GMAT™ vs CAT: What are the Key Differences?
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Similar to the United States and Europe, MBA admissions to business school in India is typically reliant on you having taken an entrance exam. To land a place at any of the top Indian b-schools, you’ll need an exam score so they can assess your application.
Two popular MBA entrance exams are accepted by the top b-schools in India. These are the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) which is conducted by the Graduate Management Admission Council, and the Common Admission Test (CAT) which is conducted by the Indian Institute of Management. But what are the key differences? Below is everything you need to know about GMAT vs CAT.
What is the GMAT exam?
As the world’s premier business school exam, over 2400 b-schools across 110+ countries accept GMAT scores for applications to MBA programs and other business master’s degrees.
Compared to the CAT, a domestic exam which is widely accepted in India, the GMAT exam opens more opportunities if you’re looking to attend business school abroad or in India. GMAT candidates also face less competition compared to the CAT exam which is taken by more than 200,000 candidates in India.
Apart from top institutions across countries including the U.S., the UK, Europe, Singapore and Canada, a GMAT score is also accepted for flagship programs at over 140 Indian institutions, including (but not limited to):
- Indian School of Business
- MDI Gurgaon
- SP Jain Institute of Management & Research
- Great Lakes Institute of Management
- IMT Ghaziabad
- BITS Pilani
- XIM Bhubaneshwar
- IFIM Bangalore
- Goa Institute of Management
- FORE School of Management
- Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Management
- IIMs (executive MBA programs)
If you have applied unsuccessfully to Indian business schools after taking the CAT, the GMAT provides you with an alternative route.
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What is the difference between the GMAT and CAT exam structure?
The GMAT and CAT exams are key entrance exams for business schools in India, so it’s no surprise that they share some similarities. Both exams are designed to provide a measure of skills across quantitative ability and reasoning skills. But there are variations in elements, such as the test length, number of questions, and the length of score validity.
Take a look at the table below to see a few differences between GMAT and CAT.
|
Features |
GMAT |
CAT |
|
Format |
Computer-based test |
Computer-based test |
|
Skills Tested |
Analytical Writing Assessment, Quantitative Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning, Integrated Reasoning |
Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), Quantitative Aptitude (QA) |
|
No. of Questions |
80 |
66 |
|
Length of Score Validity |
5 years |
1 year |
|
Test Length |
187 minutes |
120 minutes |
|
Choice of Section Order |
Yes |
No |
|
Length of Score Validity |
5 years |
1 year |
|
Results Released |
Unofficial score available at test completion. Official Score Report available within 7 business days after completing your exam but may take up to 20 days. |
No Unofficial score available. Official Score available after a month of attempting the exam. |
|
Can Be Taken How Many Times in a year? |
5 |
1 |
|
Negative Marking |
No |
Yes |
|
Acceptability of Exam |
Globally accepted by 2300+ business schools, including Indian business schools, in 110+ countries. |
Accepted by top business schools in India, including IIMs. |
|
Exam Preparation Time |
3-6 months |
1 year |
|
When can the exam be taken? |
Anytime of the year. |
Conducted once a year on a specific date. |
|
Mode of Exam |
Test center or online at home |
Test center |
Both the CAT and GMAT are computer-based exams, with the GMAT giving additional flexibility as it can be taken either at a test center or online at home, whereas the CAT is taken solely at a test center. However, the GMAT is a longer exam, with a run time of 187 minutes versus the shorter 120 minutes for the CAT.
The CAT consists of 3 sections which are in a fixed order, whereas the GMAT has 4 sections which can be taken in the order that the candidate prefers. This gives the candidate more flexibility and the opportunity to perform better.
While the GMAT is a computer adaptive test that assesses you via a mixture of multiple choice and non-multiple-choice questions , the CAT isn’t. Being computer adaptive, the difficulty level of the next GMAT question is based on your performance in the previous question and is subject to change.
In the GMAT exam, the number of questions in each section are split between the Analytical Writing Assessment (one essay style question), Quantitative Reasoning (31), Verbal Reasoning (36), and Integrated Reasoning (12). There are 80 questions in total.
For the CAT, you’ll need to answer 66 multiple-choice questions across 3 sections including Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Aptitude. While there’s no negative marking in the GMAT exam, marks are deducted for every wrong answer in the CAT exam.
Preparation time for the CAT exam is longer and it can take a test taker an average of 1 year to prepare for the exam, or up to 2 years in some cases. Typically, the GMAT takes between three to six months to prepare for. Our interactive tool can help you estimate your required study time, and you’ll also receive a study plan tailored to your available time.
The CAT score is valid for 1 year, while your GMAT score is valid for 5 years after taking the test. You can also take the GMAT five times in one year as per the available slot, as opposed to the CAT which allows only one attempt per year on a fixed date.
GMAT test-takers can preview their unofficial score onscreen immediately after completing the exam; however, this isn’t the case for those taking the CAT. GMAT takers are also provided with their Official Score Report within 7 business days of completing the exam, with a maximum wait of 20 days. Compare this to the availability of a CAT takers Official Score Report which can take more than one month to become available after completion of the exam.
GMAT Exam: How to Register?
The GMAT exam can be taken at any point throughout the year, so a key point to consider is how much time you need to prepare.
To register, you’ll need a form of ID – usually a passport. You’ll also be required to provide key information, including your name, address, phone number, date of birth, nationality, email address, and any other relevant information.
You can complete the registration process online, via phone, or by email. The easiest way is to sign up for an MBA.com account, which will allow you to register for the GMAT as soon as your account is verified.
GMAT vs CAT: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the format of the GMAT and CAT exams? Both the GMAT and CAT exams are computer-based tests.
Which skills are tested for in each of the exams? The GMAT exam consists of an Analytical Writing Assessment, Quantitative Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning, and Integrated Reasoning. The CAT consists of Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Aptitude.
How many questions do each of the exams have? The GMAT is made up of 80 questions, and the CAT is made up of 66 questions.
What is the test length of the GMAT and CAT? The test length for GMAT is 187 minutes, and the test length for CAT is 120 minutes.
What is the length of Score Validity? The GMAT score lasts for 5 years, whereas the CAT score lasts for 1 year.
Where are the exam results released? For the GMAT, the Unofficial Score is available at test completion. The Official Score Report is available within 7 business days of completing the exam but may take up to 20 days. This is opposed to the CAT, where there is no Unofficial Score available. The CAT Official Score is not available until more than a month after attempting the exam.
How many times can each exam be taken in a year? The GMAT can be taken 5 times within a year and is available to be taken at any point, while the CAT can be taken only once a year on a specific date.
Is there a choice of section order in the GMAT and CAT exams? The GMAT exam allows the taker to choose the section they’d like to do first, as opposed to the CAT exam which is fixed.
Is there negative marking within the GMAT and CAT exams? There’s no negative marking within the GMAT exam, but there is within the CAT exam as marks are deducted for incorrect answers.
Are the GMAT and CAT exams accepted globally? Apart from over 2300 top institutions across 110+ countries including U.S., UK, Europe, Singapore and Canada, a GMAT score is also accepted for flagship programs at over 140 Indian institutions. However, the CAT is accepted only in Indian b-schools, including IIMs.
What is the typical preparation time for each exam? The typical preparation time for the GMAT exam is between 3 and 6 months. The average preparation time for the CAT exam is 1 year, sometimes 2.
What is the mode of each exam? The GMAT can be taken at a test center or online at home, while the CAT can be taken only at a test center.
GMAT exam: Sample questions
Sample questions for the key Verbal and Quantitative Reasoning sections of the GMAT are available below.
Verbal Reasoning
1) Unlike the nests of leaf cutters and most other ants, situated underground or in pieces of wood, raider ants make a portable nest by entwining their long legs to form "curtains" of ants that hang from logs or boulders, providing protection for the queen and the colony larvae and pupae.
A. The nests of leaf cutters and most other ants,
B. The nests of leaf cutters and most other ants, which are
C. Leaf cutters and most other ants, whose nests are
D. Leaf cutters and most other ants in having nests
E. Those of leaf cutters and most other ants with nests
2) Obtaining an investment-grade rating will keep the county's future borrowing costs low, protect its already-tattered image, and increase its ability to buy bond insurance.
(A) Obtaining an investment-grade rating will keep the county's future borrowing costs low, protect
(B) To obtain an investment-grade rating will keep the county's future borrowing costs low, and protect
(C) Having obtained an investment-grade rating will, in keeping the county's future borrowing costs low, protect
(D) To obtain an investment-grade rating would keep the county's future borrowing costs low, protecting
(E) Obtaining an investment-grade rating, keeping the county's borrowing costs low, would be protecting
3) Farmer: Worldwide, just three grain crops—rice, wheat, and corn—account for most human caloric intake. To maintain this level of caloric intake and also keep pace with global population growth, yields per acre from each of these crops will have to increase at least 1.5 percent every year, given that the supply of cultivated land is diminishing. Therefore, the government should increase funding for research into new ways to improve yields.
Which of the following is an assumption on which the farmer's argument depends?
A. It is solely the government's responsibility to ensure that the amount of rice, wheat, and corn produced worldwide keeps pace with global population growth.
B. Increasing government funding for research into new ways to improve the yields per acre of rice, wheat, and corn crops would help to increase total worldwide annual production of food from these crops.
C. Increasing the yields per acre of rice, wheat, and corn is more important than increasing the yields per acre of other crops.
D. Current levels of funding for research into ways of improving grain crop yields per acre have enabled grain crop yields per acre to increase by more than 1.5 percent per year worldwide.
E. In coming decades, rice, wheat, and corn will become a minor part of human caloric intake, unless there is government-funded research to increase their yields per acre.
4) A company has developed a new sensing device that, according to the company's claims, detects weak, ultralow-frequency electromagnetic signals associated with a beating heart. These signals, which pass through almost any physical obstruction, are purportedly detected by the device even at significant distances. Therefore, if the company's claims are true, their device will radically improve emergency teams' ability to locate quickly people who are trapped within the wreckage of collapsed buildings.
Which of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument?
A. People trapped within the wreckage of collapsed buildings usually have serious injuries that require prompt medical treatment.
B. The device gives a distinctive reading when the signals it detects come from human beings rather than from any other living beings.
C. Most people who have survived after being trapped in collapsed buildings were rescued within two hours of the building's collapse.
D. Ultralow-frequency signals are not the only electromagnetic signals that can pass through almost any physical obstruction.
E. Extensive training is required in order to operate the device effectively.
This does not strengthen the argument. It does not increase the likelihood of the argument’s conclusion: that the device will speed up rescues.
Quantitative Reasoning
1) If 893 × 78 = p, which of the following is equal to 893 × 79?
(A) p + 1
(B) p + 78
(C) p + 79
(D) p + 893
(E) p + 894
2) If 1 < x < y < z, which of the following has the greatest value?
A. z(x + 1)
B. z(y + 1)
C. x(y + z)
D. y(x + z)
E. z(x + y)
3) At a bakery, all donuts are priced equally and all bagels are priced equally. What is the total price of 5 donuts and 3 bagels at the bakery?
(1) At the bakery, the total price of 10 donuts and 6 bagels is $12.90.
(2) At the bakery, the price of a donut is $0.15 less than the price of a bagel.
A. If statement (1) ALONE is sufficient, but statement (2) alone is not sufficient to answer the question asked;
B. If statement (2) ALONE is sufficient, but statement (1) alone is not sufficient to answer the question asked;
C. If BOTH statements (1) and (2) TOGETHER are sufficient to answer the question asked, but NEITHER statement ALONE is sufficient;
D. If EACH statement ALONE is sufficient to answer the question asked;
E. If statements (1) and (2) TOGETHER are NOT sufficient to answer the question asked, and additional data specific to the problem are needed.
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