What is the CAT 2020 Exam?
The full form of CAT is the Common Admission Test. CAT Exam is the most popular national-level management entrance exam conducted by the Indian Institute of Management (IIMs) for admission to 20 IIM's and more than 100 B-schools across India. It is conducted and administered by one of the IIMs on a yearly rotational basis.
- Purpose: CAT 2020 exam helps management course aspirants to get admission in Top Management Colleges in India. The number of applicants for CAT 2020 is expected to be more than 2 lakh. Last year around 2.41 lakh candidates had registered themselves for this exam. It is conducted once every year.
- Programs Offered: Through CAT, IIMs offer MBA, PGP, PGP-FABM, PGPEM, PGDM, EPGP PGPSM, PGPWE, PGDHRM, PGPEX, and PGPBM.
- Level of Difficulty: CAT 2020 is an aptitude test designed to evaluate an applicant's Quantitative, Verbal/reading, Data Interpretation, and Reasoning Skills. After analyzing CAT previous year papers, it is evident that Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) has always been the toughest section in the paper. VARC (Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension) section complexity is mostly moderate and QA so far has always been the easiest. More details on the Syllabus and Exam Pattern for CAT 2020 is part of this article.
- CAT Scores: CAT 2020 Scorecard contains percentile marks. Candidates attempting 63-67 questions with the right responses can expect a decent CAT Percentile. However, the percentile is a relative measure of the performance as it depends on how good/bad other test takers perform.
- Application Fee Payment: Payment of CAT 2020 Application Fee can be made online via Debit Card/ Credit Card/ Internet Banking only. Offline payment is not accepted.
- Admissions and Placement: More than 50 institutes offering masters or postgraduate diplomas in management across India consider the CAT 2020 exam score as valid criteria for admission every year.
| Exam Name | CAT or Common Admission Test |
| Conducting Authority | Indian Institute Of Management |
| Exam Mode | Online |
| CAT Exam Purpose | Admission in top management colleges in India. |
| CAT Exam Duration | 180 minutes |
| CAT Exam Level | National Level |
| Exam Website | iimcat.ac.in |
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CAT 2020 Exam Date
- The conducting authority has declared the CAT 2020 exam date on the official website. The CAT 2020 Exam date will be conducted on November 29, 2020.
- IIM will commence registrations tentatively from August 5, 2020. The last date to apply for CAT 2020 is expected to be September 16, 2020.
Given below are tentative dates of events for the CAT 2020 Exam.
| Important Events | Dates (Tentative) |
|---|---|
| Official Notification | July 29, 2020 |
| CAT 2020 Application Form Start Date | August 5, 2020 |
| CAT 2020 Application Form Last Date | September 16, 2020 |
| CAT Tutorials on the official website | October 16, 2020 |
| CAT 2020 Form Correction Date | September 2020 |
| CAT 2020 Mock Test Release Date | October 16, 2020 |
| CAT 2020 Admit Card Availability | October 28, 2020 |
| CAT 2020 Exam Date | November 29, 2020 |
| CAT 2020 Results Announcement | January 5, 2021 |
CAT 2020 Eligibility Criteria
- Educational Qualifications: To satisfy CAT 2020 eligibility, candidates need to have completed their graduation degree with a minimum of 50% aggregate marks or obtained an equivalent CGPA from a recognized university or educational institute. The college or institute that a candidate has studied in shall abide by the Act of Parliament or State legislature in India or declared to be deemed as a University under Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956, or possess an equivalent qualification recognized by the Ministry of HRD, Government of India. Candidates who are in the final year of their UG courses are also eligible to apply for CAT 2020. Further, if that candidate gets admission into an IIM he or she will be allowed to join the programme provisionally only if he/she produces a certificate from the principal or registrar of the institute or university in which he/she has studied. The certificate must state that the student has completed all the necessary procedures for a Bachelor's degree. Moreover, this certificate must be issued on or before the stipulated time mentioned by the particular IIM in which the student secures admission.
- Age and Number of Attempts: Under CAT 2020 eligibility there is no restriction for the upper age limit of a candidate. Also, there is no limit to the number of attempts. Candidates need to fill information about work experience (if any) in the application form, however, it is not a criterion to be fulfilled to attempt the entrance exam.
- Foreign Nationals: The eligibility that is needed for foreign nationals, PIO’s or NRIs is that they must have a Bachelors degree with a minimum of 50% (candidates of the SC/ST, PWD categories must have a minimum of 45%). The certification must be from any of the Universities that are accredited by the Ministry of HRD, Government of India. Candidates who will be writing the final exam are also qualified to appear for the CAT exam. Those who have finished their studies and are expecting their results can submit an application for the exam too.
- Reservation: Applicants who have a CA/CS/ICWA degree will also be considered eligible to apply for CAT. General category candidates and candidates under the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) need to have obtained a minimum score of 50% in any of the Bachelor's degree programs, whereas reserved category (SC/ST/PWD) candidates must have obtained a minimum of 45% aggregate marks. Check the table below for the minimum percentage required for the following categories:
| Category | Percentage of minimum marks |
|---|---|
| General and OBC/ EWS | 50 |
| Scheduled Caste (SC) | 45 |
| Scheduled Tribe (ST) | 45 |
| Persons with Disabilities (PwD) | 45 |
CAT 2020 Syllabus Details
CAT 2020 syllabus is based on questions asked from various topics. CAT exam syllabus is divided into 3 sections which test the Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR), Verbal Ability (VA), and Quantitative Aptitude (QA). General Awareness is not part of the CAT. The syllabus for CAT usually remains the same for every year. The only difference lies in the manner in the question format. Core topics in each section are listed below.
CAT 2020 Exam Pattern
A thorough understanding of the CAT 2020 Exam Pattern can give a candidate a competitive and strategic advantage in terms of preparation and securing high scores. The CAT 2020 Exam Pattern is discussed at length below:
- The Exam Pattern for CAT 2020 will consist of 3 sections with a total of 100 questions. Section-wise scores are very important as CAT requires the candidate to qualify section-wise cutoffs as well.
- 3 marks will be awarded for each correct answer and 1 mark will be deducted for every incorrect answer. No marks will be deducted for unattempted questions.
- CAT 2020 examination will be conducted Online (Computer-based test).
- CAT 2020 paper will consist of 2 types of questions: MCQs (Multiple Choice Questions) as well as non-MCQs.
- Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning, Quantitative Ability, Verbal and Reading Comprehension are the broad sections that will be covered in the CAT 2020 exam pattern.
- Candidates will be provided 3 hours (180 minutes) to complete the exam which accounts for an hour per section.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Mode | Online i.e. Computer-based Test (CBT) |
| Question Type | Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ's) |
| Duration | 3 Hours or 180 Minutes |
| CAT 2020 Total Marks | 100 |
| CAT 2020 Marking Scheme |
+3 Marks for Correct Answers -1 Marks for Wrong Answers No marks will be deducted for unattempted questions |
| Subjects |
Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning, Quantitative Ability, Verbal Reasoning and Reading Comprehension |
| Medium/Language | English |
CAT 2020 Application Form
After completing the above-mentioned registration process, candidates can proceed to fill out the CAT 2020 application form. On successful completion of the application process an email, a message on the registered mobile number will be sent confirming the status of the candidate's CAT 2020 application form. The application status is “Successfully Submitted” if the application gets accepted or else “Application Rejected” is shown indicating any mistake made during the process.
