Editing Common Admission Test (section)

{{short description|Computer based test held in India}}
{{redirect-distinguish|CAT test|Computerized Achievement Levels Test|Computerized adaptive testing}}
{{Use Indian English|date=November 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2016}}
{{Infobox examination
| name                = Common Admission Test
| image_name          = 
| image_size          = 
| image_alt           =
| caption             =
| acronym             = CAT
| type                = Computer-based standardized test
| test_admin          = [[Indian Institutes of Management]]
| skills_tested       = Quantitative Aptitude, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning, Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension
| purpose             = Admission to post-graduate management programs
| year_started        = January 1977
| duration            = 2 hours(40 minutes for each section) [[Physical disability|PWD]] candidates get 160 minutes (53 minutes and 20 seconds for each section)
| score_range         = varies annually
| score_validity      = 1 year
| offered             = Once a year (usually on the last [[Sunday]] of [[November]]).
| attempt_restriction = No restriction 
| regions             = 170+ cities and towns all over [[India]].
| language            = [[English language|English]]
| test_takers         = {{Increase}}  2.93 Lakhs (CAT 2024) 
| prerequisite        = Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) with at least 50 % marks or equivalent GPA (45 % in case of [[Scheduled Castes|SC, ST]], [[Physical disability|PWD]] candidates). Final year undergraduate students are also eligible
| fee                 = {{INRConvert|2500}} for General/ [[Economically Weaker Section|EWS]]/NC-OBC category  candidates.
{{INRConvert|1250}} for [[Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes|SC/ST]]/[[Physical disability|PWD]] category candidates
| score_users         = Various business schools in India
| qualification_rate  =
| free                =
| website             = {{URL|https://iimcat.ac.in}}
| footnotes           =
}}

The '''Common Admission Test''' ('''CAT''')<ref>{{Cite web|title = CAT 2015|url = https://iimcat.ac.in/|website = iimcat.ac.in|access-date = 2015-12-09|archive-date = 28 July 2014|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140728193234/http://www.iimcat.ac.in/|url-status = live}}</ref> is a [[computer based test]] for admission in graduate management programs. The test consists of three sections: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Ability. The exam was taken online over a period of three hours, with one hour per section. In 2020, due to the [[COVID-19]] precautions, [[Indian Institute of Management Indore]] decided to conduct the CAT Exam in 2 hours with 40 minutes devoted to each section.<ref>{{Cite web |title=CAT 2020 Media Release |url=https://cdn.digialm.com//per/g01/pub/756/ASM/WebPortal/17/PDF/CAT_2020_MediaRelease.pdf |access-date=8 January 2021 |archive-date=28 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200928164156/https://cdn.digialm.com/per/g01/pub/756/ASM/WebPortal/17/PDF/CAT_2020_MediaRelease.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Indian Institutes of Management]] started this exam and use the test for selecting students for their business administration programs ([[MBA]] or PGDM). The test is conducted every year by one of the Indian Institutes of Managements(IIMs) based on a policy of rotation.{{Citation needed|date=March 2025}}

In August 2011, it was announced that [[Indian Institutes of Technology]] (IITs) and [[Indian Institute of Science]] (IISc) would also use the CAT scores, instead of the [[Joint Management Entrance Test]] (JMET), to select students for their management programmes starting with the 2012-15 batch.<ref>{{cite news|title=CAT replaces JMET in IIT, IISc |url=http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/nation/south/cat-replaces-jmet-iit-iisc-532 |access-date=10 February 2012 |newspaper=Deccan Chronicle |date=27 August 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110827134858/http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/nation/south/cat-replaces-jmet-iit-iisc-532 |archive-date=27 August 2011 |df=dmy }}</ref>

Before 2010, CAT was a paper based test conducted on a single day for all candidates. The pattern, number of questions and duration have seen considerable variations over the years.

On 1 May 2009, it was announced that CAT would be a [[Computer Based Test]] starting from 2009. The American firm [[Prometric]] was entrusted with the responsibility of conducting the test from 2009 to 2013.<ref>{{cite news|title=CAT to go online from this year|url=http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/todays-paper/tp-economy/article1050650.ece|access-date=10 February 2012|newspaper=Business Line|date=1 May 2009|archive-date=2 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210102223601/https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/todays-paper/tp-economy/cat-to-go-online-from-this-year/article1050650.ece|url-status=live}}</ref> The first computer based CAT was marred with technical snags.<ref>{{cite news|title=Snags hit 7,000 candidates at CAT|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/article84368.ece|access-date=10 February 2012|newspaper=The Hindu|date=1 December 2009|archive-date=26 June 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120626021545/http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/article84368.ece|url-status=live}}</ref>  The issue was so serious that it prompted the [[Government of India]] to seek a report from the convenor.<ref>{{cite news|title=Govt seeks report from CAT convener on exam disruption|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Govt-seeks-report-from-CAT-convener-on-exam-disruption/articleshow/5285101.cms|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120923132343/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-11-30/india/28087821_1_prometric-exam-centres-virus-attacks|url-status=live|archive-date=23 September 2012|access-date=10 February 2012|newspaper=[[The Times of India]]|date=30 November 2009}}</ref> The trouble was diagnosed as '[[Conficker]]' and [[Nimda|'W32 Nimda']], the two [[Computer virus|viruses]] that attacked the system display of the test, causing server slow down.<ref>{{cite news|title=IIM-A names two viruses that caused CAT chaos|url=http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2009-12-01/news/27640238_1_centres-satish-deodhar-cat-chaos|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120523190503/http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2009-12-01/news/27640238_1_centres-satish-deodhar-cat-chaos|url-status=dead|archive-date=23 May 2012|access-date=10 February 2012|newspaper=The Economic Times|date=1 December 2009}}</ref> Since 2014 onward, CAT has been conducted by [[Tata Consultancy Services|Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)]]. CAT 2015 and CAT 2016 were 180-minute tests consisting of 100 questions (34 from Quantitative Ability, 34 from Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension, and 32 from Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://iimcat.ac.in/per/g01/pub/756/ASM/WebPortal/1/PDF/Draft_Media_Release-CAT_2015.pdf|title=CAT 2015|access-date=7 April 2016|archive-date=22 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220522173159/https://iimcat.ac.in/per/g01/pub/756/ASM/WebPortal/1/PDF/Draft_Media_Release-CAT_2015.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> CAT 2020 onwards, the exam duration has been reduced to two hours, with 40 minutes allotted per section.<ref>{{Cite web|title=CAT Exam Pattern 2021: Check Here - New Section Wise Pattern and Marking Scheme|url=https://www.mbauniverse.com/cat/exam-pattern|access-date=2021-09-17|website=www.mbauniverse.com}}</ref>