Important Update: CAT 2020 Registration Extended; Pattern changed; Check 5 Big changes announced by IIM Indore

On late evening of September 15, IIM Indore announced important changes in CAT 2020 Exam. CAT Registration Deadline extended to September 23.

Sharing these changes with MBAUniverse.com, CAT 2020 Convenor Prof Harshal Lowalekar said, “Yes, the registration date has been extended to September 23, looking at COVID situation for the benefit of candidates. Some other changes are also mentioned in the new media release. The process of updating the CAT website is going on and by the end of this week it will reflect all the relevant changes.”

Here are 5 big changes announced by CAT Center 2020 at IIM Indore:

Registration Deadline Extended to Sep 23: Registration for CAT 2020 will now close at 5.00 pm on September 23, 2020. There will be not be any further extension of registration. The CAT convenor urges test takers to register well in advance to allow themselves a hassle-free registration process and to avoid a last-minute rush. CAT 2020 Exam in Three Session: Will be conducted on November 29, 2020 (Sunday) in three sessions. Earliest there were two sessions announced. So, there will be an extra session this year to accommodate social distancing norms. CAT 2020 Exam Duration Reduced to only 2 Hrs: The revised duration of the test will be 120 minutes. This is a big change. CAT 2020 to have Three Section: Section I: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension

Section II: Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning

Section III: Quantitative Ability Section wise time limit set to 40 mins: Candidates will be allotted only 40 minutes for answering questions in each section. They will not be allowed to switch from one section to another while answering questions in a section. This will change the way candidates prepare and take the exam.

In addition to these five big changes, IIM Indore has said that due to COVID 19 related disruptions, CAT 2020 may undergo more changes in future. “CAT 2020 process is to be conducted taking into account the COVID crisis. The information provided by the CAT website is contingent upon the decisions and directions issued from time to time by the Central & State governments and IIMs. Candidates are advised to regularly check the CAT website for further information,” said IIM Indore.

Stay tuned to MBAUniverse.com for analysis of CAT 2020 changes by India’s top CAT experts.

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Now the candidates can apply for CAT 2020 till 5 PM on September 23, 2020. No further extension in CAT registration last date is expected. IIM Indore has released the completely revised CAT 2020 exam details and schedule on its official Website (iimcat.ac.in). CAT 2020 convener Professor Harshal Lowalekar, faculty and admission chair at IIM Indore has announced many aspirant friendly features for CAT 2020 to counter the Covid-19 pandemic challenges. CAT Registration



CAT 2020: 10 Key Points to Note in Revised Exam Pattern

Common Admission Test, popularly known as CAT, is the largest MBA Entrance Exam for Admission to 20 IIMs, FMS Delhi, IIT -DoMs, SPJIMR, MDI and 500+ MBA Colleges in India. Every year more than 2,40,000 students from all disciplines including Engineering, Commerce, Humanities and even Law take CAT exam to get into 6,500 MBA seats in IIMs.

In this article, you will read all key points to plan your CAT 2020 journey, including important dates, syllabus & pattern, how to prepare, past CAT toppers interviews and much more. You will also find important links to Free CAT Mock Tests and genuine Past CAT Test Papers released by IIMs. So, read it till the end.

What is CAT Exam?

CAT is the Common Admission Test for admission to MBA/PGDM programmes in 20 Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and other top MBA colleges like FMS Delhi, MDI Gurgaon, SPJIMR Mumbai, IMI New Delhi, IMT Ghaziabad and hundreds of other top MBA colleges in India. IIMs will offer admission on the basis of CAT 2020 only and will not accept any other test score. There are more than 155 cities and more than 400 venues where CAT 2020 will be conducted in India. Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and Indian institute of Science (IISC) also use CAT for admission to their Management programmes.

CAT 2020 Exam : Highlights & Key Features

Following are the salient features of CAT 2020 with details on CAT exam date 2020, CAT Notification, CAT eligibility among other key points

CAT Full Form Common Admission Test, conducted on yearly basis for MBA admission by one of the 6 older IIMs CAT Exam date 2020 November 29, 2020 CAT Entrance exam sessions Conducted in 3 Slots – Morning, Noon & Evening on same day CAT Entrance Exam 2020 Convening IIM IIM Indore CAT Entrance Exam Mode Computer based exam but not an online exam Name of CAT official Website 2020 iimcat.ac.in (Live Since July 29, 2020) Details in CAT exam website 2020 CAT Exam details, Application fee, Registration dates, IIMs & their programmes. Also check updates on MBAUniverse.com Maximum Age Limit to appear in IIM CAT No Age Limit, Graduates with 50% marks can apply Number of Questions in CAT 2020 Reduced number of questions divided in 3 sections from earlier 100 questions Time duration of CAT 2020 2 hours for each slot Sectional Time limit 40 minutes for 1 section Name of sections and number of questions VARC; DILR; Quant. No. of questions yet to be announced Difficulty level of CAT 2020 Moderate to Difficult Order of Sections Pre-fixed, no change allowed Colleges Accepting CAT 2020 for MBA admission 20 IIMs, FMS, MDI, SPJIMR, IITs, IMI, JBIMS & 500 other MBA colleges in India CAT 2020 Application Fee Rs.2000/-, How to Apply for CAT Application process is online only IIMs’ Application Fee No Separate Application Fee to apply for IIM. CAT Registration Fee covers application fee of all 20 IIMs

Eligibility to Appear in CAT 2020

A candidate with minimum 50% marks in graduation can appear in CAT 2020. A final year student in graduation can also appear in CAT conducted by IIMs. However, there is no age limit to apply and appear in CAT 2020.



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CAT 2020 Important Dates

Following are the CAT 2020 important dates for different activities related to the CAT exam 2020:

Events CAT Important Dates CAT 2020 Official Website Launch July 29, 2020 CAT 2020 Notification Date August 2, 2020 CAT 2020 Registration Start Date August 5, 2020 Last Date to Apply for CAT 2020 September 23, 2020 (Extended from Sep 16) CAT 2020 Registration & Application Fee Rs.2000/- CAT 2020 Admit card Download Start date October 28, 2020 Last Date for CAT 2020 Admit Card Download November 29, 2020 CAT 2020 Exam date November 29, 2020 CAT 2020 Result date January 5, 2021

CAT Exam Details 2020: Pattern

CAT exam details and exam structure since 2015 have remained on similar pattern with time duration, number of questions and sections as under:

120 Minutes Exam: CAT 2020 is a computer delivered test of 2 hours duration but it is not an Online Exam

CAT 2020 is a computer delivered test of 2 hours duration but it is not an Online Exam No. of Questions: CAT 2020 will have fewer than 100 questions divided in 3 sections of VARC, DILR and Quantitative Ability. Earlier CAT used to have 100 questions divided in three sections

CAT 2020 will have fewer than 100 questions divided in 3 sections of VARC, DILR and Quantitative Ability. Earlier CAT used to have 100 questions divided in three sections 25% No Penalty Questions: More than 25% questions will not have negative marking in CAT exam. CAT 2020 is divided into MCQ and Non-MCQ type of questions and the Non-MCQs do not carry negative marking. In case any non-MCQ has negative marking, a few MCQs are changed to no negative marking questions.

More than 25% questions will not have negative marking in CAT exam. CAT 2020 is divided into MCQ and Non-MCQ type of questions and the Non-MCQs do not carry negative marking. In case any non-MCQ has negative marking, a few MCQs are changed to no negative marking questions. 70-75% CAT Questions with Negative Marking: More than 70% questions in CAT 2020 are of MCQ type and will carry penalty of 1/3 negative marking

More than 70% questions in CAT 2020 are of MCQ type and will carry penalty of 1/3 negative marking Minimum CAT Score Requirement by IIMs: A Minimum qualifying score between 70 and 90 percentile in CAT 2020 is required by IIMs in each of the 3 sections to shortlist candidates for final admission round

A Minimum qualifying score between 70 and 90 percentile in CAT 2020 is required by IIMs in each of the 3 sections to shortlist candidates for final admission round Other Criteria with CAT score: Apart from High score in each of the 3 sections in CAT 2020 exam, you need to have good academic profile, diversity, to get into IIMs.

CAT 2020 Exam Syllabus

During the last 4 years, CAT exam syllabus has substantially changed. Major changes in CAT Syllabus 2020 are:

CAT Syllabus is changed and contains different type of questions now.

25-30% Questions in CAT syllabus are no penalty questions now

Most of the changes in CAT syllabus have taken place in the Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension Section as the topics and number of questions in VARC section have changed.

A few changes in CAT syllabus have been introduced in Quantitative Ability section with more focus on Arithmetic questions

Although CAT exam Syllabus is not pre-defined by IIMs, it overall tests the candidate on Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension; Quantitative Aptitude; Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning. Read More about CAT Syllabus

When CAT is conducted?

CAT is conducted annually.

Now conducted preferably on the last Sunday of November or the first Sunday of December every year

With effect from 2015, CAT was conducted on a single day in two sessions – morning and evening. However, due to Covid-19 pandemic and to follow the safe social distancing norms, CAT 2020 is conducted in three slots on same date on November 29, 2020. Prior to 2015, CAT was conducted in multiple sessions on multiple days.

Which IIM Conducts CAT?

IIM Indore is conducting CAT 2020. CAT is conducted by one of older IIMs by policy of rotation each year. There are six IIMs who conduct CAT one by one, they are IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, IIM Indore, IIM Kozhikode and IIM Lucknow. Since other 14 IIMs were established later, the responsibility to conduct CAT has not yet been assigned to any of them.

Mode of CAT

CAT is a computer based entrance test divided in three sections. It is not an online test and the questions are delivered digitally. The exam is conducted in more than 150 cities and at more than 400 test venues.

When to look for CAT Website & CAT Notification?

IIMs release all the details about CAT on the official CAT exam website and in CAT Notification which is released in leading news papers. CAT 2020 website with all details has been launched at iimcat.ac.in on July 29 along with the CAT 2020 notification. The process to register and apply for CAT 2020 started on August 5.

How difficult is CAT?

CAT is a highly competitive and most important MBA entrance exam in India. The difficulty level of CAT is considered moderate to high.

Scoring Pattern in CAT

Each correct answer in CAT is awarded with 3 marks. The raw score obtained in CAT is converted to scaled score and then converted to percentile score after allowing for equating and normalizing the scores for both the sessions in CAT.

IIMs and other top MBA colleges consider percentile awarded in CAT to shortlist the candidates for final selection round.



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MBA Programmes Offered by IIMs through CAT

Following are the various management programmes at IIMs in which admission is available through Common Admission Test 2020:

IIM Post Graduate Programmes (PGP)/MBA IIM Ahmedabad PGP, PGP-FABM, ePGP IIM Amritsar PGP IIM Bangalore PGP, PGPEM, PGPPM, PGPBA IIM Bodh Gaya PGP IIM Calcutta MBA IIM Indore PGP, PGP-HRM IIM Jammu PGP IIM Kashipur PGP, EPGP IIM Kozhikode PGP, PGP-BL, PGP-F, EPGP (Kochi Campus & IL) IIM Lucknow PGP, PGP-ABM, PGP-SM IIM Nagpur PGP IIM Raipur PGP IIM Ranchi PGP, PGP-HRM IIM Rohtak PGP, EPGPX IIM Sambalpur MBA RGIIM Shillong PGP, PGPEX IIM Sirmaur PGP IIM Tiruchirappalli PGPM, PGPBM, PGPM-HR IIM Udaipur MBA IIM Visakhapatnam PGP

When & How to Register & Apply for CAT 2020?

The very first thing to remember about CAT is that there is nothing offline now in CAT registration process. You can apply online only on the official CAT website. The application fee for CAT has also increased to Rs.2000/- for General candidates and to Rs.1000/- for SC/ST candidates. It should also be paid online only.



The application process for CAT 2020 is open from August 5 to September 23, 2020. During this period you can submit your application online for CAT.

CAT Registration Trends

More than 2.44 lakh candidates had registered last year for CAT exam. The registration number was up by 3000 more candidates registered for CAT. It signified that candidates had to compete with more candidates in CAT exam and needed to score high to get shortlisted by top three IIMs and other top MBA colleges.

Although the trends in CAT registrations since 2010 show a downward journey initially, but from 2013 it has been showing a rising registration count reflecting the regaining trust of CAT aspirants and anticipation of better career opportunities after completing MBA/PGP from an IIM or other top B-school

Source: MBAUniverse.com Research & Analysis

CAT 2020: Important Points

Low Cost Exam : CAT Registration and CAT exam application fee taken together comes to Rs.100 per IIM for General category and Rs.50/- per IIM for Reserved category. No fee to be paid to apply for any individual IIM

: CAT Registration and CAT exam application fee taken together comes to Rs.100 per IIM for General category and Rs.50/- per IIM for Reserved category. No fee to be paid to apply for any individual IIM One Day Exam : CAT exam will be held in single day on Sunday November 29, 2020 in three sessions. CAT is a Computer Based Test. Earlier it was held in 15 to 20 days testing window till 2013 by IIMs. Since 2015, CAT exam testing window has been shortened to one day only.

: CAT exam will be held in single day on Sunday November 29, 2020 in three sessions. CAT is a Computer Based Test. Earlier it was held in 15 to 20 days testing window till 2013 by IIMs. Since 2015, CAT exam testing window has been shortened to one day only. 45 Days CAT 2020 Registration Window : The CAT Application process has opened on August 5 and closes on September 23, 2020

: The CAT Application process has opened on August 5 and closes on September 23, 2020 Dual Degree Accepted: A candidate with dual bachelor's degree should mention the academic scores of both the bachelor's degree programme in CAT application form

A candidate with dual bachelor's degree should mention the academic scores of both the bachelor's degree programme in CAT application form Single Fee for MBA Admission : CAT 2020 provides admission opportunity in 20 IIMs with the single point payment of CAT registration fee

: CAT 2020 provides admission opportunity in 20 IIMs with the single point payment of CAT registration fee Choice of 50 MBA Programmes in IIMs: CAT 2020 offers a choice of more than 50 management programmes in 20 IIMs without any additional application fee for admission.

CAT 2020 Admit Card

CAT 2020 Admit Card download will start immediately with the release of the CAT hall ticket by IIMs. IIMs will upload the CAT 2020 Admit card on October 28, 2020. The CAT admit card release date may be extended by a few days in case the last date of registration for CAT 2020 exam is extended. The last date to download the CAT Admit Card is CAT 2020 exam date.

5 Steps to Download CAT 2020 Admit Card

Logon to CAT official Website Enter CAT Login ID & Password Click on ‘Admit Card’ At Assessment drop down menu select Common Admission Test 2020 Click on Action-Download & Take Print of CAT Admit card

CAT 2020 Result & IIMs’ Admission Process

CAT 2020 exam result will be declared on January 5, 2021 in morning hours. Immediately after the CAT result declaration, IIMs will start announcing their shortlist on the basis of CAT scores and other parameters in their shortlisting criteria for final selection round. The final admission offer will be made to the candidates in the months of April/May 2021 by IIMs



Important Changes in CAT over the Years

Journey of IIM-CAT has witnessed substantial changes. In recent years, number of sections and type of questions in CAT have changed substantially. Important changes in pattern and conduct of CAT are shared below:

CAT has changed from Paper Based to Computer based test

CAT now has 3 sections instead of 2

CAT has introduced 25 to 30 percent questions with No Negative marking

CAT Exam pattern over the past 10 years since it was computerised in 2009 has gone for perceptible changes. CAT paper pattern prior to 2009 was paper-pen based. CAT exam format was changed from paper based exam to CAT online computer based test in 2009. Even after that CAT paper pattern continued changing from 3 sections to 2 and then CAT pattern was changed to 3 sections in 2015. Since then CAT is following similar pattern. CAT 2020 pattern has however, changed but the number of sections and scoring pattern remains the same.

CAT Year & Number of Questions VARC DI-LR Quant Question break up CAT 2020 (Proposed change) To be announced To be announced To be announced Moderate difficulty level expected CAT 2019 VARC-34. RC-24, (All MCQs), Verbal-10 (non MCQs) DILR-32, DI-16, LR-16, MCQs-24, Non-MCQs-8 Total-34. MCQs 23, Non-MCQs-11 Moderate difficulty CAT on last year pattern with changes in number of MCQs & non-MCQs in each section CAT 2018-100 VARC-34. RC-24, (All MCQs), Verbal-10 (2 MCQs, 7 non MCQs) DILR-32, DI-16, LR-16, MCQs-24, Non-MCQs-8 Total-34. MCQs 22, Non-MCQs-12 CAT on last year pattern with changes in number of MCQs & non-MCQs in each section CAT 2017-100 VARC-34. RC-24, (All MCQs), Verbal-10 (3 MCQs, 7 non MCQs) DILR-32, DI-16, LR-16, MCQs-24, Non-MCQs-8 Total-34. MCQs 23, Non-MCQs-11 CAT Pattern in the lines of last year with changes in non-MCQs in each section CAT 2016-100 VARC-34, RC-24, (All MCQs), Verbal-10 (All non MCQs) DILR-32, DI-16, LR-16, MCQs-24, Non-MCQs-8 Quant-34, MCQ-27, Non-MCQs-7 CAT exam pattern on the same lines as of CAT exam pattern 2015 Non-MCQs in Quant reduced. CAT 2015-100 VARC -34, RC-24 (MCQs), Verbal-10 (Non MCQs) DILR-32, DI-16, LR-16, MCQs-24, Non-MCQs-8 Quant-34, MCQs-24, Non-MCQs-10 Time limit increased to 180 minutes; Sectional time constration of 1 hour re-introduced; Non-MCQs without negative marking penalty for wrong answer No questions on error correction and vocabulary. CAT 2014-100 50 VARC-34 LR-16 - 50 Quant-34 DI-16 Test time increased to 170 minutes; Sectional time constrain removed; More questions on error correction; RC questions based on reasoning Overall moderate exam. CAT 2013-60 30 10 verbal 10 RC 10 LR 30 DI-10 On the same pattern as last year. No new surprise element. CAT 2012 -60 30 (LR 10) 10 verbal 10 RC 10 LR - 30 (DI 10) Error correction-1 to 2, parajumbles-2, Completion of last sentence of paragraph-2, Out of context Sentence in jumbled paragraph -1 to 2, Fill in the blanks vocabulary words- 1 to 2, Words used in different ways-2, Reading comprehension – three passages with 3 to 4 questions each (Common question in almost all the sessions from 11th Oct.2012 to 6th Nov.2012 – Tone of the author-at least two questions in every session) New or surprise element – Two questions on ‘Out of context sentences in jumbled paragraph’ – Paragraph had to be placed in order and the out of context sentence had to be picked out. Permutations & Combinations, Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, Mensuration, Number Systems, Modern Maths. CAT 2011-60 30(LR 10) - 30(DI10) Jumbled sentences, error correction, Vocabulary, RC, grammar Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, Mensuration, Number Systems, Modern Maths CAT 2010-60 20 20 20 RC, Grammar, Parajumbles, sentence correction & completion, Quant was tougher compared to CAT 2009. The areas were more calculation intensive and needed conceptual understanding. CAT 2009-60 20 20 20 Sentence rearrangement, Grammar, comprehension, correction of errors, sentence completion, Usage Vocabulary

Number System, Algebra, Mensuration, and Commercial Math.

Before 2009, CAT was a paper based test. On May 1, 2009, it was announced that with effect from 2009, CAT would be a Computer based test. American firm Prometric was entrusted with the responsibility of conducting CAT for 5 years from 2009 to 2013.

However, the first computer based CAT confronted many technical glitches like server slow down, blurred system display among others. At many test centres CAT had to be conducted again.

In 2014, the responsibility of testing agency to conduct CAT was assigned to Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). Since then, TCS has remained the partner testing agency for IIM-CAT.

CAT 2020 is the mandatory entrance exam for admission to MBA 2021 in 20 IIMs and other top MBA colleges in India. The exam is therefore referred to as IIM CAT and is conducted by IIMs on annual basis.