August 22, 2024
Overview: CAT exam is one of the most sought-after MBA entrances of our country. Aspiring candidates like you often ponder to this question "Is CAT exam tough". The standard of this exam is so that it stands among the toughest exams for MBA admissions in top B-schools.
In this blog besides answering the question "is CAT exam tough", we will cover many other aspects like why it's considered challenging, its difficulty level, and most importantly how can you overcome this challenge and ace in the exam.
Learn More | How to Prepare for CAT in 6-Months
Given its comprehensive nature, it's natural to ask, "Is the CAT exam tough?" When we talk about the toughest exams in our country, the CAT entrance exam is always part of the discussion.
Nowadays, management has become a prominent and feasible career choice for many aspirants who wish to move ahead in the business and corporate world. Many candidates want to get into the top B-schools in the country. As almost all B-schools accept the scores of one single common entrance tests, the competition rises.
Because of this reason, the CAT exam is conducted every year by the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs). IIMs are the top choices for candidates who want to pursue postgraduate management programs like an MBA.
Learn More | CAT Exam Marking Scheme 2024
CAT exam is definitely one of the toughest exams of our country as the selection into the top b-schools of our country like IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, XLRI, etc. becomes a little challenging because of the high cut offs of these institutes.
As per the data, you must know that around 3.3 lakhs candidates applied for CAT exam 2023. Around 60 students fight for a single seat of an IIM. The competition rises every year (see the table below)
Learn More | What is CAT Exam Full Form
Here’s a brief overview of the CAT Entrance Exam 2024:
CAT Exam Particulars | CAT Exam 2024 Details |
CAT Full Form | Common Admission Test (CAT) |
Conducting Institute | IIMs |
Exam Frequency | Once a year |
CAT Exam Date 2024 | Sunday, November 24, 2024 (tentatively) |
Eligibility Criteria | Graduation with 50% aggregate (45% for SC/ST students) |
Number of Applications in CAT exam | 3.28 lakh (in 2023) |
Exam Purpose | Study at IIMs, SPJIMR, FMS, MDI, IMT and over 1,200 B-Schools in India |
Courses Offered Through CAT Exam | MBA/ PGDM |
No. of test cities for CAT Exam | 150 |
Learn More | CAT Exam Eligibility Criteria 2024
To answer the most pondered over question "is CAT exam tough", let's see the reasons of why it is considered the toughest exam of India.
Standard Questions: The questions in the CAT exams do not just contain application of formulas. Rather it requires a high level of critical and most importantly analytical thinking to comprehend the conceptual questions from the fundamental concepts. The complexity hence becomes high.
Competitive Nature: As you saw the above statistical chart, it must be understood that aspirants like you are pulling themselves for the limited seats.
Time Bound Online Test: The entrance test is completely time bound. As per the CAT 2023 paper pattern, there were 66 conceptual questions which are to be solved in 120 minutes with a sectional timing of 40 minutes. This requires aspirants to maintain the speed as well as accuracy.
Complicated Syllabus: The syllabus of the CAT exam is never released by any official authority beforehand. It becomes tricky for candidates to prepare for an entrance from a syllabus based on CAT previous year's question papers which are asked from a wide range of topics.
Now that you got the answer to the question "is CAT exam tough", it's important that you prepare for this tough competition and high difficulty level. Following are the tips for you to escalate your CAT exam preparation:
# 1: Simplify and streamline the approach for your CAT exam preparation by taking a mock test. This initial step helps you identify your starting point and set your goals. A pre-preparation mock test highlights the areas you need to improve.
# 2: After understanding your current standing and target, clarify all fundamental concepts and their applications.
# 3: Take mock tests regularly to familiarize yourself with the CAT's question types, key concepts, and strategies for the Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Logical Reasoning (LR), and Quantitative Ability (QA) sections.
# 4: Based on your strengths, develop a strategy for efficiently covering the entire syllabus and begin taking sectional tests to deepen your understanding of each subject.
# 5: Finally, revision is critical. Once you've covered the CAT 2024 syllabus, dedicate time to revise thoroughly to reinforce your knowledge and improve your confidence before the exam.
Learn More | CAT Exam Preparation Books 2024
CAT Cut off for IIM is announced to release the qualifying percentile in their official admission brochure. The table below provides the category-wise CAT Cut off for IIM for 2024:
IIM | General | OBC | EWS | SC | ST |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
IIM Ahmedabad | 80 | 75 | 80 | 70 | 60 |
IIM Bangalore | 85 | 75 | 75 | 70 | 65 |
IIM Kozhikode | 85 | 75 | 75 | 65 | 55 |
IIM Calcutta | 85 | 75 | 75 | 70 | 65 |
IIM Lucknow | 90 | 82 | 82 | 65 | 60 |
IIM Mumbai | 85 | 75 | 75 | 70 | 65 |
IIM Indore | 90 | 80 | 90 | 60 | 50 |
IIM Raipur | 92 | 74 | 70 | 54 | 40 |
IIM Rohtak | 95 | 78 | 90 | 55 | 30 |
IIM Udaipur | 92 | 74 | 70 | 54 | 40 |
IIM Kashipur | 92 | 74 | 70 | 54 | 40 |
IIM Trichy | 92 | 74 | 70 | 54 | 40 |
IIM Ranchi | 92 | 74 | 70 | 54 | 40 |
IIM Shillong | 75 | 75 | 75 | 60 | 50 |
IIM Visakhapatnam | 80 | 70 | 72 | 45 | 35 |
IIM Jammu |
Male- 90 Female- 87 |
Male- 72 Female- 70 |
Male- 68 Female- 65 |
Male- 52 Female- 50 |
Male- 37 Female- 34 |
IIM Nagpur | 90 | 76.5 | 80 | 60 | 40 |
IIM Amritsar | 85 | 75 | 85 | 55 | 40 |
IIM Bodh Gaya | 92 | 74 | 70 | 54 | 40 |
IIM Sambalpur | 74 | 74 | 70 | 54 | 40 |
IIM Sirmaur | 92 | 74 | 70 | 54 | 40 |
Is CAT Exam Tough? The CAT exam is undoubtedly challenging, but it is not impossible to crack. The perception of its toughness stems from its competitive nature, the diverse skill set required, and the time management pressures involved. The CAT cut off for different b-schools varies from college to college and is based on various factors such as the number of applicants, difficulty level of the exam, etc.
The CAT Cut off for IIMs varies from year to year. Generally, a student must get a percentile of 90+ to be shortlisted for the IIMs.
Frequently Asked Questions
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