Management
Official Guide & Assessment Pattern for CAT (Common Admission Test - IIMs)
Exam Significance & Admission Purpose
India’s most competitive MBA entrance exam with 3.3+ lakh applicants competing for ~5,500 seats across all 21 Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and top B-schools like FMS Delhi, SPJIMR Mumbai, and MDI Gurgaon.
Detailed Eligibility Criteria
Bachelor’s Degree with minimum 50% aggregate (45% for SC/ST/PwD) in any discipline
Exam Pattern & Test Structure
| Section | Questions | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Section 1: VARC | 24 Questions (16 Reading Comprehension + 8 Verbal Ability) | 72 Marks | 40 Minutes (Strict Sectional) |
| Section 2: DILR | 20 Questions (4 Sets of Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning) | 60 Marks | 40 Minutes (Strict Sectional) |
| Section 3: QA | 22 Questions (Algebra, Arithmetic, Geometry, Modern Math) | 66 Marks | 40 Minutes (Strict Sectional) |
Marking Scheme:+3 for Correct, -1 for Wrong in MCQs. Zero negative marks for TITA (Type in the Answer) questions. Total 198 Marks.
Recommended Preparation Timeline & Strategy
Read complex essays across philosophy, sociology, and economics to master dense VARC passages.
Solve 500+ unconventional DILR puzzle sets from past CAT papers.
Master high-speed arithmetic and algebra shortcuts for QA section selection.
Cutoff Trends & Score Analysis
To receive interview calls from the Holy Trinity (IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta), general category candidates generally require a 99.6+ percentile along with strong academic profile marks.
Premier Colleges & Universities Accepting Scores
IIM Ahmedabad
IIM Bangalore
IIM Calcutta
IIM Lucknow
FMS Delhi
IIM Kozhikode
SPJIMR Mumbai
Recommended Exploration
Explore All 250+ GuidesRelated Entrance Examinations
Explore other national and state-level entrance tests in this discipline.