CAT Exam 2023: Important Dates, Application Process, Exam Syllabus and More

What is the CAT Exam 2023 Registration Date?

Registration for the CAT 2023 examination is scheduled to commence on August 2nd at 10:00 AM. In order to enroll for the Common Admission Test (CAT) in the year 2023, prospective candidates are required to visit the official website of the Indian Institutes of Management (IIM) CAT at iimcat.ac.in. Once there, they must proceed to establish a unique user identification and password, complete the CAT registration form, and remit the necessary costs associated with the registration process. The last deadline for registering for the CAT 2023 examination is September 13th at 5 PM. Please refer to the page for comprehensive information on CAT registration dates, the registration procedure, associated costs, needed papers, and further details.

The Indian Institute of Management Lucknow has just published the announcement for the Common Admission Test (CAT) 2023, which includes important details such as the examination date and the deadline for registration. Applicants who possess a Bachelor's degree from a recognized University, with a minimum aggregate score of 50% (45% for applicants belonging to SC/ST/PwD categories), are eligible to apply for the CAT 2023 examination. 

CAT Registration 2023 Last Date to apply

The deadline for CAT Registration 2023 is September 13, 2023, at 5 PM. The final deadline for CAT registration is determined by the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) at the commencement of the application procedure. Occasionally, the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), responsible for administering the Common Admission Test (CAT), may choose to extend the registration deadline in order to satisfy any necessary needs.

CAT Registration Number

The application procedure for CAT 2023 consists of three sequential stages: CAT registration, login, and completion of the application form. The generation of the CAT registration number occurs at the first phase of candidate registration. The CAT registration number has significant importance at several stages of the CAT application process. It serves as a crucial credential for completing the application, allowing applicants to make necessary edits during the correction window. Additionally, the registration number enables the download of critical documents such as the Admit Card and Score Card at a later stage. 

CAT Application Form 2023 Process

Following the login procedure, candidates must enter numerous details, including personal information, academic background, professional experience, program choices, and desired test cities for the CAT 2023 examination.

The CAT application form requires the provision of a scanned image, signature, category certificate, and disability certificate. 

Applicants must pay the appropriate application charges in order to successfully complete the application process. The prescribed fees for General/EWS/OBC candidates are INR 2300, while SC/ST/PwD candidates must pay INR 1150. 

Because the CAT notice is scheduled to be issued on July 31, candidates should begin their test preparation in line with the most recent pattern and curriculum. The new CAT Exam Pattern states that the question paper will consist of 66 multiple-choice questions (MCQs) to be completed in 120 minutes. 

CAT Exam Syllabus: Overall and Section-wise syllabus

Although the exam syllabus is not pre-defined by IIMs, it examines the applicant on Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension, Quantitative Aptitude, Data Interpretation, and Logical Reasoning. The CAT test curriculum has evolved significantly during the previous five years. The following are significant changes in Syllabus 2023:

• The syllabus has been altered and now includes a variety of questions, including MCQs and non-MCQs.
• There are no penalty questions for 25-30% of the questions currently.
• The majority of syllabus modifications have occurred in the Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension Sections since the proportion of Reading Comprehension-based questions has risen in comparison to Verbal Ability questions.
• A few adjustments to the curriculum have been made in the Quantitative Ability part, with a greater emphasis on Arithmetic problems.

CAT Syllabus Section-Wise

Sectional Division	Overview of Topics in the Syllabus 2023	Weightage in exam
Quantitative Ability (QA)	Arithmetic, Modern Math, Number SystemAlgebra, Mensuration, Trigonometry, Geometry	36%
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR)	Data Charts, Data Tables, Bar Graphs, Venn Diagrams, Seating arrangement, Team formation, Clocks & Calendars	30%
Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC)	Long & Short PassagesJumbled Paragraphs; Para-summaryPicking the Out of context sentence from a jumbled paragraph	34%

CAT 2023 Exam pattern

VARC (Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension), DILR (Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning), and QA (Quantitative Ability) are the three sections of the CAT Exam Pattern. To be considered for IIM shortlisting, the applicant must perform well in each part and meet the sectoral cut-offs.

There are no tutorials supplied before the commencement of the exam, thus applicants should carefully read the tutorials on the official website. An excellent academic profile with diversity and work experience, in addition to a high score in each of the three areas, will have a greater likelihood of admission to IIMs.

The following is a tabular representation of the CAT 2023 Exam Pattern, as modified in 2021:

Particulars	Details
Exam Window	Three Sessions
Mode of Conduct	Computer-based
Sections	Verbal Ability and Reading ComprehensionData Interpretation and Logical ReasoningQuantitative Ability
Test Duration	120 Minutes
Total No. of Questions	66
Duration of each section of 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

Marks Calculation

• Each university or institute has its own system for issuing grades. As a result, the percentage computation is based on it.
• If the institution does not have a technique for converting marks/CGPA to percentages, direct conversion is used. Divide the obtained CGPA by the greatest achievable CGPA and multiply by 100.
• If grades or CGPA are used instead of marks, the university's conversion procedure should be utilized to convert the marks to percentages.

CAT 2023 Marking Scheme

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 Exam Pattern 2023: Revised Structure of Question Paper

In the table below, you will find the sectional order, the number and type of questions in each section, and the number of questions with and without negative marking for each section of the 2-hour exam.

Exam components	MCQs (With negative marking)	Non-MCQs  (TITA Qs Without negative marking)	Total Questions
Section-1: Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC)(Time limit: 40 Minutes)	21	3	24
Section-2: Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR)(Time Limit: 40 Minutes)	16	4	20
Section-3: Quantitative Ability (QA)(Time Limit: 40 Minutes)	14	8	22
Total (Overall) (Time limit: 120 Minutes)	41	15	66

CAT Cut-Offs for MBA Admission

The CAT cut-off percentiles for MBA admission at IIMs is between 95-100 across 20 IIMs. The cut-offs of the top six IIMs range between 98-100 percentile for General category candidates. In the rest of the 14 IIMs, the cut-offs are 95 percentile and less. Given below is the table for CAT cut-offs for IIMs and other top MBA colleges in India:

IIM CAT Cut-Offs 2023

Given below is the table indicating estimated cut-offs for IIM admission. These are estimated cut-offs and the actual CAT cut-offs could be different (higher or lower).

IIMs	CAT cut offs 2023 (percentile)
IIM Ahmedabad	99-100
IIM Bangalore	99-100
IIM Calcutta	99
IIM Lucknow	97-98
IIM Indore	97-98
IIM Kozhikode	97-98
IIM Amritsar	95-96
IIM Nagpur	95-96
IIM Sambalpur	95-96
IIM Trichy	94-95
IIM Raipur	94-95
IIM Ranchi	94-95
IIM Kashipur	94-95
IIM Vizag	92-94
IIM Rohtak	92-94
IIM Udaipur	92-94
IIM Bodhgaya	92-94
IIM Shillong	90
IIM Sirmaur	90
IIM Jammu	90

Top MBA Colleges in India: CAT Cut Offs

Listed below are some of the top colleges in India and their estimated CAT cut offs 2023 for admission to MBA/PGDM courses:

Top MBA College	CAT Cut Offs (percentile)
FMS, Delhi	98-99
SPJIMR, Mumbai	95-99
IMT, Ghaziabad	95-97
JBIMS, Mumbai	96
MDI, Gurgaon	97-99
IMI, New Delhi	90
XIM, Bhubaneshwar	91
GIM Goa	85
K J Somaiya, Mumbai	86
TAPMI, Manipal	80
FORE, New Delhi	85
IFMR, Chennai	80
IRMA, Anand	80
MICA, Ahmedabad	80
LIBA, Chennai	70
XIME, Bangalore	70

Frequently Asked Questions about CAT Exam 2023

Q. What is the recommended timeline for submitting an application for the CAT 2023 examination?

Ans. Below are certain crucial details about CAT 2023 that students intending to participate in the examination should acquaint themselves with. The anticipated date for the release of the CAT 2023 notification is July 31, 2023. The registration period for the CAT 2023 examination is scheduled to commence on August 4, 2023, and conclude during the second week of September 2023.

Q. What is the registration deadline for CAT 2023?

Ans. The registration date for CAT 2023 has not yet been announced by the administrators of IIM CAT. Based on prevailing trends, it is anticipated that the commencement of registration will occur during the first week of August in the year 2023.

Q. Is it feasible to adequately study for the CAT Exam in the span of six months, specifically targeting the 2023 administration?

Ans. Individuals who possess a high level of dedication and determination have the potential to adequately study for the CAT Exam 2023 over a span of six months. To successfully pass the CAT 2023 within a six-month timeframe, it is recommended to allocate a substantial amount of time, around 7-8 hours per day, towards focused study sessions. These sessions should primarily consist of engaging in activities such as reviewing relevant materials, undertaking practice tests, and completing previous years' question papers. By adhering to this rigorous study routine, individuals may enhance their preparedness and increase their likelihood of achieving success in the CAT 2023 examination.

Q. Which Indian Institute of Management (IIM) is responsible for announcing the Common Admission Test (CAT) date for the year 2023?

Ans. The announcement of the host institution for CAT 2023 is still pending. The Indian Institute of Management Bangalore served as the host institution for the Common Admission Test (CAT), which was conducted in three separate sessions on November 27, 2022.