Is the CAT Exam Tough?

The Common Admission Test (CAT) serves as India’s premier entrance gateway for top-tier management institutions, particularly the esteemed Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs). In 2024, CAT saw a record 2.55 lakh applicants for 2025 admissions. Every November, hundreds and thousands of graduates brace themselves for a two-hour, three-section marathon that tests not only your academic skills but also your mental endurance, decision-making under pressure, and strategic planning.

This article answers the question of whether the CAT exam is tough to crack and also compares it to other competitive exams for different fields.

Is the CAT Exam Tough? 

In short, the “toughness” of the CAT exam varies based on individual preparation, aptitude, and exam strategy. The CAT exam paper is set by a designated Indian Institute of Management (IIM) each year, and the responsibility rotates among the top IIMs. For example, the 2024 CAT exam paper was set by IIM Calcutta, and this year (CAT 2025) it will be set by IIM Kozhikode.

This means that every year, the number of questions per section, question types (MCQ vs. non-MCQ), and even the sectional sequence change. This unpredictability forces aspirants to build all-round skills rather than rely on a fixed blueprint.

Section-Wise Breakdown

There are three sections in CAT, namely VARC, DILR, and QA, each presenting their own unique challenges. Though they share equal time allotments (40 minutes each), the skills they test and the strategies they demand differ sharply:

1) VARC (Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension)

• Reading Comprehension (RC): Typically, 16 questions are distributed across 3–4 sections. Passages range from dense academic essays to opinion pieces, demanding rapid yet deep comprehension. 
• Verbal Ability (VA): Tasks like para-jumbles, sentence correction, and summary writing test (8 questions) logical flow and grammatical precision.

Key challenge: You must rapidly absorb 1,500–2,000 words of text, infer author intent, and answer inference-heavy questions—all within 2.5 minutes per question. The verbal tasks then switch gears, asking you to spot logical flows and grammatical nuances under strict time pressure.

2) DILR (Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning)

• Data Interpretation (DI): Bar graphs, line charts, pie charts, tables, and caselets commonly appear in 4–5 question sets, each requiring quick calculations and pattern recognition.
• Logical Reasoning (LR): Arrangement puzzles, sequencing, network diagrams, and multi-layered logic sets.

The Challenge: The format is highly unpredictable, with one year focusing on a pie-chart marathon and the next on a web of network puzzles. Spotting easier question sets early is critical, because a single complex set can devour 8–10 minutes, eating into your sectional time.

3) QA (Quantitative Ability)

• Syllabus: Arithmetic (percentages, ratios), Algebra (inequalities, quadratics), Geometry (circles, triangles), Number Systems, and Modern Math topics like sets & probability.
• Question Style: Multi-concept problems where no single formula applies, often requiring creative shortcuts or multiple steps.

The Challenge: Beyond formula recall, you need creative shortcuts and mental agility to navigate layered questions in under two minutes each. Any hesitation or misstep costs both time and confidence.

Across all three sections, negative marking (–1 for each incorrect MCQ) and a mix of +3 for MCQs and +1 for TITA questions force aspirants to balance caution with speed. This blend of unpredictability, depth, and time/stringent scoring is what cements CAT’s reputation as one of India’s toughest entrance tests.

How Tough Is It to Score in CAT?

Scoring well in CAT isn’t just about your raw marks—it’s about how those marks stack up against a highly competitive cohort and how the exam’s difficulty and normalization process affect your final percentile. Here’s what you need to know:

1) Percentile Isn’t a Linear Conversion

• Relative performance: Your CAT percentile reflects the percentage of test-takers you’ve outperformed. A raw score that maps to the 85th percentile in an easier year might climb to the 90th in a tougher one, since fewer students achieve high scores when the paper is more difficult.
• Small swings, big shifts: Especially above the 90th percentile, even a 2–3-mark increase can boost you several percentile points.

2) Year-on-Year Variability 

Here’s how the required raw scores for top percentiles have shifted over the last few years. The table provided illustrates the percentile rankings achievable corresponding to specific score ranges.

Examining the table reveals a sharp drop in the marks needed to attain higher percentiles, driven largely by two key reasons:

• The heightened complexity of the CAT exam.
• The growing pool of candidates taking the test.

Because each year's paper varies in toughness and because CAT is administered in multiple slots, the raw-to-percentile mapping shifts. CAT’s normalization process adjusts raw scores across slots so that no group is advantaged by an easier slot.

3) Section-Wise Thresholds 

Beyond overall percentiles, you must clear sectional cutoffs. Roughly speaking, to hit the 95th percentile in CAT 2024, you’d need:

• VARC: 30 marks
• DILR: 27 marks
• QA: 22 marks

Achieving a balanced score across all three sections is crucial, since missing the sectional cut-off even with a high overall score can cost you a shortlist call.

4) Strategies for Percentile Gains

• Accuracy over attempts: Securing +3 for correct MCQs without piling on –1 penalty is more valuable than attempting every question.
• Targeted mocks: Track your mock-test percentile, not just raw scores, to calibrate where you stand in realistic competition.
• Fine-tune by year: Analyze previous years’ cut-offs and paper difficulty to set a moving raw-score target (e.g., 70–75 in an easier paper for the 99th percentile versus 80–85 in a tougher one).

Bottom Line

Scoring high in CAT requires more than raw preparation; it demands an understanding of how your marks convert into percentiles under shifting exam conditions. By tracking historical score-percentile trends, mastering section-wise thresholds, and prioritizing accuracy, you can set realistic targets for your aspirational B-schools and optimize your path to a top percentile.

CAT Compared to Other Competitive Exams

When MBA aspirants ask, “Is the CAT exam tough?” the answer often depends on what it’s being compared to. India's competitive exam landscape is vast—from engineering and medicine to civil services and integrated programs—and each test presents a unique set of challenges.

Let’s compare CAT with some of the most popular entrance exams in India to give you a clearer picture.

Is the CAT Exam Tougher Than JEE?

JEE (Joint Entrance Examination) is an entrance test for undergraduate engineering programs like B.Tech at IITs, NITs, and other engineering colleges. In contrast, the CAT (Common Admission Test) is a postgraduate-level exam for entry into MBA/PGDM programs at IIMs and other top B-schools.

Verdict:

JEE is more academically rigorous and concept-heavy due to its focus on physics, chemistry, and mathematics. Students often prepare for over 2–3 years starting from high school. However, the CAT is a more mature, postgraduate-level test, requiring aptitude, speed, decision-making, and strategy. It's not about recalling information but about solving the right questions in a limited amount of time. 

So, while JEE may be more technical, CAT is strategic and aptitude-focused, making it equally (if not more) challenging in a different context, especially since it filters candidates for leadership roles in business and management.

Is the CAT Exam Tougher Than UPSC?

The UPSC Civil Services Examination is universally acknowledged as one of India's most challenging competitive tests. This demanding assessment acts as the primary selection mechanism for the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and related government services.

Verdict:

UPSC CSE is tougher overall in terms of:

• Volume of content (breadth and depth of syllabus)
• Time commitment (often 2+ years)
• Stages involved (prelims, mains, interview)
• Success rate (only 800 out of 5–6 lakh makes it to the final list)

However, CAT is no less demanding, especially for those aiming for the 99+ percentile. It is a test of speed, strategy, decision-making under pressure, and sectional time management, all within 2 hours. So:

• If UPSC tests patience, perseverance, and written articulation,
• CAT tests your brain’s processing speed, accuracy, and smart question selection.

Both exams present unique challenges; hence, success depends on individual strengths, aspirations, and professional objectives.

Is the CAT Exam Tougher Than the NEET?

The CAT (Common Admission Test) and NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) rank among India’s toughest exams, yet they cater to distinct academic trajectories and assess entirely different competencies.

Verdict:

• If you measure by volume of study material and competition size, NEET is arguably tougher, especially for students aiming for top government medical colleges.
• If you consider speed, abstract thinking, and the difficulty of cracking the 99+ percentile zone, CAT demands sharper strategy and mental agility.

Both are extremely challenging, but in very different ways. The difficulty of each depends largely on your academic strengths, mindset, and career aspirations.

Summing Up

In conclusion, the CAT exam is undoubtedly challenging but not unbeatable. Its difficulty lies not just in content but in time pressure, unpredictability, and competition. Compared to exams like JEE, NEET, and UPSC, CAT tests a unique blend of aptitude, reasoning, and strategic thinking. Success in CAT demands consistency, clarity of approach, and smart preparation. With the right mindset and plan, even the 99th percentile is achievable, making CAT a truly rewarding gateway to India’s top business schools.