The Common Admission Test (CAT) is a computer-based aptitude test conducted by the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) for admission to their flagship MBA programs. It is one of the most prestigious MBA entrance exams in India. CAT 2024 exam has been set for November 26, 2024, facilitating admission to 20 IIMs and other MBA colleges in India. Administered by one of the top 6 IIMs, CAT 2024 is likely to be conducted by IIM Lucknow.
Around 2 Lakh aspirants appear for the CAT exam every year. In 2022, according to Prof M P Ram Mohan, IIM Ahmedabad faculty and convener of the CAT 2022 exam, “Around 2.22 lakh candidates appeared for the exam out of 2.55 lakhs registered eligible candidates.” The numbers are expected to be similar or more this year.
Here are the highlights of the CAT 2024 exam:
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Full Name
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Common Admission Test
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Conducting Body
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Indian Institute of Management
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Exam Date
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26 November 2024
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Eligibility Criteria
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Graduation with overall 50% score (45% for SC/ST candidates)
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Mode of Application
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Online
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Duration
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2 hours
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Marking Scheme
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+3 for each correct answer
-1 mark for each inaccurate answer
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Application form Fees
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INR 2,400 for General category
INR 1,200 for SC/ST/PwD
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CAT Syllabus 2024
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Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC)
Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR)
Quantitative Ability (QA)
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CAT Official Website
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iimcat.ac.in
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CAT 2024 Important Dates
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CAT 2024 Important Dates
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CAT Exam Events
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CAT Exam Date 2024
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CAT 2024 notification date
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29 July 2024
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Beginning of CAT 2024 registration
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1 August 2024
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CAT 2024 registration last date
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15 September 2024
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CAT 2024 exam date
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24 November 2024
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CAT 2023 Notification
CAT 2023 Notification is released on the official website. IIM Lucknow will conduct the CAT 2023 exam and the exam date is Nov 26th, 2023, and registration starts on 1st week of August 2023 and closes on the third week of September 2023 at 5 pm. Candidates are advised to register well in advance to avoid any last minute-hassle. The duration of CAT 2023 would be 2 hours.
The exam would contain 3 sections- Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning and Quantitative Ability and candidates would be given exactly 40 minutes for each section.
CAT 2024 Eligibility Criteria
The eligibility criteria for CAT 2024 include:
- Candidates must have completed a bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 50% aggregate or an equivalent CGPA (45% for SC, ST, and PwD/DA category) from a recognized university.
- Candidates in the final year of their bachelor’s degree or those awaiting results are also eligible to apply for CAT 2024.
Aspirants with professional degrees like CA/ CS/ ICWA are also eligible for CAT 2024, provided they meet the minimum acceptable percentage.
No upper age limit is specified, allowing working professionals to apply for CAT 2024.
While work experience is advantageous for IIM admission, it is not compulsory for CAT application.
New Eligibility Rules Introduced In 2023:
The minimal grade requirements to appear on the CAT entrance exam were removed in 2021. To guarantee a fair representation of candidates who completed their bachelor’s degrees in 2022 and 2023, this exception was made. Instead of entering marks in the CAT application form, candidates might select “Promotion/Pass.”
CAT 2023 Reservation Policy:
The reservation policy is based on the norms specified by the Government of India. As per rules OBC, SC, ST, and the EWS category candidates can avail of 27%, 15%, 7.5%, and 10% reservation benefits during the time of admission process respectively.
CAT 2024 Registration Process
CAT 2024 registration forms will be accessible on the IIM CAT website starting from the designated date. To enroll for the exam, candidates need to follow a simple process. Here’s a brief overview:
- Visit the official website: iimcat.ac.in
- Click on ‘new registration.’
- Provide your name, date of birth, nationality, phone number, and email ID.
- Complete the CAPTCHA code and verify registration with the OTP received.
- Log in using the CAT 2024 ID shared via email to fill out the form.
- Enter personal and academic details.
- Upload a recent passport-size photo and a scanned signature.
The size of the photo and signature must be Less than 80 KB and the correct format is .jpeg/ .jpg. Also, note that the Image Resolution must be 150 px/ inch.
8.Choose preferred IIMs, courses, and test cities.
9.Pay the CAT application fee using credit/debit card or net banking.
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Scanned Document
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Correct Dimension
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Photograph
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45 mm (height) x 30 mm (width)
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Signature
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35 mm (height) x 80 mm (width)
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8.Choose preferred IIMs, courses, and test cities.
9.Pay the CAT application fee using credit/debit card or net banking.
CAT 2024 Application Form
The official website, iimcat.ac.in, is expected to host the CAT 2024 application form, which would allow applicants to be admitted to 20 IIMs and other MBA programs in India, during the first week of August 2024. The CAT 2024 registration process will be done online, and interested parties can fill out the form on the official website.
Upon completion of the CAT 2024 registration process, candidates will be able to get their online admission cards. It is anticipated that the CAT 2024 exam will happen on November 30, 2024, on the last Sunday. It is anticipated that the official CAT 2024 notification would be made public during the final week of July 2024.
CAT 2023 Application Fee:
The CAT 2023 Application fee will be confirmed once the notification is released. Candidates can make online payments by any of the mentioned modes. Last year, the CAT exam registration fees were increased by 10%. Based on 2021, the application fee is as follows.
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Category
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Application Fee
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General/EWS/NC-OBC candidate
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₹2300
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SC/ST/PwD candidate
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₹1150
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How To Make Corrections in CAT 2023 Application Form?
After the window for correction in the application form opens again, log in using your ID and Password on the “Registered Candidate Login” page on the official CAT website and upload the new images (for photograph and signature) and change your test city if required.
CAT 2024 Exam Pattern
The CAT 2024 exam follows a multiple-choice question (MCQ) format and spans a duration of 120 minutes. Candidates need to solve 66 questions from the VARC, DILR, and QA sections during the CAT exam duration. The crucial highlights of the CAT exam pattern are outlined below:
- 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.
- A sectional time limit of 40 minutes is allocated for each section.
- Candidates secure three marks for every correct answer. Additionally, for each incorrect answer, 1 mark is deducted.
- There is no negative marking for non-MCQs, and skipping questions incurs no penalty.
- The maximum achievable score in the CAT 2024 exam is 198.
- Attempting all questions is not mandatory.
The table below shows the CAT 2024 exam pattern:
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CAT 2024 Exam Pattern
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CAT Exam Sections
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No. of Questions
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Difficulty Level
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Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)
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24
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Moderate to High
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Logical Reasoning & Data Interpretation (LRDI)
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20
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Moderate
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Quantitative Aptitude (QA)
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22
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High
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Timing For Different Slots On The Exam Day
The CAT exam is conducted in several slots throughout the day. Until 2019, there used to be two slots of 3 hours each. Since 2020 the exam has been conducted in three slots of two hours or 120 minutes each (40 minutes per section). The following are the three sessions and test timings:
- Slot 1- Morning session (8:30 am – 10:30 pm)
- Slot 2- Afternoon session (12:30 pm – 2:30 pm)
- Slot 3- Evening session (4:30 pm – 6:30 pm)
CAT Admit Card 2023
The admit card for CAT 2023 exam will be issued to registered candidates on the official website. It is expected to be tentatively released in the fourth week of October. The admit card is a mandatory document to be carried to the exam center. Given below is the process to download CAT admit card:
- Open the IIM CAT website
- Click on “CAT 2023 admit card”
- Enter CAT ID and password
- Go to the ‘admit card’ tab
- Open the CAT 2023 admit card and download it as a PDF
Things To Carry On CAT 2023 Exam Day:
- CAT admit card
- Valid Identity Proof
- Additional photograph
- Self-declaration issued with CAT admit card
- Covid safety-related items such as sanitizer, face masks, etc.
- Name change document (If Required)
- Medical Certificate & Scribe Affidavit (If Required)
Things Not Allowed On CAT 2023 Exam Day:
- Calculator, watch, phone, iPad, or any other electronic item
- Eatables and beverages
- Bags and purses
- Metal jewelry and accessories
- Jackets and clothes with pockets
- Footwear with thick soles
CAT 2024 Answer Key
IIM releases the CAT 2024 answer key approximately a week after the examination in the form of a candidate response sheet. The following steps explain how to download the CAT 2024 answer key and response sheet:
- Visit the official website of CAT 2024.
- Click on the ‘login’ tab.
- Enter the CAT login ID and password.
- Click on the ‘CAT 2024 answer key,’ which will be displayed on the screen.
- Click on the ‘download’ link to save it as a PDF.
After releasing the CAT answer key, IIM provides the objection window for three to four days. If a candidate believes that there are errors in the official answer key, they can challenge it by filling out an online form. The exam authorities will then re-examine the CAT answer key and make revisions if necessary.
CAT Result 2024
After releasing the official answer key, IIM announces CAT 2024 result, containing the score of every candidate. For 2024, the anticipated CAT result date is in the final week of December.
To access the result, candidates must visit the official website, locate the provided link for CAT 2024 result, and enter their login credentials, including ID and password. The CAT scorecard remains valid for 1 year. Candidates must take admission to MBA colleges within this time using their CAt 2024 result.
CAT Syllabus and Weightage
Quant syllabus and weightage-
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THE MOST IMPORTANT TOPICS (in terms of weightage)
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Topic
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Questions
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Arithmetics
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8-9
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Algebra
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5-6
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Geometry
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5-6
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Numbers
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1-3
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Series,Logs,P and C
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3-4
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Miscellaneous
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1-2
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LRDI Syllabus and Weightage
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DI
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Tables, line graphs, bar graphs, pie charts, quants based DI
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LR
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Cubes, linear and circular arrangements, venn diagram, distribution, selection, binary logic, games and tournaments, network flow diagram
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Expect 4-5 mix set from LRDI section on the basis of above topics
VARC Syllabus and Weightage
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Topics
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Weightage
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RCs
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16 questions ( 4 sets)
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Parasummary
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3 questions
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Parajumbles
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3 questions
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Odd one out
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2 questions
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CAT Score vs Percentile
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%ile
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Overall
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VARC
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LRDI
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QUANT
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99.9
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103
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45
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32
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48
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99
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95
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40
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28
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42
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98
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84
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36
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25
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36
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95
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70
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31
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20
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27
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90
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56
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26
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16
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22
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85
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48
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22
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14
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18
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80
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42
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19
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12
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15
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Now that you know where you stand, the next step is to know which B-Schools you should target.