GMAT Vs CAT Exam: Know Key Difference Between CAT and GMAT, Which is Easier & Tougher

Is GMAT easier than CAT? Which one is tougher or easier, we will discuss it in this blog. Also know the key differences between CAT and GMAT.

Common Admission Test or CAT and Graduate Management Admission Test or GMAT are two of the top MBA entrance exams, scores of which are accepted by all the top B-schools in India, including the IIMs. Most of the other MBA entrance exams are similar to CAT. But GMAT is very different from CAT and one should prepare for it separately.

The basic difference between the two is that while CAT is a domestic entrance exam; GMAT is a global exam which is valid for admission to all business schools worldwide. Conducted by the Graduate Management Admission Council, GMAT scores are acceptable by Indian B-schools mostly in case of NRI/Foreign students. However, some top India institutes like SPJIMR, Mumbai, XLRI Jamshedpur, MDI, Gurgaon accept GMAT scores of domestic candidates too. Other top MBA colleges including the IIMs accept GMAT score for admission to Executive MBA and FPM programmes. At the same time CAT is also accepted by IIMs and many other MBA colleges for Executive MBA, Phd, MPhil, FPM, etc.

CAT vs GMAT: Which is Tougher?

Both CAT and GMAT are considered to be tough. Every year over two lakh students in India take the CAT exam. Most of the candidates do not get the desired score in their first attempt in both CAT and GMAT. An equal number of MBA aspirants take the GMAT as well. Domestic candidates who plan to pursue management studies in the upcoming academic year, can take either both the exams (if they can manage to prepare for both simultaneously) or choose to appear for one of them, depending on the MBA course and institute they are targeting. Although both CAT and GMAT test the candidate’s English Language and Quantitative Ability and Logical Reasoning skills, the two are poles apart in many aspects. Here we tell you the difference between GMAT and CAT.

GMAT vs CAT: What is the difference between the two?

Exam Conducting Body

GMAT: GMAT is conducted by the Graduate Management Admission Council.

CAT:  CAT is conducted by the Indian Institute of Management.

GMAT eligibility criteria: To appear in GMAT, the aspirant must have a bachelor’s degree in any stream or equivalent degree from a recognized university. Final year graduation candidates are also eligible to apply. There is no minimum marks required to appear in GMAT.

CAT eligibility criteria: To appear in CAT, the aspirant must have a bachelor’s degree in any stream with minimum of 50 per cent aggregate marks or equivalent from a recognized university (45 per cent for reserved category students). Final year Graduation candidates are also eligible to apply.

Frequency /Mode of Exam

GMAT: GMAT is held throughout the year. The candidate can book an exam slot for self from the given calendar as per their convenience. The aspirant can also re-take the exam five times within 12 months. A maximum of eight attempts are allowed to any candidate in his/her lifetime.

CAT:  CAT is conducted by the IIM only once a year. CAT application process begins in August and the exam is held in the last week of November or the first week of December. CAT 2024 application window is open from August 1 to September 20, 2024 and CAT 2024 will be held on November 24, 2024. 

CAT vs GMAT: Exam Pattern

GMAT: GMAT question paper consists MCQs from Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, and Integrated Reasoning and an Analytical Writing. There is sectional time limit for each section but the candidate can choose the order in which they wish to answer each section.

Also Read: GMAT exam pattern

CAT:  CAT exam is held in online mode for two hours in two slots on a scheduled date. Candidates are required to follow the chronology of the question paper, i.e. neither they can choose to answer the section of their choice, nor can they go back to the question skipped earlier. The CAT question paper consists of MCQs and a few key-in answer type questions. What makes CAT easier than GMAT is that there is no Analytical Writing Assessment. 

Also Read: CAT exam pattern

CAT vs GMAT: Exam Syllabus

GMAT syllabus: GMAT assesses a candidate on Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, and Integrated Reasoning and the Analytical Writing Assessment. 

CAT syllabus:  CAT syllabus includes topics from Quantitative Aptitude (QA), Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC). 

Also Read:

• GMAT syllabus
• CAT syllabus
• Difference between CAT and GMAT syllabus

CAT vs GMAT: Exam Duration

GMAT: GMAT is held for 187 minutes and has sectional time limit.

CAT:  CAT is held for 120 minutes and has sectional time limit.

CAT vs GMAT: Difficulty Level

GMAT

GMAT is the toughest MBA entrance exam. Not only due to the tough questions asked but also due to a peculiar marking scheme. However, it is easier to get a good college through GMAT as it is an adaptive test. Which means, the difficulty level of second attempt will be determined by the candidate's performance in the first attempt of GMAT. If a candidate has struggled in the first attempt, he/she will get the question paper of lower difficulty level in their next attempt and if the candidate has performed well in the first attempt, the question paper of their second attempt will have similar difficulty level. 

CAT

CAT is known as a tough MBA exam. The difficulty level of the questions remain on the higher side year on year. Getting a good B-school with CAT score is tough if you've not scored a minimum of 95 percentile. There are no multiple attempts in CAT, so to improve the score candidates have to drop a year. However, there is no guarantee that in the next year, the CAT question paper will be easier than previous year. 

CAT vs GMAT: Marking Scheme

GMAT: GMAT has a peculiar marking scheme. Candidates are marked between 200 and 800. Section wise, candidates are scored 0-6 for Analytical Writing Assessment, 1-8 for Integrated Reasoning, 0-60 for Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning.

Also Read: GMAT scoring process

CAT: The CAT used to be a 100-question exam till 2019, but in 2020 the number of questions reduced to 76. The CAT exam in 2021 had 66 questions. Since then the CAT has 66 questions. Three marks are awarded to every correct attempt and there is negative marking of one mark for each wrong answer. Total marks of CAT is 198. 

Also Read: CAT score vs percentile

CAT vs GMAT: Exam Fee

GMAT: GMAT exam fee is USD 250 for all countries.

CAT:  CAT exam fee is INR 2,500 for General and NC-OBC candidates and INR 1,250 for Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and Physically Disabled candidates.

Validity of Exam Score

GMAT: GMAT score is accepted by more than 2,100 management institutes across the globe. GMAT score is valid for admission for up to five years.

CAT: CAT score is accepted by 21 IIMs and over 1,300 management institutes in India. It is not valid outside India. CAT score is valid for admission for only one year.

Also Read:

• GMAT preparation tips and strategy
• CAT preparation tips and strategy

Is GMAT easier than CAT? An Overview

Before concluding this blog, let us take a quick glance at how GMAT and CAT are different from each other to assess which one is more difficult:

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