The Common Admission Test (CAT) is conducted by the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and is the first step in the process of seeking admission to the IIMs. The CAT is considered as one of the most important national standard for entrance to management institutes. Apart from the Indian Institutes of Management over 40 other Management Institutes use the CAT for short listing candidates.

Undoubtedly, the mother of all examinations, the CAT has the widest coverage in Quantitative, Verbal and Reasoning areas of testing.

The CAT is generally a 2 hour test with number of questions normally ranging from 120 to 150. But CAT 2006 witnessed a drastic change in pattern with 75 questions and increase in the exam time by half an hour. Wrong answers carried 1 mark as penalty whereas correct answers carried 4 marks. Proficiency in all the sections is essential for getting a call from any of the IIMs.

The CAT is now conducted on the second last Sunday of November and is generally the first management entrance examination that lasts upto June the next year.