What is CAT?
Common Admission Test or CAT is the most popular management entrance exam in India. It is a national-level test that is conducted every year by the Indian Institute of Management (IIMs) on the policy of rotation to shortlist candidates for admission to the MBA programs at IIMs. Apart from IIMs, the result of the CAT score is accepted in over 1000 institutes.
- The CAT is a computer-based test that is designed to assess a candidate’s aptitude skills in the sections of Quantitative Ability (QA), Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DI& LR).
- The entire exam is conducted in two sessions(Morning and Afternoon) on the same day.
- All applicants get 180 minutes to complete the CAT paper that consists of 100 Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) and Type in the Answer (TITA) questions.
- CAT scores/percentiles are a prerequisite for candidates seeking admission to the MBA courses of several colleges. The percentile obtained by a candidate in each section and overall determines the shortlisting of the candidates for the next rounds of graduate management programme’s admission.
- The shortlisted applicants are called to attend the second stage of the MBA admissions process: the Group Discussion (GD), Written Ability Test (WAT) and Personal Interview (PI).
- Only applicants with valid CAT scorecard will be eligible for appearing in this stage. The CAT scores also play an important part in a candidate’s selection in the final merit list as all colleges give a minimum of 20% weightage to the CAT index score.
CAT 2021 Highlights
Registrations for CAT 2020 will open on 5th August and lasted till 16th September 2020. The 2019 CAT was conducted by IIM Kozhikode.
- CAT 2020 will held on 29th November 2020 in 2 sessions across 156 cities.
- The total duration of the computer-based CAT 2020 was 3 hours.
- The paper contained 100 questions that were divided into 3 sections: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Ability.
- The sectional time limit set for each section was 1 hour. The difficulty level of the paper remained from moderate to difficult. The VARC section contained trickier questions as compared to the QA and DILR sections.
The results of CAT 2019 were announced by IIM Kozhikode on 4th January 2020. While 10 candidates managed to obtain the perfect 100 percentile, 21 applicants secured 99.99 percentile. As of the fourth week of January, several management institutes like IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Calcutta has published the list of shortlisted candidates for the Group Discussion (GD), Written Ability Test (WAT) and Personal Interview (PI) stage.
| Conducted by
IIM Kozhikode |
Frequency of CAT
Annual |
| Age Limit
None |
Medium of Examination
English |
The Validity of CAT 2020 Score
1 year (till 31 January 2021) |
CAT 2021 Important Dates
| Registration Begins |
August 2021 |
| Registration Process Ends |
September 2021 |
| Admit Card Available on |
October 2021 |
| Exam Day |
28th November 2021 |
| Release of Answer Key |
December 2021 |
| Result |
05th January 2022 |
| Publication of Shortlist |
Between the second week of January to First Week of February* |
| GD/WAT-PI rounds |
February 2021- March 2021 |
| Publication of Final List |
April 2022* |
*Can vary from college to college
CAT 2021 Eligibility Criteria
According to the official notification of CAT 2021, candidates meeting the following criteria are eligible to appear for CAT 2021:
- Must have a Bachelor’s Degree from a recognized institution with a minimum of 50% marks or equivalent CGPA.
- Applicants belonging to the Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Persons with Disability (PwD) categories must obtain a Bachelor’s Degree with a minimum of 45% marks or equivalent CGPA.
- Students awaiting results or appearing for their final year exam of Bachelor’s degree are also eligible to apply for CAT 2021.
- Applicants with a professional degree like CA/CS/ICWA are can also apply.
What is the minimum/maximum age limit for CAT?
One can give as many attempts he/she wishes to when it comes to CAT. There is no minimum or maximum age limit for the CAT. All applicants meeting the eligibility criteria can appear for the exam.
CAT 2021 Registration
Application Process
The applications of CAT 2020 will remain open from 5th August 2020 to 18th September 2020.
- The first step of application requires the candidates to register for CAT 2020 with a valid email id and mobile number.
- Applicants will then receive the CAT Registration ID and Password on their registered email id and mobile number.
- Candidates will use the login credentials to fill the application form.
- After completing step 2, candidates will have to pay the applicable non-refundable registration fees.
The mode of completing the application is entirely online.
Application Fees
|
For SC, ST and PwD Candidates
|
Rs. 950 |
| For Other Candidates |
Rs. 2000 |
Mode of Payment– Online Net Banking/Credit Card/ Debit Card/ Paytm
During the registration process, candidates will have to select 4 Exam centres of their choice.
CAT 2021 Exam Pattern
What is Exam Pattern for CAT 2021?
The computer-based CAT 2021 question paper consists of 100 questions divided into three sections. The paper consisted of both MCQ and TITA questions.
What is TITA in CAT? The TITA questions are Type in the Answer questions that require a candidate to type the answer through a virtual keypad. The official notification did not list the division between MCQ and TITA questions.
Each section had a time limit of 60 minutes. Candidates could move to the next sections after completing the attempt of the previous section. Each question carries 3 marks for correct answer and minus 1 for wrong every wrong answer.
| Section |
Number of Total Questions |
Number of TITA Questions |
Maximum Marks |
Time |
| VARC |
34 |
7 |
102 |
60 Minutes |
| QA |
34 |
8 |
102 |
60 Minutes |
| DILR |
32 |
11 |
96 |
60 Minutes |
| Total |
100 |
26 |
300 |
180 Minutes |
CAT Preparation Tips
Securing a 95+ percentile in CAT requires focus, hard work and most importantly, a systematic approach. The following preparation tips will come in handy for beginners as well as intermediates.
How should one begin the CAT preparation?
- Candidates should first read and solve the Previous Years’ Question Papers. Since the CAT doesn’t have a prescribed syllabus, the previous years’ papers are a great source to determine the trend of exam pattern.
- After solving the papers, identify your strengths and weaknesses.
What should my CAT time-table focus on?
- Make a time-table to work on your strengths and weaknesses and follow it diligently.
- An aspirant should transform his/ her weak section/s into a strength.
- Do not ignore your strong sections. All sections need equal practice and attention when a candidate targets a 95+ CAT percentile.
- Make a habit of practising every day.
How many mocks shall I take for CAT?
- Aspirants should take the Mock Tests at a regular interval. Apart from full mock tests, candidates should also attempt sectional mocks.
- The number of mocks required for a candidate will depend on the level of preparation. While some candidates attempt 5-6 mocks, many toppers tend to give more than 20 mocks.
Should I join a coaching Institute for CAT?
- Analyse your level of knowledge after attempting a mock.
- Decide whether you should join a coaching institute depending upon your marks and level of preparation.
What are the best books for CAT preparation?
Candidates can find a guide in some of the following best preparation books for CAT.
For VARC: How to Prepare for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for the CAT
by Arun Sharma and Meenakshi Upadhyay
For QA: How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for the CAT by Arun Sharma
For DILR: How to Prepare for Data Interpretation for CAT by Arun Sharma
Mock Test
What is the official CAT Mock Test?
Registered Candidates can take a mock test on the official website of CAT by logging in with their Id and Password. The Mock Test will give the applicants an idea of the exam pattern, how to submit an answer, marking scheme and many more aspects of the CAT 2020. The total duration of the Mock Test is 3 hours.
What is the best mock test series for CAT?
Aspirants can also join either of the three popular mock test series. These are IMS SimCATs, Career Launcher Test Series and AIMCAT test series from TIME.
Where can I get free CAT mock test?
Several coaching institutes offer free mock tests. Some of the best free mocks tests can be found on Career Launcher and IMS India. Apart from these, a candidate can solve previous years’ question papers like mock tests.
CAT 2021 Syllabus
What is the Syllabus for CAT 2021
The official notification of CAT 2021 does not specify the syllabus. This allows the CAT organisers to ask questions from any related topics of the three sections. However, based on previous years’ questions, experts have determined the syllabus for CAT.
What are the skills required to crack CAT?
The CAT is a basic aptitude test of three areas.
1. Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)
- Vocabulary
- Grammar
- Fill in the blanks
- Para-Jumble
- Analogies and Reverse Analogies
- Reading Comprehension
- Sentence Correction
- Summary Questions
- Verbal Reasoning
- Facts and Interference.
2. Quantitative Ability (QA)
- Number System
- Profit and Loss
- LCM and HCF
- Speed
- Distance and Time
- Geometry
- Probability
- Mensuration
- Time and Work
- Ratio and Proportion
- Averages
- Equations
- Interest
- Series Sequence
- Logarithm
- Mixtures and Alligations
- Surds and Indices
- Trigonometry
3. Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR)
- Blood Relations
- Caselets
- Tables
- Graphs
- Venn Diagrams
- Series
- Seating Arrangement
- Logical Sequence
- Binary Logic and other basic reasoning questions.
CAT 2021 Admit Card
The admit card for CAT 2021 will be available for download from October 2021. Candidates were required to download and take a print out of the admit card on an A4 size paper. It is mandatory to carry the admit card on the day of the exam. Failing to do so will deem an applicant ineligible for appearing in the exam.
Details mentioned in Admit Card: Name, Registration Id, Test Shift, Test Date, Test Center Name and Address, DOB.
1. Documents Required on CAT Exam Day
- CAT 2021 Admit Card along with the affixed photograph.
- Original and Verified ID (Voter Id, Aadhar, Passport, PAN Card, etc)
- For PwD candidates- Scribe affidavit.
2. CAT Exam Centers
The CAT 2020 exam will be conduct in 156 cities across India. The applicants have to report by 7:30 am for the morning session and by 1:00 pm for the afternoon session. The state-wise list of Exam Cities are as follows:
| 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 |
Madgaon
Panaji |
| Gujarat |
Ahmedabad
Anand
Gandhinagar
Mehsana
Rajkot
Surat
Vadodara |
| Haryana |
Ambala
Bahadurgarh
Faridabad
Gurgaon
Hisar
Palwal
Panipat
Rohtak
Sonipat |
| Himachal Pradesh |
Hamirpur
Shimla |
| Jammu & Kashmir |
Jammu
Samba |
| 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 |
| Uttarakhand |
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 |
CAT 2021 Result
Answer Key
The official answer key was released by the Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode on 29th November. The candidate response sheet was also released along with the answer key. The answer key displayed the correct option along with the wrong responses for all 100 questions. Applicants willing to determine their score can compare the official answer key with their response sheet.
CAT 2021 Result
IIM Kozhikode declared the results of CAT 2019 on 4th January 2022. Applicants can download the scorecard by logging in to the official website of CAT 2021. The scorecard will be valid till 31st December 2021.
The result of CAT 2021 will be accepted by more than 1000 management institutes.
Ten candidates obtained the 100 percentile and 21 candidates secured 99.99 percentile. All the toppers were from either technological or engineering background.
CAT Cutoff
The CAT cut-off is the minimum criteria of institutes to shortlist applicants for the GD/WAT-PI rounds. The cut-off for each B-schools differs as per several criteria. Factors determining CAT 2020 cut-off are:
- The total number of candidates appearing for the exam.
- The total number of qualifying candidates.
- The difficulty level of the exam.
- The intake capacity of an institute.
Cut-offs of top MBA colleges
| College/Business School |
Approx Cut-off Percentile |
| IIM AHMEDABAD |
99+ |
| IIM BANGALORE |
99+ |
| IIM CALCUTTA |
99+ |
| IIM INDORE |
98+ |
| FMS Delhi |
98+ |
| MDI Gurgaon |
98+ |
| IIM LUCKNOW |
98+ |
| DMS, IIT DELHI |
98+ |
| SJMSOM, IIT BOMBAY |
98+ |
Selection Process
Many management schools accepting CAT scores will publish the shortlist for WAT/GD-PI rounds starting from the second week of January 2020. Each institute will send the call letter by email to the shortlisted candidates. The list is determined by the CAT percentile of applicants.
The second stage of the admission process can include Written Ability Test (WAT), Group Discussion (GD) and Personal Interviews (PI). The process and weightage component of the GD/WAT-PI stage vary for all institutes. It is mandatory to attend this stage to be eligible for the final merit list.
Colleges can also use other factors like academic performance, work experience, gender and academic diversity of candidates in shortlisting and preparing the final list of candidates at different stages of the selection process.
Documents needed for Verification
Candidates have to bring the following documents on Interview Day for verification:
- Original Marksheets of 10th, 12th and Bachelor’s Degree
- Professional Certificate (if any)
- Work Experience related documents like Joining Letter, certificate, payslips (if any)
- Original Caste Certificate (if applicable)
- Valid Id issued by government like Aadhaar/Voter ID/ Pan Card
- CAT Scorecard
- Others
CAT 2021 FAQs:
Q. What is CAT?
A. Common Admission Test (CAT) is a National-level management entrance, competitive examination that is conducted by the Indian Institutes of Management (IIM) to provide admissions to aspirants into various management programs for IIMs and other such Non-IIM institutes.
Q. Who is eligible for CAT exam?
A. Candidates who hold a Bachelor’s Degree with minimum 50% marks or equivalent CGPA are eligible. For candidates belonging to Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Differently Abled (DA) categories require a minimum of 45% is what is expected
Q. Is the CAT score valid for 2 years?
A. No, the CAT score is only valid for one year.
Q. Why is CAT exam important?
A. CAT is an online exam organised and administered by one of the top six IIM institutes every year to shortlist the candidates to get through to various B-Schools. Many other colleges also consider CAT score to be important due to its critical nature. Thus CAT holds a lot of relevance for MBA aspirants.
Q. How many times CAT exam is conducted in a year?
A. CAT Exams are conducted by IIM institutes in two sessions on the scheduled date as a computer-based test at more than 400 testing venues across the nation.
Q. Which IIM conducted CAT 2019?
A. According to sources, the CAT 2019 exam conducted by IIM Kozhikode.
Q. What is the fee of the CAT exam?
A. From the past three years, the CAT exam fee for general category candidates is Rs. 2000 and Rs. 950 for reserved category candidates.
Q. How much percentile is required in CAT for IIM?
A. The cut-off ranges from above 70% to 90% but specific IIMs have different set cut-offs.
Q. What is considered as a good score in CAT?
A. The score consideration is subjective and depends on various B-School’s cut-off. However, anything above 90 percentile can be considered as a good CAT score.
CAT
WHAT IS CAT?
CAT is the short form for ‘Common Admission Test’ that is conducted by the Indian Institutes of Management for admission to the MBA course. It is a national level exam and is accepted by over 1000 colleges across the country apart from IIMs. The exam is computer based and is conducted in two sessions. The applicant’s ability is tested through 3 sections which is Quantitative ability, Verbal ability and reading comprehension, Data interpretation and logical reasoning.
CAT 2021 ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:
According to the previous notifications, any candidate having the following qualification s eligible for the exam:
- Must have a Bachelor’s degree in any stream from a recognised institution with a minimum of 50 % or equivalent CGPA.
- Applicants belonging to the Scheduled caste, Scheduled tribe and Person with Disability categories must have a Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 45% or equivalent CGPA.
- Students in their graduation final year or awaiting results can also apply for the exam.
- Candidates with professional degrees like CA/CS/ICWA are also eligible for the exam.
AGE LIMIT FOR THE EXAM:
There is no age limit for the exam, any candidate fulfilling the given criterias s eligible for the exam. There is also no limit on attempts as well.
CAT 2021 IMPORTANT DATES:
The registration date has not been declared for this year, usually it commences from the last week of July or first week of August.
As per previous trends, the admit card is issued in the month of October, the exam is conducted in November. The results are announced in the month of January.
CAT EXAM PATTERN:
CAT is a computer based exam and has 3 sections. It is carried out in 2 sessions, each session having a time limit of 60 minutes. The exam will have both multiple choice and subjective type questions. There will be 100 questions, each question carries 3 marks and 1 negative marking for every wrong answer.
CAT PREPARATION TIPS:
CAT is a tough exam as every year lakhs of students register for it. It requires concentration, hard work and consistency. Here are few tips that will help you prepare for the exam:
- Solve previous year questions, it will help you understand the question pattern. It will help you find your strengths and weaknesses and will save your time during the exam.
- Try giving as many mock exams as you can, you will get acquainted with the time restriction that will help you during the exam.
- Always practise your questions using a timer. It will help you get used to the time restriction.
CAT CUT-OFF:
Cutt-off is the minimum marks required by a college to shortlist a candidate for the next rounds which are Group discussion/Personal interview.
The cut-off ranges from 70 to 90, for most of the colleges, the IIMs have their own cut-off.
The top institutes in the IIM legacy like IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta etc, will have a cut-off of around 98 to 99 percentile, the later in the lines which is the newer ones like IIM Sambalpur and IIM Sirmaur go around a cut-off of 90 percentile.
