CAT Exam 2024- Registration, Exam Date, Syllabus, Eligibility, Pattern and Cut Off

The official CAT 2024 notification was released on July 28, 2024. Registration for the CAT exam 2024 started on August 1, 2024, and will continue until September 2024. The CAT examination is a national-level entrance exam in India. It is conducted to admit students into postgraduate management programs, such as MBA (Master of Business Administration), at several leading business schools and management institutes in India.

The CAT 2024 exam is scheduled for November 24, 2024, and will be conducted in three sessions. This computer-based test will take place in more than 170 cities across India. The CAT Exam score is accepted for admission to 21 IIMs and numerous other MBA colleges nationwide. Organized by one of the top six IIMs on a rotational basis, CAT 2024 will be conducted by IIM Calcutta. In this blog, you will learn about the CAT Exam 2024 registration process, eligibility criteria, exam pattern and other important details related to this exam.

What is the CAT Exam?

The Common Admission Test (CAT) is a national-level entrance examination conducted in India. It is primarily designed to assess the aptitude of management aspirants for admission to various postgraduate management programs offered by Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and other prestigious business schools across the country. The exam evaluates a candidate’s skills in areas such as quantitative ability, data interpretation, logical reasoning, verbal ability, and reading comprehension. Here is an overview of CAT Exam 2024:

Aspect	Details
CAT Full Form	Common Admission Test (CAT)
Conducting Institute for 2024	IIM Calcutta
Exam Level	National
Exam Frequency	Once a year
Medium of Examination	English
CAT exam 2024 Registration Starting Date	01 August 2024
CAT Registration Last Date	13, September 2024
Application Mode	Online
CAT 2024 Exam Date	November 24, 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)
CAT 2024 Exam Mode	Computer Based Test (CBT) with MCQs and non-MCQs
CAT exam website	https://iimcat.ac.in
Exam helpdesk no.	1-800-210-1088 (Toll Free)

CAT Exam Eligibility 2024

To qualify for the CAT Exam 2024, candidates must meet the following criteria:

The candidate should have completed a bachelor degree with 50% aggregate marks or an equivalent CGPA from a recognized university. the minimum required aggregate is 45% for SC, ST, and PWD/DA categories, . The degree must be from a recognized university.

Candidates who are in the final year of their bachelor’s degree or those waiting their results are also eligible to apply for the CAT 2024 exam.

Individuals possessing a professional degree (such as CA, CS, ICWA, or FCAI) with the required percentage are also eligible to take the exam.

Important Dates for CAT Exam 2024

Registration opens: August 1, 2024
Registration closes: September 13, 2024
Admit card release: November 5, 2024
CAT exam date 2024: November 24, 2024

CAT 2024 Exam Pattern

The CAT exam is held in 3 sessions. Each session is a 120-minute test comprising multiple-choice questions. Candidates are required to answer 66 questions

Marking scheme

Each correct answer is awarded 3 marks.
Every wrong answer results in 1 mark deduction.
There is no penalty for non-MCQ questions and skipped questions.

CAT 2024 syllabus

Sections	Topics Asked	Total No. of Questions
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)	Para Jumbles, Reading Comprehension, Sentence-Completion, Inferences, Para-Summary	24
Quantitative Aptitude (QA)	Percentages, Simple Interest-Compound Interest, Profit & Loss, Time & Distance, Numbers, Mensuration, Logarithms, Averages-Mixtures-Alligations, Functions & Graphs, Quadratic Equations, Indices & Surds, Special Equations, Statistics	22
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR)	Tables, Data Caselets, Graphs, Blood Relation, Seating Arrangement, Syllogism, Venn Diagram	20

CAT Exam 2024 Registration Process

To register for the CAT exam 2024, follow these steps:

Visit the official CAT website: iimcat.ac.in.
Start by creating a new account. Look for the “New Candidate Registration” section and click on it.
Fill in your basic information. Provide your full name, date of birth, nationality, phone number, and email address.
Complete the security check and verify your registration using the one-time password (OTP) sent to your email.
Log in and proceed with the application. Once verified, log in with the CAT 2024 ID received in your email.
Fill out your details. This includes personal information like your educational background and academic details.
Upload necessary documents. Provide a recent passport-sized photograph and a scanned copy of your signature.
Choose your preferences. Select the IIMs you’d like to apply to, the specific courses you’re interested in, and your preferred exam city.
Finalize your application. Pay the CAT Exam application fee to complete the registration process.

Top Colleges Accepting CAT Score: List of IIMs and their Cutoffs

The minimum CAT scores required to be considered for admission to different IIMs are called qualifying cutoffs. The table below provides an estimate of the CAT cutoff scores and percentiles 2024.

Top Institutes IIM Cut Off 2024 (in percentile)
IIM	Cut Off (in percentile)
IIM Ahmedabad	99-100
IIM Bangalore	99-100
IIM Calcutta	99-100
IIM Lucknow	97-98
IIM Kozhikode	97-98
IIM Indore	97-98
IIM Amritsar	95-96
IIM Nagpur	95-96
IIM Sambalpur	95-96
IIM Trichy	94-95
IIM Raipur	94-95
IIM Ranchi	94-95
IIM Kashipur	94-95
IIM Vizag	92-94
IIM Bodh Gaya	92-94
IIM Udaipur	92-94
IIM Shillong	90

CAT Selection Process

The Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) select candidates for MBA admissions based aon their CAT scores. These scores are also accepted for admission to other IIM programs, including Executive MBA, PhD, and FPM. For full-time MBA admissions, candidates must participate in the Written Ability Test (WAT) and Personal Interview (PI) rounds. Below are the three stages of the IIM CAT selection process for the Regular MBA program.

Stage 1: Shortlisting of Candidates on the Basis of CAT Score

In the first stage, candidates are shortlisted based on their performance in the CAT Exam.

Each institute has its own cut-off criteria. Candidates who are shortlisted will be invited to move forward to the next stage of the selection process.

Stage 2: Conduct of WAT-PI Round

The second stage involves the Written Ability Test (WAT) and Personal Interview (PI). The WAT assesses a candidate’s written communication skills, analytical abilities, and thought clarity.

Candidates are given a topic and a limited time to write an essay or response. The Personal Interview (PI) is a more comprehensive evaluation where a panel of experts assesses the candidate’s personality and communication skills

Stage 3: Final Selection and Offer of Admission

In the final stage, the performance of the candidates in the CAT, WAT, and PI rounds is consolidated to make the final selection. Institutes often use a weighted average of these scores, with different weights assigned to each component. Based on this comprehensive evaluation, the final list of selected candidates is prepared, and offer letters are sent out to those who have successfully met all the criteria.

Candidates who receive an offer of admission are required to confirm their acceptance and complete the necessary formalities to secure their seat in the program.

CAT Exam Preparation Tips

Preparing for the CAT Exam 2024 requires a strategic and disciplined approach. Here are some comprehensive tips to help you prepare effectively for the CAT exam:

Understand the Exam Pattern and Syllabus

The CAT exam consists of three sections: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Ability (QA).
Familiarize yourself with the types of questions and the marking scheme.
Understand the weightage of each section to prioritize your exam preparation.
Keep an eye on any updates or changes in the exam pattern announced by the conducting body.

Create a Study Plan

Define your long-term and short-term goals for CAT Exam 2024.
Allocate specific time slots for each section daily. Ensure you cover all topics systematically.
Maintain regular study hours and stick to your schedule. Breaks: Include short breaks in your timetable to avoid burnout.
Be flexible to adjust your plan based on your progress and areas that need more focus.

Strengthen Basics

Ensure you have a strong understanding of basic concepts in mathematics, grammar, and logical reasoning.
Use standard books and materials recommended for CAT Exam 2024 preparation. Foundation Consider enrolling in foundation courses if you need extra help with basics.
Regularly clear your doubts to build a strong conceptual foundation.

Practice Regularly

Take regular mock tests to simulate the exam environment.
After each test, analyze your performance to identify strengths and weaknesses.
Solve previous years question (PYQs) to understand the exam pattern and difficulty level.
Create an improvement plan based on your test analysis.
Make practice a daily habit to build speed and accuracy.

Focus on Time Management

Work on your speed without compromising accuracy.
Practice questions with a timer to enhance your time management skills.
Develop a strategy for time allocation for each section.
Focus on solving questions efficiently to maximize your score in CAT exam 2024.

Improve Reading Skills

Practice reading comprehension passages regularly to crack CAT Exam 2024.
Read newspapers, magazines, and books to fasten your reading speed and comprehension skills.
Practice analyzing and summarizing what you read to enhance comprehension.
Make reading a daily habit to gradually improve your skills.

Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation

Engage in puzzles, Sudoku, and logical games to enhance your reasoning skills.
Practice interpreting data from graphs, charts, and tables.
Use practice sets specifically designed for CAT Exam 2024 to sharpen your skills.
Incorporate daily practice of logical reasoning problems into your routine.

Quantitative Ability

Solve mathematical problems daily.
Memorize important formulas and learn shortcuts for quick calculations.
Focus on applying concepts to different types of problems.
Practice various questions to cover all possible types to crack CAT exam 2024.

Verbal Ability

Build a strong vocabulary by learning new words daily for better preparation for CAT exam 2024.
Learn grammar rules and practice sentence correction exercises.
Practice para jumbles, sentence completion, and summarization exercises.
Use vocabulary lists and flashcards for effective learning.
Regularly revise vocabulary and grammar rules to retain them better.

Stay Updated

Stay updated with current affairs (CA)and general knowledge (GK), which may help in the Group Discussion (GD) and Personal Interview (PI) rounds after the CAT exam 2024.
Follow reliable news sources and magazines.
Maintain summary notes of important events for quick revision.

Join a Study Group or Coaching

Join a study group or online forums to discuss doubts and share resources.
If needed, enroll in coaching classes for structured guidance and mentoring.
Engage in peer learning to benefit from different perspectives.
Seek feedback from mentors to improve your preparation.

Stay Healthy and Positive

Maintain a healthy diet chart and ensure adequate sleep.
Practice mind relaxation techniques like yoga and meditation to manage stress.
Include regular physical activity in your practice to stay fit.
Pay attention to your mental health and seek support if needed.

Review and Revise

Allocate time for regular revision of topics covered.
Make proper notes for quick revision before the exam.
Create a structured revision plan covering all topics systematically.
Identify and focus on weaker areas during revision.

Exam Strategy

Develop CAT Exam 2024 strategy for attempting each section based on your strengths and weaknesses.
Decide how much time to allocate to each section and stick to it during the exam.
Test your strategy during mock exams to refine it.
Have a backup plan for handling difficult sections or unexpected challenges.

Top Online MBA Universities in India That Accept CAT Scores

University	Fee	Location
Manipal University	₹43,750/- Semester	Jaipur, Rajasthan
Lovely Professional University	₹43,000/- Semester	Phagwara, Punjab
Jain University	₹40,000/- Semester	Bangalore, Karnataka
Chandigarh University	₹50,000/- Semester	Ajitgarh, Punjab
Vivekananda Global University	₹32,500/- Semester	Jaipur, Rajasthan
Shoolini University	₹20,000/- Semester	Solan, Himachal Pradesh
Sharda University	₹25,000/- Semester	Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh
Dr. D. Y. Patil Vidyapeeth	₹50,000/- Semester	Pune, Maharashtra
Uttaranchal University	₹40,000/- Semester	Dehradun, Uttarakhand
Amrita University	₹42,500/- Semester	Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu

Final Words

Cracking the CAT exam 2024 requires preparation, strategic planning, and consistent effort. Understanding the exam pattern, syllabus, and eligibility criteria is the first step towards success. Effectual time management during the exam is crucial. While the CAT score is essential, it’s equally important to excel in the subsequent Group Discussion (GD) and Personal Interview (PI) rounds to secure admission to your desired management program.

Remember, the competition is fierce, but with dedication and the right guidance, you can increase your chances of securing a seat in top IIMs, universities and colleges .