST)
3.  Require at least 45% marks.
4. Candidates who graduated in the traditional system of 2 years are eligible to be candidates in CAT 2022. UGC must also recognize it.
5. Students who completed their final year of graduation will be eligible to apply for CAT 2022. If selected, they are allowed to join the program provisionally.

They will be required to present a document from the College’s Principal/Registrar. It must state that the applicant has met all requirements for obtaining an undergraduate degree or equivalent qualifications when the certificate is issued.

4. Exam pattern for CAT

As for the duration, the total number of sections and questions in the current CAT Pattern is as follows:

• One hundred twenty minutes Exam: CAT 2022 is a computer-led test lasting 2 hours. However, it’s not an online Exam.
• 66 Questions: As of last year, the CAT 2022 exam will include the same 66 questions but divided into three parts: VARC DILR and also Quantitative ability. The previous exam had 100 questions divided into three sections.
• 18-20 No Penalty Question: Of 66 questions, 18 or more will not carry negative markings. CAT exams in 2022 are split into Non-MCQ and MCQ types of questions. Non-MCQs are not subject to negative markings. If a non-MCQ contains negative markings, a handful of MCQs have been changed to not negativity markings.
• 48-50 CAT Questions that have negative marking: Most of the questions from CAT 2022 are the MCQ kind and result in a penalty for a negative marking of 1/3.
• CAT cutoff requirement for IIMs: A minimum score of 70 and 90 percentiles of CAT 2022 must be met by IIMs in all three sections for shortlisting candidates for the admissions round.
• IIM Selection Criteria for Shortlisting: Apart from achieving high scores in the three areas of the test, if you have an outstanding academic record with the ability to work in various fields, you will be a top candidate for admission to IIMs.

5. what is the syllabus for the cat exam

The CAT Syllabus includes three sections, i.e., Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning, Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension & Quantitative Ability. The complete outline of these subjects can be found below:

Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning Sitting Arrangement, Syllogismand blood relations, bar Graphs, also Column Graphs, Tables and Caselets Venn Diagrams Mixing of 2 or more kinds connected, Calendars Cubes, Clocks and Cubes Line Charts, Pie Charts Number and Letter Series and Binary Logic Logical Matching Connectives and Sequence.

Literacy and Literacy Comprehension: Analogies and Reverse Analogies facts inferences, grammar or English Usage Fill in the blanks Verbal reasoning, Meaning/Usage Match Summary Questions the Synonyms Antonyms (Vocabulary Forewords), Correction in Sentence Reading Comprehension Paragraph and Passage.

Quantitative Ability: Coordinate Geometry & Mensuration, Sequences & Series, Surds & Indices, Inequalities, Set Theory, Functions & Geometry, Mixtures & Allegations, Trigonometry, Profit, Loss & Discount, Percentages, Simple & Compound Interest, Logarithm, Binomial Theorem, Complex Numbers, Quadratic & Linear Equations, Probability, Permutation and Combination, Number Systems, LCM & HCF, Speed, Time & Distance, Time & Work, Ratio & also Proportion, Averages.

6. CAT 2022 Exam Dates

Candidates interested in the exam should verify all critical dates, including registration of the application, admit card exam, results, and counseling dates.
Below is a table with an estimate of CAT examination dates for 2023. Dates will be published on the website of CAT you can also find the answer kew release date.

CAT Exam Events	CAT 2023 Exam Dates (tentative)
Notification release	31-July-2023
CAT 2023 registrations start	First week of August, 2023
Registrations end	Third week of September, 2023
CAT form correction	Last week of September, 2023
CAT 2023 admit card release	Last week of October, 2023
CAT mock test link activation	Fourth week of October, 2022
CAT 2023 exam date	26-Nov-2023
CAT 2023 answer key release	First week of December 2023
Answer key challenge process	First week of December 2023
CAT 2023 result declaration	First week of January 2024

7. Purpose of CAT

The aim of this CAT Exam can be used to give an admissions standard at any MBA college. Participants in CAT MBA Colleges release cutoffs based on CAT scores and then contact candidates for additional rounds.

Candidates pursuing an MBA at top business schools in India must take the CAT test. Alongside IIMs and 88 non-IIM schools, they utilize their scores to gain admission to their MBA programs.

8. Fees for CAT

Information on CAT Fees for registration of students who fall into general and reserved categories is provided below. General and Reserved Categories are also provided below.

CAT Applications Fees Payment: An applicant must pay the application fee through the internet banking system, Credit Card, or Debit Card. The application fee for categories is listed below.

9. CAT exam benefits

The most significant benefit to taking the CAT test is the chance to be a student at the top management schools in India. This includes all IIMs, FMS Delhi, MDI Gurgaon, XLRI Jamshedpur, also S.P. Jain Mumbai.

These are the most renowned institutions in business and entrepreneurial education. The institutes help you develop the necessary corporate skills to boost your professional development. Whether you’re a student at IIMs or another similar institution to manage their recognition of these institutions is widely known.

10. The process of registration

• Candidates can sign up to take the Common Admission Test (CAT) using the online mode only.
• Registration is only completed online through this official site: www.iimcat.ac.in.
• CAT registration requires three simple steps:
• Step-1: Registration
• Step 2: Fill out the Formulation and upload Pictures of the documents required, such as signatures, photos, etc.
• Step 3: Make Payment
• Information will be provided in the registration manual on the website www.iimcat.ac.in.

11. who can give the cat exam

• The age limit is not a limit to taking the CAT entrance test as in the eligibility criteria.
• The criteria for eligibility are currently that the applicant must have an undergraduate degree of at minimum three years. However, the earlier bachelor’s degree awarded for two years is also acceptable if UGC recognizes the university.
• Candidates in their final year of school or awaiting results may also be eligible for the test.
• The percentage of marks earned is determined based on the university’s guidelines.
• To be able to apply for admission to IIMs, candidates must have a unique and valid email ID and phone number to be used for official communications.

12. how many students give the cat exam

On the 27th of September, CAT 2022 Registration numbers are up! The number is 11% growth in CAT 2022 registrations. Last year, a record number of 2.30 lakh candidates were able to take the test. While IIMs have yet to announce the exact figures, around 2.55 lakh students have signed up for the CAT 2022 test.

The source of this news is Professor Ashis Mishra, CAT 2022 convener. Also, an IIMB faculty member commented, “There has been an increase of 11% in overall registrations.” The professor said, “there is also a 6 percent increase in category candidates in registration.”

13. how to prepare for a cat exam

CAT is a challenging exam that requires one to be 100% committed to passing it. It will require between six and eight hours of daily study and regular revising of all concepts and formulas so that the knowledge remains fresh on test day.

Candidates are required to go over their applications for different kinds of questions. For the test, applicants are required to make quick and decisive decisions. To improve this ability, applicants must test themselves on forty to fifty CAT mock tests.

14.Best colleges for cats in India 

CAT scores are recognized by twenty Indian Institutes of Management and more than 1200 business schools nationwide. Candidates can find the complete table of IIMs across the country by looking at the table below:

List of IIMs Accepting CAT Scores