The Common Admission Test (CAT) is a national-level management entrance examination conducted by the Indian Institutes of Management (IIM) for admission to 20 IIMs and over 100 B-schools across India. CAT 2017 will be held on November 26, 2017 in 2 sessions of 3 hours duration each. The test is conducted every year by one of the IIMs based on a policy of rotation. This year CAT will be conducted by Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow.
CAT 2017 Exam Pattern
As per the CAT 2017 exam pattern, there are three sections: Quantitative Aptitude, Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning and Verbal and Reading Comprehension. Let us have a look at important topics of CAT 2017 under each section.
| S. No. | Section | Number of Questions | Duration in minutes |
| 1 | Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension | 34 | 60 |
| 2 | Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning | 32 | 60 |
| 3 | Quantitative Ability | 34 | 60 |
| Total | 100 | 180 |
Section I: Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension section will carry 34 questions in total. This section can be broadly divided into two parts- Reading Comprehension and English Usage. The Reading Comprehension consists of different passages and around 3 to 5 questions will be asked from these passages. English Usage includes questions on grammar, vocabulary, Fill in the blanks, Para completion, Para jumble, Sentence correction, Verbal reasoning.
Section II: Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DI & LR)
Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning section carries 32 questions in total. The important topics included in Data Interpretation are Data Sufficiency, Bar Graphs, Tables, Case-lets and Pi-charts. Questions in logical reasoning include topics like Seating Arrangements, puzzles, Constraint based arrangements, Blood Relations, Syllogism, Assumptions, Statements etc.
Section III: Quantitative Ability
Quantitative Ability section will have total 34 questions. Important topics in Quantitative Aptitude section include Compound Interest, Coordinate Geometry, Geometry, Mixture and Alligation, Permutation and Combination, Partnership, Mensuration, Logarithm, Quadratic Equation, Proportion and Ratio, Number System, Arithmetic, Algebra and Probability. Questions on topics like Set Theory, Trigonometry and Logarithms are also expected.
Candidates should attempt as many mock tests as possible as they give a practical experience and also helps in analyzing your strengths and weaknesses. CAT Mock Test will also improve your speed and accuracy. Candidates should focus on CAT Question Paper of previous years to get a better idea about the questions. There are plenty of mock test available, so try to attempt at least two to three mocks in a week. Most importantly focus on Sectional Mock Tests to check your level of preparation for each section.
