IIM Calcutta is conducting CAT 2024 exam in three slots in around 375 test centres across 170 test cities. Check here CAT 2024 review and students reaction after the first slot of the exam.
CAT 2024 is being held today in three slots. In an exclusive conversation with Shiksha, CAT test takers from the first slot shared their CAT exam experience. According to the CAT test takers, the exam commenced as per the schedule, i.e. at 8:30 AM. The exam responses were submitted exactly 120 minutes after the start. Candidates who took the exam did not find any technical glitches or surprise elements in the CAT exam.
Regarding the CAT difficulty level, candidates said the first slot exam was moderate. Scroll down for CAT 2024 student reactions and review, along with the video on what test takers have to say about the CAT slot 1 exam.
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- CAT 2024 Response Sheet and Answer Key OUT at iimcat.ac.in; Download Now
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- CAT 2024 Question Paper PDF Download for Slot 1, 2, and 3
| Check Slot Wise CAT Answer Key, Memory-Based Questions and Exam Analysis | ||
|---|---|---|
| CAT 2024 Slot 1 Answer Key PDF and Question Paper Analysis | CAT 2024 Slot 2 Answer Key PDF and Question Paper Analysis | CAT 2024 Slot 3 Answer Key PDF and Question Paper Analysis |
CAT 2024 Student Reactions and Reviews
Ananya took the first slot of CAT 2024 exam and reported that she found Quantitative Aptitude as the toughest section, solving questions from DILR depends on analytical thinking. Additionally, she reported that VARC was the easiest section among all.
Another test taker reported that the overall CAT slot 1 exam was moderate. On comparing it with the CAT 2023 slot 1 exam, he found CAT 2024 to be on a tougher side. He found QA and DILR to be doable. The question weightage was similar to the previous year and had a mix of all the topics as per the CAT syllabus.
Smiti from CAT slot 1 exam found the VARC was the toughest section. She found DILR to be easy. As per her, DILR had a slight change with question sets of both 4 and 5 questions. She found the 4-question SET to be easier as compared to 5-question SET. Smiti found QA to be on the easier side with most of the questions being doable. The overall CAT difficulty level as per Smiti was moderate.
Sidhant found the CAT 2024 slot 1 exam to be easier that the previous session. Since he found the exam easy than the last term, he is expecting the CAT 2024 cutoff to rise this year. Sidhant found QA to be easy. In the DILR section, he found 3 Sets with four questions and 2 Sets with five questions. Sidhant was able to easily complete two Sets from DILR.
Another test taker, Murnal, found the first slot of CAT 2024 to be "very easy" if compared with the CAT exam pattern. Detailing the section wise structure and difficulty level, he found Quant to be moderate, while he found VARC and DILR to be easier than QA.
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CAT exam is conducted by any one of the top 6 Indian Institute of Management on rotation basis. Each of the top IIM conducts the exam after a gap of five years. The responsibility to conduct the CAT 2024 was given to IIM Calcutta. For CAT 2025, IIM Kozhikode will be the exam convening institute. IIM Kozhikode will be responsible for preparation and conduct of the exam without glitches, in collaboration with TCS for test labs and centres. The institute will design the question papers, exam pattern and guidelines, as well as manage the conduct of exam and preparation of admit card, answer key and result. CAT Conducting Indian Institute of Management Over the Years:
2024: IIM Calcutta
2023: IIM Lucknow
· 2022: IIM Bangalore
· 2021: IIM Ahmedabad
· 2020: IIM Indore
· 2019: IIM Kozhikode
· 2018: IIM Calcutta
· 2017: IIM Lucknow
· 2016: IIM Bangalore
· 2015: IIM Ahmedabad
· 2014: IIM Indore
· 2013: IIM Indore
· 2012: IIM Kozhikode
· 2011: IIM Calcutta
· 2010: IIM Lucknow
· 2009: IIM Ahmedabad
CAT 2025 exam will be conducted on November 30, 2025. Official announcement of the CAT exam date 2025 was made on July 27, 2025, along with the release of the official notification of CAT 2025. The CAT exam is always conducted on the last Sunday of November. The exam is conducted on a single day in three slots.
Along with the exam date, the CAT 2025 notification will have CAT registration and admit card dates. CAT 2025 registration dates are August 1 to September 13, 2025.
CAT 2025 notification will be released online as well as offline. The online notification of CAT 2025 exam will be released at iimcat.ac.in website and the offline notification will be issued in all the national dailies – Hindi, English and Vernacular. Aspirants can either check the notification and CAT 2025 exam dates online at the official website or in the newspapers (to be published in the last week of July 2025).
Every candidate must carry a blue/black ball point pen and a few copies of their passport size photo to the exam centre. They must not carry any stationary item other than the pen. Candidates who have diabetes can carry fruits as per medical prescription. No other item will be allowed inside the exam venue. Candidates must not carry bags or valuables as there will be no arrangement for depositing while candidates appear for the exam. Candidates must also not carry notebooks or rough paper to the CAT exam centre. Any candidate found with an unauthorised item will be disqualified.
Check out the video below to get the detailed CAT 2024 student reactions and reviews for Slot 1:
CAT 2024 Analysis
Check out CAT 2024 exam analysis by MBA experts:
| CAT Experts |
CAT 2024 Analysis Page Links |
|---|---|
| CAT 2021 analysis by CATKing |
|
| CAT 2021 analysis by Career Launcher and T.I.M.E |
|
| CAT 2021 analysis by IMS |

Abhishek is a content writer and editor with 7+ years of experience in education journalism. He completed his graduation from University of Delhi with a BA Degree. At Shiksha.com, he handles content for MBA, BBA, an
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Student Forum
Answered 11 hours ago
CAT cut offs for IIM admission 2026 batch will not change. They will remain high between 92-100 percentile. Top 6 IIM cut offs will be between 98-100, while the cut offs for rest of them will be between 92-97.
E
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 11 hours ago
There will be no option of result evaluation in CAT 2025. Candidates cannot challenge the scorecard. Marks and percentiles printed on CAT 2025 result cum scorcard will be final.
M
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 11 hours ago
CAT result is not released offline. Candidates have to download it from the iimcat.ac.in website only. The scorecard is available for download for 1 year.
P
Contributor-Level 6
Answered Yesterday
As the Manipal University CAT Cutoff 2025 is not out yet, according to the Manipal University CAT Cutoff 2024, the qualifying cutoff was 25 percentile for General category candidates under the All India quota. The CAT cutoff for 2023 was also the same. So, going by the previous years' cutoff trends,
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered Yesterday
The Jaipur National University CAT Cutoff 2025 will be released soon. In the meantime, according to the Jaipur National University CAT Cutoff 2024, students needed to secure overall 70 percentile and 40 percentile sectional for admission to the MBA/PGDM course. In 2023, and 2022, the cutoff was also
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered Yesterday
The Jaipur National University CAT Cutoff 2025 will be released soon. In the meantime, according to the Jaipur National University CAT Cutoff 2024, students needed to attain 70 percentile overall and 40 percentile sectional. In 2023 and 2022, the cutoff was the same, indicating that the CAT Cutoff 2
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered Yesterday
For MBA admission, Sister Nivedita University accepts the national-level entrance exams, such as CAT, MAT, etc. It also accepts valid SNUET entrance exam score conducted by Sister Nivedita University for MBA admission. In 2024, the sectional CAT cutoff percentile was 25, for the General AI category
R
Contributor-Level 10
Answered Yesterday
The K J Somaiya Institute of Management CAT Cutoff 2024 was released for admission to the MBA/ PGDM courses. The CAT Cutoff 2024 was 84 for the Master of Business Administration (MBA) course at K J Somaiya Institute of Management. Students who are aiming for admission have to attain qualifying cut
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered Yesterday
The IMT Nagpur CAT Cutoff 2025 will soon be released by the institute for admission to the MBA/PGDM courses. In the meantime, judging from the IMT Nagpur CAT Cutoff 2024, the qualifying CAT percentile was 85 for all categories under the All India quota. The institute also accepts the cutoff of vario
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered Yesterday
Hi.
For PGDM and MBA admissions at GIBS Business School, Bangalore, the following entrance exams are accepted:
Accepted Entrance Exams
| Exam | Type / Level |
|---|---|
| CAT – Common Admission Test | National-level MBA entrance exam |
| XAT – Xavier Aptitude Test | National-level MBA entrance exam |
| MAT – Management Aptitude Test | National-level MBA entrance exam |
| CMAT – Common Management Admission Test | National-level MBA entrance exam |
| GMAT – Graduate Management Admission Test | International / National-level MBA entrance exam |
| ATMA – AIMS Test for Management Admissions | National-level MBA entrance exam |
| State CET (e.g., Karnataka PGCET) | State-level MBA entrance exam for Karnataka candidates |
h
Scholar-Level 17
Result - To be notified

Yes, CAT 2025 exam will be conducted in three shifts. The exam was earlier conducted in 2 shifts, but since 2020, the CAT is conducted in three shifts - morning, afternoon and evening. In CAT 2025 too, there will be three slots which will be allotted to applicants in no particular order.
CAT exam slot timings will be -