CAT 2022 Registration Last date closes on Sept 14, 2022 at 5 PM. To avoid any last minute rush and possible technical glitches, it is recommended to register for CAT before the last date. The registration process is open at official CAT website iimcat.ac.in with an application fee of Rs.2300/-. Conducted by one of 6 top IIMs, the Common Admission Test (CAT) is the mandatory entrance exam for MBA/PGP admission in 20 IIMs and other top B-schools like FMS Delhi, SPJIMR Mumbai, MDI Gurugram and IITs DMS. This year, IIM Bangalore is conducting CAT on November 27, 2022 in three slots of 2 hours duration each.
If you wish to pursue MBA from IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta, Kozhikode, Indore or any other IIM, you should register & apply for CAT 2022 without waiting for the last date. The IIM CAT 2022 will be held on Sunday, November 27, 2022 in 3 sessions and each session will be of 2 hours duration. The morning session is scheduled from 8.30 AM to 10.30 AM; Afternoon session will be from 12.30 PM to 2.30 PM and Evening Session is from 4.30 PM to 6.30 PM. You need to report at the CAT exam centre about 2 hours before the commencement of the exam for security reasons. Please note that only CAT score will be accepted for admission 2023 by IIMs and many other top B-schools including FMS Delhi, MDI Gurgaon, SPJIMR, 7 IITs among others.
Check table of contents below and detailed explanation for each point regarding CAT exam. Bookmark this page as it will give you all the latest information and updates.
| Table of Contents What is CAT Exam?How to Apply for CAT 2022? CAT 2022 Exam: Key Features & HighlightsCAT Exam Pattern 2022: Key Changes & Revised StructureCAT 2022 Exam Syllabus: Overall and Section wise syllabusExpected New Changes in CAT 2022CAT 2022 Previous Year Exam AnalysisBest CAT Preparation Books for VARC, DILR, Quant SectionsCAT Preparation with Top CAT Coaching Institutes Top CAT Coaching Centers in IndiaSelf & Coaching Mixed CAT PreparationToppers’ Tips for CAT PreparationCAT Preparation with CAT Mocks: How do CAT Mocks help in CAT Preparation? CAT Eligibility Criteria 2022Why is CAT 2022 so Important for MBA Aspirants?Which IIM Conducts CAT Exam? Past CAT ConvenersCAT 2022 Cut offs for IIMs for Admission 2023 through CATCAT 2022 Cut off for Non-IIMs: Top MBA Colleges Accepting CAT other than IIMs MBA Courses Offered by IIMs through CATCAT Exam Centers in IndiaCAT 2022 Admit CardCAT 2022 Result & IIMs’ Final Selection ProcessCAT 2022 Important DatesImportant Changes in CAT Exam over the YearsImportant Points about CAT 2022CAT Exam 2022 Notification: Key Details CAT 2023 Exam: Highlights & Important DetailsFAQs on CAT: Answers by Experts |
1. What is CAT Exam?
Common Admission Test (CAT) 2022 is the mandatory entrance exam for MBA admission 2023 in all the 20 IIMs, FMS Delhi, SPJIMR Mumbai, MDI Gurgaon, IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IIT Kharagpur; NITIE Mumbai and hundreds of other top B-schools in India. More than two lakh candidates appear in CAT every year to explore admission opportunity in MBA programmes offered by IIMs and other top MBA colleges in India. Salient Points about the Exam are:
- A computer based test conducted at more than 155 test cities and 400+ test venues
- Since 2020, CAT exam duration is reduced to two hours from earlier three hours
- The exam is divided into three sections of Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension; Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning; Quantitative Ability
- Each Section in the exam has to be attempted in a fixed individual time limit.
- Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) will offer admission on the basis of CAT 2022 score only and will not accept any other test score
CAT experts and toppers are of the view that CAT is not a very difficult exam but needs some smart and timely preparation to crack it with high score and as such to score 99 percentile in CAT, instead of cramming the heads with intensive knowledge based preparation, the need is to follow a smart IQ based preparation. More than 2 lakh candidates register and apply for CAT every year. Last year, more than 2.30 lakh candidates applied for CAT 2021 and 1.92 lakh candidates appeared in the exam.
2. How to Apply for CAT 2022? Step by Step CAT Registration & Application Process
CAT 2022 Form Filling Process is divided into 2 parts – CAT exam Registration form submission and CAT Exam Application form submission with CAT registration and application Fees. Important details about CAT 2022 Registration & Application form and step by step process to complete the CAT Registration and Application form is given below
- CAT 2022 Registration process is online
- You can register & apply for CAT 2022 online only on the official CAT website
- CAT 2022 registration fee is Rs.2300/- for General candidates. CAT exam fee should be paid online only
- The application process for CAT 2022 opens in August first week after release of CAT Notification 2022
2.1 CAT 2022 Registration: Step by Step Process
You can complete CAT 2022 registration and application process in 3 major steps. The process is further divided into few sub-steps. It takes about 20-30 minutes to complete your CAT Registration & Application process including payment of CAT registration fees, provided your computer has good connectivity, you have all the required documents, scanned images of your photo & signature of required size and online fee payment instruments like credit/debit cards, Net Banking
2.2 Previous CAT Registration Trends
More than 2.30 lakh candidates had registered last year for CAT exam despite Covid-19 pandemic. In 2020, 2.27 lakh candidates applied for CAT and in 2019, more than 2.44 lakh candidates had applied for CAT. The rising number of CAT registrations signify that candidates have to compete with more candidates in CAT exam and need to score high to get shortlisted by top three IIMs and other top MBA colleges.
Although the trends in CAT registrations since 2010 show a downward journey initially, but from 2013 it has been showing a rising registration count reflecting the regaining trust of CAT aspirants and anticipation of better career opportunities after completing MBA/PGP from an IIM or other top B-school
3. CAT 2022 Exam: Key Features & Highlights
Following are the key features of IIM CAT 2022 exam details like CAT Full Form, Notification, CAT 2022 exam dates, Eligibility, Exam Structure among other details
| CAT Full Form | Common Admission Test,conducted on yearly basis for MBA admission by one of the 6 older IIMs |
| CAT Exam Date 2022 | November 27, 2022 |
| CAT Entrance exam sessions | Likely to be Conducted in 3 sessions – Morning, Afternoon&Evening on same day |
| CAT 2022 Conducting Institutes | IIM Bangalore. IIMs are the CAT conducting Institutes |
| CAT Entrance Exam Mode | Computer based exam but not an online exam |
| When to Check for CAT 2022 Notification | From July 31, 2022 onwards, at iimcat.ac.in; MBAUniverse.com and in Newspapers |
| Details in CAT Notification 2022 | CAT Exam details, Application fee, Registration dates, IIMs & their management programmes through CAT |
| Maximum Age Limit to appear in IIM CAT | No Age Limit, Graduates with 50% marks can apply |
| Number of Questions in CAT 2022 | 66 questions divided in 3 sections |
| CAT Exam Time Duration on CAT 2022 Exam Date | 2 hours for each Slot |
| Sectional Time limit | 40 minutes for 1 section |
| Name of sections and number of questions | VARC-24 Questions; DILR-20 questions; Quant-22 questions |
| Expected Difficulty level | Moderate to Difficult |
| Order of Sections | Pre-fixed, no change allowed |
| Top MBA Colleges Accepting CAT 2022 for MBA admission 2023 | 20 IIMs, FMS, MDI, SPJIMR, IITs, IMI, IMT& 1000 other MBA colleges in India |
| CAT Exam Fees 2022 | Rs.2300/- |
| How to Apply | Application process is online only |
| CAT Official Website for CAT 2022 Form Filling | IIMCAT.AC.IN |
| IIMs’ Application Fee | No Separate Application Fee to apply for IIM. |
4. CAT Exam Pattern 2022: Key Changes & Revised Structure
CAT exam since 2015 has seen many changes. Some of the key changes in CAT in last 10 years are:
- In 2014, CAT increased the exam time duration to 3 hours, increased the number of questions to 100 and reduced the testing window to two days
- In 2015, CAT reduced the testing window to single day and two slots of 3 hours each. The number of CAT exam sections were increased to three from earlier two. TITA questions with No penalty of negative marking were introduced for the first time. This pattern is still followed
- In 2020, due to Covid pandemic, CAT reduced the number of questions to 76, reduced the CAT time duration to 2 hours and increased the testing slots to 3 from earlier 2
- In 2021, CAT further reduced the number of questions to 66 to allow more time for the test takers to attempt the test. No change in test duration of 2 hours was made
4.1 CAT 2022: Current CAT pattern
In terms of time duration, number of questions and sections the current CAT Pattern is as under:
- 120 Minutes Exam: CAT 2022 is a computer delivered test of 2 hours duration but it is not an Online Exam
- 66 Questions: Like last year, CAT 2022 exam will have 66 questions divided in 3 sections of VARC, DILR and Quantitative Ability. Earlier it used to have 100 questions divided in three sections
- 18-20 No Penalty Questions: Out of 66 questions, there will be 18 or more questions which will not have negative marking. CAT 2022 exam is divided into MCQ and Non-MCQ type of questions and the Non-MCQs do not carry negative marking. In case any non-MCQ has negative marking, a few MCQs are changed to no negative marking questions.
- 48-50 CAT Questions with Negative Marking: More than 48 questions in CAT 2022 are of MCQ type and will carry penalty of 1/3 negative marking
- CAT cut off Requirement by IIMs: A Minimum qualifying score between 70 and 90 percentile in CAT 2022 is required by IIMs in each of the 3 sections to shortlist candidates for final admission round
- IIM Shortlisting Criteria: Apart from High score in each of the 3 sections in the exam, if you have good academic profile with diversity, work experience, you are a preferred candidate to get admission into IIMs.
4.2 CAT Pattern 2022: Revised Structure of Question Paper
The table below shares the sectional order, number and type of questions in each section, questions with and without negative marking for each section for the 2 hours exam
| CAT 2022 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) | 19 | 5 | 24 |
| Section-2: Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR) (Time Limit: 40 Minutes) | 15 | 5 | 20 |
| Section-3: Quantitative Ability (QA) (Time Limit: 40 Minutes) | 14 | 8 | 22 |
| Total (Overall) (Time limit: 120 Minutes) | 48 | 18 | 66 |
4.3 VARC in CAT: Highest Weightage Section
As is evident from above, the section on Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) in CAT is awarded highest weightage in the exam and its score can push-up or pull-down your percentile to a large extent as shared below
- CAT 2022 Exam Syllabus: Overall and Section wise syllabus
Although the exam Syllabus is not pre-defined by IIMs, it overall tests the candidate on Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension; Quantitative Aptitude; Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning.During the last 5 years, CAT exam syllabus has substantially changed. Major changes in CAT Syllabus 2022 are:
- The Syllabus is changed and contains different type of questions with a combination of MCQs & Non-MCQs.
- 25-30% Questions are no penalty questions now
- Most of the changes in syllabus have taken place in the Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension Section as the share of Reading Comprehension based questions has increased as compared to Verbal Ability questions
- A few changes in syllabus have been introduced in Quantitative Ability section with more focus on Arithmetic questions
5.1 CAT Syllabus Section-Wise
| Sectional Division | Overview of Topics in the CAT Syllabus 2022 | Weightage in exam |
| Quantitative Ability (QA) | Arithmetic, Modern Math, Number System Algebra, Mensuration, Trigonometry, Geometry | 34-36% |
| Data Interpretation& Logical Reasoning (DILR) | Data Charts, Data Tables, Bar Graphs, Venn Diagrams, Seating arrangement, Team formation, Clocks & Calendars | 30-32% |
| Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) | Long & Short Passages Jumbled Paragraphs; Para-summary Picking the Out of context sentence from a jumbled paragraph | 32-34% |
6. Expected New Changes in CAT 2022
Last year IIM Ahmedabad brought about many changes in CAT exam structure. The process of changes in CAT is likely to continue this year also. With 2.5 lakh MBA aspirants registering for the exam, the Common Admission Test (CAT) is gateway to top B-schools in India including IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta and other 17 IIMs and other top MBA colleges like FMS, SPJIMR, MDI, IITs among others. The CAT 2022 registration process will open in August first week at iimcat.ac.in and will remain open for more than 45 days. For CAT 2022, it is expected that IIM Bangalore will also bring about more aspirant friendly changes in the exam.
It is likely that IIM Bangalore bring following changes:
- Total Questions in CAT 2022 may reduce further from earlier 66
- Number of Non-MCQs type TITA questions without negative marking penalty may increase
- More changes in CAT may be brought to improve academic and gender diversity in IIMs
7. CAT 2022 Previous Year Exam Analysis
- CAT 2021 Exam was held on November 28, 2022 in 3 slots of 2 hours each at 400 test centers in 159 Cities in India.
- CAT 2021 Overall Exam Difficulty Level was Moderate
- Total Questions in CAT exam 2021 were Reduced to 66 from 76 last year
- Questions were split into 48 MCQs and 18 Non-MCQs
- CAT was divided into 3 sections – VARC, DILR and Quantitative Ability
- Section-1: VARC had Total No of 24 Questions with 19 MCQs and 5 Non-MCQs
- There were 4 RC Passages with 16 Questions in VARC Section
- Overall VARC Section had Moderate Difficulty Level
- Section-2: DILR had Total No of 20 Questions divided into 15 MCQs and 5 Non MCQs
- There were 2 LR Sets and each set was followed by 6 Questions
- There were 2 DI Sets and each set was followed by 4 Questions
- Section-3: Quantitative Ability had total No of 22 Questions divided into 14 MCQs and 8 Non MCQs
- Arithmetic had maximum number of 9 questions followed by Algebra & Geometry with 5 and 3 questions
- Difficulty Level was Moderate
- 99 percentile in the exam could be secured at a raw score of 90
8. Best CAT Preparation Books for VARC, DILR, Quant Sections
The Best Books for CAT Preparation should keep pace with the IIM CAT changing pattern. Every year different types of questions appear in the exam. During the last few years, the CAT has been modified completely. Most of the CAT preparation books in the market are based on the previous CAT exam pattern but the best CAT books shared here are the updated CAT preparation books which have incorporated changes with the anticipated question type in CAT exam. While choosing the best books for CAT preparation, it should be kept in mind that the books are conversant with the changed exam pattern and difficulty level. Few things to check in the books are:
- Should Provide conceptual clarity on the relevant CAT topic
- Rich on the exercises, practice questions and Mocks given after each topic
- Caters your need to focus more on the weak areas with variety of practice questions
- Latest edition of CAT preparation Book offers the updated exam pattern and syllabus also
8.1 Section-Wise 10 Best books for CAT Preparation
If you are self-preparing for CAT or are preparing with the support of CAT coaching institute, in both the cases, the latest edition of the CAT books for preparation as shared below section wise will help you in getting more conceptual clarity, practice questions and attempting the sample papers
8.1.1. CAT Preparation Books for VARC
- How to Prepare for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for CAT’– by Arun Sharma & Meenakshi Upadhyay
- Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for the CAT by Nishit K Sinha
- Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension by Ajay Singh
- Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis
8.1.2 CAT Preparation Books for DILR
- How to Prepare for Data Interpretation for CAT by Arun Sharma (Published by McGraw Hill)
- How to Prepare for Logical Reasoning for CAT by Arun Sharma (Published by McGraw Hill)
- Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation for the CAT by Nishit K. Sinha
- CAT Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning by Gautam Puri, Publisher Career Launcher
8.1.3 CAT Preparation Books for QA
- How to prepare for Quantitative for the CAT by Arun Sharma, published by MGH Education
- Quantitative Aptitude for the CAT by Nishit K Sinha
- Quantitative Aptitude Quantum CAT by Sarvesh K Verma
9. CAT Preparation with Top CAT Coaching Institutes
As short time is left for CAT preparation 2022, a few months of devoted preparation can enable you to crack CAT exam as it requires ‘Smart Preparation.’ You can join a coaching as it offers expert guidance. Key aspects of CAT preparation with CAT coaching
9.1 Benefits of CAT 2022 Preparation with CAT Coaching
- CAT coaching institutes help you to prepare for CAT systematically without deviating from your preparation path.
- While offering smart and intensive preparation for CAT exam 2022, the top CAT coaching institutes help you to minimize the wastage of time with optimum utilization.
- There are 1 year, 6 months, 3 months and 2 months CAT preparation time modules offered by the good CAT coaching institutes that help you crack CAT with high score
- If you need to clear the concepts and build your basics before practicing sessions, CAT coaching centers suggest to start CAT preparation with a 6 month time margin.
10. Top CAT Coaching Centers in India
The choice of CAT coaching mode depends upon your interest, time, money and preparation level while preparing for CAT 2022 exam. Shared below are the top CAT coaching institutes with their key centres and available options for coaching:
| Top CAT 2022 Coaching Institutes | Class room or online Coaching | City wise CAT Preparation Center Location |
| TIME | Both | Delhi, Noida, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Gurgaon among total 100+ centres |
| Career Launcher | Both | Delhi, Noida, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Gurgaon among 80+ centres |
| IMS | Both | Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune, Ahmedabad among 50+ centres |
| Byju’s | Online | Online Coaching via Tablet anywhere in India & Abroad |
| 2IIM.com | Online | Online coaching course with videos, quizzes, practice tests, and slideshows. Classroom coaching in Chennai only |
| MBAGURU | Both | Centres across Delhi located in CP, Rajouri Garden, Pitampura, Kailash Colony |
| Arun Sharma’s Mindworkzz | Both | Mindworkzz has 3 centres in C P, Delhi and offers online coaching as well |
| Endeavor | Both | Ahmedabad, Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai, Pune among 20+ centres across India |
| BullsEye | Online | Offers Online Coaching |
| Tathagat | Classroom coaching | Centres located in Delhi, Noida |
| Alchemist | Classroom coaching | CP-Delhi, North Delhi, West Delhi and Gurgaon |
11. Self & Coaching Mixed CAT Preparation
CAT preparation can be self, with the support of CAT online or offline coaching or a mix of both. To begin and advance with your CAT preparation experts suggest:
- You should have strong basics with clarity on concepts
- Improve your weak areas and strengthen your strong areas
- Consistent revision is required with Mocks, practice tests, Quizzes
- Prepare a list of topics as per the syllabus and improve on each of them
- Form a peer group on social media for preparation
- Focus more on RC in VARC section; focus equally on DI & LR and practice more Arithmetic questions to clear the section wise cut offs
- Time Management with Accuracy & Speed is required. Consistently improve on them
- Consult best CAT preparation books and attempt their practice questions
- Read Interviews and tips from CAT Toppers studying at IIMs, FMS, SPJIMR, MDI, on their CAT preparation strategy published on MBAUniverse.com and other channels
11.1 CAT Preparation for VARC, DILR, Quant
The section wise CAT preparation strategy is very important. Key tips to prepare for each section is as below:
11.1.1 CAT VARC Preparation
- Go through the Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension Syllabus
- Choose the Best books
- Read the strategy for CAT Verbal Ability Preparation of past CAT toppers How to Ace CAT Verbal Ability
- Questions on RC passages in CAT constitute 70% share and Verbal questions are 30%. So focus and practice more RC based questions to crack CAT
Section-1: Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC): Composition
| Total MCQs (With negative marking) | 19 |
| Total Non-MCQs (Without negative marking) | 5 |
| Total Questions | 24 |
| Key Sectional Highlights | 4 RC Passages with 18 to 19 MCQs; VA 5-6 Non MCQs divided into Para jumbles, Para Summary, and Out of Context Sentences |
11.1.2 CAT DILR Preparation
DILR is the 2nd section in CAT exam. It plays very important role to clear the cut off percentile. The section has equal number of Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning Questions. You need to practice more to score high in this section. Experts advise following tips to prepare for DILR:
- Data Interpretation questions for CAT test your analytical skills of interpreting the Data given to you in the form of Table, Chart, Graph or in other form
- Logical Reasoning for CAT constitutes 50% share in the newly created Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation Comprehension (DILR) Section in CAT
- The goal of scoring high in CAT 2021 can be achieved with small but consistent efforts and time devoted to the DILR section.
- DILR preparation for CAT requires you to first get as many as DILR practice questions for CAT
- To move in direct DILR preparation direction, it will be better to refer to DILR questions for CAT with solutions
Section-2: Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR): Composition
| Total MCQs (With negative marking) | 15 |
| Total Non-MCQs (Without negative marking) | 5 |
| Total Questions | 20 |
| Key Sectional Highlights | LR – 12 Ques DI – 8 Ques All in Sets of 6 & 4 Qs |
11.1.3 CAT Quant Preparation
Quantitative Ability (QA) is the last section in CAT exam. It can improve or reduce your CAT score substantially. To score high in this section, experts advise following tips:
- A three dimensional approach is recommended on CAT Preparation for Quant section
- Strengthen your basics and formulae in Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, Modern Math and allied topics
- Practise on variety of questions of different difficulty level
- Finally solve previous CAT papers and Mocks for each topic. The more you do it, the more expertise in Quant section for CAT, you will get.
- QA Sectional Composition
Section-3: Quantitative Ability (QA)
| Total MCQs (With negative marking) | 14 |
| Total Non-MCQs (Without negative marking) | 8 |
| Total Questions | 22 |
| Key Sectional Highlights | High on Arithmetic. Other on Log, Geometry, Roots, Algebra |
12. Toppers’ Tips for CAT Preparation
Previous CAT Toppers studying at IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta, Kozhikode, Lucknow, Udaipur, FMS, SPJIMR, MDI have shared with MBAUniverse.com their CAT preparation strategy and how they overcame their weak areas and scored high. The last minute CAT preparation tips from these CAT toppers are very helpful in improving your score in the exam. Check Below
| CAT Topper | Studying At | CAT %ile | Profile |
| Shubham Bajaj | IIM Calcutta | 99.98 | B-Tech in CSE from IEM Kolkata, worked with Nomura |
| Nancy Jain | IIM Calcutta | 99.72 | B.Tech from IGDTUW, worked at Tata Motors |
| Ekansh Gupta | IIM Calcutta | 99.91 | B.Tech, from NIT Jamshedpur. Worked at EXL Services as Risk Analyst for a US bank |
| Nandan Goel | IIM Calcutta | 99.95 | BMS from Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies, DU, worked at DE Shaw |
| Yashvi Bansal | IIM Udaipur | 94.72 | BBA Marketing from Auro University Surat |
| Venkata Satya SrikarMedisetti | IIM Udaipur | 98.44 | B.Tech from NITK Suratkhal, Worked in a pharmaceutical company |
12.1 How did CAT Toppers Prepare for Each Section in CAT? Check Strategy
Sectional CAT preparation strategy as followed by these toppers is shared below:
13. CAT Preparation with CAT Mocks: How do CAT Mocks help in CAT Preparation?
CAT toppers are of the view that taking Mocks is of utmost importance as it is a very important CAT preparation tool. How to take CAT mocks and how they will help in your CAT preparation is shared by CAT toppers as below:
Shubham Bajaj, IIM Calcutta MBA student is of the view, “I was more or less dependent upon mocks for most of my preparation. And I wanted the mocks, where the number of people attempting the mocks are more. So, I chose Time and IMS (both having 15k people approx).” Key Tips shared by him are:
- You need to keep solving the mocks on a regular basis, may be one mock or two mocks a week Even if a particular portion is incomplete, you should attempt the mock and test the concepts which you have prepared.
- Also, for the chapters which are not completed, you will understand on how to have the roadmap for preparation for that particular topic.
- Along with the mocks, mock analysis is extremely important. Giving 20 mocks and analyzing them is much better than appearing for 50+ mocks without analysis
Nancy Jain, IIM Calcutta MBA student shares, “ Mocks played a major role in my CAT prep. I started with 1-2 mocks/week and eventually increased it to 1-2 mocks/day.”Key tips shared by her are:
- Mocks provide with an environment almost similar to the actual exam D-day
- With the help of mocks, you are able to keep a regular check on your performance
- A proper mock analysis helps you understand your weak and strong areas.
- Tweak mock strategies to remain prepared for the uncertainties
Ekansh Gupta, IIM Calcutta MBA student says, “Mocks were a very important part of my preparation strategy and starting from April’20 I gave around 40 full-length mocks till Nov’20.” Key tips shared by him are:
- Main advantage that mocks provide you is to get habitual of the emotions that one faces during an exam. For eg if your one section was bad then mocks give you ample opportunity to learn from mistakes and how to control your emotions in the next sections
- One other benefit that mock provide you if you are enrolled for two three mock series is a real-time analysis of your competition in actual CAT.
Nandan Goel, MBA student at IIM Calcutta shares, “ Mocks played a really big role in my preparation. Around 40% of the time of my preparation went towards mocks. I attempted around 45 full mocks (2-hr mocks) and around 200 sectional tests.” Key tips shared by him to prepare for CAT through Mocks are:
- Mocks give an idea about the different kind of questions and the level of stress which we can experience during the D-day
- Mocks teach us how to manage the time while attempting the questions and also give checks to your state of preparation.
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14. CAT Eligibility Criteria 2022
Below are the important points that determine CAT eligibility criteria 2022
- A candidate with minimum 50% marks in graduation can appear in CAT 2022
- A final year student in graduation can also appear in CAT 2022 conducted by IIM
- There is no age limit to apply and appear in CAT 2022
15. Why is CAT 2022 so Important for MBA Aspirants?
CAT 2022 is the largest MBA Entrance exam for MBA admission 2023 in 20 IIMs and more than 1000 other top MBA colleges including FMS Delhi, SPJIMR Mumbai, MDI Gurgaon, IITs among others who accept CAT score for admission. MBA admission opportunity at more than 20000 seats in top colleges, will be offered to the students for 2023-25 batch with CAT 2022 score.
So, if you are planning to pursue MBA from one of the top MBA colleges in India and also want to appear in only the best admission test for the best management institutes, Common Admission Test (CAT) 2022 is the answer. CAT is the largest and prestigious MBA entrance test and its score is accepted not only by all the IIMs but also almost all the best MBA colleges in India. It is the only MBA entrance exam which can lead you to MBA admission with your high as well as very low percentile. More than 3000 MBA colleges in India accept CAT score. These are high RoI low fee, moderate fee and high fee management institutes where you can explore MBA admission opportunity through CAT exam score. Besides, CAT exam over the years has become moderate difficulty exam with short duration and a graduate with only 50% marks can appear in the exam.
16. Which IIM Conducts CAT Exam? Past CAT Conveners
Going by the tradition, one of the six older IIMs conducts CAT on behalf of 20 IIMs for admission to their flagship MBA and other management programmes. In 2015, Common Admission Test (CAT) witnessed many changes when it was conducted by IIM Ahmedabad. Since then, the exam has seen various changes.
This year, IIM Bangalore is conducting CAT 2022 with some new changes in test content and structure. Professor Ashis Mishra, faculty in Marketing Area and Chairperson Admissions at IIM Bangalore is the Convener of CAT 2022 exam. This is the second time that IIM Bangalore is conducting CAT exam within a span of 7 years. Earlier, IIM Bangalore conducted CAT in 2016. Last year IIM Ahmedabad conducted the CAT 2021 exam with many changes. Below are shared the details of CAT conveners since 2015
| Exam | CAT Convener | CAT Conducting IIM |
| CAT 2022 | Dr Ashis Mishra | IIM Bangalore |
| CAT 2021 | Dr M P Ram Mohan | IIM Ahmedabad |
| CAT 2020 | Dr Harshal Lowalekar | IIM Indore |
| CAT 2019 | Dr Shubhasis Dey | IIM Kozhikode |
| CAT 2018 | Dr Sumanta Basu | IIM Calcutta |
| CAT 2017 | Dr Neeraj Dwivedi | IIM Lucknow |
| CAT 2016 | Dr Rajendra K Bandi | IIM Bangalore |
| CAT 2015 | Dr Tathagat Bandyopadhyay | IIM Ahmedabad |
17. CAT 2022 Cut offs for IIMs for Admission 2023 through CAT
All the 20 IIMs including the top IIMs namely, IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, IIM Lucknow, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Indore in which average salary in placement is more than Rs.20 lakhs per annum, offer MBA admission through high CAT exam score. The required CAT cut off percentile in all these IIMs for admission 2023 is shared below.
| Top IIMs | Minimum CAT Cut off percentile Required |
| IIM Ahmedabad | 80 |
| IIM Bangalore | 85 |
| IIM Calcutta | 85 |
| IIM Lucknow | 90 |
| IIM Indore | 90 |
| IIM Kozhikode | 90 |
| IIM Tiruchirappalli | 92 |
| IIM Shillong | 90 |
| IIM Udaipur | 92 |
| IIM Rohtak | 95 |
| IIM Kashipur | 92 |
| IIM Ranchi | 92 |
| IIM Raipur | 92 |
| IIM Bodhgaya | 92 |
| IIM Jammu | 92 |
| IIM Sambalpur | 92 |
| IIM Sirmaur | 92 |
| IIM Amritsar | 85 |
| IIM Nagpur | 85 |
| IIM Visakhapatnam | 80 |
18. CAT 2022 Cut off for Non-IIMs: Top MBA Colleges Accepting CAT other than IIMs
More than Top 500 MBA colleges in India will accept CAT 2022 score for MBA admission 2023. Apart from 20 IIMs, other top MBA colleges with CAT cut offs in non-IIM category, include FMS Delhi, MDI Gurgaon, SPJIMR Mumbai, SJMSoM IIT Mumbai, DoMS IIT Delhi among others. Some of the top colleges accepting CAT 2022 with their expected cut offs are as below:
| Top MBA Colleges (Non-IIMs with CAT cut offs) | Expected CAT 2022 Cut Off Percentile |
| Faculty of Management Studies (FMS) New Delhi | 97 |
| Management Development Institute (MDI) Gurgaon | 94 |
| SPJIMR Mumbai | 85 |
| DMS-IIT Delhi | 90 |
| SJMSoM-IIT Bombay | 90 |
| International Management Institute (IMI) New Delhi | 90 |
| Institute of Management Technology (IMT) Ghaziabad | 90 |
| K J Somaiya Institute of Management Mumbai | 85 |
| T. A. Pai Management Institute (TAPMI), Manipal | 85 |
| FORE School of Management (FSM) New Delhi | 85+ |
| Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Management (LBSIM) New Delhi | 85 |
| Great Lakes Institute of Management (GLIM) Chennai | 80 |
19. MBA Courses Offered by IIMs through CAT
Apart from being the most important entrance test for the flagship 2 years full time post graduate management program (MBA/PGDM), CAT 2022 is the gateway for one year MBA programmes in IIMs and other prominent management institutes. Following are the various MBA courses and other management programs at IIMs in which admission 2023 is available through Common Admission Test 2022
| Indian Institute of Management (IIM) | MBA Courses Open for Admission 2023 through CAT 2022 |
| IIM Ahmedabad | PGP, PGP-FABM |
| IIM Amritsar | MBA, EMBA, MBA-Business Analytics, MBA-HRM |
| IIM Bangalore | PGP, PGPEM, PGPBA |
| IIM Bodh Gaya | PGP |
| IIM Calcutta | MBA |
| IIM Indore | PGP, PGP-HRM |
| IIM Jammu | MBA |
| IIM Kashipur | MBA, MBA (Analytics), EMBA |
| IIM Kozhikode | PGP, PGP-BL, PGP-F, PGP-LSM, EPGP (At Kochi campus) |
| IIM Lucknow | PGP, PGP-ABM, PGP-SM |
| IIM Nagpur | PGP |
| IIM Raipur | PGP |
| IIM Ranchi | PGP, PGP-HRM, PGP (Business Analytics) |
| IIM Rohtak | PGP, EPGPX, EPGDSM |
| IIM Sambalpur | MBA, Executive MBA |
| IIM Shillong | PGP, PGPEX, PGPWE |
| IIM Sirmaur | MBA, MBA (T&HM) |
| IIM Tiruchirappalli | PGP, PGPM-HR, PGPBM |
| IIM Udaipur | MBA, MBA-DEM, MBA-GSCM, PGDBAWE |
| IIM Visakhapatnam | PGP, PGPEX, PGPDGM |
19.1 Admission Process in IIMs through CAT
Step by Step IIM Admission process through CAT 2022 is shared below. Each of the 20 IIMs follow this admission procedure except the fact that 9 new and baby IIMs conduct Common Admission Process (CAP) to avoid multiple individual PI rounds
20. CAT Exam Centers in India
CAT 2022 will be held in 150 test cities at more than 400 exam centres across the country. List of State Wise CAT Test Cities is given below in the Tabular Form
| State | Test Cities |
| Andaman & Nicobar Islands | Port Blair |
| Andhra Pradesh | Guntur; Kakinada; Kurnool; Nellore; Rajahmundry; Tirupathi; Vijayawada; Visakhapatnam |
| Arunachal Pradesh | Itanagar |
| Assam | Dibrugarh; Guwahati; Silchar |
| Bihar | Aurangabad; Muzaffarpur; Patna; Purnea |
| Chandigarh | Chandigarh |
| Chhattisgarh | Bhilai; Raipur |
| Delhi | Delhi; New Delhi |
| Goa | Madgaon; Panaji |
| Gujarat | Ahmedabad; Anand; Gandhinagar; Rajkot; Surat; Vadodara |
| Haryana | Ambala; Bahadurgarh; Faridabad – Gurgaon; Hisar; Palwal; Panipath; Rohtak; Sonipat |
| Himachal Pradesh | Simla; Waknaghat |
| Jammu & Kashmir | Jammu; Samba |
| Jharkhand | Bokaro; Dhanbad; Jamshedpur; Ranchi |
| Karnataka | Banglore; Belagavi (Belgaum); Dharwad; Gulbarga; Hubli; Mangalore; Mysore; Udupi |
| Kerala | Ernakulam; Kasaragod; Kollam; Kozhikode; Malappuram; Thrissur; Trivandrum |
| Madhya Pradesh | Bhopal; Gwalior; Indore; Jabalpur; Sagar |
| Maharashtra | Ahmednagar; Amravati; Aurangabad; Jalgaon; Kolhapur; Mumbai, Navi Mumbai; Nagpur; Nanded; Nashik; Pune; Raigad; Satara; Solapur; Thane; Ulhasnagar |
| Meghalaya | Shillong |
| Odisha | Balasore; Berhampur; Bhubaneswar; Cuttack; Dhenkanal; Sambalpur; Rourkela |
| Puducherry | Puducherry |
| Punjab | Bhatinda; Chandigarh; Fatehgarh Sahib; Jalandhar; Ludhiana; Mohali; Pathankot; Patiala; Ropar; Sangrur |
| Rajasthan | Ajmer; Alwar; Jaipur; Jodhpur; Kota; Sikar; Udaipur |
| Tamilnadu | Chennai; Coimbatore; Madurai; Namakkal; Thanjavur; Tiruchirappalli; Tirunelvelli |
| Telangana | Hyderabad; Karim Nagar; Warangal |
| Uttar Pradesh | Agra; Allahabad; Barabanki; Bareilly; Ghaziabad; Gorakhpur; Noida – Greater Noida; Kanpur; Lucknow; Mathura; Meerut; Muzaffarnagar; Varanasi |
| Uttarakhand | Dehradun; Roorkee |
| West Bengal | Asansol; Bankura; Burdwan; Durgapur; Hooghly; Howrah; |
21. CAT 2022 Admit Card
CAT 2022 Admit Card download will start from October 2022 last week, immediately with the release of the CAT hall ticket by IIMs. IIMs will upload the CAT 2022 Admit card on official CAT exam website 2022. The CAT admit card release date may be extended by a few days in case the last date of registration for CAT 2022 exam is extended. The last date to download the CAT Admit Card is CAT 2022 exam date.
3 Steps to Download CAT 2022 Admit Card
- Logon to CAT official Website
- Enter CAT Login ID & Password & Click on ‘Admit Card’
- Click on Download & Take Print of CAT Admit card
22. CAT 2022 Result & IIMs’ Final Selection Process
CAT 2022 exam official result declaration date is 2nd week of January 2023. However, IIMs release the CAT result in the first week of January. It is likely that CAT 2022 result may be released on January 5, 2023 in morning hours. Immediately after the CAT result declaration, IIMs will start announcing their shortlist on the basis of CAT scores and other parameters in their shortlisting criteria for final selection round. The final admission offer will be made to the candidates in the months of April/May 2023 by IIMs
IIMs release their individual admission process before the declaration of CAT exam result. The admission process in IIMs depends upon your performance in three major areas – Your CAT 2022 exam score; your academic record and performance in Personal Interview round. There are three stages through which IIM Admission Process is completed, they are:
- Stage-1: Performance in CAT Exam
- Stage-2: Shortlisting by IIMs for PI round
- Stage-3: IIMs Final Selection Process 2023 comprising WAT & PI Round
Your final admission offer depends upon your performance in all the above three stages of IIMs selection process. While the older IIMs conduct their individual selection process, 9 new and baby IIMs conduct common admission process (CAP) for admission. Remaining IIMs conduct their individual selection process. Sharing the details on selection process based on CAT 2022 for all the 20 IIMs, Prof Ashis Mishra, faculty at IIM Bangalore and CAT 2022 exam convener has clarified, “IIMs shortlist candidates for the interview stage based on their own criteria, which may be independent of each other. The process may include Written Ability Test (WAT), Group Discussion (GD) and Personal Interviews (PI). Performance in the CAT 2022 examination is an important component in the admission process. IIMs may additionally use other factors such as the previous academic performance of the candidates, relevant work experience, gender and academic diversity and other similar inputs in shortlisting and ranking of candidates at various stages of the admission process. The processes, academic cut-offs and the weights allocated to the evaluation parameters may vary across IIMs.”
22.1 Top IIMs Conduct Individual Admission Process
IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta, Lucknow, Indore, Kozhikode, Shillong individually shortlist the candidates and conduct their own admission process that award high weightage to academics, diversity, work experience apart from CAT exam score
22.2 Common Admission Process (CAP) for 9 IIMs
The final selection process at 9 new IIMs is conducted as a common process. One of the six new IIMs co-ordinates this selection process which is referred to as Common Admission Process (CAP). The CAP 2023 will consist of common WAT and PI round for 9 new IIMs namely IIM Kashipur, Raipur, Ranchi, Trichy,Udaipur and some of the newest IIMs like IIM Bodhgaya, Sambalpur, Sirmaur, Jammu.
22.3 IIM Nagpur, IIM Rohtak, IIM Visakhapatnam to conduct individual admission process
IIM Nagpur, IIM Rohtak and IIM Visakhapatnam do not participate in CAP round and conduct their own final selection process to make admission offer to the students. The final admission offers will be generated as per the merit lists prepared on the basis of CAT scores, Academic profile, Work experience and gender diversity in accordance with the weightage awarded to each of these factors.
23. CAT 2022 Important Dates
Following are the CAT 2022 important dates like CAT Notification release date, CAT exam date, and for other different activities related to the CAT exam 2022:
| Events | CAT Important Dates |
| CAT Notification Release Date 2022 | July 31, 2022 |
| CAT Registration Start Date | August 3, 2022 |
| Last Date to Apply for CAT exam 2022 | September 14, 2022 |
| CAT 2022 Registration & Application Fee | Rs.2300/- |
| CAT 2022 Admit card Download Start date | October 27, 2022 |
| Last Date for CAT 2022 Admit Card Download | November 27, 2022 |
| CAT 2022 Exam date | November 27, 2022 |
| CAT 2022 Result date | January 5, 2023 (Expected) |
24. Important Changes in CAT Exam over the Years
Journey of IIM-CAT has witnessed substantial changes. In recent years, number of sections and type of questions in CAT have changed substantially. Important changes in pattern and conduct of CAT are shared below:
- CAT has changed from Paper Based to Computer based test
- CAT now has 3 sections instead of 2
- CAT has introduced 25 to 30 percent questions with No Negative marking
CAT Exam pattern over the past 12 years since it was computerized in 2009 has gone for perceptible changes. CAT paper pattern prior to 2009 was paper-pen based. CAT exam format was changed from paper based exam to CAT online computer based test in 2009. Even after that CAT paper pattern continued changing from 3 sections to 2 and then CAT pattern was changed to 3 sections in 2015. Since then CAT is following similar pattern. CAT 2022 pattern also remains the same as that of CAT exam 2022 pattern with 3 sections and 3 hours time although the number of MCQs and Non-MCQs may change.
25. Important Points about CAT 2022
Key points to note about CAT exam are given below:
25.1 When CAT is Conducted?
- CAT is conducted annually.
- Now conducted preferably on the last Sunday of November every year
- The exam is conducted on a single day in three sessions – morning, afternoon and evening with a duration of 2 hours for each session. From 2015 to 2019, CAT was 3 hour, two session exam.
- The change in sessions and time duration is due to Covid-19 pandemic.
25.2 What is Mode of CAT?
CAT is a computer based entrance test of two hours duration
25.3 When to look for CAT Notification and complete CAT Information?
IIMs release all the details about CAT in leading news papers on the last Sunday of July every year. A day before this publication, the CAT convener sends the press release with important details about CAT on the designated web portals. The process to register and apply for CAT starts in the 1st week of August.
25.4 How difficult is CAT?
Despite being a highly competitive and most important MBA entrance exam in India, the difficulty level of CAT is considered moderate to high.
25.5 Scoring Pattern in CAT
Each correct answer in CAT is awarded with 3 marks. The raw score obtained in CAT is converted to scaled score and then converted to percentile score after allowing for equating and normalizing the scores for both the sessions in CAT.
IIMs and other top MBA colleges consider percentile awarded in CAT to shortlist the candidates for final selection round.
26. CAT Exam 2022 Notification: Key Details
CAT 2022 Advertisement or CAT 2022 Notification was released with all the details on July 31, 2022 by IIM Bangalore. CAT 2022 exam Notification as released by IIMs contains all the CAT exam dates, test duration & sessions, eligibility criteria,
