CAT Exam 2024 - Common Admission Test (CAT) is expected to be conducted on the last Sunday of November (24th November 2024) across 400+ Indian test centers. The official notification will likely be released in July 2024. IIM Calcutta is expected to conduct a CAT 2024. Registration opens in August and closes in September. The two hour test consists of around 66 MCQs and type in the answer (TITA) questions. This article explores all aspects of CAT 2024.
Why prepare for an MBA?
Getting an MBA is important for those who want to get a broad understanding of business management and the ability to make important decisions. For MBA admission to top B schools like IIMs and other schools candidates need to crack the CAT exam. In MBA candidates learn interpersonal Skills, leadership skills, communication skills, strategic thinking, decision-making, strategic problem-solving, creativity and Innovation, corporate social responsibility (CSR), entrepreneurship and last but not least finance skills.
What is CAT?
CAT is a national-level exam conducted by Indian Institutes of Management for admission into postgraduate management programs. Many other top B schools like MDI Gurgaon, FMS Delhi, SPJIMR Mumbai, IITs and IMI accept CAT scores for their admission process. CAT is one of the top exams in India. Every year over 2-3 lakh students appear for this exam. MBA has emerged as a pivotal tool for those aspiring to scale new heights in their careers. This is evidenced by the fact that CAT 2023 registration has witnessed the highest number of applicants (nearly 3 lakh) since its inception.
The hike in the CAT Exam’s candidate registration numbers is evident from this graph.
CAT Exam Pattern: 2024
To prepare for the CAT exam candidates have to give a lot of time and effort. Candidates will have 120 minutes to answer all 66 objective-type questions (MCQ and TITA) in the CAT 2024 exam. Candidates have 40 minutes to finish each section. If they do not complete the section in 40 minutes then the next section will start automatically and candidates will not be able to answer questions from the previous section.
The CAT Exam Question Pattern consists of the following sections:
- Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC)
- Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR)
- Quantitative Ability (QA)
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Section
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Marks
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Time Limit
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Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC)
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24 questions x 3 Marks for right answer
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40 minutes (fixed)
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Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR)
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20 questions x 3 Marks for right answer
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40 minutes (fixed)
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Quantitative Ability (QA)
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22 questions x 3 Marks for right answer
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40 minutes (fixed)
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Note:In case of any changes in the CAT exam pattern IIMs issue an official notification for candidates on their official website.
CAT 2024 Syllabus
The CAT exam consists of three sections each with its own weightage. The
official CAT syllabus page is designed according to the format established by IIM Ahmedabad.
- Reading comprehension, verbal reasoning, and grammar are components of VARC.
- In the Quant section, topics such as Number System, Geometry, Mensuration, Algebra, and Arithmetic are covered.
- The DILR section consists of sets based on Graphs, Number series, Data Sufficiency, and common reasoning concepts.
Detailed Section-wise Syllabus
The syllabus for CAT 2024 is illustrated in detail below:
VARC Section
VARC is an important section of CAT exam. It comprises two subsections: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension. Let us examine the key topics covered in this section:
DILR Section
DILR Section
The DILR section plays a very important role in CAT preparation. It is subdivided further into two sections: Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning.
Below are some of the most important DILR topics:
QA Section
The QA sections play a crucial role in CAT preparation. It comprises of Geometry, Trigonometry, Algebra and Arithmetic, etc. The detailed list is given below:
Check out these essential QA topics:
Important Dates: CAT 2024
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CAT 2024 Important Dates & Timeline
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Important dates (Tentative)
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CAT 2024 Notification Date
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Last week of July 2024
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CAT Registration Start Date 2024
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First week of August, 2024
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CAT 2024 Last Date of Registration
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First week of September 2024
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CAT 2024 Registration Fees
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Rs.2500
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CAT 2024 Exam Date
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November 24, 2024
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CAT 2024 Result Date
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First week of January 2025
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CAT Exam Centres 2024
CAT is held across various cities of India. So the candidates can conveniently choose a set of preferred cities from the given list. As per the last year, we are presenting here the complete table of CAT exam centers:
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State
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Exam Centres
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Andaman & Nicobar Islands
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Port Blair
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Andhra Pradesh
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Guntur; Kakinada; Kurnool; Nellore; Rajahmundry; Tirupathi; Vijayawada; Visakhapatnam
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Arunachal Pradesh
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Itanagar
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Assam
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Dibrugarh; Guwahati; Silchar
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Bihar
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Aurangabad; Muzaffarpur; Patna; Purnea
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Chandigarh
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Chandigarh
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Chhattisgarh
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Bhilai; Raipur
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Delhi-NCR
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Delhi, New Delhi, Faridabad, Gurugram, Noida, Panipat, Ghaziabad, Greater Noida,
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Goa
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Madgaon; Panaji
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Gujarat
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Ahmedabad; Anand; Gandhinagar; Rajkot; Surat; Vadodara
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Haryana
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Ambala; Bahadurgarh; Hisar; Palwal; Rohtak; Sonipat
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Himachal Pradesh
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Shimla; Waknaghat
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Jammu & Kashmir
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Jammu; Samba, Kashmir
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Jharkhand
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Bokaro; Dhanbad; Jamshedpur; Ranchi
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Karnataka
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Banglore; Belagavi (Belgaum); Dharwad; Gulbarga; Hubli; Mangalore; Mysore; Udupi
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Kerala
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Ernakulam; Kasaragod; Kollam; Kozhikode; Malappuram; Thrissur; Trivandrum
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Madhya Pradesh
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Bhopal; Gwalior; Indore; Jabalpur; Sagar
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Maharashtra
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Ahmednagar; Amravati; Aurangabad; Jalgaon; Kolhapur; Mumbai, Navi Mumbai; Nagpur; Nanded; Nashik; Pune; Raigad; Satara; Solapur; Thane; Ulhasnagar
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Meghalaya
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Shillong
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Odisha
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Balasore; Berhampur; Bhubaneswar; Cuttack; Dhenkanal; Sambalpur; Rourkela
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Puducherry
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Puducherry
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Punjab
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Bhatinda; Chandigarh; Fatehgarh Sahib; Jalandhar; Ludhiana; Mohali; Pathankot; Patiala; Ropar; Sangrur
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Rajasthan
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Ajmer; Alwar; Jaipur; Jodhpur; Kota; Sikar; Udaipur
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Tamil Nadu
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Chennai; Coimbatore; Madurai; Namakkal; Thanjavur; Tiruchirappalli; Tirunelveli
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Telangana
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Hyderabad; Karim Nagar; Warangal
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Uttar Pradesh
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Agra; Allahabad; Barabanki; Bareilly; Ghaziabad; Gorakhpur; Greater Noida; Kanpur; Lucknow; Mathura; Meerut; Muzaffarnagar; Noida; Varanasi
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Uttarakhand
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Dehradun; Roorkee
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West Bengal
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Asansol; Bankura; Burdwan; Durgapur; Hooghly; Howrah; Kalyani; Kolkata; Siliguri
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Top Colleges Accepting CAT Score 2024
A total of 115+ reputed B-schools in India accept CAT scores and a few foreign institutes also consider CAT. Apart from 21 IIMs, CAT participating Institutes include other public and private institutes. Some of the top B-schools accepting CAT scores are:
- Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad
- Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Bangalore
- Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Calcutta
- Indian Institute Of Management(IIM), Lucknow
- S. P. Jain Institute of Management & Research (SPJIMR), Mumbai
- Management Development Institute (MDI), Gurgaon
- Indian Institute Of Management (IIM), Kozhikode
- Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Indore
- International Management Institute (IMI), New Delhi
- Faculty of management studies (FMS), New Delhi
- Institute Of Management Technology (IMT), Ghaziabad
- National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE), Mumbai
- Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Trichy
- Rajiv Gandhi Indian Institute of Management (IIM),Shillong
- Xavier Institute of Management (XIM), Bhubaneswar
- Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Kashipur
- Department of management studies (IIT Delhi), New Delhi
- Sydenham Institute of management studies and research and entrepreneurship education (SIMSREE), Mumbai
- BITSoM, BITS School of Management, Mumbai
- Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of management studies (JBIMS), Mumbai
- Shailesh J Mehta School of Management (IIT Bombay), Mumbai
- Vinod Gupta school of management (VGSOM), IIT Kharagpur
CAT Sample Papers
CAT sample papers help candidates prepare for the CAT exam 2024. CAT sample papers are the best way to analyse how the pattern of previous year's CAT exam was set up. From the CAT sample papers 2024 candidates can practice multiple types of questions. By solving the questions from the CAT sample papers candidates gain a comprehensive understanding of the CAT exam 2024. The CAT sample paper also assists candidates in identifying their areas of weakness and areas of strength.
| CAT Sample Papers |
Download Link |
| CAT Sample Paper 1 |
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| CAT Sample Paper 2 |
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| CAT Sample Paper 3 |
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| CAT Sample Paper 4 |
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| CAT Sample Paper 5 |
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| CAT Sample Paper 6 |
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| CAT Sample Paper 7 |
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| CAT Sample Paper 8 |
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| CAT Sample Paper 9 |
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| CAT Sample Paper 10 |
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| CAT Sample Paper 11 |
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| CAT Sample Paper 12 |
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Previous Year CAT Papers
CAT previous year papers are very important for candidates preparing for the CAT exam 2024. These papers are from past CAT exams and help students understand what types of questions they can face in the CAT exam 2024. By practising with previous years papers students can see which areas they are good at and which ones they need to work on. This helps them focus their study time better.
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Paper
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Description
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Link
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CAT 2023
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CAT 2023 Question Paper Slot I
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CAT 2023 Question Paper Slot II
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CAT 2023 Question Paper Slot III
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CAT 2022
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CAT 2022 Question Paper Slot I
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CAT 2022 Question Paper Slot II
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CAT 2022 Question Paper Slot III
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CAT 2021
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CAT 2021 Question Paper Slot I
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CAT 2021 Question Paper Slot II
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CAT 2021 Question Paper Slot III
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CAT 2020
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CAT 2020 Question Paper Slot I
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CAT 2020 Question Paper Slot II
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CAT 2020 Question Paper Slot III
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CAT 2019
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CAT 2019 Question Paper Slot I
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CAT 2019 Question Paper Slot II
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CAT 2023 Exam Analysis
The exam analysis that was done by the Hitbullseye experts team should also be reviewed by candidates. The analysis of the CAT 2023 exam helps candidates figure out how the CAT 2024 exam will be set up. Candidates can refer to the
CAT 2023 exam analysis to get a comprehensive overview of the CAT 2024 exam.
FAQs Regarding CAT 2024
- Q: Who conducts CAT exam every year?
A: One of the six IIMs conducts the CAT exam every year
- Q: Who can take the CAT exam?
A: Anyone with a bachelor's degree can apply. No upper age limit!
- Q: What's the format of CAT 2024?
A: It's a computer-based test with three sections(VARC, QA and DILR)
- Q: Do TITA questions have negative markings?
A: No negative marking is for the TITA questions.
- Q: How can I register for the CAT exam 2024?
A: Registration for CAT exam 2024 is likely in the first week of August (confirmation awaited). Watch the official website for details.
- Q: Which one is the newest IIM
A: IIM Mumbai is the new IIM
- Q: Does XLRI Accept CAT scores?
A: No the XLRI conducts its own exam which is XAT exam for MBA admission
Other useful links
