CAT 2023 Exam: Eligibility | Dates | Fees | Exam Pattern | FAQs
CAT 2023 Exam: The Common Admission Test, abbreviated as CAT, is a higher-level entrance exam for graduates looking to get admission to higher-level management programmes in the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), Faculty of Management Studies (FMS) and other top B-schools in India. This test scores the candidates on the basis of Quantitative Ability (QA), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC). The CAT exam is conducted by the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) every year based on a policy of rotation.
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CAT 2023 Exam: Eligibility
To appear for the CAT Exam 2023, candidates must fulfill the eligibility criteria of the same. It is written as follows:-
- Candidates must be bachelor’s degree holders from any recognized university or college OR candidates must be in the final year of such bachelor courses.
- General candidates must have a minimum 50% score, whereas SC/ST/PWD candidates must have a minimum 45% score.
TENTATIVE DATES
| CAT Exam Details | CAT Exam Dates |
| CAT Notification release date | July, 2023 |
| Online Registration Starts | August, 2023 |
| Online Registration ends | September 2023 |
| Release of Admit Card | October 2023 |
| Exam Date | Last week of November 2023 |
| Release of Answer Key | December 2023 |
| Announcement of the Result | December 2023 |
EXAM PATTERN
The CAT 2023 Exam is an online, i.e., Computer-based-test (CBT) in the English language with 3 sections, namely VARC, DILR, and QA. For each section, candidates get 60 minutes each, hence, the exam is of 180 minutes (3 hours) in total.
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The number of questions in each section (and the number of MCQs and Non-MCQs) is as follows:-
| Section | Number of Questions |
| Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) | 34 (MCQs: 24, Non-MCQs: 10) |
| Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) | 32 (MCQs: 24, Non-MCQs: 8) |
| Quantitative Ability (QA) | 34 (MCQs: 27, Non-MCQs: 7) |
In CAT Exam, each question weighs 3 marks. MCQs have a negative marking (of 33%), whereas Non-MCQs doesn’t.
FEE STRUCTURE
The fee for CAT 2023 Exam varies on the basis of the category of the candidates. The following table shows the registration fee for CAT Exam for different categories:
| CATEGORY | CAT 2023 Exam Fees |
| General/OBC | Rs.1900 |
| PWD/SC/ST/EWS | Rs.950 |
CAT 2023 Exam: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Can a candidate apply to the CAT Exam in offline mode?
No, for CAT Exam, candidates need to apply online only on the online portal of IIM-CAT.
- What will be the weightage of the CAT 2023 exam for admission in various B-schools in India?
In most of the B-schools in India, CAT has a 25% weightage.
- How many candidates give the CAT exam and what is the average ratio of selection?
In 2018, almost 2.5 lakh candidates registered for the CAT Exam, and the selection ratio was about 60:1.
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- How can candidates download the Admit Card for the CAT Exam?
The candidates can download the Admit Card for the CAT 2023 Exam from the same portal where they registered.
- I made a minor mistake in the application form for CAT Exam, when will the Correction portal open so I can rectify the mistake?
You can’t make any changes to the application form once submitted. Moreover, no correction window opens for the CAT Exam.
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