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Author :
Aakash |
For Indian MBA aspirants, deciding between the Common Management Admission Test and the Common Admission Test is a significant decision to make. Both examinations serve as gateways to some of the top-tier business schools in the country — the CAT receiving more than 3.5 lakh registrations and the CMAT receiving 1.5 lakh registrations in 2025. Unlike CMAT, CAT-affiliated colleges have a much higher standing, such as the IIMs and FMS. The CMAT syllabus and the CAT syllabus vary in content and complexity, influencing the approaches, preparation strategies, and institutes to be targeted. The purpose of this guide is to aid students in making informed decisions through a comparison of syllabi, difficulty levels, and acceptance rates for the 2025 admissions cycle.
The National Testing Agency creates the syllabus for CMAT and covers a total of five units, each to be attempted in 100 questions. Each section carries 100 marks and has to be completed in 180 minutes without a time limit per section. Each of the five segments has 20 questions:
Quantitative Techniques and Data Interpretation: Includes algebra and geometry alongside time-speed-distance as well as percentages, tables, and graphs (+4/-1 marking).
Logical Reasoning: Covers arrangements, puzzles, blood relations, and coding-decoding.
Language Comprehension: Covers reading comprehension, grammar, para-jumbles, and vocabulary.
General Awareness: Current affairs, the economy, politics, culture, and static GK.
Innovation and Entrepreneurship: Concepts of startups and business models alongside trends in innovation.
The balanced mix of straightforward questions helps CMAT hold a moderate difficulty level and be ideal for students targeting mid-tier B-schools.
The IIMs have appointed the latest CAT syllabus to have 3 sections consisting of 68 questions for a total worth of 204 marks, to be completed in 120 minutes with a 40-minute sectional time limit for each section as follows:
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC): Reading comprehension, vocabulary, paralanguages, and sentence correction (24 questions).
Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR): Arrangements, charts, caselets, puzzles, and tables (22 questions).
Quantitative Ability (QA): Geometry, modern math, number systems, algebra, and arithmetic (22 questions).
The CAT scoring system follows a +3/-1 system with no penalties for TITA questions. The CAT is considered one of the most challenging tests due to the complexity of its questions, coupled with time constraints.
CAT has a markedly higher difficulty level than CMAT for the following reasons.
Competition – The CAT is highly competitive, with 3.5 lakh candidates vying for 5500 IIM seats. In comparison, CMAT hosts 1.5 lakh candidates but has over 1000 colleges available to choose from, making it much less intense.
Time Constraints. CMAT’s 180 minutes with no sectional time limits offers immense flexibility, while the 40-minute sectional time limit for CAT and 120-minute total time is a relentless burnt-out clock.
Question Complexity – Both CMAT and CAT have sections named the same. However, in CAT, the VARC section consists of dense and lengthy passages, DILR caselets are intricate, and the math’s QA section is advanced. Questions in CMAT are less taxing as the reasoning and quantitative sections feature direct questions.
Syllabus Scope – While CMAT includes General Awareness and Innovation & Entrepreneurship, courses that are absent from CAT, CMAT’s reasoning and mathematics do not compare to CAT’s advanced portion in the respective subjects.
CMAT has a notable advantage in comparison to CAT, as most of its questions are straightforward to answer, while CAT demands much more thorough preparation as well as meticulous time allocation.
- CAT Accepted Colleges
With more than 1,300 institutes, including 21 IIMs – IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore, and Calcutta, to name a few. Other non-IIMs include FMS Delhi, SPJIMR Mumbai, MDI Gurgaon, and IIT-DoMS, IMI Delhi.
Largely, IIMs and most other colleges accepting CAT have a 90-99 percentile cut-off for IIMs and 80-95 for others.
- CMAT Accepted Colleges
With over 1,000 AICTE-approved institutions, some include JBIMS, GIM, KJ, Welingkar Mumbai, Great Lakes, and BIMTECH. Top institutes have a CMAT cut-off range of 70-95 percentile.
CMAT gives more options for mid-tier and some top institutions for students with moderate scores compared to CAT, which is mandatory for IIMs and elite B-schools.
Common Strategies with shared sections of: Quantitative, Logical Reasoning, and Language Comprehension:
Conceptual Clarity – Master the basics in math and grammar. For CAT, use Arun Sharma, and for CMAT, use RS Aggarwal.
Mock Tests – 15-20 mocks for CAT using IMS or TIME and 10-15 for CMAT.
Time Management – Practice sectional timing for CAT. For CMAT, 30-40 minutes per section.
CAT Focused – Study advanced topics like permutations and probability, and complete advanced practice sets for DILR. Attempt previous years’ exams to become familiar with recurring patterns.
CMAT focused – Following the guidance of previous years’ exam toppers, focus on General Knowledge (current affairs and the Manorama Yearbook) and entrepreneurship (case studies on startups) three months before the exam.
Study Plan – Allocate 4 to 6 months for CAT and 2 to 3 months for CMAT with the former receiving 6 to 8 hours of dedicated daily study while the latter receiving 3 to 4 hours per day. Utilize online resources like BYJU’S and Unacademy.
While dual preparation is ideal, prioritize CAT if aiming for the IIMs, as its preparation is more rigorous.
Yes, the CAT exam is very challenging because of the number of applicants (3.5 lakh), the difficulty of DILR and QA, as well as the strict 40-minute per-section time cap. Sustaining a 6 to 8-month preparation period is instrumental.
CAT has its own unique features, and while it might not be more difficult than IIT JEE, it is not easier either. It tests a candidate’s verbal, logical, and quantitative reasoning within a limited time frame, while the IIT JEE focuses on advanced physics, chemistry, and mathematics. The competition for 3.5 lakh applicants for roughly 5,500 seats is exhilarating, but the depth of JEE’s focus is its fiercely enduring challenge.
Both CAT and NEET have their differences. CAT is more difficult when it comes to the logical reasoning section and time constraints because there are 68 questions to be answered in 120 minutes. NEET focuses on science with 200 questions to be answered in 180 minutes. The competition for CAT and its abstract reasoning in some cases, makes it more difficult for others.
CMAT is considered to be CAT’s easier counterpart. CMAT’s questions are less challenging, there is no sectional time limit, and the competition is lower as it is just 1.5 lakh candidates, which makes it easier. CMAT is often regarded as easier because it to some extent, is a subset of the material covered in CAT.
