Common Admission Test

"CAT test" redirects here. Not to be confused with Computerized Achievement Levels Test or Computerized adaptive testing.

Common Admission Test
AcronymCAT
TypeComputer-based standardized test
AdministratorIndian Institutes of Management
Skills testedQuantitative Aptitude, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning, Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension
PurposeAdmission to post-graduate management programs
Year startedJanuary 1977
Duration2 hours(40 minutes for each section)(additional time will be given to PWD candidates)
Score rangevaries annually
Score validity1 year
OfferedOnce a year (usually on the last Sunday of November).
Restrictions on attemptsNo restriction
Regions170+ cities and towns all over India.
LanguagesEnglish
Annual number of test takersIncrease 2.88 Lakhs (CAT 2023)
PrerequisitesBachelor's degree (or equivalent) with at least 50 % marks or equivalent GPA (45 % in case of SC, ST, PWD candidates). Final year undergraduate students are also eligible
Fee₹2,500 (US$30) for General/ EWS/NC-OBC category candidates. ₹1,250 (US$15) for SC/ST/PWD category candidates
Used byVarious business schools in India
Websiteiimcat.ac.in

The Common Admission Test (CAT)[1] is a computer based test for admission in graduate management programs. The test consists of three sections: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Ability. The exam was taken online over a period of three hours, with one hour per section. In 2020, due to the COVID-19 precautions, Indian Institute of Management Indore decided to conduct the CAT Exam in 2 hours with 40 minutes devoted to each section.[2] The Indian Institutes of Management started this exam and use the test for selecting students for their business administration programs (MBA or PGDM). The test is conducted every year by one of the Indian Institutes of Managements(IIMs) based on a policy of rotation.

In August 2011, it was announced that Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and Indian Institute of Science (IISc) would also use the CAT scores, instead of the Joint Management Entrance Test (JMET), to select students for their management programmes starting with the 2012-15 batch.[3]

Before 2010, CAT was a paper based test conducted on a single day for all candidates. The pattern, number of questions and duration have seen considerable variations over the years.

On 1 May 2009, it was announced that CAT would be a Computer Based Test starting from 2009. The American firm Prometric was entrusted with the responsibility of conducting the test from 2009 to 2013.[4] The first computer based CAT was marred with technical snags.[5] The issue was so serious that it prompted the Government of India to seek a report from the convenor.[6] The trouble was diagnosed as 'Conficker' and 'W32 Nimda', the two viruses that attacked the system display of the test, causing server slow down.[7] Since 2014 onward, CAT has been conducted by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). CAT 2015 and CAT 2016 were 180-minute tests consisting of 100 questions (34 from Quantitative Ability, 34 from Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension, and 32 from Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning.[8] CAT 2020 onwards, the exam duration has been reduced to two hours, with 40 minutes allotted per section.[9]

  1. ^ "CAT 2015". iimcat.ac.in. Archived from the original on 28 July 2014. Retrieved 9 December 2015.
  2. ^ "CAT 2020 Media Release" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 September 2020. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
  3. ^ "CAT replaces JMET in IIT, IISc". Deccan Chronicle. 27 August 2011. Archived from the original on 27 August 2011. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
  4. ^ "CAT to go online from this year". Business Line. 1 May 2009. Archived from the original on 2 January 2021. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
  5. ^ "Snags hit 7,000 candidates at CAT". The Hindu. 1 December 2009. Archived from the original on 26 June 2012. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
  6. ^ "Govt seeks report from CAT convener on exam disruption". The Times of India. 30 November 2009. Archived from the original on 23 September 2012. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
  7. ^ "IIM-A names two viruses that caused CAT chaos". The Economic Times. 1 December 2009. Archived from the original on 23 May 2012. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
  8. ^ "CAT 2015" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 22 May 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
  9. ^ "CAT Exam Pattern 2021: Check Here - New Section Wise Pattern and Marking Scheme". www.mbauniverse.com. Retrieved 17 September 2021.