CAT 2024 -Important Dates, Admit Card, Exam Pattern, Syllabus
Common Admission Test or CAT Exam is a computer-based aptitude test. It is an aptitude exam designed to take admission to management courses offered by some top management institutes in India. It is one of the most renowned and toughest entrance exams in India. The CAT Exam is considered one of the significant events of management studies in India.
Every year this exam is scheduled on the last Sunday of November and this year the exam will be conducted on Nov. 24, 2024. In total, more than 2,00,000 candidates appear every year in the exam and only the top 5000 get the chance of studying in IIMs. Not only IIMs but also over 1300 business schools in India consider the result of this exam for admission. Other exams cater to specific institutions and may have varying levels of difficulty. Your choice of exam should align with your target schools and your strengths in different test areas.
Exam Details
The important details about the exam are given below :
| PARTICULARS | DETAILS |
| Entrance Name | CAT 2024 |
| CAT full form | Common Admission Test |
| Examination level | National Level Exam |
| Question types | Objective |
| Exam duration | 2 Hours |
| Exam mode | Computer-based test |
| Medium | English |
| Total Marks | 198 |
Important Dates
The important dates related to the CAT 2024 are mentioned below :
| EXAM EVENTS | DATES |
| Notification | July 28, 2024 |
| Registration Begin | August 1, 2024 |
| Last Date To Apply | September 20, 2024 |
| Admit Card Release | November 5, 2024 |
| Exam | November 24, 2024 |
| Result | Likely in the second week of January 2025 |
Exam Pattern
| SECTION | No. of QUESTIONS | Time Allotted (MINUTES) | Question Types |
| Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) | 22-24 | 40 | MCQs and TITA (Type in the answer) |
| Data interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR) | 20-22 | 40 | MCQs and TITA |
| Quantitative Aptitude (QA) | 22-24 | 40 | MCQs and TITA |
| Total | 66-70 | 120 | Combination of MCQs and TITA |
Syllabus
The syllabus for the exam is spread across four major sections namely, verbal ability and reading comprehension, Quantitative Aptitude, logical reasoning, and data interpretation. The detailed exam syllabus and important topics are listed in the table given below :
| Syllabus | Important Topics |
| Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension | Para jumbles, Para summary, Odd sentence out, and Inferences, Odd one out, One-word substitution, Syllogism and Analogies, Verbal logic, RC passages |
| Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning | Blood Relations, Syllogism, Directions, Clocks and calendars, Tables, Graphs, Charts, Connectives, Logical Sequence, Matching/ Puzzles, Number and Letter Series, Seating Arrangement, Venn Diagrams, Coding-Decoding, Binary Logic, Caselets and Table |
| Quantitative Aptitude | Geometry, Trigonometry, Averages, Percentages, Number Systems, Arithmetic, Algebra, Mensuration, Modern Maths, Profit and loss, Simple & Compound Interest |
Eligibility Criteria
The candidate must satisfy the following conditions for the exam Eligibility:
| CRITERIA | EXAM DETAILS |
| Educational Qualification | Candidates must hold a bachelor’s degree or equivalent from a recognized university. |
| Minimum Marks Required | – General/EWS/OBC candidates: 50% aggregate – SC/ST/PwD candidates: 45% aggregate |
| Final Year Students | Final year bachelor’s degree students are eligible, provided they submit proof of completion later. |
| Age Limit | No specific age limit for CAT 2024. |
Fees and Documents Required
For the Common Admission Test 2024, the following details typically apply :
Fees:
| CATEGORY | FEES |
| General/EWS | ₹2400 |
| SC/ST/PwD | ₹1200 |
| Payment Mode | Online (Net banking, credit/debit card) |
Documents Required:
| DOCUMENT | DETAILS |
| Photograph | Recent passport-size color photo (1200×1200 pixels, JPEG format, ≤1 MB) |
| Signature | Scanned signature (80mm X 35mm, JPEG format, ≤80 KB) |
| Category Certificate (if applicable) | NC-OBC/SC/ST/EWS certificate in PDF format (≤200 KB) |
| PwD/DA Certificate (if applicable) | Disability certificate in PDF format (≤200 KB) |
| Final Year Certificate | For final-year students, a certificate from the institution confirming eligibility to complete their degree |
| ID Proof | Government-issued photo ID (Aadhar, PAN card, passport, driving license, etc.) |
Seat Intake
| Institute | Total Seats |
| IIM Ahemdabad | 400 |
| IIM Bangalore | 400 |
| IIM Calcutta | 460 |
| IIM Kozhikode | 400 |
| IIM Lucknow | 400 |
| IIM Indore | 450 |
| IIM Shillong | 240 |
| IIM Ranchi | 120 |
| IIM Raipur | 120 |
| IIM Trichy | 180 |
| IIM Kashipur | 180 |
| IIM Nagpur | 180 |
| IIM Sambalpur | 120 |
| IIM Amritsar | 120 |
| Other Participating Universities | Varies (200-400) |
Cut-offs (Expected)
CAT cut-off is the score that must be achieved in order to participate in counseling. After the 2024 results are released, the cut-off will be announced. It can be seen from the cut-off analysis from the previous year that the cut-off typically falls between the 70th and the 99.5th percentile. For your information, the anticipated cut-off for 2024 is shown below:
| Institute | Cut offs |
| IIM Ahemdabad | 99.5+ |
| IIM Bangalore | 99.5+ |
| IIM Calcutta | 99.0+ |
| IIM Kozhikode | 95.0-96.0 |
| IIM Lucknow | 95.0-96.0 |
| IIM Indore | 90.0-92.0 |
| IIM Shillong | 85.0-90.0 |
| IIM Ranchi | 85.0-90.0 |
| IIM Raipur | 85.0-90.0 |
| IIM Trichy | 85.0-90.0 |
| IIM Kashipur | 80.0-85.0 |
| IIM Nagpur | 80.0-85.0 |
| IIM Sambalpur | 80.0-85.0 |
| IIM Amritsar | 80.0-85.0 |
| Other Participating Universities | 70.0-80.0 |
FAQs
What are the eligibility criteria for the CAT exam?
Candidates should have a bachelor's degree with at least 50% marks (45% for SC/ST/PwD candidates) or an equivalent qualification. Final-year students are also eligible.
How can I register for the CAT exam?
Registration for the exam is done online. You need to visit the official website, create an account, fill in the application form, upload the required documents, and pay the application fee.
What is the CAT exam pattern?
The exam typically consists of three sections: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Ability (QA). The exam is conducted in a time-bound manner.
Is there a negative marking in the CAT exam ?
Yes, the exam has a penalty for wrong answers. For each incorrect answer, one-third of the marks allocated to that question is deducted.
