cat

What is CAT Exam – Know Paper Timing, Date, Eligibility, Syllabus, Pattern

The Common Admission Test popularly known as the CAT is the gateway to make one’s way to the premier management institutes of the country. Those wanting to pursue MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, they are required to clear the CAT exam, meet the required cutoff of the IIM from where they want to pursue the course.

Know all about the changed CAT exam pattern?

Candidates who will appear for the CAT exam, they must be aware about the changed exam pattern. This year, CAT 2020 will be of less duration. In the past the CAT exam was of three hours. However, this year the exam will be of two hours and there has been no change in the sections from which the questions will be asked. Candidates will be required to answer the questions from the following sections

Total Number of Questions

Since the duration of the CAT exam has been reduced, candidates are speculating that it is likely that the total number of questions which will be asked in the CAT exam will also be reduced. However, the air about how many questions will be asked in the CAT exam was cleared by CAT 2020 convenor Prof Harshal Lowlakear who clearly said that since CAT is a competitive exam, revealing how many questions would be asked would not be correct.

What After the CAT exam?
Candidates who meet the required cutoff criteria for the IIMs, they would be called for the next round of the selection process which comprises group discussion, interview and the written ability test. Weightage is given to each stage of the selection process and depending on the performance of the candidate in all the stages, the final merit list is prepared and accordingly the candidate is offered admission to the IIM or any other top b-school which admits candidates on the basis of the CAT score.

CAT 2020

Indian Institute of Management, Indore has started the CAT 2020 registration window on August 5. Candidates can fill the CAT 2020 application form till September 16. IIM Indore will conduct CAT 2020 on November 29. While filling the application form of CAT 2020 one will have to pay the application fee amount of Rs 2000 (General category) and Rs 1000 (reserved category) candidates. As per CAT 2020 Important dates, the authorities will release the CAT 2020 admit card on October 28. IIM Indore will release the result of CAT 2020 tentatively in the second week of January 2021.

CAT 2020 Eligibility Criteria

As per the basic eligibility criteria of CAT 2020, one should have completed their bachelor’s degree from a recognized institution or university in any discipline. Those who are pursuing their final year of graduation are also eligible to apply for CAT 2020. There are no age restrictions to appear for CAT 2020.

CAT 2020 Application form

CAT 2020 online application form is available on its official website i.e. iimcat.ac.in. While filling the application form of CAT 2020, one will enter their past academic qualification details, personal details, pay the application fee and upload all the requisite documents. CAT 2020 application is a four step process.

Step 1- Create CAT login credentials (User ID and Password)

Step 2- Login by using CAT credentials and fill all the details

Step 3- Upload requisite documents (Photograph and Signature)

Step 4- Pay the CAT 2020 application fee via online mode

CAT 2020 Admit Card and Result

After filling the application form of CAT 2020 one will have to wait till the opening of the Admit card window, which will be open on October 28. After the conclusion of CAT 2020, authorities will release the CAT 2020 answer key prior to the result.

Difference Between PGDM and MBA

After completing Bachelor’s, more than half of the candidate’s are attracted towards pursuing a higher degree. This is where the state of dilemma appears. Well whenever Post Graduation in management is there, MBA pops up in the mind of candidates. But wait, there is PGDM as well. What is the difference between PGDM and MBA? To help candidates become familiar with the two postgraduate programs and make a choice, in this article we will discuss the Difference Between PGDM and MBA. Although, both PGDM and MBA will bag great careers growth, better position as well as salary. Let us see the major difference between PGDM and MBA.

Major Differences Between PGDM and MBA

Basis	PGDM	MBA
Full-Form	Post Graduate Diploma in Management	Master in Business Administration
Duration of Course	One year to 2.5 years	Two years
Cost	More expensive as compared to MBA	Less expensive
Forgery	MBA degrees are granted by Universities	Since autonomous bodies offer PGDM, candidates are always careful in selecting institutes
Curriculum	Curriculum of PGDM is more flexible	MBA Curriculum is unchanged and unaltered by affiliated colleges

To take admission in either course, candidates can give any of the following MBA entrance exams-

Top institutes offering PGDM:

NMIMS- Hyderabad/Bangalore
XLRI, Jamshedpur
SPJIMR
Symbiosis International Deemed University

Top institutes offering MBA:

Indian Institute of Foreign Trade
TA Pai Management Institute
JBIMS
FMS Delhi

CAT 2020 Guidelines

Common Admission Test which is commonly known as CAT amongst aspirants is considered as a National level MBA entrance exams in India. CAT is conducted on annual basis by IIMs. In 2019, CAT was conducted by IIM Kozhikode while CAT 2020 will be conducted by IIM Indore as per CAT 2020 Latest News and Updates. In India apart from IIMs, more than 1000 B-Schools other than IIMs accept the scores of CAT. Every year more than two lakh candidates do the CAT registration and appear in the exam with making in any of the 20 IIMs. CAT notification 2020 which will be released tentatively in the last week of July. CAT 2020 exam will be held on November 22 as per the CAT important dates.

CAT Eligibility Criteria

In order to appear for the CAT exam, candidates are requested to check the eligibility criteria. Details related to the minimum qualification, age limit, nationality etcetera are provided under the CAT eligibility criteria.

Age Limit- IIMs do not set any specific age limit requirement for candidates to appear for the CAT exam. Candidates of any age can register for the IIM entrance exam
Educational Qualification- To fill the application form of CAT, all candidates should have completed their bachelor’s in any specialization from recognized institute
Candidates who are in their final year can also appear for CAT

CAT Registration

IIM Indore will begin the registration process of CAT 2020 tentatively in the first week of July. Candidates can fill the application form of CAT by paying fees of Rs.900 for all other candidates and Rs. 950 for SC, ST and PwD candidates.

CAT Exam Pattern

Details pertaining to the mode of exam, duration, sections, number of questions, type of questions etcetera are provided under exam pattern of CAT. For the purpose of preparation, CAT syllabus should be checked by candidates.

CAT Exam Pattern- Overview:

Particulars	Details
Sections	Three-VARCDILRQA
Duration	60 minutes each section i.e. total 180 minutes
Sectional Duration	60 Minutes
Type of Questions	MCQs and TITA

Quick Links-

How to tackle TITA questions in CAT

CAT Preparation Strategy

CAT or Common Admission Test is a national level entrance test which is conducted once in a year by IIMs on a rotational basis. In India there are 20 IIMs and all of them accept CAT scores for the purpose of providing admission to candidates in MBA / PGP programs. CAT is considered to be one of the most difficult MBA entrance exams. More than 1000 B-Schools other than IIMs accept the scores of candidates. This is the reason why CAT witnesses registration of over 2 lakhs every year. CAT for the year 2020 will be conducted by IIM Indore tentatively on November 22. The registration process is to begin from the first week of August as per the CAT 2020 Latest News and Updates.

CAT Eligibility Criteria

Details pertaining to educational qualification requirements, age limit, nationality and other such things is mentioned under the eligibility criteria of CAT. Given below eligibility criteria can be checked for reference-

There is no specific age limit requirement to appear for CAT. The above limit is not set by IIMs
Candidates must have a bachelor’s degree in any specialization from recognized institute
Final year candidates can also appear for CAT i.e. IIM entrance exam

CAT Registration

IIM Indore will begin the registration process of CAT in online mode on the official website of CAT. Candidates are required to check the final eligibility criteria before filling the application form of CAT. The forms will be available tentatively from the first week of August as per the CAT important dates.

CAT Exam Pattern

Candidates who will appear in CAT exam 2020 are required to check the paper pattern. A total of three sections are asked which are to be solved within a time duration of 3 hours. For the purpose of preparation, syllabus of CAT can also be referred to by candidates.

Quick Links:

Best Books for CAT Preparation

How to prepare for CAT without coaching

CAT Preparation

The Common Admission Test (CAT) is an online mode computer based test that allows aspiring students to get enrolled in the most premier management schools across the country. The exam consists of three sections, commonly known as- Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) And Quantitative Ability (QA). The time duration provided to attempt the CAT paper is 3 hours in total (one hour for each section). Being a national level entrance test and highly competitive, CAT needs an excellent preparation to ace it. Here are some CAT preparation books given below for the beginners, who are going to appear for CAT 2020 for the first time.

Students who decide or want to see themselves in an excellent B-School must start CAT preparation from the moment they decide to attempt for CAT. A consistent effort and a well planned CAT preparation is required for highly competitive exams like CAT. Especially, considering the verbal part, one can have a good command on this section when they are putting efforts consistently because such sections could not be aced even if you work really hard in the last 1 or 2 months before the exam.

Recommended Books for CAT 2020

Book Name	Author
How to prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for the CAT	Arun Sharma
Quantitative Aptitude for the CAT	Nishit K. Sinha
How to prepare for Data Interpretation for CAT	Arun Sharma
Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation for CAT	Nishit K. Sinha
Work Power Made Easy	Norman Lewis
Mastering the Verbal Ability for CAT	Ajay Singh
How to prepare for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for the CAT	Arun Sharma and Meenakshi Upadhyay

CAT 2020 Preparations in 6 Months

Preparing for CAT is not very easy but at the same time, it is not impossible. With a stategised method of preparation, anyone can clear CAT within 6 months or less. To get started with the preparation tips for CAT 2020, it is necessary to know about the sections of CAT. There are a total of three sections in CAT, which are known as Quantitative Ability (QA), Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), and Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DI & LR). Each section has its own level of difficulty. To know how to prepare for CAT 2020 in 6 months, continue reading.

CAT Preparations in 6 Months

To get all caught up with the preparations, the utmost responsibility of the candidates is that they should be ready with all the necessary study materials, books, sample papers and mock tests. These will not only help you in practising but are also a great source to get more knowledge and new tricks to ease out the preparation.

Quite a few times, it happens with the candidates that they know about CAT preparation in vague, but it is best for them to forget all that and practise from the scratch so no hubbub is created.

There are a lot of best books for CAT 2020 in the market or online that will help the candidates in prepping up. Some Word Power made easy by Norman Lewis, How to Prepare for Data Interpretation for CAT by Arun Sharma.

CAT 2020 Registration Process

IIM Indore will start the registration process for CAT 2020 tentatively from the first week of August 2020 in online mode. CAT 2020 registration last date will be the third week of September 2020. Right after closing of CAT registration, authorities will provide the CAT correction window facility. At the time of CAT registration one will have to provide their personal details as well as academic details. While filling the application form of CAT 2020 one will have to pay the category wise application fee. After filling CAT 2020 registration form, one will have to start their preparation as per the CAT exam pattern. One should check the entire syllabus of CAT 2020 while preparing for the national level entrance test. IIM Indore will conduct CAT 2020 on November 22. Check the step by step process for CAT 2020 registration.

Steps to fill the CAT 2020 Registration form

Candidates can refer to the following steps while registering for CAT 2020.

Step 1- Visit the official website of CAT 2020

Step 2- Fill all the required details and generate Login ID and Password

Step 3- Now Re-login and fill the CAT application form

Step 4- Upload the requisite documents in prescribed format

Step 5- Pay the registration fee

Step 6- Now click on “Submit Tab”

Step 7- Download and take a printout of the application form for future reference

What after CAT 2020 Registration

After completion of CAT 2020 registration, one will have to wait till the opening of CAT 2020 admit card window. The CAT admit card will be available in online mode. Candidates can download it by using their login credentials.

CAT Preparation in 2 Months

Still confused about how to prepare for CAT in 2 months? It’s never too late to begin your preparation for CAT 2020. However, it will require more effort and focus to crack CAT 2020 and if you are a repeater it will help you bell the CAT exam more easily. To begin with CAT exam preparation, students must begin with clearing their basics. Clearing the basics will help one to solve the questions more accurately. Divide your schedule for CAT preparation into week wise. Give the CAT 2020 mock test to assess your performance level and to know how much effort is required to obtain an ideal percentile. Increase the number of mock tests each week to become familiar with the type of questions and preparation level for each section. By 6 months left for the examinations you must be able to solve the questions with 80% accuracy. CAT 2020 is scheduled to be held on November 22 tentatively. CAT exam will be conducted by IIM Indore.

Some important tips while preparing for CAT 2020 in two months:

Have a mentor- Mentors help you in providing insights for CAt exam and measures to appear for CAt 2020. Taking tips from mentors helps in eliminating isolation and makes you feel everyone fought the same battle and have won.

Form daily habits- Other than CAT 2020 preparation you must utilize your time wisely by playing mind games such as world games and scrabble to build vocabulary.

Avoid using calculators- As the CAT 2020 exam will have the option to use on-screen calculators, students must avoid using calculators and focus on tricks and shortcuts to solve questions.

CAT Preparation in One Month

There are thousands of candidates who are searching of How to crack CAT 2020 in one month of preparation. So, this writeup belongs to them. First of all, It is definitely possible to prepare for the Common Admission Test in one month to grab a decent CAT score. But, It requires a solid commitment as well as at least 20 to 24 hours of study per week. Here we provide a few point week wise which one need consider and do follow them at the time of preparation.

CAT Exam Pattern 2020

S.No	Section Name	Total Number of Questions	Total Number of TITA Questions	Total Number of MCQs
1	Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension	34	7	27
2	Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning	32	8	24
3	Quantitative Ability	34	11	23
4	Total	100	26	74

CAT First Week Preparation (Top Priorities)

Familiarize yourself with the CAT
Take a diagnostic exam
Identify your strength and weakness

CAT Second Week Strategy

Get well versed with the CAT syllabus and sections
Practice drills
Take two CAT 2020 mock test every day

CAT Third Week Priorities

Work on your weaknesses during third week of CAT Preparation
Make short notes
Take a practice exam at the end of the week (previous year CAT question paper)

CAT Last Week Preparation

Reaffirm strength
Take final practice test
Revise CAT formulas and

CAT Exam Day Tips

While attempting questions on the day of the exam, do try to manage time. Do not spend too much time on a single question. Try to maintain speed and accuracy rate. Do not play a guessing game as there is negative marking applicable in CAT 2020. Read also How to score CAT 99 Percentile.