CAT 2023: Exam Dates, Registration, Pattern, Syllabus, Application Form, Question Papers

The CAT 2023 exam will be tentatively held in November 2023, in 3 slots. The official notification will be released around July 2023 with details about CAT 2023 exam date and registration dates. The CAT application form 2023 will also be released soon after. However, candidates must already begin their preparations for CAT 2023 to clear the cut-offs with the highest percentile. Thus here is an overview to help you on this journey-

  • The CAT 2023 eligibility criteria require candidates to have completed their undergraduate with a minimum of 50% marks (45% for reserved categories).
  • Candidates who successfully register for the exam will be able to download the admit card in October 2023. It will include the CAT 2023 exam date, venue, and time for the exam.
  • The exam consists of three sections; VARC, DILR, and QA with a total of 66 questions. The time limit for the exam is 120 minutes.
  • Candidates can prepare for the exam with mock papers, study material, and coaching programs.

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CAT 2023 Exam Dates

The CAT 2023 exam is expected to be held in the month of November 2023. Here is the tentative timeline for the exam-

Event

Tentative Timeline

CAT 2023 Official Notification

July 2023

Start Date for Registration

August 2023

Last Date for Registration

September 2023

Opening of Form Correction Window

September 2023

Admit Card Release Date

October 2023

CAT 2023 Exam Date

November 2023

CAT 2023 Results Announcement

December 2023

About CAT 2023

The Common Admission Test held annually by the IIMs is the most common entrance exam for MBA admissions to top-notch B-schools. CAT 2023 will allow students to apply for admission to IIMs among other top institutes for the batch of 2024-26.

Students aiming for admission to MBA programs must clear this exam and make the cut-offs before being selected for further rounds conducted by the institutions.

Given below are the CAT 2023 highlights-

Highlights

Details

Exam Name

Common Admission Test

Official Website

www.iimcat.ac.in 

Conducting Body

The Indian Institute of Management

Frequency

Annual

Registration Mode

Online

Exam Mode

Online

No. of Questions

66

Time Allotted

120 minutes

Types of Questions

MCQs and TITA

Sections in the Exam

3 Sections VARC, DILR and QA

Medium of Exam

English

CAT 2023 Eligibility Criteria

When CAT application form 2023 is open from August 2023, only eligible students will be allowed to apply. Thus, it is imperative that every aspirant understands the eligibility criteria beforehand and prepares accordingly.

  • Candidate must hold a bachelor’s degree in any discipline with a minimum score of 50% for the General and NC-OBC categories. The required score for SC, ST and PWD candidates is 45%.
  • Final year candidates of an undergraduate can also appear for the exam with the expectation that they complete their graduation with the required marks. Candidates failing to provide the same during admissions will find their admission canceled.
  • CAT 2023 has no age restrictions and anyone fulfilling the above criteria is welcome to apply.
  • Candidates with a professional degree such as CA/ CS/ ICWS are also eligible for the CAT exam.

CAT 2023 Registration Process

Candidates must register for the CAT 2023 exam online through the official website iimcat.ac.in. Here are the steps to fill out the CAT application form 2023, along with the fees and documents required for registration-

Steps for Registration-

  • On the official website, candidates must click on new candidate registration, fill in the basic details required and submit.
  • Upon verification, candidates will receive a unique user ID and password on the registered email and mobile number.
  • Now the candidates can fill up the details requested in the CAT application form 2023.
  • The candidate will also have to select the programs of their choice along with the Interview City for the same.
  • The candidate can choose 6 preferred test cities for the CAT 2023 exam.

Documents Required-

While filling out the CAT application form 2023, the candidate must also upload the required documents in the given format-

Document

Format

Photo

.jpg/.jpeg

Signature

.jpg/.jpeg

EWS/NC-OBC/SC/ST Certificate

pdf

PwD Certificate

pdf

Application Fee-

After filling all the details in the CAT application form 2023, the candidate must make the payment to complete the registration process.

  • For General, EWS and NC-OBC, the application fee is INR 2,200/-
  • For SC, ST and PwD, the application fee is INR 1,100/-
  • The fee can be paid through online mode only.
  • Before submitting the CAT application form 2023 and making the payment, the candidate will be able to preview the complete form.
  • After successful payment, the candidates will receive a confirmation email within a few minutes.

CAT 2023 Exam Pattern

The CAT exam is held in 3 slots. While the exam pattern and syllabus are the same for all slots, the level of difficulty might vary. Here is an overview of the exam pattern for CAT 2023-

Mode of Examination

Online (Computer-based)

Medium of Examination

English

Total Questions

66

Time Allotted

120 minutes

Questions Per Section

VARC: 24

DILR: 20

QA: 22

Time Allotted per Section

40 minutes each

Type of Questions

MCQs and TITA (Type in the Answer)

Marks Awarded for Correct Answer

+3 for every right answer

Marks Deducted for Wrong Answer

-1 for every wrong answer, TITA has no negative marking

CAT 2023 Syllabus

Like all the previous CAT exams, the CAT 2023 exam is divided into 3 sections. While there is no established syllabus for the CAT exam, the syllabus is majorly focused on school-based mathematics and English. Given below is the division of the three sections of the exam-

Section

No. of Questions

Time Allotted

Main Topics

Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)

24

40 minutes

Reading comprehension, parajumbles, parasummary, verbal reasoning, etc.

Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR)

20

40 minutes

Charts, graphs, arrangements, blood relations, puzzles, etc.

Quantitative Aptitude (QA)

22

40 minutes

Algebra, arithmetic, number systems, geometry, etc.

Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)

  • The VARC section is divided into two main parts; reading comprehension and verbal ability. A major section of the VARC is reading comprehension which includes paragraphs of varying lengths with MCQ and TITA questions. The verbal ability section comprises parajumbles, odd sentences etc.

Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR)

  • Data Interpretation consists of sets of questions based on various charts, graphs and other forms of data presentation. The data for the answers is to be directly extracted from the given charts. The logical reasoning section also consists of sets of questions based on seating arrangements, blood relations, puzzles etc.

Quantitative Aptitude (QA)

  • This section is focused on mathematics as the syllabus for QA is entirely based on school maths. Topics included are LCM & HCF, trigonometry, mensuration, probability etc. In recent years the difficulty of this section has been reduced by the IIMs.

CAT 2023 Preparation

Based on previous years, over 2 lakh candidates register for the CAT exam every year. Thus, the competition for admission into the top B-schools is very high. So preparations for the CAT exam have to be relentless and follow a plan of action to study. Here are a few tips to prepare for the CAT 2023 exam-

  • Prepare a Study Strategy: Divide the syllabus into various sections and phases across the time you have for preparation. Allot time daily for your CAT preparations and commit to it. You should ensure that each section of the paper gets the required time.
  • Establish the Basics: Identify the concepts you are not accustomed to or struggle with more. Devote time to the different topics of each section and establish your understanding at the start of the CAT preparations.
  • Choose the Mode of Preparation: You can choose to study by yourself or enroll in a CAT coaching program. A coaching program will guide you through all the processes of preparation. If you choose to self-study, remember to consult the correct books and materials for your preparation.

Focus on Mock Exams: As you grow confident in your preparation, consider giving mock exams. The mock exams will help you to identify your weaknesses and strengths. It will enable you to improve on your weaker sections.

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CAT 2023 Admit Card

The admit card for CAT 2023 will be released in October 2023. Here are a few details to keep in mind for the same-

  • The candidates who fill out the CAT application form 2023 and successfully register for the exam will be able to download their admit cards.
  • Candidates can access their admit cards by logging into the official website using the registration ID and password. They would then be able to download the admit card.
  • The test centers, date and other details of the exam will be present on the admit card.
  • Candidates must carry their admit cards with them on the day of the examination.

CAT 2023 Results

The CAT results will be available on the official website tentatively in December. The CAT 2023 results will be valid till December 2024. 

The IIMs will also release cut-offs for the 2024-26 batch. There is no centralized counseling for the CAT exam as all the IIMs have their own procedure for interviews and further admission rounds.

CAT 2023 FAQs

No, CAT is only held once every year, usually in the month of Novemeber. The notification for CAT 2023 will be released tentatively in July 2023 which will give the exact date of when CAT 2023 is held.

Candidates who wish to appear for CAT 2023 should have completed their bachelor’s degree with a minimum 50% marks in the bachelor’s degree. There is no age limit to give CAT 2023. Students in their final year of bachelor’s can also appear for the exam.

Yes, one year is enough to prepare for CAT and ace it. Aspirants need to maintain an effective study plan and practice on a regular basis to crack CAT with 12 months of preparation.

There is no limit to the number of times you can attempt CAT as there is no age limit. However, candidates must meet the basic eligibility criteria which requires the candidate to have a bachelor’s degre with minimum 50% marks.

Yes, CAT is a mandatory entrance exam for students who wish to pursue an MBA from the 20 IIMs and other top B-schools of India.

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