How Tough is the CAT Exam? Compared with UPSC, JEE, NEET

The Common Admission Test (CAT) is widely regarded as one of the toughest exams in India. Each year, over 200,000 candidates take the CAT to secure admission to top Indian B-schools for pursuing management education. The exam is notorious for its unpredictable nature, high-difficulty level questions, and time management constraints.

CAT typically has 3 sections: VARC, LRDI, and QA, the pattern of which can change as per the conducting body and since every year a different IIM institute sets CAT Paper, the exam can be highly unpredictable.

What makes CAT tough?

• Dynamic Exam Pattern: The CAT exam is known for its unpredictability, with changes in the exam structure and format almost every year. The variability in question types and difficulty levels adds to the challenge, making it difficult to predict what to expect on exam day.
• High Level of Difficulty: The questions in the CAT exam are designed to be complex and challenging, testing a wide range of skills. Candidates need strong analytical abilities to tackle Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) questions, excellent verbal skills for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), and a solid grasp of mathematical concepts for Quantitative Ability (QA). The high level of difficulty across all sections requires thorough preparation and a deep understanding of the subjects.
• Negative Marking: Negative marking is a significant aspect of the CAT exam, with penalties for incorrect answers. This not only affects the overall score but also requires candidates to be cautious and accurate in their responses. The risk of losing marks for wrong answers means that guesswork can be detrimental, and candidates must strike a balance between speed and precision.
• Time Constraints: Time management is a critical factor in the CAT exam. With a total duration of 2 hours and sectional time limits of 40 minutes per section, candidates must answer questions quickly and efficiently. The pressure to manage time effectively and complete all questions within the given timeframe adds to the difficulty, demanding quick decision-making and prioritization skills.
• High Competition: Each year, over 300,000 candidates compete for a limited number of seats in top B-schools. This intense competition makes the CAT exam highly challenging, as only the top performers can secure admission to prestigious institutions which set very high cut-offs and percentile requirements for admission, often above 95-99.5 percentiles.

CAT Exam Difficulty Level

The Common Admission Test (CAT) is renowned for its high difficulty level, which is a significant factor contributing to its reputation as one of the toughest entrance exams in India. One of the biggest factor affecting CAT difficulty level is its complex questions. The CAT exam features questions that are designed to test a wide range of skills, including problem-solving, analytical thinking, and comprehension. Each section—Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Ability (QA)—presents its unique challenges.

CAT Section-wise Difficulty Level

The CAT exam is divided into three sections, each presenting its own set of challenges. Understanding the difficulty level of each section can help candidates tailor their preparation strategies accordingly. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the difficulty level of each section:

CAT VARC section difficulty: The VARC section assesses candidates' proficiency in the English language, focusing on reading comprehension, grammar, and verbal reasoning. It typically includes passages for reading comprehension, sentence completion, para summary, odd one out and para-jumbles.

• Reading Comprehension (RC): The RC passages are often dense and complex, covering a wide range of topics from literature and social sciences to science and technology. The questions require not just an understanding of the passage but also the ability to infer and interpret information.
• Verbal Ability (VA): Questions in this area test candidates’ grammar, vocabulary, and logical arrangement of sentences. Para-jumbles and summary questions can be particularly tricky, requiring a good grasp of the context and logical flow of ideas.
• Time Management: Balancing time between reading lengthy passages and answering questions accurately is challenging. Candidates must be quick in comprehension and precise in their answers.

CAT LRDI section difficulty: The DILR section evaluates candidates' ability to interpret data and solve logical puzzles. This section includes questions based on data tables, graphs, charts, and logical reasoning scenarios. The types of questions and their difficulty can vary significantly from year to year, making this section particularly unpredictable. The complexity and volume of data to be analyzed within a limited time frame make this section challenging. Efficient time management and the ability to quickly identify solvable questions are crucial.

• Data Interpretation (DI): Questions require analysis and interpretation of data presented in various forms, such as tables, bar graphs, pie charts, and line charts. These questions can be data-intensive and require quick calculations and keen analytical skills.
• Logical Reasoning (LR): LR questions test the ability to think logically and solve problems that involve arrangements, sequencing, and complex puzzles. These questions can be highly varied and unpredictable, adding to the difficulty.

CAT quant section difficulty: The QA section tests candidates' mathematical skills and understanding of various quantitative concepts. This section covers topics such as arithmetic, algebra, geometry, number systems, and modern math each with its own set of concepts and problem-solving techniques. Questions often test deep conceptual understanding and the ability to apply multiple concepts to solve a single problem. Some questions are designed to be tricky and test logical thinking and problem-solving skills beyond simple application of formulas.

CAT score vs percentile

The Common Admission Test (CAT) is known for its complexity and high difficulty, making the relationship between a candidate's score and their percentile rank crucial. Due to the challenging nature of the exam and intense competition, a high score alone doesn't ensure a top percentile. Instead, it's the relative performance of all candidates that determines percentile rankings. Understanding this connection is important for aspirants aiming for admission to top MBA Colleges in India.

CAT Exam Comparison

CAT is often referred as one of the most challenging entrance exams in India, but where does it stand when compared to other prominent exams like the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE), the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Civil Services Exam, the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), and the Integrated Program in Management Aptitude Test (IPMAT)?

Each of these exams serves different purposes and targets distinct fields, from engineering and medicine to civil services and management. Comparing their difficulty levels involves looking at various factors, including the complexity of the syllabus, the nature of the questions, the competition, and the preparation required.

Here is a detailed comparison between all these exams.

Is the CAT exam tougher than JEE?

Both CAT and JEE are highly challenging but in different ways. While CAT is for aspirants who wants to pursue higher education after graduation, JEE is an entrance exam for aspirants wanting to pursue engineering after 12th. CAT focuses on analytical, verbal, and quantitative skills with a high degree of unpredictability and time management requirements. JEE, especially JEE Advanced, demands a deep understanding of Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics with very high competition and a rigorous problem-solving approach. The difficulty of each exam depends on the candidate's strengths and the specific skills required for each test.

Is the CAT exam tougher than UPSC?

UPSC exam, designed for recruiting civil servants (IAS, IPS, IFS, etc.), is broader and more comprehensive comparatively to CAT. It involves Preliminary Exam (General Studies and CSAT), Mains Exam (nine papers including essay, general studies, and optional subjects), and an Interview. It requires vast knowledge across diverse subjects, current affairs, and strong analytical and writing skills. While CAT is highly competitive with over 200,000 candidates, the UPSC exam is even more competitive with approximately 1 million candidates and a very low selection ratio. Ultimately, both exams are tough in different ways, with CAT demanding sharp analytical skills under time constraints and UPSC requiring extensive knowledge and thorough preparation across multiple domains.

Is the CAT exam tougher than NEET?

NEET is for MBBS/BDS programs and tests Physics, Chemistry, and Biology (Botany and Zoology), requiring a strong foundation in these subjects and extensive memorization and is given by students after 12th class. While CAT has intense competition with over 200,000 candidates and percentile-based scoring, NEET has even higher competition with over 1.5 million candidates and rank-based scoring. Both exams are highly competitive and difficult in their respective domains, making a direct comparison challenging.

Is the CAT exam tougher than IPMAT?

The CAT exam is generally considered tougher than the IPMAT. CAT, aimed at MBA/PGDM programs, is known for its high difficulty, unpredictability, and intense time management challenges, attracting over 200,000 candidates competing for limited seats in top B-schools whereas IPMAT is designed for integrated BBA+MBA programs, includes sections on Quantitative Ability (QA) and Verbal Ability (VA) and Logical Reasoning (LR). While it tests similar skills as CAT, its difficulty level is generally lower, targeting younger candidates who are just out of high school. The competition for IPMAT is also less intense compared to CAT, with fewer candidates and less rigorous preparation required.

Overall, CAT's higher difficulty, unpredictability, and intense competition make it tougher than IPMAT.