What is CAT Exam?

The CAT Exam full form Common Admission Test is a computer-based assessment for admission to the IIMs and other prestigious business schools in the country The IIMs hold the CAT exam on a rotating basis each year. CAT 2021 will be conducted by IIM Ahmedabad in November where CAT 2020 was conducted by IIM Indore. The CAT 2021 exam date is 28th November 2021 and registration has started from 4th August where as registration ends on 15th September. The test consists of three sections: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Ability.

What is CAT Exam Pattern?

In CAT 2020 there were 76 questions in the CAT exam. The CAT exam duration was reduced to 2 hours compared to the previous years due to the coronavirus pandemic. CAT 2021 will also be a 2-hour exam. Here is the detailed section-wise exam pattern of the CAT Exam.CAT exam also has a negative marking of -1 for all the MCQ-based questions.

To know more read here about CAT Exam Pattern

What is CAT Exam Eligibility?

Candidates must meet the following criteria to be eligible for CAT:

1. Should have a bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 50% or comparable CGPA. Students belonging to any of the reserved categories, such as Scheduled Tribes (ST), Scheduled Castes (SC), Persons with Disabilities (PWD), or Differently Abled (DA), must achieve a minimum of 45 percent.
2. The degree must be awarded by one of the Universities listed in an act of the central or state legislatures in India, or any other educational institutions established by an act of Parliament or declared to be deemed as a University under Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956, or hold an equivalent qualification recognized by the Ministry of Human Resources Development in India.
3. Applicants in their final year of a bachelor’s degree program and those who have finished their graduation degree requirements and are awaiting results are both eligible to apply. Candidates will be permitted to join the program provisionally if they submit a certificate from the Principal/Registrar of their College/Institute (issued on or before June 30, 2021) stating that they have completed all requirements for obtaining a bachelor’s degree/equivalent qualification on the date the certificate was issued.

What is CAT Exam Syllabus?

The main CAT Exam Subjects are Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension, Logical Reasoning & Data Interpretation, and Quantitative Aptitude.

Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension: This part includes Reading comprehension passages and a few questions. Aside from that, a few grammar-related questions are asked, such as para summary, jumbled sentences also known as para jumbles, and so on.

Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation: The logical reasoning section is fairly broad, with questions based on seating arrangements, direction sense tests, and other topics. The questions in the data interpretation area are largely based on data caselets and different types of graphs.

Quantitative Aptitude: The CAT quantitative aptitude syllabus primarily covers topics from grades 8 through 10, such as Arithmetic, geometry, algebra, and number systems.

To know the syllabus in detail, visit CAT Syllabus

What is the CAT Exam Date?

The CAT 2021 exam is going to be held in the last week of November dated 28th November 2021, including morning, afternoon, and evening sessions. The Convener for CAT 2021 will be one of the best six IIMs. The CAT 2021 results will be declared in January 2022. CAT Exam 2021 notification was out on July 2021 with registrations starting from 4th August and the last date for registration is 15th September. Admit Cards will be out by 27th October 2021. Also, it has been reported that the CAT 2021 exam pattern will remain the same.

How to prepare for CAT Exam?

Having said that, you will always need to know how to prepare for  CAT. Professionals believe that you should spend at least six months preparing for the CAT examination. As a result, you have a limited amount of time to study for every aspect of the CAT exam. Each day leading up to the CAT exam is critical for you. To pass the CAT exam, you’ll also need a solid preparation approach or proper CAT coaching classes to crack it.
The method of preparation you use is mostly determined by your educational background, current preparation strategy, and prior experience. If this is your first time taking the CAT exam, you should start from the beginning. It’s all about revision, practice, mock tests, time management, and setting plans for development for students who are familiar with the CAT question paper and have at least appeared in the CAT exam.

CAT Exam Admission Process

It should be mentioned that each IIM selects candidates for the second stage of the selection process on its own. A Written Ability Test and a Personal Interview are part of the selection procedure (PI). Individual success on the CAT 2021 exam will play a significant role in the overall selection process. For further information, go to the respective IIM’s website and look out for their admissions policies. When shortlisting and ranking individuals at various stages during the admission process, IIMs also take into account their previous academic records, relevant work experience, and other similar factors. Across IIMs, the methods, academic cut-offs, and weights assigned to the evaluation parameters may differ. Candidates should be properly prepared for the CAT exam by giving CAT mock tests and strategies as it is a highly competitive exam.