CAT
India's Most Prestigious National-Level MBA Entrance Examination
Conducting Body: IIM (To Be Announced) ย | ย Official Website: iimcat.ac.in
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.
| Particular | Details |
|---|---|
| Exam Name | Common Admission Test (CAT) 2027 |
| Conducting Body | Indian Institute of Management (IIM) - To Be Announced |
| Exam Level | National Level |
| Courses Offered | MBA, PGDM, PGP & Management Programmes |
| Mode of Examination | Computer-Based Test (CBT) |
| Duration | 120 Minutes (2 Hours) |
| Sections | VARC, DILR, QA |
| Question Type | MCQs & TITA (Type-In-The-Answer) |
| Marking Scheme | +3 Correct, โ1 Incorrect MCQ, No Negative for TITA |
| IIMs Accepting CAT | 21 |
| Total Colleges Accepting CAT | 1,300+ |
| Test Cities | 170+ (Expected) |
| Selection Process | CAT Score, WAT/GD, Personal Interview, Academic Profile & Work Experience |
| Score Validity | One Academic Year |
| Event | Expected Date |
|---|---|
| CAT 2027 Notification Release | July 2027 |
| Online Registration Begins | First Week of August 2027 |
| Last Date to Submit Application | Third Week of September 2027 |
| Application Correction Window | Last Week of September 2027 |
| Admit Card Release | Last Week of October 2027 |
| CAT 2027 Examination | Last Sunday of November 2027 |
| Response Sheet & Provisional Answer Key | First Week of December 2027 |
| Objection Window & Final Answer Key | December 2027 |
| CAT 2027 Result Declaration | Last Week Dec 2027 / First Week Jan 2028 |
| IIM Shortlisting Process | January 2028 |
| WAT/GD/PI Rounds | February โ April 2028 |
| Final Admission Offers | April โ May 2028 |
| Academic Session Begins | June โ July 2028 |
Dates are tentative and subject to change upon release of the official CAT 2027 notification.
| Category | Application Fee |
|---|---|
| General / EWS / OBC | โน2,600 โ โน2,700 |
| SC / ST / PwD | โน1,300 โ โน1,400 |
Fee is generally non-refundable. Payable via Debit/Credit Card, Net Banking, UPI or Wallets. Registration is complete only after successful payment.
Based on the CAT 2024โ2025 format (68 questions). The conducting IIM may revise this for CAT 2027 โ confirm with the official notification.
| Section | Expected Questions | Time Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) | 24 | 40 Minutes |
| Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR) | 22 | 40 Minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude (QA) | 22 | 40 Minutes |
| Total | 68 | 120 Minutes |
CAT does not prescribe an official syllabus. Based on previous years' trends, the broad topics are listed below.
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.
Tables, Bar/Pie/Line Graphs, Caselets, Data Sufficiency, Venn Diagrams, Seating Arrangement, Blood Relations, Puzzles, Games & Tournaments, Routes & Directions, Scheduling, Clocks & Calendars.
Arithmetic (Percentages, P&L, Interest, Ratios, TSD, Time & Work), Algebra (Equations, Functions, Logarithms), Geometry & Mensuration, Number System, Modern Maths (Probability, P&C, Set Theory).
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 JuneโJuly 2028 with orientation and foundation courses.
Fee, average package and expected percentile are indicative and may vary by programme and admission cycle.
| Institute | Location | Approx. MBA Fee | Average Package | Expected Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IIM Ahmedabad | Ahmedabad | โน26โ28 L | โน35โ38 LPA | 99.5+ |
| IIM Bangalore | Bengaluru | โน26โ28 L | โน34โ36 LPA | 99+ |
| IIM Calcutta | Kolkata | โน27โ31 L | โน34โ37 LPA | 99+ |
| FMS Delhi | New Delhi | โน2โ3 L | โน34โ36 LPA | 99+ |
| IIM Lucknow | Lucknow | โน21โ22 L | โน30โ32 LPA | 98โ99 |
| IIM Mumbai | Mumbai | โน21โ22 L | โน30โ32 LPA | 98โ99 |
| IIM Kozhikode | Kozhikode | โน22โ24 L | โน28โ30 LPA | 97โ99 |
| IIM Indore | Indore | โน21โ23 L | โน25โ27 LPA | 97โ99 |
| SPJIMR Mumbai | Mumbai | โน24โ26 L | โน32โ35 LPA | 95โ99 |
| MDI Gurgaon | Gurugram | โน25โ27 L | โน27โ29 LPA | 94โ97 |
| IIT Delhi (DMS) | New Delhi | โน12โ13 L | โน25โ27 LPA | 97โ98 |
| IIT Bombay (SJMSOM) | Mumbai | โน15 L | โน28โ30 LPA | 97โ98 |
| IIM Shillong | Shillong | โน22 L | โน26โ28 LPA | 95โ97 |
| IIM Udaipur | Udaipur | โน21 L | โน20โ22 LPA | 95โ97 |
| IIM Trichy | Tiruchirappalli | โน20 L | โน19โ21 LPA | 94โ96 |
| IIM Raipur | Raipur | โน20 L | โน19โ21 LPA | 94โ96 |
| IIM Ranchi | Ranchi | โน18โ20 L | โน18โ20 LPA | 94โ96 |
| IIM Rohtak | Rohtak | โน18โ20 L | โน18โ19 LPA | 94โ96 |
| IIM Kashipur | Kashipur | โน18โ20 L | โน18โ20 LPA | 93โ95 |
| IIM Visakhapatnam | Visakhapatnam | โน18โ20 L | โน17โ19 LPA | 93โ95 |
| IIM Nagpur | Nagpur | โน18โ20 L | โน17โ18 LPA | 92โ95 |
| IIM Sambalpur | Sambalpur | โน16โ18 L | โน16โ18 LPA | 92โ94 |
| IIM Jammu | Jammu | โน18 L | โน16โ17 LPA | 90โ94 |
| IIM Amritsar | Amritsar | โน18 L | โน16โ17 LPA | 90โ94 |
| IIT Kharagpur (VGSoM) | Kharagpur | โน14 L | โน22โ24 LPA | 95โ97 |
| IIT Madras (DoMS) | Chennai | โน14 L | โน18โ21 LPA | 94โ96 |
| IMT Ghaziabad | Ghaziabad | โน21โ22 L | โน16โ18 LPA | 90โ93 |
| Great Lakes Chennai | Chennai | โน21โ22 L | โน15โ17 LPA | 85โ90 |
| TAPMI Manipal | Manipal | โน18โ20 L | โน14โ16 LPA | 85โ90 |
| Goa Institute of Management | Goa | โน20โ22 L | โน15โ16 LPA | 85โ90 |
| FORE School of Management | New Delhi | โน18โ20 L | โน14โ15 LPA | 85โ90 |
| K J Somaiya Institute | Mumbai | โน20โ22 L | โน13โ15 LPA | 84โ88 |
| Welingkar Institute | Mumbai | โน15โ17 L | โน12โ14 LPA | 80โ85 |
| BIM Trichy | Tiruchirappalli | โน15โ17 L | โน10โ12 LPA | 80โ85 |
Indicative comparison of total programme fees across leading CAT-accepting institutes.
| Institute | Tuition Fee | Hostel & Other | Approx. Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| IIM Ahmedabad | โน26 L | โน1โ2 L | โน27โ28 L |
| IIM Bangalore | โน26 L | โน1โ2 L | โน27โ28 L |
| IIM Calcutta | โน27โ30 L | โน1 L | โน28โ31 L |
| IIM Lucknow | โน20 L | โน1โ2 L | โน21โ22 L |
| IIM Kozhikode | โน21โ22 L | โน1โ2 L | โน22โ24 L |
| IIM Indore | โน20โ21 L | โน1โ2 L | โน21โ23 L |
| IIM Mumbai | โน20โ21 L | โน1 L | โน21โ22 L |
| FMS Delhi | โน2 L | Minimal | โน2โ3 L |
| IIT Delhi | โน11โ12 L | โน1 L | โน12โ13 L |
| IIT Bombay | โน14 L | โน1 L | โน15 L |
| MDI Gurgaon | โน24โ25 L | โน1โ2 L | โน25โ27 L |
| SPJIMR Mumbai | โน23โ24 L | โน1โ2 L | โน24โ26 L |
| TAPMI | โน17โ18 L | โน1โ2 L | โน18โ20 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.
| Institute | Average Package | Highest Package* | Major Recruiters |
|---|---|---|---|
| IIM Ahmedabad | โน35โ38 LPA | โน1 Cr+ | McKinsey, BCG, Bain, Goldman Sachs, Amazon |
| IIM Bangalore | โน34โ36 LPA | โน1 Cr+ | Microsoft, Google, Accenture Strategy, Deloitte |
| IIM Calcutta | โน34โ37 LPA | โน1 Cr+ | JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley, Bain, HUL |
| FMS Delhi | โน34โ36 LPA | โน1 Cr+ | BCG, McKinsey, HUL |
| IIM Lucknow | โน30โ32 LPA | โน65 LPA+ | Amazon, EY, KPMG, ITC |
| SPJIMR Mumbai | โน32โ35 LPA | โน80 LPA+ | Accenture Strategy, Amazon, EY |
| IIT Bombay (SJMSOM) | โน28โ30 LPA | โน55 LPA+ | Google, Microsoft, Amazon |
| MDI Gurgaon | โน27โ29 LPA | โน60 LPA+ | Deloitte, Accenture, Aditya Birla Group |
| IIT Delhi (DMS) | โน25โ27 LPA | โน50 LPA+ | Bain, Deloitte, EY |
| IMT Ghaziabad | โน16โ18 LPA | โน40 LPA+ | KPMG, HCL, Wipro |
*Highest packages vary by programme, domestic/international offers, and placement year.
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.
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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