CAT 2021 - Common Admission Test

CAT 2021: Exam on Nov 28 in 3 Slots; Download Admit Card from October 27; CAT Test Paper will have fewer Questions than last year- Confirms CAT Exam convener; Check Revised Pattern, Syllabus, Preparation Strategy

Latest Update: CAT 2021 exam Admit Card will be Out on Oct 27 at 5 PM at iimcat.ac.in. CAT 2021 exam date is November 28, 2021 and the exam will be held in 3 slots of 2 hours each. Next 3 most important CAT exam events are:

• CAT 2021 Admit card Release by IIM Ahmedabad at 5 PM on October 27
• CAT 2021 official Mock Test release by IIMA in last week of October 2021 on CAT website iimcat.ac.in to help you understand the changed CAT exam format
• CAT 2021 Exam on Sunday November 28, 2021 in Morning, Afternoon and Evening Slots

CAT 2021 exam convener & Faculty at IIM Ahmedabad Prof M P Ram Mohan has confirmed that CAT 2021 test paper will have fewer questions than last year in all the three sections. CAT toppers from IIM Calcutta, Udaipur & other top IIMs have shared important CAT preparation tips. Check Details Below

IIM Ahmedabad has geared up to release the CAT 2021 Admit card on October 27, at 5 PM. This year CAT 2021 registration number has gone up to 2.31 lakhs from 2.28 lakhs last year. Check Key Highlights below.

The CAT 2021 Admit Card will be uploaded on CAT website iimcat.ac.in on October 27, 2021 at 5 PM. Only the candidates who have successfully registered and applied for CAT 2021 by paying the requisite registration fee can download their CAT admit card from October 27 onwards till exam date.  After Closure of CAT 2021 Registrations on September 22, the CAT Application Form Edit window which was opened on September 25 for 3 days, has closed at 5 PM on September 27, 2021.   

CAT 2021: 5 Key Highlights Shared by CAT Convener
On September 24, 2021, CAT 2021 exam convener Prof M P Ram Mohan & faculty at IIM Ahmedabad has shared important information and updates on CAT 2021 exam. Following are the key highlights and changes as shared by CAT 2021 convener:

1. CAT 2021 Registration Numbers Up: ‘Approximately 2.31 lakh candidates have registered successfully for CAT 2021’  Read More
2. CAT 2021 Question Paper with Reduced Number of Questions: CAT exam 2021 will have fewer questions than last year with same time limit of 2 hours. Read More
3. CAT 2021 Error Correction Window Opens: 3-days CAT application form error edit window is open from September 25. Read More
4. No Change in CAT 2021 Test Format: CAT 2021 Test Format remains same as last year, i.e. there will be three shifts of 2-hour examination comprising three sections: i) Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension, ii) Quantitative Ability, and iii) Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning. Read More
5. Fixed 40 Minutes Sectional Time Limit with Relaxation to PwD Candidates: Candidates will be given 40 minutes for each section, PwD candidates will get 13 minutes and 20 seconds extra for each section. Read More
6. More CAT Exam Cities than Last Year: CAT 2021 will be conducted at more than 400 Test Centres, spread across 159 cities in India on November 28, 2021. Srinagar (J&K) is the new test city added for CAT 2021 exam.

CAT exam offers MBA admission opportunity in top MBA colleges in India including 20 IIMs, Faculty of Management Studies (FMS) Delhi University, SPJIMR Mumbai, IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay, IIT Kharagpur, MDI Gurgaon, IMI Delhi among other more than 500 top B-Schools. CAT exam preparation is based on the CAT syllabus which goes on changing every year with the change in CAT exam structure and content. Accordingly, after closure of CAT registration process, the most important activity is to focus on CAT exam preparation.   

Important: Read More on CAT 2021 Articles

As you get ready for CAT 2021, check following important links:
MBA Admission 2021: Last Date to apply for top B-schools; MBA Entrance Exams 2021; CAT Preparation, CAT Mock Tests,  Top MBA Colleges Accepting CAT 2021 

What is IIM CAT? Mandatory Exam for Admission in Top B-Schools in India

CAT is the Common Admission Test for admission to MBA/PGDM programmes in 20 Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and other top hundreds of MBA colleges in India. More than two lakh candidates appear in CAT every year and this number is rising consistently, to explore admission opportunity in MBA programmes offered by IIMs and other top B-schools.

Common Admission Test - CAT 2021 is the largest national level entrance test for MBA admission 2022 in IIMs and other top MBA colleges in India. One of the six older IIMs conducts CAT Exam on the basis of rotation. This year, IIM Ahmedabad is assigned the task of conducting CAT exam 2021. IIM Ahmedabad conducted the last CAT exam in 2015. It was the first CAT exam on present pattern which had changed the complete CAT entrance exam pattern from 2 to 3 sections and introduced non MCQ type questions for the benefit of test takers.

IIMs will offer admission 2022 on the basis of CAT 2021 only and will not accept any other test score. The total intake for 2022-24 batch in IIMs is around 6000+ students. There are 159 cities and more than 400 venues where CAT 2021 will be conducted in India. Apart from being the most important entrance test for the 2 years full time post graduate management program (MBA/PGDM), CAT 2021 is the gateway for one year MBA programmes in IIMs and other prominent management institutes.

With effect from 2012, Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), Indian institute of Science (IISC) have also started accepting CAT for admission to their Management programmes instead of JMET.

Read below all about the key highglights and important details on CAT 2021 exam, important changes in exam pattern, Syllabus, Preparation, IIMs’ admission process, Eligibility criteria, registration and more.   

Two Important Initiatives in CAT 2021
IIM Ahmedabad has taken two very important aspirant friendly initiatives in conduct of CAT 2021 exam as below:

1. CAT 2021 Exam with Reduced Number of Questions: No Change in Time Limit
Number of questions in CAT 2021 exam will be reduced across the three sections as compared to last year. There were 76 questions in last year CAT exam and IIM Ahmedabad proposes to bring them down further. Expected number of questions in CAT 2021 are 64 to 68. The proposed move by IIM Ahmedabad appears to be in line as there is ratio mismatch given the reduction in time Vs reduction in number of questions in CAT exam over the years.

According to Prof M P Ram Mohan, CAT 2021 exam convener, “Considering that even last year, there could have been time pressure on the students to complete the exam on account of changes made, for CAT 2021, we have reduced the number of questions across all the three sections, including Quantitative Ability (QA), Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), and Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning” and has further added, “We hope that this will ensure that candidates get adequate time to complete the exam.” 

CAT Exam Trends and Expected Number of Questions in CAT 2021

2. Srinagar (J&K) Included as CAT Exam Centre 
This year the candidates were given the opportunity to also choose Srinagar (J&K) as one  of the six preferred test cities while applying for CAT 2021. The addition of Srinagar as one of the CAT exam cities offers good opportunity to the Kashmir valley applicants as they will not need to travel hundreds of kilometres to appear in CAT exam and can take the test in the Valley itself.

CAT 2021 Exam: Highlights & Key Features
Following are the salient features of IIM CAT 2021 exam details like CAT Full Form, CAT Notification 2021, CAT exam date,  CAT Eligibility, CAT Exam Structure among other key CAT exam details

CAT 2021: 10 Important Changes
In its Media Release on CAT 2021 exam, IIM Ahmedabad, which is conducting CAT 2021 has shared information about CAT 2021 exam dates, registration dates, test pattern among other details

1. CAT Exam Date: CAT 2021 Exam will be held in three sessions on Sunday, November 28, 2021-Morning, Afternoon and Evening

2. CAT Test Duration: CAT 2021 Exam duration 2021 for each session will be of 2 hours (120 Minutes)

3. Total CAT Questions: CAT 2021 is likely to have reduced number of questions as compared  to last year. Expected number of questions are 64-68, while last year there were 76 questions

4. No. of Sections in CAT 2021 Exam: CAT 2021 test paper will be divided into 3 sections as below:

Section-1: Verbal Ability & Reading Comperhension: 22 Questions (Likley)

Section-2: Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR): 20 Questions (Likely)

Section-3: Quantitative Ability (QA): 22 Questions (Likley)

5. CAT Sectional Time Limit: Each Section will have individual time limit of 40 Minutes

6. CAT 2021 in 159 Cities: CAT Exam 2021 will be held in 159 Test Cities. Srinagar (J&K) is added as new test city for CAT 2021 exam

7. Choice of 6 Test Cities: You can choose 6 preferred test cities from the list of 159 cities

8. Registration Form Edit Window: After the closure of the registration window, CAT Centre 2021 will open the CAT Registration form edit window for 2-3 days. Candidates will be able to edit the following fields in the application form (if required) -  1. Photograph 2. Signature 3. Test City Preferences.

9. CAT Registration 2021 Dates & Fee: Application process for CAT 2021 which had started on August 4 at 10 AM, has closed on September 22, 2021 at 5 PM. CAT 2021 Registration Fee is increased to Rs.2200/- for General & OBC-NC and Rs.1100/- for Reserved category

10. Changes in CAT Eligibility: On account of Covid pandemic, IIM Ahmedabad has made many important changes in CAT 2021 eligibility criteria. Read below the key changes made  

CAT 2021 Important Dates
Following are the CAT 2021 important dates like CAT Notification date, CAT exam date, and for other different activities related to the CAT exam 2021:

CAT Exam Details 2021: Test Pattern
CAT exam details and exam structure since 2015 have remained on similar pattern, except for last year. While CAT 2021 also follows the same CAT exam format, the exam is likely to have fewer questions than last year. Important details are as below:

• 120 Minutes Exam: CAT 2021 is a computer delivered test of 2 hours duration but it is not an Online Exam
• 64-68 Questions: CAT exam 2021 is likely to have 64 to 68 questions compared to 76 questions last year.
• 3 Section Exam: CAT 2021 will be divided in 3 sections of VARC, DILR and Quantitative Ability. This pattern is followed since 2015
• 25% No Penalty Questions: Out of total questions in CAT 2021, more than 25% questions will not have negative marking. CAT 2021 is divided into MCQ and Non-MCQ type of questions and the Non-MCQs do not carry negative marking.
• 70-75% CAT Questions with Negative Marking: More than 70% questions in CAT 2021 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 2021 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 2021 exam, if you have good academic profile with diversity, work experience, you are a preferred candidate to get admission into IIMs.

CAT 2021 Exam Syllabus
During the last 5 years, CAT exam syllabus has substantially changed. Major changes in CAT Syllabus 2021 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

MBA Programmes Offered by IIMs through CAT
Following are the various management programmes at IIMs in which admission 2022 is available through Common Admission Test 2021:

How to Prepare for CAT 2021? Key Points
With the changes in CAT 2021 pattern, the CAT 2021 preparation, according to the CAT experts, should also be changed. Experts have advised following required changes in CAT preparation strategy:

 Read More

CAT 2021 Admit Card
CAT 2021 Admit Card download will start from 5 PM on October 27, 2021. Immediately with the release of the CAT hall ticket by IIMs, the CAT 2021 Admit card will be uploaded on official CAT exam website 2021. The last date to download the CAT Admit Card is CAT 2021 exam date.  

5 Steps to Download CAT 2021 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 2021
5. Click on Action-Download & Take Print of CAT Admit card

CAT 2021 Result & IIMs’ Selection Process
CAT 2021 exam official result declaration date is 2^nd week of January 2022. However, IIMs release the CAT result in the first week of January. It is likely that CAT 2021 result may be released on January 5, 2022 in morning hours. Immediately after the CAT result declaration, IIMs’ admission process will start. The first step in IIM selection process is announcing their shortlist on the basis of CAT scores and other parameters in their shortlisting criteria for final selection round. After the final selection round which includes Personal Interview(PI), Writing Ability Test (WAT), the final admission offer will be made to the candidates in the months of April/May 2022 by IIMs

Each IIM has its own Admission Criteria
IIMs will shortlist the candidates for the interview stage on the basis of their own selection criteria, which may be independent of each other and may consist of many other parameters apart from CAT exam score. The final  process includes Personal Interviews (PI) which may be conducted offline or online and the Written Ability Test (WAT) & Group Discussion (GD) the conduct of which depends upon the Covid pandemic situation. 

Apart from CAT Score, Other Factors also Important for MBA Admission

Performance in the CAT 2021 examination is an important component in all the 20 IIMs’ selection process for MBA admission 2022. However, IIMs will use other factors also such as:

• CAT 2021 Score (Mandatory for all admission seekers in IIMs, FMS, MDI, SPJIMR etc.)
• Previous academic performance
• Relevant work experience
• Gender and Academic diversity
• Other similar inputs like extra curricular achievements, Social service etc.

All or some of these factors will be used in shortlisting and ranking of candidates at various stages of the admission process. The academic cut-offs and the weights allocated to the evaluation parameters may vary for each IIM.

IIM Ahmedabad, which is conducting CAT exam this year, has changed the Eligibility Criteria to apply for CAT 2021. Now, there is no minimum percentage requirement in graduation marks to appear in CAT exam 2021. In its important announcement on August 18, 2021, IIM Ahmedabad has effected some aspirant friendly changes in the CAT 2021 eligibility criteria and has responded to several queries that it received from candidates regarding their candidature as in last two Covid pandemic years, many of the candidates were awarded bachelor’s degree certificates without marks and score percentage and comprised “promotion/pass” instead of the “marks.” The key changes made in the CAT 2021 eligibility criteria are given below: 

Revised Eligibility Criteria for CAT 2021 & IIM Admission 2022
In view of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and resulting disruptions in the evaluations across the country, the CAT Committee has made the following exceptions for CAT 2021. As such, IIM Calcutta has already announced to drop any weightage for graduate marks from its required academic profile in shortlisting and final selection process. Below are the key changes in the CAT eligibility criteria announced by IIM Ahmedabad

Candidates in the final year: Candidates with “promotion/pass” instead of “award of marks” certificates in any of the last two years of the bachelor’s program could enter the “Promotion or Pass” option in the application form. This allowed the candidates to complete & submit the CAT 2021 application form, despite the requirements of minimum eligibility criteria (45% and 50% [or equivalent CGPA] respectively). This eligibility relaxation is also applicable to those final year students with “award” of marks.  This exception is available only to candidates who are completing the bachelor’s degree  this year or are in the final year bachelor’s’ programme (graduation years – 2021 and 2022)

Candidates graduated in 2020 and 2021: CAT Committee had decided to remove the minimum percentage of marks (45% and 50% [or equivalent CGPA] respectively) for the candidates appearing for the CAT2021 exam.  This exception has been made to ensure parity to candidates who have completed the  bachelor’s degree in 2020 and 2021.  This announcement is only applicable on the eligibility criteria for CAT 2021. IIM Ahmedabad has also advised the candidates to look at and follow respective IIM specific admission policy. Read More

Possible Disruptions Due to Covid
Prof M P Ram Mohan, Convenor of CAT 2021 said that the preparations and the conduct of the exam is being done with continued COVID-19 uncertainty. 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 the latest information.

CAT 2021: Important Points

• Low Cost Exam: CAT Registration and CAT exam application fee taken together comes to slightly above 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 is held in single day 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.
• 45+ Days CAT 2021 Registration Window: The CAT Application process opens in August first week and closes in September third week every year
• 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 2021 provides admission opportunity in 20 IIMs with the single point payment of CAT registration fee of Rs.2200/- for General candidates and Rs.1100/- for reserved category. 
• Choice of 50 MBA Programmes in IIMs: CAT 2021 offers a choice of more than 50 management programmes in 20 IIMs with No additional application fee for admission.

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 2021 pattern also remains the same as that of CAT exam 2021 pattern with 3 sections and 3 hours time although the number of MCQs and Non-MCQs may change.

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 2021 is the mandatory entrance exam for admission to MBA 2022 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. 

 When CAT is Conducted?

• CAT is conducted annually.
• Now conducted preferably on the last Sunday of November every year
• CAT is now 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 CAT is due to Covid-19 pandemic. The three sessions of 2 hours each in CAT have 40 minutes sectional time limit

Which IIM Conducts CAT?
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. CAT exam 2021 is proposed to be conducted by IIM Ahmedabad.

Testing Mode of CAT
CAT is a computer based entrance test of two hours duration divided in three sections and has a time limit of 40 minutes for each section.

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 1^st week of August.

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.

CAT Registration Trends
More than 2.27 lakh candidates had registered last year for CAT exam despite Covid-19 pandemic. In 2019, more than 2.44 lakh candidates had applied for CAT and registered an upward trend by 3000 more candidates than in 2018.  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 or other top B-school

CAT Registration Number in Lakhs

Source: MBAUniverse.com Research & Analysis

CAT Registration 2021: Process Closed - Check When & How to Register for CAT
The very first thing to remember about CAT is that there is nothing offline now in CAT. You can apply online only on the official CAT website. The application fee for CAT 2021 was also increased to Rs.2200/- for General candidates; and to Rs.1100/- for SC/ST candidates. The fee could be paid online only.

IIM Ahmedabad, which is convening CAT 2021 released the CAT exam notification and also launched the official CAT website on August 1, 2021. Earlier CAT 2021 Advertisement used to be released on last Sunday of July. The application process for CAT 2021 was opened in first week of August and has closed on September 22. During this period you could submit your application online for CAT.  

CAT exam convener at IIM Ahmedabad advised the candidates to apply early for CAT exam to avoid any last minute glitches  CAT registration guide was also released by IIM Ahmedabad. All the important points about the CAT application process are covered in the MBAUniverse.com CAT registration guide and Video.  After completing the primary registration, you could get registration ID and password. With this you could fill up the CAT application form.

The last date of CAT Registration was extended from September 15 to 22, 2021 till 5 PM. Sharing the reason for extension in last date of CAT registration, Prof M. P. Ram Mohan, CAT exam convener told MBAUniverse.com, “In response to many requests and on account of continued prevalence of COVID-19, the CAT Committee of the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) have decided to extend the CAT 2021 registration deadline to September 22, 2021.” . How to Apply for CAT 2021 error free..Check Here

CAT 2021 Notification

CAT 2021 advertisement and notification was released on August 1, 2021 containing all the important details about CAT exam.  

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