CAT 2023

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. 

Latest Updates on CAT Exam

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!

• IIM Lucknow will conduct CAT Exam 2023 on November 26, 2023.
• CAT Exam Fees has been increased to INR 2400 from INR 2300.
• The exam will be held in three slots and each slot will be of 120 minutes.
• Total no. of questions is reduced to 66 from 100.
• There will be no grammar based questions in CAT Exam 2023.
• Candidates with 50% marks in graduation in the relevant field can apply for the exam.
• CAT Exam 2023 will have three sections namely VARC, DILR, and QA.
• Top MBA Colleges that accept CAT Score other than IIMs are FMS, SPJIMR, IITs, and MDI.

Also Read - CAT Exam Important Dates

What is CAT Exam?

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. 

CAT Exam 2023 Highlights

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.

Key components of CAT:

• The exam provides admission to IIMs and top B-schools.
• This year the examination is being conducted by IIM Lucknow.
• The candidates must possess a bachelor's degree with a minimum of 50 percent aggregate from a recognized university.
• The candidates pursuing the final year of graduation are also eligible to apply for the examination.
• The examination is conducted in online mode which comprises of Multiple-Choice Questions and Non-Multiple-Choice Questions.  

CAT Exam Date and Schedule

CAT Exam Timings

The table mentioned below is for exam timings for CAT 2023. Candidates applying for the exam must see the table below:

What is New in CAT Exam?

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:

• CAT Exam Fees has been increased from INR 2300 to INR 2400 for General category and from INR 1,150 to INR 1200 for candidates belonging to the reserved categories.
• Candidates must also mention their COVID-10 vaccination status in the CAT Registration form.
• CAT Eligibility Criteria has been extended for candidates holding FCAI Degree. They are also considered eligible for CAT Examination.

CAT Exam Important Points

• One Day Exam – CAT Exam is conducted in single day in three sessions.
• Computer Based Test – Though the exam is a computer-based test, it is not an online exam.
• 45+ Days CAT 2023 Registration Window – The registration procedure begins in August and ends in September. That gives students 45+ days' time to register themselves for the exam.
• Acceptance of Dual Degree – Candidates with dual bachelor's degree must mention the academic scores of both the degree programs while filling the application form.
• Single Fee for MBA Admission – CAT Entrance Exam provides admission opportunity for all the 20 IIMs with the single point payment of CAT Exan Fees of INR 2400 (INR 1200 for Reserved Categories).
• Choice of 50 MBA Courses in IIMs – Candidates are offered with more than 50 MBA program choices across all the IIMs with no additional application fee for CAT Exam for admission. 

CAT Eligibility Criteria 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.

• Candidates must possess a bachelor's degree securing at least 50% marks in aggregate from a recognized university to appear in CAT Exam 2023. (45% for candidates belonging to reserved categories)
• The duration of the bachelor's degree program should not be less than 3 years. It could of regular of distance learning mode.
• Candidates with professional degrees such as CA, CS, ICWA, or FCAI will also be considered eligible to appear in CAT Exam 2023 only if they attained the required percentage.
• Candidates in their final year of bachelor's degree or those awaiting their result will also be eligible to apply for CAT Exam 2023.

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

CAT Registration 2023

• Aspiring candidates willing to appear in CAT Exam 2023 must visit the official website i.e. iimcat.ac.in to fill the application form.
• The application procedure must be completed through the online mode only.
• The application procedure involves various steps such as providing personal details, education qualification and uploading of signature & photograph. 
• It will have the complete description of programs offered by 20 IIMs, out of which the candidates would be having an opportunity to select programs of their choice for a Personal Interview round.

Below mentioned are the CAT 2023 Dates:

Know more about CAT Application Procedure and Important Dates

CAT Exam Fees

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.

• The payment can also be made through Demand draft but in such case, they are required to provide the details in the duly filled application form.
• CAT 2023 Exam Fees for general category candidates is INR 2400 and SC/ST/PwD candidates it is INR 1200. CAT Fees for OBC Candidates is INR 2400.

CAT Admit Card 2023

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.

• CAT 2023 Admit Card is expected to be released on 25^th October 2023.
• Aspiring candidates must check if the details in admit card are correct. In case of any discrepancy, kindly reach out to the concerned department of the examination.
• Any incorrect detail found during the examination may lead to cancelation of the candidature.
• You must ensure that you reach the venue at least 1 hour prior to the scheduled time. If a candidate does not reach on time, his candidature stands canceled.

Know more about CAT Admit Card 

CAT Exam Pattern 2023

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:

The entire pattern of CAT Exam has been divided into the following sections.

• The examination is to be conducted in two sessions through online mode. It is must for the candidates to familiarize themselves with the examination pattern.
• There is a total of 100 questions, and it must be duly noted that the examination follows negative marking trend. The students are rewarded with 3 marks for each correct answer and one mark is deducted as penalty for each incorrect answer.

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

CAT Syllabus 2023

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:

• CAT Exam contains different types of questions now.
• No negative marking for 25% to 30% of the questions (Non MCQs).
• Changes are primarily introduced in Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension section.
• Some of the changes are introduced in Quantitative Ability section of the paper. The focus is on Arithmetic Questions.

Know more about CAT 2023 Syllabus

How to Prepare for CAT Entrance Exam 2023?

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.

• Aspirants may visit the official website to get the detailed description of syllabus one must prepare in order to qualify the entrance examination.
• To ensure that is up to the mark, consistency and practice are the keys. Solve questions pertaining to various sections to ensure perfection. Do not focus only on one section. Preparation needs to be well-rounded. 
• During the initial phase of study, try to make your accuracy more perfect than your speed. Solve questions pertaining to various sections to ensure perfection.

Also Read - How to Prepare for CAT 2023 Exam?

CAT Exam Preparation Tips 2023

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. 

• Candidates appearing in CAT 2023 must first get familiar with CAT 2023 Syllabus and CAT 2023 Exam Pattern and then make a preparation plan to study. 

Below are some of the tips on How to Start CAT 2023 Exam Preparation:

• Check CAT Syllabus of previous year as it is likely to remain the same for CAT 2023.
• Make a list of topics as per your strengths and weaknesses. 
• Join online study groups on various social media platforms such Youtube and Telegram.
• Collect study material relevant to you CAT Syllabus and CAT Preparation Books. 
• Make daily plans and allot topics as per your capacity each from VARC, DILR, and QA.
• Revise and practice questions from the topics you prepared from each section. 
• Practice CAT Previous Year Question Papers in order to increase your speed of solving questions.

CAT Toppers Tips and Strategy

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

CAT Previous Year Papers

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 Exam Day Guidelines

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:

Documents to Carry

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:

• Admit Card – Printout of CAT 2023 Admit Card with a passport sized photo affixed on the given space.  
• Identity Proof – Photo ID proof such as College ID (must be supported with a valid debit/credit card), employer ID, driving license, passport, PAN card, Voter ID or Aadhaar card
• Name change document – In case a candidate has made changes in his/her name, he/she will be required to carry a name change certificate or any relevant document.
• PwD/Scribe Certificate – Candidates belonging to PwD category will be required to carry a certificate indicating their disability and the scribe certificate attested by the competent authority, in case they are to avail scribe services.

List of Prohibited Items in CAT Exam Hall:

• Calculator, watch, phone, iPad or any other electronic item
• Bags and purses
• Eatables and beverages
• Jewellery and accessories that contain metal
• Jackets and clothes with pockets
• Closed footwear

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

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.

• Visit the official website of CAT 2023 – iimcat.ac.in.
• Navigate to and click on the ‘Login' tab.
• Enter CAT Login ID and Password.
• Click on ‘CAT 2023 Answer Key' and it will appear on the screen.
• Click on ‘Download' icon to save it as a PDF.

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.

MBA Programs Offered by IIMs Through CAT Exam

Below mentioned are the various MBA Programs Offered by IIMs in which admission takes place through CAT 2023 Score:

CAT Result and Scorecard PDF

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:

• Visit the official website of CAT – iimcat.ac.in.
• Navigate to and click on ‘CAT 2023 Result/Scorecard' tab.
• Enter your CAT Login credentials i.e. CAT Application Number and Password.
• Click on the CAT Scorecard section.
• Click on the download icon to save the CAT Scorecard PDF for future reference. 

Also Read

• CAT 2023 Result
• How to Calculate CAT Score?

IIM Selection Process/ IIM Admission Process

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.

• In order to know more about the previous year's result and how and why the result matters, visit CAT Results.

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 2^nd 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 5^th 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.

• The final admission offer is made to the candidates in the months of April and May 2023 by these institutes. 

Also Read - IIM Admission Process

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:

• CAT 2023 Score (Mandatory)
• Previous Academic Performance
• Relevant Work Experience
• Gender and Academic Diversity
• Extracurricular Achievements, Social Services, etc.

Also Read - How to get admission to IIM after CAT Exam?

Non IIM Admission Process through 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.

CAT Score vs Percentile 2023

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

• For 99+ percentiles, 100+ score is a good score in CAT.
• For 98+ percentiles, CAT Score should be between 95 and 100.
• For 80+ percentiles, 60+ marks are good enough in CAT 2023.

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

CAT Cutoff 2023

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

IIM CAT Cutoff Percentiles

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

Top Colleges Accepting CAT Score

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:

Non IIM Colleges Accepting CAT Score

Below mentioned is the list of Top MBA Colleges Accepting CAT Score other than IIMs:

CAT 2023 Contact Information

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