CAT 2024 will be conducted on the day of the exam, i.e. 24th November 2024, as per the release of the official CAT notification by IIM Calcutta for Slot 1, Slot 2, and Slot 3 just after the exam is over for each slot.
CAT exam Pattern 2024 is very important for all CAT aspirants and is a crucial part of their CAT journey, as it allows them to estimate their scores and expect which colleges they could receive calls from. This information helps them prepare accordingly for further GD-PI-WAT rounds.
Conducted by IIMs, the Common Admission Test (CAT) is the largest MBA entrance exam for admission in 21 IIMs and the majority of other top B-schools. IIM Calcutta is conducting the CAT 2024 exam on November 24, 2024, in three slots – Morning, Afternoon, and Evening. The CAT 2024 Official website has shared the CAT exam and scoring pattern 2024 which remains the same as last year. Common Admission Test (CAT) 2024 exam score will be accepted by 21 IIMs, and hundreds of top MBA colleges in India. The biggest advantage of taking the CAT exam pattern 2024 is that you get admission opportunities in all the 21 IIMs without applying separately to any IIM.
Latest Updates
- CAT 2024 Exam date is November 24, 2024
- The CAT exam will be held in 3 slots on the same day
- Each of the 3 Slots is 120 Minutes in duration
- The Exam Consists of 3 sections – VARC, DILR, QA
- Each Section has an Individual Time Limit of 40 Minutes
- Maximum CAT Exam Score is 198 Marks
- What is the CAT Exam Pattern? CAT Exam Pattern 2024: Key Highlights
CAT 2024 is the mandatory exam for MBA admission in IIMs and other top B-schools that accept only CAT exam scores like FMS, SPJIMR, MDI, and IITs among others. The CAT 2024 Question Paper has 3 broad sections – Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) and Quantitative Ability (QA). You need to ensure a high score in each of the three sections as there is also a sectional score cut-off in IIMs for shortlisting.
| Event | Details |
| CAT Exam 2024 Full Form | Common Admission Test 2024 |
| Who Conducts the CAT Exam? | One of 6 old IIMs conducts CAT every year |
| CAT 2024 Conducting Institute | IIM Calcutta |
| CAT 2024 Exam Date | Sunday, November 24, 2024 |
| Total Questions in the Exam | 66 |
| No. of sections & Questions | Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension: 24 Qs Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning: 20 Qs Quantitative Ability: 22 Qs |
| Number of Answer Options for MCQs | 4 |
| Number of Answer Options for Non-MCQs | No Answer Option; Type In the Answer on a Computer screen |
| Scoring Pattern in the CAT exam | +3 Marks for Each Correct Answer -1 Mark for Wrong Answer (Only for MCQs) 0 Mark for Each Wrong Answer or Unattempted Question for Non-MCQs |
| Exam Slots | To be Conducted in 3 sessions – Morning, Afternoon & Evening on the same day |
| Exam duration | 2 hours for each slot |
| CAT Sectional Time Limit | 40 Minutes for Each of the 3 sections |
| Facility to Choose Order of Sections | No, Must answer the sections in pre-defined order from section 1 to 3 |
| Testing Mode | Computer-based exams at test centers but not an online exam |
| CAT 2024 Notification Release | July 28, 2024 |
| Details to Check in Notification | Registration dates, Application fee, CAT Exam details, MBA courses by IIMs through CAT 2024 |
| Top MBA Colleges Accepting CAT 2024 for MBA Admission 2025 | 21 IIMs, FMS, IIFT, MDI, SPJIMR, IITs, IMI, IMT & 1000 other MBA colleges in India |
| How to Apply for CAT 2024? | The application process is online only |
| CAT 2024 Registration Fee | Rs.2500 |
| CAT Official Website for Form Filling | https://iimcat.ac.in |
| Number of CAT 2024 Applicants | 3.30 lakhs (CAT Registration Data 2023) |
| Number of Test Takers in Previous CAT Exam | 2.88 lakhs (CAT 2023 test takers) |
Recent Changes in the CAT Exam Pattern
The smooth conducting and organizing of the CAT exam pattern 2024 would lie in the hands of IIM-Calcutta. Along with the release of the official notification of CAT 2024, a few changes could be predicted in the recent pattern of the CAT Exam. Here are those listed below that candidates must focus on:
- As we might expect in this CAT 2024 pattern, the overall structure would somewhat be similar to those in the previous years since these have remained largely the same for a few years.
- There could be a slight increase in the general difficulty level of the examination as compared to the earlier years.
- While the VA & RC section has remained similar in difficulty in all these CAT and other MBA entrance exams, the nature of the passages differs in each. The Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning section is being reported as the toughest section for the last few years and is expected this year also.
- Therefore, CAT 2023 had some above-average algebra questions, thereby increasing the difficulty level of the Quantitative Ability section.
Importance of Time Management in CAT 2024
The total duration of the CAT 2024 exam will be 120 minutes, with a sectional time limitation of 40 minutes for each section after which candidates will not be able to submit answers for that particular section. Therefore, proper time management and test-taking strategy become important beforehand to appear in this exam. It is now high time for serious CAT takers to buckle down with preparation, practice CAT previous year papers, and start attempting mocks regularly.
