What Is CAT Exam In India?
Gain all information into India's CAT Exam – an overview, significance, structure, pattern and preparation tips. Your one-stop resource for all CAT exam details.
eduethicadmin 
The CAT exam, the Common Admission Test, is a highly competitive entrance exam in India. It is conducted by the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and is used for admission to various management programs offered by these prestigious institutions. The CAT exam is one of the most popular and challenging entrance exams for MBA (Master of Business Administration) and other postgraduate management programs in India.
Here are some main points about the CAT exam:
- Purpose: The primary purpose of the CAT exam is to assess a candidate's aptitude and skills in areas such as quantitative ability, verbal ability, data interpretation, and logical reasoning. The scores obtained in the CAT exam are used by various IIMs and other top business schools in India to shortlist candidates for their management programs.
- Eligibility: To be eligible for the CAT exam, a candidate must typically have a bachelor's degree with a minimum specified percentage (usually around 50% for general category candidates) from a recognized university. However, eligibility criteria may vary yearly, so candidates should check the official CAT website for the most up-to-date information.
- Exam Pattern: The CAT exam typically consists of three parts: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Ability (QA). The exam is computer-based (CAT is a computer-adaptive test), including multiple-choice and non-MCQ (type in the answer) questions.
- Duration: The CAT exam usually lasts around 2 hours, with each section allocated a specific time limit. Candidates must complete each section within the allotted time.
- Scoring: CAT scores are reported on a scale of 0 to 100, and the final mark is a composite score based on the performance in all three sections. Management institutes use the scores for shortlisting candidates for further stages of the selection process, which may include group discussions (GD), written ability tests (WAT), and personal interviews (PI).
- Competition: CAT is highly competitive, with thousands of aspirants competing for limited seats in prestigious management programs. The difficulty level of the exam can be quite high, and extensive preparation is often required to secure a good score.
- Acceptance: While the IIMs primarily use the CAT exam, many other reputed management institutes and business schools in India also accept CAT scores for program admission.
