CAT Pattern

CAT is a national level exam organized by the IIMs every year for admission into their management programmes. The exam is aimed at testing the analytical, quantitative and the verbal ability of the student. Some of the non-IIMs also consider the test score of CAT as their admission criteria. Earlier, CAT was organized as a paper-based test but from 2009 onwards it is organized as an online test.

The CAT exam pattern is broadly divided into 4 sections namely: 

1. Quantitative Ability

2. Verbal Ability

3. Data Interpretation

4. Logical Reasoning

The Quantitative ability section evaluates students in terms of basic mathematics including topics like Distance-time, Simple and Compound Interest, Number system, Algebra, Sets etc.

Verbal section focuses on Sentence Rearrangement, Sentence Correction, Critical Reasoning and Vocabulary Usage.

The Data Interpretation is based on understanding charts and tables and answering questions based on them.

Logical Reasoning tests your ability to understand a given situation and deduce useful conclusions from it. This section contains puzzles, sequences, groupings, blocks etc. in the logical and reasoning section.

CAT 2014 would comprise of 100 questions and duration of the exam would be 170 minutes. Quantitative and Data Interpretation which make up the first section will have 50 questions while Verbal and Logical reasoning which form the second section will have the rest 50 questions.