Common Aptitude Test (CAT) is one of the most prestigious and widely taken national level exams in India for getting into top managerial and business institutes including all the IIMS and as many as 200 top non-IIM institutions across the country.
As many as 2 lakh students sit for the exam, increasing the level of competition every year. The CAT examinations are conducted by the IIMs on a rotational basis. Last year it was IIM Kozhikode which administered the examination and this year it is IIM Indore.
Usually, the applications for CAT aspirants are available online from July and exams are conducted by the month of November and results are out by the first week of January.
But this year because of the unforeseen emergency conditions due to the global pandemic COVID-19, the schedule of CAT has been changed.
According to the Director of IIM Indore, Himanshu Rai, the notification related to CAT exam will be available on the examination’s official website by the end of July or early August.
Application forms for CAT aspirants will be available online from August, and as planned, if the situation is controlled enough, then, the exam will be conducted by the month of November 2020.
Important Dates for CAT Examination 2020:
| Events | Date (Tentative) |
| Notification of CAT examination | Late July 2020 or Early August 2020 |
| Date for online applications of CAT 2020 to start | By first – second week of August 2020 |
| Last date for online submission of CAT 2020 Application | To be announced |
| Date for CAT application correction window | To be announced |
| Date for Admit Card Release | Generally, it is 10 days before the examination is held |
| Date of Examination | November, 2020 (tentative) |
Which candidates are eligible for taking the CAT exam 2020?
- Candidate willing to take the CAT exam must hold a bachelor’s degree or any equivalent exam like CA/ CS/ ICWA with not less than 50 per cent of marks from any recognized board/ university/ college of India.
- Candidates who are appearing for their final exams in undergraduate level or any equivalent examination are also eligible, but the admission of the candidate will be conditional.
- Candidates belonging to reserved categories require a minimum of 45 per cent of marks in graduation level or any equivalent exam to be eligible for the examination.
Important Highlights of the Common Aptitude Test (CAT) 2020
| Examination | Common Aptitude Test (CAT) |
| Frequency of Exam | Once a Year |
| Conducting Body | IIM |
| Courses Offered | MBA and PGDM courses |
| Mode of Examination | Online Mode (Computer Based Test) |
| Medium of Examination | English |
| Total Duration of Examination | 180 Minutes/ 3 Hours |
| Number of Colleges under the CAT Exam | 20 IIMs and as many as 200 other non-IIMs institutes |
| Application Dates | Tentatively to start from the first week of August 2020 |
| Date of Examination | November 2020 (tentative) |
| Result Declaration | Not Announced |
What is the syllabus for CAT examination 2020?
CAT examination is considered to be one of the toughest exams in the country. The exam consists of questions that are based upon verbal and comprehension skills, data interpretation and logical reasoning, and quantitative ability.
The paper is also divided into three sections under the above-mentioned topics. Let us look at each section broadly –
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SECTION ONE (Verbal and comprehension skills): Unseen passage, summary questions, fill in the Blanks with correct grammar Analogies or reverse analogies, Meaning- Usage Match, Word Usage, synonyms, antonyms, solving para jumble, para completion, sentence correction, verbal reasoning, and facts-inferences- judgements. |
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SECTION TWO (Data interpretation and logical reasoning): Analogies, critical reasoning, cause and effect, seating arrangement, logical matching, and logical deduction, puzzles, game-based theories, binary logic, data arrangement, team formations, syllogism, blood relations, logical connectives, assumptions, and statement-interferences-judgements, graphs, pie charts, line charts, calendars, Venn diagrams, cubes, data sufficiency, and tables. |
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SECTION THREE (Quantitative aptitude): Topics like averages, simplifications, interest, profit and loss, LCM and HCF, time and work, speed, distance and time, ratio and proportion, percentages, quadratic equations, linear equations, functions, inequalities, and logarithms. Questions based on number systems, complex numbers, series and progressions, and sequence are also included. Questions on geometry, mensuration, and coordinate geometry, probabilities, set theory, maxima and minima, mixtures, permutations and combinations, and trigonometry are also included. |
CAT 2020 EXAMINATION PATTERN AND MARKS DISTRIBUTION
| Section of Paper | No. of Questions | Type of Questions | Marks Allotted to each section | Negative marking | Marks rewarded | Duration |
| Section One (Verbal and comprehension skills) | 34 Questions | Multiple and non-multiple type questions. | 102 Marks | For every wrong multiple-choice question, one marks is deducted. | 3 marks awarded for every correct answer. | 60 Minutes |
| Section Two (Data interpretation and logical reasoning) | 32 Questions | Multiple and non-multiple type questions. | 96 Marks | For every wrong multiple-choice question, one marks is deducted. | 3 marks awarded for every correct answer. | 60 Minutes |
| Section Threee (Quantitative aptitude) | 34 Questions | Multiple and non-multiple type questions. | 102 Marks | For every wrong multiple-choice question, one marks is deducted. | 3 marks awarded for every correct answer. | 60 Minutes |
| Total: 100 questions | Total: 300 Marks | Total: 180 Minutes/ 3 hours |
CAT Mock tests are also available few weeks before the actual exam is held. You can take these mock tests available on the official websites for better understanding of the syllabus and the exam pattern.
Important admission process for CAT 2020:
- Notification for application forms available on the official CAT exam website from first last week of July 2020 (tentative).
- Fill in the application form by early August 2020 (tentative).
- Correction of application forms available from: not announced.
- Print your admit card which will be available ten days before the examination is held.
- Appear for the CAT examination which is planned to be held by November 2020.
- Check the result which is generally out by January. If you qualify with great marks, you will get into top colleges.
- After counselling and admission process, your new classes will be commenced.
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