About the CAT Examination
- CAT stands for 'Common Admission Test'. Each year CAT is conducted by Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs). It is the most popular and prestigious exam throughout India, which serve as the eligibility criteria for major B-Schools.
- CAT 2017 notification was released on 29th July, 2017 by IIM Lucknow.
- The raw score is calculated for each section based on the number of questions one answered correctly, incorrectly, or left unattempted. Candidates are given +3 points for each correct answer and -1 point for each incorrect answer. No points are given for questions that are not answered.
- CAT 2017 will be conducted in around 140 cities. Candidates are given the option to select 4 Test Cities in order of preference.
- Official Website of CAT Examination: https://iimcat.ac.in
Important Dates: CAT 2017
| Events | Important Dates |
|---|---|
| CAT 2017 Application Registration Starts | AUG 9, 2017, Wednesday |
| CAT 2017 Registration Ends | SEP 20, 2017, Wednesday at 05:00 PM |
| CAT 2017 Admit Card Download | OCT 18, 2017, Wednesday from 01:00 PM |
| CAT 2017 Examination Date | NOV 26, 2017, Sunday |
| CAT 2017 Result Declaration | Second week of January 2018 |
CAT Applicants Count
| Year | Total Applicants | Female Applicants |
|---|---|---|
| CAT 2009 | 2,41,000 | 56,050 |
| CAT 2010 | 2,04,000 | 53,732 |
| CAT 2011 | 2,05,000 | 56,050 |
| CAT 2012 | 2,15,000 | 60,876 |
| CAT 2013 | 1,94,514 | 54,463 |
| CAT 2014 | 1,89,759 | 51,234 |
| CAT 2015 | 2,18,664 | 58,270 |
| CAT 2016 | 2,32,434 | 76,000 |
Form Fee CAT 2016 : Paid Online
- General- Rs. 1800
- SC, ST, and PwD- Rs. 900
Eligiblity Criteria
- Candidate should have a relevant bachelor’s degree from a recognized University with a minimum percentage of 50 for General category candidates and 45 for reserved category.
- Candidates appearing for the final year of Bachelor’s degree/equivalent qualification examination and those who have completed degree requirements and are awaiting results can also apply. However, it may be noted that such candidates, if selected, will be allowed to join the programme provisionally, only if they submit a certificate from the Principal / Registrar of their University/institution(issued on or before the date as stipulated by the respective IIM) stating that they have completed all the requirements for obtaining the Bachelor’s degree/equivalent qualification on the date of the issue of the certificate.
Exam Format
Computer based test
Test Subjects
- Quantitative Ability
- Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension
- Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning
| CAT Exam Section | Number of Topics | Number of Questions | Section Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quantitative Ability | 5 | 34 | 102 |
| Logical Reasoning And Data Interpretation |
8 |
32 | 96 |
| Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension | 6 | 34 | 102 |
CAT Exam Pattern 2016
CAT 2016 exam was of 3 hours duration.
The exam Common Admission Test (CAT) 2016 was conducted by IIM Bangalore. It was an online computer based test.were sufficient number of Non-MCQs in each section of CAT 2016 exam.
Apart from Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs), theredivided in 3 sections of 60 minutes each. Candidates are not allowed to move between one section to other during the 1 hour assigned to the particular section. Test takers cannot leave their seats during the exam.was
- Section: Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension
No of Questions: 34
No. of MCQs: 24
No. of Non-MCQs: 10
Time limit to solve: 1 hour
- Section: Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning
No of Questions: 32
No. of MCQs: 24
No. of Non-MCQs: 8
Time limit to solve: 1 hour
- Section: Quantitative Aptitude
No of Questions: 34
No. of MCQs: 24
No. of Non-MCQs: 10
Time limit to solve: 1 hour
*As per the marking scheme, each question carries 3 marks and there is negative marking of 1 mark for each wrong answer. There is no negative marking for the non-multiple choice questions.
Exam Syllabus
| Quantitative Aptitude | Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning | Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension |
|---|---|---|
| Number Systems | Caselets and Tables | Synonyms Antonyms (Vocabulary Based) |
| LCM & HCF | Bar Graphs and Column Graphs | Grammar or English Usage |
| Profit, Loss & Discount | Venn Diagrams | Correction in Sentence |
| Percentages | Line Charts & Pie Chart | Fill in the blanks |
| Speed, Time & Distance | Combination of two or more types linked to each other | Jumbled Paragraph and Close Passage |
| Time & Work | Number and letter Series | Analogies and Reverse Analogies |
| Simple & Compound Interest | Calendars, Cubes and Clocks | Meaning/Usage Match |
| Ratio & Proportion | Binary Logic | Verbal Reasoning |
| Averages | Seating Arrangement | Summary Questions |
| Quadratic & Linear Equations | Syllogism | Reading Comprehension |
| Complex Numbers | Logical | Facts Inferences Judgements |
| Logarithm | Matching | |
| Binomial Theorem | Logical Sequence | |
| Sequences & Series | Logical | |
| Surds & Indices | Connectives | |
| Inequalities | Blood Relations | |
| Probability, Permutation, and Combination | ||
| Set Theory | ||
| Functions & Geometry | ||
| Mixtures & Alligations | ||
| Trigonometry | ||
| Coordinate Geometry & Mensuration |
Minimum CutOff
As the exam CAT is mainly targeted to get into IIMs, the cutoff criteria is one of the main dilemma for aspirants. The cutoff percentile differs every year and the minimum cut off percentile is set determining many factors such as:
- Number of candidates' appeared for the exam
- Number of candidates' passed the exam
- Difficulty level of the question paper
- Number of seats available
Shortlisted candidates from the above percentiles may go through for second stage of selection process like Written Ability Test (WAT), Group Discussion (GD) and Personal Interviews (PI).
Top B-schools accepting CAT Score
| Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) |
|---|
| Indian Institute of Technology (IITs offering MBA courses) |
| FMS, Delhi |
| S.P. Jain, Mumbai |
| Management Development Institute, Gurgaon |
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