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The Common Admission Test (CAT) is a highly competitive and popular entrance exam conducted by the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) for admission into their management programs. It is a computer-based test that evaluates a candidate’s aptitude and skills in various areas such as Quantitative Ability (QA), Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), and Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR). Apart from the IIMs, many other prestigious management institutes and business schools in India also accept CAT scores for admission into their programs. The competition for CAT is very high, and candidates need to prepare thoroughly to excel in the exam. The CAT syllabus is vast, and it requires consistent and focused preparation for several months.
CAT 2023 registration start date is August 3, 2023 and CAT 2023 registration last date is September 21 or 23, 2023. CAT form 2023 is made available only on the official IIM CAT website- iimcat.ac.in. To complete the registration process for CAT exam, you need to upload the scanned images of your photo and signature as per the size and specifications issued by IIM. CAT exam fees is INR 2300 for GN/ EWS/ OBC and INR 1150 for SC/ ST/ PwD.
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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.
About CAT 2023
The Common Admission Test held annually by the IIMs is the most common entrance exam for MBA admissions to top-notch B-schools. CAT 2023 will allow students to apply for admission to IIMs among other top institutes for the batch of 2024-26.
Students aiming for admission to MBA programs must clear this exam and make the cut-offs before being selected for further rounds conducted by the institutions.
Given below are the CAT 2023 highlights-
| Highlights | Details |
|---|---|
| Exam Name | Common Admission Test |
| Official Website | www.iimcat.ac.in |
| Conducting Body | The Indian Institute of Management |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Registration Mode | Online |
| Exam Mode | Online |
| No. of Questions | 66 |
| Time Allotted | 120 minutes |
| Types of Questions | MCQs and TITA |
| Sections in the Exam | 3 Sections VARC, DILR and QA |
| Medium of Exam | English |
CAT 2023 Exam Date
| Events | Dates (Tentative) |
|---|---|
| CAT 2023 notification | July 31, 2023 |
| CAT 2023 registration date | August 3, 2023 |
| CAT 2023 registration last date |
September 21, 2023 |
| Last date to submit CAT registration fees | September 21, 2023 |
| CAT 2023 form correction window opens | On or before September 25, 2023 |
| Last date to edit CAT application form | September 28 or 29, 2023 |
| CAT 2023 Admit Card | October 26 or 27, 2023 |
| CAT 2023 Mock Test | November 8, 2023 |
| CAT 2023 Exam Date | November 26, 2023 |
| CAT 2023 Answer Key and Response Sheet Release Date | On or before December 7, 2023 |
| CAT 2023 result date | Before December 25, 2023 |
CAT Exam Pattern 2023
The CAT 2023 Exam Pattern will constitute 3 sections:
- Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)
- Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR)
- Quantitative Ability (QA)
The CAT Exam is held as a Computer Based Test (CBT) with a duration of 2 hours. Each section has an individual time limit of 40 minutes each. The CAT 2022 Exam Pattern is given below which should give you an idea about what you can expect in CAT 2023.
| Sections of Exam (in that order) | No of questions | Multiple Choice Questions | Non – MCQs | Time Limit |
| VARC | 24 | 21 | 3 | 16 questions of RC – 4 passages of 4 questions each.
8 Questions of Verbal ability – 3 parajumbles, 2 para completions, 3 parasummary |
| DILR | 20 | 14 | 6 | 4 sets of 5 questions each
Areas questioned – Bar Graph, Arrangements, Missing Data and Puzzles (Games) |
| QA | 22 | 14 | 8 | Dominated by questions of Arithmetic and Algebra. |
| Total | 66 | 49 | 17 |
CAT VARC Exam Pattern
The VARC section in CAT 2023 is expected to have 24 questions in total. In the verbal section, the CAT exam pattern of the past years indicates that the section consists of two primary components, i.e. Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension.
Reading Comprehension:
- This section accounts for over 67% of the question (16 questions out of 24)
- Question Format: MCQs with a few TITA (Type in the Answer) questions
- There will be 4 passages comprising 4 questions each.
Verbal Ability
- Relatively small subsection with only 8 questions
- The expected division of the questions, as per CAT 2022, is 3 parajumbles, 2 para completions, 3 parasummary
CAT DILR Exam Pattern
Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning is the second section of the CAT Exam. Candidates will be able to attempt it only after they submit the VARC section in the CAT Exam. It is by far the most dynamic section in CAT with new types of questions being introduced almost every year. It is advisable to be very careful when it comes to the selection of the questions.
Based on the CAT DILR exam pattern, here is the breakup of the sets:
- The section will have 4 sets comprising 5 questions each.
- Each set lends a maximum of 15 marks.
- The most common areas questioned include bar graphs, arrangements, missing data and puzzles (games).
CAT Quant Exam Pattern
This is the section that most candidates prepare extensively. This is because the CAT exam pattern and syllabus for this section are the most fleshed out among all the other sections. It is the section that can make or break the exam for most candidates.
- The quant section has a total of 22 questions.
- As the CAT quant exam pattern has no sub-sections all the questions are focused on the mathematical skills of the candidates.
- Based on past trends, the questions are dominated by arithmetic and algebra and also include geometry.
CAT Exam Pattern: Important Points to Remember
- Candidates cannot choose the order of the sections or move back and forth between sections. The fixed order of the exam is- VARC, followed by DILR and then Quant.
- CAT has two types of questions- MCQ-based and TITA (type in the answer). The MCQ type has a negative marking of 1 for every wrong answer. The TITA questions have no negative marking.
- In the MCQs, candidates will be given 4 options and in the Non-MCQs, the answer must be typed.
- An on-screen calculator will be provided to the candidates during the exam.
- Candidates can check the time with the help of the on-screen clock provided.
- A sheet will be provided to the candidates for rough work. Candidates must submit the sheet upon the completion of the exam.
CAT Exam Pattern: Slot-Based Division
CAT 2023 is divided across three slots throughout the day. Candidates will have the slot they must appear for mentioned on their admit cards. Here is the tentative slot-based division of the paper-
- Morning: 8:30 am to 10:30 am
- Afternoon: 12:30 pm to 2:30 pm
- Evening: 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm
Exam Pattern: CAT Marking Scheme
Similar to the previous year’s exam pattern, the marking scheme for the MCQ and TITA questions is different. Here is an overview of the marking scheme for CAT 2023-
| Type of Question | Correct Response | Incorrect Response |
| Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) | +3 | -1 |
| Type in the Answer (TITA) | +3 | 0 |
Marking the Answers: CAT 2023
As mentioned before, the CAT 2023 exam is computer-based. Therefore candidates will be required to input their responses into the computer. Candidates will have to select one of the given options when putting in the answers-
- Save and Next: Candidates will select the answer, save it and then move to the next question.
- Clear Response: Candidates can delete the response to the question they answered.
- Mark for Review and Next: For answers that candidates are unsure about, they can mark it for review, answer it and then go to the next question.
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CAT Exam Pattern Analysis: Changes Over the Years
CAT exam pattern is reviewed every year by the conducting IIM to ensure its conformity with the needs of the IIMs. As expected, this year, no changes have been introduced in the test pattern. Tabulated below is the year-wise list of CAT exam conducting IIMs along with the trends of the changes introduced in CAT question paper pattern:
| CAT Exam Year | CAT Exam Conducting IIM | CAT Question Paper Pattern over the years | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Sections | Exam Duration | Number of Slots | Numer of Questions | Remarks | ||
| 2022 | IIM Bangalore | 3- VARC, DILR, QA | 120 minutes | 3 | 66 | No surprise changes in the paper pattern. QA toughest in 2 years. Para Completion questions came as a surprise in VARC. |
| 2021 | IIM Ahmedabad | 3- VARC, DILR, Quant | 120 minutes | 3 | 66 | No prior information of revision in exam pattern. CAT question paper came as a surprise for the candidates. |
| 2020 | IIM Indore | 3- VARC, DILR, Quant | 120 minutes | 3 | 76 | Number of questions reduced to 76 and exam conducted in 3 slots instead of 2. |
| 2019 | IIM Kozhikode | 3- VARC, DILR, Quant | 180 minutes | 2 | 100 | – |
| 2018 | IIM Calcutta | 3- VARC, DILR, Quant | 180 minutes | 2 | 100 | CAT Quant section was rated to be the toughest of the last 10 years. |
| 2017 | IIM Lucknow | 3- VARC, DILR, Quant | 180 minutes | 2 | 100 | – |
| 2016 | IIM Bangalore | 3- VARC, DILR, Quant | 180 minutes | 2 | 100 | For the first time, CAT exam was conducted in the first week of December instead of the last week of November |
| 2015 | IIM Ahmedabad | 3- VARC, DILR, Quant | 180 minutes | 2 | 100 |
|
| 2014 | IIM Indore | 2- VALR, QADI | 170 minutes | 4 | 100 | Drastic change in the number of questions from the years 2011-13. Number of questions increased from 60 to 100. |
Previous Years CAT Exam Analysis
CAT 2022 Analysis
The CAT 2022 paper was moderate to tough in terms of difficulty level but the VARC section was tough in all three slots. DILR and QA sections were easy as compared to VARC. QA section of the third slot was slightly tougher than slot 1 and 2. Check below question wise break up of the CAT 2022 paper:
| Sections | Number of Questions | Type | Difficulty Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| VARC | 24 | 16 RC questions, 8 VA questions | Tough |
| DILR | 20 | Two DI sets ( 4 and 6 questions)
Two LR set ( 4 and 6 questions) |
Moderate to Tough |
| QA | 22 | Dominated by Arithmetic (11 questions) and Algebra (5 questions) | Moderate |
CAT 2020 Exam Analysis
The CAT 2020 paper was moderate overall in terms of difficulty, but the VARC section was difficult in all three shifts. The DILR and QA sections were easier compared to VARC.
| Sections | Number of MCQs | Number of Non-MCQs |
| VARC | 27 | 7 |
| DILR | 24 | 8 |
| QA | 23 | 11 |
CAT Total Marks vs Percentile
|
Percentile |
Score-VARC |
Score-DILR |
Score-QA |
Overall score |
|
99.5%ile |
45 |
33 |
48 |
104 |
|
99%ile |
41 |
29 |
42 |
97 |
|
98%ile |
37 |
26 |
37 |
86 |
|
95%ile |
32 |
21 |
28 |
72 |
|
90%ile |
27 |
17 |
23 |
59 |
|
85%ile |
23 |
15 |
19 |
52 |
|
80%ile |
21 |
13 |
16 |
44 |
CAT Syllabus 2023
CAT conducting body will not announce the CAT exam syllabus 2023. However, based on the CAT exam pattern 2023, candidates can check the topics on which the questions are asked.
Section-Wise CAT Syllabus 2023
|
Section |
Topics |
|
Verbal and Reading Comprehension (VARC) |
|
|
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR) |
|
|
Quantitative Aptitude (QA) |
|
CAT Mock Test PDF: Download Link
Candidates preparing for the upcoming CAT Exam can refer to the mock test PDF below.
| CAT Mock Test 2022 | |
| CAT 2022 Slot 1 DILR | |
| CAT 2022 Slot 1 VARC | |
| CAT 2022 Slot 1 QA |
The CAT Mock Test PDF for 2020 is available here for download. Eligible candidates can use this PDF for reference
| CAT Mock Test 2020 | |
| CAT 2020 Slot 1 DILR | |
| CAT 2020 Slot 1 VARC | |
| CAT 2020 Slot 1 QA |
Grab Latest Study Materials for CAT Exam! Register Here!
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FAQs
How to apply for CAT 2023?
CAT 2023 registrations are expected to begin in August 2023 tentatively. Those who wish to appear for CAT must meet the requirements of the eligibility criteria and fill out the registration form to sit for the exam.
When do you apply for CAT 2023?
Those who wish to appear for CAT 2023 can apply once the registrations are open, tentatively in the first week of August 2023. You must fill out the registration form correctly, upload the documents and pay the registration fee to complete the process and get the admit card.
How many topics are there in CAT exam?
CAT 2023 will have three sections:
-
Section I: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)
-
Section II: Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR)
-
Section III: Quantitative Aptitude (QA)
Is a calculator allowed in CAT?
No, calculators are not allowed inside the examination hall. Candidates should memorize ad practice the basic equations and formulae required for CAT.
Does CAT 2023 have negative marking? Will CAT patterns change in 2023?
+3 marks will be given for each correct answer and -1 mark will be deducted for each incorrect answer. CAT pattern is similar to the last year and there is no such change.
