Which IIM will Conduct CAT 2024: Each year the esteemed CAT exam (Common Admission Test) is conducted by one of the IIMs. This exam provides a crucial gateway to India’s top MBA colleges like IIMs, FMS, SPJIMR, etc. Moreover, this highly competitive exam is held only once a year, with a different IIM taking charge each time. This year, IIM Calcutta will be administering the exam. Last year, IIM Lucknow had conducted the exam.
Understanding how the difficulty level of the CAT exam has evolved under different IIMs is essential for strategic preparation. Thus, before diving into your MBA coaching routine, take some time to review these patterns. It could make all the difference in achieving a high percentile.
Check slot-wise CAT exam analysis on the below-given links:
| CAT Slot-wise Exam Analysis | ||
| CAT 2024 Slot 1 Analysis | CAT 2024 Slot 2 Analysis | CAT 2024 Slot 3 Analysis |
Which IIM will Conduct CAT 2024?
So, let’s have a glance at the difficulty levels of the CAT exam.
| Year | IIM | VARC (Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension) | DILR (Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning) | QA (Quantitative Aptitude) |
| 2017 | IIM Lucknow | Easy/moderate | Moderate/difficult | Easy |
| 2018 | IIM Calcutta | Easy/moderate | Difficult | Difficult |
| 2019 | IIM Kozhikode | Moderate | Moderate/difficult | Moderate |
| 2020 | IIM Indore | Moderate | Difficult/moderate | Moderate |
| 2021 | IIM Ahmedabad | Difficult/moderate | Moderate/difficult | Difficult/moderate |
| 2022 | IIM Bangalore | Moderate/difficult | Difficult | Moderate/difficult |
| 2023 | IIM Lucknow | Difficult/moderate | Difficult | Difficult |
| 2024 | IIM Calcutta | Moderate (expected) | Difficult (expected) | Moderate/difficult (expected) |
CAT Exam Difficulty Level Analysis
The 2024 CAT exam set up by IIM Calcutta:
This year, the exam will be conducted by IIM Calcutta. While the exam is yet to take place, we cannot clearly judge but can predict the potential difficulty levels based on previous trends. So, the VARC (Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension) section is expected to remain moderate, providing some relief to test-takers. However, the DILR (Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning) section is predicted to be challenging. Similarly, the Quantitative Ability (QA) section is likely to range from moderate to difficult. These comparisons are based on past year CAT exam analysis of the 2018 paper when CAT exam was prepared by IIM Calcutta.
The 2023 CAT exam set up by IIM Lucknow:
The CAT exam 2023 was set up by the prestigious IIM Lucknow. The exam had a very difficult Quant and DILR section. However, the VARC section was fairly between moderate to difficult. Therefore, the percentile to marks conversion definitely showed a significant difference. In fact, the quants section appeared to be very difficult as compared to the previous years.
The overall percentile to marks conversion is as follows:
| Percentile | Scaled Score |
| 100 | 138.59 |
| 99.95 | 106.95 |
| 99.9 | 101.43 |
| 99.5 | 84.29 |
| 99 | 76.02 |
| 98.5 | 71.15 |
| 98 | 66.68 |
| 97.5 | 63.64 |
| 97 | 61.56 |
| 96.6 | 59.99 |
| 96 | 58.1 |
| 95.5 | 56.41 |
| 95 | 54.86 |
| 94 | 53.32 |
| 93 | 52.35 |
| 92 | 51.95 |
| 91 | 46.13 |
| 90 | 45.16 |
The 2022 CAT exam set up by IIM Bangalore:
In 2022, IIM Bangalore successfully conducted the CAT exam. So, the exam featured a moderate to difficult level in the VARC (Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension) and QA (Quantitative Aptitude) sections. Whereas, the DILR (Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning) section proved to be more challenging for candidates.
The overall percentile to marks conversion is as follows:
| Percentile | Scaled Score |
| 100 | 145.83 |
| 99.9 | 109.9 |
| 99.5 | 92.87 |
| 99 | 83.64 |
| 98 | 73.88 |
| 95 | 59.75 |
| 90 | 48.44 |
| 85 | 41.32 |
| 80 | 36.02 |
The 2021 CAT exam set up by IIM Ahmedabad:
In 2021, the prestigious IIM Ahmedabad was entrusted with the responsibility of conducting that year's CAT. So, all three sections—Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Ability (QA) were considered moderately difficult by test-takers.
The overall percentile to marks conversion is as follows:
| Percentile | Scaled score |
| 100 | 160 |
| 99.5 | 107 |
| 99 | 97 |
| 97 | 81 |
| 95 | 72 |
| 90 | 60 |
| 85 | 51 |
| 80 | 45 |
The 2020 CAT exam set up by IIM Indore:
In 2020, the esteemed IIM Indore was tasked with conducting the CAT exam. So, the Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) and Quantitative Aptitude (QA) sections were considered moderate. However, the Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) section was notably more challenging.
The overall percentile to marks conversion is as follows:
| Percentile | Scaled Score |
| 100 | 160 |
| 99.5 | 107 |
| 99 | 97 |
| 97 | 81 |
| 95 | 72 |
| 90 | 60 |
| 85 | 51 |
| 80 | 45 |
The 2019 CAT exam set up by IIM Kozhikode
In 2019, the prestigious IIM Kozhikode took on the responsibility of conducting the CAT exam. So, the Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) and Quantitative Aptitude (QA) sections were considered moderate. However, the Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) section stood out as challenging among all three sections.
The overall percentile to marks conversion is as follows:
| Percentile | Scaled score |
| 99 | 161-164 |
| 98 | 148 |
| 95 | 126 |
| 90 | 110 |
| 85 | 95-98 |
| 80 | 85 |
The 2018 CAT exam set up by IIM Calcutta
In 2018, IIM Calcutta was responsible for conducting the CAT exam. So, the Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) section was much easier as compared to the other sections. However, both the Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) and Quantitative Aptitude (QA) sections were significantly more challenging.
The overall percentile to marks conversion is as follows:
| Percentile | Scaled Score |
| 100 | 230 |
| 99.8 | 185 |
| 99.5 | 167 |
| 99.3 | 160 |
| 99.2 | 158 |
| 99.10 | 157 |
| 99 | 154 |
The 2017 CAT exam set up by IIM Lucknow
In 2017, IIM Lucknow conducted the CAT exam. So, the Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC) and Quantitative Aptitude (QA) sections were generally regarded as relatively easy, with the VARC section offering moderate difficulty. However, the Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR) section emerged as the most difficult.
The overall percentile to marks conversion is as follows:
Percentile | Scaled Score |
| 100 | 230 |
| 99.9 | 209 |
| 99.7 | 202 |
| 99.5 | 185 |
| 99 | 174 |
| 98 | 160 |
| 95 | 139 |
| 90 | 118 |
| 85 | 105 |
| 80 | 93 |
Conclusion
The prestigious CAT exam conducted annually by various IIM colleges is a crucial step for aspiring management students. So if you’re planning to take CAT, it’s essential to analyze previous years' CAT question papers so as to do well. Hence, combining this insight with consistent practice is key to achieving a high percentile. Thus, work hard and give your best shot! Good luck!
