Common Admission Test popularly known as CAT is a computer based test for admissions to 20 IIMs, IITs, FMS, MDI, SPJIMR, IMI, JBIMS & 500 plus colleges in the country. CAT exam is generally conducted in 156 and more cities across India. However, this year, the number of exam centers are expected to increase on account of COVID-19 and social distancing norms.

How many times CAT exam is conducted in a year?

Common Admission Test: Acronym CAT: Exams are conducted Once a year (usually in November/December).
Regions of Examination: 354 centres in 99 cities and towns all over India.
Language: English
Annual number of test takers: 244,000 in 2019

What is the timing of CAT exam?

The exam will be conducted in two sessions- forenoon and afternoon. The forenoon session will be conducted from 9:00 AM– 12:00 PM. The afternoon session will be conducted from 2:30 PM-5:30 PM. Candidates are supposed to reach the exam centers by 7:30 AM for forenoon session and 1:00 PM for the afternoon session.

When should I start preparing for CAT 2020?

If you start CAT 2020 preparation now, you should finish the core syllabus of CAT by July-August. Thereafter start solving previous years CAT question papers, mock test series and sample papers to develop speed and accuracy. The last three months (Sept-November) before CAT should be entirely dedicated to mock tests.

Is CAT score valid for 2 years?

CAT exam is conducted every year for admission to B-schools in the next academic session. The CAT score is valid for 1 year. But if a particular institute offers deferred admission (IIM A),you can take admission after 2 years(as specified by the institute).

Is Cat tougher than IIT?

JEE is given only by science students while CAT is given by everyone who wants to do MBA. … Similarly if an IITian worked very hard for JEE but not for CAT may not clear CAT. So it is a bit difficult to comment on the difficulty. But getting into IIM is definitely more difficult than getting into IIT.

Is a calculator allowed in cat?

Yes – a calculator is allowed in the CAT exam. But this does not mean that you can carry your own calculator in the exam. You will be allowed to use an on-screen calculator like one below. Let me add, calculators are not of much use in the CAT exam.

How many hours a day should I study for CAT?

CAT preparation requires roughly around 300 to 500 hours of serious preparation time. You can find that time easily if you do the following: a) Study for at least 2 hours everyday (every working day). Ideal would be 3 to 4 hours.

Which IIM has lowest cutoff?

The Cut Off figures are:
IIM Ranchi – 92+ percentile.
IIM Rohtak – 96+ percentile.
IIM Raipur – 90 + percentile.
IIM Trichy – 96+ percentile.
IIM Kashipur – 90+ percentile.
IIM Udaipur – 90+ percenitle.

How many attempts for cat are allowed?

There is no limit for the CAT exam candidates to the number of attempts of giving the exam. A candidate can appear unlimited time throughout his / her entire lifespan. But the candidates should have some criteria for the candidate should hold a minimum 50 % marks or equal no of CGPA or grade in Graduation.

Who earns more in terms of Pay Packet: IAS or MBA?

In terms of pure money, an IAS officer earns less than 30% of what an MBA earns at the entry level, which can go upto 5% at the time of retirement. An IAS officer working at Secretary level at GoI hardly earns 20 lpa in comparison to 3-4 crores his MBA counterpart must be earning. IAS is a high impact job.

What is the CAT age limit?

There is no age limit to appear in CAT exam. The candidates need to only have bachelor’s degree with minimum 50 per cent aggregate.

CAT Syllabus 2020

IIMs don’t specify any particular CAT exam syllabus. The CAT 2020 syllabus given below is based on the CAT exam analysis of the past years. Candidates can also download the CAT syllabus pdf to keep it handy during preparation.

CAT Syllabus

Quantitative Ability (QA)	Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC)	Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DI & LR)
Number Systems, LCM & HCF,	Synonyms Antonyms (Vocabulary Based)	Caselets and Tables
Profit, Loss & Discount, Percentages	Grammar or English Usage	Bar Graphs and Column Graphs
Speed, Time & Distance, Time & Work	Correction in Sentence	Venn Diagrams
Simple & Compound Interest	Fill in the blanks	Line Charts & Pie Chart
Ratio & Proportion, Averages	Reading Comprehension	Combination of two or more types linked to each other
Logarithm, Binomial Theorem	Verbal Reasoning	Number and Letter Series
Coordinate Geometry & Mensuration, etc.	Jumbled Paragraph and Close Passage	Calendars, Cubes and Clocks
Complex Numbers, Quadratic & Linear Equations	Meaning/Usage Match	Binary Logic
Sequences & Series, Surds & Indices, Inequalities	Analogies and Reverse Analogies	Seating Arrangement, Syllogism
Probability, Permutation and Combination	Summary Questions	Logical Matching, Connectives. Sequence
Set Theory, Functions & Geometry, Mixtures & Allegations, Trigonometry	Facts Inferences Judgements, etc.	Blood Relations, etc

CAT 2020 Registration Fee

Category	Fees*
SC, ST and PwD candidates	Rs 950
All other candidates	Rs 1900

*as per 2019