Is CAT Exam Tough - Why, Difficulty Level & Pattern

Is CAT Exam Tough - Why, Difficulty Level & Pattern

Team Careers360Updated on 04 Oct 2024, 05:12 PM IST

Why is CAT considered a tough exam? Is CAT really tough for average students? Or Is CAT exam easy to crack? or Is CAT exam tough for MBA? Multiple questions come up when we talk about the difficulty levels of CAT. The CAT exam is considered one of the toughest exams to crack for MBA admissions in India. High competition, time limits and unpredictable difficulty levels make it one of the most challenging MBA entrance exams in India. Read this article to get to know why CAT is considered to be a tough exam in India.

LiveCAT 2025 Result LIVE: CAT result today for 2.58 lakh? participating B-schools, cut-offs, marks vs percentileDec 19, 2025 | 9:13 AM IST

The IIM Kozhikode will announce the Common Admission Test 2025 result soon on its official website at iimcat.ac.in. As per the previous years' trends, the CAT 2025 results are expected to be declared between December 19 and 24.

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This Story also Contains

  1. Why is CAT considered a tough exam?
  2. Is CAT Exam Tough in India?
  3. Section-Wise CAT Exam Difficulty Level
  4. CAT Cutoffs Accepted by Top MBA Colleges in India
  5. CAT 2024 Preparation Tips
Is CAT Exam Tough - Why, Difficulty Level & Pattern
Why is CAT Considered a Tough Exam?

Why is CAT considered a tough exam?

IIMs conduct CAT exam for admission to top MBA colleges in India like IIMs, IITs, SPJIMR, MDI, FMS, etc. More than 3 lakh candidates register for CAT exam every year. It is one of the most competitive exams in India for admission to MBA and PGDM programmes. The following reasons are why CAT is considered a tough exam:

  • High competition
  • Time-based test
  • Accuracy based exam
  • Frequent changes in CAT exam pattern
  • Unpredictable difficulty levels
  • Negative marking
  • Limited seats in top B-school
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Is CAT Exam Tough in India?

CAT 2024 is one of the toughest entrance exams for MBA. Candidates who register for CAT exam come from various academic backgrounds like engineering, science, commerce and arts. The difficulties faced by them also vary accordingly. Let’s check out the comparison between the difficulty levels faced by them.

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Components

VARC

DILR

QA

Engineers

Difficult

Moderate

Easy

Science

Difficult

Moderate

Moderate

Commerce

Difficult

Difficult

Moderate

Arts

Easy

Difficult

Difficult

Section-Wise CAT Exam Difficulty Level

CAT syllabus includes three sections - verbal ability and reading comprehension, data interpretation and logical reasoning and quantitative aptitude. Candidates have to answer 66 questions within 120 minutes. Since maximum candidates from engineering backgrounds appear for CAT the difficulty level of questions is comparatively high. Take a look at the difficulty level of questions in each section of the CAT entrance exam.

Section

No. of questions

Difficulty Level

VARC

24

Moderate

DILR

20

Moderate- Difficult

QA

22

Difficult

Total

66

Moderate - Difficult

CAT Exam Difficulty Level (2018 to 2023)

Year

Conducting Body

Difficulty Level

CAT 2023

IIM Lucknow

Moderate to Difficult

CAT 2022

IIM Bangalore

Moderate to Difficult

CAT 2021

IIM Ahmedabad

Moderately Easier. VARC was easier

CAT 2020

IIM Indore

Moderate to Difficult

CAT 2019

IIM Kozhikode

Difficult – VARC section was complex

CAT 2018

IIM Calcutta

Moderate to Difficult

CAT Cutoffs Accepted by Top MBA Colleges in India

CAT scores for MBA admission to B-schools in India depend on the cutoff released by the institutes. The CAT cutoff depends on various factors like number of students appearing for exam, difficulty levels, number of available seats, etc. CAT cutoffs for top MBA colleges usually fall between 95 - 99+ percentile.

Estimated CAT Cutoffs

CAT Percentile

Overall CAT Score

Top MBA Colleges

98 – 100 %ile

90 - 105

IIM A, B, C, FMS

94 - 97 %ile

80 - 89

IIM L, I, K, SPJIMR, MDI, IITB, IITD, NITIE

90 – 93 %ile

72 - 79

IIM Shillong, IIM Rohtak, 10 CAP IIMs, XIMB, IMI, IMT Ghaziabad

85 – 89 %ile

61 - 71

IIM Amritsar, IIM Nagpur, IIM Vizag, MICA, IRMA, Great Lakes, GIM Goa

75 – 84 %ile

51 - 60

K J Somaiya, Welingkar, LBSIM, JIMS Rohini, BIMTECH, IMT Nagpur

65 – 73 %ile

41 - 50

IMT Hyderabad, Jaipuria Lucknow/Noida, SDMIMD, IESMCRC, IMI Bhubaneswar

CAT 2024 Preparation Tips

MBA aspirants planning to appear for CAT 2024 can follow these useful CAT preparation tips to help them crack CAT exam.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Is CAT difficult for average students?
A:

Cracking the CAT entrance exam is not easy, but it is not impossible either. With proper CAT exam preparation and the right approach, an average student can also achieve success. 

Q: Is CAT easy than neet?`
A:

CAT exam involves solving tricky and puzzling questions, which can be challenging for those who are not good at maths or logic. However, NEET exam requires candidates should be factually right and understand complex scientific concepts.

Q: Which subject is toughest in CAT?
A:

Each section of the CAT exam has its own difficulty level, but as per past few years CAT exam analysis, the Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) section is quite time-consuming and difficult of the four sections. 

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Questions related to CAT

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to CAT ?

Hello,

For a raw score of 56 in CAT 2025 Slot 3, your expected overall percentile is likely to be in the range of the 90th-95th percentile. The exact percentile can vary slightly on the final normalization process and the process and performance of all test-takers. In this article you'll find more about the CAT result.

I hope it will clear your query!!

Hello,
With a projected CAT percentile of 87% but not clearing sectional cutoffs, your chances at top IIMs are limited because they require both overall percentile and sectional minimums. However, you still have a good shot at other reputed management institutes and non-IIM B-schools. Consider colleges like NMIMS, SPJIMR, IMT, TAPMI, Great Lakes, and other well-ranked private or state-level B-schools that accept CAT scores and weigh your profile holistically. Your academic record, BSc in Animation with 80%, and 5 years of work experience at Ubisoft India are strong points and may help in institutes that value work experience in their selection process. Also, explore institutes that accept XAT, MAT, or CMAT, where your profile can be competitive.
Hope this helps you.

Good Morning,

NIT Rourkela CAT cutoff range is between 70-85 percentiles for the general category. 70 is the minimum percentile needed to apply, and 85 is the highest percentile. However, the maximum percentile depends on the particular year competition. It can be changed.

Thank You.

If you filled the UGC NET form under EWS but you don’t have a valid EWS certificate, then forget using the EWS category. They won’t accept it. You’ll automatically be treated as General category during document verification.


And no, this won’t make your form “invalid” or “illegal.” It just means you won’t get the EWS benefit.


So yes — you can still go for General category posts and Professor recruitment. Just don’t try to submit a fake/invalid certificate; that will get you disqualified.

Hello,
If your CAT admit card shows your surname first followed by your first name as entered in the form, it is correct. You do not need to worry about this format as long as it matches the details you provided. Ensure all other information on the admit card is accurate and carry it to the exam along with the required identification documents.
Hope this helps you.