Common Admission Test (CAT) 2024 examination is a national level examination for aspirants seeking admission in various postgraduate programmes in IIMs across India. There are currently 20 IIM offering management courses for bachelor’s degree holders. Many IIMs such as Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bangalore, Bodh Gaya, Calcutta, Indore, Jammu, Kashipur, Kozhikode, Lucknow, Nagpur, Raipur, Ranchi, Rohtak, Sambalpur, Shillong, Sirmaur, Tiruchirapalli, Udaipur, and Vishakapatnam conduct the second phase of tests and exams after CAT. CAT is conducted annually by various IIMs. The article discusses in-depth the eligibility criteria, the important dates, and the application process for CAT 2024.
Important dates to remember
The initial notifications are released from July 2024, with the registrations opening by May. The exam is to be completed by December 2024, and the result declaration will be completed by January 2023. The results will be evaluated using ranking systems, and there will be a cut-off mark to select eligible students.
| Events | Date |
| Notification release | July 2024 |
| Application form arrives | August 2024 |
| Last day for submission | September 2024 |
| Last date for fee submission | September 2024 |
| Admit card release | October 2024 |
| CAT exam 2024 | November 2024 |
| Answer key | December 2024 |
| Result | January 2023 |
Eligibility criteria for CAT 2024
The eligibility criteria for appearing for CAT is to be met for availing admissions in IIMs. The criteria are listed below:
- Candidates must hold a Bachelor’s degree and must have an aggregate of at least 50% or its equivalent CGPA.
- There is a 5% relaxation in the minimum marks required for reserved categories.
- Students attending their final year of their Bachelor’s degree can also appear for the exam.
- Candidates with a Master’s degree with relevant work experiences can also apply for the exam.
- The reservations for the candidates are as prescribed by Central Government.
Application Process
The application for CAT 2024 can be done online. Candidates who meet the eligibility criteria can proceed to apply for the exam. Candidates can apply for the exam via official websites; www.iimcat.ac.in
How to apply for CAT online
- Candidates can visit the official website of IIM CAT mentioned above.
- New users can click on the register now button to begin registration.
- Candidates have to fill in their personal, educational and communication details in the provided places.
- Candidates can log in to your portal using the ID and password to complete the registration.
- The candidate can submit the final form after submission and move to payment procedures.
Application Fee
Women candidates along with Ex-servicemen and candidates belonging to SC/ST/PWD are exempted from fee payment.
The application fee can be paid online. There are facilities for net banking, debit/credit cards, etc. The application fee is Rs. 2000/-, and Rs. 1000/- for candidates belonging to SC/ST/PWD categories. The candidates are required to pay the fees only once, even if they are to apply for multiple IIMs. There is no refund of the fees paid.
Reservations
The reservations for the CAT exam is as follows:
- Scheduled Caste: 15%.
- Scheduled Tribe: 7.5%.
- Backward Classes (OBC, NC): 27%
- PWD Differently Able candidates: 3%
Exam Pattern
The CAT 2024 exam is held online. There are exams centres placed all over India for the exam. The duration of the exam is 180 minutes. The exam consists of 100 multiple-choice questions (MCQs). The candidate is awarded 3 marks for each correct answer, and 1 mark will be deducted for each incorrect answer. The breakdown of the question paper is given below:
| Topics | No. of Questions | Total Marks |
| Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning | 32 | 96 |
| Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension | 34 | 102 |
| Quantitative Ability | 34 | 102 |
Syllabus for CAT 2024
A detailed breakdown of each section of CAT 2024 is given below:
| Quantitative Aptitude Syllabus | Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning Syllabus | Verbal Reasoning Syllabus |
| Number Systems | Tables | English Usage or Grammar |
| Profit, Loss and Discount | Caselets | Vocabulary Based (Synonyms/ Antonyms) |
| LCM and HCF | Bar Graphs | Fill in the blanks |
| Speed, Time and Distance | Line Charts | Sentence Correction |
| Percentages | Column Graphs | Cloze Passage |
| Time and Work | Venn Diagrams | Jumbled Paragraph |
| Ratio and Proportion | Pie Chart | Meaning-Usage Match |
| Averages | Other Basic Reasoning Questions | Analogies or Reverse Analogies |
| Quadratic Equations & Linear Equations | Calendars | Summary Questions |
| Complex Numbers | Number and Letter Series | Verbal Reasoning |
| Simple and Compound Interest | Clocks | Facts-Inferences-Judgments |
| Logarithm | Venn Diagrams | Reading Comprehension |
| Sequences and Series | Cubes | |
| Inequalities | Seating Arrangement | |
| Probability | Binary Logic | |
| Surds and Indices | Logical Matching | |
| Set Theory & Function | Logical Sequence | |
| Permutation and Combination | Syllogism | |
| Mixtures and Alligations | Logical Connectives | |
| Trigonometry | Blood Relations | |
| Coordinate Geometry | ||
| Geometry | ||
| Mensuration |
Admit Card
The admit card is released on their official website. The candidates can check their status by logging in to the website once in a while. Once the admit card is published on the website, candidates can download and take a printout of the same. Admit cards are mandatory for appearing in the examination.
Follow the steps to download the admit card.
- Visit the official website.
- Login with your id and password
- Once released, the admit card will be available for download
- Take a printout and keep it safe for further use.
Result
The result of the CAT exam will be published in January 2023. Candidates can apply to IIMs and will receive a callback according to their cut-off for further tests and interviews.
Courses offered in various IIMS
| IIM | Post Graduate Programmes (PGP)/MBA |
| IIM Ahmedabad | PGP, PGP-FABM, ePGP |
| IIM Amritsar | PGP |
| IIM Bangalore | PGP, PGPEM, PGPPM, PGPBA |
| IIM Bodh Gaya | PGP |
| IIM Calcutta | MBA |
| IIM Indore | PGP, PGP-HRM |
| IIM Jammu | PGP |
| IIM Kashipur | PGP, EPGP |
| IIM Kozhikode | PGP, PGP-BL, PGP-F, EPGP (Kochi Campus & IL) |
| IIM Lucknow | PGP, PGP-ABM, PGP-SM |
| IIM Nagpur | PGP |
| IIM Raipur | PGP |
| IIM Ranchi | PGP, PGP-HRM |
| IIM Rohtak | PGP, EPGPX |
| IIM Sambalpur | MBA |
| RGIIM Shillong | PGP, PGPEX |
| IIM Sirmaur | PGP |
| IIM Tiruchirappalli | PGPM, PGPBM, PGPM-HR |
| IIM Udaipur | MBA |
| IIM Visakhapatnam | PGP |