CAT 2023: Official Answer Key, Score Vs Percentile, Colleges

CAT 2023: Answer Key Expected Today; Check How to Download and Calculate your Score, Score Vs Percentile Predictions, Top Colleges

CAT 2023 exam answer key release is expected today on December 2. This year CAT answer key release has become even more important given the high difficulty level of CAT question paper. In order to verify their responses with official answers and thereby to calculate their correct score, the students are eagerly waiting for the CAT answer key release. CAT 2023 was conducted on November 26, 2023 in 3 slots. This year CAT was rated more difficult than last year especially the Quant difficulty level was highest. According to Mr Arun Sharma, IIM Bangalore alumnus and CAT preparation expert, who took the slot-2 of CAT 2023 exam on November 26, 2023, said, “This year while the overall exam pattern was same as last year, the questions in the Quantitative section in CAT 2023 exam paper were the toughest in last 5 Years. In Slot 2 there were lots of high-level Algebra questions. This will have an impact on the Score that is required for 99%ile. I expect the required Scores for CAT 99% to drop a little to about 80-82 Marks. Last year if you got 85 Marks, you were in the 99% percentile range.” Read Complete CAT 2023 Analysis in Detail

CAT 2023 More Competitive than Last Year

With 30% increase in number of CAT 2023 applicants which have gone up at 3.30 lakhs from 2.55 lakh last year, CAT 2023 has been more competitive for admission to 21 IIMs. For about 10,000 seats offered by 21 IIMs, there are 3.30 lakh applicants while last year there were only 2.55 lakh applicants and the actual test takers were only 2.22 lakhs.  

 The CAT 2023 Registration numbers have hit all time high. For MBA Admission 2024, there are 21 IIMs that will accept CAT 2023 score. IIM Mumbai is the new entrant to the list of 20 IIMs. Besides, IIFT will also accept CAT exam score for MBA Admission 2024. Although, 1500 to 2000 MBA seats are added for MBA Admission 2024 in IIMs and other top colleges, the competition in CAT 2023 is to remain higher than last year with around 75,000 more applicants.  Many cities have more than one test centres.

IIM Mumbai and IIFT Delhi/Kolkata to Consider CAT 2023 Score

Increasing the tally of IIMs from 20 to 21, NITIE is added as 21^st IIM of India - IIM Mumbai. Alongwith the existing IIMs, the MBA admission 2024 at IIM Mumbai has also opened through CAT 2023 and you should apply for IIM Mumbai admission 2024 separately. The CAT 2023 Centre has announced that for admission 2024, 21^st IIM of India, IIM Mumbai (NITIE) and IIFT will consider CAT 2023 score for admission 2024.

Conducted by older IIMs by rotation, Common Admission Test (CAT) is the mandatory exam for MBA admission in 21 IIMs including the recently announced IIM Mumbai and other top B-schools like FMS, IIFT, MDI, SPJIMR among others.  

• Is CAT a Tough Exam for an Average Student? Check How to Crack
• IIM Mumbai Admission 2024: Check Fee, Placements, Selection Process
• IIFT to Accept CAT score for MBA Admission 2024; Cancels IIFT Entrance exam

To answer all queries related to CAT 2023 key features, CAT 2023 Eligibility criteria, Step by Step registration process in detail, exam pattern, syllabus, how to prepare, Top MBA Colleges accepting CAT for admission 2024, CAT 2023 exam dates, among other details, read following article prepared by MBAUniverse.com Team of CAT Experts:

Table of Contents

1. What is CAT Exam?

2. Key Exam Features & Highlights

3. CAT Exam 2023 Eligibility Criteria

4. CAT 2023 Registration & Application Form Filling Process

5. Exam Pattern 2023: Revised Structure & Key Changes

6. CAT Exam Syllabus: Overall and Section wise syllabus

7. CAT Exam Preparation: How to Prepare in 3 to 6 Months with Books, Top Coaching Institutes

8. Top MBA Colleges Accepting CAT 2023 for Admission 2024

9.  Important CAT 2023 Exam Dates

10. CAT Admit Card 2023

11. Exam Result & IIMs’ Admission Process

12. CAT Exam Trends: Important Changes in CAT over the Years

13. CAT Exam Advertisement & Notification: What, When, How Important  

14. Important Points about CAT 2023

15. FAQs: Answers by Experts 

1. What is CAT Exam?

Known as CAT, the CAT full form is Common Admission Test (CAT). It is mandatory to appear in CAT entrance exam for MBA admission 2024 in all the 20 IIMs, FMS Delhi, SPJIMR Mumbai, MDI Gurgaon, IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IIT Kharagpur; recently added IIM Mumbai (NITIE) and hundreds of other top B-schools in India. More than two lakh candidates are likely to appear in IIM CAT 2023 to explore admission opportunity 2024 in MBA programmes offered by IIMs and other top MBA colleges in India. Salient Points about the CAT Entrance Exam are:

• CAT Full Form: CAT exam full form is Common Admission Test
• CAT Entrance Exam Mode & Test Cities: CAT is a computer based test conducted at more than 150+ test cities and 300+ test venues
• IIM CAT 2023 Test Duration & Sectional Division: IIM CAT 2023 exam duration is two hours and the exam is divided into three sections, namely- 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 of 40 Minutes.
• CAT Score Accepting IIMs: All the 21 Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) will offer admission on the basis of IIM CAT 2023 score only and will not accept any other test score
• How many times CAT exam is conducted in a year: CAT exam is conducted only once in a year by one of the old IIMs

2. CAT Entrance Exam: Key Features & Highlights

Following are the key features of IIM CAT exam like CAT Full Form, exam dates, Eligibility, Exam Structure among other details

3. CAT Eligibility Criteria 2023

Below are the important points that determine the eligibility criteria 2023

• A candidate with minimum 50% marks in graduation can appear in the exam
• A final year student in graduation can also appear in the exam
• No age limit to apply and appear in the exam ​

Read More: CAT Eligibility Criteria 2023  

4. CAT 2023 Registration & Application Form Filling Process

4.1 Key Facts about CAT Registration

• The Registration Date opens after release of CAT Advertisement
• CAT 2023 registration process is open from 10 AM on Aug 2, 2023
• CAT Last Date to Apply 2023 is September 21, 2023 till 11 AM
• The registration process is online
• You can fill Registration Form online only on the official CAT website
• CAT registration fee is Rs.2400/- for General candidates. The exam fee should be paid online only

4.2 CAT 2023 Registration Steps at a Glance

Prof Sanjeet Singh, Convener CAT 2023 exam and faculty at IIM Lucknow has shared following CAT 2023 registration steps:

1. Register to generate CAT User ID and Password
2. Log in with the generated User ID and Password to fill in the Application form.
3. Submit Application form after entering details and making online payment to complete the registration and application process.

4.3 Key Points to Note during CAT 2023 Exam Registration & Application Process

• During registration, the mobile number and email address provided by the you will be verified through an OTP sent to that mobile number and email address
• Once the OTP is verified, the User ID and the Password will be sent on the registered email address and or on the registered mobile number to complete the registration process.
• You can complete the application form in a single session or in multiple sessions
• Save your current completed CAT application pages and login later to complete the remaining Application Form
• Once the payment is made and the Application Form is submitted, you cannot make any changes
• You can only view and print the CAT 2023 Application Form after submitting it

Check step by step process how to register and apply for CAT 2023 Error Free in few minutes

4.4 Key Changes in CAT Registration 2023

• You will Get 2 OTPs for Registration
• Upload Photo Size of 1200x1200 Pixels:
• Manually Calculate Academic Percentage:
• Delhi NCR Cities Clubbed
• Exam Fee Increased to Rs.2400

Read in detail step by step process how to register and apply for CAT Exam

4.5 Documents required for CAT Registration 2023

Following are the important documents required for CAT Registration 2023:

1. Mark sheets – Class-10
2. Mark Sheet – Class 12^th
3. Mark sheet – Bachelor’s Degree/Diploma
4. Final Year Certificate from the HoD/Principal (If in final year of bachelor’s degree) also previous year mark sheet
5. Work experience Document, if any
6. Applicable Certificates to upload (Category/Affidavits). Check and understand the size and format of Documents to be Uploaded
7. Scanned images of prescribed CAT exam photo size and signature.
8. Keep ready the list of the IIM programmes to which you wish to apply, before you fill in the application form.
9. Online fee payment instruments like Debit/Credit cards, Net banking. 

5. CAT Exam Pattern 2023: Revised Structure & Key Changes

Since 2015, CAT exam has remained on similar pattern, except for last three years which may be  followed for 2023 also, in terms of time duration, number of questions and sections as under:

• 120 Minutes Exam: CAT is a computer delivered test of 2 hours duration but it is not an Online Exam
• 66 Questions: Like last year, this year exam will have 66 questions divided in 3 sections of VARC, DILR and Quantitative Ability. Earlier it used to have 100 questions divided in three sections
• 18-20 No Penalty Questions: Out of 66 questions, there will be 18 or more questions which will not have negative marking. The 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.
• 48-50 Questions with Negative Marking: More than 48 questions in CAT are of MCQ type and will carry penalty of 1/3 negative marking
• Cut off Requirement by IIMs: A Minimum qualifying score between 70 and 90 percentile in CAT exam is required by IIMs in each of the 3 sections to shortlist candidates for final admission round
• IIM Shortlisting Criteria: Apart from High score in each of the 3 sections in the exam, if you have good academic profile with diversity, work experience, you are a preferred candidate to get admission into IIMs.

5.1 CAT Exam Pattern 2023: Revised Structure of Question Paper

The table below shares the sectional order, number and type of questions in each section, questions with and without negative marking for each section for the 2 hours exam 

Source: Based on CAT 2022 Pattern

6. CAT Exam Syllabus: Overall and Section wise syllabus

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. During the last 5 years, the CAT exam syllabus has substantially changed. Major changes in Syllabus 2023 are:

• The Syllabus is changed and contains different type of questions with a combination of MCQs & Non-MCQs.
• 25-30% Questions are no penalty questions now
• Most of the changes in syllabus have taken place in the Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension Section as the share of Reading Comprehension based questions has increased as compared to Verbal Ability questions
• A few changes in syllabus have been introduced in Quantitative Ability section with more focus on Arithmetic questions

6.1 CAT Syllabus Section-Wise

Read More: CAT Exam Syllabus.

7. CAT Preparation: How to Prepare for the Exam?

A few months of devoted preparation can enable you to crack the exam as it requires ‘Smart Preparation.’ You can self prepare for the exam with best books; can join a coaching or can have a mix of self preparation and guidance from coaching. Key aspects of preparation, as per the experts, are:

• You should have strong basics with clarity on concepts
• Improve your weak areas and strengthen your strong areas
• Consistent revision is required with Mocks, practice tests, Quizzes
• Prepare a list of topics as per the syllabus and improve on each of them
• Form a peer group on social media for preparation
• Focus more on RC in VARC section; focus equally on DI & LR and practice more Arithmetic questions to clear the section wise cut offs
• Time Management with Accuracy & Speed is required. Consistently improve on them
• Consult best preparation books and attempt their practice questions
• Read Interviews and tips from Toppers studying at IIMs, FMS, SPJIMR, MDI, on their  preparation strategy published on MBAUniverse.com and other channels

7.1 Preparation for VARC, DILR, Quant

The section wise preparation strategy is very important. Key tips to prepare for each section is as below:

7.1.1 Preparation for VARC

• Go through the Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension Syllabus 
• Choose the Best books
• Read the strategy for Verbal Ability Preparation of past toppers How to Ace CAT Verbal Ability
• Questions on RC passages in CAT constitute 70% share and Verbal questions are 30%. So focus and practice more RC based questions to crack the exam

Section-1: Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC): Composition

Read More: Verbal Ability for CAT 2023

7.1.2 Preparation for DILR

DILR is the 2^nd section in the exam. It plays very important role to clear the cut off percentile. The section has equal number of Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning Questions. You need to practice more to score high in this section. Experts advise following tips to prepare for DILR:

• Data Interpretation questions test your analytical skills of interpreting the Data given to you in the form of Table, Chart, Graph or in other form
• Logical Reasoning constitutes 50% share in the newly created Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation Comprehension (DILR) Section 
• The goal of scoring high can be achieved with small but consistent efforts and time devoted to the DILR section.
• DILR preparation for CAT requires you to first get as many as DILR practice questions
• To move in direct DILR preparation direction, it will be better to refer to DILR questions with solutions

Section-2: Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR): Composition

Read More: Data Interpretation for CAT 2023 

7.1.3 Preparation for Quant

Quantitative Ability (QA) is the last section in CAT exam. It can improve or reduce your score substantially. To score high in this section, experts advise following tips:

• A three dimensional approach is recommended on Preparation for Quant section
• Strengthen your basics and formulae in Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, Modern Math and allied topics
• Practise on variety of questions of different difficulty level
• Finally solve previous CAT papers and Mocks for each topic. The more you do it, the more expertise in Quant section, you will get.
• QA Sectional Composition

Section-3: Quantitative Ability (QA)

Read More: Quantitative Aptitude for CAT 2023

7.2 Best Books for CAT Preparation

IIM CAT has been changing its pattern and every year different types of questions appear in the exam. During the last few years, the exam has been modified completely.  Most of the preparation books in the market are based on the previous exam pattern but the best books shared here have updated changes with the anticipated question type in the exam. While choosing the best books for CAT, it should be kept in mind that the books are conversant with the changed exam pattern and difficulty level. Few things to check in the books are:

• Should Provide conceptual clarity on the relevant topic
• Rich on the exercises, practice questions and Mocks given after each topic
• Caters your need to focus more on the weak areas with variety of practice questions  
• Latest edition of preparation Book offers the updated exam pattern and syllabus also

7.2.1: 10 Best books for CAT Preparation

If you are self-preparing for the exam or are preparing with the support of coaching institute, in both the cases, the latest edition of the books for preparation as shared below will help you in conceptual clarity, practice questions and attempting the sample papers

• How to Prepare for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for CAT’- by Arun Sharma & Meenakshi Upadhyay
• Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for the CAT by Nishit K Sinha
• Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension by Ajay Singh
• Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis
• How to Prepare for Data Interpretation for CAT by Arun Sharma (Published by McGraw Hill)
• How to Prepare for Logical Reasoning for CAT by Arun Sharma (Published by McGraw Hill)
• Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation for the CAT by Nishit K. Sinha
• CAT Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning by Gautam Puri,Publisher Career Launcher
• How to prepare for Quantitative for the CAT by Arun Sharma, published by MGH Education
• Quantitative Aptitude for the CAT by Nishit K Sinha
• Quantitative Aptitude Quantum CAT by  Sarvesh K Verma. Read all about Arun Sharma CAT Books and Nishit K Sinha CAT Books

7.3 Preparing for CAT with Coaching

CAT coaching institutes help you to prepare for the exam systematically without deviating from your preparation path. While offering smart and intensive preparation for the exam 2023, the top coaching institutes help you to minimize the wastage of time with optimum utilization. There are 1 year, 6 months, 3 months and 2 months preparation time modules offered by the good coaching institutes that help you crack CAT with high score. If you need to clear the concepts and build your basics before practicing sessions, toppers and experts suggest to start the preparation with a 6 month time margin. The preparation can be self, with the support of online or offline coaching or a mix of both.

7.3.1 Top CAT Coaching Institutes in India

The choice of coaching mode depends upon your interest, time, money and preparation level while preparing for the exam. Shared below are the top coaching institutes with their key centres and available options for coaching:

Read More: CAT Coaching

7.4 Toppers’ Tips for CAT Preparation

Previous Toppers studying at IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta, Kozhikode, Lucknow, Udaipur, FMS, SPJIMR, MDI have shared with MBAUniverse.com their preparation strategy and how they overcame their weak areas and scored high. The last minute preparation tips from these toppers are very helpful in improving your score in the exam. Check Below    

Read 100+ CAT Toppers’ Preparation Strategy 

How Nancy Jain cracked CAT with 99.72% and got admission into IIM Calcutta

How Nandan Goel cracked CAT with 99.95 %ile and got admission to IIM Calcutta

How Pragya Malik cracked CAT with 99.52 %ile and got admission to IIM Calcutta 

How Sandeep Rajguru cracked CAT with 98.07%ile and got admission in IIM Ahmedabad

How Tanuj Ruia cracked CAT with 99.69%ile and got admission into IIM Bangalore

100 Days to CAT: How to Crack CAT by Hemang Panchmatia, CAT Mentor & Program Director, PG-India at IMS Learning

8. Top MBA Colleges Accepting CAT with Cut off Percentile

More than Top 100 MBA colleges in India are accepting CAT score for MBA admission 2024. Apart from 21 IIMs, other top CAT MBA colleges in non-IIM category, include FMS Delhi, IIFT Delhi/Kolkata, MDI Gurgaon, SPJIMR Mumbai, SJMSoM IIT Mumbai, DoMS IIT Delhi among others. Some of the top colleges accepting CAT with their expected cut offs are as below:

8.1 Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs)

8.2 Top MBA Colleges in Non-IIM Category

Following are the expected CAT cut off for top MBA colleges in India

Check and Read all about the CAT Accepting Colleges

8.3 MBA Programmes Offered by IIMs

Apart from being the most important entrance test for the 2 years full time post graduate management program (MBA/PGDM), CAT is the gateway for one year MBA programmes in IIMs and other prominent management institutes. Following are the various management programmes at IIMs in which admission 2024 is available through Common Admission Test 2023

9. Important CAT 2023 Exam Dates

Important CAT exam form date like date of Exam, CAT exam last date 2023 and all other timelines are as below:

10. CAT 2023 Admit Card

CAT Admit Card download will start from October 25, 2023, immediately with the release of the hall ticket by IIMs. IIMs will upload the Admit card on official exam website 2023. The admit card release date has been extended by 2 weeks as the last date of registration for CAT 2023 exam was extended by one week. The last date to download the CAT Admit Card is the CAT exam date. 

3 Steps to Download the Admit Card

1. Logon to official Website iimcat.ac.in
2. Enter Login ID & Password & Click on Direct link ‘Admit Card’
3. Click on Download & Take Print of CAT Admit card

11. CAT Exam 2023 Result & IIMs’ Admission Process

CAT exam official result declaration date is 2^nd week of January 2024. However, IIMs release the result much earlier. Last year also, the result was released as early as on Dec 21, 2022 instead of officially announced date of Jan second week. It is likely that CAT 2023 result may be released on January 4, 2024 or earlier, in morning hours. Immediately after the result declaration, IIMs will start announcing their shortlist on the basis of exam scores and other parameters in their shortlisting criteria for final selection round. The final admission offer will be made to the candidates in the months of April/May 2024 by IIMs

IIMs release their individual admission process after CAT registration begins. The admission process in IIMs depends upon your performance in three major areas – Your exam score; your academic record and performance in Personal Interview round. There are three stages through which IIM Admission Process is completed, they are:

• 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

Your final admission offer depends upon your performance in all the above three stages of IIMs selection process. While the older IIMs conduct their individual selection process, 9 new and baby IIMs conduct common admission process (CAP) for admission. Remaining IIMs conduct their individual selection process.

11.1 Top IIMs Conduct Individual Admission Process

IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta, Lucknow, Indore, Kozhikode, Mumbai, Shillong will individually shortlist the candidates and conduct their own admission process 2024 that award high weightage to academics, diversity, work experience apart from exam score

11.2 Common Admission Process (CAP) for 9 IIMs

The final selection process at 9 new IIMs is conducted as a common process. One of the six new IIMs co-ordinates this selection process which is referred to as Common Admission Process (CAP). The CAP 2024 will consist of common WAT and PI round for 9 new IIMs namely IIM Kashipur, Raipur, Ranchi,  Trichy,Udaipur and some of the newest IIMs like IIM Bodhgaya, Sambalpur, Sirmaur, Jammu.

11.3 IIM Nagpur, IIM Rohtak, IIM Visakhapatnam to conduct individual admission process

IIM Nagpur, IIM Rohtak and IIM Visakhapatnam do not participate in CAP round and conduct their own final selection process to make admission offer to the students. The final admission offers will be generated as per the merit lists prepared on the basis of CAT scores, Academic profile, Work experience and gender diversity in accordance with the weightage awarded to each of these factors.  

12. CAT Exam: Previous Trends

More than 2.55 lakh candidates had registered last year for CAT 2022 exam. In 2021, 2.30 Lakh applied for the exam; in 2020, 2.27 lakh candidates applied and in 2019, more than 2.44 lakh candidates had applied for Common Admission Test. It signifies that candidates have to compete with more candidates in the exam and need to score high to get shortlisted by top three IIMs and other top MBA colleges.

Although the trends in registrations since 2010 show a downward journey initially, but from 2013 it has been showing a rising registration count reflecting the regaining trust of aspirants and anticipation of better career opportunities after completing MBA/PGP from an IIM or other top B-school

Source: MBAUniverse.com Research & Analysis

12.1 Important Changes in CAT over the Years

Journey of IIM-CAT has witnessed substantial changes. In recent years, number of sections and type of questions in the exam have changed substantially. Important changes in pattern and conduct of exam are shared below: 

• Changed from Paper Based to Computer based test
• 3 Section Exam instead of Earlier 2 sections
• IIMs have introduced 25 to 30 percent questions in CAT exam with No Negative marking

The CAT Exam pattern over the past 12 years since it was computerized in 2009 has gone for perceptible changes. The paper pattern prior to 2009 was paper-pen based. The exam format was changed from paper based exam to online computer based test in 2009. Even after that the paper pattern continued changing from 3 sections to 2 and then the pattern was changed to 3 sections in 2015. Since then, the exam is following similar pattern. CAT pattern also remains the same for exam 2023 with 3 sections and 3 hours time although the number of MCQs and Non-MCQs may change.

13. Important Points about CAT Exam

Key points to note about the exam are given below:

13.1 When CAT is 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. From 2015 to 2019, the exam was of 3 hour duration conducted in two sessions
• The change in sessions and time duration was made due to Covid-19 pandemic.

13.2 What is Mode of CAT?

CAT is a computer based entrance test of two hours duration

13.3 When to look for CAT complete Information?

IIMs have released all the details about the exam in leading news papers on Sunday, July 30, 2023. A day before this publication, the CAT convener sent the press release with important details about the exam on the designated web portals. The process to register and apply for the exam starts on August 2. As per the practice, the CAT Advertisement and Notification is usually released on last Sunday of July every year.

13.4 What is CAT Exam Notification? When is CAT Exam 2023 conducted?

In fact, Notification is official CAT Exam Advertisement which contains CAT eligibility criteria, CAT registration and exam dates, CAT registration fee, CAT admit card release date, programs offered by IIMs, CAT exam date and other details. For the past 6-7 years, CAT exam is conducted on the last Sunday of November.  Read all about the CAT 2023 Notification

13.5 How difficult is the CAT?

Despite being a highly competitive and most important MBA entrance exam in India, the difficulty level of the exam is considered moderate to high.

13.6 Scoring Pattern in CAT

Each correct answer in the exam is awarded with 3 marks. The raw score is converted to scaled score and then converted to percentile score after allowing for equating and normalizing the scores for all the three exam slots.

IIMs and other top MBA colleges consider percentile awarded in the exam to shortlist the candidates for final selection round.

14. FAQs on CAT: Answers by Experts

Q. How many times CAT is conducted in a year?
A. CAT is conducted once in a year

Q. Have IIMs increased number of seats in CAT 2023?
A. With the inclusion of NITIE as IIM Mumbai and 21^st IIM in India, the seats in IIMs have gone by 550 more students. Besides all the other 20 IIMs are increasing their seats for admission 2024 by 5 to 10 percent.

Q. Will IIFT also accept CAT 2023 exam score for admission 2024?
A. Yes, from the academic session 2024-25, IIFT will accept CAT score for admission. From now on, IIFT has cancelled its own IIFT entrance exam. The candidates need to appear in CAT and also have to apply separately for IIFT admission.

Q. How many Questions are expected in CAT 2023?
A. CAT exam is expected to consist of 66 questions

Q. How difficult is the CAT exam
A. While some of the questions are of moderate difficulty level, some are more difficult

Q. Do IIMs provide any document and guide how to attempt CAT Exam?
A. IIMs release CAT practice test with complete navigation guide on the official website iimcat.ac.in. You can familiarize yourself with the functionality and navigation of the actual exam. You can also attempt Mock Tests (Link to CAT Mock test page) and CAT previous years question papers with answers at MBAUniverse.com

Q. Quant and DI questions require too much calculations. Can I take a calculator to the testing centre?
A. No, but the onscreen calculator is available throughout the exam. You can use that

Q. What is the Scoring Pattern in CAT? Do the wrong answers carry any penalty of negative marking?
A. The CAT question paper is divided into MCQs and Non-MCQs. Each correct answer in CAT 2023 is awarded +3 marks for all the questions but the MCQs carry a penalty of -1 mark for each wrong answer. For the Non-MCQs (Known as TITA Questions), there is no penalty of negative marking. Besides there is no penalty for any unattempted questions whether MCQ or Non-MCQ.

Q. How a Non-MCQ is 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. What is the number of Non-MCQs overall and section wise in the CAT question paper?
A. Out of the total overall questions in CAT exam, there are about 25% Non-MCQs. The same principle applies to each section. Exact number of Non-MCQs in CAT 2023 depends upon the total questions in the Exam.

Q. Can I choose the order of sections while attempting the CAT question paper?
A. No, You should answer the sections in a pre-specified order. This order is same for all the candidates. Besides, each section has an individual time limit of 40 minutes, so after the individual section time is over, you will be taken to next section automatically.

Q. Can I submit the paper early and leave the test center before the exam time is over?
A. No, the CAT paper cannot be submitted before the test duration of 2 hours is over. You can neither leave your seat, nor can leave the test centre early

Q. What is the role of Candidate CAT help desk in the Exam? When I can connect to it?
Ans: Candidate help desk is created by CAT conducting IIMs to address the problems and queries related to CAT exam. For example, in the event you do not receive a Confirmation email after completion of the application process or For queries regarding CAT Registration, Application and Payment Processing, Document uploading, you can connect with the Candidate Help Desk by e-mail or phone. Details are:

CAT 2023 Help Desk Email Id: [email protected]

CAT 2023 Help Line No: 1800 210 8720 (Toll Free) - Call on the Toll free number, Monday to Saturday 9:00AM to 6:00PM (excluding National holidays).

Please have your User ID and/or Payment Transaction Number details at hand for reference

CAT Centre 2023 Contact Details: For Academic queries like eligibility, category and PwD certificate, please contact CAT Centre office by email ([email protected]) or call +91-0522-6696676 Monday to Friday excluding holiday, from 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM.

Please note that CAT Centre should NOT be contacted for any issue related to CAT registration, application, or payment processing.