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CAT Full Form
The full form of CAT is the Common Admission Test. This is a very competitive exam for getting into top management programs in India. The full form of the CAT is the Common Admission Test. It is an entrance exam in India for admission to management programs at the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and other top B-schools. The IIMs conduct this test every year to select candidates for their main postgraduate program.What is CAT?
A Common Admission Test, or CAT, is a standardized exam given by the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) to check if candidates are eligible for their management programs. The test has three sections:
- Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension: This section tests a candidate’s ability to read and comprehend passages, as well as answer questions based on them
- Data Interpretation: This section tests a candidate’s ability to interpret data presented in graphical or tabular form and answer questions based on them
- Logical Reasoning: This section tests a candidate’s ability to identify patterns and relationships, and answer questions based on them
CAT 2024 Exam Highlights
CAT is the leading MBA entrance exam in India, accepted by over 1,300 B-schools for admission to MBA/PGDM courses. Check here for the key highlights of CAT 2024.| CAT Exam Particulars | CAT 2024 Details |
| CAT Full Form | Common Admission Test (CAT) |
| Conducting Institute for 2024 | IIM Calcutta (to be confirmed) |
| Exam Level | National |
| Exam Frequency | Once a year |
| CAT 2024 Exam Date | 24-November-2024 |
| CAT Exam Timings | Session 1: 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM |
| Session 2: 12:30 PM to 2:30 PM | |
| Session 3: 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM | |
| CAT Exam Fees | INR 2,400 (General category) and INR 1,200 (Reserved category) |
| Number of Test Takers | 3.30 lakh (in 2023) |
| CAT exam mode | Computer Based Test (CBT) with MCQs and non-MCQs |
| No. of test cities | 135+ |
| CAT exam website | https://iimcat.ac.in |
| Exam helpdesk no. | 1-800-210-1088 (toll-free) |
Eligibility Criteria For CAT
The eligibility criteria for CAT require candidates to have a graduate degree with at least 50% marks or an equivalent grade from a university recognized by the Association of Indian Universities (AIU). Candidates must also have taken either the Common Admission Test (CAT) conducted by IIMs or the GMAT. Those in the final year of their graduate degree program are also eligible to apply. There is no age limit for taking the CAT. The CAT application process typically starts in August and ends in September. Admit cards are usually released about two weeks before the test date. The test is conducted on a single day at various centers across India and lasts for three hours. The exam is in English. Scorecards are typically released two months after the test. Candidates can check their results on the IIM or GMAC websites. The selection process for admission to various IIM programs usually begins in January and ends in March or April.CAT 2024 Exam Dates
The CAT 2024 convening IIM will announce the dates on July 30, 2024. Check here tentative CAT 2024 exam dates and events.| CAT Exam Events | CAT Exam Date 2024 (tentative) |
| CAT 2024 notification release | 30-Jul-24 |
| CAT exam 2024 registration dates | 01-Aug-2024 (10:00 AM) to 13-Sep-2024 (5:00 PM) |
| CAT form correction | Last week of September 2024 |
| CAT admit card 2024 | 05-Nov-2024 to 24-Nov-2024 |
| CAT exam 2024 date | 24-November-2024 |
| CAT answer key release | First week of December 2024 |
| Answer key challenge process | First week of December 2024 |
| Declaration of CAT 2024 result | Second week of January 2025 (Tentative) |
Top MBA colleges
We have listed the top 10 MBA colleges in India in the following table:
- IIM Ahmedabad
- IIM Bangalore
- IIM Calcutta
- IIM Kozhikode
- IIM Lucknow
- IIM Indore
- XLRI
- IIT Delhi
- SP Jain
- IIT Bombay
How To Apply for CAT Exam
CAT is an exam held every year for students seeking admission into MBA programs at various business schools in India. The CAT full form is the ‘Common Admission Test’. It is a computer-based test that assesses a candidate’s skills in quantitative ability, verbal ability, and reading comprehension. The exam lasts 180 minutes and consists of 100 questions. To apply for the CAT, candidates must first register on the official website. After registration, they must fill in their personal, academic, and contact details. Once all details are filled in, candidates can select their preferred test date and center. They will then need to pay the application fee. After payment, candidates can download their admit cards from the website. The CAT exam is held in two slots: morning and evening. Candidates must report to their test center on the exam day with their admit card and a valid photo ID. No food, drinks, or electronic devices like calculators and phones are allowed in the examination hall. The CAT exam has three sections: Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension, Quantitative Ability, and Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning. Each section has a 60-minute time limit and contains 32 questions. Candidates must attempt all questions in each section. There is no negative marking for wrong answers. CAT exam results are declared as percentile scores. Final selection for MBA programs involves group discussions and personal interviews.Top Colleges Accepting CAT Scores
| College | College |
| IIM Ahmedabad | IIM Sirmaur |
| IIM Bangalore | IIM Trichy |
| IIM Calcutta | IIM Raipur |
| IIM Lucknow | IIM Sambhalpur |
| IIM Indore | IIM Kashipur |
| IIM Kozhikode | IIM Ranchi |
| IIM Amritsar | IIM Udaipur |
| IIM Vizag | IIM Jammu |
| IIM Shillong | IIM Bodhgaya |
| IIM Nagpur | FMS Delhi |
| IIT Delhi | NITIE Mumbai |
| MDI Gurgaon | IMT Nagpur |
| JBIMS Mumbai | GIM Goa |
| LBSIM Delhi | LIBA Chennai |
| MICA | IIT Kharagpur |
Conclusion
The CAT full form is the Common Admission Test. The Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) conduct this test every year to admit students into their business administration programs. The CAT is a computer-based exam with three sections: Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning, Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension, and Quantitative Aptitude. The test is designed to measure candidates’ skills and abilities in these areas.
FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions
The CAT entrance exam or the CAT Full Form – Common Admission Test consists of three sections: VARC, DILR and QA. It is important to be well-prepared for all three sections. Candidates preparing for the CAT should fully understand the structure of the exam. The preparation phase is usually divided into three phases
The CAT (Common Admission Test) exam is conducted for the purpose of admission to postgraduate management programs, such as MBA (Master of Business Administration), offered by various prestigious business schools and management institutes in India.
The full form of CAT is the Common Admission Test. CAT is a computer-based examination conducted by IIM to shortlist candidates for the postgraduate programme.
The aspirant candidate should hold 3 years of Bachelor's degree in any discipline from a recognized university. The IIM CAT exam eligibility criteria for general category candidates is 50% marks in graduation and 45% for the reserved category.
CAT Compulsory For MBA: CAT is not required to pursue MBA programs in Indian colleges. While CAT and CMAT are widely recognized entrance exams, they are not the only options for MBA aspirants. Many other MBA admission tests, such as XAT, are considered equivalent to CAT.
The average C.A.T. salary ranges from approximately ₹29,92,470 per year (estimate) for a Manager to ₹30,02,220 per year (estimate) for a Manager. C.A.T.
No, a 12th-pass student is not eligible for CAT. Since the CAT exam is an MBA entrance test, so a candidate must have a bachelor's degree.