CAT 2024: Exam Date (Nov 24), Registration Closed, Check Pattern, Syllabus, Preparation, Mock

Conducted by one of the top IIMs every year by rotation, Common Admission Test is the largest MBA entrance exam for MBA admission in 21 IIMs and other top B-schools. So, it is the mandatory entrance exam for MBA admission 2025 in all the 21 IIMs, FMS Delhi, IIFT Delhi & Kolkata, SPJIMR Mumbai, MDI Gurgaon, IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IIT Kharagpur, 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 155 test cities and 400+ 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 2025 based on Common Admission Test only and will not accept any other test score

It is not only the largest MBA entrance exam in India, it is the gateway to top 1000+ MBA colleges. Following are the key highlights like of CAT Exam: 

Important dates and timelines for the IIM Common Admission Test 2024 are as below: 

Below are the important points that determine eligibility criteria 2024

• A candidate with minimum 50% marks in graduation is eligible
• A final year student in graduation is also eligible
• There is no age limit to apply and appear in the exam

Also Read: CAT Eligibility Criteria 2024   

The exam since 2015 has remained on similar pattern. However, from 2020 due to Covid pandemic, the time duration and number of questions have been reduced without change in pattern and structure of the exam. The same pattern is likely to be followed for 2024 also, as under:

CAT 2023

CAT 2022

CAT 2021

CAT Pattern 2024: Sectional Composition of Question Paper

The table below shares the sectional order, number and type of questions in each section, questions with and without negative marking for each section for the exam 

Source: Based on CAT 2023 Pattern 

Read all about Revised Exam Pattern 

CAT 2023 Analysis Slot-1

• CAT 2023 Slot-1 was conducted from 8.30 AM to 10.30 AM on Nov 26, 2023
• DILR and Quant in Slot-1 were more difficult than last year
• VARC section was of moderate difficulty level
• Number of No penalty (TITA) questions in Slot-1 were 18
• Overall Exam was rated as difficult

Exam Summary - Exam: CAT, Year: 2023 Slot-1

Sectional Order: Must Attempt Sections in Pre-Defined Order

CAT 2022 Analysis Slot-1

• CAT 2022 Slot-3 was conducted from 8.30 AM to 10.30 AM on Nov 27, 2022
• The exam was Moderate to difficult and was on last year pattern
• Number of No penalty (TITA) questions reduced to 17 in Slot-1
• VARC was more difficult than the other two sections

Exam Summary Year: 2022 Slot 1

Overall Difficulty Level: Moderate

CAT 2021 Analysis Slot-1

• CAT 2021 Slot-1 was conducted from 8.30 AM to 10.30 AM on Nov 28, 2021
• The exam was conducted by IIM Ahmedabad with many aspirant friendly changes
• Number of questions reduced to 66 in CAT 2021 from 76 in CAT 2020
• No Change in Time duration which remained of 2 hours
• Exam was of Moderate difficulty with VARC having some tricky questions on RC passages
• Number of No penalty (TITA) questions reduced to 17 in Slot-1
• Number of Non MCQs were 19 out of 66 total questions

CAT 2021 Exam Summary Slot-1

Overall Difficulty Level: Moderate to Difficult

Read in detail Complete Previous Year CAT Exam Analysis

Although the exam Syllabus is not pre-defined by IIMs, it overall tests the candidate on Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension; Quantitative Aptitude; Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning. During the last 5 years, CAT exam syllabus has substantially changed. Major changes in the Syllabus 2024 are:

• The Syllabus is changed and contains different type of questions with a combination of MCQs & Non-MCQs.
• 25-30% Questions are no penalty questions now
• Most of the changes in syllabus have taken place in the Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension Section as the share of Reading Comprehension based questions has increased as compared to Verbal Ability questions
• A few changes in syllabus have been introduced in Quantitative Ability section with more focus on Arithmetic questions 

7.1 CAT Syllabus Section-Wise 

You can prepare with self preparation through Books, Mocks or through coaching as per your convenience. Shared below are the details of best preparation books section wise, how to prepare with Coaching, how to prepare with self preparation, Preparation with Mocks, toppers’ tips and more:

8.1 CAT Preparation Books for VARC, DILR, Quant
The Best Books for Preparation should keep pace with the changing exam pattern. Most of the preparation books in the market are based on the previous exam pattern but the best books shared here are the updated books which have incorporated changes with the anticipated question type in the exam. Every year different types of questions appear in the exam. During the last few years, the exam pattern has been modified completely. So, while choosing the best books for CAT preparation, it should be kept in mind that the books are conversant with the changed exam pattern and difficulty level. Few things to check in the books are:

• Should Provide conceptual clarity on the relevant topic
• Rich on the exercises, practice questions and Mocks given after each topic
• Caters your need to focus more on the weak areas with variety of practice questions  
• Latest edition of CAT preparation Book offers the updated exam pattern and syllabus also

8.1.1 Section-Wise 10 Best books for CAT Preparation
If you are self-preparing for the exam or are preparing with the support of coaching institute, in both the cases, the latest edition of the books for preparation as shared below section wise will help you in getting more conceptual clarity, practice questions and attempting the sample papers

8.1.2. CAT Preparation Books for VARC

• How to Prepare for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for CAT’- by Arun Sharma & Meenakshi Upadhyay
• Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for the CAT by Nishit K Sinha
• Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension by Ajay Singh
• Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis

8.1.3 CAT Preparation Books for DILR

• How to Prepare for Data Interpretation for CAT by Arun Sharma (Published by McGraw Hill)
• How to Prepare for Logical Reasoning for CAT by Arun Sharma (Published by McGraw Hill)
• Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation for the CAT by Nishit K. Sinha
• CAT Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning by Gautam Puri, Publisher Career Launcher

8.1.4 CAT Preparation Books for QA

• How to prepare for Quantitative for the CAT by Arun Sharma, published by MGH Education
• Quantitative Aptitude for the CAT by Nishit K Sinha
• Quantitative Aptitude Quantum CAT by Sarvesh K Verma

Check & Read about the key features, price for Best CAT Preparation Books   

8.2. CAT Preparation with Top CAT Coaching Institutes
A few months of devoted preparation can enable you to crack the exam as it requires ‘Smart Preparation.’ You can join a coaching as it offers expert guidance. 

8.2.1 Benefits of CAT 2024 Preparation with Coaching

• Coaching institutes help you to prepare systematically without deviating from your preparation path.
• While offering smart and intensive preparation for the exam, the top coaching institutes help you to minimize the wastage of time with optimum utilization.
• There are 6 months, 3 months and 1 month preparation time modules offered by the good coaching institutes that help you crack the exam with high score
• If you need to clear the concepts and build your basics before practicing sessions, coaching centers suggest to start the preparation with a 6 month time margin.

8.2.2 Top CAT Coaching Centers in India
The choice of coaching mode depends upon your interest, time, money and preparation level while preparing for the exam. Shared below are the top coaching institutes with their key centres and available options for coaching: 

MBAUniverse.com Analysis based on CAT 2023 slot-1

Check in Detail How to prepare for VARC

Coaching Institutes offering Attractive Discounts, Check program details of Top Institutes

8.3 Self & Coaching Mixed CAT Preparation
Exam preparation can be self, with the support of online or offline coaching or a mix of both. To begin and advance with your preparation, experts suggest:

• You should have strong basics with clarity on concepts
• Improve your weak areas and strengthen your strong areas
• Consistent revision is required with Mocks, practice tests, Quizzes
• Prepare a list of topics as per the syllabus and improve on each of them
• Form a peer group on social media for preparation
• Focus more on RC in VARC section; focus equally on DI & LR and practice more Arithmetic questions to clear the section wise cut offs
• Time Management with Accuracy & Speed is required. Consistently improve on them
• Consult best preparation books and attempt their practice questions
• Read Interviews and tips from Toppers studying at IIMs, FMS, SPJIMR, MDI, on their CAT preparation strategy published on MBAUniverse.com and other channels 

8.3.1 Preparation for VARC, DILR, Quant
The section wise preparation strategy is very important. Key tips to prepare for each section is as below:

8.3.1.1 Preparation for VARC

• Go through the Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension Syllabus 
• Choose the Best books
• Read the strategy for Verbal Ability Preparation of past toppers
• Questions on RC passages in the exam constitute 70% share and Verbal questions are 30%. So focus and practice more RC based questions

Section-1: Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC): Composition

8.4 How did CAT Toppers Prepare for Each Section? Check Strategy
Sectional preparation strategy as followed by these toppers is shared below: 

Read 100+ CAT Toppers’ Preparation Strategy  

Read Expert Guidance How to prepare for DILR 

8.3.1.3 Preparation for Quantitative Ability Section
Quantitative Ability (QA) is the last section in CAT exam. It can improve or reduce your CAT score substantially. To score high in this section, experts advise following tips:

• A three dimensional approach is recommended on CAT Preparation for Quant section
• Strengthen your basics and formulae in Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, Modern Math and allied topics
• Practise on variety of questions of different difficulty level
• Finally solve previous CAT papers and Mocks for each topic. The more you do it, the more expertise in Quant section for CAT, you will get.
• QA Sectional Composition

 Read Quant Preparation Strategy by Experts   

8.3.1.2 Preparation for DILR
DILR is the 2^nd section in the exam. It plays very important role to clear the cut off percentile. The section has equal number of Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning Questions. You need to practice more to score high in this section. Experts advise following tips to prepare for DILR:

• Data Interpretation questions for CAT test your analytical skills of interpreting the Data given to you in the form of Table, Chart, Graph or in other form
• Logical Reasoning constitutes 50% share in the newly created Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation Comprehension (DILR) Section
• The goal of scoring high in the exam can be achieved with small but consistent efforts and time devoted to the DILR section.
• DILR preparation requires you to first get as many as DILR practice questions
• To move in direct DILR preparation direction, it will be better to refer to sample and previous year DILR questions with solutions

Exam Wise Section wise Topics & Types of Questions Table

Section: Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR)

Toppers are of the view that taking Mocks is of utmost importance as it is a very important preparation tool. If you are seriously preparing for the exam and wish to score high percentile, it is necessary to attempt more and more Mock Tests to get ready for the exam day. All the CAT toppers studying at IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta, Lucknow, Kozhikode found Mocks the most important part of their preparation and have recommended to take more mocks just like taking the actual exam and analysing mistakes in each mock. You can attempt the full length CAT Mock and sectional Mocks prepared by experts at MBAUniverse.com  

Source: MBAUniverse.com Research & Analysis

10.2 IIMs’ Common Admission Test (CAT): Application Trends Over the Years

3.30 lakh candidates had applied for CAT 2023 registering an increase of 30% over last year which witnessed 2.55 lakh candidates. The rising number of registrations signify that candidates have to compete with more candidates in the exam and need to score high to get shortlisted by top three IIMs and other top MBA colleges.

Although the trends in registrations since 2010 show a downward journey initially, but from 2013 it has been showing a rising registration count reflecting the regaining trust of aspirants and anticipation of better career opportunities after completing MBA/PGP from an IIM or other top B-school

CAT Registration process is online. You can register & apply online only on the official website iimcat.ac.in. The registration fee is Rs. 2500 /- for General/EWS/OBC candidates and Rs.1250/ for SC/ST/PWD candidate. The exam fee should be paid online only. The application process for the exam will open in August first week after release of Notification in last week of July. You can complete registration and application process in following steps:

CAT Registration: 3 Step Process

10.1 Key Points to Note during CAT Exam Registration & Application Process

• During registration, the mobile number and email address provided by the you will be verified through an OTP sent to that mobile number and email address
• Once the OTP is verified, the User ID and the Password will be sent on the registered email address and or on the registered mobile number to complete the registration process.
• You can complete the application form in a single session or in multiple sessions
• Save your current completed application pages and login later to complete the remaining Application Form
• Once the payment is made and the Application Form is submitted, you cannot make any changes
• You can only view and print the Application Form after submitting it

The Admit Card download will start from November 5, 2024. IIMs will upload the Admit card on official CAT exam website 2024 iimcat.ac.in. The admit card release date may be extended by a few days. The last date to download the Admit Card is exam date. 

3 Steps to Download CAT 2024 Admit Card

1. Logon to CAT official Website iimcat.ac.in
2. Enter Login ID & Password & Click on ‘Admit Card’
3. Click on Download & Take Print of Admit card

The exam will be held in 170 test cities having around 400 cat exam centres across the country. List of State Wise Test Cities is given below in the Tabular Form. More test cities are proposed for CAT 2024

IIMs release CAT answer key to maintain transparency in exam and to help candidates to check their responses with the correct answers. The Answer key 2024 will be released 3-4 days after the exam date on official website. You can download your answer key from official website by login with your login ID and password.  The Slot wise response sheet will be released separately to enable the exam takers to raise & file objection to the answers which appear wrong to the test takers. 

You should look for answer key 2024 release announcement on the home page of official website. Immediately after the announcement, IIMs release the answer keys along with the question paper with all the important instructions

All the 21 IIMs including the top IIMs namely, IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Calcutta, IIM Lucknow, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Indore in which average salary in placement is more than Rs.25 lakhs per annum, offer MBA admission through high exam score. The required CAT cut off percentile in all these IIMs for admission 2025 is shared below.

More than Top 500 MBA colleges in India will accept CAT 2024 score for MBA admission 2025. Apart from 20 IIMs, other top MBA colleges with CAT cut offs in non-IIM category, include FMS Delhi, MDI Gurgaon, SPJIMR Mumbai, SJMSoM IIT Mumbai, DoMS IIT Delhi among others. Some of the top colleges with their expected cut offs are as below:

Check and Read all about the CAT Accepting Colleges

Apart from being the most important entrance test for the flagship 2 years full time post graduate management program (MBA/PGDM), the Common Admission Test is the gateway for one year MBA programmes in IIMs and other prominent management institutes. Following are the various MBA courses and other management programs at IIMs in which admission 2025 is available through Common Admission Test 2024

CAT 2024 exam official result declaration date is 2nd week of January 2025. However, IIMs release the  result in the third week of December or first week of January. Immediately after the result declaration, IIMs will start announcing their shortlist on the basis of CAT scores and other parameters in their shortlisting criteria for final selection round. The final admission offer will be made to the candidates in the months of April/May 2025 by IIMs

IIMs release their individual admission process after CAT notification. The admission process in IIMs depends upon your performance in three major areas – Your exam score; your academic record and performance in Personal Interview round. There are three stages through which IIM Admission Process is completed, they are:

• Stage-1: Performance in CAT Exam
• Stage-2: Shortlisting by IIMs for PI round
• Stage-3: IIMs Final Selection Process 2025 comprising WAT & PI Round

Your final admission offer depends upon your performance in all the above three stages of IIMs selection process. While the older IIMs conduct their individual selection process, 9 new and baby IIMs conduct common admission process (CAP) for admission. Remaining IIMs conduct their individual selection process.

17.1 Top IIMs Conduct Individual Admission Process
IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta, Lucknow, Kozhikode, Indore, Mumbai, Shillong individually shortlist the candidates and conduct their own admission process that award high weightage to academics, diversity, work experience apart from exam score

17.2 Common Admission Process (CAP) for 10 IIMs
The final selection process at 10 new IIMs is conducted as a common process. One of the six new IIMs co-ordinates this selection process which is referred to as Common Admission Process (CAP). The CAP 2025 will consist of common WAT and PI round for 10 new IIMs namely IIM Kashipur, Raipur, Ranchi, Trichy, Udaipur, Nagpur, Bodhgaya, Sambalpur, Sirmaur and Jammu.

17.3 IIM Rohtak, IIM Visakhapatnam, IIM Amritsar, to conduct individual admission process
IIM Amritsar, IIM Rohtak and IIM Visakhapatnam do not participate in CAP round and conduct their own final selection process to make admission offer to the students. The final admission offers will be generated as per the merit lists prepared on the basis of CAT scores, Academic profile, Work experience and gender diversity in accordance with the weightage awarded to each of these factors.  

Q: When CAT is Conducted?
A: The exam is conducted annually preferably on the last Sunday of November every year

Q: What is the last date of CAT Registration 2024?
A: The last date of CAT Registration 2024 is September 13, 2024.

Q: What is Mode of CAT?
A: It is a computer based entrance test of two hours duration

Q: When to look for CAT Notification and complete CAT Information?
A: IIMs have released all the details about the exam in leading news papers on July 28, 2024 as well as on official CAT website. A day before this publication, the CAT convener sends the press release with important details about the exam on the designated web portals. The process to register and apply for the exam is open from August 1, 2024 at iimcat.ac.in.

Q: Which is the website at which I can apply for CAT 2024?
A: You can register and apply for CAT 204 at official CAT website iimcat.ac.in  

Q: How difficult is CAT?
A: Despite being a highly competitive and most important MBA entrance exam in India, the difficulty level of the exam is considered moderate to high.

Q: What is the Scoring Pattern in CAT
A: Each correct answer in the exam is awarded with 3 marks. The raw score obtained in the exam is converted to scaled score and then converted to percentile score after allowing for equating and normalizing the scores for all the 3 exam slots. IIMs and other top MBA colleges consider percentile awarded in the exam to shortlist the candidates for final selection round.

Q: Is CAT syllabus pre defined by IIMs?
A: No the syllabus is not predefined by IIMs. In fact, the syllabus goes on changing with the change in exam structure.

Q: What are important and latest changes in CAT syllabus?
A: The syllabus has increased the number of RC based questions and has dropped some Verbal Ability based questions like correction of errors in sentences, fill in the blanks among others

Q: Should I prepare as per the latest pattern of CAT syllabus?
A: Yes, the key topics in the syllabus are same, so you should prepare as per the latest syllabus which is likely to remain same as last year.

Q. How many Questions are expected in CAT 2024?
A: The exam is expected to consist of 66 questions

Q. How difficult is the CAT exam
While some of the questions are of moderate difficulty level, some are more difficult

Q. Do IIMs provide any document and guide how to attempt CAT Exam?
A. IIMs release practice test with complete navigation guide on the official website iimcat.ac.in. You can familiarize yourself with the functionality and navigation of the actual exam. You can also attempt Mock Tests and Previous years question papers with answers at MBAUniverse.com

Q. Quant and DI questions require too much calculations. Can I take a calculator to the testing centre?
A. No, but the onscreen calculator is available throughout the exam. You can use that

Q. What is the Scoring Pattern in CAT? Do the wrong answers carry any penalty of negative marking?
A. The question paper is divided into MCQs and Non-MCQs. Each correct answer in the exam is awarded +3 marks for all the questions but the MCQs carry a penalty of -1 mark for each wrong answer. For the Non-MCQs (Known as TITA Questions), there is no penalty of negative marking. Besides there is no penalty for any unattempted questions whether MCQ or Non-MCQ.

Q. How a Non-MCQ is different from MCQ type question?
A. For a non-MCQ type question, you must type the answer in the given space while for the MCQ you only need to click on the most appropriate answer option

Q. What is the number of Non-MCQs overall and section wise in the CAT question paper?
A. Out of the total overall questions in the exam, there are about 25% Non-MCQs. The same principle applies to each section. Exact number of Non-MCQs in the exam depends upon the total questions in the Exam. 

Q. Can I choose the order of sections while attempting the CAT question paper?
A. No, you should answer the sections in a pre-specified order. This order is same for all the candidates. Besides, each section has an individual time limit of 40 minutes, so after the individual section time is over, you will be taken to next section automatically.

Q. Can I submit the paper early and leave the test center before the exam time is over?
A. No, the paper cannot be submitted before the test duration of 2 hours is over. You can neither leave your seat, nor can leave the test centre early

Q. What have been the important changes in CAT exam over the years?
A. The exam has seen substantial changes over the years. Key changes in time duration, pattern are as below