CAT 2019 is the biggest MBA Entrance Exams of this 2019 Exam season. With this in mind, you need to know all about the CAT 2019 Exam including the possible CAT 2019 Analysis and Cut Offs. With this in mind, let us have a look at some of the most important dates for CAT 2019:
The CAT 2019 Notification implied that the CAT 2019 Exam Pattern will not change. This means that the CAT 2019 Analysis and Cut Offs will also be somewhat similar although they may be dictated by the difficulty of the CAT 2019 Question Paper. The overall CAT 2019 Exam pattern will continue to be:
The CAT 2019 Admit Card will be released on 23rd October 2019 at 5 pm according to the official website. Some of the major details to check after downloading the CAT 2019 Admit Card are:
To download the CAT 2019 Admit Card, please go to the official CAT Website (www.iimcat.ac.in) and input your credentials.
After the CAT 2019 Analysis, you can go through the other details about the CAT 2019 Exam on the page below. Everything that you need to know about the CAT 2019 Exam is covered here. This includes the CAT 2019 Notification, CAT 2019 Registration, CAT 2019 Syllabus, CAT 2019 Exam Pattern, and other details. The links adjoined to the left will allow you to scroll through the page to the topic of your choice.
CAT 2019 is expected to be of the same level of difficulty as CAT 2018. The VARC and DILR sections are expected to be on the similar lines in terms of the level of difficulty. The QA section is expected to slightly easier than the QA section of CAT 2018 but difficult than what it was in CAT 2017.
The detailed CAT 2019 Analysis and Cut Off will be updated on this page right after the exam. CL Gurus will be taking the CAT 2019 in both the slots and, therefore, you will witness the most comprehensive and accurate analysis here.
CAT 2019 cutoffs will be similar to that of the CAT 2018. In order to help you understand what the CAT 2019 cutoffs will be like, our academic team led by CL gurus have laid out what will be the CAT 2019 expected cutoffs in each section
In VARC, the 99%ile is likely to be at 74 marks, and a 95%ile should be at around 62 marks.
Difficulty Level |
Similar to CAT 2018 |
Composition |
34 Questions |
99 percentile |
~ 74 marks |
95 percentile |
~ 62 marks |
85 percentile |
~ 54 marks |
GP’s Take: VARC
Read RCs using question-paper button. Choose the passages that you are comfortable with. Take the paper in a way that is most comfortable for you
In DILR, the 99%ile is likely to be at 45 marks, and a 95%ile should be at around 35 marks.
Difficulty Level |
Similar to CAT 2018 |
Composition |
32 Questions |
99 percentile |
~ 45 marks |
95+ percentile |
~35 marks |
85 percentile |
~24 marks |
GP’s Take: DILR
If you get stuck, see if you can attempt a question or two from whatever you have gathered. Don’t be ambitious
In QA, the 99%ile is likely to be at 64marks, and a 95%ile should be at around 56 marks.
Difficulty Level |
Higher than that of CAT 2017, Lesser than that of CAT 2018 |
Composition |
34 Questions |
99 percentile |
~ 63-65 marks |
95 percentile |
~ 56-57 marks |
85 percentile |
~ 45-46 marks |
CAT (Common Admission Test) is the premium entrance exam held by IIMs for admissions into top business schools. The CAT Exam score is accepted as a qualifier in over a 100 Business Schools. These also include the best MBA colleges such as IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, ISB Hyderabad, etc. It is the most popular amongst the MBA Entrance Exams due to the vast number of colleges accepting the CAT Score. The number of colleges means that there is a college available for every student.
During the year 2017, IIMs, for the first time, released the CAT Question Paper and Answer Key, and this practice has continued in CAT 2018 as well. With this transparency leap, CAT exam, which is an official Indian Entrance exam, is now being accepted by international business schools as well. Singapore Management University in 2017 declared CAT score acceptance for admissions into their business programs making it the first international university to open its gates to CAT aspirants.
The CAT Exam is also quite simple in terms of the procedures to be followed. It starts with the CAT 2019 Notification which is expected to be released in the last week of July. The CAT 2019 Notification is announced in all the newspaper dailies and informs the candidate on the CAT 2019 Exam Date and the CAT 2019 Registration Process. Following the release of the CAT 2019 Notification, the candidates must fill the CAT Registration form. This is an essential step for the candidate where they also fill in their preference of the CAT Exam Center. The CAT Registration is followed by the CAT 2019 Exam itself in the month of November. A CAT Mock is released just prior to the CAT 2019 Exam to give the candidate an idea of what to expect in the CAT 2019 Exam. The final stage is the CAT 2019 Result and the selection procedures followed by the colleges to pick the best candidates for their college.
Read below for further details regarding CAT 2019 notification, exam pattern, syllabus, important dates, eligibility criteria, preparation strategy, and more.
This is the final stretch of the CAT 2019 Exam. As such, there should be certain things that you need to be doing in order to maximize your CAT 2019 Score. Some of these things will be talked about here:
These are some of the things that you should be doing in order to make the most of your time before the CAT 2019 Exam. For more information about general CAT 2019 Preparation, please visit this page.
The first milestone that every CAT aspirant looks forward to is the CAT 2019 Notification. The CAT 2019 Notification marks the start of the fervent CAT Season in earnest. The CAT 2019 Notification is the time when the serious CAT aspirants start counting down their days for preparation. The CAT 2019 Notification may reveal some details about the CAT 2019 Exam like:
Some other details about the CAT 2019 Notification and subsequent Registration are:
The CAT 2019 online application form is usually divided into the following sections:
On completing the information on the form, click 'Save & Next' option. As the next step, you will be required to upload your photograph and signature in the respective sections. The last step of the CAT 2019 registration process is the payment of the application fee via Credit/Debit Card or Net Banking.
As per the eligibility criteria of CAT 2019 charted by IIMs, candidates should fulfill the following parameters:
The CAT 2019 eligibility criteria for reserved categories as decided by IIMs are as follows:
a) low vision blindness,
b) hearing impairment,
c) locomotor disability/cerebral palsy
Following the 2018 pattern, CAT 2019 will run for 180 minutes with 60 minutes allotted to each section. There will be 100 multiple-choice and non-multiple choice questions. No movement will be allowed across sections.
The order of sections will remain the same: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Aptitude (QA).
The use of basic on-screen calculator for computations is allowed.
Find CAT 2018 pattern below for reference:
SECTION |
MCQs |
NoN-MCQs |
TOTAL |
Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VRC) |
24 |
10 |
34 |
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DI & LR) |
24 |
8 |
32 |
Quantitative Ability (QA) |
27 |
7 |
34 |
Total |
75 |
25 |
100 |
Based on the previous years' question papers, the subjects for CAT 2019 can be classified under the following categories:
Each of these sections contains different types of questions. A highly-effective CAT preparation strategy includes dense familiarity with all the topics that fall under these categories.
Verbal and Reading Comprehension sections comprises of Reading Comprehension passages. Thorough practice of RC passages will aid in better understanding of longer and complex texts.
Verbal Reasoning questions involve analyzing the form and content of passages. Sometimes the questions herein can surprise the candidates. Previous years' paper contained the following types of questions under Verbal Ability:
Data Interpretation (DI) and Logical Reasoning (LR) consists of charts and graphs of all kinds i.e. line, bar, and pie. These may appear individually or along with tables or other elements.
The questions in the Logical Reasoning sections are fundamentally word problems. However, they may also combine word problems with any of the aforementioned data forms. The form of questions asked in the DILR section may slightly seem complex and hence, consistent practice is the key.
The question progression in the Quantitative Ability (QA) section may indeed seem heavy. From fractions to profit and loss to triangles and circles to exponents, etc., the escalation continues. Nonetheless, the calming feature of this section is the uniform pattern.
Questions under the QA section include algebra, arithmetic, geometry, modern math (including set theory, polynomials, probability, progressions, and permutations/combinations), and number systems (e.g. integers, primes, exponents).
The subjects' syllabus of CAT exam is definitely not confined. However, it follows a logical and standard pattern. This only means that once you're very familiar with the pattern, preparation gets more effective. Good luck for CAT 2019!
Visit our CAT 2019 Preparation Strategy page to know how you can follow a highly-effective preparation strategy for CAT devised by our MBA experts.
Despite the absence of rigid CAT syllabus, our experts have analyzed and provided a tentative CAT 2019 syllabus based on the past CAT trends. While there could be additions of new topics or removal of the old, CAT syllabus is expected to remain same for the year 2019.
Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension |
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning |
Quantitative Ability |
|
|
|
Read more
The CAT 2019 Admit Card has been released on 23rd October 2019. Candidates can download their admit cards online by logging into the official website (www.iimcat.ac.in) with their unique credentials.
Some of the more important details which are mentioned in the CAT 2019 Admit Card are:
The candidates are required to take a printout of the CAT 2019 Admit Card and paste their photograph on the Admit Card. This CAT 2019 Admit Card has to be carried to the exam center along with one Photo ID to be allowed entry into the center. Please go through the instructions in the CAT 2019 Admit Card to ensure that you are aware of all the details required to appear for the CAT 2019 Exam.
CAT 2019 timeline is similar to that of CAT 2018. The main exam will be held on the 24th November 2019, and with the CAT 2019 Notification released on 28th July 2019. Online application for the exam shall remain open from 7th August 2019 to 25th September 2019.
Do's
Don'ts
There is Test System Number in your CAT Admit card. This unique number is provided for the purpose of identifying the floor / wing and your designated seat at the exam center.
For any other correspondence with your CAT exam center, you should provide your Registration Number and not the Test System number. Test System number is only needful for seat location/identification during the main exam date.
Similar to CAT 2018, CAT 2019 exam centers will be located in over 140 cities across India. The actual number of exam centers may vary depending on the number of participating candidates.
During the exam registration process, candidates will have to select three CAT exam centers in the order of their preference. The final allotting of exam center is decided by the IIMs which are then reflected on the official CAT Admit Card.
The official CAT mock test has been released by IIM Kozhikode in October. It is created and shared with the candidates some time before the actual CAT 2019 Exam. The major reason for this mock test is not to give the candidates a glimpse of the CAT 2019 Exam or its difficulty level but rather to familiarize them with the navigation and format of the CAT 2019 Exam. Candidates can also familiarize themselves with the usage of the online calculator and timer. However, it must be noted that the CAT mock test is intended for practice purposes only.
You can find the CAT 2019 Mock Test at the official CAT website (www.iimcat.ac.in) and watch Gautam Puri's (GP) opinions of the paper in the video given below.
The CAT 2019 Question Paper will be available on the official CAT Website sometime post the actual CAT 2019 Exam. The basic features of the CAT 2019 Exam are expected to remain the same as the previous years including the CAT 2019 Exam Pattern and the CAT 2019 Syllabus. Some of the salient features of the CAT 2019 Question Paper are:
These are some of the more salient points that candidates should remember about the CAT 2019 Question Paper going into the CAT 2019 Exam.
CAT result 2019 is expected to be released in the second week of January, 2020. The official CAT 2019 score card can be downloaded online by entering your unique CAT ID and password on the official website www.iimcat.ac.in. The CAT score card will include your detailed sectional and overall scaled scores and percentiles. The score cards are available online alone, hence, take a print out for further admission processes
The table below contains past exam-result trends as an attempt to lay down the past exam mechanism of CAT.
YEAR |
EXAM |
RESULT |
2015 |
November 29th, 2015 |
January 8th, 2016 |
2016 |
December 4th, 2016 |
January 9th, 2017 |
2017 |
November 26th, 2017 |
January 8th, 2018 |
2018 (latest) |
November 25th, 2018 |
January 5th, 2019 |
Follow these steps to find/check your CAT 2019 results, and to download the rank card:
Go to the official CAT website www.iimcat.ac.in.
Enter User Id and Password and login to your account
Click on 'score card for CAT 2019'.
Take print out of your CAT Result 2019 for reference/record keeping.
Although the official CAT result is after almost two months, it is an added advantage and a peace of mind to have an insight on the performance. Keeping this in mind, Career Launcher experts have created a percentile calculator for the purpose of score assessment. The link below is to help you predict/calculate your CAT percentile, so you can begin your college picking plan ahead of time.
Since CAT is conducted in morning and afternoon slots on a single day, it becomes necessary to normalize the scores of all candidates from both slots. Therefore, IIMs normalizes CAT scores by using a formula similar to that applied for GATE.
The scaled scores for each section along with percentiles are declared along with the result. This is practiced for transparency and for equalizing the scores. This way, no candidates from either slot are left in an advantaged or disadvantaged position.
CAT cut-off is an indication of the minimum percentile score that is expected of a candidate to achieve for getting shortlisted by the participating institutes. While top B-schools are known to have a higher CAT cut-off range, the minimum cut-off varies from institute to institute.
CAT cut-off is generally dependent on certain factors like difficulty level of the exam, number of test-takers, number of seats, etc.
Find the below the tabulated 2018 CAT cut-off of top-tier IIMs for reference:
IIM |
SECTION |
GENERAL |
OBC-NC |
SC |
ST |
PwD (except ST) |
PwD (ST) |
IIM Ahmedabad |
VRC |
70 |
65 |
60 |
50 |
60 |
50 |
|
DI&LR |
70 |
65 |
60 |
50 |
60 |
50 |
|
QA |
70 |
65 |
60 |
50 |
60 |
50 |
|
Aggregate |
80 |
75 |
70 |
60 |
70 |
60 |
IIM Bangalore |
VRC |
85 |
75 |
70 |
60 |
50 |
|
DI&LR |
80 |
70 |
65 |
60 |
50 |
||
|
QA |
80 |
70 |
65 |
60 |
50 |
|
|
Aggregate |
90 |
80 |
75 |
70 |
60 |
|
IIM Calcutta |
VRC |
85 |
75 |
65 |
60 |
60 |
|
|
DI&LR |
80 |
75 |
65 |
60 |
60 |
|
|
QA |
80 |
75 |
65 |
60 |
60 |
|
|
Aggregate |
90 |
85 |
70 |
70 |
70 |
|
The selection procedure differs according to various participating institutes. However, the one uniform feature among all is the preliminary round selection where candidates are shortlisted based on CAT cut-off.
For the second round selection, candidates will have to appear for the Group Discussion (GD) or Writing Ability Test (WAT) or both and Personal Interview (PI) rounds. The new IIMs have in fact started to conduct Common Admission Process (CAP) where the shortlisted candidates from all participating IIMs appear for WAT and PI rounds jointly.
After the end of CAT selection procedure, each IIM release their separate merit lists. The final selection process of B-schools or the CAT selection procedure of participating B-schools is based on multiple criteria such as performance in CAT and GD/WAT and PI rounds and past academic records and or work experience. The criteria or parameters vary from institute to institute. IIMs release their detailed admission criteria after the CAT notification every year.
Apart from CAT, the other MBA exams are XAT, IIFT, SNAP, NMAT, MICAT, TISSNET and a few others.
This diagram gives you a representation of all the important MBA exams and the timeline.
