HomeCAT Entrance Exam 2023

CAT Entrance Exam 2023

CAT 2023 Result LIVE: Download CAT 2023 Exam Results HERE

CAT Entrance Exam 2023

CAT 2023 Result LIVE: Download CAT 2023 Exam Results HERE

CAT 2023 Exam Information

What is Common Aptitude Test (CAT)?

The CAT (Common Admission Test) is a widely recognized entrance exam for MBA aspirants, which is conducted at the national level for admission to Top IIMs (Indian Institutes of Management) and numerous other renowned management colleges. The CAT scores are accepted by approximately 1000 management colleges for admission into MBA programs.

  • The Common Admission Test (CAT) assesses the aptitude skills of MBA candidates in various sections, including quantitative ability, data interpretation, logical reasoning, verbal ability, and reading comprehension. It is conducted in computer-based test (CBT) mode and is divided into two sessions: morning and afternoon on the same day. The test comprises 100 questions of two types: Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) and Type in the Answer (TITA) questions, with a total duration of 180 minutes.
  • A valid CAT score or percentile is a prerequisite for candidates seeking admission to MBA colleges. The selection of candidates for the next rounds of admission to the graduate management program is based on their performance in each section and overall score.
  • Once candidates obtain a decent percentile in the CAT examination, they will be shortlisted for the second stage of the MBA admission process. The second stage may include Group discussion (GD), Written Ability Test (WAT), and Personal Interview (PI).
  • To be eligible for the second stage of the exam, candidates must secure good marks in the CAT exam. The CAT scores carry a minimum weightage of 20% in the final merit, making them an integral part of the CAT index score.

CAT 2023 Highlights

The registration for CAT 2023 examination will commence on August 2023, and a candidate can apply for the exam till September 2023. CAT 2023 is expected to be conducted by either IIM Lucknow or IIM Calcutta.

  • The examination will be held on November 26, 2023, in two sessions in the morning and the afternoon across 156 cities.
  • A total of 3 hours is given to a candidate to complete the exam.
  • The CBT mode of examination includes 100 questions divided into three sections: Quantitative Ability, Data Interpretation, Logical Reasoning, and Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension.
  • An hour is allocated for each section in the CBT mode of the CAT exam. The VARC section has some trickier questions in comparison with the Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning sections.

The results of the CAT 2023 examination out by the Indian Institute of Management on December 21, 2023. .

CAT EXAM

 

Conducted by

IIM Ahmedabad

Frequency of CAT exam

Once a year

 

Age limit

None

Medium of exam

English

     

CAT 2023 Important Dates | CAT 2023 Exam Notification

The following table contains details about CAT 2023 Registration, exam date, & other exam details: 

CAT 2023 (MBA Entrance Exam)

Dates

Date of Release of Notification for CAT 2023

30th July 2023

Beginning of CAT Application Form Process for 2023

2nd August 2023

Application Form Fill-up Last Date for CAT 2023

13th September 2023 

Application Fee Submission Last Date

13th September 2023 

Release of CAT Admit Card 2023

7th November 2023

Date of Exams for CAT 2023

26th November 2023

Release of CAT Answer Key

5th December 2023

Results Out of CAT 2023 

21st December 2023

Eligibility Criteria for CAT 2023

As per the official notification issued for CAT 2023, candidates must meet the below-mentioned criteria to be eligible for appearing in CAT 2023.

  • A Bachelor’s Degree from any recognized Institute or university with a minimum of 50% marks or equivalent CGPA is required to apply for the test.
  • The candidates belonging to the categories of SC / ST or PwD must have a Bachelor’s Degree from a recognized institution or university with a minimum of 45% marks or equivalent CGPA. Also, the students studying in the last year of their Bachelor’s Degree program are eligible to apply for the same.
  • Professional degree holders like CA / CS / ICWA are also eligible to apply for the Common Aptitude Test.

Age Limit for CAT 2023 Exam

The choice to give the CAT examination solely depends on meeting the eligibility criteria. Candidates should not have to worry about the maximum or minimum age limit until they meet all the eligibility criteria. Also, the candidates can give as many attempts as he/she would like to give.

Registration: CAT 2023

Application process 

The application form commences on August 2023, and ends on September 2023. Candidates have to register for the exam from the official website of CAT.

  • Step 1: Candidates have to register themselves at the respective website using a valid email id and mobile number.
  • Step 2:After registration, the candidates will receive a CAT Registration id and corresponding password to that account which will be used to log in to the website. 
  • Step 3: Candidates have to use the registration id and password to fill out the application form.
  • Step 4: After filling out the form, candidates have to pay the non-refundable application fees.

Application fees 

The application fees for the CAT examination vary for candidates belonging to the various categories. However, candidates have to pay the fees using the different modes of payment best suited to them.

Open category students

Rs 2000

SC / ST / PwD

Rs 950

Modes of payment

The fees of the application form for the CAT examination are to be paid online using the various modes of payment best suited to the candidates. The candidates can use modes of payment like Online Net Banking/Credit Card/ Debit Card/ UPI id etc.

Candidates also have to choose 4 examination centers during the registration process.

Exam pattern: CAT 2023

The CAT exam is conducted in CBT mode (computer Based Test) all over the country.

The CBT exam consists of 100 questions to be solved in 180 minutes.

  • It is divided into three sections consisting of both MCQs as well as TITA questions.
  • TITA questions stand for Type in the Answer questions. Examinees have to type the answer in the respective box using the virtual keyboard.
  • However, the official notification did not notify about the exact division into these three sections.
  • There is a time limit of 60 minutes for each section. Candidates could move to the next section provided they attempted the previous section.
  • For every right answer, 3 marks are awarded. However, 1 mark is deducted for every wrong answer.

Section

Number of total questions

Number of TITA questions

Maximum marks

Duration

VARC

34

7

102

60 minutes

QA

34

8

102

60 minutes

DILR

32

11

96

60 minutes

Total

100

26

300

180 minutes

Tips for CAT preparation

Scoring more than 95 percentile requires sheer determination and continuous hard work. A systematic approach along with the preparation tips may prove to be fruitful for beginners as well as intermediates.

How to start CAT preparation?

  • An analysis of the previous year’s papers proves to be a great source to determine the trend of exam patterns. Since the CAT examination does not have any prescribed syllabus, the candidates thus count upon the previous year’s papers for the difficulty level, paper pattern, time limit, etc.
  • Once the candidates solve a decent number of previous papers, they are advised to identify their strengths and weaknesses.

How to make the timetable?

  • Preparation for the CAT examination requires discipline. Making a timetable to strengthen the strengths as well as weaknesses would help the candidates.
  • All sections need equal practice and attention for scoring very good marks. Thus aspirants should not ignore the strong section.
  • Practicing questions should be done regularly.
  • The candidates must turn their weaknesses into their strengths.

How many mocks should be taken?

  • Practicing questions regularly is a must. However, aspirants should also take the mock tests for understanding their level of preparation. They are also advised to attempt sectional mock tests.
  • The number of mock tests solely depends upon the level of preparation. On average five to six mock tests are taken by the aspirants. Some also take more than 20 mock tests.

Joining coaching institute for CAT

  • Joining a coaching institute surely helps for proper preparation for CAT. Nevertheless, they can attempt a mock test for understanding their preparation and decide afterward.
  • Aspirants can also opt for online methods for CAT preparation.

Books for CAT Preparation

Choosing the best books helps the aspirants to prepare for their overall development. Candidates can also find out a guide in some of the following best books for preparing for the CAT exam. A list of the best books is given below.

Sections

Book name

VARC

How to prepare for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for the CAT

by Arun Sharma and Minakshi Upadhyay

QA

How to prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for CAT by Arun Sharma

DILR

How to prepare for Data Interpretation for CAT by Arun Sharma

Mock Test

Is there any official mock test for CAT?

Candidates registering for the CAT exam are provided with mock tests on the official website of CAT. One can simply log in to the website and attempt the mock test on the respective dates announced for mock. The mock test gives applicants an idea of the pattern of the exam, marking scheme, and other aspects. It also makes an aspirant used to giving the CBT model of CAT examination. Mock tests are just like the main examination whose duration is 3 hours.

Best mock test series for CAT

There are three most popular mock test series taken by the candidates. One can opt from the IMS SimCATs, Career launcher test series, and AIMCAT test series from TIME.

Free mock tests for CAT

several coaching institutes offer free mock tests. One can also take the help of the online free test series for the CAT examination. The previous year’s papers could also be given as mock tests. Given below are the free mock tests available to the candidates preparing for CAT.

  • Career launcher ● IMS India

Syllabus for CAT 2023

There is not a proper specification of the syllabus for the CAT exam in the official notification issued. Thus a variety of questions are made from the three sections. Experts have suggested the syllabus of the examination after seeing the paper pattern of the previous few years.

The Common Aptitude Test is taken to check the basic aptitude of the candidates from the three areas. The prescribed syllabus for the three sections are given below.

Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) 

  • Grammar
  • Vocabulary
  • Fill in the blanks
  • Analogies
  • Para jumble
  • Reverse analogies
  • Sentence correction
  • Summary questions
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Verbal reasoning
  • Facts and interferences

 

 Quantitative Ability (QA) 

  • Profit and loss
  • Number system
  • Speed distance and time
  • Geometry
  • Mensuration
  • Time and work
  • Ratio and proportion
  • Surds and Indices
  • Trigonometry
  • Alligation and Surds
  • Logarithm
  • Mixtures and Alligations
  • Averages
  • Equations

 

Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR) 

  • Tables
  • Graphs
  • Venn diagram
  • Series
  • Binary
  • Logic
  • Blood relations
  • Caselets
  • Seating arrangement

 

Admit card for CAT 2023

CAT 2023 Admit Card

The candidates after successful registration of the examination can download the admit card from the official website from October 2023. Candidates are required to download and get a printout of the admit card on A4 size paper. Taking the admit card is compulsory to enter the exam centre to prevent any discrepancies.

Details given in admit card 

  • Name ● Registration ID ● Exam Shift ● Date of Examination ● Name of exam centre ● DOB ● Name and address

Documents Required for entrance in the exam

  • Admit card for CAT 2023.
  • A photograph is to be pasted on the admit card
  • Original Identification card (, PAN, Passport, Voter Id
  • Candidates belonging to PwD categories will have to show appropriate PwD certification. Also, a scribe affidavit is compulsory if a scribe is needed.

Exam centre for CAT exam

Various examination centres is allocated in 156 cities across India. The applicants are advised to report at 7.30 AM for the morning shift and 1.00 PM for the afternoon shifts. The examination cities are given below.

State

Cities

Andaman & Nicobar Islands

Port Blair

Andhra Pradesh

Chirala

Chittoor

Guntur

Kakinada

Kurnool

Nellore

Rajahmundry

Tirupati

Vizianagaram

Vijayawada

Visakhapatnam

 

 

Arunachal Pradesh

Itanagar

Assam

Dibrugarh

Guwahati

Jorhat

Silchar

Tezpur

 

 

Bihar

Darbhanga

Gaya

Muzaffarpur

Patna

Purnea

 

 

Chandigarh

Chandigarh

Chattisgarh

Raipur

Bhilai

Bilaspur

Delhi NCR

Delhi NCR

Goa

MadgaonPanji

Gujarat

Ahmedabad

Anand

Gandhinagar

Mehsana

Rajkot

Surat

Vadodara

Haryana

Ambala

Bahadurgarh

Faridabad

Gurgaon

Hisar

Palwal

Panipat

Rohtak

Sonipat

Himachal Pradesh

Hamirpur

Shimla

Jammu and Kashmir

Jammu

Simba

Jharkhand

Bokaro

Dhanbad

Hazaribagh

Jamshedpur

Ranchi

Karnataka

Banglore

Belagavi (Belgaum)

Dharwad

Gulbarga

Hubli

Mangalore

Mysore

Udupi

Kerala

Ernakulam

Kannur

Kollam

Kottayam

Kozhikode

Thrissur

Trivandrum

Madhya pradesh

Bhopal

Gwalior

Indore

Jabalpur

Sagar

Maharashtra

Ahmednagar

Amravati

Aurangabad

Mumbai

Nagpur

Jalgaon

Kolhapur

Nanded

Nashik

Pune

Raigad

Satara

Solapur

Ulhasnagar

Meghalaya

Shillong

Mizoram

Aizawl

Nagaland

Kohima

Odisha

Balasore

Berhampur

Bhubaneswar

Cuttack

Dhenkanal

Rourkela

Sambalpur

Puducherry

Puducherry

Punjab

Amritsar

Bhatinda

Jalandhar

Ludhiana

Mohali

Pathankot

Patiala

Sangrur

Rajasthan

Ajmer

Alwar

Bikaner

Jaipur

Jodhpur

Kota

Sikar

Udaipur

Tamil Nadu

Chennai

 

Coimbatore

 

Madurai

 

Salem

 

Tirunelveli

 

Trichy

 

 

Telangana

Hyderabad

Karim Nagar

Warangal

Uttrakhand

Dehradun

Haldwani

Uttar Pradesh

Aligarh

Allahabad

Agra

Bareilly

Gorakhpur

Jhansi

Kanpur

Lucknow

Meerut

Moradabad

Muzaffarnagar

Varanasi

West Bengal

Asansol

Bankura

Burdwan

Durgapur

Hooghly

Kalyani

Kolkata

Siliguri

 

Result for CAT 2023

CAT 2023 Result Date is declared on 21st December 2023.

CAT aspirants! Congratulations on conquering the CAT exam! Now that the results for CAT 2023 are out, it’s time to dive into the application process. This article brings you all the cutoff details you need to know to apply to the best B-school options tailored just for you and increase your chances of getting selected. The CAT 2023 exam took place on November 26, 2023, at various centres nationwide, with approximately 2.88 lahks out of the 3.28 lakh registered candidates participating—that’s an impressive 88% attendance!

To keep you in the loop, the provisional answer key for CAT 2023 was released on December 5, and candidates had the opportunity to raise objections until December 8, 2023. Get ready for the next exciting step in your academic journey!

CAT 2023 Results LIVE: Highlights

  • Top Scorers:

      • A total of 14 candidates, all boys, achieved a perfect 100 percentile in CAT 2023.
      • Maharashtra produced the highest number of toppers with 4, followed by 2 from Telangana, and one each from UP, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Gujarat, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu.
  • Validity of CAT 2023 Score:

      • The CAT 2023 score will remain valid until December 31, 2024, and can be accessed on the official website.
  • Exam Details:

      • CAT 2023 took place on November 26, 2023, across 375 test centres in 167 cities, organised in three shifts.
  • High Percentilers:

      • 29 candidates achieved a remarkable 99.99 percentile, including 22 engineers and 7 non-engineers.
  • Candidate Distribution:

      • Out of 3.28 lakh registered candidates:
      • Gender-wise distribution: 65% males, 35% females, and 8 transgender candidates.
      • Category-wise distribution: EWS – 4.72%, General – 67.65%, NC-OBC – 16.70%, SC – 8.60%, ST – 2.33%, PWD – 0.43%.
  • Geographical Diversity:

      • The majority of CAT 2023 toppers hail from Maharashtra. Other toppers represent Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Gujarat, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and Kerala.
  • Background of Toppers:

      • Among the candidates scoring 100 percentiles, 11 are from an engineering background, and 3 are from a non-engineering background.
  • Female High Scorer:

    • Only 1 female student achieved a remarkable 99.9 percentile in CAT 2023.

IIM CAT Result 2023 Live Updates: How to download scorecards?

Step 1: Visit the official website – iimcat.ac.in

Step 2: Click on login button

Step 3: Enter credentials

Step 4: Click on submit to access the score card

Step 5: Download and save the score card for future reference

Visit the official website of IIM CAT at iimcat.ac.in. Key in your log in credintials.

CAT 2023 Cutoff Score

Candidates can check the expected CAT cutoff 2023 score and percentile in the table below.​​

Percentile

Score VARC

Score DILR

Score QA

Overall Score

99.5

42

30

30

86

99

36

25

25

74

95

30

20

22

52

90

24

14

13

42

80

20

11

9

35

70

18

9

7

30

Also Read: GD, PI and WAT Preparation Strategy: How To Crack Your Upcoming IIM Selections For MBA – Preparation Tips

CAT Cut-off 2023 for IIMs

IIMs release the minimum CAT 2023 cut-off category-wise and section-wise in their individual IIM admission criteria or policy. These are the qualifying CAT cutoffs which act as a minimum eligibility cutoff for candidates to get shortlisted for GD, PI, and WAT.

List of IIMs

CAT Cutoff 2023 (Expected)

General %ile

OBC %ile

SC %ile

ST %ile

EWS %ile

Score VARC

Score DILR

Score QA

Overall Score

IIM Ahmedabad

99-100

99.68

97.71

78.95

72.79

97.71

42

30

30

86

IIM Bangalore

99-100

99.89

96.08

83.38

78.93

95.48

36

25

25

74

IIM Calcutta

99

99.71

97.87

91.44

77.90

99.03

IIM Lucknow

97+

IIM Indore

97+

IIM Kozhikode

97-98

IIM Amritsar

95+

IIM Nagpur

95+

IIM Sambalpur

95+

IIM Trichy

94

IIM Raipur

94

IIM Ranchi

94

IIM Kashipur

94

IIM Vizag

92

IIM Udaipur

92

IIM Bodhgaya

92

IIM Shillong

90

IIM Sirmaur

95

IIM Rohtak

95

IIM Mumbai

97

Explore some crucial insights into CAT exam cutoff 2023 below:

  • The official release of the actual IIM CAT cutoff, which determines PI shortlisting, is still pending.
  • Anticipate a decline in the CAT 2023 cutoff compared to CAT 2022 due to the elevated difficulty level of the exam.
  • A projected conversion suggests that an overall CAT score of 52 and 42 could translate to 90 and 95 CAT percentiles.
  • For top colleges’ PI shortlisting in IIM and MBA admissions, the CAT cutoff typically falls within the range of 95-99+ percentile.
  • Baby IIMs usually set CAT exam cutoffs between 80-95+ percentile.
  • CAT colleges, excluding IIMs, are expected to release CAT 2023 cutoffs following the announcement of CAT 2023 results

Also Read: Topper Tips To Prepare For CAT 2023, Ft IIM A, IIM B IIM C & IIM K

Colleges Accepting CAT Score 2023 – List of Non-IIMs in India

Presented below are some of India’s leading non-IIM business schools along with the minimum scores they require:

Sl. No.

Institute Name

Entrance Exams

Cutoff

1

Xavier Labour Relations Institute (XLRI), Jamshedpur

XAT, GMAT

XAT: 90+

GMAT: 650+

2

Department of Management Studies (DMS), IIT Delhi

CAT

CAT: 96+

3

Department of Management Studies (DMS), IIT Madras

CAT

CAT: 96+

4

Indian Institute of Technology – Kanpur

CAT

CAT: 95+

5

Indian School of Business (ISB), Hyderabad

GMAT

GMAT: 650+

6

Management Development Institute (MDI), Gurgaon

CAT

CAT: 95+

7

Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies (JBIMS), Mumbai

CAT, GMAT, MAH – CET

CAT: 95+

MAH – CET: 95+

8

S.P. Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR), Mumbai

CAT, XAT, GMAT

CAT/XAT: 90+

GMAT: 650+

9

T. A. Pai Management Institute (TAPMI), Manipal

CAT, XAT, GMAT, MAT

CAT/XAT: 85+

GMAT: 650+

10

Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS), Mumbai

NMAT by GMAC

NMAT: 205+

11

The Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), Delhi

IIFT, GMAT

IIFT: 40+

12

Faculty of Management Studies (FMS), Delhi

CAT

CAT: 97.5+

13

Symbiosis Institute of Business Management (SIBM), Pune

SNAP

SNAP: 97+

14

Institute of Management Technology (IMT), Ghaziabad

CAT, XAT, GMAT

CAT/XAT: 90+

Documents needed for verification

Shortlisted applicants must bring some of the documents required on the Interview Day for verification.

  • Marksheets for Matriculation, Intermediate, and Bachelor’s Degree.
  • Professional certification (if any)
  • Documents to prove work experience (Joining letter, payslips, etc.)
  • Caste certification ( if applied for reservations)
  • Valid Identification cards like Aadhar, Voter ID, Pan card, etc.
  • Scorecard for CAT
  • Other documents are required by the colleges.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q. What is CAT?

Ans. CAT stands for Common Admission Test. It is conducted at the national level to shortlist the candidates for admission into the top management colleges of India. Candidates get a chance to study in the most prestigious Indian Institutes of Management after cracking the CAT exam.

 

Q. Who is eligible for the CAT exam?

Ans. All the candidates having a Bachelor’s Degree with a minimum of 50% of marks or equivalent CGPA are eligible to apply for the CAT exam. However, those belonging to Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, or Differently Abled categories require a minimum of 45% marks in the Bachelor’s Degree.

 

Q. Is the CAT score valid for 2 years?

Ans. The CAT score is valid for a period of one year after the date of result of the examination.

 

Q. Why is the CAT exam important?

Ans. The CAT examination is a CBT mode of examination conducted by one of the top six IIMs every year. It is done to give admission to the MBA aspirants in the top management colleges. A decent CAT score is also considered by various other B-schools. Thus, CAT proves to have a lot of relevance for MBA aspirants.

 

Q. How many times does the CAT exam take place in a particular year?

Ans. CAT exams are conducted once a year by a particular Indian Institute of Management. The CBT exam is conducted in two sessions on a specific day at more than 400 testing venues across the subcontinent.

 

Q. What are the registration fees for different categories?

Ans. The registration fees for the applicants of the open category amount to Rs 2000 whereas for the reserved category the registration fee is Rs 950.

 

Q. How many marks does it take to get admission to an Indian Institute of Management?

Ans. The aspirants wishing to get admission specifically in any IIM have to secure more than 70% – 90%. However, for the open category the cutoff to get admission in any IIM is more than 90 percentile.

 

Q. What is considered as a good score in CAT?

Ans. A good score is what gets an aspirant admission to the IIM colleges. Though it depends on the various Business schools cut off. Usually getting a 90 percentile is considered as a good score in CAT examination.