The CAT Exam is one of the leading MBA (Master of Business Administration) entrance examinations which is conducted by the IIM (Indian Institute of Management). Pursuing an MBA from a reputed institution is a dream of many CAT aspirants. Candidates who want admission to MBA programs must appear for the CAT exam.

Table of Contents:

  • What is the CAT Exam?
  • CAT Exam Quick Highlights
  • About CAT Exam Timeline and Registration
  • CAT Exam Pattern 2022
  • CAT Section Wise Exam Pattern
  • CAT Exam Syllabus
  • CAT Exam Marking Scheme
  • Time Required to Complete the CAT Exam Syllabus
  • Programs Offered by IIMs

What is the CAT Exam?

The Common Admission Test (CAT) is India’s most popular national-level entrance exam, which admits aspirants to get into top management institutes. The Indian Institute of Management conducts this CAT exam on a rotational basis. CAT is one of the most extensive MBA entrance exams in the country. 

Common Admission Test is held once a year. The CAT Exam is a computer based test held across 156 cities in India. 

CAT Exam Quick Highlights

Name of the ExamCommon Admission Test (CAT) 
CAT Official Websitehttps://iimcat.ac.in/
Conducting BodyYet to be announced
Exam Duration

2 hours

(160 Minutes for PWD candidates)

CAT Exam Fees

INR 1100 (Reserved categories)

INR 2200 (Other categories)

Medium of ExamEnglish 
CAT Exam PatternComputer Based Test (CBT)
CAT Exam Question TypeMCQ and Non-MCQ questions
Syllabus

Quantitative Aptitude

Logical Reasoning & Data Interpretation

Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension

Eligibility

Bachelor’s degree with 50% aggregate

(45% aggregate or equivalent for reserved categories)

About CAT Exam Timeline and Registration

Every year, approximately 2.30 lakh candidates appear for the CAT exam. The CAT Exam 2022 is expected to be held on November 27, 2022. The official CAT Exam 2022 notification website will be iimcat.ac.in. The table below shows the tentative calendar of events for the CAT exam.

CAT Exam EventsExpected Date
Release of Online NotificationLast week of July 2022
Commencement of Online ApplicationFirst week of August 2022
Date of CAT ExamNovember 27th 2022
CAT Exam Result DeclarationFirst week of January 2023

CAT Exam Pattern 2022

Let us first look at the Exam Pattern before diving into the CAT Syllabus. Check out the chart below for the general aspects of the CAT Exam exam format.

CAT Exam Pattern
Number of sections3
Duration of exam40 minutes per section
Number of questions76
Total marks228
Language of question paperEnglish
Number of answer choices4

CAT Section Wise Exam Pattern

Before starting the exam preparation, you need to first note down the section-wise pattern for the CAT exam. For that, check out the table below:


CAT SectionQuestionsMCQsNon-MCQsMaximum Marks
Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC)2618878
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR)2418672
Quantitative Aptitude (QA)2618878
Total765422228

CAT Exam Syllabus

Understanding the CAT exam syllabus is essential for determining your direction through this CAT journey. By understanding the CAT syllabus, it will be easier for you to choose how much time you accumulate in each section.

CAT Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) Syllabus:

Fill in the blanksPara Completion and inferenceVerbal Logic
Verbal ReasoningSubject-verb agreementPara jumbles
Sentence completionForeign language words used in EnglishDifferent usage of the same word
GrammarReading ComprehensionIdioms
SyllogismsAnalogiesAntonyms
Jumbled paragraphsSentence correctionOne word substitution
Parts of speechPrepositionTypes of Clauses
Phrases ModifiersErrors in tensesArticles usage

CAT Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR) Syllabus:

Blood RelationsClocks and CalendarsSyllogism
SeriesStatementsVenn Diagram
PropositionData ArrangementData Structures
Direction SenseFamily TreeTables
Coding-DecodingBinary LogicPie Charts
AssumptionsSeating ArrangementData Sufficiency
PuzzlesSets & CaseletsBars & Line Graphs

CAT Quantitative Aptitude Syllabus:

GeometryRatios and ProportionInequalities
TrigonometryIn-equations Quadratic and linear equationsWork and Time
AlgebraSurds and IndicesPercentages
MensurationTime-Speed-DistanceLogarithms
Partnership (Accounts)Number SystemSquare Root and Cube Root
Profit & LossGeometric ProgressionProbability
Mean, mode, medianBinomial theoremSimple interest and compound interest

CAT Exam Marking Scheme

  • Candidates will receive 3 marks for each right answer.
  • Candidates will be penalised 1 mark for each incorrect answer to the objective questions.
  • Negative marks will not be deducted for non-MCQ questions.

Time Required to Complete the CAT Exam Syllabus

Every year more than 2 lakh CAT applicants enrol for the CAT Exam. An intense preparation time of 7-9 months before taking the exam is strongly suggested to ace the examination. However, applicants who are behind schedule, and those who are really devoted to passing the test, might do well with a 3-4 month focused preparation time.

Programs Offered by IIMs

List of IIM Institute which provides various programs offered by CAT.

IIMsProgrammes Offered
IIM AhmedabadPGP, PGP-FABM
IIM AmritsarMBA, EMBA, MBA-Business Analytics, MBA-HRM
IIM BangalorePGP, PGPEM, PGPBA
IIM Bodh GayaPGP
IIM CalcuttaMBA
IIM IndorePGP, PGP-HRM
IIM JammuMBA
IIM JammuExecutive MBA (Blended Mode)
IM JammuPGP in Health Care Management (Jointly with AIIMS Jammu and IIT Jammu)
IIM JammuPGP in Hospital Administration (Jointly with AIIMS Jammu and IIT Jammu)
IIM KashipurMBA, MBA (Analytics), EMBA
IIM KozhikodePGP, PGP-BL, PGP-F, PGP-LSM, EPGP Kochi
IIM LucknowPGP, PGP-ABM, PGP-SM
IIM NagpurPGP
IIM RaipurPGP
IIM RanchiPGP, PGP-HRM, PGP (Business Analytics)
IIM RohtakPGP, EPGPX, EPGDSM
IIM SambalpurMBA, Executive MBA
IIM ShillongPGP, PGPEX, PGPWE
IIM SirmaurMBA, MBA (T&HM)
IIM TiruchirappalliPGPM, PGPM-HR, PGPBM
IIM UdaipurMBA, MBA-DEM, MBA-GSCM, PGDBA
IIM VisakhapatnamPGP, PGPEX, PGPDGM

We hope this blog helps you comprehend the CAT exam. If you still have questions or are unsure about which exam to take for an MBA program, visit Gen-Z Careers. The Gen-Z Careers Career Counselling experts will aid you in determining which college to target to get admission across Top MBA Business School. So please get in touch with us; we would be happy to assist you!

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