Aspirants to the CAT often ask questions about how difficult the exam is and what strategies can help them to crack it as this is one of the most important eligibility criteria for admission in the top MBA colleges in Noida. CAT Preparation takes a lot of time and dedication to succeed in the exam. A large number of individuals give up while preparing for the CAT exam. Keep reading to find out about the CAT exam difficulty level, CAT exam pattern, CAT preparation tips, and reasons why CAT 2024 is a tough exam, as well as the minimum score required to get into the best MBA colleges in Noida.

Is CAT exam tough? How can I succeed in the CAT 2024 if it's difficult for average students? How should I approach the CAT preparation? Which of the good MBA colleges in Delhi NCR accept the CAT exam? These are the most frequent questions that linger in the minds of students who believe the CAT exam is extremely difficult and give up on their CAT preparation efforts before learning the truth about the exam's difficulty level and the best ways to prepare to crack it.

How to do CAT preparation?

According to Arun Sharma, CAT Mentor and creator of Mindworkzz, you can pass the CAT 2024 with a 90+ percentile if you prepare carefully and steer clear of the questions that seem challenging to you. The best CAT preparation tip to get good marks is to stay away from making mistakes. Several students who had trouble scoring in the 60–70 percentile on their first attempt eventually gained confidence in the exam and scored 90 percentile on their second attempt. Therefore, the CAT exam is not as difficult as it seems.

Of the more than 50,000 seats available for MBA admission through the CAT exam, 6000 seats are exclusive to IIMs. At least 5000 seats are available for admission to MBA colleges in Greater Noida with fee structure. Without a doubt, there is a lot of competition for the CAT exam—about 2.25 lakh candidates show up—but compared to the UPSC Civil Services exams, which have 3–4 lakh candidates and 700–800 posts, the competition for the CAT exam is moderate—about 10–20% of candidates are accepted into prestigious MBA colleges like IIMs and other top MBA colleges in Greater Noida. CAT is not the hardest exam, even though it is not the easiest.

Check out the 5-Step CAT preparation Strategy:

• Step 1: Memorize the CAT Syllabus 2024 and CAT Exam Pattern.
• Step 2: Choose if you want to prepare for the CAT Exam on Your Own or with Coaching
• Step 3: Obtain the best CAT preparation materials and make a section-by-section plan.
• Step 4: Use mock exams to gauge your level of CAT preparation for the exam.
• Step 5: CAT 100 Percentiles: Gain Knowledge from Top Performers

Keep reading the article to find out about the difficulty of the CAT exam, CAT Exam Pattern, its toughest sections, and the best way to prepare for it.

Is the CAT Exam Difficult for Different Background Students?

You can find varying opinions about how simple or hard the CAT is from those who have passed it with the help of a CAT preparation plan, as well as from others who did not do well on it. We asked several CAT takers from various academic backgrounds if they thought the exam was challenging and what they thought were the most challenging sections:

Engineers who passed the CAT exam:

Most candidates with engineering backgrounds found the Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension sections of the exam more challenging than the DILR and Quant sections. By spending more time in VARC, they conquered their weakness and beat the CAT exam. Many of the engineering graduates who cleared the CAT exam choose to join some of the good MBA colleges in Delhi NCR.

Art Students who passed the CAT exam

Students in the arts who passed the CAT reported that the Quant and DI sections were harder, but they felt that VARC was their strongest subject. By spending more time refining their understanding and increasing their practice time, Art students performed well in certain CAT exam parts.

Graduates in commerce:

DILR presented additional challenges for these VARC students. They read specific articles and editorials in news publications for VARC, were directed to books by Arun Sharma, gained clarity on fundamentals, and practiced answering a wide range of questions for DILR. As a result, commerce students easily gained admission to good MBA colleges in Delhi NCR.

Graduates in Science:

VARC was again determined to be more challenging. However, the weakness was overcome with perseverance, practice, and taking thirty to forty mock exams. In addition to meeting the cut-offs, a large number of these CAT participants outperformed the other two sections of the VARC.

Thus, how you approach, prepare, and ultimately perform on the CAT exam will determine how simple or difficult it is for you. However, it's impossible to deny the fact that CAT applicants are steadily rising. This year, 2.55 lakh people applied for the CAT 2024, shattering previous records and solidifying the CAT's position as the biggest and most well-liked exam.

CAT exam is important for admission to top MBA colleges in Greater Noida. Experts and toppers believe that the CAT should be somewhat challenging even though it is not extremely challenging.

CAT Exam Pattern Compared to Other Exams: Verify the Difficulty Level

The CAT exam pattern is divided into three sections, but other MBA exams, such as the XAT, CMAT, and the former IIFT, include four or five sections with various question types. You might not perceive the CAT as being particularly difficult after going through the CAT exam pattern and comparing it with other exams. Make sure to choose the right entrance exam to ensure admission to best MBA colleges in Noida : 

Sectional Analysis

CAT Syllabus: Key Subjects to Consider – Low Difficulty Level

Find Out Why the CAT Exam Is Seen as Hard

When attempting to understand why the CAT exam is difficult, it should be noted that IIMs do not require a professor or a top expert in English, Math, or Reasoning in their classrooms; rather, they naturally require students who can effectively communicate, reason logically, and choose the best course of action when faced with a challenge. This is what determines the CAT exam's difficulty level.

When applying for MBA admission to the best MBA colleges in Greater Noida like KCC Institute of Technology and Management as well as top IIMs like IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta, Kozhikode, Lucknow, and Indore, a candidate preparing for the CAT exam undoubtedly needs to consider how challenging the exam should be. As such, the complexity of CAT cannot be taken lightly. Experts and CAT alums have discovered that the CAT is not the most challenging exam when compared to other tests like the XAT, the former IIFT entrance exam, which will no longer be offered starting in 2024, and even the GMAT, which gets harder every time a question is answered.

You must read and download the CAT syllabus and CAT exam pattern and use the appropriate CAT preparation tips to crack the exam.