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    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.

    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 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. 

    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. 

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    Questions related to CAT

    On Question asked by student community

    Have a question related to CAT ?

    Hello Student,

    With a CAT 2025 percentile of 98.25, you have a good chance of receiving calls from several IIMs, particularly newer IIMs. However, IIM Ahmedabad , Bangalore , Calcutta , and Lucknow generally require higher percentiles for General-category candidates. Calls also depend on sectional percentiles, academics, work experience, and

    Hello CAT Aspirant!

    If you mean the CAT ( Common Admission Test) EWS certificate, the important point is whether the certificate is valid and issued in the prescribed format, rather than simply the language used on it.

    Yes, a Hindi EWS certificate can generally be accepted for CAT, provided it

    If you have already received your final MA result and have technically completed the degree , but you are only waiting for the revaluation outcome, you would generally be considered a graduate rather than someone whose master's degree is still completely in progress. However, CAT has specific instructions about qualification

    If you mean CAT (Common Admission Test) preparation, you can practise with previous-year CAT papers. IIM has a collection of CAT papers from 2017 to 2025, covering VARC, DILR and Quant across different slots, along with solutions and explanations. Solving the recent papers first can help you understand the current

    Hello Student,

    Yes, you can apply for CAT with an EWS certificate issued in Hindi, provided it is issued by the competent authority and follows the required format. However, CAT applicants need a Central-level EWS certificate, not merely a state-level EWS certificate. Since you are from Uttar Pradesh, ensure your