CAT 2024 Live: IIM MBA exam slot 1 underway; duration, question paper analysis, slot 2 timings

Through CAT 2024, the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Bangalore will be admitting students to its PGP programmes. The institute has announced MBA admission criteria for the academic session 2025-26. As per IIM Bangalore selection criteria, the CAT exam has been given 25% weightage in the final stage of selection. IIMB has adopted a two-stage admission policy. 

CAT 2024: IIM Bangalore selection criteria out. (Image: Wikimedia Commons)

Trisha, a CAT candidate from TIME Institute, Delhi, said: "I have been preparing for the CAT exam since January but am not stressing too much because I am already working. Will try again next year if I fail to crack it this time." Trisha, who wants to take up finance as specialisation, however, cautioned that anyone who wants to take the exam must start her preparations from March or April, unlike her who started in the beginning of the year, so that one doesn't get saturated.

CAT 2024 Slot 1 candidate, Trisha, from Delhi (Image: Careers360)

A total of 3.29 lakh candidates registered for the Common Admission Test (CAT) 2024 exam as per the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Calcutta which is conducting the MBA entrance test this year. The number of CAT 2024 applications has increased as compared to last year's 3.28 lakh. 

CAT 2024 slot 1 will continue till 10:30 am. Candidates will be able to check slot 1 exam analysis on this page. As per the CAT 2024 marking scheme, examinees will be awarded three marks for each correct answer. There will be negative marking in the objective-type questions in CAT exam. 

Each CAT exam lasts exactly 2 hours or 120 minutes, allowing for 40 minutes per section of the paper. CAT 2024 Slot 1 began at 8:30 am and will continue till 10:30 am. 

The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Calcutta has commenced the CAT exam 2024 slot 1 at 8:30 am. CAT slot 1 exam timings are 8:30 am to 10:30 am. The CAT exam will be held for a duration of two hours. 

Advin Varghese, from Delhi, aims to study in marketing in the IIMs. "I'm slightly nervous because there's a new set in DILR. I wrote as many mock tests as I could and strategised on how many questions to prepare. I will basically have to avoid extra questions and a negative marking. I'm aiming for IIMs and in specialisation, hoping for marketing. I am aiming for 90 percentile and above," he said. 

The CAT 2024 examination centres have closed entry to the exam hall for CAT slot 1 2024. The first shift will commence from 8:30 am and continue till 10:30 am. 

Some CAT Exam 2024 exam centres also have the facility to print IIM CAT admit cards. At the centre below, candidates take last-minute prints. The CAT exam time for Slot 1 is 8:30 am to 10:30 am. 

CAT 2024 Slot 1: Last-minute printing of admit cards at the CAT exam centre (Image: Careers360)

Talking to Careers360, a candidate expressed nervousness for CAT exam 2024 over addition of a new set of question. "The CAT exam pattern has slightly changed from last year, so I'm a bit nervous about how it might be as it will be first set of question (newly added)," he told Careers360. The student mainly studied from CAT 2024 mock tests and plans to avoid negative marking and extra questions in the exam. He is aiming for the IIMs and to achieve more than 90 percentile in the CAT exam 2024. 

CAT exam 2024 today; candidate aims for 90+ percentile. (Image: Careers360)

CAT exam question paper will consist of three sections - VARC, DILR, and Quant. Experts have released books on CAT exam containing ways to study, concept-building, step-by-step approach to the sections. Some of the best books for CAT 2024 preparation are as follows: 

QA 

• How to Prepare for Quantitative Aptitude for the CAT by Arun Sharma
• Quantitative Aptitude Quantum CAT by Sarvesh Sharma

VARC

• How to prepare for Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for the CAT by Arun Sharma and Meenakshi Upadhyay
• PSC for VA for CAT by Nishit Sinha

DILR

• Logical reasoning and date interpretation for the CAT by Nishit K Sinha
• How to prepare for data interpretation for the CAT by Arun Sharma

The CAT 2024 Slot 1 starts at 8:30 am and ends at 10:30 am. Entry has begun and closes at 8:15 am. 

CAT Exam 2024 Slot 1: Candidates line up to deposit their belongings (Image: Careers360)

Candidates can download CAT admit card 2024 using the steps given below.

• Go to the official website, iimcat.ac.in
• Click on the link 'Registered candidate login'
• Login with your user ID and password 
• Navigate to the link to download CAT admit card 2024
• A document will be displayed on the screen
• Download the CAT 2024 admit card and take a print out

Mobiles, watches, scarves, metro cards, metal objects - none of these are allowed inside the IIM CAT 2024 exam centre. CAT Slot 1 timing is 8:30 am.

IIM CAT Exam 2024: Exam centre with a check-in and storage counter for belongings (Image: Careers360) 

As per CAT previous year's question paper, the exam was easy to moderate in difficulty and there were no changes in the CAT exam pattern. The slot-wise analysis is given below. 

• Slot 1: Moderate in difficulty, VARC challenging
• Slot 2: DILR most difficult, QA time-consuming
• Slot 3: Easy VARC, tough DILR, QA of mixed difficulty-level

The Common Admission Test (CAT) slot 1 timing 2024 is 7 am to 8:15 am. Candidates appearing in the first shift of CAT exam 2024 will not be given entry after 8:15 am. Students are currently checking-in their belongings at the things-collector room. 

CAT slot 1 2024 entry closes at 8:15 am. (Image: Careers360)

CAT 2024 question paper will contain three sections -- Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Ability (QA). The section-wise weightage in CAT exam 2024 is as follows: 

• VARC - Around 34%
• DILR - About 32%
• QA - Approximately 34%

According to the Common Admission Test (CAT) 2024 exam pattern trends, the question paper will consist of a total of 66 questions which are divided across three sections. 

Candidates leave their belongings outside the IIM CAT exam centre. They have already arrived for the IIM CAT 2024 Slot 1 exam for which, as per the CAT exam instructions, the reporting time is 8:15 am,

CAT Exam 2024 Slot 1: Candidates arrive and check in belongings (Image: Careers360)

Candidates appearing for CAT exam 2024 today can download the CAT admit card 2024 from the official website, iimcat.ac.in using their login credentials. No examinee will be given entry to the examination hall without CAT 2024 admit card. 

CAT 2024 aspirants can check the dress code for CAT exam below.

CAT 2024 dress code for male candidates

• Can wear thick soles footwear.
• Garments with large buttons are not allowed inside the CAT exam hall.
• Clothes with pockets are not allowed.
• Can wear any type of dress that has no pockets attached.
• Can wear any type of shirt, t-shirt, trousers. 

CAT dress code 2024 for female

• Avoid wearing any jewellery, ornaments or carrying any metal. 
• Avoid wearing earrings, nose pins, necklaces, anklets, bangles or any other metallic ornaments.
• Mehendi, tattoos on the body, and unnatural marks will lead to disqualification.
• Avoid wearing heavy makeup and keep a simple hairstyle without any ornaments

CAT 2024 exam will be held in three different slots. Shift 1 will be conducted from 8:30 am to 10:30 am, shift 2 from 12:30 pm to 2:30 pm, and shift 3 from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm. 

According to CAT dress code 2024 for male and female candidates appearing for the CAT exam 2024 today, examinees can wear any kind of trousers they're comfortable in. They are advised to wear clothes without pocket. 

The entry timings for CAT 2024 slot 1 are 7 am to 8:15 am. Students have started reaching the examination centre. CAT exam 2024 is being conducted today in three shifts. 

CAT 2024 slot 1 entry begins. (Image: Careers360)

CAT 2024 aspirants will be required to carry CAT admit card 2024 and a valid photo ID proof to the examination centre. Those with medical conditions will be required to carry a medical certificate too. 

The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Calcutta is conducting this year's Common Admission Test (CAT) for MBA admissions. One of the oldest IIMs, the institute was established in 1961. IIMC ranked 5th in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2024 in management category. 

Common Admission Test (CAT) 2024 will be conducted in three shifts today, November 24. 

The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Calcutta will conduct the Common Admission Test (CAT) 2024 today for 3.29 registered candidates in 175 examination cities across India for admission to MBA programmes offered by IIMs and participating B-schools.