New Delhi, August 22, 2023 – CAT 2023 – The registration for the Common Admission Test (CAT) 2023 is underway. The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Lucknow has already begun the registration process on August 2, 2023.
Eligible candidates who want to take the exam can register themselves on the official website on or before September 13, 2023. The examination is scheduled to take place on November 26, 2023.
This article covers crucial information about the examination, important dates, admission procedure, eligibility requirements, and more.
CAT 2023 – General Overview
The CAT is a management aptitude test conducted by the Indian Institutes of Management (IIM).
It serves as the entrance test for securing admission into MBA programs offered across 20 IIM campuses and more than 1,200 other esteemed business schools in India.
Around 2.50 lakh candidates are expected to take part in the CAT examination 2023.
| Name of Exam | CAT 2023 |
| Exam Conducting Body | IIM Lucknow |
| Application Mode | Online |
| Notification Date | July 30, 2023 |
| Start Date of Registration | August 2, 2023 |
| Last Date of Registration | September 13, 2023 |
| Form Correction Date | To be announced |
| Date of Release of Admit Card | October 25, 2023 |
| Direct Link Activation Date for Mock Test | To be announced |
| Exam Date | November 26, 2023 |
| Answer Key Release Date | To be announced |
| Deadline for Raising Objections on Answer Key | To be announced |
| Date of Result Announcement | First week of January |
| Official Website | iimcat.ac.in |
CAT 2023 – Eligibility Criteria
Candidates applying for CAT 2023 are required to fulfil one of the following criteria:
- Should have completed Bachelor’s degree with the prescribed percentage of marks*.
- Should have completed professional degree (such as CA/CS/ICWA/Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries of India (FIAI)) with the requisite percentage*.
- Should be in the final year of a Bachelor’s degree program with the required percentage*.
*For SC/ST/PwD candidates, a minimum of 45% is required, while for General, EWS, and NC-OBC candidates, a minimum of 50% is necessary.
CAT 2023 – Reservation
| Category | Reserved Seats (%) |
| Scheduled Caste (SC) | 15 |
| Scheduled Tribe (ST) | 7.5 |
| NC-OBC | 27 |
| Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) | 10 |
| Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwD) | 5 |
‘Person with Benchmark Disability’ refers to an individual with a specified disability that amounts to no less than 40%.
The disability categories are outlined as below:
- Blindness and low vision
- Deaf and hard of hearing
- Locomotor disabilities, which include cerebral palsy, cured leprosy, dwarfism, acid attack victims, and muscular dystrophy
- Autism, specific learning disability, intellectual disability, and mental illness
- Multiple disabilities among individuals falling under above-mentioned clauses
- Other disabilities specified in the Schedule of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act 2016
CAT 2023 – Registration Fees
- ₹1200 for candidates falling under the SC, ST, and PwD categories.
- ₹2400 for candidates from all other categories.
Note: A candidate is required to pay the registration fee only once, regardless of the number of institutes they are applying to.
CAT 2023 – Test Centres
- CAT 2023 will be held at test centres located in around 155 cities.
- Candidates will have the opportunity to choose 6 cities in their order of preference.
CAT 2023 – Exam Pattern
- The CAT exam is conducted in English and comprises three sections: Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Aptitude (QA).
- Candidates taking the CAT exam are required to answer both multiple-choice (MCQ) and non-multiple-choice (Non-MCQ) questions within the stipulated time frame.
- Negative marking is applicable. 1 mark shall be deducted for each incorrect response. Each correct response shall be awarded 3 marks.
- No negative marking applies to Non-MCQ questions.
- The CAT exam pattern features a total duration of 120 minutes (two hours) with a sectional time limit of 40 minutes assigned for each section.
- PwD candidates receive an additional 13.20 minutes.
The allocation of questions among the three sections for the year 2022 is stated below:
| Sections | Total Questions | MCQs | Non-MCQs |
| Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) | 24 | 19 | 5 |
| Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning | 20 | 15 | 5 |
| Quantitative Aptitude (QA) | 22 | 14 | 8 |
| Total | 66 | 48 | 18 |
CAT 2023 – Exam Timing
The CAT exam is conducted in multiple slots throughout the day. The exam has been divided into three slots, each spanning two hours (120 minutes) with each section allotted 40 minutes.
The three test sessions and their respective timing slots are as follows:
| Test Sessions | Timing Slots |
| Morning Session | 8:30 am to 10:30 am |
| Afternoon Session | 12:30 pm to 2:30 pm |
| Evening Session | 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm |
CAT 2023 – Syllabus
The CAT entrance exam syllabus consists of three sections. They are as follows:
- Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension
- Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning
- Quantitative Ability.
Although no specific syllabus is formally outlined for these sections, a refined list of topics that typically appear in the exam has been compiled based on past year’s question papers and the emerging trends.
- Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)
- Number of Questions: 24
- Time Allotted (Minutes): 40
- Important Topics: Reading comprehension, para jumbles, para summary, verbal reasoning, etc.
- Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR)
- Number of Questions: 20
- Time Allotted (Minutes): 40
- Important Topics: Charts, graphs, arrangements, blood relations, puzzles, etc.
- Quantitative Aptitude (QA)
- Number of Questions: 22
- Time Allotted (Minutes): 40
- Important Topics: Algebra, arithmetic, number systems, geometry, permutations and combinations, mensuration, etc.
- Total Number of Questions: 66
- Total Time Allotted: 120 Minutes
Candidates can refer to the official notification on the hyperlink here.
CAT 2023 – How to Apply?
To complete the registration process, candidates must follow these instructions step-by-step:
- Visit the official website of CAT exam 2023 at iimcat.ac.in and click on the ‘New Candidate Registration’ option on the homepage.
- A new page will open. Enter the following details:
- Candidate’s Name
- Date of Birth
- Email Address
- Country
- Mobile Number
- Captcha
- After providing the required information, click on the ‘Generate OTP’ button.
- Candidates will receive a One-Time Password (OTP) on the registered email ID and mobile number. They must enter the OTP to verify their credentials.
- Now the candidate should login again using the CAT ID and password. Proceed to fill in the following details:
- Personal details
- Additional personal details
- Communication address
- Emergency contact details
- Upload essential documents.
- Provide academic information for SSC/Class 10, HSC/Class 12, Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree, and other professional degrees.
- Enter details of full-time work experience if applicable.
- Select up to 6 cities as the preferred test centre of choice (up to six).
- Complete the registration fee payment using any of the available methods.
- After successfully completing the registration, make sure to take a printout of the completed application form for future reference.
To stay informed about exam news, visit the official website of Buddy4Study.
CAT 2023 – FAQ
Q: What is CAT?
Ans: CAT stands for Common Admission Test. It is a computer-based examination required for admission into graduate management programs in India.
Q: When will the examination for CAT 2023 be held?
Ans: The CAT 2023 exam will be conducted on November 26, 2023 at test centres located in around 155 cities.
Q: How do I register for CAT 2023?
Ans: A candidate can register for the CAT 2023 exam on the official website of CAT.
Q: What is the selection process following after clearing CAT examination?
Ans: Candidates who successfully clear the CAT exam and meet the cutoff criteria will be invited to participate in the CAT exam selection process. Each IIM and MBA college may have its own unique admission procedures. In general, it has various stages like shortlisting candidates based on their CAT scores, as well as conducting Group Discussions (GD), Written Ability Tests (WAT), and Personal Interviews (PI).
Q: Which are the participating institutes where CAT scores remain valid?
Ans: CAT scores are valid for all CAT participating institutes, both IIMs and Non-IIMs. Some notable Non-IIM institutes that accept CAT scores include six IITs, IISc. Bangalore, NITs, JNU, IMT Ghaziabad, IPU, MDI Gurgaon, and SPJIMR Mumbai.
Q: What is the examination format for CAT 2023?
Ans: The examination format has three sections: Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Aptitude (QA).
Q: Is there a reservation policy for CAT?
Ans: Yes, there are reservations for various categories such as SC, ST, EWS, and PwD.
Q: Can I change my preferred CAT exam cities later?
Ans: Yes, candidates can modify their preferred cities for examination within a specified timeframe.
