Common Admission Test (CAT) 2024

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  • Written by nikhil
  • Last Modified on 21-02-2024
  • Written by nikhil
  • Last Modified on 21-02-2024

About CAT Exam 2024

About Exam

The Common Admission Test (CAT) is a national-level management aptitude test that candidates must pass in order to be admitted to MBA programs at 20 IIMs and over 1,200 B-schools in India. CAT exam also helps applicants to get admission to Executive MBA, Ph.D., and FPM programs. IIMs will announce the CAT 2024 result in the second week of January 2025.

Candidates who register for the exam will have to take the test in November 2024. After appearing for the test, they will be allowed to check their results online at iimcat.ac.in. Based on the CAT result, they will be shortlisted for a group discussion (GD), a written ability test (WAT), and a personal interview (PI). Read on to find out more.

CAT 2024 Exam Summary

Test

Check out the table below for the key highlights of the Common Admission Test 2024 exam:

Particulars Details
CAT Full Form Common Admission Test (CAT) 
Conducting Body Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow
Exam Level National
Application Process Online
Frequency of Exam Once a Year
Exam Purpose Admission into IIMs, SPJIMR, FMS, MDI, IMT, and over 1,200 B-Schools in India
Courses Offered MBA/ PGDM in Various Streams
Number of Sections

3 sections:

Quantitative Ability (QA),

Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC), and

Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR)

Medium of Exam English (CBT mode)
CAT Helpdesk 1800-2090-830
Official Website https://iimcat.ac.in

CAT 2024 Notification

Exam Pattern

IIMs will issue the CAT 2024 notification in July 2024, on the official website – iimcat.ac.in. The notification includes details related to the exam date, registration process, eligibility, and so on. Till then, you can check out the previous year exam notifications by clicking on the links below:

CAT 2024 Important Dates

IIMs released the CAT 2024 exam schedule on its official website. Check out the important dates and events related to the Common Admission Test 2024 from the below table:

CAT 2024 Events CAT 2024 Dates
CAT 2024 Official Notification Release Date July 2024
CAT 2024 Registrations Start August 2024
Registrations End September 2024
Form Correction September 2024 (Tentative)
Admit Card Release October 2024
Mock Test Release Date November 2024 (Tentative)
CAT 2024 Exam Date November 2024
Answer Key Release Date December 2024 (Tentative)
Answer Key Challenge Process December 2024 (Tentative)
CAT 2024 Result Declaration January 2025

CAT 2024 Eligibility Criteria

Exam Syllabus

The minimum eligibility criteria for the CAT exam 2024 is graduation in any stream. Candidates applying for this exam can check the detailed eligibility criteria below:

CAT Age Limit

There will be no age or attempt limit for CAT applicants.

CAT Educational Qualification

The following are academic requirements that candidates must meet in order to apply for the CAT exam:

  • Candidates must hold a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent in any discipline from a recognised college or institute.
  • Applicants must have a 50 percent or higher average in the appropriate exam (45 percent for SC/ ST/ PWD candidates) or equivalent.
  • Professional degree holders (CA, CS, or ICWA) are also eligible.

CAT Eligibility for Final Year Students

Candidates in their final year of a Bachelor’s degree/equivalent qualification examination, as well as those who have finished their final examination and are waiting for results, are eligible to apply.

Get complete details on CAT eligibility & reservation criteria 2024 here.

CAT 2024 Application Form

Study Plan to Maximise Score

The online registration for the CAT 2024 exam will begin in August 2024. IIMs will close the CAT exam registration window on September 2024. As the CAT 2024 registration form is to be available online, registration for the CAT test will be done only on the official website, iimcat.ac.in.

Get complete details on CAT 2024 application form here.

How To Fill Out CAT 2024 Application Form?

To apply online for the Common Admission Test 2024, follow the steps outlined below:

  • 1st Step: Visit the official website – iimcat.ac.in.
  • 2nd Step: Select New Registration.
  • 3rd Step: To register, enter your name, date of birth, nationality, phone number, and email id.
  • 4th Step: Fill out the application form by logging in with the credentials received in the registered email.
  • 5th Step: Enter the personal and academic information.
  • 6th Step: Upload a passport-sized photo and a scanned signature.
  • 7th Step: Choose your preferred courses and IIMs.
  • 8th Step: Choose your preferred test cities.
  • 9th Step: Pay the application fee with a credit/debit card or through net banking.

CAT Application Fees

Check out the registration fees for Common Admission Test from the below table. The applicant must pay the -below-mentioned fee online through credit/debit card or net banking as per their category.

Category CAT Application Fee
General/ NC-OBC INR 2,400
SC/ST/PWD INR 1,200

CAT 2024 Exam Centres

Previous Year Analysis

At the time of filling CAT application form 2024, candidates were allowed to choose six exam centres based on their preferences from the list given below:

Test Cities
Port Blair Hamirpur Mumbai
Guntur Jammu Nashik
Nellore Bokaro Satara
Vijayawada Dhanbad Palghar
Kakinada Hazaribagh Ulhasnagar
Rajahmundry Jamshedpur Shillong
Visakhapatnam Ranchi Aizawl
Kurnool Belagavi(Belgaum) Kohima
Tirupathi Bengaluru Balasore
Vizianagaram Hubballi(Hubli) Cuttack
Itanagar Mysuru(Mysore) Sambalpur
Dibrugarh Kalaburagi(Gulbarga) Berhampur
Silchar Shivamogga(Shimoga) Dhenkanal
Guwahati Dharwad Bhubaneswar
Tezpur Mangaluru(Mangalore) Rourkela
Jorhat Udupi Puducherry
Aurangabad-Bihar Kannur Pathankot
Darbhanga Ernakulam Ludhiana
Arrah Kollam Amritsar
Muzaffarpur Kottayam Bhatinda
Bhagalpur Kozhikode Patiala
Patna Thrissur Jalandhar
Mohali Trivandrum Sangrur
Chandigarh Bhopal Ajmer
Bhilai Nagar Jabalpur Jaipur
Bilaspur Ujjain Sikar
Raipur Gwalior Alwar
Delhi Sagar Jodhpur
Faridabad Indore Udaipur
Gurugram Satna Bikaner
Ghaziabad Bhopal Kota
New Delhi Jabalpur Madurai
Greater Noida Ujjain Chennai
Noida Gwalior Salem
Meerut Sagar Trichy
Panaji Indore Coimbatore
Ahmedabad Satna Vellore
Mehsana Amravati Tirunelveli
Vadodara Jalgaon Hyderabad
Anand Nagpur Karimnagar
Rajkot Pune Warangal
Gandhinagar Solapur Allahabad
Surat Navi Mumbai Bareilly
Ambala Ahmednagar Kanpur
Hisar Kolhapur Muzaffarnagar
Karnal Nanded Agra
Kurushetra Raigad Gorakhpur
Panipat Thane Lucknow
Rohtak Vasai Varanasi
Shimla Aurangabad Aligarh
Jhansi Moradabad Dehradun
Haldwani Roorkee Asansol
Durgapur Bankura Burdwan
Kolkata Hooghly Kalyani
Siliguri Srinagar Imphal

Additionally, check out state-wise CAT exam centre lists. Also, candidates should check the exam centre on their admit cards.

CAT 2024 Exam Pattern

The CAT exam pattern consists of three sections: Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Ability (QA). Candidates must answer both MCQ and non-MCQ-type questions. As per the pattern, the QA section poses more difficult questions as compared to other sections. Check out the CAT 2024 exam pattern from the table below:

Paper Pattern and Structure
Sections VARC, DILR & QA
Duration of Exam 40 Minutes Per Section (Total 120 Minutes)
Total Number of Questions 66
Section-wise Number of Questions

– VARC- 24

– DILR- 20

– QA- 22

Total Marks 198
Language of Question Paper English
Number of Answer Choices Four
Type of Questions MCQs and Non-MCQs
Marking Scheme – 3 marks for every correct answer
– Negative marking of 1/3 for every incorrect MCQ response
– No negative marking for wrong non-MCQ answer

Get detailed CAT 2024 Exam Pattern here.

CAT Selection Process 2024

IIMs and other CAT 2024 participating management institutes will conduct the selection procedure for the exam in the following stage:

  • Written Ability Test (WAT)
  • Group Discussion (GD),  and
  • Personal Interview (PI)

CAT 2024 Syllabus

Topper List Success Stories

For the past few years, the CAT 2024 exam syllabus has remained unchanged. Check out the topics included in the Common Admission Test syllabus from the below table:

Sections Syllabus
Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) Reading Comprehension, Para Jumbles, Para Summary, Odd Sentence Out, etc.
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR) Set Theory (Variables), Puzzles, Coding-Decoding, Series, etc.
Quantitative Aptitude (QA) Number System, Algebra, Arithmetic, Geometry, etc.

Get detailed subject-wise CAT syllabus 2024.

CAT 2024 Preparation Tips

Exam counselling

The CAT exam is challenging for students to pass on the first attempt. However, if they plan a proper strategy and timetable for this exam, they will undoubtedly succeed in passing it with an excellent percentile. Check out some CAT exam preparation tips below:

  1. Go through syllabus and exam pattern – Candidates should familiarise themselves with the CAT test format and the latest syllabus before beginning their studies. The CAT exam is divided into sections, and candidates must manage their time according to the complexity of each section. 
  2. Create a study plan – It is one of the most crucial aspects of exam preparation. Students must adhere to a strict preparation and study plan. This will assist them in completing the syllabus on time and passing the exam with 100+ percentiles. 
  3. Practice previous year question papers – Students must prepare from the previous year’s question papers in addition to learning from books. It will help them to learn about the difficulty level, types of questions asked, and more. It will also enable them to aware of their areas of strength and weakness.
  4. Attempt mock tests – To pass the CAT exam, candidates need to have a lot of logical thinking, which they can acquire by attempting mock tests on Embibe. It will help them to manage their time for each section easily.
  5.  Maintain a healthy lifestyle and avoid stress – It is critical to have a healthy mind and body in order to concentrate better during exam preparation. Maintain a nutritious diet that includes fresh fruits and vegetables. Avoid eating junk food and drinking alcoholic beverages. Practice yoga and meditation to improve concentration while studying for the CAT exam.
  6. Revision – Candidates must revise the entire syllabus and important topics one week before the examination. 

CAT 2024 Admit Card

Exam talks

The CAT 2024 admit card will be released in October 2024, only for the candidates who completed the application process successfully. It was a mandatory document to be brought to the exam centre. The Common Admission Test 2024 hall ticket included the details related to the CAT exam centre address, the exam day and time, the reporting time, a link to a Google map to locate the exam site, and exam day recommendations.

Get steps to download CAT hall ticket 2024.

CAT 2024 Answer Key

About Exam

Indian Institute of Management (IIMs) will release the CAT Answer Key 2024 in December 2024, tentatively. The last date to download the response sheet will likely be in December 2024. Candidates who appeared in the exam can download the official answer key to estimate their final scores.

Get steps to download CAT Answer Key 2024.

CAT 2024 Result

About Exam

The Indian Institute of Management (IIMs) will likely release the CAT 2024 exam results in the second week of January 2025. According to the CAT result 2022, there were 11 toppers who obtained a perfect 100 percentile. However, the IIM CAT result link was only available online on the official website- iimcat.ac.in. Candidates must log in with their registered CAT login ID and password to view and download the scorecard. 

Check the steps to download CAT 2024 result here.

CAT 2024 Cutoff

Eligibility Criteria

The CAT 2024 cutoffs for admission to the IIMs are expected to be in the 95 to 100 percentile range for all categories. However, the CAT 2024 cutoff percentile for top IIMs for general category candidates is expected to be around the 98 to 100 percentile. To achieve a total score of more than 100, one must obtain at least 35 marks in VARC, 30 marks in DLRI, and 37 marks in QA.

Expected CAT Cutoff 2024

Check below the table indicating the expected qualifying IIM cutoff:

IIM Qualifying CAT Cutoff
IIM Ahmedabad 85
IIM Bangalore 85
IIM Calcutta 85
IIM Lucknow 90
IIM Indore 90
IIM Kozhikode 85
IIM Amritsar 90
IIM Nagpur 85
IIM Sambalpur 93
IIM Trichy 93
IIM Raipur 93
IIM Ranchi 90
IIM Kashipur 94
IIM Vizag 80
IIM Udaipur 93
IIM Bodhgaya 93
IIM Shillong 75
IIM Sirmaur 92
IIM Rohtak 95
IIM Nagpur 85
IIM Jammu 93

Check out CAT 2024 cut-off for more details.

CAT 2024 Colleges

Admit Card

Check the list of MBA colleges that accepts CAT score below:

College Cutoff Round 1 Fees
IIM Bangalore – Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore PGPM
Opening Percentile – 99
₹ 23,00,000 (Total Fees)
Indian Institute of Management – [IIMA], Ahmedabad PGPM
Opening Percentile – 99
₹ 23,00,000 (Total Fees)
Indian Institute of Management – [IIMC], Kolkata MBA
Opening Percentile – 99
₹ 23,00,000 (Total Fees)
Indian Institute of Management – [IIM], Lucknow PGP-ABM
Opening Percentile – 97
₹ 10,05,000 (1st Year Fees)
Indian Institute of Management – [IIM], Indore PGPM
Opening Percentile – 97
₹ 16,00,000 (Total Fees)
Indian Institute of Management – [IIMK], Kozhikode Post Graduate Program in Management Finance
Opening Percentile – 97
₹ 20,50,000 (Total Fees)
Department of Management Studies, Indian Institute of Technology – [DOMS], Roorkee MBA Finance
Opening Percentile – 95
₹ 4,13,500 (1st Year Fees)
Indian Institute of Management – [IIMU], Udaipur MBA
Opening Percentile – 93
₹ 7,97,000 (1st Year Fees)
Indian Institute of Management – [IIM], Tiruchirappalli PGPM Quantitative Techniques & Operations Management
Opening percentile – 94
₹ 16,50,000 (Total Fees)
Department of Management Studies, IIT Madras – [DoMS IIT Madras], Chennai MBA Finance
Opening Percentile – 85
₹ 4,00,000 (1st Year Fees)
SP Jain Institute of Management and Research – [SPJIMR], Mumbai PGDM Finance
Opening Percentile – 92
₹ 19,00,000 (Total Fees)
NIT Trichy, Tiruchirappalli MBA Human Resource Management
Opening Percentile – 80
₹ 1,39,750 (1st Year Fees)
Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai PGDM Finance
Opening Percentile – 85
₹ 11,76,000 (Total Fees)
Indian Institute of Management – [IIM], Raipur PGP-OM
Opening Percentile – 94
₹ 7,27,600 (1st Year Fees)
Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies -[JBIMS], Mumbai MHRD
Opening Percentile – 96
₹ 7,00,000 (Total Fees)
Symbiosis Institute of Business Management – [SIBM], Pune MBA Finance
Opening Percentile – 98
₹ 9,80,000 (1st Year Fees)
Symbiosis Centre for Management and Human Resource Development – [SCMHRD], Pune MBA Human Resource Management
Opening Percentile – 96
₹ 9,60,000 (1st Year Fees)
Indian Institute of Management – [IIM], Rohtak PGPM
Opening Percentile – 95
₹ 8,35,000 (1st Year Fees)
Indian Institute of Management – [IIM], Shillong Post Graduate Programme in Marketing
Opening Percentile – 94
₹ 1,46,000 (Total Fees)
Indian Institute of Management – [IIM], Kashipur MBA
Opening Percentile – 93
₹ 7,82,500 (1st Year Fees)
International Management Institute – [IMI], New Delhi PGDHRM
Opening Percentile – 90
₹ 9,11,850 (1st Year Fees)
Indian Institute of Management – [IIMR], Ranchi MBA Human Resource
Opening Percentile – 94
₹ 8,80,000 (1st Year Fees)
Prin. L. N. Welingkar Institute of Management Development & Research – [WeSchool], Mumbai PGDM
Opening Percentile – 75
₹ 6,50,000 (1st Year Fees)
T. A. Pai Management Institute – [TAPMI], Manipal PGDM
Opening Percentile – 80
₹ 7,55,000 (1st Year Fees)
ICFAI Business School – [IBS], Hyderabad MBA Finance
Opening Percentile – 68
₹ 8,01,000 (1st Year Fees)
Loyola Institute of Business Administration – [LIBA], Chennai PGDM Finance
Opening Percentile – 70
₹ 15,38,800 (Total Fees)
FORE School of Management – [FSM], New Delhi PGDM International Business
Opening Percentile – 85
₹ 8,49,000 (1st Year Fees)
Institute of Management Studies, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi MBA International Business
Opening Percentile – 85
₹ 49,807 (1st Year Fees)
Institute of Management, Nirma University, Ahmedabad MBA Family Managed Business & Entrepreneurship
Opening Percentile – 85
₹ 5,52,000 (1st Year Fees)
Institute of Management Technology – [IMT], Ghaziabad PGDM Marketing
Opening Percentile – 90
₹ 19,50,000 (Total Fees)
Alliance University, Bangalore MBA Finance
Opening Percentile – 75
₹ 13,50,000 (Total Fees)
University Business School, Panjab University – [UBS], Chandigarh MBA
Opening Percentile – 85
₹ 18,725 (1st Year Fees)
Goa Institute of Management – [GIM], North Goa PGDM
Opening Percentile – 88
₹ 9,32,500 (1st Year Fees)
Lovely Professional University – [LPU], Jalandhar MBA Financial Markets
Opening Percentile – 80
₹ 3,22,000 (1st Year Fees)
Birla Institute of Management Technology – [BIMTECH], Greater Noida PGDM Retail Management
Opening Percentile – 60
₹ 10,00,000 (Total Fees)
Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida PGDM
Opening Percentile – 50
₹ 5,87,500 (1st Year Fees)
Jaipuria Institute of Management, Lucknow PGDM
Opening Percentile – 50
₹ 5,50,000 (1st Year Fees)
Jagan Institute of Management Studies – [JIMS] Rohini, New Delhi PGDM
Opening Percentile – 75
₹ 15,90,000 (Total Fees)
Institute of Management Technology – [IMT], Nagpur PGDM Finance
Opening Percentile – 85
₹ 6,42,000 (1st Year Fees)
Jagdish Sheth School of Management – [JAGSOM], Bangalore PGDM Finance
Opening Percentile – 75
₹ 14,40,000 (Total Fees)
IIHMR University, Jaipur MBA Hospital & Health Care Management
Opening Percentile – 50
₹ 9,60,000 (Total Fees)
Institute of Public Enterprise – [IPE], Hyderabad PGDM International Business
Opening Percentile – 70
₹ 4,55,000 (1st Year Fees)
Christ University, Bangalore MBA Finance
Opening Percentile – 70
₹ 3,80,000 (1st Year Fees)
Prin. L.N. Welingkar Institute of Management Development & Research- [WeSchool], Bangalore PGDM Business Design
Opening Percentile – 70
₹ 6,50,000 (1st Year Fees)
SDM Institute for Management Development – [SDMIMD], Mysore PGDM Marketing
Opening Percentile – 70
₹ 11,20,000 (Total Fees)
Xavier Institute of Management and Entrepreneurship – [XIME], Bangalore PGDM Finance
Opening Percentile – 75
₹ 11,50,000 (Total Fees)
ITM Business School Kharghar – [ITM], Navi Mumbai PGDM Marketing
Opening Percentile – 78
₹ 10,45,000 (Total Fees)
Indus Business Academy – [IBA], Bangalore PGDM Human Resource Management
Opening Percentile – 70
₹ 4,81,000 (1st Year Fees)
Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management – [IISWBM], Kolkata MBA Marketing Management
Opening Percentile – 70
₹ 3,09,000 (1st Year Fees)
SCMS Cochin School of Business, Kochi PGDM Human Resource Management
Opening Percentile – 75
₹ 3,75,000 (1st Year Fees)

FAQs on CAT 2024

Freaquently Asked Questions

Let us take a look at a few frequently asked questions related to CAT 2024.

Q: When will the CAT 2024 result be announced?

A: The CAT 2024 result will be declared in January 2025.

Q: What is the CAT 2024 exam date?

A: The CAT 2024 exam will be administered in November 2024, in three slots (shifts). 

Q: When will IIM shortlisting process begin for admission through CAT?

A: The Common Admission Test (CAT) shortlisting process will begin on February 2024, tentatively.

Q: Is the CAT exam tough?

A: Yes. The Common Admission Test is regarded as one of the most difficult MBA entrance tests. However, proper preparation and determination are essential for passing this exam.

Q: Who will conduct CAT 2024?

A: IIM will conduct the CAT 2024 exam. 

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