CAT is short for Common Admission Test. It is a computer based test held by one of the six designated Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) in rotation.
CAT is designed to gauge the quantitative, verbal and reading capabilities of a candidate along with data interpretation and logical reasoning skills for those who appear for it to try for admissions at the different IIM institutes and other leading Business Schools. CAT exam scores are used not just by IIM but also by the Indian Institutes of Technology which also offer various MBA programmes.
| PARTICULARS | DETAILS |
|---|---|
| Full name of the exam | Common Admission Test |
| Common Name | CAT |
| IIM conducting CAT 2020 | Indian Institute of Management Indore |
| CAT 2020 Convenor | Professor Harshal Lowalekar, Faculty for Operations Management and Quantitative Techniques |
| CAT exam 2020 Official Website | iimcat.ac.in |
| Periodicity of CAT exam | Once a year |
| CAT exam type | Computer based national level exam |
| CAT 2020 exam date | November 29, 2020 |
| CAT eligibility and age | No age limit; any graduate with 50% can appear for the CAT exam |
| CAT exam pattern |
Questions:100 Multiple Choice Questions Duration:2 hours Medium:English Sections in CAT exam with number of questions
|
| Time Limit per section in CAT 2020 | 40 minutes each |
| CAT 2020 application fee | Rs. 2000 (general category); Rs 1000 (reserved category) |
| CAT Registration Process | Online |
| Number of CAT Exam Centres | 376 centres across 156 cities (2019). Students have to choose 6 cities instead of 4. |
| CAT Participating Institutes and score using institutes | 20 IIMs, IITs, MDI, FMS, SPJIMR, JBIMS and more than 500 management schools in the country |
| Admission Process after CAT exam | Separate applications to all IIMs and other MBA colleges. However, students do not need to pay a separate application fee for IIM admissions. |
| CAT Score is valid till | December 31, 2021 |
| No of CAT applicants (2019) | 2,44,169 - 75004 female, 134917 male and 5 transgender candidates |
| CAT Helpline | Email: cathelpdesk@iimcat.ac.in |
Mistakes made in the application form may be corrected through CAT application correction window which has been open for use since September 27. To make the corrections, they must login and rectify the details and submit them to the CAT exam 2020 registration form link. Students should note that not all fields can be corrected. Candidates will be allowed to make changes in their scanned image, signature and test city preference if required.
No other correction in the application form of CAT 2020 was allowed.
Last date to edit the CAT Registration Form was September 29 till 5:00 p.m.
The notification has mentioned that CAT 2020 will be conducted in 374 exam centres across 156 cities all over the country. Candidates must choose six test cities while filling the CAT 2020 registration form. The CAT 2020 test centre allotted will be mentioned on the admit card/hall ticket with complete address details and the location code
There has been a change in the CAT paper pattern. The duration of the exam has been reduced from three hours to two hours. Also, the sectional time limit is now 40 minutes each respectively.
There is an increase in the CAT application fee for the year 2020. It has now been estimated to be Rs 2000 for general category and Rs 1000 for the reserved category In contrast to which in the year 2019, it was Rs 1900 for the general category and Rs 950 for the reserved category.
Due to the on-going COVID 19 pandemic, candidates can select 6 exam centres based to their preference in stark contrast to the limitation of preferred exam centres being restricted to 4 cities per candidate last year.
| PARTICULARS | DETAILS |
|---|---|
| CAT exam duration | 2 hours; 40 minutes for each section. Candidates cannot move from one section to the other randomly. They can move to another section after completing one. |
| Mode of the CAT 2020 exam | Computer based test |
| Computer based test | 100 Multiple Choice Questions |
| CAT exam subjects |
|
| Marking Scheme | 3 marks for every correct answer and - 1 mark for every wrong answer. No negative marking for non-MCQs or TITA (Type In The Answer) questions |
Applicants appearing for the exam must meet the CAT 2020 eligibility criteria which include academic qualifications, age and nationality and other parameters as given below:
Candidates must have a bachelor’s degree from a recognized institute or university (students from all backgrounds like engineering, humanities, science, commerce, arts etc can apply)
Candidates who are in the final year of graduation are eligible to apply for CAT exam 2020
General and OBC-NC category applicants must have scored at least 50 percent marks in aggregate or equivalent in their graduation. Reserved category candidates must have scored 45 percent in their graduation
CAT 2020 exam has no age criteria.
How to prepare for CAT 2020? Big question that is asked by most aspirants. However, there is no simple answer or shortcut for CAT preparation. It involves not just knowing CAT exam details but also checking out CAT subjects, books, tips from experts, CAT toppers and constantly solving CAT exam papers. The below table has been compiled keeping all these aspects in mind. Aspirants can use this concrete CAT 2020 preparation plan to ace the exam.
A crucial need to ace CAT exam 2020 is having the right CAT preparation material on hand. Now, most of these can be bought or even referred online. These cover the entire CAT syllabus and are a must for every CAT exam aspirant.
IIMs don't specify any particular CAT exam syllabus. The CAT 2020 syllabus given below is based on the CAT exam analysis of the past years. Candidates can also download the CAT syllabus pdf to keep it handy during preparation.
| QUANTITATIVE ABILITY (QA) | VERBAL ABILITY & READING COMPREHENSION (VARC) | DATA INTERPRETATION & LOGICAL REASONING (DI & LR) |
|---|---|---|
Number Systems, LCM & HCF, |
Synonyms Antonyms (Vocabulary Based) |
Caselets and Tables |
Profit, Loss & Discount, Percentages |
Grammar or English Usage |
Bar Graphs and Column Graphs |
Speed, Time & Distance, Time & Work |
Correction in Sentence |
Venn Diagrams |
Simple & Compound Interest |
Fill in the blanks |
Line Charts & Pie Chart |
Ratio & Proportion, Averages |
Reading Comprehension |
Combination of two or more types linked to each other |
Logarithm, Binomial Theorem |
Verbal Reasoning |
Number and Letter Series |
Coordinate Geometry & Mensuration, etc. |
Jumbled Paragraph and Close Passage |
Calendars, Cubes and Clocks |
Complex Numbers, Quadratic & Linear Equations |
Meaning/Usage Match |
Binary Logic |
Sequences & Series, Surds & Indices,Inequalities |
Analogies and Reverse Analogies |
Seating Arrangement, Syllogism |
Probability, Permutation and Combination |
Summary Questions |
Logical Matching, Connectives. Sequence |
Set Theory, Functions & Geometry,Mixtures & Allegations, Trigonometry |
Facts Inferences Judgements, etc. |
Blood Relations, etc |
Before making any study plan or preparation strategy CAT 2020, one should get familiar with the exam pattern and its detailed syllabus. As per past year trend the exam pattern of CAT 2020 will consist of three sections, namely, Quantitative Ability (QA), Verbal and Reading Comprehension (VARC) and Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR). There will be 34 questions each for the QA and VARC section and DILR will consist of a total of 32 questions. While taking CAT 2020 candidates cannot switch between the sections due to sectional time limit. Candidates will get 40 minutes for each section. The total time duration will be 3 hours for CAT 2020 which means candidates will have to manage their time accordingly so that one can avoid the hassle and anxiety.
If one has only four months to prepare for CAT 2020, then they should divide their preparation plan stage wise. It will make their preparation easy and they will be able to handle the CAT preparation pressure with ease. Here are some tips to follow while preparing for CAT when only four months are left for the D-day.
Before starting the CAT preparation, candidates need to check where they stand currently such as whether their basics are clear or not, did they know the basic formulas to solve Quantitative Aptitude questions, etc. After knowing this, candidates will get an idea about their strong and weak areas. If one is unable to assess their level of preparation, then moving forward will be a herculean task. After making a diagnosis report candidates can categorise in which sections they have a good accuracy rate and which are the ones where they need to work hard. It will hardly take 2 to 3 days to spot yourself where one is standing.
Once candidates have gone through with the exam pattern and syllabus of CAT 2020 they need to start working on the fundamentals of every topic during the four months of CAT preparation. Through this candidates can get conceptual clarity and they can strengthen their basics. While preparing for the Verbal Ability section one should do their reading on regular basic to get a hold on it. Apart from the VARC section, the other section demands a good amount of time to practice the concepts. When one is well versed with the basics then they should start their preparation chapter and section wise and at a swift pace.
The Quantitative aptitude section actually carries the major chunk of CAT preparation. Apart from other sections Quant has a very vast syllabus from algebra to percentages, basically Quant section tests the fundamentals of a candidate. It needs a proper strategy to prepare for each topic in a systematic way. Through this process candidates will understand the basics and can set a benchmark for CAT preparation. One can make the Quant section easy for them, they only need to include Learning and practice while preparing for CAT 2020.
There is no fixed syllabus for Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning syllabus, which makes it a bit difficult as compared to other sections. Among the three sections, the Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning section is the most crucial and challenging in the CAT 2020. If one is good at solving puzzles then they can tackle the Logical Reasoning section very easily. Those who are not familiar with DILR questions so they have to solve previous year papers and solve questions from standard templates, Einstein puzzles, the grid puzzle, etc.
Self-study is very important when it comes to ace any exam. The best part of self-study is one will get to know where he or she stands and anticipate accordingly. Sometimes, self-study might be frustrating but this is the only way to achieve any goal. One can include the following factors while doing self-study.
Read the textbookRead the class notes
Make colorful and proper notes
Look up other online resources
Teach someone what you have learned
CAT preparation will be considered incomplete if one has not attempted the mocks. CAT mock test, test series or CAT sample paper are basically designed to make aspirants understand the structure and level of CAT entrance test. The result of the CAT mock test will indicate the candidates strength and weakness. Taking mocks in the beginning of preparation, candidates will have ample of time to improve their weak areas and simultaneously they can strengthen their strong portions.
Candidates should set a target to solve at least six past year papers in a week. After solving every paper, candidates should spend time to analyse it. See where you scored well as well as where you could goood and what are the main reasons for not doing better. This step should perform in the second last month of preparation. The main benefit to solving past years papers is, candidates will get to know whether they are making progress or not.
In the last 10 to 15 days of CAT preparation, do not explore any new topics. Only practice what you know and try to reap the maximum benefit out of revising it. Read through your flash cards and revise based on the sticky notes you have prepared.