ALL ABOUT CAT - THE ULTIMATE GUIDE

ALL
ABOUT
CAT
ALL ABOUT CAT
CONTENTS
Introduction 03
IIM Programmes 05
Important Dates 06
Eligibility Criteria 07
Application Procedure 09
Admit Card 15
Exam Pattern 17
Syllabus 19
Sample Paper 22
Mock Test 23
Participating Institutes 27
Exam Centres 33
Normalization Process 35
Question Papers 36
Answer Key 37
Result 39
Cutoff 43
Selection Procedure 50
Expert Take on Pattern and Preparation Strategy 52
When and How to Begin Preparations 57
Must Read Books for Preparation 61
Topper Interview 63
Know CAT Evolution Over the Years 66
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ALL ABOUT CAT
INTRODUCTION
CAT or the Common Admission Test is the most competitive MBA entrance exam of India
taken by around two lakh candidates each year. Conducted by the Indian Institutes of Man-
agement, CAT is the most popular entrance exam for the admission to 20 IIMs and around
100 B-schools across India. The Common Admission Test (CAT) is conducted by the IIM
annually on a rotation basis. This year the conducting body is IIM Calcutta.
CAT application process is scheduled to commence on August 8 this year. CAT notifica-
tion was released on July 29, 2018. The exam will be conducted in computer-based mode
on November 25, 2018 in two sessions. In terms of exam pattern, there has been no change
introduced by IIM Calcutta.
Cracking the Common Admission Test or CAT is first and foremost priority for an MBA
aspirants in order to get admission to IIMs or a top B-School.
Fast Facts
●● Exam Name: Common Admission Test
●● Commonly known as: CAT
●● Exam Type: National
●● Exam Category: PG
●● Exam Conducting Institute: IIM Calcutta
●● CAT 2018 Convenor: Prof. Sumanta Basu
Reservation Criteria for Admissions to IIMs & other public B-schools:

Category Percentage
PWD (Person with Disability) 3
ST (Scheduled Tribe) 7.50
SC (Scheduled Caste) 15
OBC-NC (Other Backward Class – Non-Creamy Layer) 27
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ALL ABOUT CAT
CAT Application Trend for Past 10 Years

Year No. of Registration No. of Test Takers
2017 231,000 1,99,632
2016 2,32,434 1,95,000
2015 2,18,664 1,79,602
2014 1,96,988 1,67,829
2013 1,94,516 1,73,714
2012 2,14,000 1,95,000
2011 2,05,000 1,86,000
2010 2,04,000 1,85,000
2009 2,41,000 2,30,000
2008 2,90,000 2,76,000
2007 2,50,000 2,30,000
CAT Notification Released – Key Features You Must Know

IIM Calcutta has released the official notification of CAT 2018 on July 29. CAT 2018 will
be conducted on November 25 in two sessions. Around 4,000 seats are offered through the
20 IIMs. CAT 2018 score card will be valid only for one year until December 31, 2019. Prof.
Sumanta Basu will be the CAT convener for this year.
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ALL ABOUT CAT
IIM PROGRAMMES
There are 20 IIMs which will accept the scores of CAT for their flagship Post Graduate
Management programmes. The following list brings to you the list of programmes offered
by IIMs.
List of IIM Programmes

S. No. IIMs Offered Programme
1 Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad PGP, PGP-FABM, ePGP
2 Indian Institute of Management Amritsar PGP
3 Indian Institute of Management Bangalore PGP, PGPEM, PGPPM
4 Indian Institute of Management Bodh Gaya PGP
5 Indian Institute of Management Calcutta PGP-PGDM
6 Indian Institute of Management Indore PGP (Indore, Mumbai), EPGP, PGP-HRM
7 Indian Institute of Management, Jammu PGP
8 Indian Institute of Management Kashipur PGP, EPGP
9 Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode PGP
10 Indian Institute of Management Lucknow PGP, PGP-ABM, PGP-SM
11 Indian Institute of Management Nagpur PGP
12 Indian Institute of Management Raipur PGP, PGPWE
13 Indian Institute of Management Ranchi PGDM, PGDHRM
14 Indian Institute of Management Rohtak PGP, EPGP, EPGPX
15 Indian Institute of Management, Sambalpur PGP
16 Indian Institute of Management, Sirmaur PGP
17 Indian Institute of Management Shillong PGP, PGPEX
18 Indian Institute of Management Trichy PGP, PGPBM
19 Indian Institute of Management Udaipur PGP
20 Indian Institute of Management Visakhapatnam PGP
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ALL ABOUT CAT
CAT IMPORTANT DATES

CAT important dates have been announced along with the official notification released by
the conducting IIM, which is IIM Calcutta. The following table brings to you the timeline
or the important dates for CAT.
CAT 2018 Important Dates

Events Dates
CAT 2018 Notification July 29, 2018
CAT 2018 application commencement August 8, 2018
CAT 2018 last date of application September 19, 2018 (till 5 PM)
CAT 2018 application correction window Fourth week of September 2018
Admit Card October 24, 2018
CAT 2018 Mock Test Release October 17, 2018
CAT 2018 Exam November 25, 2018, Sunday (Two Slots)
CAT 2018 Question Paper & Answer Key First week of December 2018
CAT 2018 Result First week of January 2019
CAT 2018 Selection Procedure April-June 2019
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ALL ABOUT CAT
CAT ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

The eligibility criteria of the Common Admission Test or CAT refers that any MBA aspirant
who has completed or appeared in the Bachelor’s Degree final examination with minimum
50 per cent aggregate are eligible to appear for the test. CAT eligibility criteria has been
officially announced on July 29 along with the official notification. The eligibility criteria of
CAT has remained same over the years and it will continue to be the same this year as well.
The CAT eligibility criteria vary according to the category of the candidates.
Highlights of CAT Eligibility Criteria

●● Applicants should hold a Bachelor’s Degree with minimum 50 per cent marks or equivalent CGPA
awarded by a recognised university or educational institute as incorporated by an Act of the Parlia-
ment or State legislature in India or declared to be deemed as a University under Section 3 of the
UGC Act, 1956, or possess an equivalent qualification recognized by the Ministry of HRD, Govern-
ment of India.
●● For the reserved category candidates, such as Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) and
Persons with Disability (PWD), the minimum percentage to be secured in Bachelor’s Degree is 45
per cent.
●● Candidates appearing for the final year of Bachelor’s degree/equivalent qualification examination
and those who have completed degree requirements and are awaiting results are also eligible to
apply. However, they will be given provisional admission only till the time they submit a certificate
from the Principal / Registrar of their University/ institution (issued on or before the date as stipu-
lated by the respective IIM) stating that they have completed all the requirements for obtaining the
Bachelor’s degree/equivalent qualification on the date of the issue of the certificate.
●● During the time of application, candidates need to fulfil any one of the following three conditions:
1. Completed Bachelor’s Degree with requisite percentage of marks
2. Completed Professional Degree with requisite percentage of marks
3. Should be in the final year of Bachelor’s Degree with requisite marks percentage
●● The calculation of the marks percentage will be done on the basis of the practice followed by the
respective University/Institute. In case the Institute/University offers grades/CGPA, the con-
version to percentage of marks would be based on the procedure as certified by the respective
University/Institution. In case there is no such conversion scheme followed by the institute, the
equivalence will be calculated by dividing the candidate’s CGPA by the maximum possible CGPA,
and multiplying the result with 100.
CAT Eligibility – Reservation Criteria

●● According to the legal requirements, IIMs and other government institutes have to follow the res-
ervation criteria as given below:
●● 15 per cent of the seats are reserved for Scheduled Caste (SC)
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●● 7.5 per cent of the seats are reserved for Scheduled Tribe (ST)
●● 27 per cent seats are reserved for Other Backward Classes (OBC) belonging to non-creamy layers
Three per cent seats are reserved for Persons With Disability (PWD) candidates. The three catego-
ries of disability are: a) low vision blindness, b) hearing impairment and c) loco motor disability/
cerebral palsy. This provision is applicable if the candidate suffers from any of the listed disabilities
to the extent of not less than 40 per cent, as certified by a medical authority as prescribed and
explained in the said PWD Act, 1995 (Section 39).
The candidates belonging to the reserved categories have to score minimum cutoff percentile
at CAT along with the eligibility criteria in order to be shortlisted for the admission process.
Information for Reserved Category Candidates

●● The caste or tribe of candidates belonging to SC and ST categories have to be listed in the Govern-
ment of India schedule. The caste certificate which they would submit to IIMs should carry the
following information: (a) Name of caste or tribe (b) Whether candidate belongs to Scheduled
Caste or Scheduled Tribe (c) District and the State or Union Territory of original residence (d)
the appropriate Government of India schedule under which your caste/tribe is approved by it as
Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe.
●● During the application process, the reserved category candidates have to upload the SC / ST / NC-
OBC / PWD certificate(s). In case candidates fail to upload the documents, the application may
get rejected by IIMs.
●● At the time of selection process or interview rounds, candidates have to show the original documents
and copies have to be submitted at IIMs during final admission process. In case they are unable to
submit the documents, they may not be considered under reserved categories.
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ALL ABOUT CAT
CAT APPLICATION PROCEDURE

IIM Calcutta, the conducting body of Common Admission Test (CAT) is scheduled to
release the application form of CAT 2018 on August 8. CAT application form is available
only in online mode. Candidates can register for CAT until September 19, 2018 (5:00 pm).
CAT application process is a three-step process that consists of – registration, submitting

the filled in CAT application form and pay the fee.
Candidates have to select four exam centres as per their preference while filling up CAT
application form. Candidates will be allotted any one of their chosen exam centres after their
registration. The test centre and schedule will be communicated to the candidates through
the admit card.
Documents to keep handy before applying for CAT Before approaching for completing the
application form of CAT, aspirants must keep the following documents ready:
●● Mark sheets of Class X, Class XII, Bachelor’s Degree and or higher education
●● Applicable certificates to upload
●● Scanned images of passport size photograph and signatures. The photo should not be more than six
months old and should have a white background.
●● List of IIM programmes to apply for Now we will bring to you the step by step procedure to apply
for CAT.
How to fill CAT Application Form

The CAT application form filling procedure is divided into three steps. Let’s take a look at
the steps in details.
Step 1 – Registration
The first step to CAT application process is to register at the official website in order to gen-
erate the log in credentials. For this, applicants have to first visit the CAT website and follow
the instructions given below:
i. Click on the Tab that reads ‘Register Now’

ii. Fill up the form with personal details like Name, Date of Birth, Email Address, Mobile
Number in the fields provided. Ensure that you enter correct details, especially the contact
details as IIMs would communicate with the candidates through the given email address
and mobile number.
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ALL ABOUT CAT
To avoid entering erroneous information, follow the given instructions while filling up the
fields on CAT registration form or application from:
●● Name – Applicant’s name must be the same as that appearing in 10th Standard or SSC Certificate.
In case there is change of name due to marriage or any other reason, he/she has to submit valid
document like court affidavits or marriage certificate
●● Date of birth – Candidates have to use the virtual calendar to enter your date of birth ensuring that
they enter the correct date.
●● Email address -The email id should be valid and unique and must be functional. The CAT ID or
username will be sent to this email address itself. For overseas candidates, both Username and
Password will be sent through email.
●● Mobile number – The mobile number must be valid and unique as the password will be sent
through SMS at this number itself. The number should be India based and of 10 digits. Other mobile
numbers should be prefixed with area code. Special characters such as ‘0’ or ‘+’ are not allowed.
iii. Enter the Captcha or retype the special characters displayed on the screen to verify and
authenticate your registration.
Candidates will receive your CAT login credentials through Email and SMS. The CAT Serial
Number or User ID will be sent to them in the email address provided by and the password
will be sent as an SMS to the registered mobile number. Select the ‘I Agree’ checkbox to
ensure successful submission of the registration form.
Step 2: Log in to CAT Website

By using the system generated User ID & Password, candidates can log in as “Existing User”
on the website and fill CAT application form. If candidates forget their password, they have
to click on ‘Forgot Password’ tab on the ‘Existing User’ login window and new password will
be sent to their registered email id.
Step 3 – Filling up CAT Application Form

Upon receiving the log in credentials, the next step of filling up the application form of CAT
begins. The procedure to fill up CAT application form is as follows:
●● Visit the CAT official website

●● Click on the tab ‘Existing User’
●● Log in by entering the given credentials
The CAT application form is divided into five sections: a. Personal Details b. Academics
c. Work Experience d. Programmes e. Payment Candidates have to carefully read all the
instructions before filling the information in CAT application form.
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ALL ABOUT CAT
Personal Details
●● Father’s/Husband’s/Guardian’s Name and Mother’s Name and Gender
●● Category – Candidates who do not belong to the General category have to select the applicable
category among Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), Serial Number, State or Union Ter-
ritory and Name of Caste and Tribe.
●● Select your Nationality from the Drop Down menu.
●● Click on Yes or No for Person With Disability (PWD) field.
In order to apply under the PWD category, the Disability Percentage should be equal to or
more than 40 per cent.
●● Communication address – Enter full postal address along with alternate email and mobile number
which will be used for further communication by IIMs
Documents Upload
Within this section, candidates have to upload the following documents in support of the
information provided.
●● Passport size photograph and signature: Applicants have to upload scanned image of passport size
photograph whose dimension should not be more than that stated by exam authorities. Refer to
the below table for photograph and signature dimensions. The photograph and signature should be
clearly visible and legible.
●● Dimensions for Photo and Signature for CAT Application Form
File For- Image Resolu-

Image File size Dimensions
mat tion
30 mm (width) x 45 mm
Photograph
(height)
Not more than 80 KB JPEG/JPG 150 px/inch (min)
80 mm (width) x 35 mm
Signature
(height)
●● NC-OBC/SC/ST Certificate: Applicants belonging to reserved categories have to download the

category certificates from the CAT website and enter the required information and get them attested
by appropriate authorities, self-attest, scan and upload.
Academics
Applicants have to enter their past academic records in this section under the following
sections:
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●● Class X/SSC/Equivalent Exam Scores

●● Class XII/HSC/Equivalent Exam Scores
●● Bachelor’s Degree Details
●● Master’s Degree Details
●● Professional Course Details
Under each section, candidates have to enter the Board, Subjects, Aggregate marks or CGPA.
Work Experience: If the applicants have prior work experience or are working professionals,
they have to enter the work experience in number of months completed as on July 31, 2018.
Candidates have to also enter the industry type. Only full time work experience pursued
after the completion of Graduation will be applicable. Internship, part-time job, article ship,
pre-graduation experience should not be entered.
Programmes
In this section of CAT application form, candidates have to select the IIMs and the full
time management programmes where they want to apply for. They have to also select the
interview city from the drop down menu provided under this section. Candidates applying
for PGP or PGDM programmes at the below given IIMs are requested to choose the same
interview city for all the selections:
●● IIM Udaipur
●● IIM Tiruchirappalli
●● IIM Raipur
●● IIM Ranchi
●● IIM Rohtak
●● IIM Kashipur
Exam Centre City

Candidates will be allowed to select any four cities where CAT will be conducted from the
drop down menu. After the completion of the CAT application process, candidates will be
allotted test centre in one of the four preferred cities. Applicants will not be allowed to select
the same city more than once.
CAT Application Fee Payment

The application fee can be paid in online mode only, through Credit/Debit Card and Net
Banking methods. It is mandatory to click on the box corresponding to the statement ‘I have
previewed the Application Form by clicking on the Preview Application Button and con-
firm that all the data reflecting in the Preview are correct’, and “I Agree” in the Declaration
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section before you click the Submit and Pay button and proceed to the payment gateway. The
following table brings to you the CAT application form fee according to candidate categories.
Category Application Fee

General and NC-OBC Rs. 1900
SC, ST and PWD Rs. 950
Along with the above-mentioned application fee, candidates have to also pay the online
transaction charges, which will vary according to the mode of payment.
Transaction Fee for CAT 2018 Application form

Mode of Payment Transaction Charges
Net Banking Rs. 20 per transaction
1.20 percent of the transaction amount and subject

Credit Card (Visa/Master)
to minimum of Rs. 5
2.85 percent of the transaction amount and subject

Credit Card (American Express)
to minimum of Rs. 5
0.75 percent of the Transaction amount for value up

Debit Card (Visa/Master) to Rs. 2000 and subject to minimum of Rs. 5
1.00% of Transaction amount for value
Before proceeding towards payment, candidates must preview the entire CAT 2018 online
application form and the information provided and cross check with official documents in
order to avoid erroneous application which may not be rectified later.
Application Confirmation Email

After payment of application fee, candidates would receive an application confirmation
email at the registered email id. The email contains information about communication and
CAT admit card 2018 details.
Online Application Correction

After the submission of the application form, the authorities may introduce limited window
to correct your application form on select fields like percentage of marks, work experience
and programmes selected. Information like personal details, academic details (apart from a
percentage of marks), exam city preference etc. cannot be edited.
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CAT ADMIT CARD

The admit card of CAT will be released on October 24, 2018 (1:00 pm). CAT admit card will
be available online only, and will not be sent to the candidates via any other mode. It will be
issued only to those candidates whose application form has been accepted by the examina-
tion authority.
Candidates can download the admit card by entering their login credentials. The admit card
will carry pertinent information like the personal details of the candidates, test venue details
and exam day instructions. It is the mandatory document to be carried to the exam centre
along with a photo identity card. It is a must for the test takers to download the CAT admit
card within the stipulated duration and preserve the print out till the admission process is
over. IIM Lucknow is conducting CAT for the year.
Important Dates for CAT Admit Card 2018

Events Dates
CAT 2018 admit card release October 24, 2018
Last date to download CAT admit card Until the day of the exam
CAT 2018 exam November 25, 2018 (Sunday)
How to download CAT Admit Card

●● Visit the official website of CAT or link provided below
●● Login through your registered credentials
●● Click on the “login” button after entering required detail
●● CAT admit card appears on the screen
●● Download the PDF file of the admit card and take at least two copies of print out.
●● Keep soft copy for future use
Details mentioned on CAT 2018 Admit Card/ Hall Ticket

The CAT admit card 2018 will carry the following information:
●● Name of the candidate
●● Date of birth of the candidate
●● CAT 2018 Registration Number and User ID
●● Category – Whether the candidate belongs to General category or Scheduled Caste/Scheduled
Tribe or Differently Abled
●● Date and slot of CAT 2018
●● Name of the Exam centre and address
●● Test system number
●● Candidate’s signature
●● Candidate’s photograph
●● Exam day instructions
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Problems in downloading CAT Admit Card 2018

Candidates may face the following issues while downloading the admit card/ hall ticket.
Here are the solutions.
●● Forgetting login credentials – In case the candidates forget their login ID and password which
were generated at the time of registration, they have to click on the ‘Forget Password’ tab. They will
receive a link to reset the password to their registered email address. They have to visit the link and
create a new password.
●● In case of any other doubts or queries, candidates can contact the CAT Helpline Desk number:
1800-266-0207 (Toll-Free) or email at cathelpdesk@iimcat.ac.in
Note: Monday to Saturday (9 am to 5:30 pm); Not available on Public/National holidays
What to Carry along with CAT Admit Card 2018 on exam day?
Along with the admit card of CAT 2018, candidates will have to carry any of the following
photo identity cards including
●● Aadhaar Card
●● Voter ID Card
●● Passport
●● PAN Card
●● Driving License
●● Photo ID issued by current education institute or employer among others.
CAT Exam Day Instructions
●● Copy of CAT 2018 admit card should be clear and legible

●● Candidates have to paste passport size colour photograph in the space provided
●● Test takers should not sign in the space provided as the signature has to be made in presence of the
invigilator
●● Test takers have to carry at least two copies of CAT admit card print out, of which, one copy has to
be submitted to the invigilator
●● Candidates have to check the exam and exam centre reporting timing properly from the CAT 2018
admit card. For the first slot, they have to report by 7.30 AM and for the second slot, the timing is 1
PM. Beyond 8.45 AM and 2.15 PM, candidates will not be allowed to enter the test centre
●● Test takers will not be allowed to carry anything else apart from their CAT admit card 2018 and
photo ID card. Rough sheets and pencils will be provided inside the exam hall
●● The CAT 2018 admit card will not only be required till the exam day but till the entire admission
process is concluded.
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CAT EXAM PATTERN

The CAT exam pattern 2018 will remain the same as last year. Knowing the exam pattern
makes the candidates aware of the topics covered in the exam, marking scheme, weightage
to each section etc. It certainly helps them prepare for the big exam.
As per the CAT 2018 exam pattern or exam structure, CAT will be a computer-based test
of three hours carrying 100 multiple choice questions (MCQs) divided into three sections
– Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation & Logical Reason-
ing (DILR), and Quantitative Ability (QA).
The structure and pattern of CAT is given below.
CAT Exam Pattern 2018

Section No. of Questions Total Marks Duration
Verbal Ability & Reading Compre- 34 102 60 minutes
hension (VARC)
Data Interpretation & Logical Rea- 32 96 60 minutes

soning (DILR)
Quantitative Ability (QA) 34 102 60 minutes
Total 100 300 180
The sections are likely to appear in the same order as mentioned in the table above. Now,
check the overall exam pattern of CAT 2018.
CAT 2018 Exam Pattern – Highlights

Exam Structure Details
Duration of the Test 3 hours (180 minutes)
Total Number of Sections 3
Sectional Duration 1 hour (60 minutes)
Total Number of Questions 100
Total Marks 300
Marks per question 3
Negative marking for wrong answer -1
Overall and Sectional Duration – Candidates need to know that apart from the complete
test duration, the exam will also have sectional duration as well. Each section is time bound
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for one hour (60 minutes) and candidates are not allowed to switch between sections within
this one-hour duration. However, applicants are free to answer any question within a par-
ticular section.
Non-MCQs – IIMs have introduced subjective questions from 2015. In these questions,
candidates have to type the answers in the space provided with the help of a mouse through
a virtual keypad. These questions do not have options. Each section carries non-MCQs but
the number is not fixed. Based on last year’s structure, the following table brings to you the
ratio of MCQs and non-MCQs.
Number of MCQs & Non-MCQs in CAT
Section No. of Questions No. of Non-MCQs MCQs

VARC 34 10 24
DI & LR 32 8 24
QA 34 7 27
Total 100 25
Marking Scheme – It is very important for the candidates to be aware of marking scheme
of the CAT exam. Each correct answer will be awarded three marks and one mark would
be deducted for each wrong answer. However, this marking scheme is applicable only for
MCQs. For Non-MCQs, there is no negative marking.
Rough Sheet – The conducting authority of CAT provide pages for rough calculations;
however, one needs to submit the same after completing the examination. Candidates are
not allowed to carry anything inside the examination hall except their Admit Card.
On-screen Calculator – Last year, a non-scientific on-screen calculator was provided to

the candidates to help them with the basic computations. IIMs are likely to keep this feature
this year as well.
CAT 2018 Mock Test – IIMs provide online CAT mock test prior to the actual test to make
the candidates familiar with the overall exam pattern and navigation. The mock tests will be
available from October 17, 2018, on the official website of the exam.
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CAT SYLLABUS
Indian Institute of Management Calcutta (IIM-C), the conducting body of CAT 2018, does
not release any official syllabus for the exam. Based on previous years’ question papers, a
list of tentative topics and sub-topics is compiled by the experts which can be used as the
syllabus.
The CAT syllabus is majorly divided into three major sections – Verbal & Reading Compre-
hension (VARC), Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DI & LR), and Quantitative
Ability (QA).
Now, let’s have a look at the CAT 2018 syllabus and the important topics under each section.
CAT Syllabus – Section wise
Section CAT Exam Syllabus

Reading Comprehension-
The Reading Comprehension passages are generally of medium length,

carrying 250 to 500 words. Question types can be both direct or inferen-
tial.
English Language-
Fact Inference
Judgement
Verbal and Reading Compre- Fill in the blanks

hension (VARC)
Grammar
Para Completion
Para Jumble
Sentence Correction
Verbal Reasoning
Analogies and Reverse Analogies
Synonyms Antonyms (Vocabulary Based), etc.
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Data Interpretation-
Bar Graph
Combination of Graphs
Caselet
Data Sufficiency
Line Graph
Pie Chart
Tables, etc.
Logical Reasoning–
Assumptions
Data Interpretation and Blood Relations

Logical Reasoning (DI & LR) Binary Logic
Clocks and Calendars
Constraint-based puzzles
Data Arrangement
Family Tree
Matching Puzzles
Proposition
Statements
Seating Arrangement
Sets and Syllogism
Venn Diagram, etc.
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Major Topics-
Algebra
Arithmetic
Geometry
Higher Maths
Mensuration
Modern Mathematics
Number System
Trigonometry etc.
Sub-topics-
Arithmetic progression
Arithmetic mean
Average
Angles and triangles
sphere’s rectangles
Quantitative Ability (QA)
cubes and cone
BODMAS
Clocks
Geometric progression and Geometric mean
HCF and LCM
Harmonic mean
Installment and payments
Lines
Median and Mode
Percentage
Partnership
Profit and loss
Ratio and proportion
Partnership
Pipe and cisterns
Speed and distance
Work & time etc.
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CAT SAMPLE PAPER

To ace the country’s most competitive exam, management aspirants must prepare by solving
CAT sample papers regularly. CAT sample paper /question paper will allow the candidates
to understand the complete exam pattern / exam structure, marking scheme and more. The
questions in the sample paper of CAT may not align with the difficulty level of the exam but
it will certainly help the candidates get an overall idea of the exam and be acquainted with
the exam pattern.
How to Download CAT Sample Paper
●● Visit bschool.careers360.com
●● Candidates need to Register first
●● Login with Careers360 credentials
●● Candidates can also login with their Google or Facebook accounts
●● Visit Sample Paper Store
●● Click here to download CAT Sample Paper
Solve CAT Sample Paper

After downloading the CAT Question Paper / Sample Paper, candidates are required to solve
it in a time-bound manner to know where they stand in terms of preparation. Time manage-
ment is the key to success in CAT exam. Analysing the performance in CAT mock test /
sample paper is one of the most important factors while preparing for the exam. It will allow
the candidates to focus on their weak points and work on them accordingly. It is important
for the aspirants to get their performance in mock tests analysed by experts or mentors to
give their preparation a right direction.
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CAT MOCK TEST

IIM Calcutta will release the mock test of CAT 2018 on October 17. Candidates would be
able to download the mock test from the official website of CAT. The mock test or the prac-
tice test will be released to explain the format of the exam, pattern and the marking scheme
along with the navigation system to the candidates.
The duration of CAT 2018 Mock Test will be 1-hour and will include the following aspects:
●● Instructions
●● Mock questions of each section
As per the last year’s CAT Mock Test, the order of the sections on the exam day is likely to
be as follows:
●● Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension – 34 questions

●● Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning – 32 questions
●● Quantitative Ability – 34 questions
How to take CAT Mock test:

Let’s start with the CAT Mock Test. Candidates can check the images and understand how
the test would be. The data is given on last year’s pattern of mock test.
1. Visit the website and click on the CAT 2018 Mock Test link (will be available in October
2018). A screen like given below will appear. The first screen will have the system name,
number, subject, and photograph along with a log-in window. While checking the mock test,
candidates can proceed by just clicking on the green ‘Sign-in’ button, but at the time of the
actual test, they must enter correct login id and password.
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2. After login, candidates will be re-directed to a new window. The instructions will be given
here for the colour scheme, explaining the status of each question. Read all the instructions
and understand the color scheme well, as it shows how many questions you have left unan-
swered, how many are answered, and how many are kept for review.
3. As candidates click Next, a screen like below will appear. This will show the Duration of
the exam, which is 180 minutes, along with the maximum marks – 200. As the test will have
sectional limit and candidates will not be allowed to switch from one section to another, they
will have to attempt sections in the same order as given. The first section to attempt will be
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) followed by Data Interpretation &
Logical Reasoning (DILR) and last Quantitative Ability (QA). Read instructions, select the
‘I agree’ button and click on the ‘I am ready to begin’.
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ALL ABOUT CAT
4. The actual test begins. Read the questions, answer, skip or mark for review, and proceed
with ‘Save & Next’ button for next question. Candidates can visit a question back by clicking
on the numbers under the question palette.
5. As and when candidates will attempt the MCQs, all the Non-MCQs will appear. This
section is a bit different; you have to read the passage which has alternative summaries.
Candidates have to choose the best sequence fit for the question. Candidates can select the
numbers as provided or can type the same from their keyboard. After you answered all the
questions, if you have time- review your answers or wait for 60 minutes to get over and next
section to appear.
The CAT 2018 Mock Test will have a similar pattern for attempting other sections i.e. Data
Interpretation & Logical Reasoning and Quantitative Ability. It will follow the same pro-
cedure to attempt or mark the answers. Candidates must note that they will not be allowed
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ALL ABOUT CAT
to review any section once the time is over. After all the sections are complete, in the end,
candidates will have to click on Submit tab to submit their test. In the last after the duration
of 180 minutes is over, a screen with summary will appear. This will have a total number of
answered questions, unanswered questions, or questions left for review. You will also see a
Feedback form, where candidates will be asked to enter their feedback about the test. Enter
the details as like, and click on submit.
Facts about CAT Mock Test

Both MCQs and Non-MCQs – As per the CAT exam pattern, the questions per section
will be a mix of MCQs and Non-MCQs. For example, last year, the VARC section had 24
MCQs and 10 non-MCQs. The navigation system is also likely to be same as previous years.
However, instead of intersection movements, candidates can visit any question by clicking
on the question number at the Question Palette.
On-Screen Calculator and Timer – The mock test will also have the on-screen calculator.
It would be placed at the top right side of the screen, right below the timer. Along with the
basic calculations, it also includes calculation options for Algebra and Trigonometry. The
on-screen timer will show the countdown of one hour and right after that, the section will
automatically switch to the next one.
Option for Mark for Review – Just like last year, the candidates will also get the option to
mark a question for review. After answering the rest of the questions, candidates can revisit
the marked questions to review their answer. Candidates can also identify the Answered, Not
Answered, Marked and Not Visited questions of the section.
Although candidates can revise a particular section after completing the questions, there is
no scope for overall revision since the sections are time-bound.
The purpose of CAT Mock Test 2018 is to provide the impression of the test. The difficulty
level, question types, numbers of MCQs and Non-MCQs may vary in the actual test.
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ALL ABOUT CAT
CAT PARTICIPATING INSTITUTES

The B-schools which will accept the scores of CAT for their admission process are consid-
ered as CAT 2018 participating institutes. Apart from 20 IIMs, there are more than 100
B-schools in India which will accept the scores of CAT 2018. Jawaharlal Nehru University
(JNU) is the latest to join the list of 111 CAT participating institutes, as listed on the official
website of the exam. The exam centres will be available in all major cities of the country.
Apart from Indian B-schools, Singapore Management University also accepts the CAT
score.
CAT 2018 Participating Institutes – IIMs and Number of Seats

S.No. B-School No. of Seats S.No. B-School No. of Seats
1 IIM Bangalore 412 11 IIM Ranchi 155
2 IIM Ahmedabad 385 12 IIM Kashipur 210
3 IIM Calcutta 462 13 IIM Udaipur 180
4 IIM Lucknow 436 14 IIM Nagpur 60
5 IIM Kozhikode 353 15 IIM Bodh Gaya 60
IIM Visakhapa-
6 IIM Indore 550 16 tnam 60
7 IIM Shillong 120 17 IIM Sirmaur 60
8 IIM Rohtak 170-180 18 IIM Sambalpur 140
9 IIM Raipur 210 19 IIM Amritsar 60
10 IIM Trichy 180 20 IIM Jammu 60
Note: The number of seats may change for the academic year 2019-21.
Both Government run and private B-schools fall in the list of CAT participating institutes.
There are around 90 private B-schools in the list. Here is the list of top government and
private B-schools:
Top CAT 2018 Participating Institutes

Government B-schools Private B-schools
Department of Commerce, Delhi School
Management Development Institute (MDI), Gurgaon
of Economics, University of Delhi
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ALL ABOUT CAT
Top CAT 2018 Participating Institutes

Government B-schools Private B-schools
Gujarat National Law University, Gan- SP Jain Institute of Management & Research (SPJIMR), Mum-
dhinagar bai
Faculty of Management Studies, Univer-

Institute of Management Technology (IMT), Ghaziabad
sity of Delhi
Indian Institute of Forest Management,

Xavier Institute of Management Bhubaneswar (XIMB)
Bhopal
NITIE Mumbai TAPMI Manipal
National Institute of Agricultural

Extension Management (MANAGE), LIBA Chennai
Hyderabad
MNIT Allahabad Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai
Indian Institute of Social Welfare & Busi- Prin LN Welingkar Institute of Management Development and
ness Management, Kolkata Research, Mumbai
Department of Management Studies,

Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi
(DMS, IIT Delhi)
The following table brings to you the state-wise CAT participating colleges 2018 excluding
IIMs.
CAT Participating Institutes 2018 – State wise

Non – IIM Member Institutions
Area Institute Name
Andhra Pradesh GITAM School of International Business
Chitkara Business School

Chandigarh
University Business School, Chandigarh
School of Petroleum Management, PDPU
Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India
Institute of Rural Management, Anand
Gujarat Gujarat National Law University, Gandhinagar
Institute of Management, Nirma University
MICA
Amrut Mody School of Management
Jharkhand Xavier Institute of Social Service
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ALL ABOUT CAT

Area Institute Name
Indian Institute of Information Technology & Management, Gwalior
Madhya Pradesh
Indian Institute of Forest Management
Xavier Institute of Management (XIMB), Xavier University
KIIT School of Management, KIIT University

Odisha
Asian School of Business Management
Birla Institute of Management Technology (BIMTECH)
National Institute of Technology, Trichy
Institute of Financial Management & Research
Great Lakes Institute of Management

Tamil Nadu
Bharathidasan Institute of Management (BIM)
Amrita School of Business, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham
Loyala Instute Of Business Administration
Hyderabad School of Business Management
Institute of Management Technology, Hyderabad
Institute of Public Enterprise, Hyderabad

Telangana
Siva Sivani Institute of Management, Secunderabad
University of Hyderabad (School of Management Studies), Hyderabad
Vignana Jyothi Institute of Management, Hyderabad
International Management Institute, Alipore
Army Institute of Management, Kolkata
Management Development Institute (MDI) Murshidabad
West Bengal Instutute of Engineering and Management
Indian Institute of Social Welfare & Business Management (IISWBM)
Eastern Institute of Integrated Learning in Management (EIILM)
National Institute of Technology - Durgapur
Department of Business Administration, Tezpur

Assam
Jawaharlal Nehru School of Management Studies
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ALL ABOUT CAT

Area Institute Name
Vivekanand Institute of Professional Studies, Technical Campus
Fore School of Management
Faculty of Management Studies, University of Delhi
Delhi Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Management
University of Delhi(Dept. of Commerce, Financial Studies & Business Econom-

ics)
Jawaharlal Nehru University (School of Management and Entrepreneurship),

New Delhi
National Power Training Institute
Haryana BML Munjal University
Management Development Institute (MDI) Gurgaon
Kirloskar Institute of Advanced Management Studies
ISBR Business School
National School Of Business
T.A. Pai Management Institute (TAPMI)
Adarsh Institute of Management and Information Technology
Indus Business Academy
CMS Business School (Jain University)
Institute of Finance & International Management (IFIM)

Karnataka Prin L.N. Welingkar Institute of Management Development & Research (Ban-
galore)
International School Of Management Excellence
GIBS Business School
Myra School of Business
Indian Institute of Science
National Institute of Technology, Karnataka, Surathkal
Alliance University
AIMS Institute of Higher Education (AIMS Institutes)
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ALL ABOUT CAT

Area Institute Name
Institute Of Management Technology, Nagpur
Institute For Technology And Management
Flame School of Business
Balaji Institute of Modern Management (BIMM)

Maharashtra
Balaji Institute of Management & Human Resource Development (BIMHRD)
Prin L.N. Welingkar Institute of Management Development & Research (Mum-

bai)
National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE)
Shailesh J Mehta School of Management, IIT Bombay
National Institute Of Bank Management
Balaji Institute of International Business (BIIB)
Balaji Institute of Telecom & Management (BITM)

Maharashtra
S P Jain Institute of Management & Research
Indian Institute of Cost and Management studies & Research
K J Somaiya Institute of Management Studies & Research
National Insurance Academy
LM Thapar School of Management

Punjab
University Business School
Development Management Institute

Bihar
Chandragupt Institute of Management Patna (CIMP)
Goa Goa Institute of Management
Jammu & Kashmir The Business School, Jammu
Kerala Rajagiri Business School
Fortune Institute Of International Business
Asia-Pacific Institute of Management
New Delhi New Delhi Institute of Management
International Management Institute
Apeejay School of Management
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ALL ABOUT CAT

Area Institute Name
BITS Pilani
Rajasthan CCS National Institute of Agricultural Marketing
Institute Of Agri Business Management
Institute Of Management Technology (IMT)
Birla Institute of Management Technology
Shri Ram Murti Smarak International Business School
Galgotias University
Master School of Management
Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT-A) - Allahabad
J.R.E Group of Institutions
Institute of Management Studies (IMS), Ghaziabad
Institute of Management Studies, Noida
Uttar Pradesh Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology
Indian Institute Of Finance
Shiv Nadar University
Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology (RGIPT)
Accurate Institute of Management & Technology
Banaras Hindu University, Faculty of Management Studies
IILM Graduate School of Management
University Of Lucknow
NTPC School of Business
Institute of Advanced Management & Research
Several B-schools with specialised management programmes such as Institute of Rural

Management Anand (IRMA), National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management
(MANAGE) Hyderabad, MICA Ahmedabad, IIFM Bhopal, Indian Institute of Plantation
Management Bangalore etc., are in the list of participating institutes.
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ALL ABOUT CAT
CAT EXAM CENTRES

CAT exam centres will be located in approximately 147 cities as announced in the official
notification on July 29. Candidates will have to select four cities where they would like to
take CAT during application process. Almost every state of the country has a CAT exam
centre. IIM Calcutta has added two new States where CAT 2018 exam centres will be located
– Mizoram and Nagaland.
The table below brings to you list of cities where CAT exam centres will be located.
CAT Exam Centres

Exam State Exam Cities
Andaman and Nicobar
Port Blair
Islands
Chittoor, Tirupati, Visakhapatnam, Kurnool, Chirala, Nellore, Kakinada, Gun-

Andhra Pradesh
tur, Rajahmundry, Vizianagaram, Vijaywada
Arunachal Pradesh Itanagar
Assam Silchar, Guwahati, Jorhat, Tezpur, Dibrugarh
Bihar Patna, Muzaffarpur, Gaya, Purnea, Darbhanga, Aurangabad
Chandigarh Chandigarh
Chattisgarh Raipur, Bhillai, Bilaspur
Delhi-NCR Delhi-NCR
Goa Goa
Gujarat Surat, Rajkot, Vadodara, Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad, Mehsana, Anand
Haryana Krnal, Hisar, Panipath, Ambala, Rohtak, Kurushetra
Himachal Pradesh Shimla, Hamirpur
Jammu and Kashmir Jammu, Samba
Jharkhand Bokaro, Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Dhanbad, Hazaribagh
Bengaluru, Mysuru (Mysore), Belagavi(Belgaum), Dharwad,

Karnataka Hubballi(Hubli), Kalaburagi(Gulbarga), Mangaluru(Mangalore),
Shivamogga(Shimoga), Udupi
Kerala Trivandrum, Kannur, Kollam, Ernakulam, Kottayam, Kozhikode, Thrissur
Madhya Pradesh Ujjain, Bhopal, Indore, Gwalior, Satna, Jabalpur, Sagar
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ALL ABOUT CAT
Exam State Exam Cities

Mumbai, Nagpur, Amravati, Pune, Ahmednagar, Aurangabad-Maharashtra,
Maharashtra
Jalgaon, Kolhapur, Nanded, Nashik, Satara, Solapur, Ulhasnagar, Raigad
Meghalaya Shillong
Mizoram Aizawl
Nagaland Kohima
Sambalpur, Cuttack, Balasore, Berhampur, Bhubaneswar, Dhenkanal, Rour-

Odisha
kela
Puducherry Puducherry
Amritsar, Mohali, Bhatinda, Jalandhar, Patiala, Ludhiana, Mohali, Pathankot,

Punjab
Sangrur
Rajasthan Jaipur, Udaipur, Ajmer, Alwar, Bikaner, Jodhpur, Sikar, Kota
Tamil Nadu Madurai, Chennai, Coimbatore, Trichy, Salem, Tirunelveli, Trichy
Telangana Hyderabad, Karim Nagar, Warangal
Varanasi, Agra, Jhansi, Lucknow, Aligarh, Allahabad, Bareilly, Gorakhpur,

Uttar Pradesh
Kanpur, Meerut, Moradabad, Muzaffarnagar
Uttarakhand Dehradun, Dehradun, Haldwani
West Bengal Siliguri, Asansol, Bankura, Burdwan, Kolkata, Durgapur, Hooghly, Kalyani
How to select CAT exam centres 2018?

Candidates would get the option to choose the exam centres at the time of filling the applica-
tion form. Candidates will be able to select as many as four cities from the drop-down menu.
CAT authorities will allot the exam centre on the basis of candidate’s preferences. However,
a nearby centre will be allotted in case the selected exam centre is not available.
According to IIM Calcutta, cities and centres will be assigned to the candidates only after
the last date for CAT 2018 registration and hence candidates need not rush to block slots
and cities in the initial days of registration.
Concerned authority will try their best to assign candidates to their first preferred city. In
case it is not possible, they will be assigned a city following their given order of preference.
In the rare case that a candidate is not allotted any of the preferred cities, he/she will be
allotted an alternate city. However, candidates will not be able to select the session because
it will be assigned randomly.
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ALL ABOUT CAT
CAT NORMALIZATION PROCESS

The scoring and equating process used for CAT exam is known as the CAT 2018 normaliza-
tion process. Once the exam is over, the result will be declared in the second week of January
using the CAT normalization process 2018. In this article, check how the CAT 2018 normali-
zation process works and more.
What is Normalization Process of CAT?

CAT Scoring and equating process or CAT 2018 normalization process is a process which is
used to follow fairness and equity in comparison of performances of the candidates across
different test sessions. The official website describes the CAT 2018 Normalization as, “CAT
2018 shall be conducted in two sessions. Two different Test Forms shall be administered in
two Test Sessions. In order to ensure fairness and equity in comparison of performances of
the candidates across different test sessions, the scores of the candidates shall be subjected
to a process of Normalization.” This process will be used to calculate CAT 2018 result of the
students who will appear for the test.
How CAT 2018 Normalization process works?

In the CAT normalization process 2018, students are scaled on the basis of location, scale
differences, test slots etc. On combining of these scores, a scaled score is obtained and
converted into percentiles. The official process states, “The Normalization process shall
adjust for location and scale differences of score distributions across different forms. After
normalization across different forms, the scores shall be further normalized across different
sections. The scaled scores obtained by this process shall be converted into percentiles for
purposes of shortlisting.”
The CAT normalization process is an established practice for comparing candidate scores
across multiple Forms and is similar to those being adopted in other large educational selec-
tion tests conducted in India, such as Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE). For
normalization across sections, we shall use the percentile equivalence.
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ALL ABOUT CAT
CAT QUESTION PAPERS

The CAT question papers will allow the management aspirants to check the exact questions
asked in the exam and they would be able to prepare accordingly. With the help of actual pre-
vious year question papers, candidates can know about the type of questions, topics covered
in the exam and the format of the exam. It will also allow the candidates to understand the
marking scheme of the exam, syllabus, duration, etc.
The conducting body has started releasing the actual question papers alongwith their answer
keys for aspirants to habituate themselves with the exam. The previous years’ papers will
act like sample papers for CAT and candidates can download them and attempt them in a
time-bound manner for practice.
Advantages of CAT Question Papers

●● The previous year question papers allow the candidates to check the exact type of questions asked
in the exam and how they can prepare for it.
●● Solving the question papers of CAT will allow the candidates to understand their weak and strong
points and they can prepare accordingly.
●● It will also allow the candidates to improve their time management skills. They will also get to know
how quickly they need to solve a question, which question to attempt and which question to leave,
etc.
As time management is the key to success in CAT exam, candidates are advised to solve
the question papers in a time-bound manner to know their level of preparation. Analys-
ing the performance after solving the papers is one of the most important factors while
preparing for the exam. It will allow the candidates to focus on their weak points and
work on them accordingly. It is important for the aspirants to get their performance in
mock tests analysed by experts or mentors to give their preparation a right direction.
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ALL ABOUT CAT
CAT ANSWER KEY

The answer key of CAT 2018 will be released by the exam conducting body IIM Calcutta
along with the question paper in the first week of December 2018. IIMs started releasing
the CAT answer key only from last year. Along with the question paper, the correct answers
will be marked in the green colour. Starting from last year, IIMs also allowed the test takers
to file an objection if they find any discrepancy in the CAT answer key. To file an objection,
candidates will have to pay a certain amount. Last year, the fee to file an objection was Rs.
1000. Read on to know more about the process to download the answer key.
How to Download CAT Answer Key 2018

●● Candidates need to visit the official website of CAT 2018
●● Use login credentials – CAT registration id and password
●● Click on the tab Shift1/ Shift2 Question Paper
●● Download the PDF form or check the website itself
●● The correct answer option is marked in green prefixed with a tick mark, whereas the incorrect
answer options are marked in red and prefixed with 'x' symbol
What after checking CAT Answer Key

●● Candidates would be able to calculate the estimated score after checking the correct answers
●● Candidates can file for objection in case they find any discrepancy in the answers provided
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ALL ABOUT CAT
How to file Objection on CAT Answer Key?

●● Go to the official website of CAT 2018
●● Login with the registered credentials
●● Click on the tab 'Objection Form' and then '+' sign to add an objection
●● Now, select section name, question number and type of objection among the three options given:
a) None of the options is a correct answer
b) More than one option is a correct answer
c) Answer Key is incorrect
●● An option to add remarks will also be given within 500 words
●● Now, submit the objection and pay the Objection Fee i.e. Rs. 1000 per question
●● A candidate can file for as many objections as s/he wants
●● In case, the objection is found valid by IIM expert panel, the objection fee (excluding transaction
charges) will be refunded
●● If an objection filed by a candidate is found to be valid, the remedial measures taken by IIMs will be
applicable to all the candidates and not just the candidate who has raised the objection.
CAT 2018 Answer Key Objection Form - Transaction Processing Fee

Mode Of Payment Transaction Fees
Credit Card (Visa/Master) 1.20% of the value of the transaction
Credit Card (Amex/Diners Club) 2.85% of the value of the transaction
0.75% of the value of the transaction for value up to Rs 2000 and

Debit Card (Visa/Master/Rupay )
1.00% for value more than Rs. 2000
0.75% of the value of the transaction for value up to Rs 2000 and

ATM-cum-Debit Cards
1.00% for value more than Rs. 2000
Rs 18.00 per transaction for HDFC, ICICI, AXIS and SBI Rs 15.00
Net Banking
per transaction for rest of the banks
Cash Card & Wallet 1.75% of the value of the transaction.
CAT Marking Scheme

Marking Scheme MCQs Non-MCQs
Correct answer 3 3
Negative marks -1 No negative marking
Unattempted questions No marks No marks
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ALL ABOUT CAT
CAT RESULT
IIM Calcutta will declare the CAT 2018 result tentatively in the second week of January
2019 and it will be available online for download. Candidates will be able to check the result
using their user ID and password provided at the time of registration. The result will be
available in the form of scorecard displaying the percentile and section wise & overall scaled
scores. IIM Calcutta will also send the result to the registered mobile numbers of the test
takers mentioning their overall CAT percentile. No hard copy of the result cum scorecard
will be sent to the candidates.
Based on the CAT 2018 result, candidates will be shortlisted for further selection rounds by
IIMs and other participating institutes.
How to check CAT Result 2018?

●● Candidates can either visit the official website of CAT 2018 or Click on the link given above
●● Login through your registration credentials – CAT user id and password
●● Click on the tab ‘Score Card’
●● Download your CAT 2018 result cum scorecard
Candidates are advised to print and keep the CAT scorecard till the admission process is
complete.
CAT 2018 Result on SMS

IIM Calcutta will also send the overall CAT result to the registered mobile number of the
candidates through SMS.
What are the Details Printed on the Result cum Score card
The following information will be mentioned on the CAT result cum scorecard:
●● Registration number/User Id
●● Candidate's name, category and gender
●● Date of birth (DOB)
●● Date and time of examination
●● Candidate contact details and email id
●● Scaled Score of Section 1 (Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension)
●● Percentile of Section 1 (Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension)
●● Scaled Score of Section 2 (Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning)
●● Percentile of Section 2 (Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning)
●● Scaled Score of Section 3 (Quantitative Ability)
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ALL ABOUT CAT
●● Percentile of Section 3 (Quantitative Ability)

●● Overall Scaled Score
●● Overall Percentile
●● Instructions for post CAT result 2018 activities
How is CAT Result 2018 Computed?

●● The result is computed as per the marking scheme of the exam.
●● According to the marking scheme of CAT, each question carries three marks.
●● One mark is deducted for every incorrect answer.
●● However, negative marking scheme is not applicable for non-MCQs.
CAT 2018 Percentile

IIMs declare CAT result in the form of percentile. A percentile is a measure used to indicate
the value below which a given percentage of test takers fall. On the basis of the percentile,
IIMs and other CAT participating B-schools shortlist candidates for admissions. The CAT
percentile will be calculated on the basis of the normalisation process adopted by the IIMs.
CAT 2018 Result – Highlights

●● Candidates will be able to download/print the exam result. The CAT result will be available only
online. No hard copy of the result will be sent to any candidate.
●● The Overall Scaled Score is the sum of the scaled scores of the candidate in the three sections.
●● Percentile refers to the percentage of candidates who receive the score less than or equal to the score
obtained by the candidate.
●● IIMs and Non-IIM member institutions independently decide how to use CAT scores follow their
own selection process. The score is used only to shortlist candidates for the selection rounds.
●● In case, any candidate provides incorrect information and violates the admission process, his/her
candidature will be disqualified. Candidate’s score will become null and void and s/he will not be
allowed to appear for CAT in future. If such instances go undetected during the current selection
process but are detected in subsequent years, such disqualification will take place with retrospec-
tive effect.
●● All queries regarding post-CAT selection process must be directed to respective IIMs. CAT Centre
will not answer post-CAT related queries.
●● CAT 2018 score will be valid only until December 31, 2019, and subject to meeting the minimum
eligibility marks in the qualifying examination.
Previous Years' Trends of CAT Result

Last year, more than 2.31 lakh registered for CAT exam and as many as 1.99 lakh candidates
appeared. Based on the previous years’ result of CAT, we bring to you the number of candi-
dates who secured a high sectional and overall percentile in the table below.
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Year-wise CAT Result Trend
No. of
Conver-
No. of candi- CAT Result
Declaration of Scores sion
Year Regis- dates Declaring
CAT Result obtained into per-
trations given the IIM
centile
test
CAT 2017 2,31,067 1,99,632 January 8, 2018 IIM Lucknow 100
220.09 –
CAT 2016 2,32,343 1,95,000 January 9, 2017 IIM Bangalore 100
241.68
254.61 –
100
249.90
242.33 99.99
January 8th, IIM
CAT 2015 2,18,664 1,79,602 235.33 99.98
2016 Ahmedabad
215.54 –
99.89
215.43
180.02 99
268.700 –
100
261.740
CAT 2014 December 27th, 245.92 99.97
1,96,988 1,67,829 IIM Indore
2014
227.65 99.87
178.02 98.07
What after CAT Result?

After the declaration of the CAT result, the official cutoff will be declared by IIMs and par-
ticipating institutes will shortlist the candidates for the selection rounds – WAT, PI and GD.
The cutoff percentile will vary from institute to institute. While IIMs and some other top
B-schools announce their admission criteria including cutoff prior to the result, a majority
of the B-schools declare their cutoffs after the CAT result is declared.
Shortlisted candidates will be called for the selection procedure which include Writing Abil-
ity Test, Group Discussion/Group Exercise/Case Study and Personal Interview. The final
result or the merit lists at the B-schools will be based on candidates’ performance in CAT
2018, selection rounds and overall profile.
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ALL ABOUT CAT
CAT CUTOFF
The cutoff of CAT refers to the minimum marks or percentile a test taker must obtain in
order to qualify for the next round of selection process. The cutoff depends on various fac-
tors such as total number of test takers, difficulty level of the exam, total number of seats,
etc. Candidates who are planning to appear for CAT exam must qualify the sectional as well
as the overall cutoff in order to get shortlisted for the next rounds of the selection process –
WAT-GD/PI.
Important Dates related to CAT 2018 Cutoff

Events Important Dates
CAT 2018 exam November 25, 2018
CAT 2018 Answer Key First week of December 2018
CAT 2018 Result Second week of January 2019
Declaration of Shortlisted candidates Fourth week of January 2019
Final selection rounds at CAT participating B-schools February-March 2019
Determining Factors of CAT Cutoff

The cutoff percentile/marks of CAT 2018 depend on various factors. Some of the factors
determining CAT 2018 cutoff are mentioned below:
●● Difficulty level of exam

●● Number of test takers
●● Number of candidates qualifying for the next rounds
●● Number of seats
●● Institute repute or ranking
Usually, the CAT cutoff for old IIMs and top B-schools such as FMS (University of Delhi),
MDI Gurgaon, SPJIMR Mumbai, etc. goes over 99 percentile. New IIMs including IIM
Sambalpur, IIM Ranchi, etc. and other top B-schools have cutoff 90 percentile and above.
On the other hand, the cutoff for B-schools belonging to tier two to four range from 80 to
50 percentile.
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Previous Year CAT Cutoff for IIMs

Let’s have a look at the CAT cutoff for various B-schools and IIMs.
IIM Ahmedabad CAT Cutoff 2017

Category VARC DI & LR QA Overall
General 70 70 70 80
NC-OBC cum Transgender 65 65 65 75
SC 60 60 60 70
ST 50 50 50 60
PWD 60 60 60 70
IIM Bangalore CAT cutoff 2017

General 85 80 80 90
NC-OBC 75 70 70 80
SC 70 65 65 75
ST 60 60 60 75
DA 60 60 60 75
IIM Calcutta CAT Cutoff 2017

General ≥80 ≥80 ≥80 ≥90
SC ≥65 ≥65 ≥65 ≥70
ST ≥60 ≥60 ≥60 ≥70
NC-OBC ≥75 ≥75 ≥75 ≥85
PWD ≥60 ≥60 ≥60 ≥70
IIM Lucknow CAT Cutoff 2017

PGP PGP-ABM PGP-SM
Cat-
egory DI & Over- DI & Over- DI & Over-
VARC QA VARC QA VARC QA
LR all LR all LR all
General 85 85 85 90 80 80 80 85 80 80 80 85
SC 55 55 55 70 55 55 55 65 55 55 55 65
ST 50 50 50 65 50 50 50 60 50 50 50 60
OBC-NC 77 77 77 82 72 72 72 77 72 72 72 77
PWD 50 50 50 65 50 50 50 60 50 50 50 60
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IIM Kozhikode CAT Cutoff 2017

General 80 80 80 90
SC 50 50 50 65
ST 40 40 40 55
NC-OBC 70 70 70 80
PWD 40 40 40 55
IIM Indore CAT Cutoff 2017

QA Percentile DI & LR Per- VARC Percen-
Category Overall
Rank centile Rank tile Rank
General 80 80 80 90
OBC (NC) 70 70 70 80
SC 55 55 55 60
ST 45 45 45 50
PWD 45 45 45 50
IIM Visakhapatnam CAT Cutoff 2017

Section 1 Section 2 (DI &
Category Section 3 (QA) Aggregate
(VARC) LR)
General 85 80 80 90
NC-OBC 75 70 70 80
SC 60 60 60 75
ST 50 50 50 55
DA 50 50 50 55
IIM Ranchi CAT Cutoff 2017

Section 1 Section 2 (DI
Category Section 3 (QA) Aggregate
(VARC) & LR)
General 80 80 80 90
NC-OBC 60 60 60 78
SC 50 50 50 60
ST 30 30 30 40
DA 30 30 30 40
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IIM Bodh Gaya CAT Cutoff 2017

Section – 1 Section – 2
Category Section – 3 QA Overall
VARC DI & LR
OPEN >80 >80 >80 >90
NC-OBC >55 >55 >55 >75
SC >50 >50 >50 >55
ST >30 >30 >30 >35
DA >50 >50 >50 >65
IIM Nagpur CAT Cutoff 2017

DILR VARC QA
Category Aggregate
Percentile Percentile Percentile
General 72 72 72 90
NC-OBC 65 65 65 81
SC 50 50 50 65
ST 40 40 40 40
DAP 50 50 50 65
IIM Sambalpur CAT Cutoff 2017

DILR VARC QA
Category Aggregate
Percentile Percentile Percentile
General 80 80 80 90
NC-OBC 60 60 60 78
SC 50 50 50 60
ST 30 30 30 40
DAP 30 30 30 40
IIM Kashipur CAT Cutoff 2017

Category DILR VARC QA Aggregate
General 80 80 80 90
NC-OBC 60 60 60 78
SC 50 50 50 60
ST 30 30 30 40
DAP 30 30 30 40
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IIM Raipur CAT Cutoff 2017

Category DILR VARC QA Aggregate
General 80 80 80 90
NC-OBC 72 72 72 81
SC 60 60 60 75
ST 50 50 50 65
DAP 50 50 50 65
CAT Cutoff for IIM Shillong

General 75 75 75 75
SC 60 60 60 60
ST 50 50 50 50
NC-OBC 75 75 75 75
PWD 50 50 50 50
CAT Cutoff for IIM Rohtak

General 80 80 80 85
SC 45 45 45 60
ST 40 40 40 60
NC-OBC 70 70 70 75
PWD 50 50 50 60
CAT Cutoff for IIM Trichy

General 80 80 80 90
SC 60 60 60 75
ST 50 50 50 75
NC-OBC 72 72 72 81
PWD 50 50 50 65
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ALL ABOUT CAT
CAT Cutoff for IIM Udaipur

General 80 80 80 90
SC 60 60 60 75
ST 50 50 50 65
NC-OBC 72 72 72 81
PWD 50 50 50 65
CAT Cutoff for IIM Kashipur

General 80 80 80 90
SC 60 60 60 75
ST 50 50 50 65
NC-OBC 72 72 72 81
PWD 50 50 50 65
CAT Cutoff for IIM Sirmaur

General 75 75 75 80
SC 50 50 50 70
ST 45 45 45 65
NC-OBC 68 68 68 72
PWD 50 50 50 70
CAT Cutoff for IIM Jammu

General 75 75 75 80
SC 50 50 50 65
ST 45 45 45 60
NC-OBC 68 68 68 72
PWD 50 50 50 70
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ALL ABOUT CAT
CAT Cutoff for IIM Amritsar

General 70 70 70 90
SC 50 50 50 55
ST 30 30 30 35
NC-OBC 55 55 55 70
PWD 30 30 30 35
Now let us take a look at the expected CAT cutoff of non-IIM CAT participating institutes.
CAT Cutoff for Various Colleges

B-School CAT Cutoff (expected)
Faculty of Management Studies, University of Delhi (FMS, DU) 98.20 Percentile
DMS, IIT Delhi 98+ Percentile
SJMSOM, IIT Bombay 99+ Percentile
Department of Management Studies, IIT Madras 95+ Percentile
Management Development Institute (MDI) Gurgaon 95+ Percentile
SP Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR) Mum- 85+ Percentile

bai
Xavier Institute of Management Bhubaneswar (XIMB) 90+ Percentile
Institute of Management Technology (IMT) Ghaziabad 90+ Percentile
National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE) Mumbai 95+ Percentile
T A Pai Management Institute (TAPMI) Manipal 85+ Percentile
Loyola Institute of Business Administration (LIBA) Chennai 90+ Percentile
As the CAT cutoff depends largely on the difficulty level of the exam, it’s important to know
that the exam last year was moderately tough on the difficulty scale.
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ALL ABOUT CAT
CAT SELECTION PROCEDURE

The selection procedure of CAT 2018 will start after the announcement of result in the
second week of January 2019. It is likely to be a two-step process followed by IIMs and 100
other CAT participating institutes. In the first step, candidates will appear for the exam that
is scheduled to be conducted on November 25, 2018, Sunday, by IIM Calcutta in online
mode. Based on the performance in the exam, candidates will be shortlisted for the CAT
selection procedure 2018. In the second step, shortlisted candidates will be called for Writ-
ing Ability Test (WAT), Group Discussion (GD) and Personal Interview (PI). The partici-
pating institutes and IIMs will give some weightage to each factor as per their admission
process before selecting the students for final admissions.
How CAT Participating Institutes shortlist candidates

Each participating institute has its own CAT cutoff. Whoever meets the criterion of a par-
ticular institute will be shortlisted for the selection rounds.
●● MBA aspirants will have to apply separately to the institutes accepting CAT scores within the
deadline.
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ALL ABOUT CAT
●● The admission committee of the institutes assesses the candidates’ eligibility based on their CAT
2018 percentile, past academic records, work experience, etc.
●● Qualifying candidates are shortlisted for the next round of CAT selection procedure 2018 – GD,
PI and WAT.
Now, we bring to you the CAT selection procedure of B-schools.
CAT 2018 Selection Procedure at Non-IIM B-schools –

Important points
●● The non-IIM B-schools conduct separate selection procedure and there is no system for the com-
mon process.
●● The selection procedure includes either Group Discussion (GD) or Writing Ability Test (WAT)
and Personal Interview.
●● There are some institutes such as IMT Ghaziabad and MICA which conduct Group Activity or
Group Exercise instead of Group Discussion.
●● Some participating institutes conduct both Group Discussion or Group Activity as well as essay
writing/writing ability test along with Personal Interview rounds.
CAT Selection Procedure 2018 at IIMs

●● The admission criteria of IIMs get released in advance, right after CAT is announced. The exam
notification is expected to be announced in the month of July 2018.
●● According to the IIM admission criteria, candidates are shortlisted on the basis of their CAT score/
percentile. Each IIM has different CAT cutoff for the shortlisting.
●● The shortlisted candidates appear for the selection procedure including WAT and PI rounds.
●● The final selection is based on the overall performance in the exam, profile, past academic perfor-
mance etc.
●● The old IIMs such as IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Calcutta, IIM Bangalore, etc. conduct their CAT selec-
tion procedure 2018 separately.
●● The new IIMs conduct Common Admission Process (CAP) rounds. In the CAP rounds, partici-
pating IIMs announce individual shortlists and the candidates appear for a common WAT and PI
rounds where representatives from all IIMs assess their performances. After the process, the IIMs
declare separate institute-wise merit lists based on their individual admission and selection criteria.
●● The newly established IIMs such as IIM Sirmaur, IIM Jammu and IIM Nagpur will release their
merit list on the basis of CAT score/percentile and candidate’s profile and do not conduct GD/
WAT-PI rounds for the final selection.
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ALL ABOUT CAT
‘CAT PREPARATION STRATEGY:

IDENTIFY STRONG AND WEAK
AREAS BY GIVING
FULL-LENGTH MOCKS EARLY
ON, SAYS MANEK DARUVALA,
T.I.M.E. DIRECTOR’
One of the most challenging management entrance test - CAT, is a few months away. Every
year over two lakh aspirant gear up to take the most awaited exam of the year with a hope
of clearing the entrance exam with exceptional scores. According to the official notification
released by IIM Calcutta, the exam pattern for CAT will remain the same.
Manek Daruvala, Director and Founder of T.I.M.E in an interview with Careers360 shares
his insights on CAT preparation strategy for each section and the importance of mock tests.
He also shares key points on time management for each section of CAT. To guide prospective
candidates, Careers360 brings you an expert interview of Manek Daruvala.
Careers360: Is enrolling in a coaching institute a good idea for aspirants who have not started
their preparation with just four months or less to go?
Manek Daruvala: For those who believe in themselves that they can put in serious preparation
between now and the CAT, the time available is certainly adequate. However, they need to recog-
nise that a lot of time and hard work needs to be put if they want to realise their dreams. Identifying
strengths and weaknesses by taking a couple of full-length mocks early on and focusing on improving
on the weak areas would be useful for this group of students.
Careers360: For the ones who have already started preparing on their own without coaching
classes, please recommend a strategy for the next four months.
Manek Daruvala: In general, I would strongly recommend that students enrol in a classroom
programme to ensure that they get a first-hand feel for the competition they are going to face. By join-
ing such a course, they would also understand quicker and faster application of concepts to problems,
test-taking strategies etc., which are very important for success in the CAT.
However, there would be some students who, for whatever reasons, can not/do not enrol in a classroom
program. Such students should ensure that they enrol into a mock test series and take mocks regularly
and analyse them. Inputs from the analysis should be used as pointers for the preparation ahead.
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ALL ABOUT CAT
Careers360: What are the must prepare topics in each section which should not be avoided
at any cost? Please share some preparation tips on those topics.
Manek Daruvala: While there are some areas from which questions do come frequently and some
from which questions are relatively less frequent, given CAT's unpredictability, students should not
avoid any topics and prepare on all of them with equal rigour.
Careers360: Please mention some top books and study materials to be referred by CAT
aspirants.
Manek Daruvala: While the material issued by institutes like T.I.M.E. is self-sufficient in itself,
some of the books that students can refer to are – How to improve your Reading Speed, and, Word
Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis, Puzzles to Puzzle you by Shakuntala Devi etc.
Careers360: How should final year graduation students vis a vis working professionals bal-
ance their daily routine with CAT preparation?
Manek Daruvala: The big advantage that students who are studying have, over those who are work-
ing is that they have a more-or-less fixed academic calendar. This allows them to have a clear idea of
the time available to them for CAT preparation. For those who are working, the work pressure/load at
the office can, at times, play havoc with their CAT prep plans.
Allotting a fixed duration in a day for CAT preparation is strongly advisable for both the groups. Con-
sistently sticking to this prep-window is very important to keep the preparation going at a healthy rate.
Working students, in particular should ensure that in spite of losing out on the prep-window on some
days due to work pressure, they adhere to the window on the remaining days and see if they can extend
it whenever possible to compensate for the losses that may have occurred earlier.
Careers360: When is the ideal time to start taking mock tests? Also, mention the frequency
in which mocks should be taken.
Manek Daruvala: Students should start with their full-length mocks around six to seven months to
CAT. For those starting their preparation having less than this amount of time on hand, it is advisable
that they start-off their preparation by taking a full-length mock. This will help them get better insights
into their strengths and weaknesses so that they can put-in focused preparation which will help them
to utilise the time they have effectively. It is advisable to take one or two AIMCATs a week.
Careers360: How can one analyse their performance in mock tests? Please share some tips
for analysis and the way forward.
Manek Daruvala: Students should spend about two hours analysing each section of the paper.
This will undoubtedly help them extract the most out of the learnings that mocks have to offer them. It
is an essential part of the preparation for CAT and students should not make the mistake of failing to
analyse their performance in mock tests.
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ALL ABOUT CAT
Things to do for analysis are as below.

Step-1: Attempt all those questions in that section that you left unattempted during the AIMCAT.
Step-2: Try solving questions that may still be left over. Only after giving all the questions a good try,
check the answer key to find out which questions you could answer correctly and re-attempt all those
questions that you answered wrongly. You would be able to learn a great deal from this step since you
would actually be pushing yourself to think harder and find out where you have made mistakes. Do not
look at the solutions until you are finished with this step.
Step-3: Refer to the solutions and compare your approach with that given in the solutions. You should
keenly observe and learn anything new that you may find in the solutions. At the end of this stage of your
analysis, you should try to categorise the questions into levels of difficulty based on the understanding
required and the amount of time that you would take to solve each of them in an exam situation.
Step-4: Analyse the paper; Section-wise, Area-wise, Difficulty Level-wise.
Careers360: How should CAT aspirants balance their preparation with other entrance tests
like XAT, IIFT, NMAT by GMAC, SNAP and CMAT?
Manek Daruvala: Most of the exam preparation for these tests gets covered through CAT prepara-
tion. There are some additional items like General Awareness (GA), Decision Making, some reasoning
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ALL ABOUT CAT
based topics like non-verbal reasoning etc., that students need to focus on for specific tests. GA is
needed for personal interviews/GD/WAT also and is hence not a test specific activity. Getting better
on GK is a long drawn process and it is recommended that students spend time on this right from the
early days of their preparation.
For the other areas like Decision Making, Reasoning based topics etc., focusing on those after CAT
would suffice as the exams testing students on these areas (XAT, SNAP etc) happen well after CAT.
Careers360: What can one expect from CAT 2018 in term of exam pattern and difficulty
level?
Manek Daruvala: As CAT is known to spring surprises, one can use past trends only to under-
stand the changes that the exam has been going through. One cannot predict anything about the pat-
tern/difficulty-level as any such predictions can be rendered ineffective by the sudden turns that CAT
may take. The CAT exam pattern has been stable for the last three CATs with no changes while the
difficulty level in QA & VARC has been consistently on the moderate side. LRDI has been the tough
section for the students in these CATs.
Careers360: What should be the exam day strategy in terms of time management, maintain-
ing accuracy and fulfilling sectional cut-offs?
Manek Daruvala: Cut-offs are a function of the difficulty level of the section and the paper. Hence
you should always be on the lookout to maximise the score in the given conditions of difficulty levels.
If the sections are individually timed, as they are in CAT, you will have a fixed time to negotiate the
section and hence the task on hand is clear. Sectional cut-offs need not be worried about as the time
for each section is fixed.
For exams that have all the sections available throughout the test, the number of attempts
per section should be decided during the test, based on the difficulty level of the sections.
Targeting a certain number of questions to clear the cut-offs even before looking at the
paper should not be done as this may not let you perform at the optimal level.
Also keep in mind that sectional cut-offs play a key role only for the schools in the top
30-40. Below this, schools focus only on the over-all cut-offs and not on sectional cut-offs.
Hence it important that students should focus mainly on maximising the overall score.
Question selection plays a key role in maximising the score while also helping the students
maintain a good accuracy which helps them extract optimum returns out of the time and
efforts put in.
Stay away from blind guessing – CAT and all the other tests have negative marking. The
negative marking is to deter students from attempting an extravagant number of questions
even without solving them. Blind guessing almost always leads to a negative/low score and
is hence to be avoided. However, if you are able to eliminate two/three choices (out of the
four or five) on a proper basis, then, you may consider making an “educated guess”, based
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ALL ABOUT CAT
on what your instinct tells you. Keep in mind that your “instinct” will be able to guide you
only if you have fed it well, i.e., if you have prepared well.
Careers360: Please share detailed preparation strategy for three months, two months and
last month for CAT-takers.
Manek Daruvala: It will help immensely if you have a focused and measurable plan for the coming
3-4 months. For example, in the Verbal Ability area, one could target completing a pre-decided number
of exercises in each of the areas every day. Or, a day each for the different question types on Paragraphs
(Para formation, Para completion and Para summary), followed by three days of intensive grammar
prep covering all the standard models of questions. You may include reading a few novels in your plan.
You can take a call on Vocabulary, based on the level you are at currently. A targeted plan like this will
help you track your progress on a real-time basis.
If you think your performance in any one of the areas is trailing that in other areas then you
could begin with getting the weak area on par with the others areas. It will be important to
devise a plan for each topic/question type within each subject and define targets for the same.
Similarly, if you look at the QA area, you should apportion your time according to Arithmetic,
Numbers, Geometry & Mensuration, Pure maths etc. Do a realistic analysis of your comfort
level with each of these areas. For an area in which you are strong, you could just revise dif-
ficult/very difficult problems. For an area where you tend to skip/get most questions wrong,
you should begin with the basic problems and go all the way to the very difficult problems.
The first couple of months from now on should be dedicated to concept building and elimi-
nating weak areas. The month after that can be focused on improving the understanding and
application levels of the concepts learned earlier by attempting higher level of questions and
taking a good number of mock tests. The last month should be spent on fine-tuning the test
taking strategy by focusing on better question selection, spotting tough questions so that one
can veer away from them.
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ALL ABOUT CAT
CAT: WHEN AND HOW TO START

PREPARATIONS
When it comes to studying for an exam and cracking it successfully, you are the best judge to
answer the question of when to start preparation. It is best to ask yourself how many months
you need to prepare for CAT. According to the experts, three to four months of dedicated
preparations might take you towards your goal of securing a high percentile.
Before sharing the 10 tips on how to prepare for CAT 2018, let us take a look at the exam
pattern of CAT along with the CAT syllabus.
CAT 2018 Exam Pattern

No. of No. of Ques- Total Time allotted
Section
MCQs Non-MCQs tions Marks (minutes)
Verbal Ability &
Reading Compre- 24 10 34 102 60
hension (VARC)
Data Interpreta-
tion & Logical Rea- 24 8 32 96 60
soning (DI & LR)
Quantitative Ability
27 7 34 102 60
(QA)
Total 75 25 100 300 180
Although there is no specific syllabus for CAT, based on previous years' analysis, the major
topics include Number Systems, Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, Mensuration, Higher
Maths (Quantitative Ability); Reading Comprehension, Grammar, Vocabulary, Fill in the
blank (Verbal and Reading Comprehension) and Graphs, Charts, Caselets, Series, Arrange-
ment etc. (Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning).
How to Prepare for CAT 2018 Exam

Here we bring you 10 success tips for How to prepare for CAT 2018.
#Take mock tests in an online environment

You must take computer-based mock CAT so that you are familiar with the actual test envi-
ronment. Taking the mock CAT in a real environment will make you completely prepare
for CAT 2018 and save any wastage of time on understanding the mode of test. You can also
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ALL ABOUT CAT
join CAT test series to take a few mock CAT online. Also, you must re-visit previous year CAT
sample paper and solve it to have an actual feel of the test. Putting yourself in the actual testing
environment will help you to take CAT on the test centre on your D-day. Shikhar Sachdeva,
who had secured 99.98 percentile in CAT 2017 mentions, "The best strategy for an aspirant
would be to take 2 mock series from renowned institutes, 1 booklet series, and then make use
of any one web course."
#Analysis is must
After every CAT mock test, you must analyse your performance and evaluate your scoring
areas based on CAT exam pattern. Shiv Raj, an IIM Calcutta student and 99.94 percentiler in
CAT shares, "Whenever you take a mock test, assess not only the wrong questions but also the
right ones. Sometimes you may score very high, while on other occasions you might get a low
score. Do not get demotivated with a low score and don’t become overly confident when you
score high. The key to success in CAT is perseverance and not hard, but smart work."
Rohan Joshi, CAT 2017 topper with 99.63 percentile says, "During weekends I took full-
length tests and analysed them. In parallel, I kept working on my weaknesses and the areas
which I wasn’t comfortable with."
In order to prepare for CAT 2018, you also must go through the explanation of answers
and see whether you already knew the core concept for solving each question. You should
list down the questions which you could not solve despite having the conceptual clar-
ity on the same. Once you know these areas according to CAT test pattern, you must go
back to the textbook or your CAT preparation material and revise the concepts along
with practising a few questions on the particular areas. This exercise will help you reap
the hard work that you have been putting for CAT preparation for last few months.
Sharing his CAT preparation tips, Kamlesh Sajnani, Managing Director, IMS Learning
Resources in an interview with Careers360, says that more important than taking the mock
CAT test is its analysis. “If you don’t learn from each test before proceeding to the next, there
is no point in taking a large number of them,” he says, adding, “Try out various strategies for
each test such as dividing your time equally in each section or spending more time on the
weaker sections by working quickly in the stronger sections. It is also important to attempt a
variety of tests because you may score well in a test that is more suited to your strengths while
the CAT may carry more questions of the kind you are uncomfortable with. An exposure to
a range of problems and the rationale behind them will ensure that you are better prepared.”
#Focus on strength
In order to know how to prepare for CAT 2018, it is of utmost importance to identify your
strengths and weaknesses. Going by your own evaluation, you must focus on your strong areas
and build on the same. As most of the questions in CAT syllabus are based on the application of
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ALL ABOUT CAT
basic concepts, learning both concepts and application at this stage is not advisable if you are
aiming to crack CAT 2018. Instead, you should put all your efforts towards the areas which
you have nearly been able to control and solve questions on the same. "I had a very strong
basis of the concepts used in Quant and DI & LR, along with a lot of practice in working fast
from my JEE preparation, although that was a long time ago. Even then, my strength was my
judgment of whether a question was worth my time, and that helped,” says Arvind Menon,
who secured 100 percentile in CAT 2017.
#Practice a lot
CAT Experts suggest that you must practice a lot so that you can make an instant connect
with the question during your CAT exam day. Regular practice with a scheduled stretch
will not only help increase your question-solving speed but also make you habituated to sit
for three hours. Chhavi Gupta, one of the two female CAT 2017 toppers who secured 100
percentile mentions, "I rigorously practised the Mock CAT series, selected some random
tests online and sample CAT. To be precise, I solved 35 practice tests and analysing them
critically."
#Set target but be open to the number of attempts

CAT 2018 pattern is expected to be same as last year. Hence candidates should target mini-
mum and maximum number of questions that you will be attempting during CAT 2018. But
experts suggest that you should be open on this number during your actual test in order to
crack CAT 2018. Though around 20 questions in each the sections can take you to around
98 or 99 percentile in CAT, you should not relax despite reaching your target as last few
attempts can bring you much advantageous edge over competitors. Mayank Raj, 100 per-
centiler, CAT 2017 shares that he had attempted all questions from Quantitative Ability as
it was his strength area accurately followed by DI & LR and VARC.
#Time management
With 60 minutes allotted for each section during your CAT test duration, you should first
attempt the questions which you can solve quickly. If you are doubtful on a question at the
first glance, you leave it in the first round and come back to it in sequence after you have
completed the first round of attempts. As you quickly solve a few questions, it will instil
a higher level of confidence to attempt the difficult questions during the second round of
attempts. Sharing his section wise time management strategy regarding how to prepare for
CAT 2018, Madhur Gupta, CAT 2017 100 percentiler says, "In DILR, I focussed on ques-
tion wise approach. Did the easier questions of the set and marked the tough ones of later
consideration. In this was completed five sets and later came back to the tougher questions.
I found this very convenient. Quant and verbal sections were too easy for any strategy. You
either knew the answers or didn't know them."
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#Don’t compromise with accuracy

Time management is one of most important part of the CAT with prioritisation of questions
becoming one of the key areas to success. As you go on attempting questions during your
CAT, make sure that you compromise very little on accuracy. “My basic strategy for the
D-day was to attempt as many questions as possible. Even though there was a slight com-
promise with the strategy but it ended up attempting 90% questions with around 70 percent
accuracy.,” says Nikhil Raj Singh of IIM Shillong PGP 2017-19 batch student.
While speed is important to increase your number of attempts, maintaining a higher level of
accuracy is even more important to convert your attempts into your score. Also, achieving a
higher level of speed without a high level of accuracy results in negative marking also, making
it a double loss proposition with your time spent on the question reducing your overall score
by one mark. CAT has negative marking pattern with three marks awarded for every right
answer and one mark reduced for every wrong answer.
#Reverse action
In case you find questions a little difficult during the second round of your attempt, you must
go reverse while solving the questions and scan the answer options first. Sometimes, answer
options hold crucial clues towards solving the questions. You can also go by eliminating
wrong options first, which reduces the number of answer options making it a little easier to
find the right answer. Sai Praneeth Reddy, another 100 percentiler mentions, "I started with
DILR but I found that first few questions were really tough and time-taking. So, I skipped
first four questions. Gradually, I realised that skipping questions won’t lead me anywhere.
Then I started from the last question followed by whatever I could answer first."
#Relax well before your D-day

You should prepare well before your date with CAT. Spend a day before the test in a stress-
free environment. You should meet your friends and relax the way you like. After your hectic
preparations for CAT in last few months, take a day-long break to reorganise your thoughts
and D-day strategy. Forget about your weaknesses and have confidence in what you know
as Sourav Santikari, SPJIMR Mumbai student and CAT 99.39 percentiler says, “Just keep
calm. Try to take as many mock tests as possible so as to build your strategy for the exam day.
Before the exam day, it is extremely important to keep your cool and rest properly.”
#Be focused and keep calm during CAT

Once you enter the test centre keep yourself focused on the test and maintain calm. Pranit
Arora, who secured 100 percentile in CAT 2015 says, “It is important to stay relaxed and not
get nervous for the test. Stress leads to failure which must be avoided. So do not overthink,
stay calm and confident.”
Now that you know how to prepare for CAT 2018, you must also remember that CAT only
measures your intellect and the kind of effort that you have put. As you have already made the
best efforts, now you need not worry about CAT results and CAT selections. Focus on max-
imising the number of attempts with high accuracy. Leave the rest on to your honest effort.
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CAT- MUST READ BOOKS FOR

PREPARATION
To prepare for an exam, books are the best source as they enhance knowledge and provide
insights about a topic. Preparing for a highly competitive exam like CAT, aspirants often face
the problem of plenty. There is no dearth of books and resources, but to choose the right one,
and preparing strategically along with adequate practice is the key to success. To help aspir-
ants crack CAT 2018, here are the best books for CAT preparation.
Not only us, or the experts, even CAT toppers suggest preparing from the available books.
Arvind Menon, CAT 2017 topper with 100 percentile, referred to Quantitative Aptitude by
Arun Sharma and CAT preparation books by Nishit Sinha.
Best books for CAT 2018 preparation

When it comes to best books for CAT preparation, there are some highly recommended
authored material for beginner and advanced level preparations. Let us have a look at the
some of the books cum study material available for different sections of CAT. These will
support you to have CAT section wise preparation in the best possible way.
Best Books for CAT Quantitative Ability (QA):

This section tests the problem-solving approach of the aspirants. With high difficulty level,
QA covers topics like Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, Number System, Modern Mathemat-
ics and other questions related to Higher Maths. The best books to prepare for this section
of CAT are:
●● Arun Sharma’s ‘How to prepare for Quantitative Ability for CAT’, published by Tata McGraw Hill-
This book is most recommended for CAT aspirants to prepare for QA section. The book follows
the latest pattern of CAT with a focus on one of the most important components of the CAT exam
is Quantitative Aptitude.Each chapter has questions at the end that have been split up into three
sections, based on the level of difficulty. Mock papers are also available in this book.
●● Arun Sharma’s The Complete CAT Digest, by Tata McGraw-Hill, is a must-have for any CAT aspir-
ant. It covers the basics of CAT entrance examination with the QA examination as for its main focus.
●● How to Prepare for the CAT Common Admissions Test by Muhamed Muneer, published by Om
Books, is another book that is simple and easy to understand, and has mock tests and solved CAT
papers from previous years.
●● Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations by Abhijit Guha (Tata McGraw-Hill) has a
comprehensive step-by-step problem-solving guide.
●● Quantitative Aptitude for CAT and Other MBA Entrance Exams by Trishna Knowledge Systems
(Pearson) has many practice exercises in increasing difficulty for a gradual transition.
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ALL ABOUT CAT
Best Books for CAT Verbal and Reading Comprehension (VARC):

This section basically tests the English language skills of the test takers. The question types
are divided into two parts, Reading Comprehension and English Usage. The English Usage
questions can be further classified into Vocabulary, Grammar and Verbal Reasoning. The
best books to prepare for this section are:
●● How to Prepare for the Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for the CAT by Arun Sharma
and Meenakshi Upadhyay (Tata McGraw-Hill) is a workbook with practice questions and tips based
on previous CAT papers.
●● Nishit Sinha’s The Pearson Guide to Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning (Pearson) covers a wide
range of topics explained in an easy-to-understand manner.
●● Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis.
●● Barron’s Pocket Guide to Vocabulary.
Best Books for CAT Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DI & LR):
The questions from this area are mainly in the form of caselets. The test takers have to ana-
lyse the data given in various ways and answer the questions. The topics covered in this area
are Data Arrangement, Seating Arrangement, Blood Relations, Bar Graph, Data Sufficiency
etc. The books to refer include:
●● How to Prepare for Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning for CAT (Tata McGraw-Hill) by Arun
Sharma covers all the fundamental concepts of Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning.
●● Trishna's Verbal Ability And Logical Reasoning For The CAT And Other MBA Examinations by
T.I.M.E. Publisher: Pearson
60
ALL ABOUT CAT
CAT 2017 TOPPER INTERVIEW:

PRACTICE WELL AND DON'T
LOSE YOUR CALM, SAYS 100
PERCENTILER CHHAVI GUPTA
Chhavi Gupta is one of the two women CAT 2017 toppers
securing 100 percentile. An alumnus of IIT Delhi’s five
year dual B. Tech and M. Tech degree in Biotechnology,
she is currently working at Opera Solutions as a Busi-
ness Analyst. She could prepare for CAT only during the
weekends due to her office schedule. Despite the time crunch, planning her study schedule,
concentrating on the logical applications of formulae, basic concepts and practicing about
35 mock tests helped her crack the most competitive MBA entrance test for IIMs and over
100 B-schools across India.
Chhavi Gupta, an avid reader; one out of the two female candidates who bagged 100 per-
centile, shares her CAT 2017 exam experience in details with Careers360 in this interview.
Careers360: Heartiest Congratulations on scoring a perfect 100 percentile in CAT 2017.

Please tell us something about yourself.
Chhavi- Thank you so much. I hail from Jaipur, Rajasthan. However as my Dad is a Govt. employee,
we kept relocating to different places. I completed my schooling in Delhi and acquired various schol-
arships since my school days. My mother, a part-time Pharmacist was very particular about my stud-
ies since my formative years. I am the eldest of 3 siblings; my younger sister is pursuing MBBS from
Maulana Azad Medical College and my younger brother is studying in 6th standard. After completing
my dual degree from IIT Delhi in Biotechnology, I got placed at Opera Solutions as a Business Analyst.
Careers360: What were your overall and sectional percentiles?

Chhavi- My overall percentile in CAT 2017 was 100. Here are the sectional percentiles:
CAT sectional percentile

Section Name Percentile
Verbal Ability/Reading Comprehension (VARC) 99.94
Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) 100
Quantitative Ability (QA) 99.98
Total 100
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ALL ABOUT CAT
Careers360: How was your exam day experience? What, according to you, were the toughest
and easiest sections?
Chhavi- I was pretty confident on the exam day, as my mocks had gone very well few months before
the CAT day. I kept my calm throughout the exam hours. For all the sections, I picked up the sets which
I was confident about to avoid negative marking.
There were no sections which, according to me, were tough or easy. I had encountered
similar questions in my mock and sample CAT tests. Mostly all the question patterns were
known to me.
DILR and Reading comprehensions were quite tough, so I chose the ones which could be
easily comprehended by me. Took five to seven minutes in selecting what to do and what
not to do.
Careers360: How did you prepare for CAT 2017? What are the factors behind your success?
Chhavi- As I had limited time, had to plan accordingly. I took up coaching sessions with T.I.M.E,
but did not have enough time to read through the modules. So, I rigorously practised the Mock CAT
series(AIMCAT) prepared by them, selected some random tests online and sample CAT. To be
precise, solving 35 practice tests and analysing them critically called for the cent percent percentile.
Sound knowledge of the basic concepts, controlling distractions, working through practice tests and
critical self-analysis were the factors which led to my success.
Careers360: What was your time management strategy?

Chhavi- Selection of the questions was the first thing I indulged in and devoted five to seven min-
utes for doing the same. I had answered 24 questions in RC and spent 42-45 minutes as my accuracy
level was very high. In general, the accuracy in VA questions was low, so for rest of the VA questions
(Jumbled sentences and Fill in the Blanks), I spent nearly 15-20 minutes.
For DILR- I gave five to seven minutes to plan and select the order of the sets. As I could not
comprehend the first two sets, just skipped and solved rest of the sets.
Finally, for the QA section, I gave 30 minutes each to the two sets of 17 questions.
I religiously followed my preparation pattern and did not change my strategy on the test day.
It is important to let go of a question if it is costing more time.
Careers360: Did you take coaching? How helpful was it? Is it possible to succeed through
self-study?
Chhavi- Yes, I took a student programme with T.I.M.E and the centre had a pool of good faculty
members. Due to the time constraint, I could not refer to CAT modules; depended primarily on the
lectures and the mock tests. (AIMCAT series).
Certainly yes. If one is focused, has his/her basic concepts clear, solve a substantial number of prac-
tice tests, he/she does not have to enroll in coaching classes.
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ALL ABOUT CAT
Careers360: For the first time ever, IIMs released CAT question paper and answer key. Did you
find any wrong question/answer? Did you file an objection?
Chhavi- Yes. I wasn’t sure of an answer provided in the answer key, so clarified the same with one of
the professors and he explained me the answer. So, I do not have any further objection.
Careers360:Which B-School are you planning to join and why? What are your career plans
after MBA?
Chhavi-I am looking forward to one of the top three IIMs (IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore and IIM
Calcutta). All the three have great campuses and faculties. I would also get an opportunity to interact
with bright peers and exposure to new aspects of management studies.
Do not have a dream career per se but as I am working as a Business Analyst, would like to be in the
Consulting domain.
Careers360: Who has been your idol?

Chhavi- The one name that crops in my mind is my mother. As I already mentioned earlier, she used
to be very serious about my academics. I would not have been able to score 100 percentile if she had not
pushed me with her guiding spirit. I look up to my father as well; admire his diligence and dedication
towards work.
Careers360: What are your spare time activities? How did you relax amidst CAT preparation?
Chhavi- Reading books (History, Drama and Non-fiction), singing and spending time with family,
especially younger brother.
I used to study for three hours at a stretch and then take a break to go out for cycling or watch television.
It helped me getting rejuvenated physically as well as mentally.
Careers360: Any suggestion that you would like to share with aspirants?
Chhavi- To score well, you need to focus on time practice how to let go off a question, if you cannot
solve it within 5-7 minutes. Also, keep your calm and follow your preparation pattern; do not change your
exam strategy on the test day. My best wishes for all the future aspirants.
63
ALL ABOUT CAT
KNOW CAT EVOLUTION OVER THE YEARS

As the prestigious national-level MBA entrance exam is famous for bringing changes over
the years, CAT 2018 announcement was also expected to unveil surprises. However, there
has been no change in CAT 2018 exam pattern as compared to last two years. The number
of exam cities and application fee has increased. Over the past years, it has been observed
that the CAT conducting body throws surprises either in terms of pattern, schedule or other
exam features.
CAT Test Pattern Changes over the years

CAT underwent major changes in the past few years. In the year 2015, CAT was announced
with an introduction of on-screen calculator and non-MCQs. The test paper was also divided
into three time bound sections instead of two sections as in the previous year. The duration
of the test was also increased to 180 minutes from an earlier duration of 170 minutes. Some
of the experts suggested that the changes in CAT exam pattern were not new as prior to CAT
2011 the exam followed a three-section structure along with a sectional time limit. The sec-
tional time bound of one hour was welcomed not only by the candidates but by the experts as
well. VistaMind Education CEO, Arks Srinivas said, “The pattern is a continuation of what
the IIMs have always believed in. All the CAT exams between 1999 and 2010 actually have
been three section exams and the split among areas is exactly the same.”
The following table brings to you the test structure of CAT over the past 6 years.
CAT pattern changes over the years
Year Number of Sections Marking Duration Conduct- Other

Question Scheme ing body Element
2018 100 (32 in 1 Quantitative +3, -1, no 180 minutes IIM Calcutta -
section and Ability (QA), negative
34 in other 2 Verbal and marking for
sections) Reading Non-MCQs
Comprehen-
sion (VRC)
and Data
Interpre-
tation &
Logical Rea-
soning (DI &
LR).
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ALL ABOUT CAT

2017 100 (32 in 1 Quantitative +3, -1, no 180 minutes IIM Lucknow -
section and Ability (QA), negative
Comprehen-
sion (VRC)
and Data
Interpre-
tation &
Logical Rea-
soning (DI &
LR).
2016 100 (32 in 1 Quantitative +3, -1, no 180 minutes IIM Banga- -
section and Ability (QA), negative lore
Comprehen-
sion (VRC)
and Data
Interpre-
tation &
Logical Rea-
soning (DI &
LR).
2015 100 (32 in Quantita- +3, -1, no 180 minutes IIM Introduc-
one section tive Ability, negative Ahmedabad tion of Cal-
and 34 in Verbal and marking for culator/
other two Reading Non-MCQs Induction
sections) Comprehen- of Non-
sion and MCQ
Data Inter-
pretation
& Logical
Reasoning
2014 100 (50 per Quantitative +3, - 1 17 0 minutes IIM Indore Test was
section) Ability & or 2 hours divided
Data Inter- and 50 min- into two
pretation, utes sections/
Verbal Abil- Introduc-
ity & Logical tion of
Reasoning two-day
(not in test win-
particular dow
order)
65
ALL ABOUT CAT

2013 60 (30 per Quantitative +3, -1 140 minutes IIM Indore Con-
section) Ability & or 2 hours ducted on
Data Inter- 20 minutes last years’
pretation, pattern
Verbal Abil-
ity & Logical
Reasoning
(In first
and second
order)
2012 60 (30 per Quantitative +3, -1 140 minutes IIM -

section) Ability & or 2 hours Kozhikode
Data Inter- 20 minutes
pretation,
Verbal Abil-
ity & Logical
Reasoning
(In first
and second
order)
2011 60 (30 per Quantitative +3, -1 140 minutes IIM Calcutta -

section) Ability & or 2 hours
Data Inter- 20 minutes
pretation,
Verbal Abil-
ity & Logical
Reasoning
(In first
and second
order)
In the year 2014, CAT was conducted by IIM Indore in an absolutely new pattern. There
were two sections with 50 questions each. While in CAT 2013, there were two sections and
each section had 30 questions.
CAT 2011, conducted by IIM Calcutta also underwent a major change in terms of the exam
pattern. Instead of three, the exam had two sections, namely Quantitative Ability & Data
Interpretation and Logical Reasoning & Verbal Ability. While the areas of testing remained
same, the four areas were merged into two. The total number of questions remained 60 with
each section having 30 questions.
66
ALL ABOUT CAT
In the year 2009, from the traditional paper pencil based test, CAT became a computer based
test with a duration of 2 hours and 15 minutes. IIM Ahmedabad conducted the test and it was
Prometric India Pvt. Ltd.’s first year as the online testing partner. Owing to the huge shift
in pattern, the first year of the computer-based CAT experienced massive technical glitches
resulting in a retest. CAT takers also questioned the normalisation process of the test. Also,
as per the Non-Disclosure Agreement, the question topics and the number of questions per
area cannot be disclosed in detail. The overall difficulty level was even easier in the retest
which was conducted in January 2010.
Changes in the CAT Test window over the years

Not only in the terms of exam pattern, CAT has observed changes in terms of its testing
window too. As per the trend, CAT has been conducted in November every year. However,
in 2016, IIM Bangalore conducted on Sunday, December 4, 2016, in two slots. This is for
the first time that CAT was conducted in December since the introduction of the computer-
based exam in 2009.
Preferring the single day window, Gautam Puri, Vice Chairman, Career Launcher said that
the single day testing helps minimise controversies around normalisation processes. He
even expected that CAT 2016 will see a higher number of test centres and a single day and
single slot testing window. Echoing the thoughts, Arks Srinivas had last year said, “I would
be extremely happy if by CAT 2016, they conduct the exam in just one slot. The heartburn
of flawed normalisation techniques would be gone and students can then compete and get
judged on the same platform!”
Since its inception year 2009 till 2013, computer based CAT was conducted in a 20-day win-
dow starting from October to November, in two slots each day. In the year 2014, the conduct-
ing body-IIM Indore announced CAT as a two-day test to be conducted in November. While
the test window was reduced gradually the number of slots continued to two throughout the
years. However, candidates were not given any liberty to select their preferred slots from the
year 2014 onwards. The following table brings to you the year wise testing window of CAT.
CAT Test Taking Window over the years

Year Testing Window Slots
2018 1 Day 2 slots
2017 1 Day 2 slots
2016 1 Day 2 slots
2015 1 Day 2 slots
2014 2 Days 4 slots
2009-2013 20-day window 40 slots
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ALL ABOUT CAT
Also, prior to 2014, applicants the had liberty to choose their test date, slot, and
CAT exam centre while filling their CAT application form. The option was, however,
scrapped from 2014 as applicants could only provide exam city preference and rights
to allotted test schedule and centre remained with CAT authorities.
CAT Registration Trend over the years

Last year, the number of CAT applications was 2.8 lakh which was highest in past seven
years. The actual number of test takers was around 2,30,000.This was the highest
application number for CAT after the year 2009 when IIMs had received about 2.41
lakh applications.
After witnessing the worst-ever application numbers for CAT 2015, IIM Ahmedabad
was forced to extend the application deadline by five days. According to the IIMA offi-
cials, the total number of registrations received till the original registration deadline
was 1, 38,000, compared to the registered 1.90 lakh candidates in the year 2015.
However, the fear of MBA crisis was allayed when the CAT 2015 registrations number
increased to a total of 2.18 lakh, after the second deadline. Out of the total registered
students, 1, 49,408 applicants were male and 69176 were female, and the rest of 80
applicants were Trans Genders. While the total number of applications received was
2,18,664 and the actual number of test takers was 1,79,602.
68

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Reservation Criteria for Admissions to IIMs & other public B-schools:

ST (Scheduled Tribe) 7.50

OBC-NC (Other Backward Class – Non-Creamy Layer) 27

CAT Application Trend for Past 10 Years

2016 2,32,434 1,95,000

2015 2,18,664 1,79,602

2014 1,96,988 1,67,829

2013 1,94,516 1,73,714

2012 2,14,000 1,95,000

2011 2,05,000 1,86,000

2010 2,04,000 1,85,000

2009 2,41,000 2,30,000

2008 2,90,000 2,76,000

2007 2,50,000 2,30,000

CAT Notification Released – Key Features You Must Know

List of IIM Programmes

2 Indian Institute of Management Amritsar PGP

3 Indian Institute of Management Bangalore PGP, PGPEM, PGPPM

4 Indian Institute of Management Bodh Gaya PGP

5 Indian Institute of Management Calcutta PGP-PGDM

6 Indian Institute of Management Indore PGP (Indore, Mumbai), EPGP, PGP-HRM

7 Indian Institute of Management, Jammu PGP

8 Indian Institute of Management Kashipur PGP, EPGP

9 Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode PGP

10 Indian Institute of Management Lucknow PGP, PGP-ABM, PGP-SM

11 Indian Institute of Management Nagpur PGP

12 Indian Institute of Management Raipur PGP, PGPWE

13 Indian Institute of Management Ranchi PGDM, PGDHRM

14 Indian Institute of Management Rohtak PGP, EPGP, EPGPX

15 Indian Institute of Management, Sambalpur PGP

16 Indian Institute of Management, Sirmaur PGP

17 Indian Institute of Management Shillong PGP, PGPEX

18 Indian Institute of Management Trichy PGP, PGPBM

19 Indian Institute of Management Udaipur PGP

20 Indian Institute of Management Visakhapatnam PGP

CAT IMPORTANT DATES

CAT 2018 Important Dates

CAT 2018 application commencement August 8, 2018

CAT 2018 application correction window Fourth week of September 2018

Admit Card October 24, 2018

CAT 2018 Mock Test Release October 17, 2018

CAT 2018 Exam November 25, 2018, Sunday (Two Slots)

CAT 2018 Result First week of January 2019

CAT 2018 Selection Procedure April-June 2019

CAT ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Highlights of CAT Eligibility Criteria

CAT Eligibility – Reservation Criteria

Information for Reserved Category Candidates

CAT APPLICATION PROCEDURE

CAT application process is a three-step process that consists of – registration, submitting

How to fill CAT Application Form

i. Click on the Tab that reads ‘Register Now’

Step 2: Log in to CAT Website

Step 3 – Filling up CAT Application Form

●● Visit the CAT official website

File For- Image Resolu-

●● NC-OBC/SC/ST Certificate: Applicants belonging to reserved categories have to download the

●● Class X/SSC/Equivalent Exam Scores

Exam Centre City

CAT Application Fee Payment

Category Application Fee

●● NC-OBC/SC/ST Certificate: Applicants belonging to reserved categories have to download the