CAT Exam 2021: CAT (Common Admission Test) is the prestigious entrance exam held by IIMs for admissions into top business schools. CAT Exam score is accepted as a qualifier in many Business Schools. It is the most popular amongst the MBA Entrance Exams due to the vast number of colleges accepting the CAT Score including the top B-Schools in India such as IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, etc.
Common Admission Test (CAT-2021) Highlights
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| CAT 2021 Conducting Body | To be announced (Conducted by 1st Generation IIM on rotational basis ) |
| CAT Official Website | iimcat.ac.in |
| Duration | 2 Hours |
| Number of Sections | 3 (Quantitative Ability-34, Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension-34, and Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning-32) |
| CAT 2021 Application Mode | Online |
| Medium of Exam | English (Exam is conducted in CBT mode) |
| CAT Helpdesk | cathelpdesk@iimcat.ac.in; 1800-2090-830 |
CAT 2021 Eligibility Criteria
As per the eligibility criteria of CAT 2021 published by IIMs, students should fulfill the following parameters:
- Students should have a Bachelor’s Degree in any discipline from a recognized university.
- General and OBC-NC category candidates should obtain at least 50% marks in aggregate or equivalent CGPA. For reserved category candidates, the minimum to secure is 45%.
- The duration of the graduation programme should be minimum of 3 years.
- Final year graduation students are eligible to apply for CAT 2021 provided they complete their programme within the given schedule.
- There is no age limit for applying or appearing in CAT 2021.
CAT 2021 Eligibility Criteria for Reserved Categories
The CAT 2021 eligibility criteria for reserved categories as decided by IIMs are as follows:
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- 15% of seats are reserved for Scheduled Caste (SC);
- 7.5% of seats are reserved for Scheduled Tribe (ST);
- 27% of seats are reserved for Other Backward Classes (OBC);
- 5% of seats are kept reserved for Persons with Disability (PWD).
CAT 2021 Registration Process
- CAT registration will be exclusively online and will be opened on 5th August 2021.
- Notification released on 29th July 2021.
- Visit www.iimcat.ac.in.
- Click on the ‘registration’ tab.
- Enter details.
- On successful registration students will receive a unique User Id and password via mail/SMS.
- After registration students have to log in to the official website with given user id and password.
- Complete the application form for CAT exam.
CAT 2021 Online Application
The CAT 2021 online application form will be divided into following sections-
- Personal Details
- Contact Details
- Academic Details
- Work Experience
- Choosing IIMs you want to apply for
- Choose Test Centre and Interview City
CAT 2021 Application Fee
- The application fee for General/OBC category candidates is INR 2000.
- The application fee for SC/ST/PWD category candidates is INR 1000.
- The mode of application fee payment is completely online through Credit/Debit Card or Net Banking.
CAT 2021 Important Dates
| Events | Dates |
|---|---|
| Issue of notification | Last week of July 2021 |
| Starting of registration process | 1st week of August 2021 (In online mode only at iimcat.ac.in) |
| Last date for registration | 4th week of September 2021 (Form Correction facility available for image correction) |
| Admit card release | October 2021 (In Online mode only) |
| Date of exam | November 2021 |
| Answer key release date | December 2021 (Separate release of Provisional and Final answer Keys) |
| Result declaration | January 2022 |
CAT 2021 Exam Pattern
| S.NO | SECTION | Number of Questions | Time Limit |
| 1 | Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VRC) | 34 | 60 minutes |
| 2 | Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DI & LR) | 32 | 60 minutes |
| 3 | Quantitative Ability (QA) | 34 | 60 minutes |
| TOTAL | 100 | 180 minutes |
CAT 2021 Syllabus
| Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension | Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning | Quantitative Ability |
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CAT Preparation Books
| Name of Books | Author |
|---|---|
| How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for CAT | Arun Sharma (8th Edition) |
| Quantitative Aptitude Quantum | Sarvesh Kumar (2018) |
| Quantitative Aptitude for CAT | Nishit Sinha (2016) |
| How to Prepare for Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension for CAT | Meenakshi Upadhyay and Arun Sharma (8th Edition) |
| The Pearson Guide to Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for CAT | Nishit Sinha (2016) |
| Word Power Made Easy | Norman Lewis (2019) |
CAT Preparation Tips and Strategy
Important highlights of CAT QA 2021 syllabus:
The QA section is basically a calculation intensive section based on topics that candidates study in 9th and 10th grade. However, there is a plot twist. This is the last section of the paper and odds are that you would be low on stamina and more on exhaustion when you would approach this section. This section is known to usually surprise a candidate in terms of difficulty. You must keep a keen eye on the ball and not be in an autopilot mode while solving QA.
We suggest that work in your favor is that you should start from the last question of the section and work your way upwards. The easier questions are scattered throughout the paper and all a candidate has to do is spot and answer, as determined by CL experts.
FAQ’S
Ans As per the CAT 2021 exam dates, the registration process of CAT 2021 will begin from August 2021.
Ans IIM does not recommend any age criteria to apply for CAT 2021.
Ans The total time duration of CAT will be 2 hours (120 minutes). For each section 40 minutes will be allotted. For PwD candidates 53.20 minutes will be allotted for each section.
Ans There are three sections available in the CAT exam 2021 such as,
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR)
Quantitative Ability (QA)
