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Latest Update: The Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Lucknow has released CAT 2023 Answer Key on the official website - iimcat.ac.in. Candidates who appeared for the exam can download their respective CAT 2023 Answer keys from the official IIM CAT website, iimcat.ac.in. Direct Link - CAT Answer Key 2023
IIM Lucknow successfully concluded CAT 2023 Exam on 26 November 2023.
This year IIM Lucknow has recorded the highest number of CAT Applications. This year, approximately 3.3 lakh candidates have registered themselves for the national level MBA entrance examination. The possible reason for this increase in CAT Registrations is the extended deadline to fill CAT Application Form 2023.
CAT 2023 Exam Date was November 26, 2023. CAT Exam is one of the most sought after MBA entrance exam conducted for admission to the most prestigious MBA Colleges in India. Also Read - What is CAT Exam?
CAT 2023 Answer Key is the scorecard where the marks obtained by candidates in the CAT Exam is mentioned. To check this, candidates can login using their login credentials and download CAT Answer Key PDF. This year, CAT Exam Fees was increased. The fees for CAT was INR 2400 for General category candidates and INR 1200 for SC/ST/PwD category candidates. Any notification related to the exam will be shared online on the official website of CAT Exam and published in the newspapers as well.
IIM Lucknow has released CAT 2023 Answer Key at iimcat.ac.in.
22 September 2023 - IIM Lucknow Concludes CAT 2023 Registration. CAT Application Correction Window to Open Soon!
14 August 2023 - IIM Lucknow Releases a PDF on Percentile Score Calculation 2023. Read to Know More!
13 August 2023 - CAT Eligibility Criteria 2023 Released. Check Now!
13 August 2023 - IIM Lucknow Releases CAT Syllabus 2023. Click Here!
2 August 2023 - CAT Registration 2023 Starts. Apply Now!
Also Read - CAT Exam Important Dates
What is CAT Exam Full Form? CAT Full Form is Common Admission Test, mostly referred to as CAT is one of the most popular and sought-after MBA Entrance Examinations conducted across the country. The exam is usually conducted by one of the 20 Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) as a prerequisite for admission to the postgraduate and fellow programs in management offered by the premier institutes. There are more than 100 institutes that offer admission based on marks obtained by the candidates in CAT 2023. The examination holds its importance due to the number of candidates participate. This year almost 3.3 Lakh candidates have registered for the exam while this number usually crosses only 2 lakh every year and more than 5000 seats are offered by the 20 IIMs currently functioning in India.
Particular |
Detail |
What is CAT Exam Full Form? |
Common Admission Test (CAT) |
CAT Exam Date 2023 |
26 November 2023 |
Examination Type |
National Level Examination |
CAT 2023 Sessions |
3 sessions – Morning, Afternoon, and Evening |
CAT 2023 Conducting Body |
|
CAT Exam Mode |
Computer Based (but not Online) |
CAT Age Limit |
No age limit Graduates with 50% marks in aggregate can apply |
No. of Questions in CAT 2023 |
Expected 64-68 questions divided among 3 sections |
CAT Negative Marking |
1 mark will be deducted for each wrong answer of MCQs. No mark would be deducted for Non-MCQs |
CAT Exam Duration |
2 hours, i.e. 120 minutes (40 min for each section) |
Section wise questions |
Expected: VARC – 22 questions DILR – 20 questions QA – 22 questions |
CAT Total Marks |
198 marks |
Type of Questions |
MCQ and TITA (Type in the Answer questions) |
Difficulty level of CAT 2023 |
Moderate to Difficult |
Colleges Accepting CAT Score 2023 |
20 IIMs, FMS, MDI, SPJIMR, IITs, IMI, JBIMS & 500 other MBA colleges in India |
CAT Exam Fees |
INR 2400 for General Category INR 1200 for SC/ST/PwD |
Official Website |
Candidates who are about to take CAT 2023 must understand that they must qualify the CAT Cutoff of respective management institutions in order to get admission to any of them. Clearing CAT Cutoff gets you admission to the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and the other participating management institutes across the country. As per the experts, students with a score more than 120 can obtain 99 percentiles in the exam.
The CAT Score is accepted for admission by all the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) such as IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, IIM Kozhikode, etc. Every year lakhs of candidates compete for nearly 5500 seats offered by IIMs. Apart from IIMs, CAT score is accepted by numerous other B-schools such as FMS Delhi, IMT, IMI XIMB and many more.
Event |
Date |
CAT Exam 2023 Registration |
2 August 2023 (Ended) |
CAT 0232 Registration Ends |
21 September 2023 (Extended) |
CAT 2023 Admit Card Download |
25 October 2023 |
CAT 2023 Mock Test Release |
November 2023 |
CAT 2023 Exam Date |
26 November 2023 |
CAT 2023 Answer Key Release |
December 2023 |
CAT 2023 Result Declaration |
January 2024 |
Also Read - CAT 2023 Important Dates
The table mentioned below is for exam timings for CAT 2023. Candidates applying for the exam must see the table below:
CAT Exam Slot |
CAT Exam Timing |
Reporting Time |
Last Entry Allowed |
Slot 1 |
8:30 AM to 10:30 AM |
7:00 AM |
8:15 AM |
Slot 2 |
12:30 PM to 2:30 PM |
11:00 AM |
12:15 PM |
Slot 3 |
4:30 PM to 6:30 PM |
3:00 PM |
4:15 PM |
IIM Lucknow hasn't introduced any major changes in the CAT Exam Pattern or CAT Syllabus. A few minor changes have been brought into the CAT Registration Process this year. Below mentioned are the latest changes in CAT Exam 2023:
The minimum CAT Eligibility Criteria for taking CAT 2023 is to possess a bachelor's degree in any field. Below mentioned are the detailed eligibility for Common Admission Test.
Q. What is the age limit to appear for CAT Exam 2023?
A. There is no age limit to appear for CAT Exam 2023 as long as you stand eligible as per the eligibility criteria of CAT Exam.
Read in Detail - CAT Eligibility Criteria
Below mentioned are the CAT 2023 Dates:
Notification Released on |
July 31, 2023 |
Application Mode |
Online |
CAT Registration Start Date |
August 2, 2023 |
CAT Registration End Date |
September 13, 2023 |
CAT Admit Card Release |
25 October 2023 |
CAT 2023 Date |
26th November 2023 |
Know more about CAT Application Procedure and Important Dates
Aspiring candidates must process the payment of CAT application fees while filling the application form. The payment of application fee must be made through any online mode of application such as Debit card, Credit card, or Net Banking.
Category |
Application Fee |
General and OBC |
INR 2400 |
SC/ST/PwD |
INR 1200 |
The admit cards are released once the process of filling up of application form is completed. Students must ensure that they follow the pre-defined set of steps of How to Download CAT Admit Card from the official website of CAT.
Know more about CAT Admit Card
There were no such changes introduced in CAT Examination Pattern since 2015 until the last year. Though the format has remained the same but there are some changes such as no. of questions, cat entrance exam duration, cat exam format, etc. Below mentioned are the important details of CAT 2023 along with marking scheme:
Particular |
Detail |
CAT Exam Sections |
3 sections namely VARC, DILR, and QA |
CAT Exam Duration |
2 hours i.e. 120 minutes |
Total no. of Questions |
Expected questions are – 64 to 68 questions |
Types of Questions |
MCQs and Non-MCQs |
No Penalty Questions |
Almost 25% of the total questions (Non MCQs) will have no negative marking |
Negative Marking Questions |
All the MCQs i.e. 70%-75% questions are of negative marking |
CAT Cutoff for admission to IIMs |
Minimum percentile required for admission to IIMs must lie between 70 to 90 percentiles |
Other Criteria along with CAT Score |
Good academic score, work experience, and a good performance in GD and PI rounds conducted by IIMs |
The entire pattern of CAT Exam has been divided into the following sections.
Sections |
Number of Questions |
Verbal Ability and Reasoning Comprehension |
26 |
Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning |
24 |
Quantitative Aptitude |
26 |
Those appearing in the exam must go through CAT Exam Papers to understand the type of questions asked in the exam. The CAT Exam Pattern has undergone a few changes in the past few years and these changes can be seen in the CAT Exam Question Paper of each year. CAT exam papers are available online and students can download these papers for better performance in the exam.
Also Read - CAT Exam Pattern and Marking Scheme
There have been some substantial changes in CAT Syllabus during the past 5 years. Below mentioned are some of the major changes introduced in CAT Exam 2023 Syllabus:
Know more about CAT 2023 Syllabus
Now that CAT Exam Date has been announced by the examination conducting authority, students have started preparing for the exam. The biggest question that still remains unanswered is how to prepare for the examination. It is very important to be aware of the minute details of each subject in order to crack the examination with good marks.
Also Read - How to Prepare for CAT 2023 Exam?
For CAT 2023 Preparation, candidates must start at least 6 months before the examination is commenced. Six months of duration is a must to secure 99+ percentiles in CAT 2023. The three elements candidates must consider before starting the preparation of CAT 2023 are Conceptual Clarity, Practice, and Revision. Candidates taking the CAT 2023 for MBA for the first time should start in the month of March as it gives you 7-8 months before the exam is conducted in November.
Below are some of the tips on How to Start CAT 2023 Exam Preparation:
Quick Links |
|
As per the survey, most of the CAT Toppers started their CAT Exam Preparation from March or April and onwards. Previous toppers studying at IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Lucknow, IIM Udaipur, FMS, SPJIMR, MDI have shared their preparation strategy. These preparation strategies include how they overcame their weaknesses and secured high marks in CAT Exam. The last-minute preparation tips from these toppers turn out to be very helpful when you wish to secure a good score in the examination.
Also read more about CAT Toppers and their Strategies to Ace CAT 2023
Candidates can understand CAT Syllabus only by looking at the CAT Question Paper. By going through CAT Previous Year question papers, they will be able to understand the number and type of questions asked in CAT Question Paper. By referring to CAT Previous Year Question Papers, candidates can get hold of topic wise number of questions asked in each section of the paper. It will also help them understand the section wise weightage of the question paper. Candidates appearing in CAT 2023 can solve previous year CAT Question Papers to understand the syllabus as well as the difficulty level of the exam.
Also Read - CAT Paper Analysis
CAT 2023 is scheduled to be conducted on November 26, 2023 and it will only be conducted at the allotted exam centres. Candidates appearing in the exam must follow a certain set of guidelines which is also mentioned in the CAT Admit Card. Below mentioned are the important CAT Exam Day Guidelines along with the list of documents to carry and prohibited items at the exam centre:
Candidates appearing for CAT 2023 must carry the below mentioned documents to the exam centre as without these documents, they will not be allowed to enter the examination hall:
Note: Candidates with a metal implant, pacemaker, etc. in their body will be required to bring medical certificate of the same to the test centre.
Other MBA Exams:
CAT Answer Key 2023 will be released probably after 3 to 4 days the exam is conducted. Below mentioned are the steps to check CAT 2023 Answer Key and CAT Response Sheet from the official website of CAT.
Also Read - How to Calculate Scaled Score of CAT Exam?
The CAT 2023 Answer Key objection window will be made available for at least 3 to 4 days and students can raise objections regarding the same. In case candidates feel there are some discrepancies in the official answers then they can raise objections to it. The CAT Answer Key will be analysed and re-examined. In order to raise objections, candidates will be required to fill an online form, upload required document, and make payment of requisite fee.
Below mentioned are the various MBA Programs Offered by IIMs in which admission takes place through CAT 2023 Score:
Indian Institute of Management (IIM) |
MBA Programs Offered by IIM |
PGP, PGP-FABM |
|
MBA, EMBA, MBA-Business Analytics, MBA-HRM |
|
PGP, PGPEM, PGPBA |
|
PGP |
|
MBA |
|
PGP, PGP-HRM |
|
MBA |
|
MBA, MBA (Analytics), EMBA |
|
PGP, PGP-BL, PGP-F, PGP-LSM, EPGP (At Kochi campus) |
|
PGP, PGP-ABM, PGP-SM |
|
PGP |
|
PGP |
|
PGP, PGP-HRM, PGP (Business Analytics) |
|
PGP, EPGPX, EPGDSM |
|
MBA, Executive MBA |
|
PGP, PGPEX, PGPWE |
|
MBA, MBA (T&HM) |
|
PGP, PGPM-HR, PGPBM |
|
MBA, MBA-DEM, MBA-GSCM, PGDBAWE |
|
PGP, PGPEX, PGPDGM |
CAT 2023 Scorecard and CAT 2023 Result can be downloaded from the official website of CAT by using their login ID and password. The CAT 2023 Result consist of candidate's raw scores (both sectional and overall) and percentiles (both sectional and overall). Below mentioned are the steps to download CAT Result:
Also Read
CAT Result are expected to be announced during the second week of January 2024. Candidates would be able to check their percentiles and scaled scores once the results are announced. The candidates can download their score card and save it for future reference until the CAT Admission Process gets complete.
IIM Lucknow hasn't declared any specific date to release CAT 2023 result, but as per the notification released by the examination conducting authority, it is scheduled to be declared during the 2nd week of January 2023. However, the result of CAT Exam is generally declared during the first week of January every year, we can expect that the result will be declared on 5th January 2023 in morning hours. Right after the result is declared, the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) begin their admission procedure. The candidates are shortlisted based on their performance in CAT Exam along with Personal Interview (PI) and Written Ability Test (WAT) conducted by the institutes.
Also Read - IIM Admission Process
Each IIM has its own admission criteria in order to shortlist candidates for personal interview round conducted by them. These criteria of IIMs may be independent of one another and there may exist various other parameters besides qualifying CAT 2023. The final admission procedure of every IIM primarily consists of Personal Interviews, Written Ability Test, and Group Discussion.
Other Considerable Parameters for Admission Besides CAT Score:
Qualifying CAT Exam for MBA is one primary factor for admission to all 20 IIMs. Every IIM has its own eligibility criteria for admission besides CAT Score and candidates must stand eligible as per the below mentioned parameters:
Also Read - How to get admission to IIM after CAT Exam?
Institutes that accept CAT Score for MBA Admission other than IIMs also conduct GD/PI rounds for admission to their MBA/PGDM programs. However, there are only a few colleges that do not conduct personality assessment rounds and they admit students based on their performance in CAT 2023 only.
The expected CAT Marks vs Percentile 2023 will be given here on this page to help students understand the idea of the score required in CAT to get the required percentile: Read More - CAT Score vs Percentile 2023
CAT Percentile |
VARC Score |
DILR Score |
Quant Score |
CAT Score |
99.5+ |
38-40 |
32-34 |
39-41 |
105-108 |
99+ |
34-35 |
28-30 |
36-37 |
98-102 |
98+ |
32-33 |
27-28 |
30-32 |
90-93 |
95+ |
32-34 |
20-21 |
28-30 |
80-82 |
90+ |
29-30 |
17-19 |
26-27 |
72-75 |
85+ |
24-25 |
14-15 |
20-22 |
59-61 |
80+ |
20-22 |
11-13 |
15-16 |
46-48 |
Since CAT 2023 will be conducted across three slots, CAT Scores will be normalized in order to ensure that all the candidates are assessed based on an equal level of difficulty of the exam.
Read in Detail - CAT Normalization Process
After the examination, the conducting body releases the cut off marks based on which the students are selected and given admission to the courses they are willing to pursue their career in.
The Cutoff is the minimum marks a candidate must score to qualify for the next round of selection process. If the difficulty level of the CAT 2023 is high, the cutoff would be low. The cutoff set would depend on the difficulty level of the exam, the number of institutes and number of seats available.
CAT Cutoff explains a lot about the analysis of previous year's cut off list released by the Indian Institute of Management. The expected cut off marks have been displayed in a tabulated form to provide a brief idea about selection.
Know more about CAT Cut Off
CAT Cutoff for IIM Admissions is individually fixed category wise by every institute. While the qualifying CAT Cutoff ranges between 80 and 90 for the general category, the final cutoff is much higher than the qualifying cutoff. Below mentioned table provides you the qualifying Cutoffs for admission to IIMs: Selection Process of IIM PDF
IIMs |
CAT Cutoff (Qualifying) |
85 |
|
85 |
|
85 |
|
90 |
|
85 |
|
90 |
|
95 |
|
80 |
|
93 |
|
93 |
|
93 |
|
85 |
|
75 |
|
93 |
|
93 |
|
93 |
|
93 |
|
85 |
|
93 |
|
93 |
Also Read - CAT Score vs Percentile
CAT Score is accepted by all the 20 Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and more than 1200 business schools across the country. Candidates can check the list of IIMs across the country in the table given below:
List of IIMs Accepting CAT Score |
|
Below mentioned is the list of Top MBA Colleges Accepting CAT Score other than IIMs:
MBA Colleges other than IIMs Accepting CAT Score |
|
BITSoM Mumbai |
Queries regarding CAT Registration, Application and Payment Processing, Document uploading:
1-800-210-8720 (Toll Free)
Monday to Saturday 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM (excluding National holidays).
cathelpdesk@iimcat.co.in
Academic queries like eligibility, category and PwD certificate contact CAT Centre office with the following details.
Monday to Friday, 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM (excluding holidays)
+91-080-26993388 / 3017 / 3013
cat2022@iimb.ac.in
CAT 2023 Exam will be conducted on 26th November 2023.
CAT 2023 is being conducted by IIM Lucknow on 26th November 2023.
CAT Exam is generally conducted by one of the present IIMs on a rotational basis. The conducting IIM is held responsible for release of notifications, setting cat question paper, releasing cat cutoff, etc.
Being one of the most prominent and sought after MBA Entrance Examinations, CAT Exam is comparatively tough. The Quantitative Aptitude section is considered the toughest among all. While Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning stand 2nd and 3rd.
Some of the best institutes to prepare for cat exam include Career Launcher, IMS, Triumphant Institute of Management, PT Education, and Bulls Eye. Self study will also be sufficient for exam preparation.
Yes. If the preparation of exam is started in time and you work on your weak points properly, the it becomes easy to qualify cat exam. Dedication and perseverance are two factors that might help you achieve what you actually seek.
There are three sections in which the CAT Question Paper is divided. These sections are Quantitative Aptitude, Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension, and Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning.
CAT Exam is undoubtedly one tough nut to crack, and to score a valid percentile an assiduous practice is required. Candidates appearing in CAT 2023 can go through previous year question papers of cat exam and prepare accordingly.
The CAT 2023 Exam Date is 26 November 2023. IIM Lucknow has released a notification declaring the exam dates of CAT Exam.
Yes. IIM Lucknow has released the CAT 2022 Notification on its official website. The registration procedure has begun from 2 August 2023.
CAT Exam Date 2022 was scheduled to be 27 November 2022. There were almost 2.30 lakh candidates who registered for the exam.
The CAT Exam Full Form is Common Admission Test. It is a national level MBA Entrance Exam conducted for admission to IIMs and other top level management institutes in the country.
It’s not easy to compare CAT and JEE Main as these exams are separately conducted for MBA and B. Tech/B. Arch respectively. But as a matter of fact, we can say that CAT Exam tougher than JEE Main. Questions in JEE Main are entirely based on NCERT Books from class 11 and 12 while questions in CAT Exam are based on questions from class 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th as well.
CAT (Common Admission Test) is an entrance exam for getting into IIMs and it is the only way to pursue MBA from the IIMs and other top management institutes across the country.
The admission/selection procedure for candidates for various programs provided by the Indian Institute of Management is also known as IIM Admission Criteria. Students seeking admission to the IIM must first complete an online application form. The IIMs are management education and research institute
... Read moreCAT 2023 Exam was successfully conducted on 26th November 2023. The overall difficulty level of the exam was moderate to difficult for all three slots, according to the CAT 2023 Analysis. The exam sections, which included VARC, DILR, and QA, were moderately tough for all candidates. The full CAT Exa
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