Common Admission Test (CAT) Exam

The Common Admission Test (CAT) is a computer-based test held in India to determine eligibility for admission to Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and other management schools. The test measures a candidate’s ability in quantitative ability (QA), data interpretation (DI), and verbal ability (VA), and logical reasoning (LR).

The test is held annually and is typically conducted in the month of November. The registration process for the test begins in the month of August. To be eligible to take the test, a candidate must hold a bachelor’s degree with at least 50% marks or equivalent CGPA. Final year students are also eligible to take the test.

The test consists of multiple-choice questions and is divided into three sections:

Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension

Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning

The duration of the test is 3 hours. Each section has a time limit of 60 minutes, and the candidates cannot switch between sections. The Test is administrated and conducted by IIM’s and the scores are used by more than 2000 colleges for MBA admission in India.

The score for the CAT exam is valid for only one year. Candidates can use the CAT score to apply to various MBA and PGDM programs at IIMs and other management institutes that accept the CAT score.

In recent years, the overall difficulty level of the test has increased, and the number of applicants has also risen dramatically. As a result, the competition for a limited number of seats at the IIMs and other top management institutes is extremely fierce.