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.
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 |
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 |
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.
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 |
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. |