Latest Update: 190,144 candidates appeared in CAT 2020 on Nov 29, 2020: Reveals IIM Indore after Release of CAT 2020 Result 

After releasing the CAT 2020 exam result on January 2, 2020, fastest so far, IIM Indore has released key highlights of CAT 2020 Result on January 4, 2021 in a media release: 

•   A total of 1,90,144 candidates out of total number of 227,835 applicants, had appeared for the examination. The gender distribution of candidates who appeared for CAT 2020 is as follows:
  • Number of female candidates: 66,755
  • Number of male candidates: 1,23,388
  • Number of transgender candidates: 01
• 9 candidates have scored an overall 100 percentile in the CAT 2020 examination. They are all males.
• 7 out of the nine candidates receiving the highest overall percentile are from the engineering/technology background, 1 candidate is from mathematics background and 1 is from management background.
• Of the nine candidates, 5 candidates are from the IITs, and the remaining four candidates are from IIM Indore (IPM program), BITS Pilani, Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, and YMCA institute of Engineering respectively.
• Of the candidates scoring an overall 100 percentile, 3 candidates are from Rajasthan and the remaining six candidates are from Delhi, Haryana, Maharashtra, Punjab, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh respectively.
• 19 candidates have scored an overall 99.99 percentile in CAT 2020, of which 18 are male and 1 is female. Out of these candidates 16 are from the engineering/technology, 2 are from economics and 1 is from management background

 As you prepare for IIMs Shortlist announcements, check following important links:

CAT Score Vs Percentile | Top MBA Colleges Accepting CAT 2020 | MBA Admission 2020: Last Date to apply for top B-schools

MBAUniverse.com has published CAT 2020 exam analysis for all the slots with key changes in exam pattern, difficulty level and likely cut offs as predicted by experts. A glimpse of CAT exam 2020 analysis is given below. Read detailed CAT Analysis here. After the CAT exam, candidates are now looking for their likely percentile based on their performance, you can check your CAT percentile with the Live CAT Percentile Predictor by MBAUniverse.com and can also check what percentile range you would get with your raw CAT score 

Key highlights of CAT 2020 Exam Analysis:

• Total Duration: 120 Mins
• Total Number of Questions: 76
• Non MCQs: 22
• Number of Question in Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC): 26 
• Number of Question in Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR): 24
• Number of Question in Quantitative Ability (QA): 26
• Overall Difficulty Level: Slot-1 Easy; Slot-2 More difficult than slot-1; Slot-3 Most difficult

CAT 2020: Major Changes in Exam Pattern  
CAT 2020 Centre has substantially changed the CAT 2020 exam pattern

• CAT 2020 Exam had 76 Questions as against 100 questions earlier
• Difficulty level in CAT 2020 went up in each slot
• CAT 2020 Exam duration was changed to 2 hours from earlier 3 hours
• 40 Minutes were allotted to attempt each section instead of earlier 60 minutes
• MCQs had 1/3 negative marking and Non-MCQs did not carry penalty of negative marking
• 4 answer options for each MCQ type question
• Answer had to be typed in the given space on computer screen for Non-MCQ.
• Score awarded for each correct answer: + 3 marks
• Negative marking (Applicable for wrong answers in MCQs): - 1 mark

CAT 2020 Question Paper Pattern & Changes
The CAT 2020 question paper of 2 hours duration with key changes had the following pattern and sectional composition. CAT exam sectional order from Section-1 to Section-3, number and type of questions in each section, questions with and without negative marking and total maximum marks available for each section are as below:

Source: MBAUniverse.com analysis

First Analysis by Career Launcher for MBAUniverse.com

Mr Arks Srinivas, National Head MBA Prep (India & Abroad), Career Launcher, shared this first analysis at a Live Sessions on MBAUniverse.com at 11.15 AM today.

Overall, CAT 2020 was a more difficult paper that CAT 2019.

Verbal & RC

• Total 26 Questions, lengthy paper with 4 RC Passages
• Not straight forward questions, Inference based questions

DILR Verbal & RC

• Total 24 Questions
• 5 Sets of questions makes it difficult
• 1 set on Set Theory was difficult
• 1 Set was easy
• 12-14 Qs is a good attempt
• Tougher than CAT 2019 Paper

Quant

• A lot of easy questions like CAT 2017
• Arithmetic, Algebra & Log Question made this section easier

Career Launched CAT 2020 Cut off Predictions based on Slot 1 Exam
Arks share following predictions for getting 99%.

Stay tuned to MBAUniverse.com for more updates. 

Countdown to CAT 2020 has begun with the CAT exam scheduled on Nov 29, 2020 in three slots. Read below the five most important tips and guide for D-Day as well as the must follow Covid-19 norms at the test centre, as released by IIM Indore. CAT convener has requested all the states in India to allow the CAT Admit Cards as the Covid-19 curfew/lockdown passes for smooth conduct of the exam.

How to Check Total Questions in Revised Pattern of CAT 2020? 
CAT official Mock Test does not reveal the number of questions expected in CAT exam 2020. According to CAT 2020 convener, "CAT generally does not reveal the number or type of questions or the paper pattern. In fact, the CAT pattern is regularly changed so that the exam does not become predictable.” However, CAT experts have predicted that there would be a different sectional composition of CAT 2020 exam with 30 to 35% fall in number of questions and candidates should prepare accordingly. Read in detail How to prepare for CAT 2020 in short period of 45 days

CAT 2020: Registration Deadline closed Sep 23
Registration for CAT 2020 closed at 5.00 pm on September 23, 2020 after getting extended by one week from September 16. No further extension in CAT registration was granted. The CAT convenor urged test takers to register well in advance to allow themselves a hassle-free registration process and to avoid a last-minute rush. Those who missed CAT Registration even because of non-payment of registration fee, did not get any chance to apply after September 23, 2020.  

IIM Indore has released the completely revised CAT 2020 exam details and schedule on its official Website (iimcat.ac.in). CAT 2020 convener Professor Harshal Lowalekar, faculty and admission chair at IIM Indore has announced many aspirant friendly features for CAT 2020 to counter the Covid-19 pandemic challenges. 

CAT 2020 May go for More Changes
IIM Indore has clarified that due to COVID 19 related disruptions, CAT 2020 may undergo more changes in future. CAT Center 2020 said. “CAT 2020 process is to be conducted taking into account the COVID crisis. The information provided by the CAT website is contingent upon the decisions and directions issued from time to time by the Central & State governments and IIMs. Candidates are advised to regularly check the CAT website for further information”.

CAT 2020: 10 Key Points to Note in Revised Exam Pattern

• CAT 2020 Exam date is November 29, 2020
• Exam will be held in three slots Morning, Afternoon & Evening
• CAT 2020 exam duration is reduced to 2 hours from earlier 3 hours for each slot
• Total questions in CAT 2020 exam are expected to be reduced by 30% from earlier 100 questions 
• CAT 2020 exam remains divided into three sections
• 40 Minutes time will be allotted to attempt each section in CAT 2020 instead of 60 minutes last year
• CAT 2020 exam online registration last date was extended by a week’s time till Sep 23
• CAT exam Registration Fee was increased by Rs.100 to Rs 2000/- as against Rs.1900/- last year
• CAT testing mode is computer based as was last year. Candidates need to attend the exam at test centres
• CAT 2020 Test Cities are 156
• Official CAT 2020 Mock Test to understand the CAT exam pattern will be released sometime late in October 2020

Common Admission Test, popularly known as CAT, is the largest MBA Entrance Exam for Admission to 20 IIMs, FMS Delhi, IIT -DoMs, SPJIMR, MDI and 500+ MBA Colleges in India. Every year more than 2,40,000 students from all disciplines including Engineering, Commerce, Humanities and even Law take CAT exam to get into  6,500 MBA seats in IIMs.

In this article, you will read all key points to plan your CAT 2020 journey, including important dates, syllabus & pattern, how to prepare, past CAT toppers interviews and much more. You will also find important links to Free CAT Mock Tests and genuine Past CAT Test Papers released by IIMs to prepare yourself for the CAT exam. So, read it till the end. 

What is CAT Exam?
CAT is the Common Admission Test for admission to MBA/PGDM programmes in 20 Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and other top MBA colleges like FMS Delhi, MDI Gurgaon, SPJIMR Mumbai, IMI New Delhi, IMT Ghaziabad and hundreds of other top MBA colleges in India. IIMs will offer admission on the basis of CAT 2020 only and will not accept any other test score. There are more than 155 cities and more than 400 venues where CAT 2020 will be conducted in India. Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and Indian institute of Science (IISC) also use CAT for admission to their Management programmes. 

CAT 2020 Exam: Highlights & Key Features
Following are the salient features of CAT 2020 with details on CAT exam date 2020, CAT Notification, CAT eligibility among other key points

Eligibility to Appear in CAT 2020
A candidate with minimum 50% marks in graduation can appear in CAT 2020. A final year student in graduation can also appear in CAT conducted by IIMs. However, there is no age limit to apply and appear in CAT 2020. 

CAT 2020 Important Dates
Following are the CAT 2020 important dates for different activities related to the CAT exam 2020:

CAT Exam Details 2020: Pattern
CAT exam details and exam structure since 2015 had remained on similar pattern. However CAT 2020 has brought many changes in time duration, test slots, number of questions and sectional time limit as under:

• 120 Minutes Exam: CAT 2020 is a computer delivered test of 2 hours duration but it is not an Online Exam
• Fewer Questions: CAT 2020 is expected to have 66 to 70 questions divided in 3 sections of VARC, DILR and Quantitative Ability. Earlier CAT used to have 100 questions divided in three sections
• 25% No Penalty Questions: More than 25% questions will not have negative marking in CAT exam. CAT 2020 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.
• 70-75% CAT Questions with Negative Marking: More than 70% questions in CAT 2020 are of MCQ type and will carry penalty of 1/3 negative marking
• Minimum CAT Score Requirement by IIMs: A Minimum qualifying score between 70 and 90 percentile in CAT 2020 is required by IIMs in each of the 3 sections to shortlist candidates for final admission round
• Other Criteria with CAT score: Apart from High score in each of the 3 sections in CAT 2020 exam, you need to have good academic profile, diversity, to get into IIMs.

CAT 2020 Exam Syllabus
During the last 4 years, CAT exam syllabus has substantially changed. Major changes in CAT Syllabus 2020 are:

• CAT Syllabus is changed and contains different type of questions now.
• 25-30% Questions in CAT syllabus are no penalty questions now
• Most of the changes in CAT syllabus have taken place in the Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension Section as the topics and number of questions in VARC section have changed.
• A few changes in CAT syllabus have been introduced in Quantitative Ability section with more focus on Arithmetic questions

Although CAT exam Syllabus is not pre-defined by IIMs, it overall tests the candidate on Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension; Quantitative Aptitude; Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning. Read More about CAT Syllabus

When CAT is conducted?

• CAT is conducted annually.
• Now conducted preferably on the last Sunday of November or the first Sunday of December every year
• With effect from 2015, CAT was conducted on a single day in two sessions – morning and evening. However, due to Covid-19 pandemic and to follow the safe social distancing norms, CAT 2020 is conducted in three slots on same date on November 29, 2020. Prior to 2015, CAT was conducted in multiple sessions on multiple days. 

Which IIM Conducts CAT?
IIM Indore is conducting CAT 2020. CAT is conducted by one of older IIMs by policy of rotation each year. There are six IIMs who conduct CAT one by one, they are IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, IIM Indore, IIM Kozhikode and IIM Lucknow. Since other 14 IIMs were established later, the responsibility to conduct CAT has not yet been assigned to any of them. 

Mode of CAT
CAT is a computer based entrance test divided in three sections. It is not an online test and the questions are delivered digitally. The exam is scheduled in 156 cities at more than 400 test venues. 

When to look for CAT Website & CAT Notification?
IIMs release and continuously update all the details about CAT on the official CAT exam website and in CAT Notification which is released in leading news papers. CAT 2020 website with all details was launched at iimcat.ac.in on July 29 along with the CAT 2020 notification. The CAT website was again updated on September 20, 2020. The process to register and apply for CAT 2020 started on August 5.

How difficult is CAT?
CAT is a highly competitive and most important MBA entrance exam in India. The difficulty level of CAT is considered moderate to high.

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.

MBA Programmes Offered by IIMs through CAT
Following are the various management programmes at IIMs in which admission is available through Common Admission Test 2020:

When & How to Register & Apply for CAT 2020?
The very first thing to remember about CAT is that there is nothing offline now in CAT registration process. You can apply online only on the official CAT website. The application fee for CAT 2020 is increased to Rs.2000/- for General candidates and to Rs.1000/- for SC/ST candidates. It should also be paid online only. 
 

The application process for CAT 2020 is open from August 5 to September 23, 2020. During this period you can register and submit your application online for CAT.

CAT Registration Trends
More than 2.44 lakh candidates had registered last year for CAT exam. The registration number was up by 3000 more candidates registered for CAT. It signified that candidates had to compete with more candidates in CAT exam and needed 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

Source: MBAUniverse.com Research & Analysis

CAT 2020: Important Points

• Low Cost Exam: CAT Registration and CAT exam application fee taken together comes to Rs.100 per IIM for General category and Rs.50/- per IIM for Reserved category. No fee to be paid to apply for any individual IIM
• One Day Exam: CAT exam will be held in single day on Sunday November 29, 2020 in three sessions. CAT is a Computer Based Test. Earlier it was held in 15 to 20 days testing window till 2013 by IIMs. Since 2015, CAT exam testing window has been shortened to one day only.
• 50 Days CAT 2020 Registration Window: The CAT Application process has opened on August 5 and closes on September 23, 2020
• Dual Degree Accepted: A candidate with dual bachelor's degree should mention the academic scores of both the bachelor's degree programme in CAT application form
• Single Fee for MBA Admission: CAT 2020 provides admission opportunity in 20 IIMs with the single point payment of CAT registration fee
• Choice of 50 MBA Programmes in IIMs: CAT 2020 offers a choice of more than 50 management programmes in 20 IIMs without any additional application fee for admission.

CAT 2020 Admit Card
CAT 2020 Admit Card download will start immediately with the release of the CAT hall ticket by IIMs. IIMs will upload the CAT 2020 Admit card on October 28, 2020. The CAT admit card release date may be extended by a few days in case the last date of registration for CAT 2020 exam is extended. The last date to download the CAT Admit Card is CAT 2020 exam date. 

5 Steps to Download CAT 2020 Admit Card

1. Logon to CAT official Website
2. Enter CAT Login ID & Password
3. Click on ‘Admit Card’
4. At Assessment drop down menu select Common Admission Test 2020
5. Click on Action-Download & Take Print of CAT Admit card

CAT 2020 Result & IIMs’ Admission Process
CAT 2020 exam result will be declared on January 5, 2021 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 2021 by IIMs   

Important Changes in CAT 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 10 years since it was computerised 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 2020 pattern has however, changed but the number of sections and scoring pattern remains the same.

Before 2009, CAT was a paper based test. On May 1, 2009, it was announced that with effect from 2009, CAT would be a Computer based test. American firm Prometric was entrusted with the responsibility of conducting CAT for 5 years from 2009 to 2013. 

However, the first computer based CAT confronted many technical glitches like server slow down, blurred system display among others. At many test centres CAT had to be conducted again.

In 2014, the responsibility of testing agency to conduct CAT was assigned to Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). Since then, TCS has remained the partner testing agency for IIM-CAT.

CAT 2020 is the mandatory entrance exam for admission to MBA 2021 in 20 IIMs and other top MBA colleges in India. The exam is therefore referred to as IIM CAT and is conducted by IIMs on annual basis.