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CAT 2027 - Complete Admission Guide

India's Most Prestigious National-Level MBA Entrance Examination
Conducting Body: IIM (To Be Announced) ย | ย Official Website: iimcat.ac.in

About CAT 2027

The Common Admission Test (CAT) 2027 is India's most prestigious national-level MBA entrance examination, serving as the gateway to admission in the 21 Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and more than 1,300 leading MBA and PGDM colleges across the country. Conducted annually by one of the IIMs on a rotational basis, CAT evaluates candidates on their aptitude in Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Aptitude (QA).

Every year, over 3 lakh MBA aspirants appear for the examination targeting premier business schools such as IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, FMS Delhi, SPJIMR Mumbai, MDI Gurgaon, IIT Delhi (DMS), IIT Bombay (SJMSOM) and many other reputed management institutes. This guide covers important dates, eligibility, exam pattern, syllabus, admission process, top colleges, fee comparison, expected cut-offs and placement highlights.

CAT 2027 Highlights

ParticularDetails
Exam NameCommon Admission Test (CAT) 2027
Conducting BodyIndian Institute of Management (IIM) - To Be Announced
Exam LevelNational Level
Courses OfferedMBA, PGDM, PGP & Management Programmes
Mode of ExaminationComputer-Based Test (CBT)
Duration120 Minutes (2 Hours)
SectionsVARC, DILR, QA
Question TypeMCQs & TITA (Type-In-The-Answer)
Marking Scheme+3 Correct, โˆ’1 Incorrect MCQ, No Negative for TITA
IIMs Accepting CAT21
Total Colleges Accepting CAT1,300+
Test Cities170+ (Expected)
Selection ProcessCAT Score, WAT/GD, Personal Interview, Academic Profile & Work Experience
Score ValidityOne Academic Year

CAT 2027 Important Dates (Tentative)

EventExpected Date
CAT 2027 Notification ReleaseJuly 2027
Online Registration BeginsFirst Week of August 2027
Last Date to Submit ApplicationThird Week of September 2027
Application Correction WindowLast Week of September 2027
Admit Card ReleaseLast Week of October 2027
CAT 2027 ExaminationLast Sunday of November 2027
Response Sheet & Provisional Answer KeyFirst Week of December 2027
Objection Window & Final Answer KeyDecember 2027
CAT 2027 Result DeclarationLast Week Dec 2027 / First Week Jan 2028
IIM Shortlisting ProcessJanuary 2028
WAT/GD/PI RoundsFebruary โ€“ April 2028
Final Admission OffersApril โ€“ May 2028
Academic Session BeginsJune โ€“ July 2028

Dates are tentative and subject to change upon release of the official CAT 2027 notification.

Eligibility Criteria & Application Fee

Eligibility Criteria

  • Bachelor's degree from a recognized university (UGC/AICTE recognized)
  • General/EWS/OBC: minimum 50% aggregate marks or equivalent CGPA
  • SC/ST/PwD: minimum 45% aggregate marks or equivalent CGPA
  • Final-year students awaiting results are also eligible
  • CA/CS/CMA/ICWA and other professional degree holders eligible
  • No upper or lower age limit
  • All academic streams eligible โ€” no restriction on number of attempts
  • Work experience not mandatory, though some institutes give weightage

Application Fee (Expected)

CategoryApplication Fee
General / EWS / OBCโ‚น2,600 โ€“ โ‚น2,700
SC / ST / PwDโ‚น1,300 โ€“ โ‚น1,400

Fee is generally non-refundable. Payable via Debit/Credit Card, Net Banking, UPI or Wallets. Registration is complete only after successful payment.

CAT 2027 Exam Pattern

Based on the CAT 2024โ€“2025 format (68 questions). The conducting IIM may revise this for CAT 2027 โ€” confirm with the official notification.

SectionExpected QuestionsTime Limit
Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC)2440 Minutes
Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR)2240 Minutes
Quantitative Aptitude (QA)2240 Minutes
Total68120 Minutes
  • Sections must be attempted in the prescribed order; switching before allotted time is not allowed
  • +3 marks for every correct answer; โˆ’1 for incorrect MCQs; no negative marking for TITA questions
  • On-screen virtual calculator available; rough sheets provided at the centre

CAT 2027 Syllabus

CAT does not prescribe an official syllabus. Based on previous years' trends, the broad topics are listed below.

VARC

Reading Comprehension (inference & fact-based passages across Philosophy, Economics, Business, Science, Literature, History), Para Jumbles, Para Summary, Odd One Out, Sentence Completion, Grammar, Vocabulary, Critical Reasoning.

DILR

Tables, Bar/Pie/Line Graphs, Caselets, Data Sufficiency, Venn Diagrams, Seating Arrangement, Blood Relations, Puzzles, Games & Tournaments, Routes & Directions, Scheduling, Clocks & Calendars.

QA

Arithmetic (Percentages, P&L, Interest, Ratios, TSD, Time & Work), Algebra (Equations, Functions, Logarithms), Geometry & Mensuration, Number System, Modern Maths (Probability, P&C, Set Theory).

CAT 2027 Admission Process

Step 1: Online Registration

Register on the official CAT portal with personal, academic details, and pay the application fee.

Step 2: Download Admit Card

Download from the official website using login credentials; verify centre and reporting details.

Step 3: Appear for the Exam

Appear at the allotted test centre on the scheduled date across multiple sessions.

Step 4: Response Sheet & Answer Key

Review responses and the provisional answer key; raise objections within the given window if needed.

Step 5: Result Declaration

Download the scorecard with overall & sectional percentiles and scaled scores.

Step 6: Institute Shortlisting

Institutes shortlist based on percentile, academics, work experience and diversity factors.

Step 7: WAT / GD / PI

Shortlisted candidates attend Written Ability Test, Group Discussion (where applicable) and Personal Interview.

Step 8: Final Merit List

Composite score of CAT, academics, work experience, WAT/GD/PI, and diversity decides final admission.

Step 9: Admission Offer & Fee Payment

Accept the offer, pay the acceptance fee, and submit documents within the deadline.

Step 10: Academic Session Begins

Session typically begins Juneโ€“July 2028 with orientation and foundation courses.

Top MBA Colleges Accepting CAT 2027 Scores

Fee, average package and expected percentile are indicative and may vary by programme and admission cycle.

InstituteLocationApprox. MBA FeeAverage PackageExpected Percentile
IIM AhmedabadAhmedabadโ‚น26โ€“28 Lโ‚น35โ€“38 LPA99.5+
IIM BangaloreBengaluruโ‚น26โ€“28 Lโ‚น34โ€“36 LPA99+
IIM CalcuttaKolkataโ‚น27โ€“31 Lโ‚น34โ€“37 LPA99+
FMS DelhiNew Delhiโ‚น2โ€“3 Lโ‚น34โ€“36 LPA99+
IIM LucknowLucknowโ‚น21โ€“22 Lโ‚น30โ€“32 LPA98โ€“99
IIM MumbaiMumbaiโ‚น21โ€“22 Lโ‚น30โ€“32 LPA98โ€“99
IIM KozhikodeKozhikodeโ‚น22โ€“24 Lโ‚น28โ€“30 LPA97โ€“99
IIM IndoreIndoreโ‚น21โ€“23 Lโ‚น25โ€“27 LPA97โ€“99
SPJIMR MumbaiMumbaiโ‚น24โ€“26 Lโ‚น32โ€“35 LPA95โ€“99
MDI GurgaonGurugramโ‚น25โ€“27 Lโ‚น27โ€“29 LPA94โ€“97
IIT Delhi (DMS)New Delhiโ‚น12โ€“13 Lโ‚น25โ€“27 LPA97โ€“98
IIT Bombay (SJMSOM)Mumbaiโ‚น15 Lโ‚น28โ€“30 LPA97โ€“98
IIM ShillongShillongโ‚น22 Lโ‚น26โ€“28 LPA95โ€“97
IIM UdaipurUdaipurโ‚น21 Lโ‚น20โ€“22 LPA95โ€“97
IIM TrichyTiruchirappalliโ‚น20 Lโ‚น19โ€“21 LPA94โ€“96
IIM RaipurRaipurโ‚น20 Lโ‚น19โ€“21 LPA94โ€“96
IIM RanchiRanchiโ‚น18โ€“20 Lโ‚น18โ€“20 LPA94โ€“96
IIM RohtakRohtakโ‚น18โ€“20 Lโ‚น18โ€“19 LPA94โ€“96
IIM KashipurKashipurโ‚น18โ€“20 Lโ‚น18โ€“20 LPA93โ€“95
IIM VisakhapatnamVisakhapatnamโ‚น18โ€“20 Lโ‚น17โ€“19 LPA93โ€“95
IIM NagpurNagpurโ‚น18โ€“20 Lโ‚น17โ€“18 LPA92โ€“95
IIM SambalpurSambalpurโ‚น16โ€“18 Lโ‚น16โ€“18 LPA92โ€“94
IIM JammuJammuโ‚น18 Lโ‚น16โ€“17 LPA90โ€“94
IIM AmritsarAmritsarโ‚น18 Lโ‚น16โ€“17 LPA90โ€“94
IIT Kharagpur (VGSoM)Kharagpurโ‚น14 Lโ‚น22โ€“24 LPA95โ€“97
IIT Madras (DoMS)Chennaiโ‚น14 Lโ‚น18โ€“21 LPA94โ€“96
IMT GhaziabadGhaziabadโ‚น21โ€“22 Lโ‚น16โ€“18 LPA90โ€“93
Great Lakes ChennaiChennaiโ‚น21โ€“22 Lโ‚น15โ€“17 LPA85โ€“90
TAPMI ManipalManipalโ‚น18โ€“20 Lโ‚น14โ€“16 LPA85โ€“90
Goa Institute of ManagementGoaโ‚น20โ€“22 Lโ‚น15โ€“16 LPA85โ€“90
FORE School of ManagementNew Delhiโ‚น18โ€“20 Lโ‚น14โ€“15 LPA85โ€“90
K J Somaiya InstituteMumbaiโ‚น20โ€“22 Lโ‚น13โ€“15 LPA84โ€“88
Welingkar InstituteMumbaiโ‚น15โ€“17 Lโ‚น12โ€“14 LPA80โ€“85
BIM TrichyTiruchirappalliโ‚น15โ€“17 Lโ‚น10โ€“12 LPA80โ€“85

MBA Fee Comparison

Indicative comparison of total programme fees across leading CAT-accepting institutes.

InstituteTuition FeeHostel & OtherApprox. Total
IIM Ahmedabadโ‚น26 Lโ‚น1โ€“2 Lโ‚น27โ€“28 L
IIM Bangaloreโ‚น26 Lโ‚น1โ€“2 Lโ‚น27โ€“28 L
IIM Calcuttaโ‚น27โ€“30 Lโ‚น1 Lโ‚น28โ€“31 L
IIM Lucknowโ‚น20 Lโ‚น1โ€“2 Lโ‚น21โ€“22 L
IIM Kozhikodeโ‚น21โ€“22 Lโ‚น1โ€“2 Lโ‚น22โ€“24 L
IIM Indoreโ‚น20โ€“21 Lโ‚น1โ€“2 Lโ‚น21โ€“23 L
IIM Mumbaiโ‚น20โ€“21 Lโ‚น1 Lโ‚น21โ€“22 L
FMS Delhiโ‚น2 LMinimalโ‚น2โ€“3 L
IIT Delhiโ‚น11โ€“12 Lโ‚น1 Lโ‚น12โ€“13 L
IIT Bombayโ‚น14 Lโ‚น1 Lโ‚น15 L
MDI Gurgaonโ‚น24โ€“25 Lโ‚น1โ€“2 Lโ‚น25โ€“27 L
SPJIMR Mumbaiโ‚น23โ€“24 Lโ‚น1โ€“2 Lโ‚น24โ€“26 L
TAPMIโ‚น17โ€“18 Lโ‚น1โ€“2 Lโ‚น18โ€“20 L

ROI Note: FMS Delhi, IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay, IIT Kharagpur, and several IIMs are widely regarded for offering the best return on investment due to comparatively lower fees and strong placement outcomes.

Placement Highlights

InstituteAverage PackageHighest Package*Major Recruiters
IIM Ahmedabadโ‚น35โ€“38 LPAโ‚น1 Cr+McKinsey, BCG, Bain, Goldman Sachs, Amazon
IIM Bangaloreโ‚น34โ€“36 LPAโ‚น1 Cr+Microsoft, Google, Accenture Strategy, Deloitte
IIM Calcuttaโ‚น34โ€“37 LPAโ‚น1 Cr+JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley, Bain, HUL
FMS Delhiโ‚น34โ€“36 LPAโ‚น1 Cr+BCG, McKinsey, HUL
IIM Lucknowโ‚น30โ€“32 LPAโ‚น65 LPA+Amazon, EY, KPMG, ITC
SPJIMR Mumbaiโ‚น32โ€“35 LPAโ‚น80 LPA+Accenture Strategy, Amazon, EY
IIT Bombay (SJMSOM)โ‚น28โ€“30 LPAโ‚น55 LPA+Google, Microsoft, Amazon
MDI Gurgaonโ‚น27โ€“29 LPAโ‚น60 LPA+Deloitte, Accenture, Aditya Birla Group
IIT Delhi (DMS)โ‚น25โ€“27 LPAโ‚น50 LPA+Bain, Deloitte, EY
IMT Ghaziabadโ‚น16โ€“18 LPAโ‚น40 LPA+KPMG, HCL, Wipro

*Highest packages vary by programme, domestic/international offers, and placement year.

Documents Required

During Registration

  • Email ID & Mobile Number
  • Photograph & Signature
  • Class X & XII Marksheets
  • Graduation Marksheets/Degree
  • Category / PwD Certificate (if applicable)
  • Government Photo ID

During WAT/GD/PI

  • CAT Admit Card & Scorecard
  • Class X & XII Certificates
  • Graduation Marksheets & Degree
  • Work Experience Certificate (if any)
  • Category/PwD Certificate (if applicable)

At Admission

  • Admission Offer Letter & Fee Receipt
  • Original Academic Certificates
  • Migration/Transfer Certificate (if applicable)
  • Medical Fitness Certificate
  • Anti-Ragging Undertaking

Why Choose CAT?

Access to Premier B-Schools

Only exam accepted by all 21 IIMs plus FMS Delhi, SPJIMR, MDI, IITs and 1,300+ colleges.

Strong Placements & ROI

Near 100% placement rates with top recruiters and high salary packages; FMS & IITs offer exceptional ROI.

Diverse Specializations

Finance, Marketing, Operations, Business Analytics, HR, International Business, and more.

Alumni Network & Global Exposure

Strong global alumni base, international exchange programmes, and industry mentorship.

Conclusion

CAT 2027 remains the most important milestone for MBA aspirants targeting India's leading management institutes. Start preparation early, understand the pattern and syllabus thoroughly, and build a structured study plan to maximize your percentile.

Disclaimer: Fees, packages, cutoffs, exam pattern and dates are indicative/tentative, compiled from previous cycles and publicly available information. These are subject to change as per the official CAT 2027 notification issued by the conducting IIM. Candidates are advised to verify the latest details on iimcat.ac.in before applying or making admission decisions.

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