CAT 2024: Exam Dates, Application, Paper Pattern Syllabus, Results
CAT 2024 – Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Lucknow will conduct CAT 2024 and release notification in the last week of July 2024 on the official website which is iimcat.ac.in . CAT aspirants must fulfil the eligibility criteria and finish the registration procedure for CAT Exam by the deadlines given in order to appear for the CAT exam.
CAT 2024 exam will take place in the month of November 2024 (tentatively). CAT registration process 2024 will begin in the first week of August. Applications for the CAT 2024 Exam will be accepted in online mode only.
We have listed the highlights of CAT exam 2024 for your prompt reference:
| Examination Particulars | Detailed Insights |
| Full form of CAT | Common Admission Test |
| Host for 2024 | Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Lucknow |
| Level of Examination | National |
| Syllabus | Three distinct sections include VARC (Verbal Ability along with Reading Comprehension), Quantitative Aptitude and Logical Reasoning coupled with Data Interpretation (DILR) |
| Examination process | CBT (includes both response based and MCQ-type questions) |
| Examination date (tentative) | November 2024 |
| CAT Eligibility | Students need to be graduates with at least 50% marks in aggregate. Percentage relaxation of 5% is allowed for ST/SC candidates |
| Examination charges | ₹ 2,200 for General caste candidates
₹ 1,100 for Reserved category students |
| Course affiliated | MBA/ PGDM |
| CAT Examination’s motive | To secure admission in one of the top IIMS or in any of top 1200 business schools across the country |
What is the CAT Exam?
Common Admission Test – CAT 2024 is the mandatory entrance exam for MBA admission 2024 in all the 20 IIMs, FMS Delhi, SPJIMR Mumbai, MDI Gurgaon, IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IIT Kharagpur; NITIE Mumbai and hundreds of other top B-schools in India. More than two lakh candidates appear in CAT every year to explore admission opportunities in MBA programmes offered by IIMs and other top MBA colleges in India. Salient Points about the CAT Exam are:
- A computer based test conducted at more than 155 test cities and 400+ test venues
- Since 2020, CAT exam duration is reduced to two hours from earlier three hours
- The exam is divided into three sections of Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension; Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning; Quantitative Ability
- Each Section in the exam has to be attempted in a fixed individual time limit.
- Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) will offer admission on the basis of CAT 2024 score only and will not accept any other test score
CAT 2024 Exam Dates
Tentative dates for the important events for CAT 2024 are mentioned below. The final dates for CAT 2024 will be made available once they are out.
| CAT 2024 Exam Date | Sunday, November 24, 2024 |
| CAT Entrance exam sessions | Likely to be Conducted in 3 sessions on same day–
|
| IIM for conducting CAT 2024 | Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Lucknow |
| CAT 2024 Test Mode | Computer based exam but not an online exam |
| When to Check for CAT 2024 Notification | July 2024 |
| CAT 2024 Start Date for Registration | August 2024 |
| CAT 2024 Last Date for Registration | September 2024 |
| CAT 2024 Admit Card Release Date | October 2024 |
| CAT 2024 Results Announcement | December 2024 |
| Details to Check in CAT 2024 Notification | CAT Exam details, Application fee, Registration dates, MBA courses by IIMs through CAT 2024 |
| Top MBA Colleges Accepting CAT 2024 for MBA admission 2024 | 20 IIMs, FMS, MDI, SPJIMR, IITs, IMI, IMT& 1000 other MBA colleges in India |
| How to Apply for CAT 2024? | Application process is online only |
| CAT Official Website for CAT 2024 Form Filling | iimcat.ac.in |
CAT 2024 Eligibility Criteria
Below are the important points that determine CAT eligibility criteria 2024. Candidates must ensure that they fulfil all eligibility requirements for the exam.
- A candidate with minimum 50% marks in graduation can appear in CAT 2024
- A final year student in graduation can also appear in CAT 2024 conducted by IIMs
- There is no age limit to apply and appear in CAT 2024
Read the detailed article on CAT Eligibility Criteria to verify your eligibility for CAT 2024.
CAT Registration 2024
- CAT 2024 Registration process is online
- You can register & apply for CAT 2024 online only on the official CAT website
- CAT 2024 registration fee is Rs. 2400 /- for General candidates and Rs.1200/ for SC/ST/PWD candidates. CAT exam fee should be paid online only
- The application process for CAT 2024 opens in August first week after release of CAT Notification 2024
- You can complete CAT 2024 registration and application process in 3 major steps which are given below-
- Login to CAT website iimcat.ac in and Create Profile
2. Fill in the Registration & Application Form
3. Make Online payment of CAT Registration Fee
Read the comprehensive article on CAT 2024 Application Process to get a thorough idea on how to go about the CAT 2024 Application Form correctly.
CAT 2024 Application Fee
All candidates desirous of appearing in the CAT 2024 have to pay the CAT Exam fee as given below-
| Category | Application Fee |
| SC, ST and PwD category candidates | ₹1200 |
| Other Candidates | ₹2400 |
Please note that a candidate needs to pay the registration fees only once, irrespective of the number of institutes he/she is applying for. Fees once paid cannot be refunded under any circumstances.
CAT 2024 Application Correction
Students who have submitted the application form and want to make changes can do so after opening the correction facility. CAT Correction window 2024 will open online in the 3rd week of September 2024. It will remain open for a few days only.
Changes in category are not possible after registration. So, students must fill in the details correctly to avoid rejection of form. For making changes in form, students have to enter their login details.
CAT 2024 Admit Card
CAT 2024 Admit Card download will start from mid October 2024 or in the last week, immediately with the release of the CAT hall ticket by IIMs. IIMs will upload the CAT 2024 Admit card on the official CAT exam website 2024. The CAT admit card release date may be extended by a few days in case the last date of registration for CAT 2024 exam is extended. The last date to download the CAT Admit Card is CAT 2024 exam date.
Here are the 3 Steps to Download CAT 2024 Admit Card
- Logon to CAT official Website
- Enter CAT Login ID & Password & Click on ‘Admit Card’
- Click on Download & Take Print of CAT Admit card
Note: Candidates have to carry the CAT Admit card with them to the exam hall.
CAT 2024 Exam Pattern
It is of utmost importance to know the exam pattern of CAT in order to crack the CAT Exam. Let us check out the detailed paper pattern of CAT 2024-
CAT 2024 Exam Duration : CAT 2024 is a computer based test of 2 hours (120 minutes) duration.
CAT 2024 Number of Questions: Like last year, CAT 2024 exam will have 66 questions divided in 3 sections of VARC, DILR and Quantitative Ability.
CAT 2024 Question Paper Format: Out of 66 questions, there will be 18 or more questions which will not have negative marking. CAT 2024 exam is divided into MCQ and Non-MCQ type of questions and the Non-MCQs do not carry negative marking. In case any non-MCQ has negative marking, a few MCQs are changed to no negative marking questions.
CAT 2024 Marking Scheme: More than 48 questions in CAT 2024 will be of MCQ type and will carry penalty of 1/3 negative marking
CAT 2024 Cut Off : A Minimum qualifying score between 70 and 90 percentile in CAT 2024 is required by IIMs in each of the 3 sections to shortlist candidates for the final admission round.
In CAT 2024, for questions other than MCQs (i.e. TITA -Type In The Answer type questions), 3 marks are assigned for ‘correct answer’ and no marks for ‘incorrect answer or no attempt’.
- Each correct answer is awarded 3 marks.
- An incorrect answer fetches -1.
- No marks are given or deducted for unattempted questions.
Expected 2024 CAT Exam Pattern is given below.
| CAT 2024 Exam Components | MCQs (With negative marking) | Non-MCQs (Type In The Answer TITA type Qs Without negative marking) | Total Questions | Time Limit |
| Section-1: Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) | 19 | 5 | 24 | 40 Minutes |
| Section-2: Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR) | 15 | 5 | 20 | 40 Minutes |
| Section-3: Quantitative Ability (QA) | 14 | 8 | 22 | 40 Minutes |
| Total | 48 | 18 | 66 | 120 Minutes |
CAT Syllabus 2024
Although the exam Syllabus is not pre-defined by IIMs, it overall tests the candidate on Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension; Quantitative Aptitude; Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning.
| Sectional Division | Overview of Topics in the CAT Syllabus 2024 | Weightage in exam |
| Quantitative Ability (QA) | Arithmetic, Modern Math, Number System Algebra, Mensuration, Trigonometry, Geometry | 36% |
| Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR) | Data Charts, Data Tables, Bar Graphs, Venn Diagrams, Seating arrangement, Team formation, Clocks & Calendars | 30% |
| Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) | Long & Short Passages Jumbled Paragraphs; Para-summary Picking the Out of context sentence from a jumbled paragraph | 34% |
CAT 2024 Answer Key
After the CAT 2024 exam is successfully conducted at all exam centres, an Answer key along with CAT Question papers will be published on the official CAT website.
The exam conducting authority for CAT also allows candidates to raise objections within a specified time period against the provisional CAT answer key if they find any errors in the same. However, candidates will be charged a certain amount for every question they challenge on the CAT 2024 answer key.
How to Challenge CAT 2024 Answer Key
In order to submit your objections to the CAT 2024 answer key, you will have to follow the steps mentioned below.
- Log on to the official website of CAT 2024 ( iimcat.ac.in )
- Go to candidate login and click on it.
- Enter your unique login credentials and sign-in on the new page that will open.
- The screen will show the page of your personal details.
- On the page, click on the tab titled “Objection Form”.
- Choose the question number, section, and type of objection from the provisional CAT 2024 answer.
- Select one from the following three options given:
- More than one option is a correct answer
- None of the options is a correct answer
- The answer key is incorrect
- While objecting to any CAT 2024 question, you will be given the option to add remarks of up to 500 words.
- After you have raised the objection and given the remark, you will be required to pay the objection fee of Rs. 1,200 (approximately)
- It is important to be very careful while submitting the objections to CAT 2024 because no changes will be allowed after the specified time.
Note- There is no restriction to the number of objections that you can raise
CAT 2024 Result
CAT 2024 result is expected to be released in the first week of January 2025.
Immediately after the CAT result declaration, IIMs will start announcing their shortlist on the basis of CAT scores and other parameters in their shortlisting criteria for the final selection round. The final admission offer will be made to the candidates in the months of April/May 2025 by IIMs.
CAT 2024 Admission Procedure
The admission process in IIMs depends upon your performance in three major areas-
Stage-1: Performance in CAT Exam
Stage-2: Shortlisting by IIMs for PI round
Stage-3: IIMs Final Selection Process 2024 comprising WAT & PI Round
CAT 2024 SCORE
Candidate’s CAT 2024 scorecards will be made accessible on the CAT website. Candidates may also be intimated individually by SMS. The CAT results are likely to be declared by the second week of January, 2025. The CAT 2024 score is valid only till December 31, 2025 and will accordingly be accessible on the website. Thereafter, no queries related to the issuance of CAT 2024 scorecards will be entertained.
CAT 2024 Cut Off
The expected CAT cut off percentile in all these IIMs for admission is shared below.
| Top IIMs | Minimum CAT Cut off percentile Required |
| IIM Calcutta | 85 |
| IIM Lucknow | 90 |
| IIM Indore | 90 |
| IIM Kozhikode | 90 |
| IIM Tiruchirappalli | 92 |
| IIM Shillong | 90 |
| IIM Udaipur | 92 |
| IIM Rohtak | 95 |
| IIM Kashipur | 92 |
| IIM Ranchi | 92 |
| IIM Raipur | 92 |
| IIM Bodhgaya | 92 |
| IIM Jammu | 92 |
| IIM Sambalpur | 92 |
| IIM Sirmaur | 92 |
| IIM Amritsar | 85 |
| IIM Nagpur | 85 |
| IIM Visakhapatnam | 80 |
CAT Exam 2024 FAQs
Q. What is CAT 2024 helpline number?
A. For queries regarding CAT Registration, Application and Payment Processing, Document uploading please call only on 1-800-210-8720 (Toll Free)
Call on the Toll free number, Monday to Saturday 9:00AM to 6:00PM (excluding National holidays).
Email- cathelpdesk@iimcat.co.in
For Academic queries like eligibility, category and PwD certificate , please contact CAT Centre office with contact details as follows. (Please note that CAT Centre should NOT be contacted for any issue related to CAT registration, application or payment processing)
Monday to Friday excluding holiday, from 9:30am to 5:30pm
+91-0522-6696676/6068
Email- cat2023-helpdesk@iiml.ac.in
Q. Does fulfilling the CAT 2024 Eligibility Criteria ensure my seat at one of the IIM’s?
A. Applicants should note that mere fulfilment of the minimum eligibility criteria will not ensure consideration for shortlisting by IIMs.
Q. How many Questions are expected in CAT 2024?
A. The CAT exam is expected to consist of 66 questions.
Q. How is a Non-MCQ question different from MCQ type question?
A. For a non-MCQ type question, you must type the answer in the given space while for the MCQ you only need to click on the most appropriate answer option.
Q. How difficult is CAT?
A. Despite being a highly competitive and most important MBA entrance exam in India, the difficulty level of CAT is considered moderate to high.
Q. When is CAT Conducted?
- CAT is conducted annually.
- Now conducted preferably on the last Sunday of November every year
- The exam is conducted on a single day in three sessions – morning, afternoon and evening with a duration of 2 hours for each session.
Conclusion
The Common Admission Test (CAT) is a national-level management aptitude test for admission to MBA courses at 20 IIMs and over 1,200 B-schools in India. The CAT 2024 exam will be held in November 2024. Candidates who wish to appear for CAT 2024 will have to make a successful registration on the official website. Candidates must submit their application form before the deadline, i.e September 2024.
The CAT test syllabus is divided into three sections: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Aptitude. (QA). Comprehensive understanding of the syllabus and exam pattern, with proper study-plan and regular practise will help CAT aspirants to ace this exam with flying colours.
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