CAT Exam (2020): Admit Card, Mock Test, Exam Date, Syllabus

Common Admission Test, also known as the CAT exam is one of the most important examinations for a student willing to pursue a career in Business or Management (usually an MBA). It is a computer-based entrance test for management programs conduct in India annually. The Indian Institute of Management also referred to as IIM conducts the CAT entrance exam. It is conducted by one of the IIMs every year. Every year, according to statistics, 150,000 to 200,000 applicants apply for CAT.

A student preparing for CAT should have basic knowledge about the exam along with details that might come in handy during their prep. Only with thorough knowledge of the exam, students will be able to plan their schedule and put their best foot forward in the CAT Examination.

Here are some important aspects of the exam that every aspirant must know:

CAT Exam 2020 Important Dates

CAT Exam Online Registration (Start Date)	First Week of August 2020
CAT Exam Online Registration (Close Date)	Last Week of September 2020
CAT Admit Card Release Date	3rd Week of October 2020
CAT Examination	Last Week of November 2020
CAT Exam Result	2nd Week of January 2020

*Please note that these are tentative dates.

CAT Exam Eligibility Criteria:

•  A well-recognized university should grant the student a bachelor’s degree or an equivalent degree. 
• The student must hold a bachelor’s degree with at least 50% marks or CGPA equivalent to it (45% for SC, ST, and PwD applicants).
• Students from the final year of the bachelor’s degree/qualification exam equivalent to it are also eligible to apply for the CAT exam. The only mandatory condition is that they have to present a certificate signed by the stated authorities of the college institute which proves that the candidate appearing for CAT has finished all the prerequisites.

CAT Exam 2020 Subjects:

CAT doesn’t really have subjects but has sections. The exam has three sections:

1. Verbal and Reading Comprehension
2. Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning
3. Quantitative Ability

CAT Exam 2020 Syllabus:

Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension:

Basically, the verbal ability section emphasizes focus on grammar, vocabulary, error correction, jumbled paragraphs and many such topics related to verbal reasoning. Reading comprehension mostly consists of a paragraph with questions based on the given paragraph. Other than this, it also includes jumbled paragraphs, which has a group of jumbled sentences and candidates are asked to arrange them in the right sequence. Generally, CAT paper comprises of four Reading comprehensions.

Important Topics of VARC

• Critical Reasoning- It is asked to analyse, observe and evaluate the thinking of candidates. It shows concern on the topics and interprets the objectives.
• Paragraph completion- Paragraph formation and completion are asked to judge the skills within a very limited duration of time.
• Deductive Logic- Deductive logic is asked to assess the abilities of how the conclusion can be supported.
• Reading Comprehension consists of medium length Comprehension passages, probably of 250 to 500 words. The question will be asked direct and inferential.
• English Usage consists of questions from grammar and verbal reasoning such as Fill in the blanks, Grammar, Sentence Correction, Verbal Reasoning, Synonyms, Antonyms.

Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning:

Logical reasoning refers to the questions asked to judge the candidate’s abilities such as their way of interpreting sequences, shapes & relationships between them, patterns. Whereas Data Interpretation means questions asked on the basis of given data in the form of diagrams, bars, charts or graphs. The section of LR & DI consists of 32 questions in all in which generally 24 questions will be MCQs and 8 questions will be non-MCQs.

Important Topics of LR-DI

Various common topics of this section are Calendars, Data Sufficiency, Blood relations, Family tree, Patterns, Syllogisms. Other than these some more important topics of LR & DI for CAT are:

• Directions
• Coding and Decoding
• Number Series
• Arrangements such as Circular Arrangement, Matrix arrangement and Seating management
• Clock-related problems
• Data Interpretation includes Bar Graph, Data Sufficiency, Combination of Graphs, Line Graph, Pie Chart, Tables, etc,
• Logical Reasoning includes Blood Relations, Binary Logic, Matching Puzzles, Clocks and Calendars, Seating Arrangement, Family Tree, Proposition, Venn Diagram, Statements, Sets, Syllogism, etc.

Quantitative Ability:

This is where the numbers come in the picture. This section holds 34 questions. You don’t need to be a mathematician, practicing the basics such as algebra, geometry and arithmetic shall get you going. The section includes Number System, Algebra, Geometry, Higher Maths, Arithmetic, Modern Mathematics, Mensuration, Trigonometry, etc.

CAT Exam Marking Scheme:

After this, the thing that crosses the minds of all the CAT aspirants is the pattern of the CAT exam. So according to the latest CAT exam pattern, there are 100 questions in total, out of which 75 questions have negative marking. Whereas 25 questions don’t have any negative marking. Out of the 100 questions, Verbal and Reading category comprises of 34 questions, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning comprise of 32 questions and Quantitative category comprise of 34 questions.

• Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) Section – 34 questions, out of which 24 are MCQs and 10 are Non-MCQs.
• Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR) section – 32 questions, out of which 24 are MCQs and 8 are Non-MCQs.
• Quantitative Aptitude section – 34 questions, out of which 27 are MCQs and 7 are Non-MCQs.

The marking scheme is the same for all MCQs i.e. +3 for the correct answer and -1 for an incorrect answer. Thus, always attempt MCQs first and then attempt only those Non-MCQs in which you are confident.

What is a good CAT Exam score?

You need to get a minimum of a 90 to 95 percentile to increase your chances of a seat in the IIM’s. You will need at the least of 120 marks or a score of 120 to get a 90 percentile or to be above 90 percent of the candidates appearing for CAT. In case you are wishing to secure a seat in the top three IIM’s — Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, Indian Institute of Management Bangalore or Indian Institute of Management Calcutta then you will need a minimum of a 99 percentile to have a greater chance at securing a seat.

Also, it is not only about your total percentile but also about your individual scores which should be high enough to make the cut. If you have a minimum score of 80 in Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), 80 to 85 in Quantitative Analysis and 55 to 56 in Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) then too your chances of getting into IIMs increases. This score also ultimately leads you to an overall of about 200 which is high enough for a CAT and can easily fetch you a 99 percentile in CAT.

CAT 2020 Registration Fee:

The mode of payment will be online payment i.e. through debit cards or internet banking or may be the wallet payment. The entrance examination fee is Rs. 1900 plus transaction processing fee for general candidates. For SC, ST and PwD candidates it is Rs. 950 plus transaction processing fee.

Studying Online Vs Offline for CAT

Online

When someone says they’re studying online, they are taking the help of various websites, apps and study material are available for CAT preparations. Other than this many coaching classes also offer online programmes for the students who live in remote areas and are unable to attend coaching classes on a daily basis.

• One of the biggest advantages of online classes is that you can head over to the lectures at any time as per your convenience and that too anywhere as the lectures are pre-recorded.
• However, you cannot get your doubts cleared by teachers in person and the only option you all have is to join the forums and communities to get your doubts cleared. Another disadvantage is that data recharge becomes an unnecessary expense for the students as most of the time lectures are available at online platforms only which requires net connectivity.
• The average cost of online preparation through paid websites ranges from 15 thousand rupees to 25 thousand rupees, depending on the length of your course and material provided. A lot of websites provide free material and free lectures too. However, it isn’t advised to rely only on such content as their reliability in most cases in questionable.

Offline

There are many students who are not comfortable attending online classes for their preparations. Many students do not rely on the study materials available online. Hence numerous well-known coaching classes will be the means of their offline mode. They can get themselves enrol with such coaching classes for their CAT preparations.

• One of the biggest advantages of coaching classes is that you can get your doubts cleared immediately. You can guidance from your subject faculties as many times as you want.
• A disadvantage is that if you are attending offline classes you can only attend the lectures in the specific duration of that particular class and only when faculty is available for clearing doubts. Another disadvantage of offline coaching classes is that you cannot attend the lectures at your convenience. and you have to attend the classes as per their mentioned schedule.  Other than these students have to travel to the coaching classes by their respective means of transportation.
• The average cost of studying from a good institute ranges from 25 thousand to 30 thousand rupees. This cost might vary depending on the length of your course, the material provided by the institute, the number of mock exams taken and other factors such as special counselling or assistance with application to b-schools.

Top Books for CAT Prep

• How to prepare for Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning for CAT by Arun Sharma
• Nishit Sinha’s The Pearson Guide to Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning
• Data Interpretation & Data Sufficiency by Ananta Ashish
• Data Interpretation by Nishit Sinha
• The Pearson Guide to Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning For The CAT by Nishit K. Sinha
• Better English by Norman Lewis
• Six weeks to words of power by Wilfred Funk
• Trishna’s Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning for the CAT by T.I.M.E. Publisher: Pearson
• How to Prepare for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for CAT by Arun Sharma
• A Communicative Grammar of English by Geoffrey Leech

Coaching Classes for CAT

Following are some of the most preferred coaching institutes for CAT in Mumbai:

• TIME
  

  As far as CAT Coaching is concerned, T.I.M.E (Triumphant Institute of Management Education) is a force to reckon in this field. With an experience of over 25 years and more than 250 coaching centres in 120 cities, the result-oriented approach guarantees the best possible preparation for CAT aspirants. With pedagogy combining classroom teaching, resource materials, and comprehensive mock test papers, the institute ensures an all-round preparation for each candidate.

• IMS
  

  IMS Institute train students for Undergraduate and Graduate Entrance exam for both India and abroad like CAT, GMAT, GRE, CLAT, SNAP, IBPS, PO, XAT, AILET, SBI PO, Bank PO, IBPS Clerk, TOEFL, SAT, CMAT, MAT, IELTS, IBPS RRB. It is present in Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Delhi and 40+ cities in India. They also provide placement training.

• Endeavor
  

  With many Endeavour Careers operating in 20 centres in more than 15 cities, it is one of the most sought after coaching institutes for MBA aspirants. Powered by a team of top B-Schools alumni, the institute focuses on providing proper guidance and rigorous practise to its students, ensuring it fulfils its motto of Dream.Endeavour. Achieve.  The first of a kind “360 development programme” offered by Endeavour allows the students to attend “pocket seminars”- short seminars covering various topics and specialisation opportunities.

• CATKing
  

  With a team comprising of IIM, SP Jain, NMIMS and JBMIS alumni and with over hundreds of students in leading colleges like IIM’s, NMIMS and others, CAT King has carved a niche for itself as one of the premier coaching institutions for CAT Exam Preparation. While resource books by the institute help the student in the proper understanding of the syllabus, weekend group coaching classes give each student a chance to clear their doubts and share tips and experiences with their peers, contributing to the overall level of preparation.

(Go to www.studysid.com to find the best coaching class for you…wink wink)

It is also essential to note that these are only one of the few leading coaching institutes for CAT which provides both online and offline training for CAT.  They provide you with good study material and counseling and help you attain balance in your preparation. Also if you are only looking to appear for mock tests then those packages are also available. Also, since these institutes and their faculty are experienced, they are familiar with the pattern of questions and thus prepare you for CAT accordingly.

CAT Crash Courses

Crash Courses are usually one of the best options for candidates who have been lagging behind with syllabus completion or for those who are already employed. The idea of a Crash Course is to get done with the syllabus in the shortest possible time.

It is not very advisable to join a crash course only one month before the examination. You may not be able to cover up the basics in great details and in-depth. Also, you may not be able to practice a lot before the examination. That can cause a lot of negative impact during your examination.

CAT Exam MOCK TESTS

Self-study and practice play a very important role. Only crash courses or only preparing for the examination will not help unless you do not prepare for the examination. Put in efforts by yourself and keep testing yourself. A great way to do that is with the help of CAT Mock tests.

A large number of coaching institutes offer a wide range of practice tests to boost up your CAT Preparation. However, it is important for you to be careful and choose wisely. Jamboree India, T.I.M.E., Sharp Minds, Byju’s are some of the best mock test providers out there. Make sure that you glance through their previous mock tests if you can lay your hands on them. Only pick the ones that suit you best. There are other tests out there too, so feel free to explore, but don’t waste too much time just picking the mock test subscription you want.

Expert Tip: Take 2 or 3 subscriptions so that you solve more, get a more assorted view of the test and also so that you have more options to explore.

CAT 2020 Exam Tips:

• Take the diagnostic test: Take a diagnostic test to help identify your strengths and weaknesses, then create a structured study plan targeting your weak areas.
• Time yourself: If you are taking more than 3 minutes to answer any question, it’s time to guess and move on.
• Review answer options: In Sentence Correction questions, quickly review the answer options to note the splits and identify the error type.
• Take a break: Every few minutes, take a 10- second break to calm yourself and renew your focus.
• Analyse your answers: Spend a lot of effort analysing your answers, even the correct ones. You will start noticing patterns in CAT answer options.
• Stay Focused: It is important for you to stay focused and starve any social media distractions for now. Avoid stressing as this would only result in lowering your grades.
• Stay Healthy: Do not skip your meals or sleep. Sleep at least for 6-8 hours as lacking sleep will result into lack of brain retention capacity.

CAT Exam Substitutes:

Please note that none of the other exams will help if seeking admission in IIMs. But will definitely help in major business and management programs across the globe.

• GMAT

GMAT refers to the Graduate Management Admission Test. It is given to seek admission into colleges abroad or outside India for an MBA.  The main objective of GMAT is to test your verbal, analytical, logical reasoning skills and so on. It is a 3-hour computer-based examination. The score of GMAT is valid for 5 years.

Also, the competition for GMAT is extremely high with more than 2 lakh people applying for GMAT every year. It is important to note that retaking the CAT may cost you one whole year as the examination only happens once a year. However, you can retake GMAT after 16 days of giving the test. The fees for GMAT is, however, extremely high. The syllabus for CAT and GMAT is also the same, however, the level of difficulty does vary.

• Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT)

The XLRI Jamshedpur conducts the XAT or Xavier Aptitude Test, which is a national-level management examination. The test is similar to CAT and is taken only once a year. It is also a computer-based examination, however, the competition here is comparatively lesser than GMAT and CAT. Approximately 60,000 to 80,000 candidates apply for the examination every year.

• Symbiosis National Aptitude (SNAP) Test

Symbiosis International (Deemed University) conducts SNAP or Symbiosis National Aptitude Test for admissions into the University. This university is not just oriented towards one program but towards multiple courses including MBA.

Lesser Known Facts About CAT Exam:

Around 2 lakh students appear for the CAT exam every year, though the number has always had variations since 2007. In the year 2017, approximately 231,000 students registered for the CAT Exam across India. Most of these students usually have an engineering background. 

After knowing every other basic detail about the CAT, the last thing that remains is the passing percentage. Cut-off percentile for CAT depends on various factors. These include difficulty level of the exam, total number of students appearing in the exam, total number of seats, sectional cut-off, overall cut-off and more. Around 10 IIMs have already released their cut-offs for CAT 2021. In general, the CAT cut-off for old IIMs as well as top IIMs goes over 99 percentile. These days, the cut-off for new IIMs reaches 90 percentile and above. Other than this, B-schools which belong to tier-II to tier-IV towns, have cut-offs in the 50 to 80 percentile range. An important note to keep in mind is that the CAT score is valid for one year only.