CAT Exam 2022: Admit Card, Exam Date, Syllabus, Pattern | iimcat.ac.in

CAT 2022: Common Admission Test, CAT 2022 is one of the important MBA entrance exams. The authorities are all set to conduct CAT 2022 on November 27 (Sunday). IIM Bangalore will release CAT 2022 admit card in online mode from October 27. Candidates will be able to download the CAT admit card 2022 from the official website- iimcat.ac.in. The total number of CAT test cities is now 151 since IIM Bangalore has recently added Imphal (Manipur) as the CAT exam city too.

Candidates are in their last phase of the CAT exam preparation for the MBA programme. It is significant for the candidates who have applied for the CAT exam to have a good preparation strategy to crack this MBA entrance exam.  Continue to read this Careers360 article to know all about CAT 2022, its preparation in the last 2 months and tips for acing this MBA Exam with 99+ percentile.

Read Also:
Check how to prepare CAT in 2 months
CAT 2022: Important topics for preparation

About CAT exam pattern

Candidates who are willing to appear and crack this national-level MBA exam must start their preparation keeping in mind the CAT exam pattern:

• CAT exam for MBA is slowly evolving as an IQ-based exam instead of a completely knowledge-based MBA entrance exam. 
• CAT exam pattern suggests 66 questions in this exam. 
• The same CAT exam syllabus for MBA is to be followed for this year CAT exam. 
• There are 3 sections in CAT exam- Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Ability (QA) in this MBA entrance exams. 
• CAT exam will be conducted in 3 sessions. 

CAT Preparation: Tips to crack exam in 2 months

Candidates have now around 2 months in hand for preparing for the CAT exam. Many students are baffled by questions like how to prepare for CAT 2022. The focus of the candidates now should be the strategy and completing the syllabus of CAT 2022 in these few last months. Even, if you are starting the preparation now, it is possible to crack IIM CAT 2022 with the below-mentioned strategies.

• Devise an effective schedule to complete the CAT exam syllabus 2022 in the available time. 
• Focus on important topics of CAT 2022 which have a high possibility of appearing in this MBA exam this year.
• Solve the CAT 2022 mock test regularly to analyse your performance and weak areas.
• Make sure to solve and anlayse the CAT 2016 question paper properly as IIM Bangalore was the one that conducted the CAT exam in 2016. This will allow candidates to get an idea of the CAT exam pattern and difficulty level of the question paper set by IIM Bangalore.
• Solve the previous CAT exam papers as they are the ultimate tool for preparing CAT exam.
• Enhance your preparation accuracy and effectiveness with best Books for CAT preparation. 
• Take proper care of your health and mind as sickness can affect your preparation adversely. 
• Focus on enhancing your efficiency and retention power. 

Candidates who are willing to appear in the CAT exam for MBA shall check and download the CAT previous years question papers to get an insight into difficulty level and CAT exam pattern. This will help them in preparing well for this MBA exam. Check how to prepare for CAT 2022 to crack this exam.

CAT 2022: Latest update and news

• CAT registration 2022 is over now. Candidates who have applied for the CAT exam are waiting for the CAT 2022 admit card to be issued.

• IImphal (Manipur), a new CAT test city has been added to the list of exam centres.

• IIM Lucknow Admission criteria 2023-25 released. IIM Lucknow has issued the admission criteria for taking admissions to batch 2023-25 with CAT 2022 results.

• CAT exam has its convener named Prof. Ashis Mishra who is faculty of IIM Bangalore.

• CAT registration fees have increased this year. Now, the candidates of the general category will be paying Rs, 2300 as IIM CAT exam registration fees and Rs 1150 will be the CAT exam fees for SC, ST and PwD candidates.

Latest CAT 2022 News:

• CAT Exam 2022: Application correction window closes today at iimcat.ac.in
  
• CAT Exam 2022: Earn 20 lakhs+ after MBA from these top CAT colleges
  
• CAT 2022: 10 free online resources to crack this MBA entrance exam

CAT Mock Test: Key to Success

Candidates are suggested to consider practicing and analysing their CAT 2022 mock test very seriously. All the CAT exam experts have pointed consistently that CAT mock test paves the path to understanding your weaknesses and gaps and work accordingly. 

Candidates must consider the CAT mock test as an integral part of CAT preparation because it allows students to know exactly how to answer, navigate between sections, and more.

CAT Exam Preparation Tips

What is CAT exam?

CAT exam full form is the Common Admission Test. It is a prestigious national-level MBA entrance exam. CAT exam will be conducted as a computer-based test and attended by approximately more than 2.3 lakh students. CAT 2022 will be conducted for MBA/ PGDM admissions at 20 IIMs and 1000+ B-Schools in India. 

CAT 2022: Highlights

CAT 2022: Events and Dates

MBA Admission through CAT 2022

The ultimate objective of appearing and qualifying for the IIM CAT 2022 is securing admissions to IIMs for most of the candidates. The IIMs are prestigious institutes offering MBA/PGDM programs in different specialisations. Candidates must be aware of the selection process of IIMs. It starts after the declaration of the CAT exam results. Each IIM has its own minimum CAT cutoff percentile to shortlist candidates for participation in the next round of the MBA/ PGDM admission process. The following is an overview of the selection process for IIMs:

IIM admission process

• Screening of students on the basis of their CAT 2022 score
• Written Ability Test (WAT)/ Group Discussion (GD)/ Personal Interview (PI).
• Computation of Composite Score followed by final selection

List of IIMs Accepting CAT Exam Score

If you are preparing for the CAT exam 2022 with an aim of getting admission to one of the IIMS, then you can go through the below list.  The links are given along with the name of IIMs in the table to make you aware of the expected CAT cutoff, fees, rankings, placements, and selection process of each of these IIMs:

Also Read: MBA colleges accepting CAT score

Also check:

• IIM Admission Criteria 23-25
• IIM Cutoff for 2023 Admission

Non-IIM admission process

Even if the candidates are not eligible to enroll with IIMs, they still can get into other top B-schools to secure their careers and receive good placements after the completion of the courses. These MBA colleges accept the CAT exam score and also have their own selection criteria which include Group Discussion/ Personal Interviews. The institutes prepare the final merit list of candidates after the completion of section rounds. Candidates who get shortlisted can get admission to MBA/ PGDM programs of these top B-schools. There are also other institutes that even admit students only on the basis of CAT scores. One can check the list in the below-given table. 

Also read:

• IIM Fees for MBA Admission 2022
• MBA Admission Process in India

Top Non-IIMs Accepting CAT 2022 Score

Below is a list of the top 20 MBA colleges in India that accept CAT scores.

Browse Top MBA Colleges Accepting CAT Score: Location-Wise

Official CAT Exam Contact Details

• CAT 2022 official website: iimcat.ac.in
• CAT 2022 Helpline: 18002108720 (Toll-Free) 

Resource Links for Online MBA

• Online MBA

• Online MBA Colleges

• Online MBA Syllabus

• Online MBA Admission

IIM Bangalore has released the CAT exam eligibility in PDF format on CAT 2022 official website. CAT exam eligibility criteria will allow the candidates to know if they can apply for the CAT entrance exam. The candidature of candidates can even get cancelled at a later stage if they are found not to be eligible for IIM CAT 2022.
Check the CAT exam eligibility here .

It is important to note down that eligibility for IIM Admission 2023-2025 is separate from CAT exam eligibility. They must be checked separately.

Also check out:

• IIM Cut Off 2022 for Admission
• IIM Fee Structure and Seats

Who can apply for the CAT 2022?

Who is not eligible for the IIM CAT 2022?

• If the candidate is in the p rocess of completing their professional degree (CA/ CS/ ICWA) without appearing for their bachelor’s degree.
• The candidate is pursuing both their bachelor’s degree and a professional degree but has not yet completed both.
• If the candidate's score in the degree is less than 50% (45% for SC/ ST/ PwD candidates), he or she is ineligible to apply for the CAT.
• If the degree is not recognized by MHRD/ AICTE/ UGC, the candidate will be considered ineligible for the CAT 2022.

Mode of Application : Online

Mode of Payment : Net Banking | Credit Card | Debit Card | NEFT | Paytm | Other

IIM Bangalore closed CAT 2022 registration window on September 21. The CAT registration 2022 could be completed only on the CAT official website- iimcat.ac.in as the CAT 2022 form was available to fill in online mode only. 

Students can start their the first step towards their journey of MBA admission with the completion of CAT registration. CAT 2022 login was to be created irst and thereafter one can proceed to complete the MBA CAT application form.  Every year around 2 lakh candidates appear in the CAT exam. 

CAT Exam Form Correction Window

The Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore has opened the CAT application form 2022 correction window on September 23. Registered candidates can avail of the facility of the CAT correction window till September 26 (5 pm). This will allow the candidates to correct the detail if they are wrong and provided mistakenly. Mistakes in scanned images of signatures, photographs, and CAT 2022 city preference can be modified during this CAT application form correction window.

Also, candidates can make changes to the CAT 2022 test city option if required. Candidates must log in and adjust the images as per the specifications. Any other changes in the IIM CAT application form 2022 can be made with the help of the CAT help desk at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM).

What cannot be edited in CAT 2022 Registration?

There are certain details in CAT application form 2022 which cannot be edited even through the CAT exam application form correction window. They are the personal details. Hence, candidates must ensure that the details are correct. These personal details include 

• Name
• Date of Birth
• Mobile Number and,
• Email ID.

CAT 2022 Login 

Now, candidates will be thinking about what is CAT 2022 login and why is it important. CAT 2022 login is credentials provided to the candidates when they provide some basic details about themselves by registering themselves at CAT 2022 official website.  
Click here to fill create CAT login 2022

You will get a CAT user ID immediately after the completion of the CAT 2022 registration. CAT user ID is basically 8-digit number that is unique in nature and allotted to every candidate. Candidates also get a CAT login password which is a 7-digit number generated by the computer at the time of the CAT 2022 registration process.

CAT 2022 - Forgot Login Password

What if the candidate forgets CAT Candidate Login 2022 credentials such as Password, User ID, etc.? One need not worry but focus on recovering the CAT exam credentials. The process of recovering the CAT 2022 login details is as follows:

• Click on the CAT Login portal.

• Now, find and visit the tab called “Forgot password”.

• The verification code will be sent to the candidate’s registered email address/ mobile number.

• Now, click on the link sent to the registered mail id and reset the CAT login password.

CAT 2022 Registration: Highlights

Points to remember before filling out the MBA CAT form 2022

• CAT 2022 registration link was actived for 43 days from the start date of registration. Fill it out before the time runs out. 
• While filling out the online CAT form 2022, you will need to select the relevant management programmes in all the 20 IIMs.
• Instructions provided at the start of the CAT exam form are important and must be read. 
• Do not hassle and provide any incorrect details in the CAT 2022 application form. Take good time to fill it as it can lead to a worse situation of cancellation of candidature for you also.  Additionally, the CAT 2022 registration fee will be forfeited.
• You can save and exit the CAT 2022 registration form any number of times to edit and complete it later until you finally submit the application.
• Candidates can choose 6 CAT test cities as per their preference and keep them in the preference order for CAT 2022.
• Candidates will be able to pay CAT fees only after completing the online registration and application form. The fees is payable through Debit/ Credit card/ Net banking/ BillDesk/ PayU/ Paytm.
• Your CAT application form 2022 will remain incomplete if you do not pay the CAT fess.

CAT registration process

To ease out the CAT 2022 registration process for CAT exam applicants, candidates can check here how to fill CAT application form. All the steps involved in the MBA CAT application process are as follows: 

• Visit the CAT official website, iimcat.ac.in
• Go to the "CAT 2022 Registration" link.
• Fill in the required valid details.
• Upload all the necessary documents in a prescribed format.
• Pay the CAT fees online.
• Submit the completed registration form for the CAT 2022.
• Download and take a printout of the CAT form 2022.

On successful registration for the CAT exam for MBA, candidates will receive CAT exam login credentials. It will have CAT User ID and Password which must be used for logging into CAT 2022 student login.

NOTE: If you face any "session expired error" while filling out the CAT 2022 application form, then don't panic. Login again with CAT login credentials and fill out the application form once again.

How to Fill the CAT Exam Form 2022? (In Detail)

• Step 1: First, go to the CAT official website and find and click the "New Candidate Registration" link on the right side of the webpage.
• Step 2: The CAT 2022 registration page opens. Then enter details like the Name of the Candidate, Date of Birth, Email Address, Country, Mobile Number, and Captcha.
• Step 3: Next, click the "Generate OTP" button to receive the OTP on the registered mobile. Using the OTP, log in to the CAT 2022 application page.
• Step 4: In the CAT 2022 dashboard, fill in the Personal Details, Other Personal Details, Communication Address, Emergency Contact Details, Upload Documents (in a prescribed format and size), Work Experience, IIM Programmes & Interview Cities.
• Step 5: Make a payment online for CAT 2022 registration and take a printout of the submitted application form for your future reference.

Check the detailed video on how to fill CAT 2022 registration form:

Documents to upload during CAT 2022 registration 

• Photograph as specified
• Signature as per given specific guidelines
• Academic certificates
• PwD certificate as applicable (if any)
• EWS/Category Certificate as applicable (if any)
• Identification document 

All the documents which are required to be uploaded in the CAT form should be in the prescribed format and size to avoid unnecessary session expired errors.

Number of CAT applicants over past few years

Candidates can check the CAT registration trends over the years here-

Application Fees

The CAT exam will be held on November 27. One needs grit, determination, planning, and execution to clear the CAT entrance exam. The tough part is to clear CAT 2022 with a very high percentile for IIM admissions. Even very good B-schools require a good CAT percentile and this can be achieved with proper preparation.

How to prepare for the CAT 2022?

Candidates will have to divide their CAT preparation strategy into manageable sections. When to start preparation for CAT exam, how to go about it, what is the CAT 2022 syllabus, the best books for the CAT preparation, etc are some important questions that have to be addressed by all CAT aspirants.

CAT Exam Preparation Timetable

Preparation for CAT 2022 exam requires proper resources and solid help from experts. Given below are CAT expert tips as well as links to CAT exam resources.

CAT 2022 exam preparation- list of resources

CAT toppers are ideal people to explain their CAT exam strategy as they not only have cleared the exam but have done so in flying colours. Given below are some CAT Topper tips and guidelines

CAT Topper Tips

CAT 2022 exam date is a crucial day. Check common mistakes and errors that are made in the CAT entrance exam and how to avoid them in IIM CAT 2022.

Last-minute preparation tips to crack CAT by Career Launcher Expert

How to Score 99+ Percentile in CAT | Exam day strategy by Rajesh Balasubramanian- CEO of 2IIM

CAT Exam Preparation: Know CAT exam day strategies

• Practice with CAT sample question papers 
• 10 Key Points To Know While Attempting CAT Exam
• What are the mistakes to avoid during CAT 2022 exam?
• Common CAT Exam Day errors to avoid

What is CAT Paper Pattern?- Understanding the CAT exam pattern is the key to cracking the CAT 2022. The CAT paper pattern is basically the exam pattern provided by CAT conducting body (IIM Bangalore this year). The CAT 2022 questions will be based on this pattern only. CAT exam pattern has information related to the number of questions, sections, exam duration, marking pattern, and mode of examination.

Check here CAT Exam Pattern 2022

Candidates can refer to the below-given table to understand the CAT paper pattern 2022. It is important for candidates to note down that the no. of MCQs in the CAT exam section is not disclosed by the conducting body. The extensive CAT exam pattern of the last few years is also provided here.

CAT entrance exam  - Important features

• Onscreen calculator in CAT exam
• CAT exam timer
• Question palette of CAT 2022
• Facility to expand the CAT question area
• Scrolling during CAT entrance exam
• Answering a question in CAT 2022
• Changing the response in the CAT exam
• Navigating through CAT sections
• Zoom Option in CAT 2022

Check the features of CAT 2022 in the image below

*Source: CAT official mock test guide

CAT Test Pattern over the last 5 Years

CAT mock test is your key to cracking CAT 2022 exam. Experts have explicitly suggested practicing CAT mock test and analyse the weaknesses to perform better in the CAT exam. IIM Bangalore will release the official CAT mock test on the IIM CAT 2022 official website probably in the last week of October. CAT Mock Test 2022 gives you a real picture of the actual CAT exam. Candidates are also suggested to attempt more mock tests of CAT from various coaching centers apart from the official CAT mock test.

Why Take CAT Mock Test?

Taking the free CAT mock test online is important for test-takers. It is designed to help candidates get a feel of the actual MBA CAT question paper. The benefits of taking the CAT mock test even further suggest its importance.

Benefits of CAT Mock Test 2022

• A better understanding of the online process of the CAT exam.
• A reasonable understanding of the question paper pattern and marking scheme.
• Improve speed and accuracy in solving questions.
• Assists in finding the tricks and shortcuts to complete paper in short time.

CAT Mock Test Official Links

Steps to attempt CAT Mock Test

1. Click on Mock Test Link from the CAT 2022 official website
2. "Enter your Registration Number and password and click on Sign In” – Since a dummy registration number and a dummy password have already been embedded. Candidates can proceed by just clicking on Sign In.
3. Post login read through the “General Instructions for Candidate”
4. Click on the disclaimer check box on the “Other Important Instructions for Candidate:” page
5. Click on “I am ready to begin” to start your CAT Mock Test

Sample Image for CAT mock test

* Source from CAT exam 2020 mock test

CAT Exam Mock test Links of past years

In addition, the CAT exam syllabus is important. Candidates must know what topics and subjects to study and be ready for CAT 2022. IIMs have not specified any special CAT exam syllabus for MBA but have given sections in which students will be tested. The MBA CAT syllabus 2022 given by all coaching centres and books is all based on past CAT exam papers.

IIM Bangalore will issue the CAT admit card 2022 from October 27. Candidates can download the CAT exam admit card in online mode on the CAT official website - iimcat.ac.in. To download the admit card of CAT 2022, students have to enter their valid CAT 2022 login ID and Password.

• CAT exam hall ticket will contain the CAT exam center address, CAT 2022 exam date and time, reporting time, google map link to locate the centre venue, and exam day guidelines.

• On the day of the CAT exam, students should carry a printout of the admit card along with valid identity proof to the examination centre.

Also Read | List of CAT 2022 exam centres

Steps to download CAT admit card 2022 ?

Students who have applied for the CAT exam can easily download CAT admit card 2022 on a computer/ mobile with the following steps.

• Go to the CAT official website- iimcat.ac.in.

• Next, enter your valid CAT exam login ID and Password to log in.

• Then, click on the ‘Download CAT Admit Card 2022’ link at the left bottom of the page.

• Your CAT exam hall ticket will be displayed on the screen.

• Download and take a printout of the CAT admit card 2022 for your future reference.

CAT 2022 Exam Day Schedule

The CAT 2022 exam date is November 27, 2022. All 3 slots will have the same schedule as in 2021. Till then, CAT date schedule is given below based on the previous year's exam schedule.

CAT 2022 Exam Day Guidelines

Candidates appearing for the exam should follow the exam day instructions for CAT 2022 :

• Use Google Map Link feature to locate the CAT 2022 center: Introduced by IIM Ahmedabad last year, the Google Map link feature on the CAT admit card 2022 to check the exact location of the allotted test center is expected to be available for CAT exam this year as well.

• CAT 2022 exam day reporting: Students should report to their respective CAT examination center at least one hour before the scheduled CAT exam time to avoid any inconvenience and complete biometric screening on time.

• Do not carry prohibited items: Certain items are not allowed inside the CAT entrance exam hall. Hence, CAT exam aspirants are advised to avoid carrying items like jewellery, calculators, watches, bags & wallets, mobile phones, and other electronic devices.

• Carry all the required documents: All candidates must carry a printout of their CAT admit card 2022 and photo identity proof to the test center for verification. Valid proof of identity can be Aadhaar Card, Passport, PAN Card, Voter ID Card, Driving License, or Photo ID issued by a current educational institution or employer.

• Follow COVID-19 guidelines: All students appearing for the CAT exam must follow the COVID-19 guidelines such as wearing masks, hand sanitization, social distancing, temperature screening, and submitting a duly filled self-declaration form.

• Keep Calm in the CAT exam hall: Do not talk to anyone after the start of your CAT exam. This is considered cheating and may result in disqualification.

CAT 2022 Exam Day Process

Candidates should be familiar with the process they have to follow on the day of the CAT 2022. Before starting the exam, students have to go through some formalities.

• On reaching the exam center for CAT 2022, students first need to find their lab and go through the testing process.

• After completing this task, the document verification will be done and the candidates will be allotted their settings to appear in the CAT entrance exam.

• Finally, candidates have to complete the registration process and log in to the test screen to start the CAT exam.

Take a look at CAT 2022 exam day workflow for candidates

CAT 2022 - Key Do's for Candidates

Print CAT exam admit card on the A4 size paper. Before reaching the CAT exam centre, make sure you have admit card in hard copy and original ID proof. Use the google map link (embedded on the e-admit card) to locate the CAT 2022 exam centre . Candidates must affix photographs in the space provided on CAT admit card 2022. They must use the mouse to answer CAT MCQ questions and use the on-screen keyboard to answer TITA questions in CAT 2022. They have to return the writing pad after completing their CAT  exam 2022. The admit card must be handed to the invigilator once the CAT entrance exam is over.

Don'ts for Candidates for the CAT exam

Do not carry any prohibited items inside the CAT 2022 exam centre Avoid copying/cheating during CAT 2022 exam Keep a distance from fellow candidates/staff. Keep conversations to a minimum. Avoid using the keyboard in CAT exam  2022 as this will lock the computer system Unless it's a medical emergency, avoid going for a bio-break in between CAT entrance exam. Do not waste the writing pad provided or take away pages after completion of the IIM CAT 2022.

CAT 2022: Test Centers and Cities

IIM Bangalore has released the list of exam cities and centers for CAT 2022 along with the CAT 2022 notification. CAT exam will be conducted in around exam centers located in 150 CAT exam cities.

• Candidates applying for the CAT 2022 will be given an option to choose 6 exam cities based on preference.

• The name of the CAT entrance exam center within the test city will also be mentioned on the CAT admit card 2022.

• Cities and centers will be allotted to the candidates only after the CAT registration deadline.

• CAT 2022 exam sessions cannot be selected as they will be allotted randomly.

Official CAT Answer Key 2022: CAT conducting body will release the official final CAT answer key 2022 tentatively in the third week of December. Candidates will be able to check the CAT final answer key at imcat.ac.in.

IIM will release the preliminary CAT answer key 2022 in online mode probably in the second week of December. Candidates can also have the choice to raise an objection to the answer key till second week of December on payment of a fee of Rs. 1,200. Since the correct answers will be mentioned in the CAT answer key, candidates can use the same to calculate their probable scores and estimate their admission chances.

CAT exam will be held on November 27. Many coaching institutes like CL, IMS, TIME, etc have come up with the CAT answer keys using memory-based questions as the test is online.

How to download CAT Answer Key 2022?

• Go to the CAT 2022 official website.
• Find and click the Candidates Login tab.
• Enter your CAT login credentials, i.e., the user ID and password, and click submit button.
• Find your slot (Slot 1/ Slot 2/ Slot 3).
• Download the appropriate answer key by clicking on the link provided.

How to challenge the official CAT answer key

• Go to the CAT official website.
• Find and click the link called the "Candidates Login" tab.
• Now enter your CAT login credentials, i.e., your registration ID and password.
• Find and click on the link 'Objection Form' on the dashboard where the candidate's personal details are displayed.
• Enter the question number, section, and type of objection. Candidates also have the option to write a remark in up to 500 words.
• Test takers can click on '+' to add another objection against the CAT Answer Key.

CAT Answer Key 2022: Points to keep in mind when raising objections

• There is no limit to the number of objections a candidate can raise. It should be noted that an objection once submitted cannot be amended or revoked under any circumstances.
• Objection Fee: Rs 1,200 per question
• The objection fee will not be refunded if the objection is not supported with proof.
• The objection fee will not be refunded if the objection raised is not valid.

NOTE: Correct answers were marked in green with a tick and incorrect answers were marked in red with an “X” symbol on the CAT Exam 2022 key

Official CAT Answer Key Snapshot

Previous year CAT answer key- Official

CAT Answer Key: How to calculate CAT Scores?

The score obtained = 3 x number of correct answers (MCQ and Non-MCQ) - 1 x number of incorrect MCQ answers.

The CAT scores will be normalized as per the methodology announced by IIM Indore in light of the changes in the duration of the exam and other parameters. The details are available on this page in the result section.

After the conclusion of CAT 2022 slot 1, slot 2, and slot 3 on November 27, we will update this section as per students reactions and analysis of various reputed coaching institutes, we will specify the actual CAT exam analysis.  

Previous year CAT exam analysis

According to the students who appeared in the CAT exam, the overall difficulty level of CAT exam 2021 was moderately difficult. Candidates, who took CAT 2021, say, "The Quant section was moderately difficult and tricky to answer. 

The VARC was moderate and English was a bit lengthy and the DILR was the easiest section than other sections in CAT. The total number of questions in the CAT 2021 question paper was 66 and it was distributed in the format 24-20-22 (VARC - 24, DILR - 20, QA - 22). Careers360 will bring the CAT entrance exam analysis live from the exam centres as well as expert opinions from leading coaching centres.

CAT 2021-Slot 1 analysis and students' reaction

As per Varun (CAT aspirant) took the first slot said- It was his first attempt and it went quite well. The English section in CAT was moderate and DILR was quite time-consuming. The QA section was a bit long and time-consuming as well. As per him, the VARC was easy and DILR & Quant was difficult. VARC had 24 questions and the remaining two sections had 20 & 22 questions respectively.

CAT 2021-Slot 2 analysis and students' reaction

As per one of the students, Siddharth Singh, " The VARC section had 2 RCs and some of the VA were easy to moderate. For LRDI, he says, "I don't think there was any easy set, it was moderate or tough. (I hardly did one set)". He also said that QA questions were not very straightforward, you really have to search for easy targets.

CAT 2021-Slot 3 analysis and students' reaction

According to the students who appeared in the CAT 2021 exam slot 3, the overall difficulty level was moderate when compared to CAT slot 1 and slot 2. Candidates who took CAT 2022 exam slot 2, said, "Exam was Moderately difficult. The quant was easy but tricky". As per slot 3 paper, the Verbal and DILR were moderately difficult. No surprises were there in the number of questions. It remained the same as CAT Slot 1 and CAT Slot 2 i.e. 66 which means VARC - 24, DILR - 20, QA - 22.

Details in CAT 2022 exam analysis are:

• A number of questions in each section in the CAT exam papers.
• Number of MCQs and number of non- MCQs asked in CAT 2021
• Difficulty levels for all topics and CAT exam sections
• Topics from VARC, DILR, and QA with weightage
• Expected cutoff based on the difficulty levels and the time available

CAT analysis from CL, MIS, TIME and other coaching experts is available for all slots of the IIM CAT 2022 exam. CAT analysis gives details of the difficulty levels of the CAT exam and expected cutoff. The CAT 2020 analysis from coaching centres can be checked by clicking on the link given below in the table.

CAT 2021 Exam Analysis from Coaching Centres

Download CAT Sample Paper 2022

By downloading and going through the CAT question paper and solution pdf file, the candidates will get a clear knowledge about the expected CAT exam question paper. The below table holds the past four years of CAT question paper with answers. 

By clicking the "Download" link, candidates can get the appropriate question papers for the CAT entrance exam. If suppose you click on the download slot 1/ slot 2 related to "CAT question paper 2019 pdf", then you will get the CAT 2019 question paper in pdf format.

CAT Sample Papers

IIM will declare the CAT result 2022 probably in the second week of January. To download CAT exam scorecard, candidates have to log in and enter their CAT login credentials like CAT Registration ID and Password on the CAT 2022 official website, iimcat.ac.in. They must download their CAT scorecard 2022 as all admissions are on the basis of the CAT 2022 result. On the basis of the CAT result 2022, a merit list will be prepared for further IIM MBA admissions 2023.

How to check CAT result 2022?

To know how to check CAT result 2022 online, please follow the steps below.

1st Step - Go to the CAT 2022 official website and click the "Login" button.

2nd Step - Enter the login details like CAT Login ID and Password.

3rd Step - CAT Result/ Score Card will be displayed.

4th Step - Download the same and save it for future reference.

5th Step - Check the details given in the result of CAT exam.

NOTE: The CAT scorecard 2022 will be valid for one year i.e. till December 31, 2023.

CAT 2022 Result: Key Points to Note

• CAT Result Date & Time will be announced on the CAT official website.
• After the announcement of the CAT entrance exam results, the IIMs will announce the CAT scorecard and CAT rank list 2022 live.
• You can download the CAT scorecard 2022 as soon as the CAT results are declared.
• IIMs will send the CAT score via SMS to all the candidates who appear in the IIM CAT 2022.
• Candidates can download the CAT scorecard 2022 in a few steps from the CAT 2022 official website.

CAT Exam Result - Statistics

** Source: CAT 2022 official website: iimcat.ac.in
Previous year CAT result statistics

• IIM Ahmedabad released the official statistics of the CAT result on January 3, 2022.  Details as per the press release are

  1. A total of 9 candidates scored 100 percentile in CAT 2021. All are male candidates. Maharashtra has the highest CAT 100 percentilers followed by Uttar Pradesh. The figures are Maharashtra: 4, Uttar Pradesh: 2, Haryana: 1, Telangana: 1, and West Bengal:1.

  2. The 99.99 percentile CAT exam scorers are 19 and all are male candidates. Here Maharashtra and Gujarat candidates were more in number than the other states. Maharashtra has 4 candidates in this CAT result list with Gujarat having the same tally of 4. Other states were Karnataka: 2, Haryana: 2, Uttar Pradesh: 2 followed by Andhra Pradesh: 1, Bihar: 1, Chandigarh: 1, Delhi: 1, and Kerala: 1.

  3. One female candidate is amongst the 19 candidates who scored 99.98 percentile in CAT exam 2021. The state-wise statistics for this are - Maharashtra: 5, Tamil Nadu: 3, Rajasthan: 2, Punjab: 2, Madhya Pradesh: 1, Odisha: 1, Telangana: 1, West Bengal: 1, Delhi: 1, Uttar Pradesh: 1 and Gujarat: 1.

What details are mentioned in the CAT result 2022?

The sectional and overall scores of CAT 2022 will be mentioned in the result/ scorecard. The exam percentile obtained by candidates in the CAT exam is also mentioned.

CAT score vs percentile - one of the major questions asked by students is about the score versus percentile in IIM CAT 2022. IIM Indore has released the computation of the CAT Scores and normalization methodology adopted. The process is as follows

How to calculate CAT percentile scores?

The steps to calculate the CAT  2022 overall and sectional percentile scores are given. Here the QA section is chosen as an example. A similar process is also followed for DILR and VARC in the exam.

Step 1: Calculate the total number of candidates (N) who appeared for CAT (i.e. including morning, afternoon, and evening sessions).

Step 2: Assign a rank (r), based on the scaled scores obtained in the QA section, to all candidates who appeared for the CAT MBA entrance exam. In the case of two or more candidates obtaining identical scaled scores in the QA section, identical ranks are assigned to all such candidates.

For example, if two candidates obtain the highest scaled score in the QA section, then both of those candidates are assigned a rank of 1. Then, candidate(s) obtaining the second-highest scaled score in the QA section will be assigned a rank of 3 and so on.

Step 3: Calculate the percentile score (P) of a candidate with rank (r) in the QA section as:

Step 4: Round off the calculated percentile score (P) of a candidate up to two decimal points.

For example,

All percentile scores greater than or equal to 99.995 are rounded off to 100, all percentile scores greater than or equal to 99.985 but strictly less than 99.995 are rounded off to 99.99, and so on.

How to calculate the CAT scaled scores of a candidate?

The following steps will be followed to calculate the scaled score of a candidate in each of the three sections, i.e. VARC, DILR, and QA in the examination. The overall scaled score is obtained by adding scaled scores of these three sections. 

QA section is chosen as an example. A similar process is valid for the DILR and VARC. Three sessions of the examination will be expressed as a morning session (8:30 AM – 10:30 AM), afternoon session (12:30 PM – 2:30 PM), and evening session (4:30 PM – 6:30 PM), on November 27, 2022.

What after CAT Result 2022?

Once the CAT 2022 results are announced, candidates who meet the minimum CAT cut-off score will be notified by email by the respective IIMs for further examination rounds. Each IIM will send the interview letters directly to the shortlisted candidates by registered e-mail/ speed post.

Generally, IIMs follow a selection process that includes the following procedures- Written Ability Test (WAT), Group Discussion (GD), and Personal Interview (PI) rounds. Newer IIMs have a common selection procedure, i.e., a Common Admission Process (CAP) for which separate online registration is done once the minimum CAP cut-off percentile is released by the CAP conducting authority.

The final selection of the candidates for MBA 2023-2025 admissions will be done on the basis of various parameters such as CAT 2022 score, academic history, work experience (if any), academic diversity, gender diversity, and performance in WAT/GD-PI rounds.

CAT 2022 - Percentile Predictor

CAT percentile predictor is an online tool developed exclusively by Carriers 360 that helps you evaluate your performance in the CAT 2022 exam and predict your sectional and overall score. The CAT predictor tool uses the expected/ estimated CAT score to predict the CAT percentile.

Top Colleges in India offering MBA

IIM CAT Cut Off: One of the big questions asked by many students is what are the CAT cutoff marks for admissions? The CAT 2022 cutoff marks which are minimum marks or percentile required to secure admissions differ from IIM to IIM as well as the course and category of the students. 

The minimum marks required for test-takers to get a call for the IIM MBA selection process are called the CAT cut off 2022. IIMs like IIM Lucknow, IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Raipur, etc will release the CAT cutoff 2022 from August onwards.

CAT 2022 for the best IIMs is typically 99 to 100 percentile for general category students. For the reserved category of students, the CAT cut-off will be slightly lower at 97 to 98 percent. CAT 2022 is expected to be 95 to 99 percent to enroll in top MBA colleges like FMS, SPJIMR, MDI. The CAT cutoff includes the overall cutoff and sectional cutoff. Careers360 provides the CAT percentile predictor to predict the candidate's overall performance.

IIM CAT Cutoff - Past Year’s Cut off

IIM CAT Admission 2022 - Parameter and Weightage

Check CAT Cutoff (expected) by leading Coaching centres

It is to be noted that cutoff for qualifying and admissions are two different things. The qualifying cutoff is the score that decides if a candidate has cleared the exam or not. The admission cutoff of CAT is the score at which the admissions closed last. 

It has to be noted that only qualified students will be able to participate in the selection process -  IIM Admissions, CAP 2022, the IIT MBA admissions, or other MBA admissions in the country.  

Some factors that decide CAT cutoff are

•    No. of Candidates taking the test 
•    Difficulty Level of exam
•    Availability of seats 
•    IIMs and other institutes ranking

CAT Cutoff of Top IIMs

CAT Cutoff of Top MBA Colleges

List of Top MBA Colleges Accepting CAT Scores and Cutoffs

There are 600+ B-schools that accept CAT scores and cutoffs. Many participating institutes of the CAT 2020 entrance exam begin the admission process once the CAT entrance exam is conducted. Depending upon the candidate's percentile in the MBA entrance exam, the respective authorities of B-schools shortlist them for the next selection rounds for admission in the MBA program. Check the list of Top B-schools Accepting CAT scores and CAT cutoffs in the table below:

Browse Top MBA Colleges by Location

IIM Admission 2023-25: IIMs and other CAT 2022 participating management institutes will conduct the selection procedure of the exam in two-steps. After releasing the cutoff of CAT exam, eligible candidates will be called for Group Discussion (GD), Written Ability Test (WAT), and Personal Interview (PI) round. On the basis of scores received by candidates, the final selection list will be issued. Some of the key elements of the CAT selection process 2022 are the academic performance at the school and college level, gender, and required work experience of candidates.

The respective IIMs determine their own CAT cutoff, on the basis of which they list candidates and assign weightage to different categories. IIM Selection Process will consist of

• Written Ability Test (WAT)

• Group Discussion (GD)

• Personal Interviews (PI)

CAT Reservation Criteria 2022

IIM provides some reservations for different categories of students applying for any business management program. To know CAT 2022 eligibility criteria for MBC, OBC, SC, ST, PwD, General, see the below table:

Reservation Policy for Person with Disability (PwD)

For PwD candidates, they must submit the PwD certificate issued by a competent authority. Individuals with a different types of disabilities accepted under the PwD reservation:

• Blind/ Low vision candidates.

• Candidates with hearing impairment.

• Candidates with cerebral palsy or locomotive disability.

CAT 2022 - IIM Counseling Procedure and Seat Allotment

The CAT counseling 2022 and selection process will begin in January 2023. As soon as the CAT results are announced, IIMs will release the individual cut off, and candidates who qualify for the CAT cut off criteria will be invited to WAT, GD/ PI.

That there is no centralized CAT counseling portal for students, so shortlisted candidates are called for the next round of the selection process.

• Based on the CAT cut-off determined by each IIM, the candidates will be shortlisted.

• Listed candidates will then receive invitation letters for WAT, GD/ PI rounds.

• The invitation letter will indicate the registration link, last date for completion of registration, WAT/ GD and PI date, WAT/ GD, and PI location.

IIM MBA Admission 2022: Documents to be Carried

• Class 10 mark sheet

• Class 12 mark sheet

• Graduation certificate

• Reservation category certificates (if applicable)

• Interview Letters

• CAT Scorecard

For seat allotment to various B-schools, you need to visit the official website of the college and fill up the form to register. Select and lock your option before submitting. You will receive a notification via SMS or email. Once the seat is confirmed, go to the designated college/ institute and submit the seat reservation order.

Also read - Know IIM Fee Structure and Seat Intake

Some of the new IIMs may hold common counselling for MBA CAT 2022. This is held as Common Admission Process also called CAP. Details of IIM CAP through CAT exam will be announced shortly and will be updated here too.

CAT 2022 - Know IIM Fee Structure

* Fee may change.

Other Top MBA colleges accepting CAT scores  

Is the CAT exam only for MBA?

While it is a common perception to assume that the CAT exam is only for MBA, it is also for admissions to other post-graduate programmes. MICA uses CAT scores for admissions to its post-graduate programmes. So CAT exam is not just for MBA programmes.

What is the benefit of the CAT exam?

CAT entrance exam scores are used by many institutes and universities for admissions to their management programmes. The benefit of appearing for IIM CAT 2022 is that one can apply to a leading B-School other than IIM on the basis of the CAT result.

It is easier to use the CAT entrance exam as a screening test to shortlist candidates before the selection stage where the GD and PI factors play a role.

CAT Participating Institutes 2022

Candidates should understand that CAT participating institutes are of two types namely IIMs and non-IIMs. About 115 CAT 2022 participating institutes are allowed to enroll in their MBS and postgraduate programs. Non-IIMs must apply to IIM-conducting CAT before being notified as one of the participating institutes. 20 IIMs and other institutes like 6 IITs, IISc Bangalore, NITs, JNU, IMT Ghaziabad, IPU, MDI Gurgaon, SPJIMR Mumbai are such top institutes that use CAT scores.

IIM Admission Criteria and Programmes