CAT

Text

About CAT

A.    GENERAL

        1.     Conducted by

                    Indian Institute of Managements (IIMs), by turn.

        2.     Gateway

The Common Admission Test (CAT) is a stepping stone towards admissions in more than 100 business schools in India including the 21 IIMs.
 

B.    TEST DETAILS

        1.     Medium

                   i.       Till 2008

                               Paper-Pencil

                   ii.      2009 onwards

                               Computer-based Test
 

        2.     Sectional Time Allocation

                  i.       Open Test

The total test time can be distributed across the sections as per the desire of the respective examinee.                 

                  ii.     Timed Test

A specific time is allocated for each section. The examinees are restricted to that particular section during that time frame. Earlier sporadically and 2015 onwards each year CAT has been a Timed Test.
 

        3.     Order of Attempting Sections

                   i.      This is, of course, applicable to ‘Open’ Tests only.

                   ii.     Flexible

The examinee can decide the order in which (s)he will be wanting to attempt the sections. 

                   iii.    Rigid

The order is pre-determined and the examinee is mandated to follow the same. Earlier sporadically and 2015 onwards each year CAT has been as such.

        4.     Pattern

                   i.       Till 2014

Every few years there was a change in the duration, the number of sections, and the number of questions.

                   ii.     2015 to 2019

                   iii.     2020

                   iv.     2021 onwards

        5.     Type of Questions

                   i.       MCQs 

                           a.      Multiple-Choice Questions

                           b.      4 options for each question

                           c.      To mark the best option

                   ii.      Non-MCQs 

                           a.      Options are not provided

                           b.      Answer needs to be typed in

        6.     Scoring

                   i.       MCQs 

                           a.      +3 for every correct attempt

                           b.      -1 for every wrong attempt

                           c.      No penalty for leaving questions

                   ii.      Non-MCQs

                           a.      +3 for every correct attempt

                           b.       No penalty for wrong attempts

                           c.      No penalty for leaving questions

C.    Median Topic Coverage

        1.     Note

                   i.       The number of questions per section has varied across the years.

                   ii.      Hence, the median percentage figures are being provided to facilitate better understanding.

        2.     Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension

                   i.       Verbal Ability = 29 %

                   ii.      Reading Comprehension = 71 %

        3.     Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning

                   i.       Data Interpretation = 50 %

                   ii.      Logical Reasoning = 50 %

                   iii.     This has been, largely, true historically. However, of late the distinction between the two areas has blurred.

                   iv.     ‘Data Sufficiency’ has not featured in CAT since 2015.

        4.     Quantitative Ability

                   i.       Number System = 9 %

                   ii.      Arithmetic = 35 %

                   iii.     Geometry Family = 15 %

                   iv.     Basic Algebra = 17 %

                   v.      Higher Algebra = 12 %

                   vi.     Functions = 9 %

                   vii.    Miscellany = 3 %