There are around 20 IIMs (Indian Institutes of Management) spread in 20 cities of the country. These IIMs offer several MBA (Master of Business Administration) courses to students. All the IIMs are directly under the Education Ministry of India. The selection of students for any course in IIMs is decided via the CAT (Common Admission Test) exam. The CAT score is used by IIMs to determine the eligibility of students across numerous courses. Not only IIMs, many private B-schools in the country consider CAT scores to give course allotments. The reasons one should go for the CAT exam are listed below:
- Students passing with a degree from IIMs are picked by some of the top organisations. Both national and international firms conduct recruitment drives for students in IIM. You can get campus placement and a handsome job offer after studying from any IIM.
- The research facilities in IIMs are the best in the country. You will get a hands-on learning experience in the IIMs to build a successful career in the business sphere.
- If you go into the business sphere, you will get entry-level jobs. By going for an MBA, you can directly get into the middle management level. The chances of growth are higher for MBA pass outs than undergraduates.
- IIMs are the top business schools in the country. After studying at an IIM, you can enhance your entrepreneurship skills. Besides searching for a job, you can become an employer after studying at IIM.
- You need to go to IIM to interact with the best minds. You can also go to other top private B-schools in the country. Besides IIMs, more than 30 reputed B-schools in the country accept CAT scores for course allotments. The CAT exam is of utmost importance if you want to get into a reputed B-school.
- Singapore Management University is a reputed B-school in Southeast Asia. It also accepts CAT scores for allotting management courses.
When is the CAT exam conducted?
CAT exams are held every year by any one of the IIMs. Normally, a window of 21 days is used for conducting CAT exams across the country. Most of the time, the CAT exam is conducted in the months of October and November. The CAT exam results are published by January in ideal circumstances. The CAT exam for 2021 will begin on the 28th of November.
What type of exam is CAT?
CAT is a computer-aided text in which most of the questions are MCQs. There are also some non-MCQ questions in the CAT examination. Candidates can use an on-screen calculator and watch. There is no pen-paper exam conducted by IIMs in the country.
CAT Exam Pattern
According to the latest guidelines by IIM Ahmedabad, the exam pattern for CAT 2021 is:
- There will be a total of 64 – 76 questions in the CAT exam.
- The three sections of the CAT exam are VARC (Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension), QA (Quantitative Ability), and DI/LR (Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning).
- The total number of MCQs in the CAT exam can be between 54 to 59. The number of non-MCQs in the CAT exam can be between 17 to 22.
- For each correct answer in the CAT exam, you will gain three marks. For an incorrect answer, you will lose 1 mark in the CAT exam. There are no deductions or additions for unattempted questions in the CAT exam.
How to prepare for the CAT exam?
Online learning can aid in preparing for the CAT exam at your pace. You can choose BYJU’S Exam Prep for the latest CAT updates, exam syllabus, mock papers, and expert tips. You can also go through the CAT previous year question papers for better preparation. It is wise to read and know the daily current affairs. It helps you in your exams somehow. Get monthly current affairs pdf to know the current affairs. You will get all brief news with this pdf.
In a nutshell
One cannot ignore the CAT exam if their dream is to get into the business sphere. With BYJU’S Exam Prep, you can prepare effectively for the CAT exam. Start preparing for the CAT 2021 exam now!
