What is the difference between CAT and other MBA entrance exams?
Common Admission Test or CAT is India's top MBA entrance exam in India for admission to IIMs and over 1,300 MBA institutes. If you prepare well for CAT, you can crack other exams too with additional preparation. Read what makes CAT exam similar or different from other MBA entrance tests.
CAT vs other MBA entrance exams
MBA preparation courses offered by coaching institutes (both in classroom and online modes) are often called CAT preparation courses. MBA aspirants often face confusion over how to prepare for MBA entrance exams along with CAT. There is nothing to be confused about it because all MBA entrance exams are same in nature. Their syllabus and pattern are same. The difference lies in question paper structure, sectional weightage, topic wise composition and difficulty level of the test paper. So, if you are looking for answer to the questions - What is the difference between CAT exam and other MBA entrance exams? Should there be a difference in the preparation strategy of different MBA exams? Let us answer both.
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There is a 90% more chance of getting best college recommendations by sharing preferences.Yes, there should be different preparation strategy for different MBA exams. Here's listing the basic difference between CAT and other MBA exams in suport of the answer.
Difference Between CAT and Other MBA Exams
CAT (Common Admission Test) is conducted by the Indian Institutes of Management (IIM) for admission to their management programs. CAT scores are used by more than 1,200 MBA colleges. Other top MBA entrance examinations of India include XAT, CMAT, MAT, NMAT, SNAP and ATMA. Each of these entrance examinations is conducted by different conducting bodies. XAT is conducted by XLRI Jamshedpur, CMAT by NTA, SNAP by Symbiosis International (Deemed) University.
Q: Is CMAT easier than CAT?
Yes, CMAT is much easier that CAT exam. Despite the fact that CMAT and CAT syllabus are same and that CMAT has two more sections than CAT the former is much easier than the latter. The CAT exam is usually of moderate to high difficulty level, whereas the CMAT exam is of easy to moderate difficulty level.
There are key differences between CMAT and CAT which make the former easier. There is no sectional time limit in CMAT so candidates do not face the pressure of completing a given section within certain time limit. In CAT there are 4-5 Reading Comprehension passages which are 500-600 words, and 12-14 question.
In CMAT there is usually, only one Reading Comprehension passage, having 4 questions. The Quantitative Aptitude questions of CMAT are also easier than CAT and so are Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation questions. It is easier to score high percentile in CMAT as the number of applicants is more than one Lacs less in CAT.
Q: Is XAT tougher than CAT?
XAT (Xavier Aptitude Test) and CAT (Common Admission Test) are both popular management entrance exams in India. Both exams are known for their high level of difficulty and are considered challenging to crack. In terms of difficulty, it is difficult to compare XAT and CAT as both exams have their own unique characteristics.
However, XAT is considered to be more challenging than CAT in certain aspects such as:
1) Exam Pattern: XAT has a more varied exam pattern as compared to CAT. XAT has an additional section of General Knowledge, Essay Writing, and decision-making which requires a different skill set as compared to CAT.
2)Time Management: XAT has a higher number of questions as compared to CAT. And the time allotted for the exam is also relatively less. This makes time management a critical aspect for XAT aspirants.
3) Verbal Ability: XAT has a stronger focus on Verbal Ability as compared to CAT. The Reading Comprehension passages in XAT are usually longer and more complex than CAT. Which makes it more challenging. However, it is important to note that the level of difficulty of these exams varies from year to year, and it ultimately depends on the individuals preparation and skill set.
Q: Is IIFT tougher than CAT?
Both exams are of same difficulty level. While, CAT has higher difficulty level VARC, IIFT's Quantitative Aptitude is tougher. In CAT VARC, the weightage of RC based question is higher than in IIFT. Also, the RC passages of CAT are a mix of both inference-based and fact-based types. However, the RC passages in IIFT are fact-based. IIFT focuses more on vocabulary and verbal ability than reading comprehension. Sharing key highlights of both exams here:
Parameter | IIFT exam | CAT exam |
|---|---|---|
Duration of exam | 2 hours | 2 hours (Sectional time limit of 40 minutes) |
Number of Questions | 110 | 66 |
Marking scheme | 3 marks for each correct entry in Sections 1, 2 and 3. 1.5 marks for each correct entry in Section 4 | 3 marks for every correct entry |
Negative marking | 1 mark in section 1,2,3 and 0.5 in Section 4 | 1 mark |
Maximum marks | 300 | 198 |
Mode of exam | Computer-based | Computer-based |
Sections | English Comprehension Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation Quantitative Analysis General Awareness | Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning Quantitative Apt |
Broadly, CAT syllabus is similar to all other MBA entrance exams. The chief difference lies in three aspects:
- Reasoning: CAT puts greater emphasis on Logical Reasoning. A certain aspect of reasoning is present in all the four sections.
- General Knowledge (GK): CAT doesn't have GK section. Other exams such as XAT or CMAT have a section devoted to static GK and current affairs.
- Essay: CAT has no essay writing section. However, exams such as XAT or MICAT have sections on essay or story writing. These can be simple essay questions or creative tests like writing a story on pictures.
- Difficulty level: CAT is the toughest exam in terms of difficulty level, followed by XAT. CMAT, SNAP, NMAT fall in the moderate difficulty level whereas ATMA, MAT, etc. are easy exams.
- Sectional Time Limit: CAT has sectional time limit of 40 minutes for each section, where as other MBA entrance exams (except XAT and NMAT) don't have such a time limit.
Top MBA Entrance Exams in India
Here’s a quick look at what are the primary test sections in top MBA entrance exams including CAT. Plan your MBA preparation strategy accordingly:
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CAT: The core sections of CAT examination include Logical Reasoning, Data Interpretation, Quantitative Aptitude, and Verbal Ability. The exam is for 120 minutes, with 40 minutes allotted to each section.
XAT: The core sections of XAT exam are Decision Making, Verbal and Logical Ability, Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation, and General Awareness. Earlier, there used to be an essay writing section but for XAT 2025, it has been scrapped.
CMAT: Conducted by the NTA, the exam consists of - Quantitative Techniques & Data Interpretation, Logical Reasoning, Language Comprehension, Innovation & Entrepreneurship and General Awareness sections. Duration of CMAT exam is 180 minutes. A total of 100 questions (20 in each section) are asked in this exam.
MAT: Conducted four times in a year, MAT exam has five sections - Language Comprehension, Mathematical Skills, Data Analysis and Sufficiency, Intelligence and Critical Reasoning, and Indian and Global Environment. Earlier, the test had 200 questions (40 in each section) have to be attempted in 150 minutes. In 2024, the exam pattern has been changed and the exam duration has reduced to 120 minutes. The number of questions have also been reduced to 150.
SNAP: A gateway to Symbiosis International (Deemed) University, SNAP has three sections: General English (Reading Comprehension, Verbal Reasoning, Verbal Ability); Quantitative, Data Interpretation & Data Sufficiency and Analytical & Logical Reasoning. Test duration is 60 minutes.
NMAT: The core sections are - Language Skills (32 questions in 22 minutes), Quantitative Skills (48 questions in 60 minutes) and Logical Reasoning (40 questions in 38 minutes). Total test duration is 120 minutes.
ATMA: Conducted five times in a year, the exam has three sections: Quantitative Skills, Verbal Skills and Analytical Reasoning. Test duration is three hours.
IBSAT: The core sections are - Verbal Ability, Reading Comprehension, Quantitative Aptitude and Data Adequacy & Data Interpretation. A total of 120 questions (30 in each section) have to be solved in 120 minutes (two hours).
MICAT: Entrance test for MICA, Ahmedabad, has the following sections: Writing Ability (Essay and Story writing), Psychometric Test, Logical Reasoning, Quantitative Aptitude, Language Comprehension and General Knowledge. Total test duration is 185 minutes (about three hours).
Also read:
- MBA prep tips: How to prepare for MBA entrance exams 2024?
- Is XAT tougher than CAT?
- Is SNAP tougher than CAT?
- What is the difference between GMAT and CAT exam?
- What is the difference between CAT and MAT exam?
- How difficult is the IIFT exam as compared to CAT?
- How is the NMAT exam different from the CAT?
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