Find out about the important aspects of CAT 2023, along with the timelines and syllabus.
When applying to business schools, the CAT is frequently regarded as one of the most important tests. Students who want to get an MBA almost always take the CAT exam. This year, over 2,300,000 individuals are anticipated to take the test. The outcomes showed the test’s widespread popularity. Why should I take the CAT if other exams are available? This post will address these concerns while also providing important CAT exam information.
The CAT is a national entrance exam that is administered throughout the country. The program’s ultimate goal is to make it easier to enroll in advanced business programs. The CAT is accepted as a means of admission by twenty Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and over a hundred business schools (B-Schools). Every year, the CAT exam is rotated among the original IIMs. CAT 2023 is expected to be conducted by IIM Ahmedabad.
CAT 2023: NOTIFICATION
The CAT 2023 registration notification will be issued in August. Exam notifications, dates, and other important information can be found on the official website.
| EVENTS | DATES |
| NOTIFICATION RELEASE DATE OF CAT EXAM 2023 | 4th week of July 2023 |
| REGISTRATION OF CAT 2023 | 1st week of August 2023 |
| LAST DATE TO FILL OUT THE ONLINE APPLICATION FORM | 2nd week of September 2023 |
| LAST DATE TO SUBMIT THE FEES FOR THE APPLICATION FORM | 2nd week of September 2023 |
| BEGINNING OF APPLICATION CORRECTION FOR CAT 2023 | 3rd week of September 2023 |
| ADMIT CARD AVAILABILITY FOR CAT 2023 | 4th week of October 2023 |
| DATE OF EXAMINATION OF CAT 2023 | 4th week of November 2023 |
| ANSWER KEY RELEASE DATE | 1st week of December 2023 |
| LAST DATE TO SUBMIT AN OBJECTION | 2nd week of December 2023 |
| CAT 2023 ANNOUNCEMENT OF RESULTS | 1st week of January 2024 |
CAT 2023: OVERVIEW
The following are the key highlights of CAT 2023:
| PARTICULARS | DETAILS |
| NAME OF THE EXAM | CAT 2023 |
| OFFICIAL WEBSITE | Simchat.ac.in |
| EXAM CONDUCTING AUTHORITY | Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) |
| MODE OF THE EXAM | Computer-Based Mode (CBT) |
| DURATION OF THE CAT EXAM | 2 Hours (120 Minutes) |
| DURATION (SECTION-WISE) | 40 Minutes for (VARC, DILR, QA).
Each section -53 Minutes 20 Seconds for PwD candidates. |
| SESSION (SLOT-WISE) |
|
| NO. OF QUESTIONS | 66 Questions |
| TOTAL MARKS | 198 marks |
CAT 2023: EXAM PATTERN
The three slots that comprise the CAT Exam Pattern are Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Aptitude. To be considered for admission to IIM, an applicant must score well in each section and exceed the sectional cut-offs.
Because there are no guides provided prior to the start of the exam, applicants are strongly advised to thoroughly review the guide available on the official website. Candidates with a strong academic profile that includes diversity and work experience, in addition to a high score in each of the three areas, will have a better chance of admission to IIMs.
The following table contains information about the CAT 2023 Exam Pattern, formatted according to the changes made in 2021:
| PARTICULARS | DETAILS |
| EXAM WINDOW | Three Sessions |
| MODE OF CONDUCT | Computer-based |
| SECTIONS |
|
| TEST DURATION | 120 Minutes |
| TOTAL NO. OF QUESTIONS | 66 |
| DURATION OF EACH SECTION OF THE CAT | 40 Minutes |
| TYPE OF QUESTIONS | MCQs & Non-MCQs |
| EXPECTED MARKING SCHEME | -1 for each wrong answer
+3 for every correct answer |
SECTIONAL-DIVISION
| SECTIONS | No. of Questions | Duration | Marks |
| VERBAL ABILITY & READING COMPREHENSION
(VARC) |
24 | 40 minutes | 72 |
| QUANTITATIVE ABILITY (QA) | 22 | 40 minutes | 66 |
| DATA INTERPRETATION & LOGICAL REASONING (DILR) | 20 | 40 minutes | 60 |
CAT 2023: MARKING PATTERN
| SECTION | MCQ | TITA Questions | Marks(MCQ) | Marks(TITA) |
| VERBAL ABILITY AND READING COMPREHENSION | 20-21 | 4-5 | +3, -1 | +3, no negative |
| DATA INTERPRETATION & LOGICAL REASONING | 20-21 | 2-3 | +3, -1 | +3, no negative |
| QUANTITATIVE ABILITY | 20-21 | 4-5 | +3, -1 | +3, no negative |
CAT 2023: SYLLABUS
The CAT exam is broken up into three portions, and each of those areas carries a different amount of weight. The CAT curriculum is modeled around the examination format established by IIM Ahmedabad. Determine which of your sections should be prioritized depending on the strengths and flaws you have identified.
Reading comprehension, verbal reasoning, and grammar are all components of the VARC.
The Quant part covers mathematical concepts that are covered in classes 9 and 10, including the Number System, Geometry, Mensuration, Algebra, and Arithmetic. The DILR area includes sets that are based on number series, graphs, data sufficiency, and other ideas that are commonly used in reasoning.
As a result of the high frequency with which they appear on the CAT exam, the following subject areas need your attention:
DETAILED SECTION-WISE CAT SYLLABUS 2023:
| SYLLABUS | TOPICS | WEIGHTAGE |
| VERBAL ABILITY | Questions like Para jumbles, Summary Based, and Sentence exclusion. | Questions – 8 to 10 |
| READING COMPREHENSION | RC passages | Almost 16 questions in the VARC section are based on RCs. |
| QUANTITATIVE ABILITY | Number System, Algebra, Geometry, Arithmetic, Mensuration. | Arithmetic and algebra dominate the section, with nearly 8 questions from each area. |
| DATA INTERPRETATION & LOGICAL REASONING | Seating arrangement, DI-based reasoning, Grid-Based DI, Graphs. Tables, Data Caselets | An almost equal number of sets are from DI and LR. |
THE FOLLOWING IS A COMPREHENSIVE OVERVIEW OF THE CURRICULUM FOR CAT 2023:
VARC SECTION
The VARC section is the first one to be worked through in the exam. Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension are the two subparts that it is comprised of. Take a look at some of the most important subjects covered in this section:
| VARC SYLLABUS | ||
| Fill in the blanks | Para Completion and inference | Verbal Logic |
| Verbal Reasoning | Subject-verb agreement | Para Jumbles |
| Sentence completion | Foreign language words used in English | Different usage of the same word |
| Grammar | Reading Comprehension | Idioms |
| Syllogisms | Analogies | Antonyms |
| Jumbled paragraphs | Sentence correction | One-word substitution |
| Parts of speech | Preposition | Types of Clauses |
| Phrases Modifiers | Errors in tenses | Articles usage |
DILR SECTION
Following the completion of the VARC portion comes the DILR section, which is to be attempted. It is further broken down into two sections, which are titled “Data Interpretation” and “Logical Reasoning,” respectively.
Below is the list of the most important DILR topics:
| DILR SYLLABUS | ||
| Blood Relations | Clocks and Calendars | Syllogism |
| Series | Statements | Venn Diagram |
| Proposition | Data Arrangement | Data Structures |
| Direction Sense | Family Tree | Tables |
| Coding-Decoding | Binary Logic | Pie Charts |
| Assumptions | Seating Arrangement | Data Sufficiency |
| Puzzles | Sets & Caselets | Bars & Line Graphs |
QA SECTION
When taking the CAT exam, the section on quantitative aptitude is the very last one to be attempted. The vocabulary for the aptitude section is the most extensive of all the sections. Candidates devote the majority of their time to studying for the multiple-choice questions portion of the exam.
Check out these important topics of QA:
| QA SYLLABUS | ||
| Geometry | Ratios and Proportion | Inequalities |
| Trigonometry | In-equations Quadratic and linear equations | Work and Time |
| Algebra | Surds and Indices | Percentages |
| Mensuration | Time-Speed-Distance | Logarithms |
| Partnership (Accounts) | Number System | Square Root and Cube Root |
| Profit & Loss | Geometric Progression | Probability |
| Mean, mode, median | Binomial theorem | Simple interest and compound interest |
