What is Common Aptitude Test (CAT)?

The CAT (Common Admission Test) is a widely recognised 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 1200 management colleges for admission into MBA programs.

The CAT 2024 exam is scheduled for November 24, 2024, and will be conducted in three sessions. It will be held in a computer-based test format across over 135 cities in India. The CAT score is valid for admission to 21 IIMs and other MBA colleges in India. The exam is conducted on a rotational basis by one of the top six IIMs, with IIM Calcutta overseeing CAT 2024. The official notification for CAT 2024 was released on July 30, 2024. The registration process will start on August 1, 2024, and continue until September 13, 2024. This year, the CAT exam fee has increased once again.

CAT 2024 Highlights

The registration for CAT 2024 examination will commence on 1st August 2024, and a candidate can apply for the exam till 13th September 2024. CAT 2024 is expected to be conducted by either IIM Lucknow or IIM Calcutta.

• The CAT exam is held in three sessions
• Each session is of 120 minutes
• There is sectional time limit of 40 minutes per section
• The CAT exam has three sections – VARC, DILR and QA
• 3 marks are awarded for every correct answer
• 1 mark is deducted for every incorrect answer
• There is no negative marking for non-MCQs and skipping questions
• Total number of questions are 66
• Total marks is 198
• It is not mandatory to attempt all the questions

CAT 2024 Important Dates | CAT 2024 Exam Notification

The following table contains details about CAT 2024 Registration, exam date, & other exam details: 

Eligibility Criteria for CAT 2024

As per the official notification issued for CAT 2024, candidates must meet the below-mentioned criteria to be eligible for appearing in CAT 2024.

• A Bachelor’s Degree from any recognised 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 recognised 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 2024 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 2024

Application process 

The application form commences on 1st August 2024, and ends on 13th September 2024. Candidates have to register for the exam from the official website of CAT.

Check below the CAT registration and application process for 2024:

1. Visit the official website: iimcat.ac.in.
2. Click on ‘New Registration’.
3. Enter your name, date of birth, nationality, phone number, and email ID to register.
4. Log in with the ID received in the email to fill out the CAT application form.
5. Enter personal and academic details.
6. Upload a recent passport-sized photo and scanned signature.
7. Select preferred courses and IIMs.
8. Choose test city preferences from the drop-down menu.
9. Pay the CAT application fee via credit/debit card or net banking.

Note: Candidates can select up to six cities for the allotment of the CAT exam center in the application form.

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.

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 6 examination centers during the registration process.

Exam pattern: CAT 2024

The IIMs have established the CAT 2024 exam pattern. According to the official pattern, the CAT 2024 exam will consist of 66 objective-type questions (both MCQs and TITA) to be completed in 120 minutes. These 120 minutes are divided into three sections, with each section allotted 40 minutes. Previously, the CAT exam lasted 180 minutes, but since 2020, the duration has been reduced to 120 minutes. Read below for detailed information on the CAT 2024 exam pattern:

The CAT exam pattern is designed to test a candidate’s ability to solve mathematical and reasoning problems accurately and efficiently. The test emphasises mathematical aptitude and logical reasoning. Candidates planning to appear for CAT 2024 should familiarise themselves with the latest exam pattern to understand the structure of the CAT question paper and its marking scheme.

The CAT 2024 question paper will have three sections:

1. Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)
2. Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR)
3. Quantitative Aptitude (QA)

• The VARC section will have 24 questions, carrying a total weightage of 72 marks.
• The DILR section will have 20 questions, with a total weightage of 60 marks.
• The Quantitative Aptitude section will have 22 questions, with a total weightage of 66 marks.

CAT Pattern 2024

A CAT tutorial for candidates will be released a week before the exam to help them familiarise themselves with the CAT exam process. The tutorial will explain the latest exam pattern and test structure. Below are some key points of the expected CAT paper pattern and marking scheme:

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.

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 2 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 2024

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 2024

The candidates after successful registration of the examination can download the admit card from the official website from 5th November 2024. 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 2024.
• A photograph is to be pasted on the admit card
• Original Identification card (Aadhaar Card, Driving license, PAN, Passport, Voter Id, College 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

The CAT 2024 exam will be conducted at designated exam centers across India, and candidates must adhere to specific guidelines. These exam day guidelines will be detailed on the CAT admit card 2024. It is essential for candidates to read and follow these guidelines carefully to avoid any issues at the test center. Below are important CAT exam day guidelines, including documents to carry and prohibited items at the exam center.

Result for CAT 2024

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 2024 Cutoff Score

Candidates can check the expected CAT cutoff 2024 score and percentile in the table below.​​

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

CAT Cut off 2024 for IIMs

IIMs release the minimum CAT 2024 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.

Explore some crucial insights into CAT exam cut off 2024 below:

• The official release of the actual IIM CAT cutoff, which determines PI shortlisting, is still pending.
• 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 2024 cutoffs following the announcement of CAT 2024 results

Colleges Accepting CAT Score 2024  – 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:

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. The CAT (Common Admission Test) exam is conducted only once a year. The CAT exam is held in three sessions. Each session lasts for a duration of 120 minutes. The CAT exam paper is divided into three sections – VARC, DILR, and QA. The total number of questions in the exam is 66

Q. What are the registration fees for different categories?

Ans. The registration fees for the applicants of the open category amount to Rs 2500 whereas for the reserved category the registration fee is Rs 1250.

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.