Why CAT Exam is Important for MBA Aspirants?

Jul 31, 2018 by Admin

Common Admission Test (CAT) is a gateway for all the candidates who wish to build a career in MBA. The IIMs conduct the exam, and the score thus obtained is considered by most Business Schools in India. There are numerous reasons why one should pursue the CAT exam. The significance of the CAT exam for MBA students can be justified as follows:

After completing the MBA, placements in the top companies are done with profitable packages.
Something worth studying is the variety of jobs you get after the course. These jobs will let you choose from a wide range of specializations like Advertising, Finance, Strategy, Consulting, and marketing.
After completing the graduation, an additional degree like MBA comes to the rescue when deciding which higher degree to opt for.
Candidates opting to start their own business can get the required seed capital if they have completed an MBA from a prestigious business school in India.
Other perks include better recognition and opportunities to network.

So if you are planning to opt for any of the above options, then the CAT exam is not an arduous task for you.

Every year, many students apply for the CAT exam for admission to MBA programs. This year CAT will be held on November 25, 2018. The gateway to all the 20 IIMs and other Business Schools is difficult. A candidate’s verbal, reasoning, quantitative, and interpretation skills are judged through the exam.

The paper consists of 100 questions to be completed in a time frame of 3 hours. As per the statistical report, around 29% of aspirants for the CAT exam belong to North India, followed by 27% from South India and 24% from West India. To apply for the exam, you must be a degree holder, and there is no restriction on the number of attempts a candidate can make. Earlier, JMET (Joint Management Entrance Test) was conducted, but in August 2011, it was announced that IITs and IIMs would use CAT scores for admissions.

Last year, more than 2 lakh students competed for the most popular exam in the country with around 1600 seats only. The syllabus of the CAT exam is well defined and is not vast. Some key features need to be kept in mind before applying for CAT. It is the gateway to all the prestigious business schools in India.

Exam Conducting Body	IIM (Indian Institute of Management)
Mode of the Exam	CBT (Computer Based Test)
Purpose	To seek admission to IIMs and other Business Schools
Type of Questions	MCQ and Non-MCQ
Time allotted	3 hours
Total number of Questions	100
Maximum Marks that can be obtained	300
Negative Marking	1/3 marks deducted for every wrong answer
Exam Date	Last week Of November
Exam Frequency	Once a year
Applications start	August to September
Results	The second week of January
Validity of the Score Card	1 year
Exam Fee	Rs.1800 for the General/NC-OBC category and Rs. 900 for SC/ST/DA/PWD category

The candidates who perform well and score the overall cut-offs in the written exam are qualified for the next round, Group Discussion or Personal Interview by the respective IIM.