Great Lakes - PGDM & PGPM Admissions 2026
Globally Recognized by AACSB (US) & AMBA (UK) | 17.8 LPA Avg. CTC for PGPM 2025
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.
This Story also Contains
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:
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.
Components | VARC | DILR | QA |
Engineers | Difficult | Moderate | Easy |
Science | Difficult | Moderate | Moderate |
Commerce | Difficult | Difficult | Moderate |
Arts | Easy | Difficult | Difficult |
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 |
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 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.
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 |
MBA aspirants planning to appear for CAT 2024 can follow these useful CAT preparation tips to help them crack CAT exam.
IBSAT 2025-Your gateway to MBA/PGPM @ IBS Hyderabad and 8 other IBS campuses | Scholarships worth 10 CR
75+ years of legacy | #1 Entrance Exam | Score accepted by 250+ BSchools | Application Extended till 11th Dec'25
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
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.
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.
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.
On Question asked by student community
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.
Hello,
If your CAT admit card has a different date of birth than your Aadhaar card, you should get it corrected immediately . Here’s what you can do:
Check the CAT website : Log in to your candidate portal and look for the option to correct personal details.
Contact the CAT helpdesk : Email or call them explaining the issue. Attach a copy of your Aadhaar card as proof.
Do not ignore it : The date of birth must match your ID, otherwise you may face problems at the exam or during admission.
Usually, the CAT authorities allow corrections before the exam, so act quickly.
Hope it helps !
Hello,
Here are Documents Required for CUSAT CAT (NRI Quota):
To know more access below mentioned link:
https://engineering.careers360.com/articles/cusat-cat-application-form
Hope it helps.
Globally Recognized by AACSB (US) & AMBA (UK) | 17.8 LPA Avg. CTC for PGPM 2025
Top 30 Private B-Schools Nationally and Top 3 in Gujarat | Highest CTC- 20 LPA | Average CTC- 8.4 LPA | 40% Pre-Placement Offers | 670+ Recruiters
Highest CTC 51.38 LPA | Median CTC 10.32 LPA | Top 25% Average CTC 14.32 LPA
Ranked among top 10 B-Schools in India by multiple publications | Top Recruiters-Google, MicKinsey, Amazon, BCG & many more.
EFMD Accredited | AACSB & Business Graduates Association Member | Highest CTC 19 LPA | Application Closing Soon!
IBSAT 2025-Your gateway to MBA/PGPM @ IBS Hyderabad and 8 other IBS campuses | Scholarships worth 10 CR