CAT Exam

About CAT - 2023

(Common Admission Test) 2023 is an aptitude screening exam for MBA admission across 160 b-schools (including the IIMs) in the country. It is a 3-hour paper held every year in online CBT (Computer based) mode. The paper is organized Jointly by one of the major IIMs (Indian Institute of Management) and TCS (Tata Consultancy Services). The number of total students who apply for CAT crosses the “2-lakh" mark every year who compete for a few thousand IIM seats. Premier B schools like FMS New Delhi, MDI Gurgaon, IMT Ghaziabad and SP Jain Mumbai also accept CAT Scores as a major qualifying criterion. Serious aspirants always want to know how to prepare for CAT at least a year before appearing for the exam to give substance to their preparation, as the exam is fierce in terms of competition.

CAT Important Dates

CAT Eligibility Criteria 2023

According to the official eligibility criteria of CAT 2023, applicants should fulfil the parameters as stated below -

• Candidates should obtain a Bachelor’s Degree across disciplines from a recognised University or Institute
• General and OBC-NC category candidates must secure at least 50 per cent marks in aggregate or equivalent CGPA. For reserved category candidates, the minimum percentage to obtain is 45.
• The duration of the graduation programme in any discipline should be minimum three (3) years.
• Final year graduation students are also eligible to apply for CAT 2023 provided they complete their undergraduate studies within the stipulated schedule.
• Age Limit - There is no age limit for applying or appearing in CAT 2023 exam.

CAT 2023 Registration

The candidate must have cleared bachelor's programme with minimum 50 per cent aggregate or equivalent CGPA (45 per cent aggregate for SC, ST and PWD/DA category) from a recognised board or university The candidate must have completed a professional degree (CA/ CS/ ICWA) with required percentage Candidates appearing for the final year of bachelor's degree/equivalent qualification or awaiting result are also eligible to apply for CAT 2023.

CAT 2020 Application Fee

Rs 2,000 (General category) and Rs 1,000 (Reserved category).

CAT Reservation Criteria

A certain percentage of seats in IIMs are reserved for SC, ST, OBC and PWD candidates. The table given below provides an overview of the same:

CAT 2023 Detailed Syllabus

IIM’s do not release an official CAT Syllabus. However, based on previous year question papers, we have curated below the most frequently occuring topics. An in-depth knowledge of CAT 2023 Syllabus forms the basis of your preparation journey. It is designed to assess the prospective admission-seekers' suitability for MBA education.