CAT at AptiGuide, at a glance
What CAT tests beyond the syllabus
The Common Admission Test, CAT, is a computer based entrance exam conducted once a year for admission to the 20 IIMs and a large number of other management programs across India. Open to graduates of any stream, it is scored on a percentile basis against every other test taker that year, not a fixed pass mark.
Most aspirants assume a higher score comes from solving more questions or attempting more mocks. In practice, CAT rewards selection over volume: identifying which 20 to 25 questions in a section are actually worth attempting, and having the discipline to leave the rest, tends to separate a 99 percentile from a 90 percentile more than raw content knowledge does.
Three sections with separate time limits
CAT is held once a year, usually in the last week of November, in multiple timed slots on the same day. The exact question count and timing have shifted slightly most years, so always confirm the current year's own notification.
| Section | What It Tests | Typical Duration |
|---|---|---|
| VARC (Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension) | Long reading comprehension passages, para-summary, para-jumbles, odd-sentence-out | About 40 minutes |
| DILR (Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning) | Sets built around tables, graphs, arrangements and logical puzzles, usually the most time-pressured section | About 40 minutes |
| QA (Quantitative Ability) | Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, number systems and modern math, calculation heavy | About 40 minutes |
A candidate cannot move between sections once a section's timer starts, so sectional time management is tested as directly as the content itself. Most multiple choice questions carry negative marking for a wrong answer; the non-MCQ, type-in-the-answer questions in each section do not.
IIMs and other colleges that accept CAT
CAT is the admission test for all 20 IIMs, from IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Calcutta down to the newer campuses. Beyond the IIMs, well over a hundred other B-schools accept CAT scores directly, including FMS Delhi, MDI Gurgaon, SPJIMR Mumbai and the management programs run by several IITs and NITs. A separate cluster of B-schools, XLRI, the SIBM and SCMHRD group and a few others, run their own entrance exams, XAT and SNAP, on a broadly similar Quant, Verbal and Logical Reasoning pattern, so CAT preparation transfers into these with only minor adjustment.
Clearing a CAT cutoff earns a shortlist for the next stage, typically a Written Ability Test and a Personal Interview, not a seat outright. See AptiGuide's GD/PI and interview preparation guide for what that stage actually assesses.
Where AptiGuide works
AptiGuide prepares CAT aspirants in person from Jalandhar and nearby Phagwara, Kapurthala, Hoshiarpur and Ludhiana, and online for students and working professionals anywhere in India. The office is at 2nd Floor, Crystal Plaza, SCO-2, near P.I.M.S Hospital, Choti Baradari, Jalandhar.
Questions about CAT
Is CAT only for engineers?
How many times can I attempt CAT?
Does a good CAT percentile guarantee an IIM seat?
When should CAT preparation start?
CAT Results from AptiGuide Students
Student scores and admissions, recorded by name on the results wall.
Bhavnoor Singh
99.78 percentile in CAT, converted IIM Ahmedabad; calls from IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta and more
Vaibhav
99.66 percentile in CAT, converted IIM Udaipur
Harshita Tandon
99.36 percentile in CAT; calls from IIM Calcutta, Lucknow, Kozhikode, Indore, Shillong and more; converted IIM Indore
Aniket
98.73 percentile in CAT; calls from IIFT and IIM Amritsar
Register for CAT on the official portal
AptiGuide helps with preparation, shortlisting and application review. CAT registration is handled on the official portal, and institutions decide admission.
How many months do you have before CAT?
Tell Anshul your current level and target percentile. He reads every enquiry personally.
Thank you, that is received.
Anshul will personally get back to you soon. Check your email too, there is a quick note with a relevant link.